denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
to be euill and euill good lyght to be darknesse and darknesse lyght superstition to be true religion and Idolatry to be the true worship of God and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wyne to bee none other substaunce but onelye the substaunce of Christ the liuyng Lord both God and man And with this their falshoode craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in Courte and in Towne and feare neyther hangyng nor headyng as the poore theeues of the borders doe but stout and strong lyke Nembroth dare condemne to bee burned in flamyng fire quicke and alyue whosoeuer wil go about to bewray their falshood The kynd of fight against these Churchrobbers is also of another sort and kynd then is that which is agaynst the theeues of the borders For there the true men go forth agaynst them with speare and launce with bow and hyll and all such kynd of bodily weapons as the true mē haue but here as the enemies be of another nature so the watch men of Christes flocke the warrioures that fight in the Lordes warre must be armed fight with another kynd of weapons and armour For here the enemies of GOD the souldiours of Antichrist although the battaile is set foorth agaynst the Church by mortall men beyng flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of their father the deuill yet for that their graund maister is the power of darknesse their members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirits of errors of heresies of all deceit and vngodlinesse spirits of Idolatry superstition hypocrisy which are called of S. Paule Principates and powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darkenes of this world spirituall subtleties concernyng heauenly thyngs and therfore our weapons must be fitte and meete to fight agaynst such not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare launce but spirituall and heauenly we must fight agaynst suche with the armour of God not entendyng to kill their bodies but their erroures their false craft and heresies their idolatry superstition and hypocrisie and to saue as much as lyeth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as s. Paul teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloud that is we fight not with bodily weapon to kil the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errors vice to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faith hope charitie righteousnes truth patience prayer vnto God our sword wherwith we smite our enemies we beat and batter and beare downe all falshood is the worde of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight euer hauing our eye vpon our graund maister Duke and captaine Christ then we reckon our selues to triumphe to win the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduryng in this battail without any shrinking or yeldyng to the enemies after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our maister after the example of his holy prophets Apostles Martyrs when I say we are slaine in our mortal bodies of our enemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a many of sheepe And the more cruell the more painful the more vile spiteful is the kind of the death whereunto we bee put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdome to be And thus much dere louers friends in God my coūtreyman kinsfolke I haue spoken for your comfort lest of my death of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie pleasures commodities ye might be abashed or thinke any euill wheras ye haue rather cause to reioyce if ye loue me in deed for that it hath pleased God to cal me to a greater honor and dignitie thē euer I did enioy before eyther in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected named yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to dye in hys cause whereof I nothing doubt then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honor that can be geuen to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods to be Christes quarel of his Gospell to be the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kyngdome of heauen who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods worde and the testimony of hys owne conscience as I thorough the infinite goodnesse of GOD not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my selfe to doe who is hee I saye that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth GOD in deed and in truth loueth and beleeueth his maister Christ and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhoode the chosen children of God and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting lyfe who is he I say agayne that would not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be content to die The Lord forbidde that any such should bee that should forsake this grace of God I trust in my Lord God the GOD of mercies the Father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mynd will affection by his holy spirit in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance yea and of my lyfe too then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me ayde mee and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the end and to the yeldyng vp of my spirit soule into hys holy hands whereof I most hartily beseech his most holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countriemen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lend me lyfe and geueth me laisure I will bid my other good friends in God of other places also farewell And whom first or before other then the Uniuersitie of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer found more faithfull and hartie friendes receyued more benefits the benefits of my naturall parents onely excepted then euer I did euen in myne own natiue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambridge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I should not acknowled thy manifold benefits yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee agayne truly I were to be counted to vngrate vnkynde What benefites hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vppon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest too good for me Thou didst bestowe on mee all thy schoole degrees of thy common offices the Chaplaynship of the vniuersitie the office of the Proctorship of a common Reader of thy priuate commodities emoluments in colledges what was it that
shall be made manifest and appeare in glorye then shall the Children of God appeare what they be euen like vnto Christ for this oure weake body shall bee transfigured and made like vnto Christes glorious body and that by the power wherby he is able to subdue vnto himselfe al thinges Then that which is now corruptible shall be made incorruptible that nowe is vile shall then bee made glorious that is now weake shal rise then mighty and strong that is grosse and carnall shall be made fine and spirituall for then we shal see and haue the vnspeakable ioy and fruâ—tion of the glorious maiestie of our Lord euen as he is Who or what then shall let vs to ieoparde to ieopard yea to spende this lyfe whiche wee haue here in Christes cause in our Lorde God his cause O thou therefore man of God thou yâ— art loden so letted like vnto a great bellied woman that thou canst not flie the plague yet if thou lust after suche things as I haue spoken of stand fast what soeuer shall befall in thy maysters cause and take this thy letting to flye for a calling of God to fight in thy mayster Christ his cause Of this be thou certaine they can do nothing vnto thee whiche thy father is not aware of or hath not foreseene before they can do no more theÌ„ it shal please hym to suffer them to do for the furtheraunce of his glory edifying of his Church and thine owne saluation Let theÌ„ then do what they shall seeing to thee O man of God all thinges shall be forced to serue and to worke with thee vnto the best before God O be not afrayd and remember the end All this whiche I haue spoken for the comforte of the lamentable case of the man whome Christ callethe greate bellied woman I meane to bee spoken of likewyse to the captiue and prisoner in Gods cause for suche I counte to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight vnder the banner of the crosse of Chryste and as it were souldiours allowed and taken vp for the Lordes warres to do their Lorde and mayster good and honourable seruice and to sticke to him as men of trusty seruice in hys cause euen vnto death and to thinke their lyfe lost in his cause is to win it in eternal glory for euermore Therfore now to conclude and to make an end of thys treatise I say vnto all that loue God our heauenly father that loue Christ Iesus our redeemer and sauioure that loue to follow the wayes of the holy Ghost whiche is our comforter and sanctifier of all vnto al that loue Christs spouse and bodye the true catholicke Churche of Christe yea that loue lyfe and theyr owne soules health I say vnto al these hearken my deare breathren and sisters all you that be of God of all sortes ages dignities or degrees hearken to the word of our sauiour Iesus Christ spoken to his Apostles and meant to all his in S. Mathewes Gospel Feare not them whiche kill the body for they cannot kil the soule but feare hym more which may destroy and cast both body and soule into hell fire Are not two small sparrowes sold for a mite and one of them shall not fall or light vpon the ground without your father All the heares of your head be numbed Feare them not you are muche more worthe then are the litle sparrowes Euery one that confesseth me before men him shal I likewise confesse before my Father which is in heauen But who soeuer shall deny me before men I shall deny him likewise before my father which is in heauen The Lord graunt vs therfore of his heauenlye grace and strengthe that here wee maye so confesse him in thys world amongst this adulterous and sinneful generation that he may confesse vs agayne at the latter day before hys father whiche is in heaueÌ„ to his glory and our euerlasting comfort ioy and saluation To our heauenly Father to our sauiour and redemer Iesus Christ and to the holy Ghost be all glory and honour now and for euer Amen Thus with the deathe and martyrdome of these two learned Pastorsr and constant souldiours of Christ mayster Latimer and B. Ridley you haue dyuers of theyr letters and other writinges of theirs expressed with the Farewels also of B. Ridley wherein he tooke hys leaue of the world taking hys iourny to the kingdome of heauen Diuers and sondry other treatises of his remayne also in my hand both in Latine and English to be remembred by the leaue of the Lorde in time and place conuenient The death and end of Stephen Gardiner Byshop of Winchester THe next moneth after the burning of Doctor Ridley and mayster Latimer which was the moneth of Nouember Stephen Gardiner Byshop and Chauncelloure a man hated of God and all good men ended hys wretched lyfe Concerning the quallities nature and disposition of which man for somuch as somewhat hath bene declared before in the storye of kinge Edwardes raygne I shall neede therefore the lesse now to stand greatly vpon the same First this Uipers byrd crept out of the towne of Bery in Suffolke brought vp most parte of his youth in Cambridge his wit capacitie memorye and other indumentes of nature not to bee complayned of if he hadde wel vsed and rightly applyed the same wherein ther was no great want of Gods part in hym if hee had not rather hymselfe wanted to the goodnes of his gifts Through this promptnes actiuitie towardnes of hys he profited not a little in such studyes as he gaue hys head vnto as first in the law ciuil then in languages and such other like especially in those artes and faculties which had any prospect to dignitie and preferment to be hoped for Besides other ornaments or helpes of nature memory chiefly seemed in hym very beneficiall rather then dilligence of study To these giftes and quallities were ioyned agayne is great or greater vices which not so much followed hym as ouertooke him not so muche burdened hym as made hym burdenous to the whole realme Hee was of a proude stomacke and high minded in hys owne opinion and conceit flattering himselfe to much in wit crafty and subtile towarde his superiour flattering and faire spoken to hys inferiours fierce agaynst hys equall stoute and enuious namely if in iudgement and sentence he any thyng withstoode hym as appeared betweene the good Lorde CroÌ„well and hym in the raygne of kyng Henry being of like hauâ—inesse of stomacke as the Poets wryte of Pelides Cedere nescius Who although would geue no place to men yet notwtstanding I wish he woulde haue geuen place to truth according as he semed not altogether ignorant of the truth What his knowledge was therin it is euident partly to vnderstand as wel by his book De vera obedientia as also by his sermon before king Edward also by his aunsweres to the Councell the same time and
English seruice so causing vs to sinne against our redemption For such as willingly and wittingly agaynst their consciences shall so do as it is to be feared many one doth they are in a miserable state vntill the mercy of God turn them which if he do not we certainly beleeue that they shall eternally be damned and as in this world they deny Christes holy word and Communion before men so shal christ deny them before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And where as it is verye earnestly required that we should go in Procession as they call it at whiche time the Priest say in Latine such thinges as we are ignoraunt of the same edifieth nothing at all vnto godlinesse And wee haue learned that to follow Christes Crosse is an other matter namely to take vp our Crosse and to follow chryst in pacient suffering for his loue tribulations sicknes pouertie prison or anye other aduersitie whensoeuer Gods holy wil pleasure is to lay the same vppon vs. The tryumphant Passion and death of Christ wherby in his own person he conquered death sinne hell and damnatioÌ„ hath most liuely bene preached vnto vs and the glory of Chrystes crosse declared by our Preachers whereby wee haue learned the causes and effectes of the same more liuely in one Sermon then in all the Processions that euer wee went in or euer shall go in When wee worshipped the diuine Trinitie kneelyng and in the Letanie inuocating the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost asking mercye for our sinnes and desiring such petitions as the neede of oure frayle estate and thys mortall life requireth we were edified both to know vnto whom all Christian praiers should be directed and also to know that of Gods hand we receaue all thinges as well to the saluation of our soules as to the reliefe of our mortall necessities And we humbly beseech the Queenes maiestie that the same most holye prayers may bee continued amongest vs that our Ministers praying in oure mother tongue and wee vnderstanding their prayers and petitions may aunswere Amen vnto them At euening seruice we vnderstoode our Ministers prayers we wer taught admonished by the scriptures then read whiche in the latine Euensong is all gone At the ministration of holy baptisme we learned what league and couenauâ—t God had made with vs and what vowes and promises we vpon our part had made namely to beleue in him to forsake Satan and his workes to walke in the way of Gods holy word commandemeÌ„tes The Christian Catechisme continually taught called to remembraunce the same wheras before no man knew any thing at all And many good men of lx yeares that hadde bene godfathers to xxx children knew no more of the godfathers office but to wash their handes ere they departed the Church or els to fast fiue Fridayes bread and water O mercifull God haue pittie vpon vs. Shall we be altogether cast from thy presence We may well lament our miserable estate to receaue such a commaundement to reiect and cast out of our Churches all these most godly praiers instructions admonitions and doctrines thus to be compelled to deny God and Christ our Sauiour hys holy word al his doctrine of our saluation the candle to our feete and the light to our steppes the bread comming downe from heauen that geueth life whiche who so drinketh it shall be in him a well spring streaming vnto eternall life wherby we haue learned all righteousnes al true Religion al true obedience towardes our gouernours al charitie one towardes an other all good workes that god would vs to walk in what punishment abideth the wicked and what heauenly rewarde God will geue to those that reuerently walke in his wayes and commaundementes Wherefore right honourable Commissioners wee can not without impietie refuse and caste from vs the holye word of God which we haue receaued or condemne anye thing set forth by our most godly late king Edward hys vertuous proceedinges so agreable to Gods worde And our most humble suite is that the coÌ„maundement may be reuoked so that we be not constrayned thereunto For we protest before God we thinke if the holy word of God had not taken some roote amongest vs we could not in tyme past haue done that poore duety of ours which wee did in assisting the Queene our most deare soueraigne agaynst her Graces mortall foe that then fought her destruction It was our bounden duetie and wee thanke God for the knowledge of his worde and grace that we then did some part of our bounden seruice And we meekely pray and beseeche the Queenes Maiestie for the deare passion of Iesus Christ that the same word be not takeÌ„ away out of her Churches nor from vs her louyng faythfull and true subiectes lest if the like necessitie should hereafter chaunce which God for his mercies sake forbid and euer saue and defeÌ„d her grace and vs all the want of knowledge of due remembrauÌ„ce of Gods word may be occasion of great ruine to an infinite number of her graces true subiectes And truely we iudge this to be one subtile part of the deuil enemy to all godly peace and quietnesse that by takyng Gods word from among vs and plantyng ignoraunce he may make a way to all mischief and wickednes by banishyng the holy Gospell of peace he may bring vpon vs the heauy wrath of God with all maner of plagues as death straunge sicknes pestilence morren most terrible vprores commotions seditions These thyngs did the Lord threaten vnto the Iewes for refusing his word saying Goe and thou shalt say vnto this people Ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall playnly see and not perceiue Harden the hart of this people stop their eares and shut their eyes that they see not with their eyes heare not with their eares and vnderstand not with their hartes and conuert and be healed And I said how loÌ„g Lord And he aunswered Vntill the Cities be destroyed vtterly wasted without habiters and the houses without men till the laÌ„d also be desolate lye vnbuilded And the Prophet Micheas considering the contempt of Gods word amoÌ„g the Israelites threatned them thus When the day that thy preachers warned thee of commeth thou shalt be wasted away And let no man beleue his frend or put confidence in his brother Keepe the doore of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome for the sonne shall put his father to dishonour and the daughter shal rise agaynst her mother the daughter in law agaynst the mother in the law and a mans foes shal be eueÌ„ they of his owne houshold The same plague threatned Christ vnto the Iewes for refusing his peace profered them in the Gospel and he wept on the Citie Ierusalem which murdered the Prophetes and stoned such as were sent vnto her The same plagues we are afrayd will also fall vpon vs. For whereas
euer But in the meane space I saye most happy are you that so hartily mourne the absence of the bridegrome If you were not a wedding child you could neuer doe it Onely Christes true Disciples doe mourne for his absence therefore shall they doubtles reioyce at his presence which will be so muche more ioyfull by how much the absence is more sorrowfull Therfore my good brother take a good hart vnto you be of good cheare Say with the Prophet Dauid O my soule why art thou so heauy and why art thou so disquieted with in me O put thy trust in God for I will yet geue him thankes for the helpe of his louing countenance and because he is my God Read the Psal the xli and the xlij for your comfort consider that the holy kng and Prophet at the making first saying of them was euē in the same case that you are now in but he still comforted himselfe with the sweet promises of God and so do you my deare hart for to you they do as well pertayne as they did to him and as surely shall they be performed vpon you as they were vpon him for he is one God and deare father vnto you both for his mercy truth and promise sake he must needes make good vnto you all that he hath sayd If his loue towardes you stoode in the respect of your own merite or worthines you might well mourne lamēt and complayne yea you had good cause to doubt feare mistrust But seeing he loueth you onely for and in Iesus christ who is your whole holines righteousnesse and redemption lay away all mourning lamenting and complayning banish from you all feare mistrust and infidelitie and know that as long as Christ doth continue Gods sonne so lōg must the loue of the father continue towards you immutable and his good will vnchangeable and can not be altered through any of your infirmities For this is most true that as long as the cause of any thinge doth last so long must the effect remayne but Christ is the whole cause why the father loueth you and hee also continueth for euer then must I needes conclude that the loue of the father continueth towardes you for euer and as the Psalmist most ioyfully so often singeth His mercye endureth for euer and euer This is most true mine owne deare hart although the Lorde for a time hide it from your senses that you might be the more earneste in prayer to him for the feeling of it also the more thankefull for it when he doth geue the liuely tast of it as doubtles he will do ere euer it be long and then shall you be well able to comforte other in the same state that you are now in with the same comforte wherewith you are and further shal be comforted of God Therefore lifte vp youre handes that are now a little fallen downe and stretche forth the weake knees of youre troubled minde whiche now mourneth with a godly mourning and therefore shal it be full well comforted with that sweete peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and you are sure already to enioy the blessing that Christ gaue vnto the Godly mourners of Sion vppon the Mount at the first sermon that he made Oh happy U. in whose mourning company I had rather be then in the house of mirth and banqueting of such as see not what cause they haue to mourne and be sory But yet my good brother vse a measure in this your godly mourning make not your faithfull frendes too much sory for you Let the perswasions of such godly louers as you do dayly company withal or rather the perswasions of the holy Ghoste by them moue you to some godly mirth and reioising Consider that you are commaunded of God by the mouth of Sainct Paule thereto Reioyce in the Lord sayth he and I say again reioyce Marke how he doubleth the sentence that wee may perceaue it is a most earnest and necessary thing he requireth Obey the commaundement of God in this behalfe wherin as you cannot but highly please him so I assure you you shall very much reioyce my poore hart and the harts of other whiche pray for you with mourning teares and make that cruell enemy Sathan and all your aduersaryes sory which will reioyce and laugh to see you mourne Oh my good brother let it manifestly appeare that the Lorde of his great mercy hath heard our faythfull and harty requestes for you Oh how would that reioyce me in the midst of my troubles Therfore now to conclude because the darkenes constrayneth me to make an end for this time I say my deare faithful brother U. in respect of the great cause you haue of your own part through Christ for the glory and honor of almighty God the comfort ioy and reioysing of your deare brethren and sisters in Christ also your owne duetie by the commaundement of God and last of all to vexe molest and greeue Satan withall reioyce in the lord and be most hartily glad in him who is wholy yours and you are his and shal be for euermore Selah Farewel mine own bowels in the Lord praise God with ioyfull lips a mery hart pray for me his most vnprofitable seruant which haue more cause concerning my selfe to lament then any one man liuing but my good bridegrome is present biddeth me cast away my mourning garmentes and therfore I must needes be merry with him and so he biddeth you to be by my mouth for hee is present with you although for sorow you cannot know him as Magdalen could not in the garden vntill he spake vnto her The Lorde God speake these wordes of comforte in your hart open the eyes of your minde that you may perfectly perceiue and feele his blessed presence so reioyce in the same for euermore Amen Comfort your hart in christ and cast your care vpon him for he careth for you Your brother in the Lord abiding his good pleasure Iohn Careles * To my deare and faythfull brother Augustine Bernher The peace of God in Iesus Christ the helpe comforte and assistance of his eternall spirite be with you my deare and faythfull brother Augustine and with all the rest of my good brethren and sisters of the houses of Baxterley Manceter which mourneth for the miserye of Gods people to your euerlasting consolation in hym Amen Right glad I am to heare my deare and faithfull brother Augustine that God of his greate mercy and infinite goodnes hath yet so graciously deliuered preserued you out of your enemyes handes beseeching almighty God also from the bottome of my hart to be your continuall defence vnto the ende as hitherto he hath most graciously bene that you may liue dye both to Gods glory the commodity of his Church and to the increase of your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in hym Knowe you deare brother
