thy selfe to be the seruaunt of the sheepe and not theyr Lorde for I haue not geuen the sheepe for the shepheard but the shepheard for the sheepe He that sitteth downe is greater then he that doth minister and serue vnto hym Whiche thinge was well knowen of hym which truely sayde Wee are your seruauntes for Christes cause But for what purpose haue I geuen thee vnto y e house of Israell That thou shouldest onely minister the Sacramentes consecrate wood stoones churchyardes this I take God to witnesse with great sighes and grones I write vnto you Pastouâ—s seruauntes to the congregation for Christes cause and not maisters pouring out before you the griefe of my hart No truely What then First followeth the office of the byshop Thou shalt heare the word of God out of my mouth This is but a short lesson but suche as all the world cannot comprehende without they bee inwardly taught of GOD. And what els meaneth this The true office of pastors well described out of Ezechiell Out of my mouth thou shalt heare the word but that thou shalt be taught of God Therfore as many as are not taught of God althoughe they be neuer so well exercised in the Scriptures by manns helpe yet are they not watchmen geuen by God and muche â—â—ue they which do not vnderstand and know the Scriptures And therfore such as these be least they should keep silence and say nothing are alwayes harping vpon the traditioÌ„s and doctrines of men that is lyes for hee that speaketh of himselfe speaketh lyes Of this it is written 1. Tim. 1. They would be doctours of the lawe not vnderstandyng what they speake neyther of whome they speake Such of necessitie they must all be who speake that with theyr mouth which they doe not beleue because they are not inwardly taught of God neither are perswaded in their harts that it is true and therefore they are to be accompted as sheepe although they boaâ—â—e themselues to be shepheardes But contrariwise touchyng the true and learned Pastors geuen by God it may be truly said we speake that which we know 1 Iohn 1. The propertie of true pastors and that whiche we haue seene euen with the infallible eyes of our fayth we doe witnesse and these are neyther deceyued neither do deceiue Moreouer the deceiuers proceede to worse and worse erring themselues and bringing others also to errour and because they are of the worlde the worlde doth willingly heare them 1. Iohn 4. They are of the worlde saith S. Iohn and therefore they speake those thinges whiche are of the worlde and the world geueth eare vnto them Behold reuerent father this is the touchstone of oure daily preaching Hath not the world geuen eare vnto theÌ„ now a long tyme with great pleasure and delite But the flesh could neuer suffer y e preaching of the crosse nor yet the wisedome of the flesh which is enemy vnto God neyther is subiect vnto hys law nor cannot be And why then are they accused to be heretickes and Schismatickes A true note of sincere doctrine whiche will not seek to please men but onely to theyr edifying beyng mindfull of that place of Scripture God hath dispearsed the bones of them whiche please men saying vnto them speake vnto vs pleasaunt thinges But nowe setting these matters passe wee will come vnto the second poynt Esay 30. wherein you aske how a man should preach better Forsooth if wee had heard of him whoÌ„ the father spake saying This is my dearly beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym An information to preachers to preach rightly Who also speaking of hymself said it was meete that Christ should suffer and rise agayne the third daye from death and that in his name repentaunce and remission of sinnes should be preached vnto all people What other thing is that theÌ„ the same which the other Euangelists do write Goe ye into the whole world preach the Gospell vnto euery creature he that beleueth and is Baptised Math. 28. shal be saued What can be more pleasaunt sweete or acceptable vnto afflicted consciences being almost in despayre then this most ioyfull tidinges But here whether Christ haue bene a long time heard I know not for that I haue not heard all the preachers of England and if I heard them yet till it was within thys yeare or two I could not sufficiently iudge of them But this I dare be bolde to affirme that as manye as I haue heard of late preach I speake eueÌ„ of the most famous they haue preached suche repentaunce that if I had heard suche preachers of repentaunce in tymes past I shoulde vtterly haue bene in despayre The preaching after the popes church is all to beate downe and not to lyft vp And to speak of one of these famous men not vttering hys name after he had sharpely inueyed against vyce wherein he pleased euery godly man for so much as it could not be sufficiently cryed out vpon hee concluded behold sayd he thou hast lyen rotten in thyne own lustes by the space of these 60. yeares euen as a beast in hys own doung and wilt thou presume in one yeare to go forward toward beauen and that in thyne age asmuch as thou wentest backwardes from heauen towardes hell 60. yeares Is not this thinke you a goodly argument Is this the preaching of repentaunce in the name of Iesus By this one you may see what all the rest are or rather to tread downe Christ with Antichristes doctrine for what other thing did he speake in effect theÌ„ that Christ dyed in vayne for thee He will not be thy Iesus or sauior thou must make satisfaction for thy selfe or els thou shalt perish eternally Then doth S. Iohn lye which sayth Beholde the Lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And in other place Marke the maner of the common preaching of the papistes 1. Iohn 1. His bloud hath cleansed vs from all our sins And agayne He is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world Besides an infinit nuÌ„ber of other places What other thing is this then that which was spoken by the holy Ghost by the mouth of Peter saying There shall be false teachers that shall deny the Lord Iesus which hath redemed them And what followeth vppon such doctrine of Deuils speaking lyes thorough hipocrisie a conscience dispayring and without all hope and so geueÌ„ ouer vnto al wicked lustes 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 popes 〈…〉 according to the saying oâ— S. Paule After that they be come to this poynt that they sorow no more they geue theÌ„selues ouer vnto wantonnes to commit all kinde of filthines euen with a greedy desire For seeing that it is impossible for them to make satisfaction to GOD either they murmure agaynst God or els they doe not beleue hym to be so cruell as they do preach and declare him to be The want of paper wyll not suffer
beyng present and harkenyng vnto Richard Benet readyng the Epistle of Saint Iames in English For reading the Scripture  Emme sister of W. Tilseworth mart Iohn Lee Carpenter of Henly ¶ Here is to be noted that in the towne of Chesham were two men One named Robert Hutton The other Iohn Sparke Of whiche two the one called the other hereticke Iohn Sparke The other called hym agayne theefe Sparke whiche called Hutton theefe was condemned to pay for his slauÌ„der x. shillynges But Hutton which called the other hereticke payed nothyng It happened that the wife of this Sparke not long after had certeine money stolne For the whiche the sayd Sparke her husband sent for the counsaile of two Friers who gaue him counsaile to make two balles of clay and to put them in the water and in the same balles to inclose the names of theÌ„ whom he suspected Witchcrafte left of the Bishop vnpunished and so doyng the sayd Sparke came to his money agayne And this was detected to Byshop Longland the same tyme by Thomas Clement But of all this matter there was no inquisition made nor interrogatories ministred nor witnesse producted nor any sentence geuen Ex Regist Longlang fol. 50. Iohn Grosar beyng put to his oth detected Thomas Tykill Thomas SpeÌ„ser and his wife Iohn Knight This Iohn Grosar was examined whether he had a booke of the Gospels in Englishe who confessed that he receaued such a booke of Thomas Tykill morrowe Masse Prieste in Milkestreete and afterwarde Lente the same booke to Thomas Spenser Whiche Thomas Spenser with hys wife vsed to read vppon the same For hauing the Scripture in Englishe After that it was lent to Ioh. Knight who at length deliuered the booke to the Uicare of Rikemansworth Iohn FuÌ„ge forced by his othe to detect Fraunces Funge and his brother Thomas Clerke Fraunces Funge was examined for speakyng these wordes to his brother I. which wordes he had learned of Thomas Clarke If the SacrameÌ„t of the alter be very God man flesh bloud in forme of bred as priests say that it is then haue we many Gods and in heauen there is but one God And if there were an huÌ„dreth houseled in one parish Against the Sacrament of the Altar and as manye in another then there must needes bee more then one God I will not denie but it is a holy thing but it is not the body of the Lord that suffered Passion for vs for hee was once in mans hands heere and ill entreated and therefore he will neuer come in sinfull mens handes againe Also for speaking these wordes the Pope hath no authority to geue pardon and to release any mans soule from sinne and so from payne it is nothyng but blinding of the people to haue their money Also for these wordes or suche like If a man do sowe twentie quarters of corne as wheate or barley or other corne he ought to deduct his seede and of the residue to tithe or else he hath wrong c.  Thomas Clerke For speaking against the reall presence of Christe in the Sacramente vnto Fraunces Funge as before c. Fraunces Funge and Alyce his wife were put to their othe to detect Robert Raue of Dorney For sayeng these wordes That the Sacrament of the aulter is not the body whiche was borne of the blessed virgine Mary Item for speakyng such wordes foureteene yeares paste That folkes were ill occupyed that woorshipped any thynges grauen with mans hande for that is grauen wyth mans hand is neither God nor our Lady but made for a remembrance of Saincts Nor we ought to worship any thing but God and our Lady and not Images of Saincts whiche are but stockes and stones Henry Dâ—yn forced by his othe to detect Edmund Hill of Penne. Robert Freeman parishe priest of Orton by Colobroke For hauing and reading vpon a suspected booke whyche booke when hee perceaued to be seene in his hand he closed it and caried it to his chamber  Thomas Groue and his wife of Amersham Matild Philby wife of Edward Philby of Chaldwey Iohn Hill forced by his othe did detect Ioanne Gunne of Chessham Because she instructed and taught the sayd Hill before his abiuration in the Epistle of Saint Iames and other opinions  William Atkyns of great Missenden Richard Murden of Chesham Emme Murden his wife William Gudgame forced by his othe to detect Ioanne Gudgame his owne wife For being in the same opinion of the Sacrament that hee was of who notwithstanding did swear the same Matild not to bee true that her husband sayd  Alyce Nashe or Chapman of Missenden Matilde Symonides and Iohn Symonides her husband put to their othe detected One Haggar of London For speaking in theyr house an 1520. these wordes That there shoulde be a battayle of Priests A propheâ—â— and all the Priests shoulde be slayne and that the Priests shoulde a while rule but they shoulde all be destroyed because they holde agaynste the law of holy Church and for making of false Gods and after that they should be ouerthrowne Item another time he sayd that men of the Churche shoulde be put downe and the false Gods that they make and after that he sayde they should know more and then should be a mery world Thomas Clerke forced by his othe did detect Christopher Tinker of Wicombe The cause of thys Tinkers trouble was for that he comming to this mans house and complaining to him of y e pouerty of the world hadde these wordes That there was neuer so misgouerned people and that they bare theÌ„selues so bolde vppon pardons and pilgrimages that they cared not whatsoeuer they did and so he departed And after that seauen dayes thys Tinker comming againe asked hym how his communication with hym last did please him and he said well Then the Tinker sayd he knewe more and that hee coulde tell hym more and bad him that he should beleeue in God in heauen for heere be many Gods in earth and there is but one God and that he was once heere and was ill dealt with and woulde no more come heere till the daye of doome and that the Sacrament of the aulter was a holy thing but not the flesh and bloud of Christ that was borne of the virgine and charged hym not to tell this to hys wife and especially to his wiues brother a Priest Afterward as the Priest was dryeng singing bread being wet which his sister had bought the foresayde Thomas Clerke sayde that if euery one of these were a God then were there many Gods To whome the Priest aunswered that till the holy wordes were spoken ouer it it was of no power and then it was very God flesh and bloud sayeng moreouer that it was not meete for anye lay man to speake of such thyngs These wordes of the Priest beeyng after recited to the Tinker by the sayd Clerke then sayd he let euery man say what they will but you
the king seemed not very well to like of their so extreme handlyng of the woman and also graunted to the Lieftenant his pardon willing him to returne and see to hys charge Great expectation was in the meane season among the Warders and other officers of the Tower waiting for his returne Whom when they saw come so cheerefully declaring vnto them how he had sped with the king they were not a little ioyous and gaue thanks to God therfore ¶ Anne Askews aunswer vnto Iohn Lacels letter OH friend most dearely beloued in God I meruaile not a litle what should mooue you to iudge in me so slender a fayth as to feare death which is the ende of all misery in the Lord I desire you not to beleeue of me such wickednes The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Askew to M. Lacel◠〈◊〉 For I doubt it not but God will performe his worke in me like as he hath begun I vnderstand the counsaile is not a little displeased that it should be reported abroad that I was racked in the tower They say now that they did there was but to feare me whereby I perceyue they are ashamed of their vncomely doyngs and feare much least the kings Maiestie should haue information thereof Wherefore they would no man to noyse it Well their crueltye God forgeue them Your hart in Christ Iesu. Farewel and pray The purgation or aunswer of Anne Askew against the false surmises of her recantation I Haue read the processe whiche is reported of them that knowe not the truth to be my recantation An. Askew answering to the false suspicion of her recanting But as the Lord liueth I neuer ment thing lesse then to recant Notwithstanding this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Bishop of London about the Sacrament Yet had they no graunt yf my mouth but this that I beleeued therein as the word of God did bynd me to beleeue more had they neuer of me Then he made a Copie whiche is nowe in print and required me to set thereunto my hand But I refused it Then my ij sureties did wyll me in no wise to sticke thereat for it was no great matter they sayd Then with much ado at the last I wrote thus I Anne Askew do beleue this if Gods word do agree to the same and the true catholike church Then the B. beyng in great displeasure with me An. Askew falsely suspected to recant and vpon what occasion because I made doubtes in my writing commaunded me to prison where I was a whyle but afterwards by the meanes of frendes I came out againe Here is the truth of that matter And as concerning the thing that ye couet most to know resort to the sixt of Iohn and be ruled always thereby Thus fareye well Anne Askew The confession of the faith which Anne Askew made in Newgate before she suffered I Anne Askew of good memory although my merciful father hath geuen me the bread of aduersitie The confession of An. Askew going to her execution and the water of trouble yet not so muche as my sinnes haue deserued confesse my selfe here a sinner before the throne of hys heauenly maiestie desiring his forgeuenes and mercye And for so much as I am by the law vnrighteously condemned for an euill doer concerning opinions I take y e same most mercifull God of myne which hath made both heauen and earth to record that I hold no opinions contrary to hys most holy word And I trust in my mercifull Lord which is the geuer of all grace that he will graciously assist me agaynst all euill opinions which are contrary to his blessed veritie For I take him to witnes that I haue done wil do vnto my lyues end vtterly abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresie which they report me to holde that after the Priest hath spoken the wordes of consecration there remaineth bread still They both say The matter and cause why Anne Askew suffered death also teach it for a necessary article of fayth that after those wordes be once spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe-same body that hoong vpon the crosse on good Friday both fleshe bloud and bone To this belief of theirs say I nay For then were our common Crede false which saith that he sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty from thence shall come to iudge the quicke and dead Loe this is the heresie that I holde and for it must suffer the death But as touâ—hing the holy and blessed supper of the Lord I beleue it to be a most necessary remembraunce of his glorious suffrings and death Moreouer I beleue as much therein as my eternall and onely redeemer Iesus Christ would I should beleue Finally I beleue al those scriptures to be true which he hath confirmed with his most precious bloud Yea as s. Paul saith those scriptures are sufficient for our â—erning saluatioÌ„ that Christ hath left here with vs so that I beleue we nede no vnwritten verities to rule his church w t. Therfore looke what he hath sayd vnto me with his owne mouth in his holy Gospell that haue I with Gods grace closed vp in my hart and my full trust is as Dauid saith that it shal be a lanterne to my footsteps Psal. xxviij There be some do say that I deny the Eucharist or sacrament of thankes geuyng but those people do vntruly report of me For I both say and beleue it that if it wer ordered lyke as Christ instituted it and left it a most singular comfort it were vnto vs all But as coÌ„cerning your masse as it is now vsed in our daies I do say and beleue it to be the most abhominable Idoll that is in the world The Masse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idoll For my God will not be eaten with teeth neyther yet dieth he agayne And vpon these wordes that I haue now spoken wyll I suffer death O Lord I haue mo enemies now then there be haires on my head The prayer of Anne Askew Yet Lord let them neuer ouercome me with vaine words but fight thou Lord in my stead for on thee cast I my care With all the spite they can imagine they fall vpon me which am thy poore creature Yet sweete Lord let me not set by them which are against me for in thee is my whole delight And Lord I hartily desire of thee that thou wilt of thy most mercifull goodnes forgeue them that violence which they do and haue done vnto me Open also thou their blynd hartes that they may hereafter doe that thing in thy sight which is only acceptable before thee and to set forth thy veritie aright without all vaine fantasies of sinnefull men So be it O Lord so be it By me Anne Askew ⧠The order and maner of the burning of Anne Askew Iohn Lacels Iohn Adams Nicholas Belenian with certayne of the Councell
