State and yet I assure you that your booke had bin passed over if there had not come forth presently after it such a number of slanderous libels as Martin marre-prelate Martins Epitome Martin Iunior or thesis martiane Martin senior and others such like of which your Booke was judged to bee the Ring-leader Vda My Lords those that are learned and doe maintaine this cause doe Iudge this booke to be written very indifferently howsoever it bee hardly construed But for Martin and the rest of those Bookes that you have named they were never approved by the godly learned And I am fully perswaded that those bookes were not done by any minister and I thinke there is never a minister in this Land that doth know who Martin is And I for my part have bin inquisitive but I could never learne who he is Iud. Clar. You will not acknowledge your selfe faulty in any thing and therefore it is in value to stand any longer with you Vda I will easily confesse that in manner the Author hath offended for no man can handle a cause so well but there will fault appeare in it as appeareth by Iob who having a good cause handled it weakely It is easier to handle an ill cause cunningly then a good one well Iud. Nay but you have maliciously offended in publishing this Booke which tendeth to the overthrowing of the State and the moving of Rebellion Vda My Lords that be farre from me for we teach that in reforming things amisse if the Prince will not consent the weapons that Subjects are to fight withall are repentance and prayers patience and teares Iud. Yea you had done well if you had used these weapons rather then to have made this Booke Vda God forbid but that wee should give unto her Majestie that Honour which justly is due unto her for we have not taught the people to reforme the State without the Prince and our practice hath proved the same for wee never taught any of her subjects to goe before her but to leave that Honour as belongeth to her Majestie Iud. Well will you submit your self or not for else I must proceed to iudgement and I have no authority to favour you neither will I stay sentence of death according to my Office what my brother hath I know not and therefore shortly submit your selfe or else am to pronounce sentence of death Vda And I am ready to receive it For I protest before God not knowing that I am to live an houre that the cause is good and I am contented to receive sentence so that I may leave it to posterity how I have suffered for the cause But my Lords the cause excepted I will submit my selfe in any thing Iudg Let the Cause alone and tell us no more of it but acknowledge your selfe to have offended the Queenes Majestie Vda I may not in any case yeeld in the cause I have almost ever since I was a Preacher of the Gospell professed it and therefore I cannot bee at this time changed Iudg. Let I say the cause alone and say what you will doe Vda I must needs professe it and mention it lest it should bee thought that I have started from it but for any thing that I have done in the manner against Law I am heartily sorry for it more then this I cannot say do with me what you will Iudg. But are you sorry for offending her Majestie and her laws and be you contenâ—ed to amend and to live in obedience as becommeth a good subject Vda I am content to seeke the advancement of this cause by no other meanes then that which may stand with the lawes of this Land and the duty of a good Subject Iud. I come not here to intreate you to submit your selfe but you shall doe it willingly upon your knees and crave her Majesties mercy Vdall Then Mr. Vdall kneeling downe said I refuse not any kind of submission to Her Majestie And I intreat your Lordships to be a means to her Majestie for me And if I were worthy that my poore papers might come unto Her Majestie or to her Honourable Councell I would write thus much unto them Iudg. Nay will you write thus much unto us that wee may first see it and commend it to her majestie Vda I willingly doe it Thus they dismissed him And this is the sum of that which I with the helpe of others could remember having not any intent to leave out or enlarge any thing further theâ— the meaning of the Speakers did intend notwithstanding many more things were said on both sides especially the set Speeches of both the Iudges and of Mr. Daulton to the disgrace of the desired Reformation which could not well be expressed in particular and therefore I have left them Also many other things Mr. Vdall purposed and begun to say which they stopped so that they could not be perceived The Assises being thus ended Mr. Vdall was returned to the prison of the White-Lyon againe where he continued till the Sessions in Sâ—utâ—warke begining the 18. day of February 1590. during which time he wrote a supplication or submission to the Queenes Majesty as followeth To the Queenes most Excellent Majesty MOst Gracious and dread Soveraigne The present lamentable estate wherein I stand being found guilty by verdict to be Author of a Book intituled â— Demonstration of Discipline and being without your gracious pardon to die for the same I humbly prostrate my selfe at your Majesties feâ—â— submitting my selfe in most humble manner as becometh a dutifull Subject to such order as it shall please your Highnesse to appoint to whom God hath given so high and Soveraigne a power as is able both to kill and to quicken to bring to the gates of death and to cause to returne to the comfort of life againe Before whom standing thus convict I am not to pleade my innocency yet I most humbly desire it may not offend your Excellent Majesty that I protest of the truth whereof I call God to witnesse who knoweth all secrets and will judge both the quick and the dead that I had never any thought or imagination to publish write or doe any thing maliciously or tending to the dishonour or slander of your Majesties Royall person or Princely estate under whose gracious government I have attained to so many benefits and blessings amongst which I most highly esteeme the true knowledge and â—â—aâ—e of God in regard whereof I have bin alwaies ready even to adventure my life for the preservation of your most Royal person and defence of your Princely estate and the same have also taught unâ—o others as a thing â—pecially commanded by God notwithstanding feareing the severity of justice unto death I flie for life unto your Majesties most gracious mercy most humbly desiring your Highnesse of your mercifull compassion for reliefe of my poore and miserable estate to grant me your gracious and comfortable pardon whereby I may be discharged both of the offence and