euer I had answered to his lyes and so the Gospell to haue bene sclaundered by my long silence keeping So I spake I prayse God therefore and sayd my Lorde I pray you let me now answere for my selfe for it is time Winchest I permit you to answere to these things that I haue sayd Wood. I thanke God therfore And I thinke my self happy as Paule sayd when hee was brought before king Agrippa that I may this day aunswere for my selfe My Lord I promise you there is neuer a worde of youre sayinges true that you haue alledged agaynst me Winch. I can not tell but thus it is reported of you As for me I neuer did see you before this day but I am sure it is not all lyes that I haue sayd as you report Wood. Yes my Lord there is neuer a true worde of that you sayd And â—urther where you sayd you neuer sawe me before this day you haue both heard me and seene me I dare say before this day Winchester I thinke I heard you in deede on Sondaye where you playd the malapart â—ellow but I cannot tell that I sawe you But I pray you were you not taken in the woodes by the Sheriffes men Wood. No sure I was taken besides my house I beyng in my house when they came wherefore that is not true Winchester Were not you at the Sheriffes 3. weekes Wood. Yes that I was a moneth iust and was gently entreated of him I can say no otherwise for I had meat and drinke inough and fayre wordes Winch. Ah. I am well appayd it is not all lyes then as it chaunced For I spake but of three weekes and you confesse a moneth your selfe Woodman Yet your tale is neuer the truer for that For you sayd I was there three weekes for heresie the whiche is not so For I was not apprehended for heresie at the first neither did mine olde Lorde of Chichester trauayle wyth me to pull me from heresie as you sayde for I helde none then neyther do I now as God knoweth neither was I sent to the Commissioners nor to the Bishop of London for heresie neyther was I deliuered to him for anye suche thing nor promised him to recant as you sayd I dyd Wherefore I maruaile you be not ashamed to tel so many lyes beyng a Byshoppe that should be an ensample to other Winch. Lo what an arrogant hereticke this same is He will deny God for he that denyeth his owne hand denieth God Wood. My Lord iudge not least you be iudged yourselfe For as you haue iudged me you shal be iudged if you repent not And if I haue set my hand to anye recantation let it be seene to my shame before this audience For I wil neuer deny myne owne hand by Gods helpe Win. It is not here now but I thinke it will be had wel enough but if it cannot be found by whom will you bee tryed Wood. Euen by my Lord of London for he delt like a good man with me in that matter that I was sente to pryson for For it was vppon the breache of a Statute as Mayster Sheriffe here can tell For he was Sheriffe then as hee is now can tell you how I was tossed vp and downe froÌ„ Sessions to Sessions and because I would not consent that I had offended therein they sent me to prison agayn Then my Lorde of Chichester being myne Ordinary and I being his tenaunt came to me to perswade wyth me that I should haue consented to them and to finde my selfe in fault where I was in none To the which I would not agree but I desired him that he would see me released of my wrong but he said he could not but willed me or my frendes to speake to the Commissioners for me because it was a temporall matter and when I came before them they sent me to my Lord of London and my Lord of London was certified by the handes of almost thirty meÌ„ both Esquiers Gentlemen and Yeomen the chiefest in all the country where I dwelt that I had not offended in that matter that I was sent to prison for Whereupon he deliuered me not willing me to recant heresies for I helde none as God knoweth neither do I nowe nor I knowe not wherefore I was sent to prison no more then anye man here knoweth for I was taken away from my worke Winch. No wherefore appealed you then to my Lorde of Chichester if it were not for heresie Wood. Because there was layde to my charge that I had Baptised children and maried folkes the whiche I neuer did for I was no where Minister Wherfore I appealed to mine Ordinarye to purge my selfe thereof as I haue Wherfore if any man haue any thing agaynst me let them speake for I came not hither to accuse my selfe neyther will I. Winch. Mayster Sheriffe can you tell vpon what breache of Statute he was sent to prison first The Sheriffe Yea forsooth my Lord that I can Wood. My Lord if you will geue me leaue I will shewe you the whole matter Winch. Nay M. Sheriffe I pray you tell the matter seeing you know it The Sheriffe My Lord it was for speaking to a Curate in the Pulpit as I remember Winc. Ah like enough that he would not sticke to reproue a Curate For did you not see how he fashioned himselfe to speake to me in the Pulpit on Sonday You played the maliperte fellowe with me and therfore it was no great maruell though he played that part with an other Woodman Why you will not blame me for that I am sure For we spake for no other cause but to purge oure selues of those heresies that you layd to our charge For these were your wordes Good people these men that bee brought before vs being here deny Christ to be God and the holy Ghost to be GOD poynting to vs with youre left hand the whiche might seeme to the whole audience that you ment vs all Wherefore to cleare our selues therof we spake and sayd we held no such thing And you sayd you would cut out our tongues But I am sure you haue no such law Win. Yes that we haue if you blaspheme and as it chaunced I found such amongest you Wood. In deede after we spake you declared who they were but not before for you spake generally Wherefore we blasphemed not but purged ourselues Winch. But I pray you how can you purge your selfe for speaking to the Curate that it is not heresie Wood. Forsooth these be the wordes of the Statute Who soeuer doth interrupt anye preacher or preachers lawfully authorised by the Queenes Maiestie or by any other lawfull Ordinary that all such shall suffer three monthes imprisonment and furthermore be brought to the quarter Sessions there being sory for the same to be released vpon his goodabering one whole yeare But I had not so offended as it was well proued For hee that I spake
thee and I will send my wrath vpon thee vpon thee I say O Englande and punish thee according to thy wayes and rewarde thee after all thyne abhominations Thou hast kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hast stirred vp the coales For thou waste once lightned and hadst tasted of the heauenly gifte and wast become partaker of the holy ghost haddest tasted of the good word of God Yea it is yet in thy mouth sayth the Prophet Alas O Englād thou knewest thy Lorde and maisters wil but diddest nothing thereafter Thou must therefore sayeth hee suffer many stripes and many sharpe strokes and walke on in the glittering and hot flame of thine owne fire and in the coles that thou hast kindled This commeth to thee from my hande saith the Lorde namely That thou shalt sleepe in sorrowe yea euen so thou shalt The plain truth telleth the tale the immutable iustice of the euerliuing God and the ordinarie course of his plagues from the beginning confirmeth the same The ioy of our heart sayeth Ieremie is gone oure glory is fallē away our mery singing is turned into mourning the garland of our head is fallen Alas and weale away that euer we sinned so sore Wo worth all abhominations and wickednesse wo woorth cloked hypocrisie woe worth our carnall liberty wo worth our most cursed idolatrie For because of these things sayth the Lorde ye shall perish with sword hunger and pestilence Wherfore let all the wicked enemies of Christe and all the vnbeleuers look to be tormented and vexed with al hellish furies and cleane wythout hope at Gods accompting day which know not God in Christ to be their very righteousnesse their life their onely saluation alone sauiour nor beleeue not in him They must sayth S. Iohn needes abide and pearish wyth their sinnes in death and in eternall damnation But we be the children of Saintes as the elder Toby did aunswer and looke for an other life which God shall geue to all them which chaunge not theyr faith nor shrinke not from him Reioyce therefore ye Christian afflicted brethren for they can not take our soules and bodies out of the handes of the almighty which be kept as in the bosome of our most swete and louing father and if we abide fast in Christ and turn not away like weathercocks surely we shall liue for euer Christ affirmeth the same saying My sheepe heare my voyce I knowe them they hearken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlasting life for they shall not be lost nor no manne shall plucke them oute of my handes no nor yet this flattering world with all his vaine pleasures nor any tyranne with his great threates stout bragges can once mooue them oute of the way of eternall life What consolation and cōfort may we haue more pleasant and effectuous then thys God is on our side fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth and is afflicted wyth vs. As the world can doe nothing against his might neyther in taking away or diminishing of his glory nor putting him from his celestiall throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of hys children without his good will For we are members of his body oute of hys fleshe and of hys bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therefore with an earnest faith set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospell let vs not be sundred from the same by any temptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of God to be inuinsible inuiolable immutable Promising and geuing vs his faithfull souldiours life eternal It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his onely benefite of his only mere mercy vnto him only must we render thāks Let not therefore the vaine fantasies and dreames of men the foolish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue and separate vs from our hope of the crowne of righteousnes that is layd vp in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and merry last day I meane to the faithfull when Christ by his couenaunt shall graunt and geue vnto them that ouercome and keepe hys woordes to the ende that they may ascend and sitte in seate with him as he hath ascended sitteth on throne with hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shall then be with Christ glorified now in the butchers hands as shepe apoynted to die then sitting at Gods table with Christ in his kingdom as Gods honorable and deare children where we shall haue for earthly pouertie heauenly riches for hūger and thirst saturitie of the pleasant presence of the glory of God for sorrowes troubles and colde yrons celestiall ioyes and the company of aungels and for a bodely death life eternal Oh happy soules Oh precious death and euer more blessed right dear in the eyes of God to you the spring of the Lord shal euer be florishing Then as sayth Esay the redeemed shal returne and come againe into Sion praising the Lorde and eternall mercies shal be ouer their heads they shall obtaine mirth and solace sorrowe and woe shal be vtterly vanquished yea I am he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlasting consolation To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be glory and praise for euer Amen Robert Samuel An other letter wrytten to the Christian congregation by Robert Samuel wherein he declareth the confession of his faith The beliefe of the hert iustifieth and the knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of mē be not afraid of their blasphemies and reuilings for wormes and mothes shal eat them vp like cloth and woolle but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my selfe these pearillous times pearishing daies and the vnconstante and miserable state of man the decay of our faith the sinister reporte and false sclaunder of Gods most holy word these vrgent causes in conscience do constraine me to confesse and acknowledge my faith and meaning in Christes holy Religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying be readye alwayes to geue an aunswere to euerye man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with meekenes and feare hauing a good conscience that when they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falsly accused your good conuersation in Christ. As touching my doctrine for that little talent that God hath geuen mee God I take to recorde mine owne conscience and mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willingly taughte any other thinge then I receiued of the holye Patriarckes Prophetes Christe and hys Apostles For it were not onely sinne but also the verye parte of a cursed miscreant to
higher member yet you must not disdayne the lesser For as Saynt Paule sayth those members that be taken most vilest and had in least reputation be as necessary as the other for the preseruation and keeping of the body This most gracious king when I considered and also your fauorable and geÌ„tle nature I was bold to write this rude homely and simple letter vnto your grace trusting that you will accepte my true and faythfull minde euen as it is First and before all thinges I will exhort your grace to marke the life and processe of our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles in preaching and setting forth of the Gospell and to note also the wordes of our Mayster Christ whiche he had to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preache his Gospell and to these haue euer in your minde the golden rule of our mayster Christ The tree is knowne by the fruit For by the diligent marking of these your grace shal clearely know and perceiue who bee the true folowers of Christ and teachers of his Gospell and who be not And concerning the first all Scripture sheweth playnelye that our sauiour Iesus Christes life was very poore Begin at his byrth and I beseech you who euer heard of a poorer or so poore as he was It were to long to wryte how poore Ioseph and the blessed Uirgin Mary took theyr iourney from Nazareth toward Bethlem in the cold and frosty winter hauing no body to wayte vpon them but he both Mayster and man and she both Mistres and mayde How vilely thinkes your grace they were intreated in the Innes and lodgings by the way and in how vile and abiect place was this poore mayd the mother of our Sauior Iesus Christ brought to bed in without company lighte or any other thing necessary for a woman in that plighte Was not here a poore beginning as coÌ„cerning the world Yes truly And according to this beginning was the processe and end of his life in this worlde and yet he might by his godly power haue had all the goodes and treasures of this world at his pleasure when and where he would But this he did to shew vs that his folowers and Uicars should not regard nor set by the riches and treasures of this worlde but after the saying of Dauid we oughte to take them which sayth thus If riches promotions and dignity happen to a man let him not set his affiaunce pleasure trust hart vpon them So that it is not agaynst the pouertye in spirite which Christ prayseth in the Gospel of Saynt Mathew chapter 5. to be rich to be in dignity and in honour so that theyr hartes be not fixed and set vpoÌ„ them so much that they neither care for GOD nor good man But they be enemies to this pouertye in spirite haue they neuer so litle that haue greedy and desirous mindes to the goodes of this worlde onely because they woulde liue after theyr owne pleasure and lustes And they also be priuy enemies and so much the worse which haue professed as they say wilfull pouerty and will not be called worldly men And they haue Lordes Landes and kinges riches yea rather then they would lose one iot of that whiche they haue they will set debate betwene king and king Realme and Realme yea betwene the king and his Subiectes and cause rebellion agaynst the Temporall power to the whiche our Sauiour Christ himselfe obeyed and payed tribute as the Gospell declareth vnto whom the holy Apostle S. Paul teacheth euery Christen manne to obey Yea and beside al this they will curse and ban as much as in them lyeth euen into the deepe pit of hell all that gayne say theyr appetite wherby they thinke theyr goodes promotions or dignities should decay Your grace may see what meanes and craft the Spiritualty as they will be called imagine to breake and withstand the Actes which were made in your graces last ParliameÌ„t against theyr superfluities Wherfore they that thus do your Grace may knowe them not to be true folowers of Christ. And although I named the spiritualty to be corrupt with this vnthrifty ambition yet I meane not all to be faulty therein for there be some good of them Neyther will I that your Grace should take away the goodes due to the Churche but take away such euil persons from the goodes and set better in theyr stead I name nor appoynte no person nor persons but remit your Grace to the rule of our Sauiour Christe as in Mathew the seueÌ„th Chapiter By theyr fruites ye shall know them As touching the woordes that our Sauiour Christe spake to his Disciples when hee sente them to preache hys Gospell they be readde in Mathew the fiftenth Chapiter where he sheweth that here they shall bee hated and despised of all men worldly and broughte before the Kinges and Rulers and that all euill shoulde be sayde by them for theyr preaching sake but he exhorteth them to take paciently such persecution by his owne example saying It becommeth not the seruaunt to be aboue the Mayster And seing they called me Belzâ—bub what maruayle is it if they call you Deuillishe persons and heretickes Reade the fourtenth Chapiter of Saynt Mathewes Gospell there your Grace shall see that he promised to the true Preachers no worldlye promotions or dignity but persecution and al kindes of punishment and that they should be betrayed euen by theyr owne brethren and children In Iohn also he sayeth In the worlde ye shall haue oppression and the worlde shall hate you but in mee you you shall haue peace And in the 10. Chapiter of S. Mathewes Gospell sayth our Sauiour Christ also Loe I send you forth as sheepe among Wolues So that the true Preachers go like sheepe harmelesse and be persecuted and yet they reuenge not theyr wronge but remit all to God so farre it is of that they will persecute any other but with the worde of God onely whiche is theyr weapon And so this is the most euideÌ„t tokeÌ„ that our sauior Iesus Christ would that his Gospell and the Preachers of it should be knowne by and that it shoulde be despised among those worldly wyse men and that they should repute it but foolishnes and deceiuable doctrine and the true Preachers should be persecuted and hated and driuen from towne to towne yea and at the last lose both goodes and life And yet they that did this persecution shoulde thinke that they did wel and a great pleasure to God And the Apostles remembring this lesson of our Sauioure Christ were content to suffer such persecutions as you may read in the Actes of the Apostles and the Epistles But we neuer read that they euer persecuted any man The holy apostle S. Paule sayth that euery man that wil liue godly in christ Iesu should suffer persecution And also he sayth further in the Epistle written to the Philippians in the
dignitie honour and estimation so necessary members sometime accounted so many godly vertues the study of so many yeares such excellent learnyng to be put into the fire and consumed in one moment Wel dead they are and the reward of this world they haue already What reward remayneth for them in heauen the day of the Lordes glory when he commeth with his saints shall shortly I trust declare Albeit I haue differred and put ouer many treatises letters exhortations belongyng to the story of the Martyrs vnto the latter appendix in the ende of this volume thinkyng also to haue done the lyke with these farewels exhortations followyng of D. Ridley yet for certain purposes moouing me thereunto and especially consideryng the fruitfull admonitions wholesome doctrine and necessary exhortations conteyned in the same I thought best here to bestow and consequently to adioyne the sayd tractations of that learned pastour with the lyfe and story of the authour Whereof the two first be in a manner of hys farewels the one to his kinsfolks and generally to all the faithfull of the number of Christes congregation the other more speciall to the prisoners and banished ChristiaÌ„s in the gospels cause the third containeth a fruitfull and a generall admonition to the citie of London and to all other with necessary precepts of christian office as by the tenour of them here followeth in order to be seene ¶ A treatise or a letter written by D. Ridley in steade of his last farewell to all hys true and faythfull friendes in God with a sharpe admonition withall vnto the Papistes AT the name of Iesus let euery knee bow both of thynges in heauen and thynges in earth and things vnder the earth and let euery tongue confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the Father Amen As a man mynding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commonly and naturally hath a desire to bidde his frendes farewell before his departure so lykewise now I looking daylye when I should be cauled to depart hence from you O all ye my dearely beloued brethren sisters in our Sauiour Christ that dwell here in this worlde hauing a lyke mynde towardes you all and blessed be God for such tyme and leasure whereof I right hartely thanke his heauenly goodnesse to byd you all my deare brethren sisters I saye in Christ that dwell vpon the earth after such maner as I can Farewell Farewell my deare brother George Shipside whom I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louyng in all sâ—ate and conditions and now in the tyme of my crosse ouer al other to me most frendly and stedfast and that which lyked me best ouer all other thynges in Gods cause euer hartye Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am glad to heare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse which is layd now blessed be God both on thy backe and myne in good part Thanke thou God that hath geuen thee a godly and louyng husband see thou honour hym and obey hym accordyng to Gods law Honour thy mother in law hys mother and loue all those that pertaine vnto him beyng redy to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy children I doubt not of thy husband but that hee which hath geuen him an hart to loue and feare God and in God them that pertaine vnto him shall also make hym friendly and beneficiall vnto thy children euen as if they had bene gotten of his owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Ridley of the Waltoun and you my gentle and louing sister Elizabeth whom besides the naturall league of amitie your tender loue which you were sayde euer to beare towardes mee aboue the rest of your brethren doth bynde mee to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this your louyng affection and to haue acquited it with deedes and not with wordes alone Your daughter Elizabeth I bid farewell whome I loue for the meeke and gentle spirite that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the sight of God Farewell my beloued sister of Unthanke with al your children nephewes and neeces Since the departing of my brother Hugh my mynd was to haue bene vnto them in stead of their father but the Lord God must and wyll bee their father if they will loue hym and feare hym and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewel my welbeloued and worshipful Cosins M. Nich. Ridley of Willimountswike and your wyfe and I thanke you for all your kindnes shewed both to me and also to all your owne kinsfolke and myne Good Cosine as God hath set you in our stocke and kindered not for any respect of your person but of hys aboundaunt grace and goodnesse to be as it were the belweather to order conduct the rest and hath also endued you with hys manifold gyfts of grace both heauenly and worldly aboue others so I pray you good Cosin as my trust and hope is in you continue and encrease in the maintenaunce of the truth honesty righteousnesse and all true godlinesse and to the vttermost of your power to withstand falshoode vntruth vnrighteousnesse and all vngodlinesses whiche is forbidden and condemned by the worde and Lawes of God Farewell my young Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was very short with mee My mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caught in that litle time a losse but I trust it shall bee recompensed as it shall please almighty God Farewel all my whole kinred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lord which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that according to my harts desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you to haue brought with me aboundance of Christes blessed Gospell according to the duetie of that office and ministerie whereunto among you I was chosen named and appointed by the mouth of that our late peerelesse Prince K. Edward and so also denounced openly in his Court by his priuy Counsaile I warne you all my welbeloued kinsfolke countrymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thinke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my lyfe and therefore I thanke my Lord God hartily for it that it hath pleased him to call me of his great mercy vnto this high honour to suffer death willingly for his sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he hath called the holy Prophetes and dearely beloued Apostles and his blessed chosen Martyrs For know ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and the causes of the truth then I doubt that the Gospell which Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christ or that Paules Epistles are the very word of God And to haue a hart willyng to abide and stand in