can not forget your grace tolde me you woulde suffer no innouation and indeed if you deliuer this realme to the king at 8. yeares of age as the king his father whose soule God assoyle left it as I trust you shall the acte is so honourable and good as it were pity to trouble it with any innouation whyche were a charge to your grace more then needed beynge already burthened heauely And albeit in the commoÌ„ wealth euery man hath his part yet as God hath placed you the matter is vnder the kinges Maiestye chiefely yours and as it were yours alone ¶ If the 6. articles might haue continued stil al were quiet with Winchester how so euer it were els with the true church of Christ. ¶ Printers Players and Preachers trouble Winchester Euery man hath his eye directed vnto you both here abroad you shall shadow mens doinges if they be done which is one in commodity of high rule And for my part besides my duty to the kinges maiesty and the realme I would that your grace in whom since your gouernement I haue found much gentlenes and humanity had muche honor w t good successe as euer any had and pray to God that men would let your grace alone and suffer the realme in the time of your gouernement in quyet among our selues wherby to be the more able to resist forreigne trouble which your grace doth prudeÌ„tly forsee Certayne printers * Euery incerteinty is noysome I graunt But reformatioÌ„ of religion is not by by the cause of incerteinty in a common wealth nor maketh euery man to be a maister players preachers make a wondermeÌ„t as though we knew not yet how to be iustified nor what sacramentes we should haue And if the agreement in religion made in the time of our late soueraigne Lord be of no force in theyr iudgement what establishment coulde anye new agrement haue And euery incertenty is noysome to any realme And where euery man will be mayster there must nedes be vncertaynty And one thing is maruelous that at the same time is taught that all men be lyers at the selfe same time almost euery man woulde be beleued And amongst theÌ„ Bale when his vntruth appeareth euidently in setting forth the examination of Anne Askew whiche is vtterly misreported I beseeche your Grace to pardon my babling with you But I see my late soueraigne Lord and maister slaundred by such simple persons ¶ The realme is troubled by theÌ„ much lyke as the Prophet Hely was he that troubled the kingdome of Acheb ¶ Salt layd on a sore if it do vexe it the fault is not in the salt but in the fleshe which cannot abide it religioÌ„ assaulted the realme troubled and peaceable men disquieted with occasion geuen to enemies to poynt and say that after Wickliefes straunge teaching in the sacrameÌ„ts of Christes churche hath vexed other it is finally turned vnto vs to molest scourge vs for other fruite cannot Bales teaching haue ne the teaching of such other as goe about to trouble the agrement established here In which matter I dare not desire your grace specially to looke earnestlye vnto it leaste I should seme to note in you that becommeth me not And I know that your grace being otherwise occupied these thinges may creepe in as it hath bene heretofore sometime it may be heard for your grace to finde out or pull out y e root of this naughtines but yet I am so bolde to write of these of mine owne stomacke who haue euer vsed for discharge of my selfe to say and write in time and place as I thought might do good for reliefe of the matter remitting the rest to the disposition of GOD who hath wrought wonders in these matters since they were first moued and geuen me such knowledge and experieÌ„ce in them ¶ Wincâ—â—â—ster what he saith 〈◊〉 long as 〈◊〉 proueth 〈◊〉 it mattereâ— not whâ—â— he sayth as I ought to take them as they be for corruption and vntrueth I meane knowledge and experience of them that be chiefe styrrers so infect with vntruth as they cannot speak or report truly in common matters The pretence is of the spirit and al is for the flesh Women and meat with liberty of hand and tongue a dissolution and dissipation of all estates cleane contrarious to the place GOD hath called your Grace thereunto * A 〈◊〉 sight in 〈◊〉 sonne 〈…〉 Duke of Saxonâ—â—â— king ¶ True reâ—ligion of the opinâ—â—â— of these Germaâ—â—â— wil be 〈◊〉 not to disaâ—gree whâ—â— the Bysâ—â—â— of Wincheâ—ster shal 〈◊〉 be able to proue the contrary as yet he hath not done it hitherto For it tendeth all to confusion disorder which is the effect of vntrueth Bale hath set forth a prayer for the Duke I. of Saxe wherein the Duke remitteth to Gods iudgement to be shewed here in this world the iustnesse of his cause concerning religion and desireth GOD if hys cause be not good to order him to be taken and to be spoiled of his honor and possessions with many such gay wordes whereby to tempt God since which prayer the Duke is indeed taken as all the world sayth at the time of his taking as the account is made such straungenesse in the sonne as we saw it here as hath not bene sene They happened both together this we know and be both maruelous but whether the one were a token ordered to concurre with other God knoweth and manne cannot define Many common wealthes haue continued without the B. of Romes iurisdiction but without true religion and with such opinions as Germany maynteyned no estate hath coâ—â—â—â—ned in the circuit of the world to vs knowne since Christ câ—me For the Turkes and Tartarres gouernement is as it were a continuall warre and they vphold theyr rule with subduing of nobility by fyre and sworde * Germaâ—â— with 〈◊〉 religion 〈◊〉 doth starâ— notwithstanding Wynchestâ—â— and the Emperour did withstand theâ— what that they both could His argument Goâ— lawe hath rule of all Men wâ—â—meÌ„ say the vnderstanâ— Gods law Ergo men and wemâ—â— haue rule all Nego argument quia const 4. terminâ—â—â— His argument shouâ—â— thus procead Goâ— lawe hath rule of all Men and wemen 〈◊〉 they are Gods law Ergo such men wâ—â—men haue rule of alâ— thus is thâ— forme of the 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 matter 〈◊〉 Wyncheâ—â— a friend 〈◊〉 lent thou he loued fishe The actiâ—â— of Christ haue 〈◊〉 and â—ooâ— endes 〈◊〉 were 〈◊〉 to fâ—â—â—fill the 〈◊〉 Some peâ—â—â—liar to 〈◊〉 owne peâ—â—sone Some peâ—â—tayning 〈◊〉 publike ample Germanye with theyr new religion could neuer haue stand though the Emperor had let them alone for if it be perswaded the vnderstanding of Gods lawe to be at large in women and children wherby they may haue the rule of that and theÌ„ Gods law must be the rule of all is not hereby the rule of all brought into theyr handes These of some will be called witty reasons but they
world The causes whâ— they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute theâ— before indifferent Iudges The matter of the disputation is against Gods word The second cause that the determinations of both the Uniuersities in matters of Religion especially wherin we should dispute are directly against Gods word yea against their own determinations in the time of our late soueraigne Lord and most godly Prince King Edward and further it is knowen they be our open enemies and haue already condemned our causes before any disputation had of the same Secondly because the Prelates and clergie do not seeke either vs or the verity but our destruction and their glory For if they had sought vs as charity requireth theÌ„ would they haue called vs forth hereaboutes before theyr lawes were so made that franckly and without perill we might haue spoken our consciences Againe if they had sought for the veritie they woulde not haue concluded of controuersies In the disputation neither charitie nor veritie sought for tofore they had bene disputed so that it easely appeareth that they seeke their owne glory and our destruction and not vs and the veritie and therefore we haue good cause to refuse disputation as a thing which shall not further preuaile then to the setting forth of their glory and the suppression of the veritie Thirdly because the Censors and Iudges as we heare who they be are manifest enemies to the truth and that which worse is obstinate enemies before whome pearles are not to be cast The third cause The Iudges of the disputation professed enemies against the truth The 4. cause by the commaundements of our Sauior Iesus Christ and by his owne example That they be such their doings of late at Oxford and in the Conuocation house in October last past do most euidently declare Fourthly because some of vs haue bene in prison these 8. or 9. monethes where we haue had no bookes no paper no penne no inke or conuenient place for study we thinke we should do euill thus sodainly to descend into disputation with them which may alledge as they list the fathers and their testimonies Want of booâ—es necessaâ—â— for disputation bicause our memories haue not that which we haue read so readily as to reproue when they shall report and wrest the authors to their purpose or to bring forth that we may haue there for our aduantage Fiftly because in disputation we shall not be permitted to prosecute our Argumentes The 5. cause but be stopped when we would speake one saying thus another that the third his mind Example of 〈◊〉 disputation at Oxford c. As was done to the godly learned fathers especially D. Ridley at Oxford who could not be permitted to declare his minde and meaning of the propositions had oftentimes halfe a dosen at once speaking against hym alwayes letting him to prosecute his argument and to aunswere accordingly we will not speake of the hissing scoffing and taunting which wonderfully then was vsed If on this sorte and much worse they handled these fathers much more will they be shameles bold with vs if we shuld enter into disputation with them Sixtly because the Notaries that shall receiue write the disputations shal be of their appointment and such as either do not or dare not fauour y e truth and therefore must write eyther to please them or else they themselues the Censours and Iudges we meane at their pleasure wyll put to and take from The 6. cause that which is writteÌ„ by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffeâ—â—nt nor must not haue in their custody that which they write longer then the disputation indureth as their doings at Oxford declareth No copy nor scroule could anye man haue by their good will For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their hands Yea if any man was sene there to write as the report is the same man was sent for and his writings taken from him so must the disputation serue only for the glory not of God but of the enemies of his truth For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with them as if we did dispute we shuld do that whiche they desire purposely seek to promote the kingdome of Antichrist and to suppresse as much as may be y e truth We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly wheÌ„ they shuld heare by the report of our enemies our aunsweres and arguments framed you may be sure for their fantasies to the sclaundering of the veritie Therfore we publish and by this writing notifie vnto the whole congregation and church of England Exceptions taken agaâ—nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with theÌ„ otherwise then with the penne vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Councell or before the houses of the parliament as is aboue sayd If they will write Conditions assigned how they would dispute we will aunswere by writing confirm and proue out of the infallible veritie euen the very word of God and by the testimonye of y e good and most auncient fathers in Christes Churche this our fayth and euery peece thereof which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely that oure good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may knowe it and to seale vp y e same Exhortation to obedience we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our liues to y e halter of fire or otherwise as God shall appoynt humbly requiring in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ beseeching all that feare God to behaue themselues as obedient subiects to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers which are ordeyned of god vnder her rather after our exaÌ„ple to geue their heads to the blocke then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary into whose hart we beseech the Lord of mercye plentifully to doure the wisedome and grace of his holy spirite now and for euer Amen First we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament The confession and fayth of the prisoned Preachers and al the bookes of the new Testament to be the very true word of God and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and are therfore to be heard accordingly as the Iudge in all controuersies and matters of religion Secondly The Catholicke Church we confesse and beleue the Catholick church whiche is the spouse of Christ as a most obedient and louing wife to embrace and follow the doctrin of these books in all matters of religion and therefore is shee to be heard accordingly so that those which will not heare this church thus following and obeying the word of her husband we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes accordyng to this saying If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen Thirdly we
iestingly and merely to answere the Dukes request The iudgement of Erasmus touching Luther saying that in Luther were two great faultes first that he would touch the bellyes of monks the second y t he would touch the popes crown which two matters in no case are to be dealt withall Then opening his minde playnly to y e Duke thus he sayde Monkes belies and the Popes crowne not to be touched that Luther did well in detecting errours and that reformation was to be wished and very necessary in the church and added moreouer that the effect of his doctrine was true but onely that he wished in him a more temperate moderation and maner of writing and handling Wherupon Duke Friderick shortly after wrote to Luther seriously Ex Chron. Casp. Peâ—cer lib. 5. exhorting him to temperate the vehemency of his style This was at the City of Colen shortly after the Coronation of the newe Emperour where also Huttenus Aloisius Marlianus Ludouicus viues Halonius with other learned men were assembled together wayting vpon the Emperour Furthermore the same Erasmus the yeare next folowing that Ex epist. Erasm ad Moguntinensem wrote vp to the Archbishop of Mentz a certayne Epistle touching the cause of Luther In whiche Epistle thus he signifieth to the Byshop That many thinges were in the books of Luther condemned of monkes and Diuines for hereticall whiche in the bookes of Bernarde and Austen are redde for sound and godly Also that the world is burdened with mens institutions with schole doctrines and opinions The 〈◊〉 burdened 〈◊〉 and with the tyrannye of begging Friers which Fryers when they are but the Popes seruaunts and vnderlinges yet they haue so growne in power and multitude that they are nowe terrible both to the pope himselfe and to all princes Who so long as the pope maketh with them so long they make him more theÌ„ a God But if he make any thing agaynst their purpose or commoditie then they wey his authoritie no more then a dreame or phantasie Once sayd he it was counted an heresie when a man repugned agaynst the Gospell or Articles of the fayth Now he that dissenteth from Thomas of Aquine is an hereticke whatsoeuer doth not like them whatsoeuer they vnderstand not that is heresie To speake Greeke is heresie Or to speake more finely then they do that is with them heresie And thus much by the way concerning the iudgement of Erasmus Now to returne and to entreate something orderly of the actes and conflictes of Luther with hys aduersaryes after y e Tecelius the foresayd Fryer w t his fellow monkes and Frierly fellowes had cried out w t open mouth against Luther in mayntayning the popes indulgences and that Luther agayn in defence of hys cause had set vp propositions against the open abuses of the same maruell it was to see how soone these propositions were sparckled abroad in sundry and farre places and howe greedely they were catched vp in the hands of diuers both far near And thus y e contentioÌ„ of this matter increasing betwene them Ex Paralâ—p Abbat Vrsperg Luther was coÌ„pelled to write therof more largely fully theÌ„ other wise he thought which was in y e yeare of our Lorde 1517. Yet all this while Luther neuer thought of anye alteration to come of any ceremony much lesse such a reformation of doctrine and ceremonies as afterward did follow But onely hearing that he was accused to the Bishop of Rome he did write humbly vnto him in the beginning of which writing he declareth y e vnordinate outrage of those his pardonmongers whiche so excessiuely did pill pole the simple people to the great slaunder of the Church and shame to his holines and so proceeding in the ende of the sayd his writing thus he submitteth himselfe The submission of Luther to the Pope Wherefore sayth he most holy father I offer my selfe prostrate vnder the feete of your holines with all that I am and that I haue Saue me kill me call me recall me approoue me reproue me as you shall please Your voyce y e voyce of Christ in you speaking I wil acknowledge If I haue deserued death I shall be contented to dye For the earth is the Lordes Psal. 23. and all the fulnes therof who is to be blessed for euer Amen This was the yeare of our Lorde 1518. After that Martine Luther prouoked thus by Tecelius had declared hys minde in writing lowly and humbly and had set vp certayn propositions to be disputed not loÌ„g after The ragyng Dialogue of Syluester Prieâ—â—as against Luther among other monkes and Fryers steppeth vp one Siluester de Priero a Dominicke Frier who fyrst began to publish abroad a certayne impudent and rayling Dialogue against him Unto whom Luther answered agayn first alledging the place of the Apostle 1. Thes. v. That we must proue all thinges Also the place Gal. 2. That if an aungell from heauen do bryng an other Gospell then that we haue receiued he ought to be accursed The aunswere of Luther against Syluester Item he alledged the place of Austen vnto Hierome where the sayd Austen sayth That he is wont to geue thys honour onely to the book of Canonicall Scripture that who soeuer were the writers thereof he beleueth them verily not to haue erred But as touching all other mens writings were they neuer so holy men or learned he doth not beleue them therefore because they so say but in that respect as they doe agree with the Canonicall Scripture which cannot erre Clem. De poenit remiss C. Abusionibus Item he alledged the place of the Canon law Clem. de Poenit. remis C. Abusionibus Wherein he proued y t these pardonsellers in their setting forth of the popes indulgenses ought to go no further by the lawe then is enioyned them within the letters of their commission And in the latter part of his aunswer thus Luther writeth to the reader Let opinions sayth he remayne opinions so they be not yokes to the Christians Let vs not make mens opinions equall with the articles of fayth to the decrees of Christ and Paule Moreouer I am ashamed quod he to heare the common saying of this Diuine schole doctours who holding one thing in the schooles and thinking otherwise in their own iudgement thus are wont secretly among theÌ„selues Ex Paralipominis Abba Vrsperg and with their priuy friendes talking together to say Thus we do hold and thus would I say being in the schooles but yet be it spoken here amongst vs it cannot be so proued by the holy Scriptures c. Ex. Paralip Abb. Vrsperg Eckius wryteth against Luther D. Andraeas answereth for Luther Next after this Siluester stept forth Eckius and impugned the conclusions of Luther Agaynst whom encountered D. Andraeas Bedenstein ArchdeacoÌ„ of Wittenberg makyng hys Apologie in defence of Luther Then was Martin Luther cited the 7. of August by one Hieronimus