Majesties people you should have taught your selfe not to have rayled upon the Rulers of the people for do you not know what is written in the 23. of Exodus Thou shalt not raile upon the Ruler of the people for whosoever doth so shall die the death And do you not know what is written in the 23 of the Acts where the Apostle Paul being before the High Priest called him a painted wall and being smitten by one of the high Priests Servants it was said unto him revilest thou the Lords high Priest to which Paul answered I knew not Brethren that he was the high Priest loe thus did he acknowledge his fault do you know these things Sirra Vda My Lord you know that we hold it not lawfull for a Minister to be a Civill Magistrate and there are at least 500. in this Land amongst whom I am the most unworthy that are of the same judgement in this point Jud. But how if the Queene doth give it them Vda They ought not to take it And my Lord if it please you I will answere to your proofes though I came not hither to dispute But in my answering my purpose is not to give any liberty to any man to raile upon any that are in Authority Now to your proofes I say my Lords that the place out of the 32 Exod. doth rather concerne your Lordships and such as are under her Majestie for Judges then any way to concerne the Bishops And touching the second place out of the 23 of the Acts where the Apostle saith Brethren I wist not that it was the high Priest the meaning of that place is as if he should say I thought there had not bin any high Priest now seeing Christ being come the high Priesthood was to cease so that the Apostle doth not acknowledge any fault in that his Speech for there was no lawfull high Priest of that time neither did he acknowledge any seeing they did end in Christ And thus do the best Divines expound the place Then after some further Speeches of this exposition the Judge returned to the matter of the Booke againe saying that the booke did concerne the State and sayd Iud. But Sirrah thou canst not so excuse thy selfe as though it touched not the Qu. and the State for is it not written in thy Booke that this saying will not serve their turnes the Queene and Councell will have it so whereby it is plaine that thou didst speake against the Queene and the State Vda My Lord the Author only meaneth this that when we are called before the Bishops they were often driven to use this argument when they had nothing else to say for themselves that they could be content many things were amended but it must be so for the Queene and Councell will have it so And surely herein me thinks they slander her Highnesse and we tell them that however they beare it out here before men yet before God that excuse will not serve their turne Iud. Thou canst not carry it away so dost thou not plainâ—ly say that they are not safe though they have humane Authority on their side but he that is on our side is mightier then they whereby thou both abasest her Majesty and also dost threaten them with some force and viâ—lence Vda It is true that whosoever doth unjustly is not safe in it though all the Princes in the world should desend him in it and that is the meaning of the Author But to say that force and violence is threatned them is furthest doubtlesse from his meaning for it is knowne to all the world that we desire by all good meanes to commend this holy cause of Reformation to her Majesty and the State and do not looke for neither that ever it should by any force prevaile but that it would please God to honour her Highnesse with the advancement of the same Jud. No no these are but excuses these malicious Speeches proceeded from thee and were the ground-worke of all these Lihells that have bin dispersed since and thou art known to be the ring-leader of this faction Vda There is no reason to charge me with other mens doings every man must answer for himselfe but as for me alas I am no body there are five hundred Ministers in this land of my judgement in these things the meanest of which I acknowledge to be far better learned then I am But by the way my Lords I pray your Lordships give me leave to say one thing which I being about to speake of before was interrupted and therefore seeing now it commeth into my memory I pray you to heare me though it be out of time concerning the Felony whereof I am accused it maketh greatly for me Iud. What is it let us heare what you can say Vda When I was before the Lords of her Majesties Councell at the time of my Commitment amongst other things that I alleadged against the taking of an oath to accuse my selfe I said that the thing was accounted criminall and therefore by law I was not to answer my Lord Anderson said that I said true if the case had concerned either the losse of life or limb whereby it is manifest that then my case was not esteemed Felony Iud. Though the Iudges had not then concluded it yet it was Law before or else it could not so be determined after the violent course of others since hath caused your case to be more narowly sifted Then the Iudge having spoken to the like effect also said to the Iury that they should not need to trouble themselves to find him guilty of the Felony but onely it was sufficient if they found him guilty to be the Author of the Booke for quoth he it is already determined by all the Iudges of the â—â—â—d that the Author of that booke was in the compasse of the Statute of â—â—â—â—ny and this quoth he was concluded before we came hither therefore you being ignorant of the Law and we being sworne as well as you are you are â—o heare us and to take our exposition of the law and after many other speeches the Iudges said goe thy way we will heare thee no longer get thee hence and shaking his hand hee called for the other Felons to heare their Causes Iury. Then the Iury said what can we finde Iud. Find him Author of the Booke and leave the Felony to us And after some other Speeches Mr. Fuller said to the Iury you are to finde him Author of the Booke and also guilty of a malicious intent in making it whereat Mr. Daulton said what have you to do with the matter Mr. Fuller to speake to the Iury Then there being some noyse at the Bar Mr. Vdall could not any more be heard yet as he was ready to depart hee said to the Iury you of the Iury consider this that you have not to consult about the life of a Seminary and Popish Priest but of a minister of the Gospell Then Iudge Clarke shewed the reasons
preparations thereunto Vda Let the Iury consider how that point is proved by it Besides it may be proved that this Boke was extant in mens hands before the conference betweene Chatfield and me therefore how can it be proved that this is the Booke that should give them such a blow Dault. But you cannot deny the second point that you had a pretenced malice for it is extant in your own confession Read his answer to those Articles of Mr. Chatfield Then the Clarke read his answer to this effect thaâ— if the Bishops put him to silence they would give him occasion and leasure to be imployed in writing against them Then said Mr. Daulton is not this most evident what can be plainer then it is Vda I pray your Lordships to give me leave to explaine these things Iud. Say on and be briefe Vda Mr. Chatfield told me that he was commanded to come to Kingstâ—n and be resident there of purpose that I might be put to silence and that there might not appeare any want of a preacher I being put downe Whereupon I said in effect as is above rehearsed but I pray you heare in what sence these words were uttered Iud. The matter is cleare and we see what you can say to it well enough proceed Mr. Daulton to the proofe of the second point Dault. And that you be the Author of this slanderous and infamous libell it shall be proved cleerely to the Iury before your face then said he to the Clerke read the answer of Niâ—holas Thompkins which was made upon his oath before her Majesties High Commissioners Then was read to this effect that Thompkins knew that Mr. Udall was the Author of that Booke called the Demonstration for he said that Mr. Udall himselfe told him so Also that he saw either in mr. Udalls house or in some other place in Kingstâ—ne a Catalogue of all the