Gods cause and in Christes quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O maÌ„ it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God geuen onely to the true elects and derely beloued childreÌ„ of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen For the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause S. Peter saith If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ that is in Christes cause and for hys truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vpon you If for rebukes sake suffred in Christes name a maÌ„ is pronounced by the mouth of that holy Apostle blessed happy How much more happy blessed is hee that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that bee my true louers and friends reioyce and reioyce with mee againe render with me hartie thanks to God our heaueÌ„ly father that for his sonnes sake my sauiour redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me beyng els without his gracious goodnes in my selfe but a sinnefull a vyle wretch to call me I say vnto this high dignitie of hys true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles of his holy elect chosen Martyrs that is to dye and to spend this temporall lyfe in the defence maintenance of his eternal and euerlasting truth Ye know that be my Countreymen dwelling vppon the borders where alas the true man suffereth oftentymes muche wrong at the thieues hande iâ— it chaunce a man to be slayne of a thiefe as it oft chanceth there which went out with his neighbour to helpe him to rescue hys goods agayne that the more cruelly he bee slayne and the more stedfastly he stucke by his neighbour in the fight agaynst the face of the thiefe the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slayne mans sake of all them that be true as long as the memory of his fact and his posteritie doth endure Euen so ye that be my kinsefolke and countreymen know ye how so euer the blynd ignorant wicked world hereafter shall rayse vppon my death which thyng they caÌ„not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our Sauiour of his holye Prophets Apostles Martyrs know ye I say that both before God all them that be godly and that truly knâ—w follow the lawes of God ye haue and shall haue by gods grace euer cause to reioyce to thanke God highly and to thinke good of it and in God to reioyce of me your fleshe bloud whom God of his gracious goodnes hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed coÌ„pany of his holy Martyrs in heauen and I doubt not in the infinite goodnes of my Lord God nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect chosen people but at both their hands in my cause ye shall rather finde the more fauour and grace For the Lord saieth that he will be both to them and theyrs that loue him the more louyng agayne in a thousand generations the Lord is so full of mercy to them I say and theirs which doe loue hym in deed And Christ saith againe that no maÌ„ can shew more loue then to geue his lyfe for his friend Now also knowe ye all my true louers in God my kinsfolke and Countreymen that the cause wherefore I am put to death is euen after the same sort and condition but touching more neere Gods cause in more waightie matters but in the general kynd all one For both is gods cause both is in the maintenance of right and both for the common wealth both for the weale also of the ChristiaÌ„ brother although yet there is in these two no small difference both concernyng the enimies the goods stolne the maner of the fight For know ye all that lyke as there wheÌ„ the poore true maÌ„ is robbed by the thiefe of his own goods truly gotten whereupon he and his househould should lyue he is greatly wronged the thiefe in stealing robbyng with violence the poore maÌ„s goods doth offend god doth transgres his law and is iniurious both to the poore man and to the common welth so I say know ye all that euen here in the cause of my death it is with the Church of England I meane the congregation of the true chosen children of GOD in this Realme of England whiche I knowledge not only to be my neighbours but rather the congregation of my spirituall brethren sisters in Christ yea members of one body wherein by Gods grace I am and haue bene grafted in Christ. This Church of England had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunt grace of almighty God great substaunce great riches of heauenly treasure great plenty of Gods true and sincere worde the true and wholesome administration of Christes holy Sacramentes the whole profession of Christes Religion truely and plainely set foorth in Baptisme the playne declaration vnderstandyng of the same taught in the holye Catechisme to haue bene learned of all true Christians This Church had also a true and sincere forme maner of the Lordes Supper wherein accordyng to Iesus Christes owne ordinaunce and holy institution Christes commaundementes were executed and done For vpon the bread and wyne set vppon the Lordes Table thankes were geuen the commemoration of the Lords death was had the bread in the remembrance of Christes body torne vpon the crosse was broken and the cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloud shed was distributed and both communicated vnto all that were present and would receyue them and also they were exhorted of the Minister so to doe All was done openly in the vulgar tong so that euery thyng might be both easily heard plainly vnderstand of all the people to Gods high glorye and the edification of the whole Church This Church had of late the whole diuine seruice all common and publike prayers ordeined to be said and heard in the common congregation not onely framed and fashioned to the true vayne of holy scripture but also set foorth accordyng to the commaundement of the Lord and S. Paules doctrine for the peoples edification in their vulgare tong It had also holy and wholesome Homelies in commendation of the principall vertues which are commended in Scripture and likewyse other Homelies agaynst the most pernicious and capitall vices that vseth alas to raigne in this Realme of England This Church had in matters of controuersie Articles so penned and framed alter the holy Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstandyng of Gods word that in short tyme if they had bene vniuersally receiued they should haue bene able to haue set in Christes Church much concorde and vnitie in Christes true religion and to haue expelled many false errors and heresies wherewith this Church alas was almost ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of the heaueÌ„ly treasure of these godly riches are entred in theues that
cannot although thou art not ashamed to call him thy maker make thee to escape the reuenging hand of the high and almighty God But be thou assured that the liuing Lord our Sauiour and redemâ—â— which sitteth on the right hand of his father in glorye he seeth all thy wicked wayes and crueltye done to his deare members and he will not forget his holy ones and his handes O thou Whorish Drabbe shalte thou neuer escape In stead of my farewell to thee now I say lye vpon thee lye vpon thee filthy Drabbe and all thy false Prophets Yet then O London I may not leaue thee thus Although thy Episcopall Sea now being ioyned in League with the seate of Sathan thus hath now both handled me and the Sayntes of God yet I doe not doubte but in that great City there be many priuy mourners which do daily mourne for that mischieâ—e the which neuer did nor shal coÌ„sent to that wickednes but do detest and abhorre it as the wayes of Sathan But these priuy mourners here I wyll passe by and bid them farewell with theyr felowes hereafter when the place and occasion shall more conuenientlye require Among the worshipfull of the citty and speacially which were in office the Maioralty yea in other Cittyes also whome to name nowe it shall not be necessary in the time of my ministery which was from the latter part of sir Rowland Dules yere vnto sir George Barnes yeare and a great part thereof I doe acknowledge that I founde no small humanity and gentlenes as me thought but to saye the truth that I do esteme aboue al other for true christian kindnes which is shewed in Gods cause and done for hys sake Wherfore O Dobbes Dobbes Alderman knight thou in thy yeare diddest winne my hart for euermore for that honorable acre that most blessed worke of God of the erection and setting vp of Christes holy Hospitalles and truely religious houses whiche by thee and through thee were begonne For thou like a man of God when the matter was mooued for the relief of Christes poore seely members to be holpen froÌ„ extreme misery hunger and famine thy hart I say was moued with pity as Christes high honourable officer in that cause thou calledst together thy brethren the Aldermen of the City before whom thou brakest the matter for the poore thou diddest plead theyr cause yea and not onely in thine owne person thou diddest sette fâ—rth Christes cause but to further the matter thou broughtest me into the Councell Chamber of the Citty before the Aldermen alone whome thou haddest assembled there together to heare me speake what I coulde say as an aduocate by office and duety in the poore mennes cause The Lorde wrought with thee and gaue thee the consent of thy Brethren whereby the matter was broughte to the common Counsell and so to the whole body of the City by whome with an vniforme consent it was committed to be drawn ordered and deuised by a certayne nuÌ„ber of the most witty CitizeÌ„s and politique endued also with godlynes with ready hartes to set forward such a noble acte as coulde bee chosen in all the whole City and they like true and faythfull Ministers both to theyr City theyr Mayster Christ so ordered deuised and brought forth the matter that thousands of sely poore meÌ„bers of Christ which els for extreme hunger and miserye shoulde haue famished and perished shal be relieued holpeÌ„ and brought vp and shal haue cause to blesse the Aldermen of that time the coÌ„mon Councell the whole body of the City but specially thee O Dobbes and those chosen men by whome this honorable worke of God was begon and wroughte and that so long throughout all ages as the godly worke shall endure which I pray almighty God may or euer vnto the worldes end Amen And thou O Syr George Barnes the trueth is to be confessed to Gods glory and to the good example of other thou wast in thy yeare not onely a furtherer and conâ—iâ—ner of that which before thee by thy predecessour was well begunne but also diddest labor so to haue perfited the work that it shoulde haue bene an absolute thing and a perfecte spectacle of true charity and Godlinesse vnto all Christendome Thyne endeuoure was to haue set vppe an house of occupations both that all kinde of pouerty being able to worke shoulde not haue lacked whereupon profitably they might haue bene occupied to their owne reliefe to the profite and commoditye of the common wealthe of the City and also to haue retired thither the poore Babes brought vp in the Hospitals when they had come to a certayne age and strength and also all those which in the hospitalles aforesayd had bene cured of theyr diseases And to haue brought this to passe thou obteynedst not withoute great diligence and labor both of thee of thy brethren of that Godly King Edwarde that Christian and pierlesse Princes hand his Princely place of Bridewell and what other thinges to the performaunce of the same and vnder what condition it is not vnknowne That this thine endeuor hath not had like successe the fault is not in thee but in the condition and state of the time which the Lorde of hys infinite mercy vouchsafe to ameÌ„d when it shall be his gracious will and pleasure Farewell now all ye Citizens that be of God of what state and condition so euer ye be Undoubtedly in London ye haue heard Gods word truely preached My hartes desire and dayly prayer shal be for you as for whome for my time I know to my Lord God I am countable that yee neuer swarue neyther for losse of life nor worldly goodes from Gods holy word and yelde vnto Antichrist wherevpon must needes folow the extreame displeasure of God and the losse both of your bodies and soules into perpetuall damnation for euermore Nowe that I haue gone through the places where I haue dwelt anye space in the time of my pilgrimage here vpon earth remeÌ„bring that for the space of king Edwardes raygne whiche was for the time of mine office in the Seas of London and Rochester I was a member of the higher house of the Parliament therefore seing my God hath geuen me leisure and the remembrance therof I will bid my Lords of the temporalty farewell They shall haue no iust cause by Gods grace to take it that I entende to say in ill part As for the spirituall Prelacy that now is I haue nothing to say to them excepte I shoulde repeate agayne a great part of that I haue sayd before now already to the Sea of London To you therefore my Lordes of the temporalty wil I speake and this would I haue you first to vnderstande that when I wrote this I looked daylye when I shoulde bee called to the chaunge of this life and thoughte that this my writinge shoulde not come to your knowledge before the time of the
whore in the fornication of her whorish dispensations pardons Idolatrye suche like abhominations so shall ye drinke with her except ye repent betime of the cuppe of the Lordes indignation and euerlasting wrath which is prepared for the beast his false prophetes and all theyr partakers For he that is partner with them in theyr whoredome and abhominations must also be partner with them of theyr plagues and on the latter day shall be throwne with them into the lake burning with Brimstone and vnquenchable fire Thus fare ye wel my Lords all I pray God geue you vnderstanding of his blessed will and pleasure and make you to beleue and embrace the truth Amen * An other farewell to the Prisoners in Christes Gospelles cause and to all them whiche for the same cause are exiled and banished out from theyr owne countrey choosing rather to leaue all worldly commodity then theyr mayster Christ. FArewell my dearely beloued brethren in Christ bothe ye my felow prisoners and ye also that be exiled and banished out of your countryes because ye will rather forsake all worldly coÌ„modity then the Gospell of Christ. Farewell all ye together in Christ farewell and be mery for ye know that the triall of your fayth bringeth forth patience and pacience shall make vs perfecte whole and sound on euery side and such after triall ye knowe shall receiue the crowne of lyfe according to the promise of the Lorde made to his dearely beloued let vs therefore be pacient vnto the comming of the Lord. As the husbandmanne abideth pacientlye the former and latter rayne for the encrease of his croppe so let vs bee paciente and plucke vp our hartes for the comming of the Lord approacheth apace Let vs my deare brethren take example of pacience in tribulation of the Prophetes which spake likewise Gods word truely in his name Let Iob be to vs an example of pacience the end which the Lord suffered which is full of mercy and pitty We know my brethren by Gods worde that our fayth is muche more precious then any corruptible golde and yet that is tryed by the fire euen so our fayth is therfore tried likewise in tribulations that it may be found when the Lord shal appeare laudable glorious and honorable For if we for Christs cause do suffer that is gratefull before God for thereunto are we called that is our state and vocation wherewith let vs be content Christ we know suffered for vs afflictions leauing vs an example that we shoulde folow his footesteps for he committed no sinne not was there any guile found in his mouth when he was rayled vpon and all to reuiled he rayled not agayne when he was euill entreated he dyd not threaten but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a right Let vs euer haue in freshe remembraunce those wonderfull comfortable sentences spokeÌ„ by the mouth of our Sauior Christ Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you persecute you speake all euill against you for my sake reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so did they persecute the Prophets which were before you Therfore let vs alway beare this in our mindes that if any incommodity doe chaunce vnto vs for righteousnes sake happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth thinke of vs. Christ our mayster hath tolde vs before hand that the brother should put the brother to death the father the sonne and the children should rise agaynst their pareÌ„ts and kill them and that Christes true Apostles should be hated of all men for his names sake but he that shall abide paciently vnto the end shal be saued Let vs then endure in all troubles paciently after the example of our Mayster Christ and be contented therewith for he suffered being our mayster and Lord how doth it not then become vs to suffer For the disciple is not aboue his mayster nor the seruaunt aboue his Lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his maister and the seruaunt to be as his Lord. If they haue called the Father of the family the Mayster of the householde Belzebub howe much more shall they call so them of his householde Feare them not then sayth our Sauiour for all pâ—iuityes shall be made playne there is nowe nothing secret but it shall bee shewed in light Of Christes wordes let vs neither be ashamed nor afrayd to speake them for so Christ our mayster commaundeth vs saying that I tell you priuily speake openly abroade and that I tell you in your eare preach it vpon the house toppe And feare not them which kill the body for the soule they cannot kill but feare hym which can cast both body and soule into hell fire Know ye that the heauenly Father hath euer a gracious eye and respect towarde you and a Fatherly prouidence for you so that without his knowledge and permission nothing canne doe you harme Let vs therefore cast all our care vpon him and hee shall prouide that whiche shall be best for vs. For if of two small sparrowes whiche both are sold for a mite one of them lighteth not on the grounde without your father and all the heares of our head are numbred feare not them sayth our Mayster Christ for yee are more worth then many small sparrowes And let vs not sticke to confesse our Mayster Christe for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shal be remeÌ„bring the promise that Christ maketh saying whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him shall I confesse before my father whiche is in heauen but whosoeuer shall denye me him shall I likewise denye before my father which is in heauen Christ came not to geue vnto vs here a carnall amity and a worldly peace or to knitte his vnto the world in ease and peace but rather to separate and deuide them from the world and to ioyne them vnto himselfe in whose cause we must if wee will bee his forsake father and mother and sticke vnto him If wee forsake him or shrinke from him for trouble or deathes sake which hee calleth his crosse he will none of vs we cannot bee hys If for his cause we shall lose our temporall liues here wee shall finde them agayne and enioy them for euermore but if in his cause we will not be contented to leaue nor loose them here then shall we loose them so that we shall neuer finde them again but in euerlasting death What thoughe our troubles here bee paynefull for the time and the sting of death bitter and vnpleasaunt yet we know that they shall not last in comparison of eternity no not to the twinckling of an eye that they pacieÌ„tly taken in Christes cause shall procure and gette vs vnmeasurable heapes of heauenly glory vnto the which these temporall paines of death and troubles compared are not to be estemed but to be reioyced vpon Wonder
thing but for present death and yet hee that rayseth the dead to lyfe agayne did bring him out of all hys troubles taught him all other that be in troubles for christes cause not to trust to theÌ„selues but in almighty God Of Gods gracious ayde in extreeme perilles toward them that put theyr truste in hym all Scripture is full bothe olde and new What daungers were the Patriarcks ofteâ— brought vnto as Abraham Isaac and Iacob but of all other Ioseph and how mercifully were they deliuered agayne In what perilles was Moises when he was fayne to flye for the sauegard of hys life And when was he sent agayne to deliuer the Israelites from the seruyle bondage Not before they were brought into extreme misery And when did the Lorde mightely deliuer his people from Pharao hys sword Not before they were broughte into such straightes that they were so compassed on euery side the mayne sea on the one side and the maine hoste on the other that they could looke for none other yea what did they els in deede looke for but eyther to haue bene drowned in the sea or els to haue fallen on the edge of Pharao his sword These iudges whiche wrought most wonderfull thinges in the deliuerye of the people were euer geuen when the people was brought to most misery before as Othoniel Aioth Saugar Gedeon Iephthe Samson And so was Saull indued with strength and boldnes froÌ„ aboue agaynst the Ammonites Philistines and Amalechites for the defence of the people of God Dauid lykewise felt Gods helpe most sensibly euer in his extreme persecutions What shall I speake of the Prophetes of GOD whome God suffered so oft to be broughte into extreame perilles and so mightely deliuered them agayne as Helâ—as Ieremy Daniell Micheas and Ionas and many other whome it were but to long to rehearse and set out at large And did the Lord vse his seruauntes otherwise in the new lawe after Christes incarnation Read the Actes of the Apostles and you shall see no. Were not the Apostles cast into Prison and brought out by the mightye hande of God Dyd not the Aungell deliuer Peter out of the stroÌ„g prison and bryng hym out by the yron gates of the Cittie and set hym free And when I pray you Euen the same night before Herod appoynted to haue broughte him to iudgement for to haue slayne hym as he had a little before killed Iames the brother of Iohn Paule and Silas wheÌ„ after they had bene sore scourged and wer put into the inner prison and there were layde fast in the stockes I pray you what appearaunce was there that the Magistrates should be glad to come the next daye themselues to them to desire them to be content and to depart in peace Who prouided for Paule that hee shoulde bee safely conducted out of all daunger and brought to Felix the Emperoures Deputie when as both the hygh Priestes the Phariseis and rulers of the Iewes had conspired to require iudgement of death agaynst hym he being fast in prison and also more then xl men had sworne eche one to an other that they would neuer eate nor drynke vntill they hadde slayne Paule A thing wonderfull that no reason could haue inueÌ„ted or man could haue looked for God prouided Paule hys owne sisters sonne a younge man that disapoynted that conspiracie and all theyr former coniuration The maner how the thing came to passe thou mayst read in the xxiii of the Actes I will not be tedious vnto thee here with the rehearsall thereof Nowe to descend from the Apostles to the Martyrs that followed next in Christes Churche and in them likewise to declare how gracious oure good God euer hathe bene to worke wonderfully with them which in his cause haue bene in extreme perilles it were matter enoughe to write a longe booke I will here name but one manne and one woman that is Athanasius the greate clarke and godly man stoutely standing in Christes cause against the Arrians and that holy woman Blandina standinge so constantly in all extreme paynes in the simple confession of Christe If thou wilt haue examples of moe looke and thou shalt haue both these and a C. moe in Ecclesiastica historia of Eusebius and in Tripartita historia But for al these examples both of holy scripture and of other historyes I feare me the weake man of God incombred with the fraylty and infirmitie of the fleshe wil haue now and then such thoughtes and quawmes as they call them to run ouer hys hart and to thinke thus All these thinges which are rehearsed out of the scripture I beleue to be true and of the rest truely I do thinke well can beleue theÌ„ also to be true but all these we must needes grauÌ„t were speciall miracles of God which nowe in our dayes are ceased we see and to require them at Gods handes were it not to tempt God Welbeloued brother I graunt such were great wonderfull workes of God and wee haue not seene many of such myracles in our tyme eyther for that our sight is not cleare for truely God worketh with hys his parte in all tymes or els because we haue not the lyke faythe of them for whose cause God wrought suche thinges or because after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by such miracles then sufficiently the time of so many myracles to bee done was expired withall Which of these is the most speciall cause of all other or whether there be any other God knoweth I leaue that to God But knowe thou this my welbeloued in God that Gods hand is as strong as euer it was he may do what his gracious pleasure is hee is as good and gracious as euer he was Man changeth as the garment doth but God our heauenly father is euen the same now that he was and shal be for euermore The world without doubt this I do beleue and therfore I say draweth towardes an end and in al ages God hath had hys owne maner after hys secrete and vnsearchable wisedome to vse hys electe sometimes to delyuer them and to keepe them safe and sometymes to suffer theÌ„ to drinke of Christes cuppe that is to feele the smart and to feele of the whip And though the fleshe smarteth at the one and feeleth ease in the other is gladde of the one and sore vexed in the other yet the Lorde is all one towardes them in both and loueth them no lesse when hee suffereth theÌ„ to be beaten yea to be put to bodily deathe then when he worketh wonders for theyr marueilous deliuery Nay rather he doth more for them wheÌ„ in anguish of the torments he standeth by them strengthneth them in theyr fayth to suffer in the confession of the truth his fayth the bitter panges of death then when he openeth the prison dore and letteth them go lose for here hee doth but respite theÌ„ to an other time leaueth theÌ„ in