to y e doctrine of the Gospell and the opinions of the auncient Fathers are to be iudged erroneous and reproued If then I shall reuoke these I can do none other but adde more force to theyr tyranny and open not onely wyndowes but wide gates to theyr impiety whiche is like to extend more wide and more licenciously then euer it durst heretofore And by the testimonie of this my retractation their insolent kingdome shal be made more licencious and lesse subiect to punishment intollerable to the cōmon people and also more confirmed and established especially if this be bruited that I. Luther haue done this by the authoritie of your most excellent maiestie and the sacred Romaine empyre Oh Lord what a couer or shadow shall I be then to cloke theyr naughtines and tyranny The rest or thyrd sort of my bookes are such as I haue written against certaine priuate and singular persons to wyt against such as with tooth and nayle labour to maintaine the Romish tyranny and to deface the true doctrine and religion which I haue taught and professed As touching these I playnly confesse I haue bene more vehemēt then my religion and professeion required For I make my selfe no Sainct and I dispute not of my life but of the doctrine of Christ. And these I cannot without preiudice cal back For by this recantacion it will come to passe that tyrannie and impietie shall raigne supported by my meanes and so shal they exercise crueltie against people more violently and ragyngly then before Neuertheles for that I am a man and not God I can none otherwise enterprise to defend my bookes He requireth to be instructed if he haue erred then did my verye Lorde Iesus Christ defende his doctrine Who being examined of his learning before Annas and hauing receiued a buffet of the minister sayd If I haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill If the Lord who was perfect and could not erre refused not to haue testimony geuē agaynst his doctrine Iohn 18. yea of a most vile seruaunt howe much the more then I that am but vile corruptiō and can of my selfe doe nothing but erre ought earnestlye to see and require if any will beare witnesse agaynst my doctrine Therfore I require for Gods mercy your most excellent maiesty your graces and right honorable Lordshyps or what so euer he bee of high or lowe degree here to lay in his testimony conuict my errours and confute me by the Scriptures either out of the Prophetes or the Apostles and I will be most ready if I be so instructed to reuoke any maner of errour yea and will be the first that shall cōsume mine owne bookes and burne them I suppose hereby it may appeare that I haue perpended Dissentions and diuisiōs folow the doctrine of Christ not for anye cause in the doctrine but in the aduersary and well weyed before the perils and daungers the diuisions and dissentions which haue risē throughout the whole world by reason of my doctrine wherof I was vehemently and sharply yesterday admonished Concerning which diuisions of mens minds what other mē do iudge I know not as touching my selfe I conceiue no greater delectation in any thing then when I behold discords and dissensions styrred vp for the word of God For such is the course and proceeding of the Gospell Iesus Christ sayth I came not to send peace but a sworde Math. 10. I came to set a man at varyance with his father And further we must thinke that our God is maruellous and terrible in his Coūcels least perhaps that which we endeuour with earnest study to atchieue and brynge to passe if we begynne first with condemning of hys worde the same rebound agayne to an huge sea of euill and least the newe raigne of this younge and bounteous Prince Charles in whome next after GOD we all conceaue singular hope be lamentable vnfortunate and miserably begunne I could examplify this with authorityes of the Scriptures more effectually Mans counsaile with out Gods worde and his feare be vnfortunate as by Pharao the King of Babylon and the Kinges of Israel who then most obscured the bright sunne of theyr glory and procured theyr own ruine when by sage councels they attempted to pacify and establish theyr Gouernementes and Realmes and not by Gods Counselles for it is he that intrappeth the wilye in theyr wylynesse and subuerteth mountaynes before they be ware Wherefore it is good and Gods worke to dreade the Lord. I speake not this supposing that so politique and prudent heades haue need of my doctrine or admonition but because I would not omit to profite my countrey and offer my duty or seruice that may tend to the aduancement of the same And thus I humbly commend me to your most excellēt maiesty and your honorable Lordships beseching you that I may not incurre your displeasures neyther be contemned of you Luther prouoked again to submit hym selfe through the pursute of my aduersaryes I haue spoken These wordes pronounced then Eckius the Emperors Prolocutor with a sterne countenance beganne and sayd that Luther had not aunswered to any purpose neyther it behoued him to call in question thinges in time past concluded and defined by generall Councels and therefore they required of him a playne and direct aunswere whether he would reuoke or no. Then Luther considering sayde he your soueraigne maiesty Luthers absolute aunswere and your honors require a playne aunswere thys I say and professe as resolutely as I may without doubling or sophistication that if I be not conuinced by testimonies of the Scriptures by probale reasons for I beleeue not the Pope neither his generall Councels which haue erred many times and haue bene contrary to themselues my conscience is so bound and captiued in these scriptures and word of God which I haue alledged that I will not nor may not reuoke any maner of thing considering it is not godly or lawfull to do any thing against cōsciēce Herevpon I stand and rest I haue not what els to say GOD haue mercy vpon me The princes consulted together vpon this answere geuen by Luther and whē they had diligently examined the same the prolocutor began to repell him thus Martin sayd he thou hast more immodestly aunswered Eckius againe replieth then beseemed thy person and also litle to the purpose Thou deuidest thy bookes into three sorts in such order as all that thou hast sayd maketh nothing to the interrogation proponed and therefore if thou haddest reuoked those wherein the greatest parte of thine errours is contayned the Emperours Maiesty and the noble clemency of other would haue suffered the rest that be sound to susteyn no iniury But thou doest reuiue and bringest to light againe all that the generall Councell of Constance hath condemned the which was assembled of all the nation of Germany now doest require to be conuinced with scriptures wherin thou errest greatly For what auayleth
beyng taken wythin the precinct and limites of the Citie of Zuricke coÌ„trary to lawe and order Finally after much discoursing wherein they in a long letter declared their diligence and fidelitie at all times in keeping their league and maintaining the libertie and dignitie of their country as touching the cause of religion if that were all the matter of their offence they offered themselues willing to heare and more glad to amende if anye could prooue any errour in them by the Scripture Otherwise if none so could or would proue wherin they did erre by the worde of God they coulde not they sayd alter any thing in the state of that Religion wherein their consciences were already staide by the woorde of God and setled what soeuer pearill or daunger should happen to them for the same Although here was no cause why these Pages or Cantons which were so confederate together in the league of peace What loue and hatred doth among men should disagree among themselues yet heerein may we see the course and trade of the worlde that when difference of religioÌ„ beginneth a litle to breake the knot of amitie by and by how friends be turned to foes what suspitions do rise what quarels and grudge do folow howe nothing there liketh men but euery thing is taken to y e worst part smal â—otes are made mountaines vertues made vices and one vice made a thousand and all for lacke only of a litle good wil betwixt party party For as loue charity commonly among men either couereth or seeth not the faultes of their frendes so hatred and disdaine taking all things to blame can finde nothyng in their foes that they can like And thus did it happen betweene these good men of Zuricke and these other Suitzers aboue named These letters of the Tigurines to the other Cantons were written vpon the occasion of theyr apprehending the preacher Ioan. Oxlinus aboue named the 4. day of Ianuary Anno 1525. and in the moneth of Aprill next following The Masse with all his ceremoâ—eâ— put downe in Zuricke the maiestrates and Senate of the sayd Citie of Zuricke commanded the Masse with all his ceremonies and appurtenaunce therto belonging to be put downe as wel wythin the City as without throughout all their iurisdiction and in steade thereof was placed the Lordes Supper the reading of the Prophets prayer and preaching A law in Zurick made against adulterers Also a lawe was made against whoredome and adulterie and iudges ordained to heare the causes of matrimony Anno. 1525. Ex Comment Sled lib. 4. All this while the Gospel was not as yet receiued in any other Page of Heluetia but only in Zuricke Disputation at BadeÌ„ in Heluetia Wherfore y e other 12. pages or townes appoynted among themselues concerning a meting or a disputation to be had at Baden Where were present amoÌ„g other diuines Ioannes Faber Eckius Murnerus aboue mentioned The bishops also of Lucerna Basill Curiake Lausanna sent thither theyr legates The conclusions there propounded were these That the true body and bloud of Christ Theames or propositions propounded in the disputation at Baden is in the Sacrament That the masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and deade That the blessed virgine and other saintes are to be inuocated as mediatours and intercessours That Images ought not to be abolished That there is a purgatorie Which conclusions or assertions Eckius tooke vppon him stoutly to defend Eckius defeÌ„ded Against him reasoned Oecolampadius who was then chiefe preacher at Basill wyth certaine other moe Zuinglius at that time was not there present but by wrytinge confuted the doctrine of Eckius Oecolampadius against Eckius· declaring withall the causes of hys absence whych were for that he durst not for feare of his lyfe committe himselfe to the handes of the Lucernates Urani Suitij Unterualdij and Tugiani his enemies and that hee refused not to dispute but the place onely of the disputation Zuinglius excuseth himself for not comming to the disputation excusing moreouer y t he was not permitted of the Senate to come neuertheles if they would assigne the place of disputation either at Zuricke or at Berna or at Sangallum thether he woulde not refuse to come Briefly the conclusion of the disputation was this that all should remaine in that Religion which hetherto they had kept and should follow the authoritie of the Councell neither should admit any other newe doctrine within theyr dominions c Thys was in the moneth of Iune the sayd yeare aboue mentioned As the time proceded and dissention about religion encreased it folowed the next yere after The disputation at Berne An. 1527. in the moÌ„th of December that the Senate people of Berne whose power amongst al the Suitzers chieflye excelleth considering how neither they could haue the Actes of the disputation of Baden communicated vnto them and that the variance about religion still more more encreased Disputation at Berne in Heluetia assigned an other disputation within their owne Citie and sending forth wrytings therof called vnto the same al the bishops bordering nere about them as the Bishops of Constance Basill Sedune Lausanna warning them bothe to come themselues and to bring their diuines wyth them or else to lose all such possessions which they had lying within the boundes of theyr precinct After this they appoynted oute certeine Ecclesiasticall persons of their iurisdiction to dispute prescribing and determining the whole disputation to be decided only by the authority of the old and new TestameÌ„t Godly lawes of a disputation To all that would come thether they grauÌ„ted safeconduict Also they appoynted that all things there should be done modestly without iniurie and brauling woordes and that euery one shoulde haue leaue to speake his minde freely and with such deliberation that euery mans saying might be receiued by the notarye penned with this prouiso made before that what soeuer there shoulde be agreed vpon the same should be ratified and obserued through al their dominions and to the intent meÌ„ might come thether better prepared before they propounded in publike wryting 10. conclusions in the sayde disputation to be defended of their ministers by the scriptures which ministers wer Franciscus Colbus and Bertholdus Hallerus The theames or conclusions were these 1. That the true Church whereof Christ is the head riseth out of gods word Theames to be disputed and persisteth in the same and heareth the voice of no other 2. That the same Church maketh no lawes without the worde of God 3. That traditions ordeined in the name of the Church doe not binde but so farre foorth as they be consonante to Gods worde 4. That Christ only hath made satisfactioÌ„ for the sinnes of the world and therefore if any man say that there is any other way of saluation or meane to putte away sinne the same denieth Christ. 5. That the body bloude of Christe
of Peter the one in his first Epistle the other in the latter and so be you contented with this present answer rashed vp in haste Fare ye hartily wel And comfort my William the good aged father by the grace of God which is in you Commende me to Iohn Eggenberge From Zuricke the 1. day of September An. 1527. FRom the first beginning of this whole booke and historie hitherto good reader thou hast hearde of many and sundry troubles much businesse in the church of Christe concerning the reformation of diuers abuses and great errors crept into the same namely in the Churche of Rome as appeareth by the doings of them in diuers and sundry places wherof mention hath bene made heretofore in this said historie For what godly man hath there bene wythin the space of these 500. yeares The corruption of the Sea of Rome continually cryed out against either vertuously disposed or excellently learned which hath not disprooued the misordred doings and corrupt examples of the See and Bishop of Rome from time to time vnto the cōming of this Luther Wherin this appeareth to me may also appeare no lesse to al godly disposed mē to be noted not without great admiration that seeing this foresaid Romish Bishop hath had great ennemies and gainsaiers continually from time to time both speaking working preaching and wryting against him yet notwithstanding neuer any could preuail before the comming of this man The cause whereof although it be secretely knowen vnto God and vnknowen vnto men yet so farre as men by cōiectures may suppose it may thus not vnlikely be thought That whereas other men before him speaking against the pomp pride whoredom and auarice of the Bishop of Rome charged him only or most specially with examples and maners of life Luther went further with hym charging him not wyth life but with his learning not with doings but with his doctrine not picking at the rine but plucking vp the roote not seeking the man but shaking his seate yea charging him with plaine heresie The Pope charged with heresie by Luther as preiudicial and resisting plainly against the bloud of Christ cōtrary to the true sense and direct vnderstanding of the sacred testament of Gods holy woord For whereas the foundation of our faith grounded vpon the holy scripture teacheth leadeth vs to be iustified onely by the worthines of Christ the onely price of his bloud The foundation of the Popes doctrine contrarye to Christen faith the Pope proceeding with a contrary doctrine teacheth vs otherwyse to seeke our saluation not by Christ alone but by the way of mennes meriting and deseruing by works Wherupon rose diuers sorts of orders religious sects amongst men some professing one thing and some an other euery man seeking his owne vnrighteousnes but few seking the righteousnes of him which is set vp of God to be our righteousnes redemption and iustification Martin Luther therefore vrging reducing things to the foundation and