Bookes that Mr. Udall had made amongst which the Demonstration was one Daul You see here that this is cleare and a sufficient testimony Vda It carryeth some shew but it is nothing Iud. Doe you câ—ll the testimony of one being an honest man and upon his Oath before the High Commissioners to be nothing can you answer it Vda My Lords I answer it thus denying it to be his testimony for if it be why is he not present to verifie it face to fâ—ce according to the Law Iud. Puck It is verified to be his true Answer under the honâ—s of Dr. Auberie and Dr. Lewen the latter wherâ—of câ—nfirmed it before me upon his corporall Oath Dault. You can take no exceptions against that and will you say he is not an honest man Vda I am perswaded he was amazed and answered he knew not what for hee hath reported it so diversely that it seemeth â—ee remembreth not what hee said Iud. But the Oath of Thompkins is to be preferred before his bare repâ—â—t Ude My Lords I answer I protest unto you and will verifie it upon my Oath if it please you that he told me the day before I was committed at his Masters house that he could not say neither would he for a thoâ—sand pounds affirme any more then this tâ—aâ— he heard me say I would not doubt but set my name to that Booke if I might have indifferent Iudges And further if it please you my Lords here are some witnesses that upon their Oaths will testifie how diversly he hath reported of his confession to this thing if it please your Lordships to accept them And the witnesses offering themselves to be heard were answered that because their witnesse was against the Queenes Majesty they could not be heard And after other Speeches passing Mr. Udall said Uda My Lords the speech of the Catalogue is most vaine and hath no sence in it for can I have made so many Bookes as that I need make a Catalogue of tâ—em It may be my Lords he saw a Catalogue of the Bookes in my Study wherin if that were one it is â—ather an argumeâ—t that I made it not for men use not to put their own works in the Catalogue of those that they have in their Study Daul You of the Iury consider this that Thompkins was Mrs. Cranes man and one that was privy to all the Printing that was at her House and Mâ— Udall used to go often thither Uda All that is nothing to me what if I used to goe thither she is of my acquaintance I know her to be an honest Gentle woman what can you gather by any of these things why is not Thompkins here to dâ—clare his testimony and to say what he can Daul He is beyond the Seas about merchandises sent away by Mr. Gore who married Mrs. Cranes daughter Vda How doth that appeare he is no merchant but a serving-man and if he were what is that to me but it cannot be proved that Mr. Gore did send him so that here is nothing but bare papers to shew for evidence against me Then there was much said to prove that the testimony of a man absent was sufficient if it were proved to be his upon the oathes of others And then the judge said Iudg. VVhat say you did you make the booke Vdall yea or no what say you to it wâ—ll you be sworne will you take your oath that you made it not wee will offer you that favour whiâ—h never any indited of felony had before take your oath and sweare you did it not and it shall suffice Vda My Lords I pray you heare me to this if I would have done so before the Lords of Her Majesties Privie Counsell that committed mee I had not come hither but I neither then might nor may do so now whereof I pray you let me shew a reason to the Iury I and many more doe think the booke to be good for any thing wee can find in it and to be written in defence of a cause which we take to be most true Now the Author is sought for that he may be punished for some speeches that may be wrested in the booke therefore least he should be found if one after another that are suspected doe deny it it is thought best every one neither to confesse nor to deny yea though we suffer some punishment rather then the author being found out should suffer extremity Iudg. Nay this is but a shift I will goe further with you will you but say upon your honestie that you made it not and you shall see what shall be said unto you Vda My Lords it is all one I make a conscience of my word as of my oath for I must give accompt for both This is no direct course in this place Iudg. You of the Iury consider this This argueth that if he were not guilty he would cleare himsâ—lfe and consider well of it And then speaking to Mr. Vdall hee said doe not stand in it but confesse it and submit your selfe to the Queens mercy before the Iury find you guilty
declareth that it is onely meant of them that defame her Highnesse Person and not her Government as it is manifest by the last proviso wherein it is shewed that the whole Statute doth determine and end with her Majesties life and we may not thinke their wisdoms that made the Law to be so unadvised as to make a Law for the preservation of the Princes Government which is continuall to last no longer then the life of one Prince which is temporary Therefore it seemeth that the Statute hath no further regard then this that her Highnesse person might be preserved in that Honour and dignity which becometh her Royall Dignity and Estate And I do beseech your Lordships to answer me for I appeale to your consciences as you will answer to God for my life and I pray you tell the Iury whether you do thinke the intent of the Statute were in any sort meant against us and not rather against the Papists Iud. Puck Iudge Puckering said you do not well to charge us so with our consciences which God only is to know I answere you the intent of the Statute is against all for so the words are Vdall The words my Lord I confesse are so but is the principall intent so Iud. Yea it is so Iud. Cla. We have heard you speake for your selfe to this point at large which is nothing to excuse you for you cannot excuse your selfe to have done it with a malicious intent against the Bishops and that exercising that Government which the Queene hath appointed them and so it is by consequent against the Queene Vda My Lords I am perswaded that the Author did it not of any malice against them and for my selfe I protest I wish them as much good as I do to my own soule and will pray to God to give them repentance But the cause why the Author did so earnestly inveigh against them was this as it seemeth because he perceived them not only to execute an Authority which he taketh to be unlawfull by the word of God but also for that they do not the tenth part of that good even in those corrupt callings which by Law they might doe and I am perswaded that your Lordships know in your owne consciences that they doe not the tenth part of that they are bound to doe Iud. Clar. That is true they do not the good that they might do but yet that doth not excuse you for It is plaine in your Booke that you writ not against them onely but you writ against the State for is it not against the State when you say that it is more easier to live in England a Papist an Anabaptist of the Family of Love and what not yea you say I could live so in a Bishops house it may be these twenty yeares and never be much molested for it what is this but a plaine standering of the State and marke the words for you say you could live so in England And doth her Majesties Laws allow of Papists this maketh evidenâ—ly against you and it is so plaine that you