was brought before the Bish. of Douer and Nich. Harpesfield or some other deputed in their roume long before the other two videlicet the xvj day of September and there had propounded vnto hym such ordinarie Articles as it seemeth as was commonly ministred by Boner to those of hys iurisdiction beyng willed for that present to depart and to deliberate with hymselfe vpon the matter agaynst the next tyme of his appearance he made aunswer that hee would no otherwyse say by Gods grace then hee had already sayde which was this As touchyng the Sacrament of Christes bodye I do beleeue quoth he to be left vnto hys Churche wyth thankes geuyng in commemoration of hys death passion vntill his commyng agayne So that it is left in remembraunce of hys body and not by the wordes of consecration to be made his body really substantially and the same body that was borne of the virgin Mary I vtterly do deny that After this besides sundry other tymes the third day of October the sayd Ioh. Web Gregory Roper George Parke were brought all three together before the sayd Iudge who there and then agreeyng and stedfastly allowyng the former aunswere made before by Maister Webbe were by the bloudy Prelates adiudged heretikes and therefore about the ende of the same month of October or els as I otherwyse finde in the latter ende of Nouember they together were taken and brought out of prison to the place of Martyrdom Who by the way goyng toward the stake sayd certaine Psalmes mournefully Roper was a yonger man of a fresh colour courage complexion the other two were somewhat more elderly all goyng in white linnen with their gownes vpon Roper at his commyng to the stake puttyng of hys gowne fet a great leape So soone as the flame was about hym the sayd Roper put out both hys armes from hys bodye lyke a Rood and so stood stedfast continuyng in that maner not pluckyng his armes in tyll the fire had consumed them and burnt them of And thus these foresayde Martyrs of Christ beeyng brought as I sayde to the stake and there compassed about with a chayne were burnt and consumed all thre together in one fire at Canterbury abidyng most patiently their torments and countyng themselues happy blessed of the lord that they were made worthy to suffer for Christes Gospels sake * William Wiseman THe 13. of Decemb. in the Lollards Tower died William Wiseman a Clothworker of London where hee ⧠The order and maner of burying in the Fields such as dyed in prison and namely of William Wiseman was in prison and bands for the Gospel worde of God How and whereupon he deceased it is not fully certaine Some thought that either through famine or ill handling of some murtheryng papists he was made away By reason whereof the Crouner named Iohn Gibbes Gentleman with an enquest of twelue men were fayne to sit vpoÌ„ hym who although to the outward apperance were sayd to finde nothyng in hym els but onely Gods visitation yet what other priuy causes there might be of hys death the Lord knoweth I haue not to say After the sayd William was departed as is sayde in the Tower the holy Catholike church men cast hym out into the fieldes commanded that no man should bury him according as theyr deuout maner is to do with all such as dye in lyke sort whoÌ„ they account as prophane and worthy of no buriall but to be cast to dogs and birdes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Poet sayeth And yet all this their mercilesse commaundement not withstandyng some good Tobies there were which buried hym in the euenyng as commonly they did all the rest throwen out in lyke sort whom they were woont priuily by night to couer and many tymes the Archers in the fields standyng by and singing together Psalmes at their buriall ¶ Iames Gore IN the same month about the 7. day of Decemb. deceased also Iames Gore in the prison at Colchester layed there in bands for the right and truth of Gods word ⧠The processe and historie of M. Iohn Philpot examined condemned and Martyred for the maintenance and defence of the Gospels cause against the Antichristian Sea of Rome NExt foloweth the constant Martyrdome of M. Iohn Philpot of whome partly ye heard before in the beginning of Queene Maries time in prosecutyng the disputation of the Conuocation house He was of a worshipfull house a knights sonne borne in Hamshire brought vp in the new Colledge in Oxford where he studied the Ciuill lawe the space of 6. or 7. yeares besides the study of other liberall artes especially of the tongs wherein very forwardly he profited namely in the knowledge of the Hebrue tong c. In witâ—he was pregnaÌ„t and happy of a singuler courage in spirit feruent in religion zelous and also well practised and exercised in the same which is no small matter in a true deuine of nature and condition plaine and apert far from all flatterie farther from all hypocrisie and deceitfull dissimulation What his learnyng was hys owne examinations penned of hys owne hand can declare From Oxford desirous to see other countries as occasion serued thereunto he went ouer into Italy and places thereabouts where he commyng vpon a tyme from Uenice to Padua was in daunger through a certayne Franciscan Frier accompanying hym in hys iourney who coÌ„myng to Padua sought to accuse hym of heresie At length returnyng to England hys countrey agayne as the tyme ministred more boldnes to hym in the dayes of King Edward he had diuers conflictes with Gardiner the bishop in the Citye of Winchester as appeareth by dyuers of Winchesters letters and hys examinations Wherof read before After that hauyng an aduauson by the sayd B. he was made there Archdeacon of Winchester vnder D. Pomet who then succeeded Gardiner in that Bishoprike Thus duryng the tyme of K. Edward he continued to no small profite of those parties thereabout When that blessed king was taken away Mary hys sister came in place whose study was wholy bent to alter the state of religion in the wofull realme of England first she caused a Conuocation of the Prelates learned men to be congregate to the accomplishment of her desire In the which Conuocation M. Philpot beyng present accordyng to hys roume and degree with a few other susteined the cause of the Gospel manfully agaynst the aduersary part as is aboue recited for the which cause not withstandyng the liberty of the house promied before hee was called to accompt before B. Gardiner the Chauncellour then beyng hys Ordinary by whome he was first examined although that examination came not yet to our handes From thence agayne he was remooued to Boner and other Commissioners with whom he had dyuers sundry conflictes as in hys examination here followyng may appeare ¶ The first examination of M. Iohn Philpot before the Queenes
like Lucifer sate in the place of Christ vppon an aultar to iudge other and nowe is come before an aultar to be iudged him selfe Whereunto the Archbishop interrupting hym sayde that in that he belied him as he did in many other things For that which he would now seeme to charge him withal was his owne fault if it was any and none of his For the thing you meane off was in Paules church sayde he where I came to sit in Commission and there was a scaffold prepared for me and others by you your Officers whether there were any aultar vnder it or not I could not perceiue it nor once suspected it wherfore you do wittingly euill to charge me wyth it But Boner went on still in hys Rhetoricall repetition lying and railing against the Archbyshop beginning euery sentence wyth This is the man this is the man til at lengthe there was neuer a man but was wearye of the vnmannerly vsage of hym in that time and place In so much that the bishop of Ely aforesaide diuers times pulled him by the sleeue to make an ende and sayd to hym afterward when they went to dinner that he hadde broken promise with him for hee had entreated him earnestly to vse him wyth reuerence After all this done finished they began then to bustle toward his disgrading and first to take from him hys Crosiar staffe out of his hands which he held fast and refused to deliuer withall imitating the example of Martin Luther pulled an Appeale oute of his left sleeue vnder the wrest which hee there and then deliuered vnto them saying I appeale to the next general Councel and herein I haue comprehended my cause and forme of it whych I desire may be admitted and praied diuers of the standers by by name to be witnesses and especially M. Curtop to whom he spake twise c. The Copie of whych his Appellation because it was not printed before I thoughte heere to exhibite ad rei memoriam as in forme heere followeth The tenour of the Appeale of the Archb. of Cant. from the Pope to the next generall Councell IN the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Firste my plaine protestation made that I entende to speake nothing against one holy catholicke and Apostolical church or the authority thereof the which authority I haue in great reuerence and to whom my minde is in all things to obey and if any thing peraduenture eyther by slippernesse of tongue or by indignation of abuses or els by the prouocation of mine aduersaries be spoken or done otherwise then wel or not with such reuerence as becommeth me I am most ready to amend it Although the bishop of Rome whom they cal Pope beareth the roume of Christ in earth and hath authoritye of God yet by y◠power or authority he is not become vnsmable neither hathe hee receiued that power to destroy but to edify the congregation Therfore if he shal cōmand any thing that is not right to be done he ought to take it paciētly and in good part in case he be not therin obeied And he must not be obeied if he commaund any thing agaynst the preceptes of God no rather he may lawfully be resisted euen as Paul withstoode Peter And if he be aided by helpe of princes deceiued perchance by a false suggestion or with euill counsell can not be resisted but the remedies of withstanding him be taken away there is neuertheles one remedy of appealing which no prince cā take away vttered by the very lawe of nature for as muche as it is a certaine defence which is meete for euery body by the law of God of nature and of man And whereas the lawes do permit a man to appeale not onely from the griefes iniuries done but also from suche as shall be done hereafter or threatned to be done in so much that the inferior cannot make lawes of not appealing to a superiour power and since it is openly inoughe confessed that a holy generall counsell lawfully gathered together in the holy Ghost and representing the holy catholicke Church is aboue the Pope especially in matters concerning faith that he can not make decrees that men shal not appeale frō him to a general councel therfore I Tho. Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury or in time past ruler of the Metropolical church of Canterb. doctor in diuinitie do say and publish before you the publike Notarie and witnesses here present with minde and intent to chalēge and appeale from the persons and griefs vnderneath wrytten and to profer my selfe in place and time conuenient and meete to prooue the Articles that followe And I openly cōfesse that I wold lawfully haue published them before this day if I might haue had either liberty to come abroad my self or licence of a Notary and witnesses But further then I am able to doe I knowe wel is not required of the lawes 1 First I say and publishe that Iames by the mercye of God Priest called Cardinall of the Pit and of the title of our Lady in the way of the churche of Rome Iudge and Commissary specially deputed of our most holy Lorde the Pope as he affirmed caused me to be cited to Rome ther to appeare lxxx daies after the Citation serued on mee to make answer to certaine articles touching the peril of my state and lyfe And where as I was kept in prisone wyth most strait warde so that I could in no wise be suffered to go to Rome nor to come out of prison and in so grieuous causes concerning state and life no man is bound to send a proctour and thoughe I would neuer so faine sende my Proctour yet by reason of pouertie I am not able for all that euer I had wherewith I should beare my Proctors costes and charges is quite taken from me neuerthelesse the most reuerend Cardinall aforesayde doth sore threaten me that whether I shal appeare or not he wil neuerthelesse yet proceede in iudgement against me Wherin I fele my selfe so greeued that nothing can be imagined more mischieuous or further from reason 2 Secondly the reuerend father Iames Brookes by the mercy of God bish of Glocester Iudge and vnderdeputy as he affirmed of the most reuerend cardinall caused me to be cited at Oxford where I was then kept in prison to answer to certaine articles concerning the daunger of my state and life And when I being vnlearned and ignorant in the lawes desired coūsel of the learned in the lawe that thing was most vnrighteously denied me contrary to the equitie of al lawes both of God and man Wherin againe I feele me most wrongfully grieued 3 And when I refused the sayde Bishop of Glocester to be my Iudge for most iust causes which I then declared he neuerthelesse went on still and made processe agaynste me contrary to the rule of the
lawes of appealing whych say A iudge that is refused ought not to proceede in the cause but to leaue off And when he had required of me answers to certaine articles I refused to make him any answeare I sayde I would yet gladly make answeare to the moste renoumed Kinges and Queenes deputies or Attourneis then present wyth this condition notwythstanding that mine answeare should be extraiudicial and that was permitted me And with thys my protestation made and admitted I made aunsweare but mine aunsweare was sodaine and vnprouided for and therefore I desired to haue a Copie of mine aunsweares that I myght putte too take awaye chaunge and amende them and thys was also permitted mee Neuerthelesse contrarye to hys promyse made vnto mee no respecte hadde to my protestation nor licence geuen to amende myne aunsweare the saide reuerende Father Bishop of Glocester as I heare commanded mine aunsweares to be enacted contrary to the equitie of the lawe In which thing againe I feele mee muche grieued 4 Furthermore I coulde not for many causes admit the bishop of Romes vsurped authority in this Realme nor consent to it first my solemne othe letting mee whyche I made in the time of most famous memorie of king Henry the eight according to the lawes of Englande Secondly because I knewe the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome whych he vsurpeth to be againste the crowne customes and lawes of this realme of Englād in so much that neither the king can be crowned in thys realme without the most grieuous crime of periurie nor may Bishops enioy their Bishoprickes nor iudgements be vsed accordyng to the lawes and customes of this Realme except by the byshop of Romes authoritie be accursed both the King and Queene the Iudges wryters and executors of the lawes and customes with all that consent to them Finally the whole Realme shal be accursed 5 Moreouer that heinous and vsurped authoritie of the bishop of Rome through reseruations of the Bishoprickes Prouisions Annuates Dispensations Pardones Appellations Bulles and other cursed Marchaundice of Rome was woont exceedingly to spoyle and consume the richesse and substaunce of this Realme which all thinges shoulde followe againe by recognising and receyuing of that vsurped authoritye vnto the vnmeasurable losse of thys Realme 6 Finally it is most euident by that vsurped authority not onely the Crowne of Englande to be vnder yoke the lawes and customes of this realme to be throwen downe and troden vnder foote but also the most holy Decrees of Councels together with the precepts both of the gospel and of God When in times past the sonne of righteousnesse being risen in the world Christian religion by the preaching of the Apostles began to be spred verye farre abroade and to floorish in so much that theyr sounde went out into all the worlde innumerable people which walked in darknesse saw a great light Gods glory euery where published did flourishe the onely carke and care of the Ministers of the church was purely sincerely to preache Christ the people to imbrace and followe Christes doctrine Then the church of Rome as it were Lady of the world both was also was coūted worthily the mother of other churches for as much as then she first begat to Christ nourished with the foode of pure doctrine did help them with their riches succoured the oppressed and was a sanctuarie for the miserable she reioyced with them that reioyced and wept with them that wept Then by the examples of the Bishops of Rome riches were despised worldly glory pompe was troden vnder foote pleasures and riot nothyng regarded Then this fraile vncertain life being ful of al miseries was laughed to scorne whiles thorow the example of Romish martyrs men did euery where presse foorth warde to the life to come But afterward the vngratiousnes of dānable ambition neuer satisfied auarice and the horrible enormitie of vices had corrupted taken the see of Rome there followed euery where almost the deformities of all churches growing out of kinde into the manners of the churche their mother leauing their former innocencie and puritie and slipping into foule and heinous vsages For the foresayde and many other griefes and abuses which I intend to prooue and doe profer my selfe in time conuenient to prooue heereafter since reformation of the aboue mentioned abuses is not to be looked for of the byshop of Rome neither can I hope by reason of hys wicked abuses and vsurped authority to haue hym an equall iudge in hys owne cause therefore I do chalenge and appeale in these wrytinges from the Pope hauing no good counsell and from the aboue named pretenses commissions and iudges from their citations processes and from all other things that haue or shal folow therupon from euery one of them and from all their sentences censures paines and punishmēts of cursing suspension and interdicting and from all others what soeuer theyr denouncinges and declarations as they pretende of schisme of heresie adulterie depriuation disgrading by them or by any of them in any manner wise attempted done and set forwarde to be attempted to be done and to be sette foorth hereafter sauing alwayes their honors and reuerences as vnequal and vnrighteous more tyrannicall violent and from euery griefe to come which shall happen to me as wel for my selfe as for al and euery one that cleaueth to me or will heereafter be on my side vnto a free generall councel that shal heereafter lawfully be in a sure place to the which place I or a Proctour deputed by mee maye freely and with safety come and to him or them to whom a man may by the lawe priuiledge custome or otherwyse challenge and appeale And I desire the first the seconde and the thirde time instantly more instantly and most instantly that I maye haue messengers if there be any man that wil can geue me them And I make open promise of prosecuting thys mine appellation by the way of disanulling abuse inequalitie and vnrighteousnes or otherwise as I shal be better able choise and liberty reserued to me to put too diminish chaunge correcte and interpretate my sayings and to reforme all thinges after a better fashion sauing alwaies to me euery other benefit of the law and to them that either be or will be on my parte And touching my doctrine of the sacrament and other my doctrine of what kinde soeuer it be I protest that it was neuer my minde to wryte speake or vnderstand any thing contrary to the moste holy woorde of God or else against the holy catholicke church of Christ but purely and simply to imitate and teach those things onely whyche I had learned of the sacred scripture and of the holy catholicke church of Christe from the beginning and also according to the exposition of the moste holye and learned Fathers and Martyrs of the Church And if any thing hath peraduenture chaunced otherwise then I
while her husbande was in prison Where the keepers wife named Agnes Penycote had secretlye heated a key fire hoate and laid it in grasse on the backeside So speaking to Alice Coberley to set her the key in all haste the said Alice went with speed to bring the key and so taking vp the key in hast did pitiously burne her hand Wherupon she crying out at the sodein burning of her hand Ah thou drabbe quoth the other thou that canst not abide the burning of the key howe wiâ—e thou be able to burne the whole body and so she afterward reuoked But to returne agayne to the story of Coberley who being somewhat learned and being at the stake was somewhat long a burning as the wynde stoode After his bodye was skorched with the fire and hys leafte Arme drawne and taken from hym by the violence of the fyre the fleshe beinge burnt to the whyte boare at length he stouped ouer the cheyne and wyth the ryghte hande being somewhat starckned knocked vpon his brest softly the bloud and matter issuing out of his mouth Afterward when all they thought he had bene deade sodenly he rose right vp with his body agayne And thus muche concerning these three Salisbury Martyrs ¶ A discourse of the death and Martyrdome of sixe other Martyrs suffering at London whose names here folow ABout the xxiij day of Aprill Anno Dom. 1556. were burned in Smithfielde at one fire these sixe constaunt Martyrs of Christ suffering for the profession of the Gospell viz. Robert Drakes Minister William Tyms Curate Richard Spurge Shereman Thomas Spurge Fuller Iohn Cauell Weauer George Ambrose Fuller They were al of Essex and so of the dioces of London and were sent vp some by the Lord Rich and some by others at suÌ„dry times vnto Stephen Gardiner B. of Winchester then Lord Chauncellor of England about the 22. day of March an 1555. Who vpon small examination sent them some vnto the kinges Benche and others vnto the Marshalsea where they remained almost all the whole yere vntill the death of the sayd Bishop of Winchester and had during that time nothing said vnto them Wherupon after that Doctor Heath Archbishop of Yorke was choseÌ„ to the office of Lord Chauncellorshippe foure of these persecuted brethren being now wery of this theyr long imprisonmeÌ„t made theyr supplication vnto the said D. Heath requiring his fauour and ayd for their deliueraunce the copy whereof ensueth * To the right reuerend father Tho. Archb. of Yorke Lord Chauncellour of England MAy it please your honorable good Lordship for the loue of God to tender the humble sute of your lordships poore Orators whose names are subscribed which haue lien in great misery in the Marshalsea by the space of x. monethes and more at the commaundement of the late Lord Chauncellour to their vtter vndoing with theyr wiues children In consideration wher of your Lordships sayd Oratours do most humbly pray and beseeche your good Lordship to suffer them to be brought before your honour and there if any man of good conscience can lay any thing vnto our charge we trust either to declare our innocency agaynst theyr accusations or if otherwise theyr accusations can be proued true and we faulty we are ready God helping vs with our condigne punishments to satisfy the law according to your wise Iudgement as we hope ful of fatherly mercy towardes vs and all men according to your Godly office in the which we pray for your Godly successe to the good pleasure of GOD. Amen This Supplication was sent as is sayd and subscribed with the names of these 4. vnder folowing Richard Spurge Thomas Spurge George Ambrose Iohn Cauell * Richard Spurge VPon the receipt and sight hereof it was not long after but Syr Richard Read Knight then one of the Officers of the Court of the Chauncery 16. day of Ianuary was sent vnto the Marshalsea to examine the sayd foure prisoners therefore beginning first with Richard Spurge vpon certaine demaundes receiued his answeres therunto the effect whereof was that he with others were complayned vpon by the Parson of Bocking vnto the Lorde Rich for that they came not vnto theyr Parish Church of Bocking where they inhabited and therupon was by the sayd Lord Rich sent vnto the late Lord Chauncellour about the xxij day of March last past videl an 1555. And farther he sayd that he came not to the Church sithens the first alteration of the English seruice into Latin Christmasse day then a tweluemoneth only except that because he misliked both the same and the Masse also as not consonant and agreing with Gods holy word Moreouer he required that he might not be any more examined vpoÌ„ the matter vnles it pleased the Lord ChauÌ„cellour that then was to know his fayth therein which to him he would willingly vtter * Thomas Spurge THomas Spurge being then next examined made the same aunswere in effect that the other had done confessing that he absented himselfe from the church because the word of God was not there truely taught nor the Sacramentes of Christ duely ministred in such sort as was prescribed by the same word And being farther examined of his beliefe concerning the sacrament of the aultar he said that if any could accuse him thereof he would then make aunswere as God had geuen him knowledge therein ¶ George Ambrose THe like answere made George Ambrose adding moreouer that after he had read the late Byshop of Winchesters booke intituled De vera obedientia with Boners preface thereunto annexed inueying both against the authority of the Bishop of Rome he did much lesse set by theyr doinges then before ¶ Iohn Cauell IOhn Cauell agreyng in other matters with them aunswered that the cause why hee did forbeare the comming to the Churche was that the Parson there had preached two contrary doctrines For firste in a Sermon that hee made at the Queenes first entrye to the crowne he did exhort the people to beleue the Gospell for it was the truth and if they did not beleue it they shoulde be damned But in a second Sermon he preached that the Testament was false in forty places which contrariety in him was a cause amongest other of his absenting from the Church ¶ Robert Drakes ABout the fourth day of Marche next after Robert Drakes also was examined who was ParsoÌ„ of ThuÌ„dersley in Essex and had there remayned the space of three yeares He was first made Deacon by Doctour Taylour of Hadley at the commaundement of Doctour Cranmer late Archbyshop of CauÌ„terbury And within one yeare after which was the thyrd of the reigne of kyng Edward he was by the sayd Archbyshop and Doctour Ridley Bishop of London admitted Minister of Gods holy word Sacramentes not after the order then in force but after such order as was after established was presented vnto the sayd benefice of Thundersley by the Lord Rich at the