touchstone of the Scripture Iustification by faith reuiued by Luther opened the eyes of many which before were drowned in darknes Whereupon it can not be expressed what ioy comforte and consolation came to the hearts of men some lying in darknes and ignoraunce some wallowing in sinne some being in despaire some macerating them selues by woorkes and some presuming vppon their owne righteousnesse to beholde that glorious benefite of the greate libertie and free iustification set vp in Christ Iesus And briefly to speake the more glorious the benefite of this doctrine appeared to the world after long ignoraunce the greater persecution followed vppon the same And where the elect of God tooke most occasion of comfort and of saluation thereof the aduersaries tooke moste matter of vexation disturbance As commonly we see the true woord of God to bring with it euer dissention and perturbation and therefore truely it was sayde of Christ That he came not to send peace on earth but the swoorde Math. 10. And this was the cause why that after the doctrine and preaching of Luther so great troubles and persecutions followed in all quarters of the world Great persecution after the doctrine of Luther wherby rose great disquietnesse among the Prelates and many lawes and decrees were made to ouerthrowe the same by cruell handling of many good and Christian men Thus while authoritie armed wyth lawes and rigour did striue againste simple veritie lamentable it was to heare howe many poore men were troubled and went to wracke some tost from place to place some exiled out of the land for fear some caused to abiure some driuen to caues in woodes some racked wyth torment and some pursued to deathe wyth fagot and fire Of whom we haue nowe Christ willing in this hystorie following to entreat first begynning with certaine that suffered in Germanie then to returne to our owne stories and Martyrs here in England Henry Voes and Iohn Esch Friers Augustines IN the yeare of our Lorde 1523. two young menne were burnt at Bruxelles the one named Henry Uoes Two Fryers burned at Bruxelles being of the age of 24. yeares and the other Iohn Esch whych before had bene of the order of the Augustine Friers They were disgraded the first day of Iulie and spoiled of theyr friers weede at the suite of Egmondanus the Popes Inquisitour and the diuines of Louaine Egmondanus and Hochestratus doctors of Louain persecuters for that they would not retracte and deny their doctrine of the Gospell which the Papistes call Lutheranisme Theyr examiners were Hochestratus and other who demaunded of them what they did beleeue They sayde the bookes of the olde Testament and the newe wherein were contained the Articles of the Creede Then were they asked whether they beleued the decrees of the Councels and of the Fathers They sayde such as were agreeing to the Scripture Their examination they beleeued After thys they proceeded further asking whether they thought it any deadly sinne to transgresse the decrees of the fathers and of the bishop of Rome That said they is to be attributed onely to the precepts of God to binde the conscience of man or to loose it Wherein when they cōstantly persisted and would not turne they were condemned and iudged to be burned Then they beganne to geue thanks to God their heauenly father which had deliuered them through his great goodnes from the false and abhominable priesthoode had made of them priests of his holy order receiuing thē vnto him as a sacrifice of sweete odor Then there was a bill written which was deliuered vnto them to read opēly before the people to declare what faith and doctrine they helde The cause of their accusation Martirdōe The greatest error that they were accused of was that men ought to trust only in God for so much as men are liers and deceitful in all their words and deedes and therefore there ought no trust or
they which kept the straites perceiuing that their enemies prepared themselues to fight fell down vpon their knees and made their praiers vnto God that it woulde please hym to take pitie vpon them The prayer of the Angronian and not to looke vpon their sinnes but to the cause which they mainteyned to turne the harts of their enemies and so to worke that there might be no effusion of bloud and if it were his wyll to take them with their wiues infantes out of this world that he would then mercifully receiue them into his kingdome In this sort most feruent prayers were made of all those that kept the passages with exhortation that they should altogether cry vnto God and craue hys succour and assistance in thys great distresse All this the Lord of Trinitie and the army did well perceiue Their prayers thus ended sodenly they perceyued their enemies comming towards them through the vines to wynne the top of the mountayne of Angrongne In the meane tyme the Prior of Saint Iohn and Iacomel were within the temple of Angrongne and communed wyth the Rulers touching an agreement These were sent thyther by the Lord of Trinitie to keepe the people occupyed To be short the combat began in diuers places and endured for a long space in the passages of Angrongne The poore Waldoys being but few in number and some of them hauing but slings and crossebowes were sore pressed with the multitude of their enemies A combatâ— betweene the Lorde of trinity the Waldoys At length they retired to the toppe of the mountaine where they defended themselues vntill night When they had found a place where they might wythstande their enemies still pursuing them they turned themselues and slue diuers of them and hurt many When the euening came the enemies rested and were about to encampe themselues there to suppe and lodge all night Which thing when the Angrongnians perceiued they fell to prayer desiring God to assist and succour them but the enemies flouted them and laughed them to scorne Then y e poore people deuised to send a drumme into a litle valley hard by And as they were makyng their prayers vnto God the drumme sounded in y e valley the Lord of Trinitie caused his souldiers whiche were about Beholde the polecye of this pore people to encampe themselues to remoue thence which was a great vauntage to the poore people whiche now were sore weeried with trauaile al wet with sweating and very thyrstie and in great perill if God had not geuen them some litle breathing time Many of the enemies that day were slayne and many hurt of the which very few escaped In so much that they reported that the shot was poysoned which this poore simple people neuer vsed to do in all these warres Of the Angrongnians that daye there were but three slayne and one hurt which afterwardes was well healed agayne This combate gaue greate courage to the Waldoys and sore astonished the aduersaries The same tyme the army retyring burnt many houses and made greate spoyle as they went destroyeng also the wines which were in the presses The sayd Lord of Trinitie with his army camped in a village beyond Tour in the valley of Luserne at the foote of the hill betweene Angrongne and y e other townes of y e valley of Luserne Gods secret in â—â—ement in helping his and punishing his enemies which professed y e Gospell They of the sayd village were alwayes sore against y e Waldoys haters of true religion and were glad of this outrage and violence done against the professours therof but they had their iust plague for they were all destroied After this the sayde Lorde of Trinitie caused the Fortresse to be built agayne which the Frenchmen had rased and placed there a garrison and after sent another to the Forte of Uillars which is of the valley of Luserne and an other he sente to the Fortresse of Perouse and a fourth garrison he placed in the Castle of S. Martin They of Angrongne seeyng themselues to be now as it were in a sea of troubles after they had recommended themselues vnto God by prayer and committed their cause vnto him sent to them of Perouse of S. Martin and of Pragela for ayde and succour which sent them all the helpe that they were able The nexte daye folowing there came letters to Angrongne from the Lord of Trinitie The effect whereof was this A crafty mesâ—aâ—e of the Lord of Trinitie to the Angronians that he was sorye for that whiche was done the day before and that he came not thyther to make warre against them but onely to view if it were a place conuenient to build a Fort therein to serue the Duke Furthermore that his souldiers seeing the people assembled as it were to defie them vpon that occasion onely were stirred vp to geue assault and to set vpon them Also that he was sory that suche spoyle was made of their goodes and suche hurt done by fire But if they would shew themselues obedient to y e Duke he had good hope that al should be wel and trusted that some good agreement shoulde be made The Angrongnians answeared that they were marueylously agreeued to be so assaulted The Angronians aunswere to the message spoyled and tormented by the subiectes of their liege and naturall prince and as they had oftentymes before offered themselues to be more faythful and obedient to their soueraigne prince the Duke then any of all his subiects besides so yet still they offered the same obedience Also they most humbly besought hym not to thinke it strange if they being constrayned by such extreame necessitie defended themselues Finally as touching their Religion they affirmed that it was the pure word of God euen as it was preached by the Prophetes and Apostles and the same which their predecessours had obserued for certayne hundreth yeares past Moreouer that the cause was not coÌ„cerning the goodes of the world but the honour and glory of God the saluation or destruction of the soules both of them and theirs and therefore it were much better for them to dye all together then to forsake their religion and yet if it might be proued vnto them by good demonstration out of the word of God that they were in errour not by force of armes by bloud and fire they would then yeeld themselues with all obedience most humbly beseeching him and all other the Lordes of the Countrey of Piemont to be their intercessours and aduocates to the Duke in this behalfe The towne of Vellers assaulted Upon Monday being the fourth day of Nouember the Lord of Trinitie sent his army to Uillars and Tailleret The lesser company ascended toward Uillers The people seeing their enemies aproching after they had called vppon God with feruent prayer The towne of Tailleret assaulted strongly defended themselues and slue many many also were hurt and the rest fled The other companye ascended
iustifying these are to be remooued and separated a sonder the lawe from the Gospel and faith from workes Otherwise in the person that is iustified and also in order of doctrine they ought coÌ„monly to goe necessarily together Therfore where soeuer any question or doubt riseth of saluation or our iustifying before God there the law al good works must be vtterly excluded and stand apart Grace free Promise simple Faith alone that grace may appeare free the promise simple and that faith may staÌ„d alone Which faith alone without law or workes worketh to euery man particularly his saluation through mere promise and the free grace of God This worde particularly I adde Particularly for the particulare certifying of euery mans hart priuately and peculiarly that beleueth in Christ. For as the body of Christ is the cause efficient of the redemption of the whole world in generall so is faith the instrumentall cause The body of Christ is the efficient cause of our redemption in generall Faith is the instrumental cause of euery mans particular saluation by which euery man applieth the sayde body of Christ particularly to his owne saluation So that in the action and office of iustification both law workes here be vtterly secluded and exempted as things hauing nothing to doe in this behalfe The reason is this for seing that all our redemption vniuersally springeth only froÌ„ the body of the sonne of God crucified then is there nothing that can stande vs in steade but that onely wherewith thys bodye of Christ is apprehended Now for somuch as neither the law nor works but faith onely is the thing which apprehendeth the body and death of Christ Note the obiecte of faith Faith with her obiecte onely saueth A similitude beâ—tweene the brasen Serpente and Christes bodye therfore faith onely is that matter which iustifieth euery soule before God thorough the strength of that obiect which it doth apprehend For the obiect onely of our faith is the body of Christ like as the brasen Serpent was the obiecte onely of the Israelites looking and not of their handes working by the strength of which obiect through the promise of God immediatly proceeded health to the beholders So the body of Christ being the obiecte of our faithe striketh righteousnesse to our soules not through working but beleuing onely Thus you see howe faith being the onely eye of our soule Faith is only the eye of the soule which â—â—â—keth to Christ. standeth alone with her obiecte in case of iustifying but yet neuerthelesse in the body she standeth not alone for besides the eye there be also handes to worke feete to walke eares to heare and other members moe euery one conuenient for the seruyce of the body and yet there is none of them all that can see but onely the eye So in a christian mans life and in order of doctrine ther is the law there is repentance there is hope charitie and dedes of charitie all which in life and in doctrine are ioyned necessarily do concurre together and yet in the action of iustifying there is nothing els in man that hath any parte or place but onely Fayth apprehending the obiect which is the body of Christ Iesus for vs crucified in whom consisteth all the worthines and fulnes of our saluation by faith that is by our apprehending and receauyng of him according as it is wrytten Iohn 1. Whosoeuer receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God euen all such as beleued in his name c. Also Esay 53. And this iust seruaunt of mine in the knowledge of him shall iustifie many c. Argument Da. Apprehending and receauing of Christ onely maketh vs iustified before God As many as receaued him to them he gaue power c. â—ohn 1. And â—e by the knâ—wâ—â—dge of him shall iustifie many c. Esay 53. Iohn 1. ti Christ onely is apprehended and receaued by Faith si Ergo faith onely maketh vs iustified before God Argument Ba Iustification commeth onely by apprehending and receiuing of Christ. Esay 53. ro The lawe and workes do nothing pertaine to the apprehending of Christ. co Ergo the law and workes pertaine nothing to Iustification Argument Ce Nothing which is vniust of it selfe can iustifie vs before God or helpe any thing to our iustifying All our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes Esay 64. sa Euery worke we do is vniust before God Esay 54. re Ergo no worke that we do can iustifie vs before God nor helpe any thing to our iustifying Argument Ca If workes could any thing further our iustification theÌ„ should our works some thing profit vs before God When â—e haue done all that is commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruantes Luke 17. Without me can ye do nothing Iohn 15. me No workes doe the best we can doe profite vs before God Luke 17. stres Ergo no workes that we doe can any thynge further our iustification Argument Ba All that we can do w t God is only by Christ. Ihon. 15. ro Our workes and merites be not Christe neyther anye part of him co Ergo our workes merits can do nothing with God Argument Da That which is the cause of condemnation cannot be the cause of iustification The lawe worketh anger Rom. 4. ri The law is the cause of condemnation Rom. 4. j. Ergo it is not the cause of iustification A consequent We are quit and deliuered from the law Rom. 7. Now are we quitte and deliuered from the law being dead to that wherein we were once holden Rom. 7. Ergo we are not quâ—t and deliuered by the law Forsomuch therfore as the truth of the Scripture in expresse words hath thus included our saluation in faith onely we are enforced necessarily to exclude all other causes and meanes in our Iustification and to make this difference betwene the lawe the Gospel betwene faith and works affirming with the Scripture word of God that the lawe condemneth vs our works do not auaile vs and that faith in Christ onely iustifieth vs. And thys difference and distinction ought diligently to be learned and retained of all christians especially in conflict of conscience betweene the law and the gospel faith and works grace and merites promise condition Gods free election and mans freewil So that the lyght of the free grace of God in our saluation may appeare to all consciences to the immortal glory of Gods holy name Amen The order and differences of places The Gospel Antitheta The law Faith Works Grace Merites Promise coÌ„ditioÌ„ Gods fre election maÌ„s fre wil. The difference and repugnance of these foresayde places being wel noted and exâ—ended it shall geue no smal light to euerye faithfull christian both to vnderstande the Scripture to iudge in cases of conscience and to reconcile such places in the olde and newe Testament as els may seeme to repugne according to the rule