cannot deny it Vda My Lords if it might please you to heare me a word or two I will shew the meaning of the Author of the Booke I beseech you to heare me and I will be very briefe I know that the Laws of England do not allow of any such as are mentioned in the Booke for there are godly Laws made for the punishing of them if they were put in execution But this I take to be the Authors meaning that it is not spoken in respect of her Majesties Government and Laws but in respect of the Bishops whom your Lordships know to be wholly imployed in finding us out and punishing of us not regarding in a manner the punishing any sinne else Iud. What Sirra will you not confesse any fault to be in the Booke you seeke to excuse all Vda My Lords I do acknowledge that there was never any worke of man so perfect but there have bin imperfections in the same and therefore there may be some fault in the manner but surely none in the matter for the Bishops themselves will confesse that they may faile in their actions and be partiall as they are men in the manner of handling of any thing so also the Author of this Booke being assured that the matter is without reproofe may erre in the manner in being over-zealous in the handling of it and this fault I will easily confesse to be in the Booke my Lords but I am sure the Author never had any malicious intent against her Highnesse or any of her Subjects Iud. Clar. This Booke hath made you to come within the compasse of the Statute though your intent were not so for I am sure there was Mr. Stubbs well knowne to divers here to be a good Subject and an honest man yet taking upon him to write a a Booke against her Majesty touching Mounseir he thereby came within the compassâ— of Law which he intended not in making of the Booke and I am perswaded that he did it of a good affection towards her Majesty and yet if this Law had bin made then which was made since he had died for it so you though you intended not to come within the compasse of the Statute yet the Law reacheth to your fact as that did to his Vda My Lords his case and mine is not alike for his booke concerned her Highnesse person but the Author of this Booke toucheth only the corruptions of the Bishops and therefore not the person of her Majesty Iud. But I will prove this booke to be against her Majesties person for her Majesty being the supreame Governor of all persons and causes in these her Dominions hath established this kinde of government in the hands of the Bishops which thou and thy fâ—llows so strive against and they being set in Authority for the exercising of this Government by her Majesty thou dost not strive against them but her Majesties person seeing they cannot alter the Government which the Queene hath laid upon them Vda My Lords we are not ignorant of this that her Majesty hath a care that all things might be well and in that respect hath given them often in charge upon the considerations of these controversies to see to it that nothing be amisse and because she hath a good opinion of them for their gravity and learning she believeth them when they say all is well and in good case whereas if they had the grace to looke into these things and to make them knowne as they be indeed her Majesty and the State I doubt not would quickly redresse them and therefore was it that the Author did so charge them Then the Iudge proceeding further in the booke to prove him to have offended he tooke occasion by the same to speake against railing against Magistrates and speaking to Mr. Vdall he said in effect thus Iud. Cla. Sirra you that should have bin a teacher of her
to the Iury why they must find him guilty saying The evidences are manifest for the first point that he is the Author of the Booke and the second is a point in Law agreed upon by all the Iudges as I have said So the Iury after they had heard the evidences of the other Felons at the Bar departed to consult about them in which time of their consultation there came two severall messages exhorting him to submit himselfe and to yeeld unto the Iudges before the Iury had given up their verdict unto whom Mr. Vdall replyed willing them not to trouble him with any such matter for he was cleare in his conscience and therefore he was not to accuse himselfe In which time also the Iury diverse times sent and received messages from the Iudges and at the last the fore-man of the Iury went himselfe unto them Thus having debated of the evidences of the rest of the Felons with Mr. Vdall after the Iudges had dined the Iury brought in their verdict that he was guilty of Felony After that Baron Clarke had finished all other matters of Law and that the Iuries had given their verdicts on the Felons finding some guilty and some not guilty The Iudge commanded all the prisoners to stand forth and to answere to their names which did so and first mr Vdall was called who stood forth at the Bar but the Iudge commanded him for that time to stand aside saying that he would deale with him anon then some of the prisoners which were saved by their bookes were burnt in their hands and for that night there was nothing more don Then the Iudge commanding the Iayâ—or to bring the prisoners betimes in the morning commanded them to depart and so for that time every man departed to his place The second dayes worke being the 25. of Iuly THe next morning neere about 4 of the clock the prisoners were brought to the Bar who stayed till the comming of the Iudges who came thither by 6 of the clock or thereabouts and called the prisoners by their names to receive sentence of death and first they began with mr. Vdall who after he was called was commanded to stand aside till anon and then there were 7 Felons that received sentence of death who being taken aside Mr. Vdall was called the second time and the Clarke of the Assises said Iohn Vdall hold up thy â—aâ—d what canst thou alleadge for thy self why thou shouldst not receive judgment to dy Vda My Lords notwithstanding my earnest pleading and protesting of mine innocency yesterday which I could and would have done more cleerely but that I was so much interrupted yet it hath pleased the Iury upon their consciences to finde me guiltie of that which I thank God never entred into my heart now therefore must I pleade another plea and therefore I crave of your Lordships to grant me the benefit of the pardon granted the last Parliament Iud. I thinke you can have no benefit by it for I am deceived if it be not excepted Then said he to the Cleark or some other reach me the Statute Booke and whilest hee looked in the same Vda Mr. Vdall said I pray your Lordships consider the ground of my plea albeit indeed it seeme to be excepted your Lordships confessed yesterday and I shewed it by my Lord Andersons speeches to me that it was not thought Felony till of late and therefore the things that be excepted be such as be inquirable and punishable in the Ecclesiasticall Courts Jud. That is nothing for if the lesser be excepted much rather is the greater Vda My Lords I refer it to your consciences and favourable considerations the words are these in the pardon which he repeated and they finding it to be as he had said the Judge said here is no helpe for you and after other speeches betweene them of the meaning of the words of the pardon the Judge said Mr. Vdall your Councell hath deceived you Vda My Lords I have not received any Councell herein for I