Gospellers would haue you to go to the Idoles temple with them say vnto them No for my maister christ sayth He that would saue his life shall loose it And in an other place to comfort vs he sayth There shall not one heare fal from your head without it be your heauenly fathers will And therfore say you that you will not be of that sorte that be neither hot nor cold least God should spue you out of hys mouth But make them this aunswere saying S. Paule sayth Beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers For what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what company hath light with darckenes what concord hathe Christe wyth Beliall either what part hath hee that beleueth with an Infidell How agreeth the temple of God with Images And yee are the temple of God as God sayth I will dwell among them walke among them and will be theyr God and they shall be my people Wherfore come out from among them and seperate your selues sayth the Lord and touche no vncleane thing so will I receaue you and will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord. Thus mine owne bowels in the Lord as I began so make I an end bidding you beware of your enemies and take vp your Crosse and follow your captayne Christe in at the narrow gate here by persecution and then you shal be sure to raigne and reioyce with him in his euerlastyng kingdome whiche hee himselfe hath purchased with hys owne most precious bloud to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour both nowe and for euer Amen By me William Tyms * An other letter of William Tyms with an exhortation to all Gods faythfull seruauntes to eschew the societie of Idolaters and Gods enemies GRace be with you and peace from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. I thanke my God with al remeÌ„braunce of you alwais in my prayers for you and pray with gladnes because of the fellowship which yâ—â—aue in the Gospell from the first day that I knew you vntill this day and I am surely certified of this that he whiche hath begon a good worke in you shall go forth with it vntill the day of Iesus Chryste as it becommeth me to iudge of you whom I haue in my heart and as companions of grace with me euen in my bondes And thus I praye that youre loue may increase more and more in knowledge Good brethreÌ„ I most hartely desire God that as you haue a willing minde to comfort my vile earthly body in this time of persecution so he will strengthen you with his holy spirite that my imprysonment do not discomfort but rather strengthen and coÌ„fort you to see the goodnes of God shewed vnto me in that being a man without learning brought before three such bishops concerning worldly wisedome hee gaue me both mouth and wisedome in somuch that the Byshop of London weÌ„t away in a great hast from me and after that he sent his man with a Bible turning to the 9. chapiter to the Heb. and the bishop of Bath looking on it sayd What meaneth my Lorde this maketh nothing for his purpose Then I looked on it and sayd my Lord seeth that I was weake and therefore he hath holpen me for here hee hath condemned the sacrifice of your masse for you say that you offer a dayly sacrifice in your Masse both for the quicke the dead and here S. Paule sayth Without bloudshedding there is no forgeuenes of sinnes therefore that is here condemned He aunswered Yea sayth he so So say all suche heretickes and so forth with many like argumentes whiche my neighbours that heard then can declare therefore I leaue them Thus haue I written that you shoulde not be afeard but call vpon God as he hath commaunded vs to aske and we shall haue Seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Also hee hath commaunded vs to call on him in the day of trouble and he hath promised to heare vs. Therfore if we haue not both mouthe and wisedome at his hand the faulte is in vs that eyther wee wil not repent vs of our wickednes and amend our liues or els we bee vnfaythfull and beleeue not the promises of God and so wee oure selues are the cause that this wisedome is lacking in vs. Therefore let vs repente and amend our liues and God is mercifull And iâ— any case as I haue alwayes sayd vnto you since I first knew you so say I now beware of Idolatry and of your good intents if not marke what hath followed vppon them that hathe left Gods commaundementes and done theyr owne good intentes Remember when the children of Israell hadde made them a golden calfe did not God say they hadde mard all and would haue destroyed them had not Moyses earnestly prayed for them I let manye other places alone that proueth the wrath of God to come vpon the people for Idolatry therfore as we will auoyd the wrathe of God let vs keepe vs vnstayned from it You haue examples out of the old Testament how loth the godly fathers were to be partakers with the wicked And yet to see how little we regarded it it would make any Christian mans hart to weepe God send vs more grace First looke in the 11. and 12. of Genesis Abraham because he would not bee partaker of their Idolatry fled from the people of Caldea being his natiue countrey Also in the 19. of Genesis Loâ— at the commandement of the aungels departed from Sodome least he tarying with the Sodomites shoulde haue bene consumed with them In the 21. of Genesis Sara would not suffer Ismaell whiche was geuen to mocking to keepe company with her sonne Isaac least hee shoulde also become a mocker Looke in Num. the 16. Moyses at Gods appoyntment commaunded the people to departe from the dwelling places of Chore Dathan and Abiron least they also should be all wrapped in their sinnes and to pearish among them So do I euen as Moyses commaÌ„ded them that they should not keepe company with those wicked people least the vengeance of god shuld light on theÌ„ so do I geue you warning that you should not keep company with the Idolaters in theyr idolatrous temples lest the wrath of God came vpon you to destroy you Looke what S. Paule sayth in his second Epistle and the 6. chap. to the Corinth Set your selues sayth he therefore at large and beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse what company hath light with darckenes what concord hath Chryste with Beliall eyther what part hath he that beleueth with an Infidell How agreeth the temple of God with Images And yee are the temple of God as sayth God I will dwell among them walke among them and will be theyr God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amonge them and
Idole at the commandement of sir Iohn Tirrell knight of Gippyng hall in Suffolke and certaine other Iustices there who sent both hym and them to Eay dungeon in Suffolke till at length they were all three together broght before Dunnyng then Chauncellor of Norwich and M. Myngs the Register sittyng at the Towne of Beckles to be examined And there the sayd Chancellour perswading what he could to turne them from the truth could by no meanes preuaile of his purpose Whereby mynding in the ende to geue sentence on them he burst out in teares intreatyng them to remember themselues and to turne agayne to the holy mother church for that they were deceiued and out of the truth and that they should not wilfully cast away thēselues with such like wordes Now as he was thus labouryng them and semed very loth to read the sentence for they were the first that he condemned in that dioces the Register there sittyng by beyng weary belike of tarying or els perceiuyng the constant Martyrs to be at a point called vpon the Chauncellour in hast to ridde them out of the way and to make an ende At which wordes the Chauncellour read the condemnation ouer them with teares and deliuered them to the secular power ¶ Their Articles THe Articles obiected to these and commonly to all other condemned in that Diocesse by Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwich and by Dunnyng his Chauncellor were these 1. First was articulate agaynst them that they beleeued not the Pope of Rome to bee supreme head immediately vnder Christ in earth of the vniuersall Catholike Church 2. Item that they beleeued not holy bread and holy water ashes palmes and all other lyke ceremonies vsed in the Churche to be good and laudable for stirring vp the people to deuotion 3. Item that they beleeued not after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest the very naturall body of Christ and no other substance of bread and wine to be in the sacrament of the Altar 4. Item that they beleeued it to be Idolatry to worship Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar 5. Item that they tooke bread and wine in remembrance of Christes Passion 6. Item that they would not follow the Crosse in procession nor be confessed to a Priest 7. Item that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in himselfe free will to do good or euill For this doctrine and articles aboue prefixed these three as is aforesayd were condemned by Doctor Dunning committed to the secular power Syr Iohn Sylliard being the same tyme hyghe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke And the next day following vpon the same they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles Whereupon it is to be thought that the writte De comburendo was not yet come downe nor could not be the Lord Chaunlour Bish. Heath being the same time at London Which if it be true then it is playne that both they went beyond their Commission that were the executioners also the Clergy which were the instigatours thereof cannot make good that they now pretend saying that they did nothing but by a lawe But this let the Lord finde out when he seeth his tyme. In the meane tyme while these good men were at the stake had prayed they sayd there beliefe and when they came to the reciting of the Catholicke Church Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them That is well sayd Syrs quoth he I am glad to heare you say you do beleeue the Catholicke Church That is the best word I heard of you yet To which his sayinges Edmund Pole aunswered that though they beleeue the Catholicke Churche yet doe they not beleeue in their Popish Church which is no part of Christes Catholicke Churche and therefore no part of their beliefe When they rose from prayer they all went ioyfully to the stake and being bounde thereto and the fire burning about them they praysed God in such an audible voyce that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them Then one Robert Bacon dwelling in the sayd Beckles a very enemye to Gods truth and a persecutour of his people being there present within hearing thereof willed the tormentours to throw on fagots to stoppe the knaues breathes as he termed them so hotte was his burning charitye But these good men not regarding there malice confessed the truth and yelded their liues to the death for the testimony of the same very gloriously ioyfully The which their constancye in the lyke cause the Lord graunt we may imitate and follow vnto the ende Whether it be death or lyfe to glorifye the name of Christ Amen And forasmuch as we haue here entred into the persecution of Northfolke and Suffolke it commeth therefore to minde by occasion hereof brieflye to touche by the way some part for the whole matter cannot bee so exprest as it was done touching the troubles of the towns of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke raysed and stirred by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell other Iustices there of the lyke affinitye The summe and effecte of which briefly is thus signifyed to me by writing * The persecution in the Townes of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight and other of his Colleagues there were persecuted out of the Towne of Winson in Suffolke these persons hereafter following Anno. 1556. Maistresse Alice Twaites Gentlewoman of the age of three score yeres and more and two of her seruaunts Humfrey Smith and his wyfe William Katchpoole and his wyfe Iohn Maulyng and his wyfe Nicholas Burlingham and his wyfe And one Rought and his wyfe Such as were persecuted and driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke Symon Harlstone and Katherine his wife with his fiue children William Whitting and Katherin his wife Thomas Dobson and his wife Thomas Hubbard and his wife Iohn Doncon and his wife his maide William Doncon Thomas Woodward the elder One Konnoldes wife A poore widow One mother Semons maide Besides those that were constrained to do against their conscience by the helpe of the parishe Priest whose name was sir Iohn Brodish ¶ These be the chiefest causes why those aboue named were persecuted FIrst they did hold and beleeue the holy word of God to be the sufficient doctrine vnto their saluation Secondly they denied the Popes vsurped authoritie and did hold all that church of Antichrist to be Christs aduersaries And further refused the abused sacraments defied the masse and all popish seruice and ceremonies saying they robbed God of his honour Christ of his death and glory and would not come at the Church without it were to the defacyng of that they did there Thirdly they did hold that the ministers of the church by Gods word might lawfully marry Fourthly they helde the Queene to be as chiefe head and wicked rulers to bee a great plague sent of God for sinne c. Fiftly
poore afflicted Church Which thing shal surely redound to your euerlasting ioy and comfort as you shall most effectually feele or euer it be long though the wicked of the world iudge farre otherwise Ah mine owne hartes and most dearely beloued brethren Cauell Ambrose and both the Spurges blessed be the Lord on your behalfe and praysed be his name which hath geuen you such a glorious victory Full valiant haue you shewed your selues in the Lords fight ful faithfully in your paynefull seruice Faint not but go on forward as ye haue most godly begun for great shall your reward be at the end of this your trauell Ah my good faythfull brethren all what shall I say or what shall I write vnto you but euen the same that good Elizabeth did say to her godly kinswoman Mary the blessed mother of Christe Happy art thou quoth that good woman which hast beleued for al thinges which the Lord hath spoken to thee shal be fulfilled So I say to you my deare heartes in the Lorde happy are ye all yea twise happy shall ye bee for euermore because yee haue stedfastly beleued the most sweete promises which god the father hath made vnto you with his owne mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faythfull seede of the beleuing Abraham that ye shall be blessed euer world without end The promises of God your sweet father as ye do beleue so do ye beare record that God is true The Testymony wherof ye haue full worthily borne to the worlde shortly will full surely seale the same with your bloud yea euen to morow I do vnderstand Oh constant Christians oh valiant souldiers of the high captayne Iesus Chryste who for your sake hath conquered the deuill death sinne hel hath geuē you full victory ouer them for euermore Oh worthy witnesses and most glorious martyrs whose inuincible fayth hath ouercome that proude sturdye bragging Prince of the world al his wicked army ouer whom ye shall shortly triumph for euermore Ah my sweet harts the euerlasting treasures are full surely layd vp for you in heauen The immercessible and moste glorious crowne of victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt vpon all your happy heades The holy Aungelles of your heauenly father are already appoynted to conducte your sweete soules into Abrahams bosome All the heauēly host reioyseth already for that they shall shortly receiue you with ioy felicitie into their blessed fellowship Selah Reioyce with double ioy and bee glad my deare brethren for doubtles ye haue more cause then can be expressed But alas I that for my sinnes am left behinde may lye and lament with the holy Prophet saying Woe is me that the dayes of my ioyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most deare louing father whereby my exile and banishmente is so much prolonged Oh christ my deare aduocate pacifie thy fathers wrath which I haue iustly deserued that he may take me home to him in his sweete mercye Oh that I might now come home vnto thee with my blessed brethren Wel thy will O Lord be effectuously fulfilled for it is onely good and turneth all thinges to the best for suche as thou in thy mercies hast chosen And now farewell my deare heartes most happy in the Lord. I trust in my good God yet shortly to see you in the celestiall citie wherof vndoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free citizens Though ye be yet with vs for a litle time your very home is in heauē where your treasure doth remayne with your sweet Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christe whose calling you haue heard with the eares of youre heartes and therefore yee shall neuer come into iudgement but passe from death to life Your sinnes shall neuer be remembred be they neuer so many so greeuous or so great for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them from you as farre as the East is from the West and his mercy hathe muche more preuayled ouer you then is distaunce betweene heauē and earth and he hath geue you for an euerlasting possession of the same al his holinesse righteousnesse and iustification yea and the holy Ghost into your harts wherwith ye are surely sealed vnto the daye of redemption to certifie you of your eternall election and that yee are hys true adopted sonnes whereby yee may boldly crye vnto God Abba deare father for euermore so that now no creature in heauen earth nor hell shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly king Satan is now cast out from you he himselfe is iudged and hathe no parte in you He will once more byte you by the heele and then he hath don for at that time you shall squise his head through your owne good Christ and so haue you finall victory for euermore In ioyfull triumphe whereof yee shall sweetly ascend into the place of eternall rest whether youre eldest brother christ is gone before you to take possession for you and to prepare your place vnder the holy aultar with Cranmer Latimer Ridley Rogers Hooper Saunders Farrar Taylour Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your comming to see sixe moe of their appoynted number that their bloud may so muche the sooner be reuenged vpon them that dwell on the earth Thus I make an ende committing you all to Gods most mercifull defence whose quarrell yee haue defended whose cause ye haue promoted whose glory yee haue sette forth and whose name ye haue constantly confessed Farewell for a while my deare hartes in the Lord I wil make as much haste after you as I may All our deare brethren salute you They pray for you and prayse God for you cōtinually Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours sayth the holy Ghost and their workes follow them Your owne Iohn Careles a most vnprofitable servaunt of the Lord. Pray pray pray ¶ In the pag. 1742. ye heard before the letter of Thomas Whittel written to Iohn Careles wherin he yeldeth great thankes vnto him for the singular ioy and consolatiō receiued by his letters The copie of which letters sent vnto him if any be disposed to peruse here vnder foloweth to satisfie his desire ¶ To M. Greene M. Whittel and certaine other prisoners in Newgate condemned and ready to be burnt for the testimonie of our Lord Iesus THe euerlasting peace in Iesus Christe the continual comfort of his most pure and holy spirite be with you my most deare and faithfull brethren and sisters of Newgate the Lordes appointed sheepe vnto the slaughter to the good performaunce of the great and notable worke of the Lord which he hath so graciously begon in you al that the same may redoūd to the setting forth of his glory to the commoditie of his
great quietnesse if hee coulde haue dissembled and bothe done and spoken against his conscience as many stirring Papistes then did And likewise he mighte haue escaped burning in Queene Maries time if he woulde either haue spoke◠or kept silence against his conscience as manye weake Gospellers did But Palmer could in no wise dissemble Now within short space God so wrought in his hart that he became very inquisitiue and carefull to heare and vnderstand howe the Martyrs were apprehended what articles they died for how they were vsed and after what sort they tooke theyr death In so much that he spared not at his owne charges to sende ouer one of his schollers in the companye of a Bacheler of that house to Glocester to see vnderstand the whole order of B. Hoopers deth and to bring him true report therof Which thing some thinke he the rather did because he was woont in king Edwards time to say that none of them all would stand to death for their religion Thus he learned with what extreme horrible cruelty the martyrs of God were tried and how valiauntly they ouercame all kinde of torments to the ende Wherof he himself also did see more experience afterward at the examination and death of those holy confessors and martyrs which were burned at Oxford before his eyes in so muche that the first hope which the godly conceyued of him was at the retourne from the burning of B. Ridley and B. Latimer At what time in the hearing of diuers of his frendes he brast out into these woordes and suche like O raging crueltie O tyrannie tragicall and more than barbarous From that day forward he studiously sought to vnderstand the truth and therefore with all speede he borrowed Peter Martyrs Commentaries vpon the first to the Corinthes of one of Magdalenes yet aliue and other good bookes of other men And so through harty praier and diligent search and conference of the scriptures at length he beleeued and imbraced the truth with great ioy and so profited in the same that daily more and more hee declared it both in word and dede In such sort as he neuer hated the truth more stubbornly before then afterward he willingly embraced the same whē it pleased God to open his eies and to reueale vnto him the light of his woord And nowe againe when he should come to Church in those dayes of Poperie there to be occupied among the rest in singing of Respondes reading of Legendes and suche like stuffe allotted vnto him he had as much pleasure he sayd to be at them as a Beare to be baited and wearied wyth dogs When he came it was as it appeared more to auoid displeasure and daunger then for any good will and readye affection At length through Gods grace he grew vp to suche maturitie and ripenes in the truth that he spared not to declare certaine sparkes thereof in his outward behauior and doyngs For when he should keepe his bowing measures at Confiteor as the custome there was in turning hymselfe to and fro sometyme Eastward somtyme Westward and afterward knocke his brest at the eleuatiō time agaynst which Idolatrous adoration hys hart did so vehemently rise that sometyme hee would absent hymselfe from them and sometyme beyng there he would euen at the sucring tyme as they termed it gette hym out of the church to auoyd those vngodly gestures and Idolatrous adoration To be shorte perceiuing after a while that hee was greatly suspected and abhorred of the President then being which was M. Cole and of diuers other whiche before were his friendes and therewithall feeling great conflict and torment of conscience daily to grow with his conuersation with idolaters seeing also that his newe life and old liuing might not wel nor quietly stande together he addressed himselfe to depart the house For he thoughte it not best to abide the dāger of expulsion as he did at the first seeing the weather was now waxed warmer And being demanded at that time of a special frend who wold gladly haue perswaded him to stay there longer whether he would go or how he would liue he made this answer Domini est terra plenitudo eius i. The earth is the Lordes and the fulnesse thereof Let the Lord woorke I will commit my selfe to God and the wide worlde Here I thinke it expedient before I wryte of the painfull surges that he suffered after he came abroade into the perillous gulphes and deepe Sea of this wretched wyde world first to reherse one or two exāples of his outward behauioure at suche tymes as he hadde recourse to the Colledge after his last departure whereby the Reader may yet better vnderstand of his simplicitie playnenesse and how farre wide he was from all cloked dissimulation in Gods cause which certayne godlesse personnes haue sought maliciously to charge hym with all Beyng at Oxford on a certayne tyme in Magdalene Colledge and hauyng knowledge that the Spanish Frier Iohn who succeeded D. Peter Martyr in the office of the Diuinitie Lecture would preach there that present Sonday he would not at the first graunt to be present at it At length a friend of his a fellow of that house persuaded so much with him that he was content to accompany his sayde friend to the church But sodainly as the Frier vehemently inueyed against Gods truth in defendyng certayne popish heresies Palmer hauyng many eyes bente and directed towardes hym departed from amongst the middest of the auditorie and was found in hys friends chamber weepyng bitterly Afterward beyng demaunded why he slipt away vpon such a sodayne Oh sayd he if I had not openly departed I should haue openly stopped myne eares For the Friers blasphemous talke in disproouyng or rather deprauyng the veritie made myne eares not to glowe but my hart worse to smart then if myne eares had bene cut from myne head It chanced another tyme that the same friend of hys called M. Shipper beyng then Bursar of the house bade hym to dinner in hys chamber Palmer not knowyng what ghestes were also thither inuited and bidden hapned there contrary to his expectation to meete with the foresayd Frier with whom were present D. Smith Doc. Tresham and diuers other papists whose company Palmer coulde not well beare and therefore whisperyng a friend in the eare he sayd he would be gone for that was no place for hym I will sayth he to the Bursars Table in the great hall The Bursar vnderstandyng his mynde desired hym of all friendshippe not so to depart alledgyng that it were the next way to be wray hymselfe as it were of purpose to cast hymselfe into the Briers with many other perswasions as the shortnes of tyme would permit In the end he condescēded to his request and taried Now as he came to the fire side the Frier saluted hym cherefully in Latine for he could not speake Englishe Palmer with an amiable countenaunce resaluted him