no reason neither shoulde it be possible for the Frenche king to induce the Pope to any gratuitie or pleasure for the king in his affaires Wherunto the king answearing againe sendeth worde to the French king The kinges aunswere to the French kinges request trusting and hoping wel of the perfect frendship of the French king his good brother that he will neuer suffer any suche perswasion to enter into hys breast whatsoeuer the great maister or any other shall say to the contrary thereof nor that he will require any thyng more of him to do for the Pope Chauncelour or other then hys Counsaile hath already deuised to be done in this behalfe especially considering the words of the sayd French kings promise made before as well to the Duke of Northfolke as to the other Ambassadours promising his frendship to to the King simply without requiring him to reuocate or infringe any suche acte or constitution made by the realme and Parlament to the contrary Perswading moreouer and laying before the eyes as well of the Pope as of the French king howe much it should redound to the Popes dishonouâ— and infamie to the sclaunder also of his cause if he should be seene so to pact and couenant wyth the king vpon such conditions for the administration of that thing which he in his owne conscience hath reputed and adiudged to be most rightfull agreeable to iustice and equitie and ought of his office and duetie to do in thys matter simpliciter gratis and wythout all worldly respectes eyther for the aduancement of his priuate lucre and commoditie The Pope seeketh not for iustice but his owne lucre and commodity or for the preseruation of hys pretensed power and authoritie For surely it is 〈◊〉 to be doubted but that the Pope being minded and determined to geue sentence for the inualiditie and nullitie of the kings first pretensed matrimonie hath conceiued and established in hys owne conscience a 〈◊〉 and certain opinion and perswasion that he ought of iustice and equitie so to do Then to see the Pope to haue thys opinion in deede and yet refuse this to doe for the King vnlesse hee shall be content for his benefite and pleasure The Pope â—elleth iustice â—edere iuri suo and to doe some things preiudiciall vnto his subiects contrary to hys honour it â—o easie to be foreseene what the world and the posteritie shall iudge de tam turpi nundinatione iustitiae illius tam foeda sordida lucri honoris ambitione And as foâ— the kings part if he shal not attaine now iustice at the mediation of hys good brother knowing the Pope to be of this disposition and determination in his heart to satisfie all his desires being mooued thereunto by iustice The Pope doth agaynst his 〈◊〉 owne conscieÌ„ce and that the â—et therof is no default of iustice in the cause but onely for that the king woulde not condescende to hys request it is to the king matter sufficient enough for discharge of hys conscience to God and to the worlde although hee neuer did execute in deede hys sayde determination For sith hys corrupt affection is the onely impediment thereof what neede either the king to require him any further to doe in the cause or els his subiectes to doubte any further in the iustnesse of the same Albeit if respects to benefites merites done towardes the Pope the See of Rome The Pope forgetteth his olde benefactors and frendes should be regarded in the attaining of iustice in a cause of so high consequencie as thys is reason would that if it would please the Pope to consider the former kindnesse of the King shewed vnto him in time past whereof hee is very loth to enter the rehearsall ne videatur velle exprobrare quae de alijs fecerit bene he should not nowe require of him any newe benefite or gratuitie to be shewed vnto him but rather studie to recompence hym for the olde graces merites pleasures and benefites before receiued For surely he thinketh that the Pope can not forget howe that for the conseruation of his person his estate and dignitie the king hath not heretofore spared for anye respecte The benefites of the king vpon the Pope when he was taken by the Duke of Burbonâ— in vsing the office of a moste perfecte and stedfaste frend to relinquish the long coÌ„tinued good will established betweene him and the Emperor and to declare openly to all the world that for the Popes sake and in default of hys deliuerance he would become enemie to the sayde Emperour and to make against him actuall warre Besides thys the King hath not failed hym with right large and ample subuentions of money for the better supporting of his charges against the enterprises of the sayde Emperour combinding and knitting him selfe wyth the Frenche king to procure the aduauncement of the sayde Frenche kings armie into Italie to the charges whereof the king did beare little lesse then the one halfe Besides notable losses susteined as well in his customes subsidies and other dueties as also to the no little hinderaunce and dammage of his subiects and marchauntes occasioned by discontinuance of the traffike and entercourse heretofore vsed with the Emperours subiectes In doing of al which thinges the king hath not bene thus respectiue as the Pope nowe sheweth himselfe towardes him but lyke a perfect frend hath bene alwayes contented franckly liberally and openly to expone all his study labour trauayle treasure puisaunce Realme and diuers subiectes for the Popes ayd and y e mayntenance of the state and dignitie of the Church and See of Rome Which thinges although he doth not here rehearse animo exprobandi yet hee doubteth not but the same weighed in the ballaunce of anye indifferent mans iudgement All is lost thaâ— is done for a churle shal be thought to be of that weight valure as that he hath iustly deserued to haue some mutuall correspondencie of kindenes to be shewed vnto hym at y e popes handes especially in the ministration of iustice and in so reasonable iust cause as this is and not thus to haue his most rightfull petition reiected and denyed because he will not follow hys desire and appetite in reuocating of such actes as be here made passed for the weale commoditie of hys realme and subiectes ¶ Thus ye haue heard how instantly the king had laboured by the meanes of the french king to the pope being then in Fraunce for right and iustice to be done for the dissolution and nullitie of his first pretensed matrimonye with hys brothers wife Which when it could not be attayned at the popes handes vnles the king would recompeÌ„ce and require the same by reuocating of such statutes as wer made and enacted here in the high Court of Parliament for the surety of succession and stablishment of the Realme what the king thereunto aunswered agayne ye heard declaring that
Iacob yet vnderstand good Reader that it was written in very deede to Iohn Frith as is aboue tolde thee For the more proofe and euidence whereof read Frithes booke of the Sacramente and there thou shalte finde a certayne place of this Epistle repeated word for word beginning thus I call God to record against the day we shall appeare before our Lorde Iesus to geue a reckening of oure doings that I neuer altered one sillable of Gods word against my conscience c. Which Epistle Iohn Frith hymselfe witnesseth that he receaued from Tyndall as in hys testimonie aboue appeareth ¶ The death of the Lady Katherine and of Queene Anne THe same yeare in the which W. Tyndall was burned which was the yeare of our Lord 1536. in the begynning of the yeare Anno. 1536. first died Lady Katherine Princes Dowager in the moneth of Ianuary The death of Lady Katherine 〈◊〉 Dowagar After whome the same yeare also in the moneth of May next following followed the death also of Queene Anne who had now bene married to the King the space of three yeares In certeine records thus we finde that the Kyng being in his Iustes at Greenewich sodenly with a fewe persons departed to Westminster and the next daye after Queene Anne his wife was had to the Tower The death of Queene Anne with the Lord Rochford her brother and certayne other and the xix day after was beheaded The wordes of this worthy and Christian Lady at her death were these Good Christen people I am come hether to die for according to the Law and by y e Lawe I am iudged to death and therefore I will speake nothing against it The wordes of Queene Anne at her death I am come hether to accuse no man nor to speake any thing of that whereof I am accused and condemned to die but I pray God saue the King and sende him long to raigne ouer you for a gentler or a more mercifull Prince was there neuer and to me he was euer a good a gentle and soueraigne Lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause I require them to iudge the best And thus I take my leaue of the world and of you all and I hartely desire you all to pray for me O Lord haue mercy on me To God I commend my soule And so she kneeled downe sayeng To Christ I commend my soule Iesu receiue my soule repeating the same diuers times till at length the stroke was geuen and her head was striken off And this was the end of that godly Lady and Queene Godly I call her Queene Anne beheaded CommendatioÌ„s of Quene Anne for sundry respectes whatsoeuer the cause was or quarell obiected against her Fyrst her last wordes spoken at her death declared no lesse her sincere fayth and trust in Christ then dyd her quiet modestie vtter forth the goodnesse of the cause and matter whatsoeuer it was Besides that to such as wisely can iudge vpon cases occurrent this also may seeme to geue a great clearing vnto her that the King the third day after was maried in his whites vnto an other Certaine this was that for the rare and singular giftes of her minde so well instructed and geuen toward God with suche a feruent desire vnto the trueth and setting foorth of sincere Religion ioyned wyth like gentlenes modestie and pitie toward all men there hath not many suche Queenes before her borne the Crowne of England Principally this one commendation she left behinde her that during her life the Religion of Christ most happely florished and had a right prosperous course Many things might be written more of the manyfolde vertues and the quiet moderation of her milde nature how lowly she would beare not onely to be admonished The milde nature of Queene Anne in taking admâ—nition but also of her owne accorde woulde require her Chapleynes playnely and freely to tell whatsoeuer they sawe in her amisse Also how bountifull shee was to the poore passing not only the common example of other Queenes but also the reuenues almost of her estate in so much that the almose which she gaue in three quarters of a yeare in distribution is summed to the number of xiiij or xv thousand pounds Beside the great peece of money which her grace intended to impart into foure sundry quarters of the Realme as for a stocke there to be employed to the behoofe of poore artificers and occupyers Agayne The great Almose of Queene Annne what a zelous defender she was of Christes Gospell all the world doth knowe and her actes doe and will declare to the worldes ende Amongst which other her actes this is one that shee placed M. Hugh Latymer in the Byshopricke of Worcester and also preferred Doctor Shaxton to his Byshopricke being then accompted a good man Furthermore what a true fayth she bare vnto the Lorde this one example may stande for many for that when King Henry was with her at Wodstocke and there being afrayde of an olde blinde prophesie for the which neyther he nor other Kings before him durst hunt in the sayde parke of Woodstocke nor enter into the Towne of Oxford at last thorough the Christian and faithfull counsayle of that Queene he was so armed against all infidelitie that both he hunted in the foresayde parke and also entred in the Towne of Oxford and had no harme But because touching the memorable vertues of this worthy Queene partly we haue sayd something before partly because more also is promised to be declared of her vertuous life the Lord so permitting by other who then were about her I will cease in this matter further to proceede This I can not but meruayle why the Parlament holden this yeare that is the xxviij yeare of the King which Parliament three yeares before had established and confirmed this Mariage as most lawfull shoulde now so sodeinly and contrary to their owne doings Statuâ— An. 28. Hen. 8. cap. 7. repeale and disable the sayd Mariage agayne as vnlawfull beeyng so lawfully before contracted But more I meruayle why the saide Parliament after the illegitimation of the Mariage enacted not contented with that should further proceede and charge her with such carnall desires of her body as to misuse her selfe with her owne naturall brother the Lorde Rochford and others Parliamentâ— not alwayes constant being so contrary to all nature that no naturall man will beleeue it But in this Acte of Parliament did lie no doubt some great mistery which heere I will not stand to discusse but onely that it may be suspected some secrete practising of the Papistes here not to be lacking considering what a mightie stoppe she was to their purposes and proceedings and on the contrary side what a strong Bulwarke she was for the maintenance of Christes Gospell and sincere religion which they then in no case could abide By reason wherof it may easily be considered that this Christian and deuout Debora could lacke no enemies
that he indicted it and also the place where he appointed it to be might assure him of this But whether wandereth not these Popishe Bulles whether go they not astray what King is not cited and summoned by a proud Minister and seruant of Kings to come to bolster vp errours fraudes deceites and vntruthes and to set foorth this feined generall Councell For who will not thinke that Paule the Byshop of Rome goeth sooner about to make men beleeue that he intendeth a generall Councell then that he desireth one in deede No who can lesse desire it theÌ„ they that do despaire of their cause except they be iudges and giue sentence themselues against their aduersaries We which very sore against our will at any time leaue off the procurement of the Realme and coÌ„mon weale neede neither to come our selues The king not bound to come at the Popes call nor yet to sende our procuratours thether no nor yet to make our excuse for either of both For who can accuse vs that we come not at his call which hath no authoritie to call vs But for a season let vs as a sorte of blyndlynges doe graunt that he may call vs Who be they that haue place in the Popes Councell and that he hath authority so to do yet we pray you may not all men see what auaileth it to come to this Councell where ye shall haue no place except ye be knowen both willing to oppresse trueth and also ready to confirme and stablish errours Do not all meÌ„ perceiue as well as we with what integritie fidelitie and Religion these men go about to discusse matters in controuersie that take them in hand in so troublesome a time as this is Is it not plaine what fruite the common weale of Christendome may looke for there The place of the Councell not indifferent where as Mantua is chosen the place to keepe this Councell at Is there any Prince not beeing of Italy yea is there any of Italy Prince or other dissenting froÌ„ the Pope that dareth come to this assemble and to this place If there come none that dare speake for troden truth No reason that the pope should be iudge in his owne cause none that will venture hys life is it meruayle if the Bishop of Rome being iudge no man repining no man gainesaieng the defenders of the Papacie obteine that Popish authority now quayling and almost fallen be set vp againe Is this the way to helpe things afflict The Byshop of Rome in learning and lyfe farre vnder other Byshops to redresse troubled Religion to lift vp oppressed truth Shall men thys way know whether the Romane Bishops which in very deede are if yee looke either vpon their doctrine or life far vnder other Bishops ought to be made like theyr felowes that is to be pastours in their own Dioces and so to vse no further power or else whether they may make lawes not only vnto other Bishops but also to Kings Emperours O boldnesse meete to be beaten downe with force and not to be conuinced with arguments Can either Paule that now Lordeth or any of his earnestly go about if they alone or at y e least without any aduersary be thus in a corner assembled together to heale the sickenesses to take away the errours to plucke downe the abuses that now are crept into the Church and there be bolstered vp by such Councels as now is like to be at Mantua It is very like that these whiche prole for nothing but profit will right gladly pul down all such things as their forefathers made onely for y e increase of money Paule the Pope proleth for his owne profite Where as their forefathers wheÌ„ their honour power primacy was called into question woulde either in spite of Gods law mainteine their dignity or to say better their intollerable pride is it like that these will not trede in their steps and make naughty new Canons wherby they may defend old euil decrees Howbeit what need we to care either what they haue done or what they intend to do hereafter for as much as EnglaÌ„d hath taken her leaue of Popish crafts for euer neuer to be deluded w t them hereafter England taketh her leaue of the Pope for euer Romaine Bishops haue nothing to do with Englishe people the one doth not trafike with the other at y e least though they wil haue to do with vs yet we wil none of their marchandise none of their stuffe We will receiue them of our Councell no more We haue sought our hurt and bought our losse a great while too loÌ„g Surely their Decrees either touchyng things set vp or put downe shall haue none other place w t vs then al Bishops Decrees haue that is if we like them we admit them if we do not we refuse them But lest peraduenture meÌ„ shal think vs to folow our senses too much EnglaÌ„d refuseth the Popes marchandise that we moued by small or no iust causes forsake the authority censures Decrees and Popishe Councelles wee thought it best heere to shew our mind to the whole world Wherefore we protest before God and all men that we down of his vsurped power and proud primacy for expelling of hys vsurped iurisdiction and for deliuering of oure realme from his greeuous boÌ„dage and pollage Who seeth not him euen inflamed w t hatred againste vs and y e flames to be much greater 〈◊〉 hatred 〈◊〉 the Pope 〈…〉 then he can nowe keepe them in He is an open ennemie he dissembleth no longer prouoking all men by all the meanes that hee can to endammage vs and our countrey These 3. yeares he hath bene occupied in no one thing so much as how he might stirre vp the commoÌ„s of England now corrupting some with mony some wyth dignities Wee lette passe what letters hee hath wrytten to Christen Princes with howe great feruent study he hath exhorted men to set vpon vs. The good Uicare of Christe by his doing sheweth how he vnderstandeth the words of Christ. The Pope 〈…〉 put the â—orde to the earth otherwise â—hen Christ did Hee thinketh he playeth Christes part well when he may say as Christ did Non veni pacem mittere in terram sed gladium I come not to make peace in earth but to sende swordes about and not such swordes as Christ would his to be armed with all but such as cruell manquellers abuse in the slaughter of theyr neighbours Wee meruaile little though they vexe other Princes oft seing they recompence our fauour shewed to them wyth contumelies our benefites with iniuries We will not rehearse here how many our benefites bestowed vpon Romaine bishops be lost God be with such vngrate earles Benefâ—tes â—ast away vpon the Pope vnworthy to be nombred amongest men Cerâ—es suche that a man may well doubt whether God or man hath better cause to hate them But y t we haue learned to owe good wil eueÌ„ to