have bin close prisoner this halfe yeare and therefore could not attaine to have any Councell but thus much have I gathered which is my judgement out of the Booke Jud. What can you alleadge more for your selfe for this helpeth you not Vda Nothing but mine own Innocency but that your Lordships may proceed Iud. What say you are you contented to submit your selfe to the Queene Vda Yea or else I were not worthy to live in her Highnesse Dominions Iud. But will you acknowledge your selfe to have offended her Majesty in making this Booke she is gracious and full of mercy it may be that we reporting your submisiâ—n unto her Majesty may procure her pardon for you Vda May it please your Lordships to heare me The cause for which I am called in question I cannot forsake in any sort for I hold it to be the undoubted truth of God but c And then he was interrupted by Iudge Puckering who said Iud. Nay stay there you cannot goe away with that speech unanswered to buz into the peoples eares such a conceit that it is an undoubted truth that you hold for I hold it to be an undoubted falshood And then he proceeded further in a large set Speech the effect whereof was that this Land having bin governed by sundry Nations hath yet kept her ancient Laws which he affirmed would be overthrowne if this government that these men seeke for should be established And then he further shewed what inconventences as he thought would come by the same viz. That we having Laws and Iudges appointed to decide all Controversies this Presbitery which these men seeke for would overthrow all and bring to their censure and government all mens Causes or else they would Excommunicate them from their Churches yea and they are so hot for this Government that they will not stay for the Magistrate and if the Magistrate will not they will reforme themselves and one of them writing in a Letter to his friend of his saith Let us number our hot Brethren that we may know who will stand to it for it is high time So that it is plaine that if they cannot have it with her Majesties consent they will have it though it make our hearts to ake as you say in your booke And whereas her Majesty hath Revenues belonging to her Crown out of the Church-livings and Cathedrall Churches these men would have her Majesty give unto them those Revenues for the maintenance of their Preshitery and they would her a sâ—ipend allow at their discretions so that they would bring the Queene and the Crowne under their gâ—rdles And some of these men have gon so farre that they say plainely we have no Church no Sacrament no ministers nor any worship of God amongst us If these things bee not looâ—'t unto in time what confusion shall wee have in this land shortly many other things be spake against the cause of Reformation which I cannot particularly lay
downe but this is in effect the substance of it concluding he said Thus much Mr. Vdall have your speeches enforced me to speake least the people here present being deceived should be carried away by it To which Mr. Vdall answered briefly Vda My Lords it is bootelesse for me to enter disputation with you in this place touching this matter onely this I could wish you to leave it to be first decided by the learned Divines to whose calling it belongeth And although some weak men wanâ—ing iudgement have bin headily carryed in seeking the furtherance of this cause and so for want of this government have runne into some errors yet it is no reason to charge us with them for your Lordships know that wee have been the men that have taken the greatest paines to reclaime them to the joyning of themselves with the Church from which they have separated themselves Iudg. Clar. You are deceived it is not a matter of Divinity onely but it is a matter of State and within the compasse of our Profession and it is not so greatly in controversie as you would have us to beleeve it is Vd. It is diversly debated my Lords and the greatest number of learned men in Christendome doe maintaine the same Iudg. How doe you know that have you bin beyond the Seas to know the greatest number of learned men to be of this judgement Vdall Your Lordships know that all the Churches of France the low Countries and of Scotland doe maintaine the same besides many hundreds of learned men in this land Iudg. Have you been in all these Churches that you can tell so much Vda I know it to be true my Lords for their practise doth shew them to be of this judgement Iu. Well if you can alleadg no more neither will submit your self to the Queens mercy then heare your judgement Vda My lords I was beginning to speake but you interrupted me I pray you heare me what I will say and then do as God shall move you Iud. Let us heare what you will say Vda As I said before so I say now I beleeve the cause to be the undoubted truth of God and therefore in the matter I cannot by any meanes yeeld yet seeing by your order of law I am found to be guilty neither can I for the reverence I beare to her majesties lawes take any exceptions against you nor the Iury but that which you have done I acknowledge to bee done in all equity and right Seeing I say you have found me to bee guilty whereby I cannot live without hâ—r majesties gracious and speciall favour I acknowledge that whatsoever I have done to the advancement of the cause I may offend in the manner in which respect if I have offended seeing it hath pleased your Lordships and the Iury to find mee guilty I doe willingly submit my selfe and heartily crave her majesties pardon Iud. But are you sorry that you have offended the Queenes Majesty Vda I am sorry that the course of the Law hath found me to have offended Iudg. So is every Thiefe that is câ—ndemned sorry that his offence is found out but not for the fact This is a plaine fallacy Vda My Lord indeed if it were so as your Lordship doth understand it it were a plaine fallacy but I say further if in the manner of handling so good a cause there be found in me any offence against her Majesties Lawes And I acknowledge that in the manner of handling it Her Majestie may be justly offended for which I am sorry And I protest that I have never gone about to advance it by any other meanes then by manifesting it to all men and tendering it to them in authority and that by such meanes as might not be contrary to the Laws of this Land that so it might be received by Her Majesty and the State and this is the care of us all howsoever we be charged with factions Iud. You say if there â—e found any offence whereby you call in question the equity of dealing in this Court against you Vda My Lords I do not neither will I let it be looked into by you and the rest whom it concerneth I hope you would not deale otherwise then lawfully against me Iud. Puck You say you seeke no unlawfull meanes what can be meant but unlawfull meanes in the words of your Booke If it come in by that meanes that will make all your hearts to ake blame your selves What good meanes caâ— bee meant by thâ—se wordâ— Vdall My Lords yesterday I shewed you what I tooke to bee the meaning of the Author in some places of the booke alleadged against me in the Inditement and then I would have spoken unto all but you cut me off I pray you therefore let me shew you the meaning of the Author in those words now Iudg. Let us heare you how you expound it Vda My Lords your Lordships must understand that the Author taketh it for graunted that the