first what he will say to his owne handy worke Ieffrey Ye say truth Tell me Palmer art thou he that wrote this faire volume Looke vpon it Palmer I wrote it in deede and gathered it out of the scripture Ieffrey Is this doggish rime yours also Looke Palmer I wrote this I deny not Ieffrey And what say you to these Latine verses entituled Epicidion c. Are they yours too Palmer Yea sir. Ieffrey Art thou not ashamed to affirme it It came of no good spirit that thou didst both raile at the dead slander a learned and Catholike man yet alyue Palmer If it be a slander he hath slandered hymselfe For I do but report hys owne writyng open the folly therin declared And I recken it no railyng to inuey agaynst Annas and Caiphas beyng dead Ieffrey Sayest thou so I will make thee recant it and wryng Peccaui out of your lying lyppes ere I haue done with thee Palmer But I know that although of my selfe I bee able to do nothyng yet if you and all myne enemies both bodily and ghostly should do your worst you shall not be able to bryng that to passe neither shall ye preuaile agaynst Gods mighty spirit by whom we vnderstand the truth and speake it boldly Ieffrey Ah are you ful of the spirit Are you inspired with the holy ghost Palmer Sir no man can beleeue but by the inspiration of the holy ghost Therfore If I were not a spirituall man and inspired with Gods holy spirite I were not a true christian Qui spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius i. He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his Ieffrey I perceyue you lacke no words Palmer Christ hath promised not onely to geue vs store of words necessary but with them such force of matter as the gates of hell shall not be able to confound or preuayle agaynst it Ieffrey Christ made such a promise to his Apostles I trow you will not compare with them Palmer With the holy Apostles I may not compare neyther haue I any affiaunce in myne owne wit or learnyng which I know is but small yet this promise I am certain pertaineth to all such as are appoynted to defende Gods truth against hys enemies in the tyme of their persecution for the same Ieffrey Then it pertaineth not to thee Palmer Yes I am right well assured that thorough hys grace it pertaineth at this present to me as it shal I dout not appeare if you geue me leaue to dispute wyth you before this audience in the defence of all that I haue there written Ieffrey Thou art but a beardlesse boy starte vp yesterday out of the schooles and darest thou presume to offer disputation or to encounter with a Doctor Palmer Remember M. Doctour Spiritus vbi vult spirat And agayne Ex ore infantium c. And in another place Abscondisti haec a sapientibus c. i. The spirit breatheth whē it pleaseth hym c. Out of the mouth of Infants c. And thou hast hidden these thyngs from the wyse c. God is not tyed to tyme wit learnyng place nor person And although your wit and learnyng be greater then myne yet your beliefe in the truth and zeale to defend the same is not greater then myne Register Sir if you suffer hym thus impudently to trifle with you he will neuer haue done Ieffrey Wel ye shal vnderstand that I haue it not in commission at this present to dispute with you neither were it meete that we should call againe into question such Articles as are already discussed and perfectly defined by our mother the holy Church whom we ought to beleue without why or wherefore as the Creede telleth vs. But the cause why ye be now called hither is that ye might be examined vpon such articles as are ministred against you such matter as is here conteined in your hand writyng that it may be seene whether you will stand to it or nay How say you to this Palmer By your holy church you meane the Sinagogue of Rome which is not vniuersall but a perticular Church of shauelyngs The catholike church I beleeue yet not for her owne sake but because she is holy that is to say a Church that groundeth her beliefe vpon the word of her spouse Christ. Ieffrey Leaue railing answer me directly to my questiō Will ye stand to your writing or will ye not Palmer If ye prooue any sentence therein comprised not to stand with Gods word I will presently recant it Ieffrey Thou impudent fellow haue I not told thee that I came not to dispute with thee but to examine thee Here the parson of Inglefield pointing to the pixe said What seest thou yonder Palmer A canapie of silke brodered with gold Person Yea but what is within it Palmer A piece of bread in a clout I trow Person Thou art as froward an heretike as euer I talked with all Here was much spoken of Confiteor and other partes of the Masse Person Do you not beleeue that they which receiue the holy Sacrament of the aultar do truly eate Christes natural body Palmer If the Sacrament of the Lordes supper bee ministred as Christ did ordaine it the faithfull receiuers do in deed spiritually and truely eate and drinke in it Christes very naturall body and bloud Person The faithfull receiuers ye cannot bleare our eies with such Sophistry Doe not all maner receiuers good bad faithfull and vnfaithfull receiue the very natural body in forme of bread Palmer No sir. Person How prooue you that Palmer By this place Qui manducat me viuet propter me i. He that eateth me shall lyue for me Person See that fond fellow whiles he taketh himselfe to be a Doctor of the law you shall see me prooue him a stark foolish dawe Do you not read likewise Quicunque inuocauerit nomen domini saluus erit id est Whosoeuer inuocateth the name of the Lord shall be saued Ergo Doe none but the godly call vppon hym therefore you must marke how S. Paul answereth you He sayth that the wicked do eate the true body to their condemnation As Palmer was bent to aunswere him at the full the Person interrupted hym crying still what sayest thou to S. Paule Palmer I say that S. Paule hath no such wordes Person See the impudent fellow denieth the playne text Qui edit bibit corpus Domini indignè reus erit Iudicij i. He that eateth and drinketh the body of the Lord vnworthily is guiltie of iudgement Palmer I beseech you lend me your booke Person Not so The Shiriffe I pray you lend hym your booke So the booke was geuen ouer to hym Palmer Your owne booke hath Qui manducat hunc panem c. i. He that eateth this bread Person But S. Hieromes translation hath Corpus Palmer Not so M. Parson and God bee praysed that I haue in the meane season shut
for that there was a Peuter dishe whereof the name was scraped out theyr bodyes vpon the same were attached put in prison theyr moueable goodes taken by inuētory Within a few daies after these things this done past these 3. sely women abiding thus in durance in the castle made theyr supplication to the Iustices to haue iustice ministred vnto them videlicet If they had offended the law then to let them haue the law if not beseeching to graunt them the benefite of Subiects c. Which supplication put vp thereupon were they appoynted to come to theyr answere the fift day of Iune in the yeare aforesayd Uppon which day after straight examining of the matter and the honest aunswering of the cause by the sayde good woman at the last they submitted them to the report of their neighbours that they were no theeues nor euill disposed persons but liued truely and honestly as became Christian women to do the false and vntrue report of theyr accusers notwithstanding So the cause being thus debated after the inquirye made by the kinges Officers they were founde by theyr said neighbors not guilty of that they were charged wyth but had liued alwayes as honest women among them sauing onely that to the commaundementes of holy church they had not bene obedient c. Upon this triall verdit of the neighbours it was in fine adiudged firste that the sayd Uincent Gosset being atteinted of fellonye and condemned for the same should be whipped and after her eare being nailed to the pillory should so be banished out of the Isle without further punishment And as touching the other three women the Mother with her two daughters for theyr not comming to the Church they were returned prisoners agayn into the Castle the first of Iuly And thus farre concerning the true discourse of this matter with all the circumstaunces and appurtenaunce of the same in euery poynt as the case stoode according to the faythfull tenour and testimony of the Garnesey menne written with theyr owne handes both in Frenche and English tongue Wherein you see what false surmised matter was pretended agaynst these women and nothing proued and howe by the attestation of theyr neighbours they were fully clered of that facte and should by the temporall Courte haue bene dismissed had not the spirituall Clergy men picking matter of religion agaynst them exercised such extremitye in persecuting these miserable prisoners that in no case they could escape theyr bloudye handes till at length they had brought them as you shall heare to theyr finall ende For after the time of this declaration aboue mentioned made by the neighbours whereby they were purged of al other thinges being then known of theyr not comming to the Church the Bailiefes Lieutenaunt and the Iustice thinking the matter not to perteyne to them but to the Clergy forthwith wrote theyr letters or Mandate vnder theyr signes to the deane whose name was Iaques Amy and Curates of the sayd Isle The contentes wherof here foloweth ¶ A Letter sent from the Bailieffes Lieutenaunt and Iurates of Saynt Peters Port to the Deane and Curates of the Isle of Garnesey MAyster Deane and Iustices in your Court and iurisdiction after all amiable recommendations pleaseth you to know that we are informed by the deposition of certayn honest men past before vs in maner of an inquiry in the which inquiry Katherine Cawches and her two daughters haue submitted themselues in a certayne matter criminall Wherein we be informed that they haue bene disobedient to the commaundementes and ordinances of the Church in contēning and forsaking the masse and the ordinances of the same agaynst the will and commaundement of our souereigne Lord the king and the Queene Wherof we send you the sayd matter for as much as the matter is spirituall to the end you may proceed therein after your good discretions and as brieflye as you can possible and also that it perteined to your office recommēding you to God the which geue you grace to do that perteineth to right and iustice Written the first day of the moneth of Iuly the yeare of our Lord. 1556. After these letters and information thus addressed to Iaques Amy Deane and to other of the Clergy the sayde women were agayne commensed before the Iustice aforesaid with his assistances In the presence of whom they being examined of theyr fayth concerning the ordinances of the Romish church made their aunswere that they would obey and keepe the ordinaunces of the king Queene the cōmaundementes of the church notwithstanding that they had sayd and done the contrary in the time of K. Edward the 6. in shewing obedience to his ordinaunces and commaundementes before After which aunswere taken they were returned againe to prison vntill the other had an answere of their letter frō the deane his cōplices During which time the Deane curates gaue their information touching the sayd women and deliuered the same to the Bailiefe and Iurates cōdemning and reputing them for hereticks the women neither hearing of any information neither yet being euer examined at any time before of theyr fayth and religion Wherupon when the said Bailife Iurates vnderstood that the sayd Deane Curates had not examined the women of theyr fayth would not fitte in iudgement on that day but ordeined the women to come first before the Deane and Curates to be examined of their fayth And so the Officers at the commaundement of the Iustices did fetch and present them before the sayd Deane and Curates The which being accomplished and done they were examined a parte seuerally one from an other After which examination they incontinently were returned agayne into prison Then the xiiij day of the sayd moneth of Iuly in the yeare aforesayd after the examination aboue specified before Elyer Gosselin Bailiffe in the presence of Thomas Deuicke Pierres Martine Nicolas Cary Iohn Blondel Nicolas de Lisle Iohn Lauerchaunt Iohn le Feuer Pierres Bonnamy Nicolas Martin Iohn de la March Iurates Syr Iaques Amy Deane and the Curates dyd deliuer before the Iustice vnder the seale of the Deane vnder the signes of the Curates a certayne Act and Sentence the summe whereof was that Katherine Cawches and her two daughters were found heretickes and suche they reputed them and haue deliuered them to Iustice to do execution according to the Sentence of the which the tenour foloweth ¶ The Sentence AN. dom millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo sexto die verò .xiij. mensis Iulij apud Ecclesiam diui Petri in portu maris insula promotor per nos Dominum Decanum inquisitio facta fuit de fide Catholica super Sacramenta Ecclesiastica videlicet super Sacramentum Baptismi confirmationis poenitentiae ordinis Matrimonij Eucharistiae extremae vnctionis nec non super ceremonias Ecclesiae ac de veneratione honoratione beatae Mariae sanctorum de Missa eius efficacia
de ceremonijs Ecclesiae videlicet Katherinae Cawches eiusdemque duarum filiarum Guilleminae Parotinae nuncupatarum harum tam coniunctim quam separatim via iuris Et quamuis pluries ad veniam petendam ad delicta sua cognoscenda hortauimus inuitauimus quae quidem praedicta omnino negauerunt negant quod locutae fuerunt aliquod verbum inane inhonestum ociosum vanum contra fidem catholicam Sacramenta Ecclesiae alias ceremonias Ecclesiae Quapròpter auditis negationibus praedictarum attestatÃonibus depositionibus testium per nos visis consideratis bene ponderatis per opiniones Curatorum Vicariorum ibidem assistentium super easdem Katherinam Parotinam nec non Guilleminam crimine hereticas inuenimus reputamus Quapropter coram vobis Domino Baliuo omnino remittimus vt antea remissimus Thomas le Coll de mandato Iohn Alles Guillielmus Panquet Petrus Tardise Iohannes Manatiell When this was done commaundement was geuen to the kinges officers to go to the Castle to fetche the sayde women to heare the sentence agaynst them in the presence aforesayd And they appearing before theÌ„ sayd in the eares of all the auditory that they woulde see theyr accusers and know them that haue deposed agaynst them because they might make aunsweres to theyr sayinges and personages and to haue theyr libell accordingly for they knew not to haue offended the maiesties of the King and Queene nor of the Church but intyrely would obey obserue and keepe the ordinances of the King and Queene and of the Church as all good and true Subiectes are bound to do And for any breach of the Kyng and Queenes lawes that they had done they required iustice All whiche theyr reasons and allegations notwithstanding the sayd poore women were condemned and adiudged to be burnt vntill they were consumed into Ashes according to a sentence geuen by Elyer Gosseline Bailife of the which sentence the tenour hereafter foloweth ¶ The effect of the sentence in English THe xvij or as some other thinke the xxvij day of the Moneth of Iuly 1556. Elier Gosselin Bailiffe in the presence of Thomas Deuicke Pierres Martine Nicholas Cary Iohn Bloundell Nicholas Deuise Iohn le Marchaunt Iohn le Feauer Pierres Bonamy Nicholas Martine and Iohn de la March Iurates Katherine Cowches Perotine Massey and Guillemyne Guilbert the sayd Perotine and Guillemyne daughters to the sayd Katherine are all condemned iudged this day to be burned vntil they be consumed to ashes in the place accustomed with the confiscation of all theyr goodes moueables and heritages to be in the handes of the king and Queenes maiesties according and after the effect of a sentence deliuered in iustice by Mayster Deane and the Curates the xiij day of the moneth of Iuly in the yeare aforesayd in the which they haue bene approued heretickes ⧠A Lamentable Spectacle of three women with a sely infant brasting out of the Mothers Wombe being first taken out of the fire and cast in agayne and so all burned together in the Isle of Garnesey 1556. Iuly 18. After which sentence pronounced the sayd women did appeale vnto the Kyng and the Queene and theyr honorable Counsell saying that agaynst reason and right they were condemned for that cause they made their appeale notwithstanding they coulde not be heard but were deliuered by the sayd Bayliffe to the King and Quenes Officers to see the execution done on them according to the sayd sentence The time then being come when these three good seruauntes and holy Sayntes of GOD the Innocent mother with her two daughters shoulde suffer in the place where they should consummate theyr Martyrdome were three stakes set vp At the middle post was the mother the eldest daughter on the right hande the youngest on the other They were first strangled but the Rope brake before they were dead and so the poore women fell in the fire Perrotine who was then great with childe did fall on her side where happened a ruefull sight not onely to the eyes of all that there stood but also to the eares of all true harted christians that shall read this historye For as the belly of the woman brast a sonder by vehemency of the flame the Infant being a fayre man childe fel into the fire and eftsoones being taken out of the fire by one W. House was layd vpon the grasse Then was the child had to the Prouost and from him to the Bayliffe who gaue censure that it should be caryed backe agayne and cast into the fire And so the infant Baptised in his own bloud to fill vp the number of Gods innocent Sayntes was both borne and dyed a Martyr leauing behinde to the world which it neuer saw a spectacle wherein the whole world may see the Herodian cruelty of this gracelesse generation of catholicke Tormentors Ad perpetuam rei infamiam Now forsomuch as this story percase for the horrible straungenes of the fact will be hardly beleued of some but rather thought to be forged or els more amplified of me then truth will beare me out therefore to discharge my credite herein I haue not onely foretolde thee a little before how I reciued this story by the faythfull relation both of french and English of them which were there preseÌ„t witnesses and lookers vpon but also haue hereto annexed the true supplication of the sayd inhabitauntes of Garnesey of the brother of the sayde two sisters complayning to the Queene and her Commissioners concerning the horriblenes of the acte which Supplication for the more euidence here vnder foloweth to be sene * To the right honorable and the Queenes highnesse most gracious Commissioners for the hearing and determining of matters of Religion and causes Ecclesiasticall MOst lamentably and woefully complayning sheweth vnto your gracious and honorable Lordships your poore huÌ„ble Orator Mathew Cawches of the Isle of Garnesey that where Iaques Amy Clerke Deane of the Isle aforesayd assisted by the Curates there agaynst all order lawe and reason by colour of a sentence of heresie pronounced agaynst Katherine Cawches the Sister of your honours sayd suppliant and Perrotine and Guillemine her two daughters did cause the same Katherine beyng a poore widowe and her sayd two daughters moste cruelly to bee burned although the said persons ne any of them did hold mainteine or defend any thing directly agaynst the Ecclesiasticall lawes then in place vnder the raigne of the late Queene Mary but in all thinges submitted themselues obediently to the lawes theÌ„ in force and yet the cruelty of the said Deane and his accomplices in perpetrating such murther as aforesayd raged so farre that whereas whilest the sayd persons did consume with violent fire the wombe of the sayd Perrotine being burned there did issue froÌ„ her a goodly man childe which by the Officers was taken vp handled and after in a most despightful maner throwne into the
that day or the daye following I should haue sent thence 22. heretickes indited before the Commissioners in dede so I had compelled to beare theyr charges as I did of the other which both stoode me aboue 20. nobles a summe of money that I thought full euill bestowed And these heretickes notwithstanding they had honest Catholicke keepers to conduct and bring them vp to me and in all the way frō Colchester to Stradford of the Bow did goe quietly and obediently yet comming to Stratford they began to take hart of grace and to doe as pleased themselues for there they beganne to haue theyr garde which generally increased till they came to Algat◠where they were lodged Friday night And albeit I tooke order that the sayde heretickes shoulde be with me very early on saterday mornyng to the intent they mighte quietlye come and bee examined by me yet it was ¶ The Picture of xxij godly and faythfull Christians apprehended about Colchester prisoned together in one band and so with three leaders at the most brought vp to London betweene x. and a xi of the clocke before they would come and no waye woulde they take but through Cheapside so that they were brought to my house with about a thousande Persons Which thing I tooke very strange and spake to sir Iohn Gressam then being with me to tell the Mayor and the Sheriffes that thys thing was not well suffered in the City These naughty hereticks all the way they came through Cheapside both exhorted the people to their part and had much comfort à promiscua plebe and being entred into my house and talked withall they shewed thēselues desperate and very obstinate yet I vsed al the honest meanes I could both by my self and other to haue wonne them causing diuers learned men to talke with them and finding nothing in them but pride and wilfulnes I thought to haue had them all hether to Fulham and here to geue sentence agaynst them Neuerthelesse perceiuing by my last doing that your grace was offended I thought it my duetie before I any thing further proceded herein to aduertise first your grace hereof and knowe your good pleasure whiche I beseeche your grace I may doe by thys trusty bearer And thus most humblye I take my leaue of youre good grace beseeching almighty God alwayes to preserue the same At Fulllam postridie Natiu .1556 Your graces most bounden Bedesman and seruaunt Edmond Boner By this letter of Bishop Boner to the Cardinall is to be vnderstand what good will was in this Bish. to haue the bloud of these men and to haue past with sentence of condemnation agaynst them had not the Cardinal somwhat as it seemed haue stayed his feruent headines Concerning the which Cardinal although it cannot be denyed by his Actes and writings but that he was a professed enemy and no otherwise to be reputed but for a papist yet agayne it is to be supposed that he was none of the bloudy cruell sort of papistes as may appeare not only by staying the rage of this Byshop but also by his solicitous writing and long letters written to Cranmer also by the complaintes of certayne papistes accusing him to the Pope to bee a bearer with the heretickes by the popes letters sent to him vpon the same calling him vp to Rome setting Fryer Peto in his place had not Q. Mary by special entreaty haue kept him out of the popes danger All whiche letters I haue if neede be to shewe besides also that it is thought of him that toward his latter end a little before his comming from Rome to England he begā somwhat to sauour the doctrine of Luther and was no lesse suspected at Rome Yea furthermore did there at Rome conuert a certayne learned Spanyarde from papisme to Luthers side notwithstanding the pompe and glory of the world afterward caryed him away to play the papist thus as he did But of this Cardinall enough To returne now to this godly company agayne first how they were brought vp in bandes to London ye haue heard Also how Boner was about to haue red the Sentence of death vpon them how he was stayed by the Cardinall ye vnderstand As touching their confession which they articled vp in writing it were to tedious to recite the whole at length Briefly touching the article of the Lords Supper for the whiche they were chieflye troubled thus they wrote as here followeth The supper of the Lord. WHeras Christ at his last supper took bread whē he had geuē thanks he brake it gaue it to hys disciples and sayd take eate this is my body likewise tooke the cup and thanked c. We do vnderstand it to be a figuratiue speache as the most maner of his language was in parrables darke sentences that they which are carnally minded should see with their eyes and not perceiue and heare with their eares not vnderstand signifying this that as he did breake the breade among them being but one loafe they al were partakers thereof so we through his body in that it was broken and offered vpon the crosse for vs are all partakers thereof and his bloud clenseth vs from our sinnes hath pacified Gods wrath towards vs and made the attonement betwene God vs if we walke henceforth in the light euen as he is the true light And in that he sayd further do this in the remembrance of me it is a memoriall and token of the suffering death of Iesu Christ and he commaunded it for this cause that the congregatiō of Christ should come together to shew his death and to thanke and laud him for all his benefites magnifye his holy name so to breake the bread drinke the wine in remembrance that Christ had geuen his body and shed his bloud for vs. Thus you may well perceiue though Christe called the bread his body the wine his bloud yet it followeth not that the substaunce of his body shoulde be in the bread and wine as diuers places in Scripture are spoken by Christ and the Apostles in lyke phrase of speach as in Iohn 15. I am the true vine also in Iohn the .10 I am the doore and as it is written in the 9. to the Hebrues and in Exodus 24. how Moyses tooke the bloud of the Calues and sprinckled both the booke and all the people saying This is the bloud of the couenant or Testament And also in the 5. chapter of Ezechiell how the Lord said vnto him concerning the third parte of his heare saying This is Hierusalem c. Thus we see the Scriptures how they are spoken in figures and ought to be spiritually examined and not as they would haue vs to say that the bodily presēce of christ is in the bread which is a blasphemous vnderstanding of the godly word and is contrary to all holy scriptures Also we do see