or see there This tale was no sooner brought to Doct. London by William Symons Filmers vtter ennemie but he sent for the poore man home to his house 〈◊〉 London 〈◊〉 broâ—â—â— agâ—ynst â—â—â—ther where he chearished hym with meat and money telling him he shoulde neuer lacke so long as he liued that y e seely poore man thinking to haue had a daily frend of D. London was content to do and say whatsoeuer he and Symons would haue hym say or do against his owne brother And when D. London had thus won the pore man he retained him as one of his houshold men vntill the court day was come and then sent him vp to witnes this foresaid tale against his brother Which â—ale Filmer denied vtterly saying that D. London for a little meat and drinke sake had set him on and made him to say what his pleasure was â—â—â—mers own â—â—â—ther 〈◊〉 agaynst 〈◊〉 wherfore my Lord quoth Filmer to the bishop I beseeche your Lordship weigh the matter indifferently 〈◊〉 witnes stand is aâ—â—â—nst the 〈◊〉 for as muche as there is no man in all thys towne y t can or will testifie with him that euer he heard any such talke betwene him and me and if he can bring forth any that wil witnes the same with him I refuse not to die But say what he could it would not preuaile Then Filmer seeing no remedy but that hys brothers accusemeÌ„t shuld take place he sayd Ah brother what cause hast thou to shew me this vnkindnes I haue alwaies ben a naturall brother vnto thee and thine and helped you all to my power from time to time as thou thy selfe knowest and is this a brotherly part 〈◊〉 cast 〈◊〉 by his 〈…〉 thus to rewarde me nowe for my kindnesse God forgeue it thee my brother geue thee grace to repent Then Filmer looking ouer his shoulder desired some good body to let him see the booke of statutes Hys wife being at the end of the hall and hearing her husband call for the booke of statutes ran downe to the keper and brought vp the booke gat it conueied to her husbaÌ„d The Bishop seeing the booke in his hand starte hym vp from the bench in a great sume 〈◊〉 Bishops â—â—â—demne 〈◊〉 not one without 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 that â—â—ould not 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 do the 〈…〉 say that 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 iust 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 accuser 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 demanding who had geueÌ„ the prisoner that booke commaunding it to be taken from him and to make searche who had brought it swearing by the faith of hys body he should go to prison Some sayd it was his wife some sayd the keeper Like inough my lord quoth Symons for he is one of the same sort as worthy to be heere as the best if he were rightly serued But howsoeuer it was the truthe would not be knowen and so the Bishop sate him downe againe Then sayd Filmer O my Lord I am this day iudged by a lawe why should not I see the lawe that I am iudged by The law is I should haue two lawfull witnesses and here is but one which would not doe as he doeth but that he is forced thereunto by the suggestion of mine ennemies Nay quoth Bucklayer the kynges atturney thyne heresie is so heinous and abhorteth thine owne brother so much that it forceth him to witnesse against thee which is more then two other witnesses Thus as ye see was Filmer brought vniustly to hys death by the malice of Symons and D. London who had enticed that wretched caitiffe his brother to be their minister to worke his confusion But God which is a iust reueÌ„ger of all falsehode wrongs would not suffer that wretch long to liue vppon earth but the next yeare followyng he beyng taken vp for a labourer to goe to Bullaine had not bene there three daies ere that in exonerating of nature a Gunne tooke him and tore him all to peeces And so was these woordes of Salomon fulfilled A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished Iohn Marbecke THen was Marbecke called and hys Inditement read The inditement of Marbecke whiche was that he shoulde say That the holy Masse when the Priest doeth consecrate the body of our Lorde is poluted deformed sinnefull and open robbery of the glory of God from the which a Christian hart ought both to abhorre and flee And the eleuation of the Sacramente is the similitude of the setting vp of Images of the calues in the Temple builded by Ieroboam and that it is more abhomination then the sacrifices done by the Iewes in Ieroboams temple to those calues And that certaine and sure it is that Christ himself is made in the masse mans laughing stocke To thys hee aunswered and sayde Marbecke aunswereth to his inditement that these woordes wherof they had indited him were not his but the wordes of a learned man called Iohn Caluine and drawn out of a certaine Epistle which the sayd Caluine had made whych Epistle he had but onely wrytten out and that long before the 6. Articles came foorth so that nowe he was discharged of that offence by the kings generall pardon desiring that he might enioy the benefite thereof Then was the Iurye called which were all Farmers belonging to the Colledge of Wyndsore Partiall dealing in calling the Iurye whereof fewe or none had euer sene those men before vppon whose life and death they went Wherfore the prisoners counting the farmers as partial desired to haue the Townes men or such as did know them and had sene their daily conuersations in the place of the Farmers or els to be equally ioyned w t them but that would not be for the matter was otherwise foreseene and determined Now when the Iury had taken theyr oth and al Bucklayer the kynges atturney began to speake Buclayer the kinges atturney a persecuter and first he alledged many reasons against Anth. Person to prooue him an hereticke Whych when Anth. woulde haue disprooued the Bishop sayd let him alone Syr he speaketh for the K. so went Bucklayer foorth with his matter making euery mans cause as hainous to the hearers as he coulde deuise And when he had done and sayd what he would then Sir Humfrey Foster spake to the Quest in the fauor of Marbecke on thys wise Maisters quoth hee Syr Humfrey Foster speaketh for Marbecke yee see there is no man here that accuseth or layeth any thyng to the charge of this poore man Marbecke sauing he hath written certaine things of other mens sayings with his owne hand wherof he is discharged by the kings generall pardon therfore ye ought to haue a conscience therin Then start vp Fachel at the lower ende of the benche and sayd Fachell a persecuter What can we tel whether they were wrytten before the pardone or after They may as well be wrytten since as afore for any thing that we
22. article Christ sayde to Peter Feede my sheepe Iohn 21. And thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Luke 22. And to his Apostles he sayd Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospell This heresie is onely to the Pope but none at all to God c. Againe S. Paule 1. Corinth 1. sayth That Christ sent him not to baptise but to preache To what other office or function he sent the Pope let thē iudge which consider the Scriptures 23 If thou binde thy selfe to chastitie to obteyne that whyche Christ purchased for thee so surely art thou an Infidell fol. 175. 23 article Reade and conferre the place of Tindall which is thys Chastitie canst thou not geue to God further then God lendeth it thee The place annexed If thou canst not liue chaste thou art boūd to marry or to be damned c. For to what purpose thou bendest thy selfe must be seene If thou do it to obteyne thereby that which Christ hath purchased for thee so art thou an Infidell Chastitye and hast no parte with Christ. If thou wilt see more of this matter looke in Deuteronomy and there shalt thou finde it more largely intreated c. 24 He denieth rebuketh and damneth miracles fol. 176. 24. article The words in Tindals Obedience be these And when they crie miracles The place annexed Miracles how farre to be beleued miracles remember that God hathe made an euerlasting Testamente whiche is in Christes bloud against which we may receiue no miracles no neither the preaching of Paule himselfe if he come agayne by his owne teaching to the Galathians neither yet by the preaching of the Aungels of heauen c. The end of Gods miracles is good the end of these miracles is euill For the offerings which are the cause of the miracles do but minister and maintaine vice sinne and all abhomination and are geuen to them that haue too much so that for very aboundance they some out theyr owne shame and corrupt the whole world with the stinch of their filthines c. 25 He sayth that no man should serue God with good intent or zeale 25. article for it is playne Idolatry fol. 177. The place is this in the Obedience Remember Saule was cast away of God for euer for his good intente God requireth obedience vnto his word The place annexed Good intentes without Gods word God abhorreth and abhorreth all good intents and good zeales which are without Gods worde for they are nothing else but playne Idolatry and woorshipping of false Gods c. ¶ Heere followe other heresies and errours collected by the Byshops out of the booke called the Reuelation of Antichrist with the places of the booke out of the which they were gathered annexed to the same 1. TO binde a man perpetually to any vowe of Religion is without doubt an errour fol. 19. Articles out of the booke called the reuelation of Antichrist The place of the booke called the Reuelation whence this Article is gathered is this as foloweth Whiche the Fathers did neither make nor keepe he meaneth vowes but with the libertie of the spirite binding no man perpetually to them For if they did without doubt they erred according to mans fragilitie 2 To say the constitutions of Religion are good because holy men did ordeyne them 2. article as Augustine Benedict Fraunces Dominicke and such other and to folow such examples of Fathers is to leaue the fayth fol. 19. The place of the article is this But they obiect the statutes and ordinances are good Holy men did make them The place annexed as Augustine Benedict Bernard Fraunces Dominicke and such other To this I aunswer That is euen it that Christ and the Apostles did meane that these works shuld be like to those things which are taught in the Gospell for that they call counterfeiting of the doctrine and priuily bringing in of sectes and heresies because they take only of the fathers examples of workes and leaue the faith c. 3 All morall diuines haue a wicked conscience full of scrupulositie 2. Pet. 2. fol. 3. 3. article Morall diuines be they whose doctrine and hope of saluation consisteth in morall vertues rather then in christian faith apprehending the free promises of God in Christ. And they that be such can neuer be certified in conscience of their saluation but alwayes be full of feare and scrupulositie S. Paule therefore sayeth It is therefore of faith that it might come by grace and y e promise might be firme and sure to the whole seede Rom. 4. Rom. 4. 4 Morall vertues as iustice temperance strength chastitie described by naturall reason maketh a Synagogue ◠article and corrupteth Christes fayth fol. 64. The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuelation is this So many he the Pope he meaneth corrupteth as he hath subdued and led vnder his lawes and imperie The place annexed And who is he in the world that is not subiect vnder him except they be infants or peraduenture some simple persons which are reserued by the inscrutable counsell and prouision of God O thou man of sinne O thou sonne of perdition O thou abhomination O thou corrupter O thou author of euill consciences O thou false maister of good consciences O thou enemie of faith and christen libertie who is able to rehearse yea or to comprehend in his mind the infinite waues of this monstrous * By this king he meaneth the king of 〈◊〉 which Daniell speaketh of 〈◊〉 the 8. chapter Kings euils If he had ordeined these his lawes in those workes of vertues that are commended in the ten precepts or else in such as the philosophers and naturall reason did describe as are iustice strength temperance chastitie mildnes truth goodnes and such other peraduenture they shoulde only haue made a Sinagoge or else haue ordeyned in the world a certaine ciuill iustice for through these also fayth should haue bene corrupted as it was amōgst the Iewes Howbeit nowe hee keepeth not himselfe within these boundes but runneth at riot and more at large raising infinite tempests of mischiefe entising and drawing vs to ceremonies and his owne fayned traditions and bindeth vs like asses and ignorant fooles yea and stockes vnto them c. 5 Christ tooke away all lawes and maketh vs free and at liberty and most of all he suppresseth all ceremonies fol. 65.63 5. article The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuelation is this Christ taking away all lawes to make vs free The place annexed and at libertie did most of all suppresse and disanull the ceremonies which did consist in places persons garmēts meates dayes and such other so that their vse shoulde be to all men most free and indifferent c. What he meaneth by taking away all lawes he declareth a little before saieng he hath not deliuered vs from the law but from the power violence
diuelishe thing Of the which it is spoken in the fourth of the first epistle to Tim. Forbidding to marry c. where as againe our most reuerend father maketh that thing necessary 1. Tim. 4. that Christ would haue free whereof Daniell in the 11. chapter speaketh He shall not be desirous of women Heere Daniel meaneth that he shall refuse and abstaine from mariage for a cloke of godlynes Dan. 11. and not for loue of chastitie 21 Worshipping of Reliques is a proper thing and a cloke of aduantage against the precept of God and nothing but the affection of men fol. 30.31 These be the wordes in the Reuel This the worshipping of reliques he meaneth is a proper most fruitefull cloke of aduantage The place annexed Out of this were inueÌ„ted innumerable pilgrimages with y e which the foolish vnlearned people might loose their labour monie time nothing in y e meane season regarding their houses wiues children coÌ„trary to the commandement of God when as they might do much better deedes to their neighbours which is the precept c. 22 There is but one speciall office that pertayneth to thine orders 22. article and that is to preâ—ch the word of God fol. 36. Of this matter sufficient hath bene said before in the 22. article alledged out of the booke of Obedience 23 The Temple of God is not stones and woode neither in the time of Paule was there any house which was called the temple of God 23 article fol. 37. The place of this article is this Which is an aduersary the Pope he meaneth and is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped The place speaking of the tempâ—e where Antichrist sitteth is not so greuous as the article maketh so that he shall sit in y e temple of God shew himselfe as God Doth not he sit in the Temple of God which saith and professeth hymselfe to be the maister in the whole Church what is the Temple of God Is it stones and wood Doth not Paule saye The Temple of God is holy which temple are ye Neither in the time of Paule was there any house which was called the teÌ„ple of God as we now cal them What meaneth this sitting but reigning teaching and iudging Who sith the beginning of the Church durst presume to call himselfe the maister of the whole Church but only the Pope c. 24. article 24 He that fasteth no day that sayth no Mattens and doth none of the precepts of the Pope sinneth not if he thinke that he doth not sinne fol. 43. The place is there cleare and plaine without any daunger of heresie The place in the Reuel is this Because he feareth the consciences vnder the title pretence of Christes name he maketh of those things which in themselues are no sinnes very greuous offences For he that beleueth that hee doth sinne if he eate flesh on the Apostles eueÌ„ or say not MatteÌ„s and Prime in the morning or else leaue vndone any of the Popes precepts no doubt he sinneth not because the dede which he doth is sinne but because he beleueth it is sinne and that against this foolish beliefe conscience he offendeth Of the which foolish coÌ„science only the Pope is head author For another doing the same deede thinking that he doth not sinne truely offendeth not And this is the cause that the spirit of Paul coÌ„plaineth that many shall depart froÌ„ the faith Traditions how they doe hurt And for this foolish conscience mens traditioÌ„s be pernitious noisome y e snares of soules hurting the faith the libertie of the Gospel If it were not for this cause they should do no hurt Therfore the diuell through the Pope abuseth these consciences to stablish the lawes of his tiranny to suppresse the faith and libertie and to replenish the world with errour sinne and perdition c. 25. article 25 Christ ordeyned the Sacrament of the aultar onely to nourishe the fayth of them that liue but the Pope maketh it a good woorke and a sacrifice to be applyed both to quicke and dead fol. 48. The place is this Sathan hated the Sacramente The place â—uche 〈…〉 the Sacrament and is 〈…〉 the Sacrament and knew no way how to suppresse disanull it Therefore he found this craft that the sacrament which Christ did onely ordeine to nourish and stablish the faith of them that liue should be counted for a good worke and sacrifice bought and sold And so faith is suppressed and this holesome ministery is applied not to the quicke but vnto the dead that is to say neither to the quicke neither yet to the dead O the incredible fury of God c. 26 These signes he speaketh of miracles and visions or apparitions are not to the increase of the fayth and Gospell 26. article for they are rather against the fayth and Gospell and they are the operation of sathan and lying signes fol. 49. The place is as followeth Who is able to number the monstrous maruels only of them that are departed 〈◊〉 place conteyneth a true 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 illusiâ—â— and nay wâ—ll be 〈◊〉 Good Lord what a sea of lyes hath inuaded vs of apparitions coniurings and aunsweres of spirits By the which it is brought to passe that the Pope is also made the king of theÌ„ that are dead and reigneth in Purgatory to the great profite of his Priestes which haue all their liuing riches and pompe out of Purgatory howbeit they should haue lesse if they did so well teache the fayth of them that lyue as they do ridelesse them that are dead Neyther was there syth the beginning of the world any worke founde of so little labour and great aduauntage For truely to thys purpose were gathered almost the possessions of all Princes and rich men And through these riches sprang vp all pleasures and idlenes and of idlenes came very Babilone and Sodoma c. Neither are these signes to the encrease of the fayth and Gospell for they are rather against the faith and Gospell but they are done to stablishe the Tirannie of these * This booke of 〈…〉 christ treaâ—ing vpoÌ„ 〈◊〉 chapâ— of Daniell 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 faces and reedeles and to set vp confirme the trust in works Among these illusions are those myracles to bee reputed which are shewed in visions pilgrimages and worshippings of Saints as there are plenty now adayes whiche the Pope confirmeth by his Bulles yea and sometyme doth canonize Saints that he knoweth not Now behold what is the operation of Satan in lying signes c. 27 The people of Christ doth nothyng because it is commaunded but because it is pleasaunte and acceptable vnto them fol. 63. The wordes out of the which this Article is gathered are these They are the people of Christ The place 〈…〉 other 〈…〉 the article pretendeth whiche willingly do heare and folow him