cause is Gods and must prevaile and therefore seeing God hath used all the meanes of his mercy to bring it in in giving us a gracious Prince â—ong peace and aboundance and of stirring up some to exhibite sâ—â—plications to the Parliament these things not prevailing in his mercy he will bring 〈…〉 some judgement as plague or famine or some such like 〈…〉 his is alwaies the manner of Gods dealing 〈…〉 〈…〉 expound it so for the words import another thing 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Author himselfe expoundeth it so in the words follow 〈…〉 saith that it must prevaile for such a judgment will overtake this Land 〈…〉 eares of all that heare thereof to tingle so that he meaneth nothing 〈…〉 God will bring it in by his owne hand by judgment if by mercy hee can 〈…〉 Iud. No no your meaning was that it should be brought in by force and violence Vda God forbid farre be it from us to conceive any such Imagination The Author of that booke doth plainely shew that hee meant no such thing and the words following in the end of the Epistle doe declare the same for there he sheweth by whom it is to be brought in namely by Her Majesty and her Honourable Counsellors that they may see it and establish the same Iudg. Nay the meaning is that if the Queene will not yet you say it shall come in for so the words are that it must prevaile maugre the heads of all that stand against it Vda Nay my Lords the words are maugre the malice of all that stand against it for there are many heads that are not maliciously bent against it there is great difference betweene malice and â—eads for some are against the cause through ignorance Iud. It is all one in effect Vda Nay my Lords there is great difference Iud. Puck Well Mr. Vdall you were best to submit your selfe to the Queenes mercy and leave these courses for I tell you that your Booke is most seditioâ—s and slanderous against her Majestie and the
but is now sorry for it Puck You should have alleadged this before it is now too late Vda It is alleadged too late to prevent the verdict but if there be any force in it it ought to be considered to stay the sentence I could alleadge it no sooner because I knew it not till after the verdict Puck We may not suffer you to proceed so to disgrace that which is passed already If you have any other thing to say speake on otherwise we must do our office Vda It is not my meaning howsoever you take it to disgrace any thing passed hertofore onely I pray you further to consider that Thompkins whose testimony onely carried some shew protested before my commitment that he would not for all the world affirme me to be the Author of the Booke Puck Why did you not pleade these things to the Iury Vda I did so and offered to produce sufficient proofe for it but your Lordships answered that no witnesses might be heard in my behalfe seeing it was against the Queene which seemeth strange to me for methinks it should be for the Queene to heare al things on both sides especially when the life of any of her Subjects is in question Puck The witnesses were then thought by the Iury sufficient to prove the matter which we may not now call in doubt therefore say on if you have any more Vda Then I spake according to the eight reason whereupon it was said Clar. I tell you you are not called into question for the cause as you call it nor for the body of the Booke but only for slanderous things in the Preface against her Majesties government and therefore you may let the cause alone Vda But it is for the hatred borne to the cause that I am thus entreated for had not it bin handled in the Booke such matter as is now made of the Preface had never bin objected against me or any other Puck Well it is best for you to leave off all other pleas and submit your selfe to the Queenes Majesties mercy Vda I will do so with all my heart Puck But will you do it as you did the last Assises Vda Yea that I will And so I spake according to the last reason whereupon it was said Puck You confessed that you were justly condemned Vda I am not yet condemned Puck I meane convicted by the Iury then you acknowledged that you had offended her Majesty that you were sorry for it and promised that you would never do the like againe Vda My Lord it is not for me to oppose my word and credit which is nothing against yours I refer it to them that heard it onely I pray you give me leave to speake of it as I take it that it was First I did avow and so I do now and will do whilst I live that the cause handled in that Booke is an undoubted truth Clar. How often shall we bid you leave the cause and tell you that you are not troubled for it Vda But it is the cause that is sought to be defaced in my person and therfore I must and will still profâ—sse it and justifie it whaâ—â—â—ver disgrace I receive by it unto my selfe I pray you let me proceed Secondly I did protest that I never had any purpose to deface but ever to seeke â—o honour her Majesty and her Government Thirdly I professed that the course of Law against me was due whereby what I have meant you have heard Fourthly I said that I never had any purpose to do any thing to the advancement of this cause but keeping my selfe to the uttermost of my power within the compasse of Law Lastly I never confessed my selfe to be Author of the Booke Then my submission was this that if I had don any thing to the advancement of so holy a cause which had brought me within compasse of the Law or might justly offend her Majesty I was heaâ—tily sorry for it if this be not it let me have any other drawn wherein the former points are justified and I will set my hand unto it Puck But all this is nothing to your Booke in particular what say you to it Vda I say this that though I hold the matter in it to be a most manifest truth yet I confesse the manner of handling in some part to be such as might justly provoke her Majesties indignation Puck Because you stand so much upon the cause as you call it you provoke me so as I must needs say somewhat of it lest the audience should thinke some matter in it more then is Vda My Lord you understand my judgement therein I beseech you speake not against it unlesse you will give me leave to replie unto you Puck I may not do so you prâ—vâ—ke me to it your Discipline that you stand upon whereupon is it grounded forsooth upon the saying of Christ Tell the Church which never was expounded these 1500. yeares as you do within these few yeares Vda My Lord he did abuse you that told you so Chrysostome expoundeth it thus tell the Church that is the governors of the Church Puck He meant the Governors of the Iewish Synagogue Vda How can that be when he lived above 400. yeares after Christ Puck Was there never any that could finde it out before now if it were a truth Vda Yes it hath testimony sufficient if it might be received Puck And lest men should thinke that your matter were as good as you pretend I will tell you what I know It is written in one of your Bookes that without an Eldership there is no salvatiâ—n Vda I am perswaded that cannot be shewed Puck Yes it is in Theses Martinianae one writ that iâ— is time to number our hot Brethren Another Mr. Snape of Northampton by name wrote that the Bishops should be pâ—t down all in one day These things he did discourse of at large in an invective speech most bitter â—ending to perswade the people that we meant to rebell and set up the Discâ—pline and pull downe the Bishops by strong hand and went about to impâ—irâ— the Queenes Prerogative and patrimony After which with much adoe I got audâ—ence to this effect Vda My Lord I protest in the presence of God and hearing of all this people that neither I nor any of my brethren that ever I was acquainted with to my knowledge did so much as ever purpose or speake of any such means as your Lordships mentioneth to bring in the discipline but onely by prayer to God supplication to her Majestie and such other peaceable meanes this is my answer to your large invective And whereas my Lord you seeme to bee so hardly carried against the cause I would not doubt but if I might privately conferre with you with the blessing of God to perswade you to be a friend unto it And after some other speeches of other bookes and the aforesaid speeches in the bookes mentioned already Judge Puckering said Puck Nay I tell you