in me and I in him Arch Then he faced out the matter with Sophistrie and sayde I did eate Christe as that Church was in his eye with many such like mockes but woulde not let me aunswere one woorde Commis Then the Commissarie did aske mee if I did not remember S. Paule which did rebuke the Corinthes for theyr euill behauior and because they made no difference of the Lordes body and brought in to prooue hys matter howe he called him selfe bread in the 6. of Iohn So Paul sayth So oft as ye eate of this breade meaning Christes body vnwoorthely ye eate and drinke your owne damnation because ye make no difference of the Lordes body For thus sayeth Christ The bread that I will geue you is my flesh Now it is no bread but it is his flesh And thus he alledged euery Scripture false to make vp the matter Auns Then I sayde I did beleeue the woordes of Paule very wel euen as he had spoken them For thus he sayeth He that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthely eateth and drynketh hys owne damnation because hee maketh no difference of the Lordes body Commis What is the cause that he eateth his owne damnation Auns I sayd Saint Paule declareth it plainly wyth these woordes If ye had iudged your selues ye should not haue bene iudged of the Lord. Arch. Then the Archdeacon sayde he marueiled whye I would not say that he called the breade hys bodye seeing Cranmer Ridley and Latimer with many other sayd he called it his bodye Auns I saide you haue condemned them as heretickes and you wold haue me say with them because you wold kill me Arch. Then he saide In that they said it was his bodye they did say the truth Auns I asked wherefore they were killed seeing they sayd the truth Bishop Then sayde the Byshop that he had all theyr aunsweres and that they did not beleue as they said For they sayd Christ called it his body but it was not his naturall body but thou shall answere me by and by whether it be his body or not or els I will anger thee Auns Then I sayd I had answeared him by the word already and did beleeue it also therefore if he did condemne me for that my life was not deare vnto me I was sure he should not scape vnpunished for God wil be reuenged vpon such murtherers Arch. Then the Archdeacon intreated mee to be ruled by him take mercy while it was offered for if I were condemned I must needes be burned Yet he would not say but my soule might be saued with many moe wordes and desired me that I would beleue hym for he would speake the truth beginning how Christ fed fiue thousande wyth foure loaues and how he turned the water into wine euen so Christ tooke breade and blest it and when he had done he brake it and sayd This is my body and then he commāded them to eat it and therfore it must nedes be his body Auns Then I desired him to speake the text right or els I would not beleeue him Arch. Then he stoode vp and put off his cap and thanked me for teaching of him and sayde I was a stubberne fellow and tooke scorne to be taught Auns I sayd I ought to holde him accursed if he taught doctrine contrary to Christ and his Apostles Arch. Then he asked me whether I did beleue that Christ did geue that he tooke or not Auns I said I do beleue as much as can be proued by the Scripture and more I will not beleeue Arch. Then he began with Moyses rod howe God commanded him to lay it down and it was turned into a serpent Seing that this was by Moyses being but a man how much more Christ being both God man tooke one thing and gaue to his Disciples an other Ans. I said his comparison was nothing like for Moyses rod when it was laid downe he saw that it was tourned into a verye Serpent in deede but in this Sacrament no mā can see neither qualitie nor yet quantitie to be chāged Bish. Then sayd the Bishop that mine opinion and Faith was like vnto the Capernaites Ans. I sayd theirs was more like theyr opiniō then mine Arch. The Archdeacon asked me whether Christe tooke not one thing and gaue an other Auns I sayde Looke what he brake hee gaue vnto them and had them eate and other answere I will make none contrary to the woorde Arch. Then he sayd he marueiled why I woulde not beleue them seeing this learning had continued this fiftene hundred yeares neither yet did saye as other had before howe Christ did call it his bodye Auns Then I sayde when Cranmer whyche was heere Byshop was in authoritie he sayde that he did holde the truth and commaunded vs to beleeue him and hee hathe geuen his life for his opinion and would you haue me to beleeue you because you say that you holde the truth and that which makes me beleeue chiefly is the scripture which I am sure is the truth in deede Bish. The Bishop sayd he hath spoken the truthe that I would not beleeue him Auns I sayde if he did not nowe speake the truthe I was sure he had spoken the truthe for hee had preached before doctrine cleane contrary vnto this Then were the rest of my articles read which I aunswered and in euery article we had vp this breaden god And they sent for a candle light I thought they woulde haue condemned me but God would not suffer their cruel hearts to haue theyr pleasure at that time blessed he hys name for euermore Amen Arch. Then the Archdeacon was angry began to chide with me because I woulde not desire a day of the byshop and said I was a noughty stubberne felowe and sayde it had bene my duety to haue desired him to haue bene good to me that I might haue a day Auns Then I sayde I haue spoken the truth and therefore I would aske him no day except he would geue me a day of his owne minde Commis Then sayde the Commissarie Doest thou not thinke that thou maiest be deceiued seeing hee may be deceiued that hath gone to study all the daies of his life Auns I saide Yes I mighte be deceiued in that I was a man but I was sure Gods woord could not be deceiued Com. Then hee praied me to be content and confesse that I might learne and said they would be glad to teach me Auns And I sayde I would be as glad to learne as any man And thus they roase vp and went away saying nothing What became of this Mathewe Plaise after whether he died in prison or was executed or deliuered I haue as yet no certaine knowledge The hystorie of ten true godly Disciples and Martyrs of Christ burnt together in one fire at Lewes An. 1557. Iune 22. IN the towne of Lewes were ten faithfull seruauntes of God put in one fire the xxij day of Iune whose names
taught What can I do more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for the confirmation of Gods trueth Pray that I may continue vnto the end The greatest part of the assault is paste I prayse my God I haue in all my assaultes felt the present ayde of my God I geue him most harty thankes therefore Looke not backe nor be ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bonds I haue suffered for the same thereby ye may be assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no time for the losse of one man in the battell for the campe to turne backe Vp with mennes hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresies Let one take the Banner and the other the Trumpette I meane not to make corporall resistaunce but pray and ye shall haue Elias defence and Elizeus company to fight for you The cause is the Lordes Nowe my brethren I can write no more time will not suffer and my harte with panges of death is assaulted but I am at home with my God yet aliue Pray for me salute one another with the holy kisse The peace of god rest with you all Amen From Newgate prison in haste the day of my condemnation Iohn Rough. An other letter of Iohn Rough written vnto the Congregation two dayes before he suffered THe spirite of all consolation be with you ayde you and make you strong to runne to the fight that is layde before you wherewithall God in all ages hath tryed hys elect and hath found them worthy of himselfe by copling to theyr head Iesus Christ in whome who so desireth to liue Godly the same must needes suffer persecution For it is geuen vnto them not onely to beleeue but also to suffer And the Seruaunt or Scholer can not be greater then his Lord or Mayster but by the same way the head is entered the members must folow no life is in the members which are cutte from the body likewise we haue no life but in Christ for by him we liue moue and haue our being My deare sonne now departing this life to my great aduauntage I make chaūge of mortality with immortality of corruption to put on incorruption to make my body like to the corne cast into the ground which except it die first it can bring forth no good fruite Wherefore death is to my great vauntage for therby the body ceaseth from sinne and after turneth into the first originall but after shall be chaunged and made brighter then the Sonne or Moone What shall I write of this corporall death seeing it is decreed of God that all men shall once die happy are they that die in the Lord which is to dye in the fayth of Christ professing and confessing the same before many witnesses I prayse my God I haue passed the same iourney by manye temptations the deuill is very busye to perswade the world to entise with promises and fayre wordes which I omitte to write least some might thinke I did hunt after vayne glorye whiche is farthest from my hart Lastly the daunger of some false brethren who before the Byshop of London purposed to confesse an vntrueth to my face yet the God that ruled Balaam moued theyr hartes where they thought to speake to my accusation hee made them speake to my purgation What a iourney by Gods power I haue made these eight dayes before this date it is aboue flesh and bloud to beare but as Paule sayth I may do all thinges in hym which worketh in me Iesus Christ. My course brethrē haue I run I haue fought a good fight the crowne of righteousnes is layd vp for me my daye to receiue it is not long too Praye Brethren for the enemye doth yet assaulte Stande constaunt vnto the ende then shall you possesse your Soules Walke worthely in that vocation wherein you are called Comfort the Bretheren Salute one another in my name Be not ashamed of the Gospell of the Crosse by me preached nor yet of my suffering for with my bloud I affirme the same I go before I suffer first the bayting of the Butchers Dogges yet I haue not done what I should haue done but my weaknes I doubt not is supplied in the strēgth of Iesus christ and your wisedomes learning will accept that small talent which I haue distributed vnto you as I trust as a faythfull stewarde and if what was vndone impute that to my frayltye and ignoraunce and with your loue couer that which is and was naked in me God knoweth ye all are tender vnto me my hart bursteth for the loue of you Ye are not without your great pastor of your soule who so loueth you that if men were not to bee sought out as God be praysed there is no want of men he would cause stones to minister vnto you Cast your care on that Rock the wind of temptation shall not preuayle fast and praye for the dayes are euill Looke vp with your eyes of hope for the redemption is not farre off but my wickednesse hath deserued that I shall not see it And also that which is behind of the bloud of our brethren which shall also be layd vnder the aulter shall crye for your reliefe Time wil not now suffer me to write longer Letters The spirite of God guid you in and out rising sitting couer you with the shadow of his winges defend you agaynst the tyrannye of the wicked and bring you happely vnto the Porte of eternall felicitye where all teares shall be wyped from your eyes and you shall alwayes abyde wyth the Lambe Iohn Rough. ¶ Margaret Mearing Martyr IT is declared that in the companye of Iohn Roughe was burned one Margaret Mearyng who as the Register maketh mention was at one time and day brought wyth the sayde Rough foorth to examination where the Byshop hauynge no priuate matters to charge her withall did the eightenth daye of December obiecte agaynste her those common and accustomable Articles mentioned before pag 1585. To which she aunswered as followeth FIrst that there is here in earth a catholicke Churche and that there is the true fayth of Christ obserued and kept in the same Church 2 Item that there were onely two sacramentes in the Church namely the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ and the sacrament of Baptisme 3 Item that she was baptised in the fayth beliefe of the sayd Church renouncing there by her Godfathers and Godmothers the Deuill and all his workes c. 4 Item that when she came to the age of fouretene yeares shee did not knowe what her true beliefe was because shee was not then of discretion to vnderstande the same neyther yet was taught it 5 Item that she had not gone from the catholicke fayth at any time but she sayde that the Masse was abhominable before the sight of God and before the sight of all true Christian people and that it is the
execution done vpoÌ„ the same which for that he had not done the matter he sayd was great and therfore wylled him to look well vnto it how he would aunswere the matter And thus began he fiercely to lay to his charge Wherin note gentle Reader by the way the close and couert hypocrisy of the Papistes in theyr dealinges Who in the forme and stile of their owne sentence coÌ„demnatory pretend a petition vnto the seculer power In visceribus Iesu Christi vt iuris rigor mitigetur atque vt parcatur vitae That is That the rigour of the law may be mitigated and that their life may be spared And how standeth this now with their owne doinges and dealinges when this Chauncellour as ye see is not onely contented to geue Sentence agaynst them but also hunteth here after the Officer not suffering him to spare them although he would What dissimulation is this of men goyng and doyng contrarye to their owne wordes and profession But let vs returne to our mattâ—â— agayne The Sheriffe hearing the ChauÌ„cellours wordes and seeing him so vrging vpon him tolde him agayne that he was no babe which nowe was to be taught of hym If he had any writ to warrant and discharge him in burning those men then he knew what he had to do Why saith the Chauncellour did not I geue you a writ with my hande and 8. moe of the Close set vnto the same Well quoth the Sheriffe that is no sufficient discharge to me and therfore as I told you if ye haue a sufficient writ and warrant froÌ„ the superiour powers I know then what I haue to do in my office otherwise if you haue no other writ but that I tell you I wil neither burne them for you nor none of you all c. Where note agayne good Reader how by this it may be thought and supposed that the other poore Saintes and Martyrs of God such as had bene burned at Salisburye before were burned belike without any authorised or sufficient writ from the superiours but onely vpon the information of the Chauncellour and of the Close through the vncircumspect negligence of the Sheriffes which shoulde haue looked more substantially vpon the matter But this I leaue and referre vnto the Magistrates Let vs returne to the story agayne Doct. Geffrey the Chauncellour thus sent away from the Sheriffe went home and there fel sicke vpon the same for anger belike as they signified vnto me whiche were the partyes themselues both godly and graue persons who were then condemned the one of them which is Richarde White being yet aliue The vnder Sheriffe to this Syr Anthony HuÌ„gerford aboue named was one M. Michell likewise a right and a perfect godly man So that not long after this came down the writ to burne the aboue named Rich. White Iohn Hunt but the vnder Sheriffe receiuing the said writ sayd I will not be guilty quoth he of these mens bloud immediately burnt the writing and departed his way With in 4. dayes after the Chauncellour dyed Concerning whose death this coÌ„meth by the way to be noted that theâ—e 2. foresaid Iohn Hunt and Richard White being the same time in a lowe and darcke Dungeon being Saterday toward euening according to theyr accustomed maner fell to euening prayer Who kneeling there together as they should begin theyr prayer sodeÌ„ly fel both to such a strauÌ„ge weeping tendernes of hart but how they could not tell that they could not pray one word but so coÌ„tinued a great space brusting out in teares After that night was past and the morning come the first word they heard was that the Chauncellour theyr great enemy was dead The tyme of whose death they found to be the same houre wheÌ„ as they fell in such a sodeyne weeping The Lord in all his holy workes be praysed Amen Thus muche concerning the death of that wicked Chauncellour This Richard White and the sayd Iohn Hunt after the death of the Chauncellour the Byshop also being dead a litle before continued still in prison til the happy coÌ„ming in of Queene Elizabeth and so were set at liberty * The Martyrdome of a young lad of eight yeares olde scourged to death in Bishop Boners house in London IF bloudy tormâ—ntes and cruell death of a poore innocent suffering for no cause of his owne but in the trueth of Christ and his Religion do make a Martyr no lesse deserueth the child of one Iohn Fetty to be reputed in the Catalogue of holy Martirs who in the house of Bishop Boner vnmercifuly was scourged to death as by the sequele of this story here folowing may appeare Amongest those that were persecuted miserably imprisoned for the profession of Christes Gospell yeâ— mercifully deliuered by the prouidence of God there was one Iohn Fetty a simple and godly poore man dwelling in the parish of Clerkenwell was by vocation a Taylor of the age of 42. yeres or therabout who was accused and complained of vnto one Brokenbury a priest a parson of the same parish by his own wife for that he would not come vnto the church be partaker of theyr Idolatry superstition therfore through the sayd priestes procurement he was appreheÌ„ded by Rich. Tanner his felow constables there and one Martin the Hedborough Howbeit immediatly vpoÌ„ his appreheÌ„sion his wife by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God was stricken mad and distract of her wits which declared a maruelous exaÌ„ple of the iustice of God agaynst such vnfaythfull and most vnnaturall treachery And although this example perhaps for lack of knowledge instruction in such cases little moued the consciences of those simple poore meÌ„ to surcease their persecutioÌ„ yet natural pity towards that vngratefull woman wrought so in theyr harts that for the preseruation sustentatioÌ„ of her her 2. children like otherwise to perishe they for that present let her husband alone and would not cary him to prison but yet suffered him to remayne quietly in his own house During whiche time he as it were forgetting the wicked and vnkinde fact of his wife did yet so cherish and prouide for her that within the space of three weekes through Gods mercifull prouidence she was well ameÌ„ded and had recouered agayne some stay of her wits and senses But suche was the power of Sathan in the malicious hart of that wicked woman that notwithstanding his geÌ„tle dealing with her yet she so soone as she had recouered some health did agayne accuse her husband whereupon he was the second time apprehended and caryed vnto Syr Iohn Mordaunt Knight one of the Queenes Commissioners and he vppon examination sent him by Cluny the Bishops Sumner vnto the Lollardes Tower where he was euen at the first put into the paynefull stockes and haâ— a dish of water set by him with a stone put into it To what purpose God knoweth except it were to shew that he shuld look for
the beating and the flight and feare they were neuer in health since as the sayd Wilmot with hys owne mouth hath credibly ascertayned vs and we cā no lesse but testifie the same Thus haue we briefly rehearsed this little tragedye wherein ye may note the malice of the enemies at al times to those which professe Christ and take hys parte of what estate or degree so euer they bee according to the Apostles saying It is geuen vnto you not onely to beleue but also to suffer with him To whome be honor and glory Amen Next after these two aboue specified followeth the beating of one Thomas Greene who in the time of Queene Mary was caused likewise to be scourged and beaten by Doctor Story What the cause was here followeth in story and examination to be seene whiche hee penned wyth his owne hand as the thing it selfe will declare to the reader The copy and wordes of the same as he wrote them here follow Wherein as thou mayst note gentle reader the simplicitie of the one so I pray thee marke the cruelty of the other part The scourging of Thomas Greene. IN the reygne of Queene Mary I Thomas Greene being brought before D. Story by my M. whose name is Iohn Wayland a Printer for a booke called Antichrist the whiche had bene distributed to certayne honest menne he asked me where I had the booke and sayde I was a traytour I told him I had the booke of a Frenchman Thē he asked me more questions but I told him I would tell hym no more nor could not Then he sayd it was no heresie but treason and that I should be hanged drawne quartered and so he called for Cluny the keeper of the Lollardes tower and bad him set me fast in the stockes I was not in the Lollardes tower two houres but Clauy came and tooke me out and caryed me to the Cole-house and there I found a frenchman lying in the stocks and he tooke him out and put on my right legge a bolte a fetter on my left hand an other and so hee set me crosse fettered in the stockes and tooke the Frenchman away with him and there I lay a day and a night On the morow after he came and sayd let vs shift your hand and legge because you shall not be lame and he made as though he pitied me and sayde tell me the trueth and I will be youre frend And I sayd I had tolde the truth and would tell no other Then he put no more but my legge in the stockes so went his way and there I remayned 6. dayes could come to no answere Then Doctor Story sent for me and asked whether I would tel him I truth where I had the booke I sayd I had told him of a frenchmā he asked me wher I came acquainted with the Frenchman where he dwelt where he deliuered me the booke I sayde I came acquaynted with him in Newgate I comming to my friendes which wer put in for Gods worde and truthes sake and the Frenchman comming to his friendes also there we did talke together and became acquaynted one with an other and dyd eate and drinke together there with our friends in the feare of God Then Story scoffed at me and sayde then there was brother in Christ and brother in Christ and reuiled me called me an hereticke and asked me if I had the booke of him in Newgate I sayd no and I tolde him as I went on my businesse in the streete I met him and he asked me how I did and I him also so falling in communicatiō he shewed me that booke and I desired him that hee woulde let me haue it In this examination Story sayd it was a great booke and asked me whether I bought it or had it geuen me I tolde him I bought it Then sayd he I was a theefe and had stollen my maysters money And I sayd a little mony serued for I gaue hym but foure pence but I promised him at our nexte meeting I woulde geue twelue pence more And he sayd that was boldly done for such a booke as spake both treason and heresie Then Story required me to bring him two sureties watche for him that I had the booke of and I shuld haue no harme I made him aunswere I would bring no sureties nor I could not tell where to finde them Then said he this is but a lye and so called for Cluny and bad hym lay me fast in the Colehouse saying he would make me tel an other tale at my next cōming and so I lay in the stockes day and night but onely when I eate my meate there remayned x. dayes before I was called for agayne Then Doctor Story sent for me agayne and asked if I would yet tell him the truth I sayd I could tell him no other truth then I had nor would And while I was ther standing there were two brought whiche I tooke to bee prisoners Then mistres Story fell in a rage and sware a great othe that it were a good deede to put a hundred or two of these hereticke knaues in a house I my selfe sayth she would set it on fire So I was cōmitted to prison agayn where I remayned 14. dayes and came to no aunswere Then Story sent for me againe and called me into the gardē and there I found with him my Lord of Windsors Chaplayne and two Gentlemen more and he told them all what they had sayd and done They sayd the book was a wonderous euill booke and had both treason and heresie in it Then they asked me what I said by the book And I sayd I know no euill by it At which wordes Story chafed and sayd hee woulde hang me vp by the hands with a rope and said also he would cut out my tonge mine eares also frō mine head After this they alledged two or three thinges vnto me out of the book And I aunswered I had not read the book through out and therfore I could geue no iudgement of the book Then my Lord of Windsores chaplayne and the other two Gentlemen tooke me aside and entreated me verye gently saying tell vs where you had the booke and of whō wde will saue you harmelesse I made them aunswere I had told all that I could to Doct. Story began to tell it thē agayn but they sayd they knew that already so they left that talke and went agayne to Story with me Then Story burdened me with my fayth and sayd I was an hereticke Whereupon the Chaplayne asked me how I did beleue Then I began to rehearse the articles of my beliefe but he bad me let that alone Then hee asked me how I beleued in Christe I made him aunswere that I beleued in Christ which dyed and rose agayne the thyrd day and sitteth on the right hand of God the father Whereupon Story asked me mockingly what is the