their mother helde taught and communed of the sayd errours within their house diuers times by the space of those three yeares past as well on holy dayes as working dayes affirming and teaching that the saide opinions were good and lawfull and to be holden and maintained and agreemente was made amongst them that none of them should discouer or bewray eyther of these beliefes in any wise Finally that they neuer heard their sayd father and mother holding nor reaching any other opinions then be the said errours against the Sacrament of the altar and pilgrimages offerings worshipping of Saints and Images as farre as they could remember c. Ex verbis Regist. Heere hast thou Christian reader before thine eyes an horrible spectacle of a singular yea of a double impietie first of an vnnaturall husband Example of an vnnaturall husband and of vnnaturall children witnessing against his own wife and of as vnnaturall children accusing and witnessing against their owne naturall mother Which although they had so done the cause being of it selfe iust and true as it was not yet had they done more then nature woulde haue led them to do Now the case being such as which by Gods word standeth firme sound and perfect what impietie were it for men to accuse a poore innocent in case of heresie which is no heresie Now besides all this the husband to come in against his owne wife and the children to bring in the knife wherewith to cut the throate of theyr owne naturall mother that bare them that nourished theÌ„ that brought them vp what is this but impietie vpon impietie Great impiety of the husband toward the wife prodigious and horrible for all Christian eares to heare And yet the greatest impietie of all resteth in these pretensed Catholickes and Clergiemen which weare the authors and causers of all this mischiefe The cause why this good woman so stood as she dyd in the deniall of these foresaid articles obiected Greater impiety in the children against the mother was thys for that she neuer thought that her husband and her owne children who onely were priuie of her Religion would testifie agaynst her Whom notwithstanding after she perceaued to come in and to depose this agaynst her denying stil as she did before that she did euer hold such maner of errours Greatest impiety of all in the Clergy men the authors hereof and being now destitute of all frends and comfort brast out in these woordes openly as the register reporteth that she repented the time that euer she bare those children of her body And thus the Archb. with his Doctours hauing now the thing that they sought for albeit she was ready to deny all errours Ex Regist. W. Warrham Fol. 177. and to conforme her selfe to theyr religion yet notwithstanding they refusing her readines and conformitie proceeded to theyr sentence and so condemned her to death Agnes Grebell condemned by the sentence of the Archb. Robert Harrison examined W. Carder Agnes Grebyll Robert Harison Martyrs After whose condemnation next was brought to examination Rob. Harrison whom in like maner because he stoode in his deniall contrary witnesses agaynst him were produced to wit Christofer Grebyll W. Rich W. Olberd Agnes Iue who a litle before had bene abiured and therfore were so much the more apt and appliable to serue the Bishops humour for daunger of relapse After the deposition conuiction of which witnesses although he submitted himselfe to repentaunce and conformitie yet notwythstanding it would not be receaued but sentence was read he condemned with the other two aforesayd vnto y e fire And thus these three were condemned and burned certificate geuen vp of them together to the king froÌ„ Warrham the Archbishop vpon the same An. 1511. Maij. 2. Ex Regist. Cant. Ouer and besides these three godly martyrs aboue recited I finde in the foresayd Registers of W. Warrham Io. Browâ—â— Edward Walker Martyrs ij other godly like martirs also in the same yeare and for the same xij articles aboue specified to be condemned vpon y e depositions of certayne witnesses brought in agaynst theÌ„ to wyt Tho. Harwod Phillip Harwod Witnesses agaynst these two Martyrs Stephen Castelyn W. Baker Rob. Reynold Ioh. BaÌ„pton Rob. Bright W. Rich. c. whereupon they were adiudged likewise for heretickes to be burned the yeare aforesayd 1511. y e names of which two martyrs were Iohn Brown and Edward Walker Ex Regist. W. Warrh fol. 179. Nowe as you haue heard the names of these blessed Martyrs with their articles recited let vs also heare the tenor of the Bishops sentence by the which they were condemned one after an other Their sentence contayneth one vniforme maner of wordes in forme as followeth * The tenour of the sentence IN nomine Dei Amen Nos Willielmus permissione diuina Cantuariensis Archiepis totius Angliae primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus The 〈◊〉 nation of these 〈◊〉 aforesayd martyrs in quodam negotio hereticae prauitatis contra te Willielmum Carder de Tenterden nostrae Cant. Dioceseos laicum ac nostro imperio notoriè subditum subiectum coram nobis in iudicio personaliter comparentem nobis super heretica prauitate huiusmodi detectum delatum ac per nostram Diocesim Cantuariae antedictae notoriè publicè in ea parte apud bonos graues diffamatum ex officio mero ritè canonicè precedentes auditis intellectis visis cognitis rimatisque ac matura deliberatione discussis ponderatis dicti negotij meritis seruatisque in omnibus per omnia in eodem negotio de iure seruandis ac quomodo libet requisitis pro tribunali sedentes Christi nomine inuocato solum Deum prae oculis habentes Quia per acta actitata deducta probata exhibita coram nobis in eodem negocio inuenimus te per probationes legitimas coram nobis in hac parte iudicialiter factas nonnullos varios errores haereses damnatas opiniones iuri diuino ecclesiastico obuiantes contrarios repugnantes contra fidem orthodoxam determinatam obseruatam tenuisse credidisse affirmasse predicasse dogmatizasse presertim contra Sacramenta altaris seu eucharistiae poenitentiae ordinis alia Sacramenta sanctae matris Ecclesiae dogmata Et quamuis nos Christi vestigijs inhaerendo qui non vult mortem peccatoris sed magis vt conuertatur viuat sepenumero conati fuimus te corrigere ac vijs modis licitis canonicis quibus potuimus aut sciuimus ad fidem orthodoxam per vniuersalem Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam determinatam obseruatam ac ad vnitatem eiusdem sanctae matris Ecclesiae reducere tamen inuenimus te adeo durae ceruicis quòd tuos errores haereses huiusmodi nolueris sponte incontinenti confiteri nec ad fidem Catholicam vnitatem sanctae matris Ecclesiae antedictas debitè reuerti
this blessed Martyr ended his life in peace anno 1511. This story the sayd Elizabeth Browne his wife did oft times repeate to Alice her daughter who dwelling yet in the parish of S. Pulchers testified the narration heereof vnto me and certayne other vppon whose credible information I haue recorded the same Witnes to thys story Furthermore it is to be noted that the sayde Iohn Browne bare a fagot seauen yeares before this in the dayes of King Henry the seauenth Whose sonne also named Richard Browne for the like cause of Religion was imprisoned at Caunterbury Rich. Browne escaped burning by the comming in of the Queene Elizabeth likewise in the latter tyme of Queene Mary and should haue bene burned with two mo besides himselfe the next day after the death of Queene Mary but that by the proclaiming of Queene Elizabeth they escaped Amongst other iniunctions and letters of king Henry the eight written and set forth for reformation of religion he wrate one letter to Edmund Bonner for abolishing of Images pilgrimages shrines and other monuments of Idolatry Which letter being before expressed pag. 1229 we should also haue annexed to the same the letter or mandate of Bonner directed in latin to Richard Cloney hys Somner appertayning to the due execution therof Which letter because we haue omitted before the defect thereof I thought heere in this vacant space to supply The letter written to Cloney in latin thus beginneth Bonners letter to Cloney keeper of the Cole-house for the abolishing of Images EDmundus permissione Diuina Lond. Episc. Dilecto nobis in Christo Richardo Cloney literato Apparitori nostro generali salut grat benedictionem 〈…〉 Latine 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 read 〈…〉 yet here 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 Cum nos 13. die mensiâ— instantis Octob. circa noctem literas serenissimi c. The same in English FOr asmuch as the 13. day of this present we haue receyued the letters of our soueraigne Lord by the grace of God King of England c. to vs diâ—ected and conteyning in them the commaundement of his Maiestie by vs to be executed in tenour of words which heere I send vnto you we therefore willing and desiring according as our duty bindeth vs to put the same in execution with all diligence possible according to the effect and tenour thereof Had 〈◊〉 none to 〈◊〉 these 〈◊〉 thinges but 〈◊〉 the keepeâ— of the 〈◊〉 house do charge and straightly commaund you by the tenour heereof in the Kings behalfe and for the fidelitie whych we haue in you assuredly approued that you incontinent vpon the receite heereof do effectually warne all and singular Parsons and Vicars of this Citie of London and of all our dioces that they immediately vpon the sight and intimation of these present Articles and interrogatories heere vnder written do cause diligent and effectuall inquisition thereof to be made to witte Whether there be vsed or continued any superstition hypocrisie or abuse within any their parishes or Cures contrary to anye ordinaunce iniunction or commaundement geuen or set foorth by the Kings Maiestie or by his authoritie Item whether they haue in their Churches or within theyr parishes any shrines couerings of shrines tables of fayned myracles pilgrimages Images and bones resorted and offered vnto and other monuments and things wherewith the people haue bene illuded or any offering or setting vp of lights or candles other then be permitted by the Kings Maiesties Iniunctions or whether the said Iniunctions be duely obserued and kept in their Parishes or Cures or else transgressed and broken and in what part And further after the sayd Inquisition thus by them and euery of them respectiuely being made that you do certifie vs or our Vicare generall what is done in the premisses vpon the euen of Simon and Iude or thereabout vnder the perill thereof following Dat. 14. die Octob. an 1541. nostrae translat 2. The ende of the eyght booke Edward 6. ¶ The Ninth Booke containing the Actes and thinges done in the Reigne of King EDWARD the sixt NExt after the death of K. Henry succeded king Edwarde his sonne being of the age of 9. yeres He began his raigne the 28. day of Ianuary and raygned 6. yeares and 8. monethes and 8. dayes and deceased ann 1553. the 6. day of Iulye Of whose excellente vertues singuler graces wrought in him by the gift of God although nothing canne be sayd enough to his commendation yet because the renowmed same of such a worthye prince shall not vtterlye passe our story without some gratefull remembraunce I thought in few wordes to touch some litle portion of his prayse taken out of great heapes of matter which might be inferred For to stand vppon all that might be sayde of him it would be to long and yet to say nothing it were to much vnkinde If kinges and Princes which haue wisely and vertuously gouerned haue fouÌ„d in all ages writers to solemnise and celebrate theyr Actes and memory such as neuer knew them nor were subiect vnto theÌ„ how much theÌ„ are we English men bound not to forget our duety to K. Edward a prince although but tender in yeres yet for his sage and mature rypenes in witte and all Princely ornamentes as I see but few to whom he may not be equal Commendation of K. Edward so agayne I see not many to whom he may not iustly be preferred And here to vse the example of Plutarch in comparing kings and rulers the Latines with the Greekes together if I should seek with whom to match this noble Edward I finde not with whom to make my match more aptly theÌ„ with good Iosias For as the one began his raigne at eight yeares of his age so the other beganne at 9. Neyther were their acts and zelous procedings in Gods cause much discrepant For as milde Iosias pluckt downe the hil altars cut downe the groues Anno. 1547. and destroyd all monuments of Idolatry in the temple the like corruptioÌ„s drosse and deformities of Popish Idolatry crept into the Church of Christ or long time this Euangelicall Iosias king Edwarde remoued Comparison betwene King Iosias and King Edward 6. purged the true temple of the Lorde Iosias restored the true worship of God in Ierusalem and destroid the Idolatrous priestes King Edward in England likewise abolishing Idolatrous Masses and false inuocation reduced agayne religion to a right sincerity more would haue brought to perfection if life and time had aunswered to his godly purpose And though he killed not as Iosias did the idolatrous sacrifices yet he put them to sileÌ„ce and remoued them out of theyr places Moreouer in king Iosias dayes the holy Scripture booke of Gods word was vtterly neglected and cast aside whiâ—h he most graciously repayred restored agayne And did not K. Edwarde the like with the selfe same booke of Gods blessed worde and with other wholesome bookes of Christian doctrine which before were decayed and
the Secretaries and after addition of the Article concerning the Kings lawfull power and authoritie during his yong yeares were also deliuered vnto hym by the handes of the Lord Protectour in the presence of y e rest of the Counsell who thus receiuing them promised there faithfully to accomplish all the contentes thereof After which they were againe deliuered vnto Secretary Smith to amend suche things therein as the Lord Protectour and the rest of the Counsayle had there appointed Which being accordingly done as the Bishop himselfe at the last recept thereof confessed were finally deliuered vnto him by the Secretary and therefore was this but a poore shift Now after this he maketh a supposition that in case it were true Boners supposition that the Iniunctions were deliuered him according to their information yet was it vntrue that he did omitte or refuse to declare the same for any such causes as they had alledged against him and that did wel appeare in the discourse of his Sermon which tended principally as he sayd to the disalowing and condemnation of all rebels and chiefly of the rebels in Northfolke Southfolke Deuonshyre Cornewall or elsewhere within this Realme of England who forgetting their allegeance and duty vnto their Prince assigned them by Gods word as their supreme head their natural loue and care for their countrey wiues Boner agaynst the rebelles children and kinsfolke did both deserue death bodily as traytors also accumulate vnto themselues damnation of body and soule eternally with Sathan the father and first mouer of all rebellion and disobedience and herewithall farther exclaming against the pretenses of those rebels who amongst other thyngs pretended the Masse and holywater with such like which were neuer ordeined for the purpose to colour and maintayne rebellion as he sayd he then proued out of the 16. of Nombers 1. Reg. 15. Leuit. 10. and 4. Luke 13. and Actes 5. in best maner that he could as one not exercised greatly in preaching but restrayned therefrom but hauing humilitie of hart innocencie of liuing knowledge of God loue to our neighbours with obedience to Gods word Ministers and superiour powers concurrent with them they being externall rites and ceremonies of the Church Externall rites and ceremonies were exercises of Religion and appointable by superiour powers and yet that whiche standing the law might be good was by pride and disobedience made euill and vnprofitable And heere he farther sayde because he sawe the people slacke in comming to the Communion and diuine seruice set forth by the kings Maiestie As iustly they might the same being hereticall blasphemous agaynst the humanitye of Christ. and to the entent he would make them haue a better opinion in the Sacrament then hee thought they had he then faithfully did declare hys beliefe therein Wherewith his denouncers being offended they vncharitably and vntruly deduced in their pretensed denounciation that in his Sermon he did intreate of such things as most should sturre vp vnto dissension tumult whereby it appeared vnto him that his denouÌ„cers either tooke his Catholicke assertion of y e veritie of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aultar Boner flyeth stil to the SacrameÌ„t of the altar or else hys faythfull declaration made of the obedience of subiects vnto the Kings Maiesty their supreme and soueraigne Lord with the peril and daunger of rebellion committed against him Boners purgatioÌ„ of himelfe for his Sermon to be the cause of disorder and dissention for that saith he of these two points he chiefly spake and especially of obedience to the king whose minoritie was more then manifestly knowen as well amongst y e people of this realme as elsewhere throughout y e world besides which he would not haue done except he had beleued that both all his subiects were bounden to obey him euen as he then was and should be during his life and also that the rebellion of late committed against him was detestable and condemned by Gods word and therfore he wished that his two denouncers with all the rest of the new Preachers did meane as faithfully obediently and Catholickely towardes the Kings honour royall power and suretie of person as he did had not more moued the people to tumultes disobedience by their erroneous doctrine and teaching then he had at any time geuen any occasion thereunto Then finally he concluded and sayd that where his denouncers surmise that it was of no light grounde looked for as it appeared in their iudgemeÌ„ts that he should more apertly haue declared the contents of the Iniunctions and Articles then he did that their iudgementes were in that behalfe corrupted and set to sclaunder and picking of quarels for he was wel assured and credibly informed that all his honest and Catholicke audieÌ„ce were fully satisfied both touching their obedience to the Kings Maiesty in his tender age also concerning the great penaltiâ— and perill that the late Rebels incurred by their disobedience And besides that when he was before the Lord Protectour and the rest of the Counsaile after he had made his excuse and alledged many impediments for his not preaching at the Crosse he did not then further promise but to do the best he couldâ— which he hath of his fidelitie and conscience accomplished not omitting any thing of purpose or euill will that might satisfie the people in any point concerning the premisâ—es Whilest he was thus reading these answeres obiecting against his denouncers such causes and quarels as be afore alledged for which he woulde haue earnestly had the denouncers to be repelled of the Commissioners the Archbyshop of Caunterbury replyed that if there were suche a law he thought it not to be a good or godly law but a law of the Byshop of Rome For said he if my matter and case be good what should I care who accuse me yea although he were the Diuell of Hell No sir sayd the Byshop of London it is the Kings law vsed in the Realme Well my Lorde sayde the Archbyshop ye be too full of your law I would wishe you had lesse knowledge in that lawe and more knowledge in Gods law of your dutie Well aunswered the Byshop againe seeing your grace falleth to wishing I can also wishe many things to be in your person Boner Then spake Secretary Peter to the Byshop as touching these denouncers Secretaâ—â— Peter we are not so straited in this matter but that we may proceede against you either at theyr promotion or without them at our pleasure A Gods name then sayd Boner put them by Boner and then do as your pleasure shall be so you do me right for I aske but right Nay sayde Secretary Smith you aske you wot not what you would haue vs folow your mind in these quidities and quirkes Secretary Smyth and all is nothing else but to delay iustice And you do herein as theeues murtherers and traitors not to