deale with a man of that piety and wisedome that you have bin worthtly in the Church long agone esteemed to be of and so have continued to tâ—â—â— reverend age that you are come unto It may please you Sir to understand that I have considered of the forme of submission that your Worship brought unto mee and find nothing in it but that in a good conscience I can yeeld unto for it requireth not of me any dentall or disallowance of the Cause of Discipline debated in the booke for which I am in question the substance of which doctrine I believe to be the undoubted truth of God and therefore ought never to deny or disallow it Notwithstanding with my perswasion I take God to witnesse that I never purposed to doe or perswade any thing whereby it might be advanced but by peaceable meanes endeavouring to keepe within the compasse of Law Further also the said forme of submission chargeth mee not with any malice against her Majestie from which likewise I acknowledge as in the presence of our Saviour Christ that is ready to come to judge the quick and the dead that I have bin alwayes free and have carried a Christian loving and dutifull affection to her Majesties Royall person and estate as I know by the word of God I ought to doe which being so I have resolved to satisfie the authority from which you brought me the said forme of submission and at your good pleasure without further limitation simply to subscribe it Good Mr. Deane in the bowels of Christ have compassion of my estate more wayes lamentable then I can in a few or many words expresse or as I thinke any other but only the spirit that is taught to pray with groans that cannot be uttered and in such christian compassion by your favourable and earnest mediation to the authority that may relieve me procure my pardon and free discharge of the dangers and troubles wherein I am that I may say with the Prophet I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord So shall not only my poore Wife and Children but I hope many others praise God for you in that respect and my selfe as beholding unto you in a case of life continually pray for you your good estate to the Lord of life blessed for ever Amen After I had thus set my hand hereunto I advised also to write unto certaine of the Councell and other honourable persons besides partly to let them understand in what sense I had yeelded hereunto and partly to intreate their favour and furthermore for my liberty the copy of which letter for it was the same word for word to every one the Title of their severall estates excepted here ensueth RIght Honourable my present lamentable condition enforceth me in most humble manner to crave so much leisure of your Lordships from the weighty affaires of the State as to consider of these few lines The Reverend Mr. Nowell Deane of Paules and Mr. Doctor Andrewes a few dayes agoe brought me forme of submission as they said from authority with hope of favour for my life if I would yeeld unto it Whereof having considered and finding nothing in it but which I had heretofore yeelded unto when Mr. Doctor Bond was with me one clause excepted to wit That the faults doe deserve to bee punished according to the Lawes of the Land Which yet hath no such words but may beare so good a sense as I thinke may in such forme submit my selfe without either condemning the suite for a further Reformation or my selfe as justly deserving by the Lawes to die I cannot discerne sufficient cause to refuse it for by the hardest word that I have by due course of Law bin convicted and condemned I understand the forme of proceeding by indâ—â—ment Arraignement Jury Witnesses and such like as also by that clause that the manner of writing is in some part such as deserveth justly to be censured and punished by the lawes of this Land I meane of such censures as the good Lawes of this Land administred with Justice do ordaine for punishing of such offences in the manner of writing which cannot bee of death without malice against her Majestie From which I take Almighty God to witnesse I have bin alwaies free In regard wherof I feared lest I might be thought to stand too comentiously and undutifully with Authority too be to carelesse of mine owne estate if I should not yeeld to such a form of submission as they brought unto me Wherein having yeelded as farre as in conscience I may and as authority by their meanes requireth of mee My most humble suite to your Lordships is that in your Christian and honourable compassion of my most lamentable estate that that may please your Lordships by your favourable mediation to her excellent Majestie to further my most humble suite for my pardon and free discharge of these my grievous troubles So shall I bee bound yet more heartily to praise God for your Honour and to pray unto God for your prosperous estate long to endure to the glory of Almighty God and to your own everlasting comfort WIthin foure or five dayes after Mr. Doctor Andrewes returned unto me signifying that all that was done was mistaken for that was not the submission that was meant of me but another Which when I had perused I sound it the same onely the last clause left out which was ostered mee by the Judges at the Assises And he said the Clarke to whom the making of the letter to Mr. Nowel putting in one for another And because I utterly refused to consult of it as having yeelded before to so much as I might hee prayed me to understand what I tooke exceptions against and for what Reasons So wee entred into many discourses as first how the Discipline could be said to be against the Queenes Prerogative Royall seeing it was as I said I did beleeve expressed in the Scriptures whereby all lawfull priviledges of Princes are warranted Then we debeted whether the Supremacy of a christian Prince be the same with an Heathen or diverse from it After that whether the authority of Princes in making Church laws be dejurt or de facto only And lastly of the most points of discipline Thus we continued 5 or 6 hours and at last he would have no answer of me then but he prayed me to advise of it for he would come againe I answered that the oftner he came the welcomer he should be but I told him I would not accept of it yet hee came twice after and tooke my reasons of my refusall to yeeld thereunto and promising me all the favour he could procure me he departed After this the Assises approaching and the generall report being that it would go hard with me I being desirous to use any good meanes did not onely solicite the Earle of Essex and Sir Walter Rawleigh who had heretofore dealt for mee but also I was advised to write