in his wagon with his wife and a gentlewoman waiting on her and his foole As soone as the Wagon was come without the gate of the citie called Croneborgh gate vpon the wooden bridge beyng at that tyme made for a shifte with railes or barres on both sides for more safetie of the passengers halfe a mans heighth more the horses stood still and would by no meanes go forward whatsoeuer the guider of the wagon could do Then he in a drunken rage cried out to him that guided the wagō saying Ride on in a thousand deuils name ride on Wherat the poore man answered that he could not make the horses to goe forward By and by whyle they were yet thus talking sodenly rose as it were a mighty hurlewynd with a terrible noyse the wether beyng very faire no wynd stirring before tost the wagon ouer the barre into the towne ditch the ropes whereat the horses had bene tied beyng broken a sunder in such sort as if they had bene cut with a sharp knife the wagon also being cast vpsidedowne with the fore end thereof turned toward the towne agayne and he drowned in the mire and when he was taken vp it was found that his necke also was broken His wife was taken vp aliue but died also within three dayes after But the Gentlewoman and the foole by Gods mighty prouidence were preserued had no harm The foole hearing the people say that his Maister was dead sayd was not I dead was not I dead too This was done an 1553. Witnesse hereof not onely the Printer of the same story in Dutch dwelling then in Andwerpe whose name was Fraunces Fraet a good man and afterward for hatred put to death of Papistes but also diuers Dutchmen here now in England and a great number of English merchants which then were at Antwerpe are yet alyue Of the sodaine death of Bartholomeus Chassaneus or Cassanus persecutor read before pag. 943. Of Minerius the bloudy persecutor or rather tormētor of Christes saints how he dyed with bleeding in hys lower partes ye heard before pag. 953. And what should I speake of the iudge which accompanied the sayd Minerius in his persecution who a little after as he returned homeward was drowned and three mo of the same company killed one another vpon a strife that fell amongst them pag. 953. Ioannes de Roma cruell Monke whom rather wee may call a hell hound then persecutor what hellishe tormentes hee hadde deuised for the poore Christians of Angrongne the cōtents of the story before doth expresse pag. 216. Agayne with what like torments afterward that doublefold the Lord payd him home agayne who in hys rottyng and stinking death neither could find any enemy to kill hym nor any friend to bury him who neither could abide his owne stinking carion nor any man els to come neare hym Hereof read also in the same page and plate aboue specified Such a like persecutor also the same tyme was the lord of Reuest who likewise escaped not the reuenging hand of Gods iustice being striken after his furious persecution with a like horrible sicknes and such a furie and madnesse that none durst come neare him and so most wretchedly died Whereof read before pag. 943. Touching the like grieuous punishment of God vpō one Iohn Martin a persecutor read pag. 955. Erasmus in an Epistle or Apologie written in defence of his Colloquies inferreth mention of a certayne noble person of great riches and possessions who hauyng wyfe and children with a great familie at home to whom by S. Pauls rule he was bound in conscience principally aboue all other worldly thyngs to attend had purposed before his death to go see Ierusalem And thus all thyngs beyng set in order this Noble man about to set foreward on his iourny committed the care of his wife whom he left great with childe and of his Lordshippes and Castles to an Archbishop as to a most sure and trusty father To make short it happened in the iourney this Noble man to dye Whereof so soone as the Archbishop had intelligence in stead of a father he became a thiefe and robber seising into his owne handes all his Lordshippes and possessions And moreouer not yet contented with all this he layed siege agaynst a strong fort of his vnto the which his wife for safegard of her selfe did flee where in conclusion shee with the child that she went withall pitifully was slaine and so miserably perished Which story was done as testifieth Erasmus not so long before his tyme but that there remayned the nephews of the said Noble man then aliue to whom the same inheritance should haue fallen but they could not obtaine it What commeth of blynd superstition when a mā not conteining himselfe within the compasse of Gods worde wandereth in other bywayes of his owne and not contented with the religion set vp of the Lord wyll binde his conscience to other ordinaunces prescriptions and religious deuised by men leauyng Gods commaundements vndone for the constitutions and preceptes of men what ende and reward I say commeth thereof at length by this one example beside infinite other of the like sort men may learne by experience and therefore they that yet will defend Idolatrous pilgrimage and rash vowes let them well consider hereof It is rightly sayd of saint Hierome to haue bene at Hierusalem is no great matter but to lyue a godly and vertuous lyfe that is a great matter in very deede In the yeare of our Lord 1565. there was in the town of Gaunt in Flanders one William de Weuer accused imprisoned by the Prouost of S. Peters in Gaunt who had in his Cloister a prison and a place of execution and the day when the sayd William was called to the place of iudgement the Prouost sent for M. Gyles Brackleman principall aduocate of the Counsaile of Flaunders Borough maister and Iudge of S. Peters in Gaunt wyth other of the rulers of the towne of Gaunt to sit in iudgement vpon hym and as they sate in iudgement the Borough maister named M. Gyles Brackleman reasoned with the sayd William de Weuer vpon diuers articles of his fayth The one whereof was why the sayd William de Weuer denied that it was not lawfull to pray to Saintes and he aunswered as the report goeth for three causes The one was that they were but creatures and not the creator The second was that if he should call vpon them the Lord did both see it and heare it therefore he durst geue the glory to none other but to God The third and chiefest cause was that the creator had commaunded in his holy word to call vpon him in troubles vnto which commaundement he durst neither adde nor take from it The Borough maister M. Gyles Brackelman also demaunded whethere he did not beleeue that there was a Purgatory which he should go into after
not to alleadge for themselues any reason they assay to make odious to your maiesty the Lutherans as they call vs and say if their sayinges take place ye shall be faine to remaine a priuate person that there is neuer change of religion but there is also chaunge of princedome A thyng as false as when they accuse vs to be Sacramentaries and that we deny the authoritie of Magistrates vnder the shadow of certaine furious Anabaptists which Satan hath raysed in our tyme to darken the light of the Gospell For the histories of the Emperours which haue begun to receiue the Christian religion and that which is come to passe in our tyme shew the contrary Was there euer Prince more feared and obeyed then Constantine in receiuing the Christian Religion was hee therefore put from the Empire No he was thereby the more confirmed established in the same and also his posterity which ruled themselues by his prouidence But such as haue fallen away and folowed mens traditions God hath destroyed and theyr race is no more knowne in earth So much doth God detest them that forsake him And in our time the late kinges of England and Germanye were they coÌ„strayned in reprouing superstitions which the wickednes of the time had brought in to forsake their kingdomes princedomes Al men see the contrary and what honor fidelity and obedience the people in our time that haue receiued the reformation of the Gospell do vnder theyr princes and superiors Yea I may say that the princes knew not before what it was to be obeyed at that time when the rude and ignoraunt people receiued so readily the dispeÌ„sations of the Pope to dâ—iue out their owne kinges and naturall Lordes The true and onely remedy sir is that ye cause to be holden a holy and free Counsell where ye shouâ—d be chiefe and not the Pope his who ought but onely to defende their causes by the holy scriptures that in the meane while ye may seeke out meÌ„ not corrupted suspected nor partial whoÌ„ ye may charge to geue report faythfully vnto you of the true sence of the holy scriptures And this done after the example of the good kinges Iosaphath Ezechias Iosias ye shall take out of the Churche all Idolatry superstition abuse which is found directly contrary to the holy scriptures of the old and new testament by that meanes ye shall guid youâ— people in the true pure seruiâ—e of God not regarding in the meane time the cauilling pretenses of the papists which say that such questioÌ„s haue bene already answered at generall Counsels for it is knowne well enougâ— thaâ— no Counsell hath bene lawfull since the Popes haue 〈◊〉 the principality tyranny vpon mens soules but they haue made them serue to their couetousnes ambition and cruelâ—y 〈◊〉 the contrariety which is amoÌ„g those couÌ„sels maketh enough for their disproofe beside a hundred thousand other absurdities agâ—inâ—â— the word of God which be in them The true proofe for such matters is in the true holy Scriptures to the which no time nor age hath any prescription to be alledged agaynst theÌ„ foâ— by them we receiue the Counsels founded vpon the worde of God and also by the same we reiect that doctrine which is repugnant And if ye do thus Syr God will blesse your enterprise he will encrease confirme your raigne and Empyre and your posterity If otherwise destruction is at your gate and vnhappy are the people which shall dwell vnder your obedieÌ„ce There is no doubt but God will hardeÌ„ your hart as he did Phaâ—aos and take of the crowne from your head as he did to Ieroboam Nâ—dab Baza Achab and to many other kinges which haue folowed mâ—ns traditions agaynst the commaundemeÌ„t of God and geue it to your enemies to triumph ouer you and your children And if the Emperour Antonine the meek although he were a Pagan Idolater seing himselfe bewrapt with so many wars ceased the persecutioÌ„s which were in his time agaynst the christians and determined in the ende to heare their causes and reasons how muche more ought you that beare the name of moste Christian king to be carefull and diligent to cease 〈◊〉 persecutions agaynst the poore Christians seing they hâ—ue not tâ—oubled nor doe trouble in any wise the state of your kingdome your affayres considering also that the Iewes be suffeâ—ed through all Christendome although they be mortall enemies oâ— our Lorde Iesus Christ which we holde by common accorde and consent for our God Redeemer and Sauiour and that vntill you haue heard lawfully debated and vnderstand our reasons takeÌ„ of the holy Scriptures and that your Maiestye haue iudged if we bee worthy of such punishmentes For if we be not ouercome by the worde of God the fires the sworde nor the câ—â—â—â—lest tormentes shall make vs afrayd These be the exercises that God hath promised to his of the which he foretolde shoulde come in the laste times that they should not be troubled when such persecutions shall come vpon them Translated out of the French booke intituled Commentaries of the state of the Church and publicke weale c. pag. 7. ¶ The story and end of the french king WHosoeuer was the authour or authours of this letter aboue prefixed herein thou seest good Reader good counsell geuen to the king if he had the grace to receiue it and had folowed the same no doubt but Gods blessing working with him he had not onely set that Realme in a blessed staye from much disturbaunce but also had continued himselfe in all florishing felicity of princely honour and dignity For so doth the lord commonly blesse and aduaunce such kinges Princes as seeke hys honor and submit their wils to his obedience But coÌ„monly the fault of kinges and Potentates of this world is that being set about with Parasites either they seldom heare the truth told theÌ„ or if they do yet will they not lightly be put from theyr owne willes disdayning to be admonished by their inferiors be theyr counsell neuer so holsom godly Which thing many times turneth them to great plages calamitie as by plentiful exaÌ„ples of kings destroyed wouÌ„ded imprisoned deposed drowned poysoned c. may wel to theÌ„ that read histories appeare but especially in this preseÌ„t example of Henry French king the seconde of that name is in this our age notoriously to be considered Who bâ—ing well warned before as may seeme would not yet surcease his cruell persecution agaynst the Lordes people but rather was the more hardened in hart and inflamed against them in so muche that he sayd to Anne du Bourg one of the high Court of Parliament in Paris threatning hym that he would see him burne with his own eyes Further how his purpose was to extende his power and force likewise agaynst other places moe in persecutyng the Gospell of Christe and professours thereof to the vttermost of his abilitie I
Churche 461.462 howe due in the old law how in the new 537 Tithes proued pure almes 462. Tithes of all moueables in England and IrelaÌ„d promised to the Pope for granting king Henry 3. hys sute 272. Tithes not exacted in the primitiue Church 485. not allowed by the new Testament 537. Title and stile of the Pope and romish church 1.8 Titles attributed to the Bishop of Rome 9. Titles of dignitie vsed of the pope in common with other Bishops of old time 12 Title of Scotland proper to England 341 Title of Fraunce howe it came to king Edward 377.380 Title of the house of Yorke to the Crowne of England ibid. Title of king Edward 4. proued at Paules Crosse. 712. Title of defender of the fayth 989. T O. Tomkins his History .1533 hys haÌ„d burned by Boner .1534 his first examination ibid. his second examination his articles obiected agaynst him his cruell martyrdome 1535 Tomasin a woode mayd to William Mainard 〈…〉 story and martyrdome for the testimony of Christes Gospell 1983.1984 Tomb of Elfleda idolatrously worshipped 156 Tonstall Bishop of Duresme his sermon against the Pope with notes vpon the same .1060.1061 committed to the tower 1296 Tonsure maketh not a Priest 545 Tooly his story and death digged out of the ground with processe agaynst him being dead .1583.1584 at last burned 1585 Tormentes brought out to terrify the Christians 91 Tormentes of sundry sortes deuised to persecute Christians with all 8.34.37.79 Torney besieged 368.379 Torner a good Preacher in Kent his trouble for the Gospell .1868 an apology of his doctrine 1868 1869 Towne of Lennam beat theyr Byshop 428 Townes and Castles built and repayred in England 147 T R. Trabula with her sister martyrs 98. Tracie hys testament 1042. Traâ—anus Emperour hys cruelty to the Christians 39 Transubstantiation first brought into the Church .253.168 by Frier Tarquinus .253.168 why not to be beleued .1035 coÌ„contrary to the worde of God 1136.1363.1392 TraÌ„substantiatioÌ„ free to be beleued or not to be beleued many huÌ„dred yeares after Christ .1614 when brought in and by whome .1620 confuted very learnedly .1670.1671.1672 but a late plantation .1803 not grounded neyther vpon scripture nor antiquitie 1808 Transubstantion cannot helpe in the time of neede .393 confuted .495.1121.1125.1126.1127 is agaynst the worde of God .534.1122 not taught openly of 1000. yeares after Christ. 544.1621 Transubstantiation contrary to the scriptures .1136.1363.1392 of no antiquitie .1137.1138.1139 neuer spoken of till 1000. yeres after Christ .1146 a new doctrine 1147.1394 when it came first in ibid. proued by lying myracles 1148. disproued in a disputation at Oxford 1373.1374 Trapnell Martir 1030. Trent dried vp 198. Trentall Masses disproued 1363. Tresham hys doltish and assie reasons to perswade to papistry 1475. Treason to deny the kinges supremacie 1074. Treuisam Confessor buried in the fields and somâ—oned after hys death 1665. Treatise of Nicholas Ridley agaynst the worshipping of Images and hauing them in Churches or oratories 2128.2129.2130.2131 Tribute out of Englande to the Pope in one yeare 273.268 Tribute paid to the Danes for peace 161 Tribute for concubines 862 Tribulation better then prosperity to a Christian man 1838 Triphon Martyr his story 63 Trouble and persecution of good men and women in the Dioces of Liechfield and Couentry and of theyr penance 1955 Troling Smith a Papist his sodeine death 2101 Trouble in the Church about friers 409 Trouble betwene Philip the freÌ„ch Kyng and Pope Boniface .342 betweene king Edward .1 and his Barons 350 Truce betwene England france 387 Truce betweene the Scottes and England 368.379 Trunchfielde her trouble for the Gospell 1704. her martyrdome for the same 1893 T V. Turkes theyr originall .736.741 their cruelty murther and bloudy actes .735.736 740.745.748 theyr fayth .22 they inuade christendome theyr bloudy cruelty not resisted by reason of the pope 310. their history how needful to be known .735 false of promises 752.753 Tudson Martyr his story martyrdome 1844.1857.1858 Turkillus a Dane his persecution 161 Turinus a Flatterer and a great briber killed or smothered with smoke 57 Turner a great learned man dyed in exile 1217. Turney and barriers sport turned into cruell feight and bloudshed 338. Turning martyr his story martirdome 639.640 Tuttie martyr his story 1708. Tunstall bishop of London a persecutor 999. T W. Twenty nyne persons condemned vpon surmised causes to be hanged drawne and quartered 2126. Two and twenty godly persons of Colchester taken and brought vp to London for the profession of Gods holy word and imprisoned for the same 1971.1972 Two many postes or pillers wher by the deuill mayntayneth hys kingdome of papistry withall 1725. Twyford hys miserable end 2105. Twyford a tormentor of the martyrs in Smithfield 1257. Tye Priest a bloudy persecutor .2006 his letter to Boner against the professors of the Gospell 2006.2007 T Y. Tymmes his godly and comfortable letter to a certayne friend of his 2142. V A. VAlerian Emperour his good beginning 67. his crueltie afterward to the christians is plagued of God and excoriate of the Persians 74. Ualuation of Benefices and other ecclesiastical promotions and dignities 429.430 Ualentine Freese and his wife burned in Yorke 1027. V E. Uerdicte of the inquest vppon the death of Rich. Hunne 809 Uerities grounded vpon the word of God 24. Ueritie wherein it consisteth 392. Uerses prophesiyng the commyng of Christ. 398. Uerses in prayse of Berengarius 1152.1149 Uerses of Fredericke Emperour and Innocent the Pope 316. Uerses of White Byshop of Lincolne for ioy of the mariage of king Phillip and Queene Mary with aunswere to the same verses 1471.1472 Uerses vpon the death of Doctor Nicholas Cranmer archbishop of Canterbury 1893. Uespasian a tyrant Emperour 31. Uestments and holy vessels seruing for the altar .67 vestimeÌ„ts wherein S. Peter sayd Masse or els the papistes lye 396. Uestmentes and albes 1404. Uetius Epagathus a godly martyr his story 46 V I. Uirgins 40. martyrs theyr story 61. Uirgines 2 â— with theyr mother martyrs 78. Uertue none to be ascribed to pictures 75. Uitalis martyr with many others 91. Uitus companion of Iohn De. Clum 633. Uiewe of all ecclesiasticall promotions in England 429. Uisitation of Cardinall Poole with hys Articles to bee inquired of 1969. Uisitation in Cambridge wyth the condemning taking vp buâ—ning of the bones and bookes of Bucer and Paulus Phagius two famous learned men 1956. Uictor Bishop of Rome stopped from his excommunication by Ireneus .4 55. Uictor with 360. martyrs .80 hys constant boldnes and Martyrdome 81. Uictor sayd to dye a martyr 56. Uictor 2. Pope 168. poisoned in his chalice 185. Vicarius Christi 1119. Uienna besieged of the Turkes 749.750.748 Uincentius with others martyrs 52. Uincentius hys cruel martyrdome 92. Uisitation of the Pope thorow all religious houses in England 278 V L. Ulricus gouernoure of Austria 7â—0 slayne 721. Ulricus Zwinglius his actes lyfe and story .866 slayn in battayle .872 afterward burned 873 Uladislaus K. of Hungary slaine
commoÌ„ly of English women 〈◊〉 1. Tim. â— Ghosâ—â—ly 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of â—â—ristian 〈◊〉 1. Peter 4. Iohn 12. 1. Cor. 1. Luke 17. Example of Lots wyfe Nothing vseâ— in Q. Maâ—yâ—s 〈…〉 The first note prouing the Church of the Papistes not to be the true Church 2. Note Iohn 10. 3. Note Actes 7. 4. Note to know the Church 5. Note Iohn 5 6. Note to know the Church Ephes. 5. Compare the proceedinges doinges of the Popes Church with the true members of Christs Church and you shall see what they are The Church of the valiant Papistes compared to Nemrod and why The Popes Church standeth all in lying and murdering 3. Reg. 18. Luke 9. The Popes Church vnder payne of damnation is to be auoyded Apoc. 2. Phil. 1. He exhorteth to be bolde in Christ. Math. 13. Worldly Christians resembled to Aesops Cocke Worldly allurements motions of drawing backe by Gods grace with standed Experience of the Lordes assistance in confirming his seruantes M. Glouer coÌ„mitted to the Iayle before any cause was declared Gods mighty consolation vpon Rob. Glouer in prison M. Glouer weepeth for ioy in prison M. Glouer couÌ„selled to put in bondes Rober Glouer refuseth to enter into bondes Worldly persuasions not receiued M. Glouer agâ—yne visited with Gods holy comfort M Glouer reasoning with himselfe M. Glouer taketh courage al 〈◊〉 and daungerâ— set aside M. Glouer resolued in himselfe to abyde the vttermost for the Gospells cause The Papistâ— proceede with M. Glouer agaynst the lawes of the realme Commaundement geuen to the Sumner agaynst Iohn Glouer and not agaynst Robert Glouer This Byshops name was Doct. Banes M. Warren of Couentry persecutor of Rob. Glouer A lesson for all persecutors Luke 16. R· Glouer brought before Banes B. of Lichfield and Couentrye M. Robert Glouer M. of Art in Cambridge R. Glouer charged for not comming to the Church The Bishop refuseth to be iudged by the primatiue Church Robert Glouer and his fellow prisoners remoued from Couentry to Lichfield in the face of the open market Iephcot the Chauncellours seruaunt Papistes keepe no promise Iephcot Persey cruell and straite agaynst M. Glouer Talke betweene M. Glouer and the Chancellor in prison * The Church geueth witnes which be the true bookes and writings of the Apostles as also the olde Sinagogue of the Iewes doth witnes which be the true bookes of the holy Prophetes yet it followeth not thereby that the Iewes haue authority ouer the Scripture The comforts sweete feelinges of M. Glouer in prison M. Glouer assaulted by the enemy in prison concerning vnworthynes Actes 24. Rom. 11. Rom. 4. Iohn 2. Gods election bound to no worthines or person Rom. 10. Psalme 145. It is no arrogaÌ„cye to presume vpon Gods promise Psalm 50. Robert Glouer replyeth against the tentation of the enemy in that he is a sinner M. Glouer brought agayne before the Bishop Reasoning betwene M. Glouer and the Byshop * The true Church is alwayes builded vp on the doctrine of the Apostles which though it appeare not alwaies alyke in outward â—â—ght the faulte is in the tyme not in the Church Tymes do alter and with the tymes the outward face of the Church may alter sometymes appearing more sometymes lesse sometymes very little sometymes nothing at all according as the persecution is Neuertheles the truth of the church abydeth alwayes one Neyther doth it goe by number of meÌ„ but by soundnes of truth Many agreeing in one may make an vnitye but the veritye of the word maketh the Church whether it be in few or in many The first question Power by Gods word in the ministery to remit sinnes 2. questioâ— 3. question Robert Glouer destitute foâ—â— tyme of the Lords comfort The Lord for a tyme may withdraw his comfortes but at leÌ„gth he visiteth his seruantâ— R. Glouer receaueth agayne coÌ„fort of the Lord. Cornelius Bongey Martyr Articles obiected to Cornelius Bongey Hâ—s Aunsweres to the articles Iohn Glouer William Glouer after their deaâ—h condemned and cast out for heretickes A new search made for Iohn Glouer The prouidence of God agayne in sauing Iohn Glouer Agnes Glouer wyfe to Iohn Glouer apprehended D. Dracot not suffering Iohn Glouer to be buryed in the Churchyearde Iohn Glouer after his death iudged of Doct. Dracot to be a damned soule Testimony of this story The maner of handling the body of WilliaÌ„ Glouer after his death Bernard a Popish Curate of Weme Iohn Thorlyne agaynst the burying of W. Glouers brother The letter of Raufe Bayne B. of Chester for the not burying of W. Glouers body The dead corpeâ— of W. Glouer dragged with horse into the field M. Edward Burton not suffered to be buryed in Christian buriall the same day when Q. Elizabeth was crowned Oliuer Richardine in Hartford West Martyr William Wolsey Robert Pigot Martyrs Richard Euerard extreame agaynst WilliaÌ„ Wolsey W. Wolsey commaunded to the Iayle D. Fuller Christopherson D. Yong come to conferre with Wolsey Wolsey putteth a question to the 〈…〉 D. Watsons booke of Sermons or Homelyes D. Fuller agayne resorteth to W. Wolsey The Chauncellour geâ—eth leaue to Wolsey to depart W. Wolsey layd in the Castle of Wisbich Rob. Pigot Painter presented for not coÌ„ming to the Chuâ—ch Talke betweene Syr Clement Higham Iudge and Rob. Pigot Rob. Pigot brought to the Iayle where W. Wolsey 〈◊〉 Anno 1555. October Wolsey and Pâ—got returned to Eley to prison Tho. Goodâ—â—â—e Biâ—â—hop of Eley The Bishops Câ—â—playne a FrenchmaÌ„ 〈◊〉 the prisoners in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Woâ—sey called to iudgment in the Bâ—shops 〈◊〉 Wolseys aunswere to Sâ—â—xton M. Christopherson writeth what he would haue Pâ—got conâ—â—â— of the â—acrâ—ment 〈◊〉 refuseth to 〈◊〉 to Christophersons 〈◊〉 M. Peacoke appoynted to preach at tâ—e burning of Wolsey and Pigot â— Wolsey 〈◊〉 himselfe to be â—ound in all pointes of the scripture belonging to his 〈…〉 The MartyrdoÌ„e of W. Wolsey and Rob. Pigot at Eley Anno 1555. Octob. 16. Bookes burned with Wolsey Pigot The natures of Wolsey and Pigot described The zelous spirite of William Wolsey W. Wolsey desirous of Martirdome Wolsey calleth the day of his Martirdome his glad day Thomas Hodilo Berebruer of Cambridge witnes of this story Richard Denton first conuerter of Wolsey Money sent by Wolsey to Denton Wolsey exhorting Richard Denton to persist in the truth Denton afraydâ— of burning Richard DentoÌ„ burned in his owne house which before would not burne for Christ. Anno. 1564. Aprill 18 Doct. Nicholas Ridley Martyr Nicholas Ridley borne in Noâ—thumberland Nicholas Ridley learned at Newcastle Nicholas Ridley mayster of Pembroke hall in Cambridge Nicholas Ridley made D. of Diuinitye Nicholas Ridley king Henryes Chapleine Nicholas Ridley made Bishop of Rochester Nicholas Ridley made Byshop of LondoÌ„ The fruitefull dilligence of B. Ridley in preaching Gods word B. Ridley of great memory and reading B· Ridley comely of proportion and complexion The fayre conditions of Byshop Ridley tender to his kinred yeâ— not otherwise then truth and right