againe unto Mr. Nowell earnestly charging him to take my case to heart seeing he had promised to procure me favour whereupon I wrote unto him this letter following RIght Worshipfull Mr. Nowell as I did rejoyce when I perceived that you were imployed to deale with mee about my submission because of that Reverend estimation that you have bin so long of among the Worthies in the Church of God hoping that I I should have found thereby some comfortable meanes of meditation unto authority for my release so I am now occaisoned to feare that all that credit with you are of shall be used as an instrument to further and hasten extremity upon me For so much time being passed since I voluntarily yeelded to that submission which you brought unto me and no liberty appearing from any place but rather that being given out that my submission shall be a speciall meanes to hasten my death and no way to procure my liberty I am constrained to write unto you to let you understand that as I looke for that end the next weeke at the Assises at Kingston where I have been a Preacher which hath so long bin threatned but to the doubling of my torments deferred whereunto I doubt not the Lord will strengthen me as graciously he hath hitherto done So I pray you as you will answer unto God for my blood which I am perswaded your credit being imployed to the uttermost as in the word and faith of a Christian you promised might have preserved that you would so take my case to heart as it may inforce you to leave no stone unturned which may either further my liberty or at lest cleere your conscience from being any way accessary to my death For it will one day bee an heavy thing to your heart to thinke that you should be set on worke and the accompt that is worthily made of you imployed under pretence yea and as it were with assurance of life and liberty to draw that from a Preacher and Professor of the gospel which afterward shall be used to hasten his end and you will say it had bin better that you had never bin of any reckoning then to bee made an Instrument to further such an action This I write unto you not in any troubled affection with the feare of death for I thanke God I am willing to end my daies and if it please the Lord even in this manner and hope that my death shall further the cause for which I suffer more then my life But lest I should neglect any meanes which might seeme to be a furtherance to prevent the same or leave that dutie unperformed unto you which I take my selfe in conscience bound to discharge the Lord make us willing and able to discharge every good dutie that he enjoyneth us to his glory the good of his Church and our own comfort whether by lâ—fe or death About the same time came a Letter from the King of Scotland to a Scotish Merchant one Mr. Iohnson lying in London to be delivered to her Majesty as was said being written in my behalfe as he had done once before when I was close prisoner this Letter did the Merchant deliver to her Majesty and the Dean of Pauls upon my Letter went to the Councell whereby whatsoever was wrought as soone as the Judges heard that I was brought to Kingstone where the Assises were then kept I was immediately returned unto the White-Lyon in the evening before the first day thereof Afterward Mr. Iohnson had the Copy of the Kings Letter sent unto him which then appeared to be written not for me alone but also for the rest of my Brethren the Ministers in prison for the same cause of Discipline the tenor of which Letter here followeth RIght Excellent high and mighty Princesse our dearest Sister and Cousen in our heartiest manner we recommend us unto you Heareing of the apprehension of Mr. Udall and Mr. Cartwright and certaine other Ministers of the Evangell within your Realme of whose good erudition and fruitfull travells in the Church we heare a very credible commendation howsoever that their diversitie from the Bishops and others of your Clergy in matters touching them in conscience hath bin a meane by their dilation to worke them your misliking at this present we cannot weighing the duty which we owe to such as are afflicted for their conscience in that profession but by our most effectuous and earnest Letter interpone us at your hands to any harder usage of them for that cause Requesting you most earnestly that for our cause and intercession it may please you to let them be relieved of their present straite and whatsoever further accusation or pursuite depending on that ground respecting both their former merit in setting forth of the Evangell the simplicitie of their conscience in this defence which cannot well be their let by compulsion and the great slander which could not faile to fall out upon their further straiting for any such occasion which we assure us your zeale to Religion besides the expectation we have of your good will to pleasure us will willingly accord to our request having such proofes from time to time of our like disposition to you in any matters which you recommend unto us And thus Right Excellent Right High and Mighty Princes our deare Sister and Cozen we commit you to Gods good protection From Edenborough the 12th ' Day of June 1591. The just Copy of the Kings Letter sent to her Majestie PResently upon these things fell out that wretched matter of that lewd fellow Hâ—cket whereby the adversary did take occasion so to slander the truth and to disgrace the Professors of the same unto her Majestie that I thought it bootelesse to sue And so I did little til the Lord Chancellor was dead and forgotten by such as were sorry for it so that about Easter terme following I sued for liberty to goe to Church which was denyed mee being a condemned man but by the Lord Treasurers meanes I got a copy of my Inditement which before I could not obtaine HEreupon I getting a pardon framed according to the Inditement sent it with a Petition by my Wife to the Councell who referred mee to the Arch-bishop unto whom I both sent diverse Petitions and dutifull Letters and also got many of my freinds both honourable personages and others to sue to him yet could not his good will be gotten At last the Turkie merchants having my consent to goe for a time into Guynea to teach their people that abide in that place if they could procure my liberty sent unto him for his consent who promised his good will so that they would be bound that I should goe indeed when I had my liberty But when two of the Auncients of the Company went unto him for his hand thereunto he would not yeeld it unlesse they would be bound not onely that I should goe which they were willing unto but also that I should tarry there till I had her Majesties licence to come thence This Condition they could not yeeld unto for that I denyed to go upon any such ground so was their suite and my hope of liberty at an end saving that one Mr. Caâ—ell who had bin the first beginner of it and being to goe into Turkie did most affect it moved the Deane of Pauls in it who thereupon wrote unto my Lord Keeper perswading him of the conveniencie of that Journey for me and my fitnesse thereunto which letter when he received he did so deale with the Arch-bishop as they both promising at their next meeting at Court to deale with her Majestie to signe my pardon that so I might have liberty to goe the Voyage FJNJS