t your grace whom we should otherwise honour for the kinges maiesties sake by your owne deedes shoulde prouoke vs to offend you we do perceaue great discommoditie to the realm by your graces singularitie if it may be so named in opinion in one respect as you are sister to our soueraigne Lord maister we most hūbly beseeche your grace to shew your affection cōtinually towardes him as becōmeth a sister And as your grace is a subiect and we counsellors to his Maiesties estate we let you know the exāple of your graces opinion hindreth the good weale of thys realm which thing we think is not vnknowne vnto you if it be we let your grace knowe it is to true For Gods sake we beseech your grace let nature set before your eyes the yong age of the king your brother Let reason tell you y e losenes of the people how then can you without a wayling hart thinke that ye should be y e cause of disturbance if your grace see the king being y e ordinary ruler vnder God not onely of all others in the realme but of you also call his people by ordinary lawes one way with what hart can your grace stay your selfe without following muche worse to stay other y t would follow their soueraigne Lord Can it be a loue in you to forsake him his rule and lawe take a priuate way by your selfe If it be not loue it is much lesse obedience If your grace thinke the kings maiestie to be ouer his people as the head in a mans bodye is ouer the rest not onely in place but in dignitie and science how can you being a principall mēber in y e same body keep y e nourishment from y e head we pray your grace most earnestly think this thing so much greueth vs as for our priuate affectiō good willes vnto you though we shuld dissemble yet for our publicke office we cannot but plainely enforme your grace not doubting but that your wisedome can iudge what your office is if it were not your owne cause we know your grace by wisedome could charge vs if we suffered y e like in any other Truely euery one of vs a part honoreth your grace for our maisters sake but when we ioyn together in publick seruice as in this writing we do We iudge it not tollerable to know disorder to see the cause leaue it vnamēded For though we would be negligēt y e world would iudge vs. And therfore we do altogether eftsoones require your grace in the kinges maiesties name y t if any of your 2. chaplains Mallet or Barcklet be returned or as soone as any of them shall returne to your graces house y e same may be by your graces commaundement or order sent or deliuered to the sheriff of Essex who hath commandement from the kings maiestie by order of the law of his crowne to attache them or if that conditiō shall not like your grace yet y t then he may be warned frō your graces house yet not kept there to be as it were defended frō the power of the law Which thing we think surely neither your grace will meane nor any of your counsell assent thereto And so to make an end of our letter being long for the matter and hitherto differred for our great busines we trust your grace first seeth how y e vsage of your Chaplaines differeth from the maner of our licence and what good entent moued vs to write vnto you in former letters lastly that the thinges whereunto the king and the whole realme hath consented be not onely lawful and iust by the pollicie of the Realme but also iust and godly by the lawes of God So that if we which haue charge vnder the King should willingly consent to the open breach of them we could neyther discharge our selues to the king for our dueties neyther to God for our conscience The consideration of which things we pray almighty God by his holye spirit to lay in the bottome of your hart and thereupon to build such a profession in you as both God may haue his true honor the king his dewe obedience the Realme concord and we most comfort For all the which we do hartely pray therwith for the cōtinuance of your graces helth to your harts desire Frō Westminster y e xxv of December * The Lady Mary to the Lordes of the Counsell xx May. 1551. MY Lordes after my harty commendations to you although both I haue bene and also am loth to trouble you with my letters yet neuerthelesse the newes which I haue lately hard touching my Chaplayne Doctor Mallet forceth me thereunto at this present for I heare by credible report that you haue committed him to the tower which newes seeme to me very strange notwithstanding I thought it good by these to desire you to aduertise me what is the cause of his imprisonment assuring you I would be sory that any of mine should deserue the like punishment and there is no creature within the Kings maiesties Realme would more lament that any belonging to them should giue iust cause so to be vsed then I would do who would haue thought much frendship in you if you had geuen me knowledge wherein my sayd Chaplein had offended before you had ministred suche punishment vnto him eftsoones requiring you to let me knowe by this bearer the truth of the matter And thus thanking you for the short dispatch of the poore Marchaunt of Portingall I wish to you all no worse then to my selfe and so bid you farewell From Beaulien the 2. of May. Your frend to my power Mary * The Counsell to the Lady Mary 6. of Maye 1551. AFter our humble cōmendatiōs to your grace we haue receiued your letters of the second of this moneth by the which your grace seemeth to take it straungely that Doctor Mallet is committed to prison whereof we haue the more maruell seeing it hath bene heeretofore signified vnto you that he hath offended the kings maiesties lawes and thereof condemned your grace hath bene by our letters earnestly desired that he might be deliuered to the Sheriffe of Essex according to the iust processe of the lawe to the which all maner persons of this Realme be subiect whereof howsoeuer it seemeth straunge at this tyme to your grace that he is imprisoned it may seme more strange to other that he hath escaped it thus long and if the place being the Tower moue your grace not to impute his imprisonment to his former offense then we pray your grace to vnderstand that in deede it is for the very same and the place of the imprisonment to be at the Kings Maiesties pleasure from whome besides the charge of his lawes we haue expresse commaundement to doe that we doe And so we beseech your grace to thinke of vs that neither in thys case nor in any other we meane to do any other then minister and see as much as in our
power lieth ministred iustice indifferently to all persons whiche doing then wee thinke your grace should not thinke it any lacke of frendship that wee did not certifie you of the offense of youre Chaplayne although in deede the cause hath already bene certified And we trust your grace both of youre naturall nearenes to the Kings Maiestie and your owne good wisdome will not mislike our Ministerie in the execution of the lawes of the Realme and the pleasure of the Kyngs Maiestie So we wish to your grace from the bottome of our hart the grace of almighty God with the riches of his holy giftes * The Lady Mary to the Counsell the 11. of May. MY Lordes it appeareth by your letters of the vj. of this presēt which I haue receaued that the imprisonmēt of my Chaplaine Doctour Mallet is for saying of Masse and that he was condemned for the same In deede I haue heard that he was endited but neuer condēned Neuerthelesse I must needes confesse and say that he did it but by my commaundement and I sayde vnto him that none of my Chaplaynes shoulde be in daunger of the lawe for saying Masse in my house And thereof to put hym out of doubt the Emperours Embassadour that dead is declared vnto him before that time how after what sorte the promise was made to his Maiesty wherby it appeareth that the mā hath not in that willingly offēded Wherfore I pray you to discharge him of emprisonment and set him at liberty if not ye minister cause no◠only to him but to others to thinke that I haue declared more then was true whiche I woulde not wittingly doo to gaine the whole world And heerein as I haue often sayde the Emperours Maiestie can be best iudge And to be playne with you according to mine old custome there is not one amongst the whole number of you all that woulde be more loth to be founde vntrue of their word then I. And well I am assured that none of you haue found it in me My Lordes I pray you seeke not so much my dishonour as to disprooue my word whereby it should appeare too plaine that you handle me not well And if you haue cause to charge my Chaplaine for this matter lay that to mee and I wyll discharge it againe by your promise made to the Emperours Maiestie which you can not rightfully denie wishing rather that you had refused it in the beginning then after such promise made and to such a person to seeme to go from it which my Lordes as your very friend I hartely desire you to consider and to geue me no cause to thinke you otherwise then my friends considering I haue alwayes and yet do God is my iudge wishe to you all no worse neyther in soules nor bodies then to my selfe and so wyth my hartye commendations I commit you all to God From Beaulien the 11. of May. Your assured friend to my power Mary ¶ The Counsaile to the Lady Mary the 27. of May. 1551. AFter our due commendations to your grace although the same receiueth not aunswere so soone as perchance was looked for vpon the returne of your graces seruaunt Yet we doubt not but youre grace vnderstanding that where we haue matters of estate pertaining to the Kings Maiestie in hand as in deede we haue had of late the differring of the answere in a matter being no greater requireth to be borne withal And touching the answere of your graces letter for D. Mallet we pray your grace to vnderstande that although you write he was indited but not condemned and so seeme to take exception at the maner of his imprisonment yet if they which enformed your grace of that maner of reason in the law were as well disposed to please your grace with truth as the reason in deede is not true then should they haue told your grace that by the Acte of Parliament if either Mallet haue bene conuicted by the othes of twelue men or that the fact hath bene notorious then the punishment doth follow iustly The trueth of the one and the other way of conuiction in this case is notorious enough besides his flying from the processe of the lawe And where your grace to releeue him woulde take the fault vpon your selfe we are sory to perceiue your grace so ready to be a defence to one that the Kings lawe doth condemne Neuerthelesse he is not punished because your grace bad him and willed him to do that which was an offence but he is punished for doing it and if we should not so see the Kings lawes executed without respecte it might appeare that we too much neglected our duty and for that your grace taketh it as a discredite to your selfe that he should be punished for that you bad him do alledging to him that you had authoritie so to do and so promise made to the Emperour it hath bene both written and sayde to your grace what is the truth in that behalfe and howsoeuer that your grace pretendeth your licence to haue Masse said before your selfe for a time of your reconciliation it had bene so far out of reason for to haue desired that whosoeuer was your Chapleine might say Masse in any house that was yours when your graces selfe was not there For so is D. Mallets offence for saying Masse at one of your houses where your grace was not whych thing as it was neuer graunted so do we not remember that euer it was demaunded The sute that hath bene at anye tyme made either by the Emperous Embassadour that dead is or by him that now is was neuer but in respect of your grace and not to be taken that the Emperour or his his Embassadour meant to priuiledge mayster D. Mallet or any other to say Masse out of your presence Wherefore as we do plainely write to your grace so do we pray you to take it in good part and thinke we be as ready to do our due reuerence towards your grace in any thyng wee may doe with our dutie to our maister as any youre grace may commaund and of suche wisedome we knowe your grace to be that ye should iudge the better of vs for that we be diligent to see the lawes of the Realme executed wherein resteth the strength and safegard of the kings Maiestie our soueraigne Lord and Maister The Lady Mary to the Lordes of the Counsayle 21. Iune 1551. MY Lords although I receiued by my seruant this bearer who lately deliuered vnto you my letters wherein I desired to haue my Chaplayne D. Mallet discharged of his imprisonmente your gentle message in generall wordes for the whyche I geue you my hartye thankes yet haue I no knowledge whether you will set him at liberty or no But I thinke that your waighty affayres at that time was the let and cause ye did not write For else I doubt not you would haue aunswered me Wherefore not being satisfied and vnderstandyng yee would gladly pleasure mee I thought
Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc iustificatus sum Wherefore if any specially be obiected vnto me wherein by ignorance or ouersight negligence any mine offence may appeare against the kings Maiesties lawes Statutes and Iniunctions I shal desire and protest that it be not preiudiciall to mine aunsweare for thys present credo as lawyers in ciuill matters vse that terme to be true y t is to say suche as w tout any alteration in my conscience presently I may of my selfe say in affirmation or denial as afore is answered And whereas I speake of commaundement to be made to me against Gods lawe I protest not to touch my soueraigne Lordes honor therin which my duetie is by al meanes to preserue but that the commādement geuen resolueth to be against Gods law on my part in the obediēce to be geuē because I may not answer or say otherwise but Est est non non So as my wordes and heart may agree together or els I should offend Gods lawe which my soueraigne if he knew my conscience would not command me After these things thus passed certaine of the Counsail by the kings appoyntment had sondry daies and times accesse to him in the Tower to perswade with hym whiche were these the Duke of Somerset the lord Treasurer the Lord priuie Seale the Lord great Chamberlaine and M. Secretary Peter Winchester requireth the sight of the kinges booke of proceedinges Who repairing to him the x. day of Iune an 1550. he desired of them to see the kings booke of proceedings vpon the sight wherof he would make a ful answer seeming to be willinge in all thinges to conforme himselfe therunto and promising that in case any thing offēded his conscience he would open it to none but to the Counsaile Whereupon it was agreed the booke should be sent him to see his answer that his case might be resolued vpon that for the meane time he should haue the libertie of the galery and gardine in the Tower when the Duke of Northfolke were absent The king then was lying at Grenewich at which time the Lieftenant of the tower was appoynted to deliuer the kings booke to the bishop of Winchester winchester denyeth to make any direct aunswere to the booke vnlesse he were at liberty Who within thre dayes after which was the 13. of Iune made declaration againe vnto the counsaile that the Bishop hauing perused it said vnto him he could make no direct answer vnlesse he were at libertie and so being he woulde say hys conscience Whereupon the Lordes and other that had bene with him the other day were apointed to go to him againe to receiue a direct aunswer that the Counsail therupon might determine further order for him The aunswer of the bishop being receiued through the report of the Lordes which had ben with him Winchesters aunswers euer doubtfull declaration was made again the 8. day of Iuly 1550. that his answers were euer doutful refusing while he were in prisō to make any direct aunswer Wherefore it was determined that he shoulde be directly examined whether he woulde sincerely conforme himself vnto the kings maiesties proceedings or not For which purpose it was agreed y t particulare articles should be drawne Articles and letters sent to Winchester to see whether he woulde subscribe them or not and a letter also directed vnto hym from the kinges highnesse with the which the L. Treasurer the L. great maister the maister of the horse and master Secretarie Peter shoulde repaire vnto hym the tenour of whyche letter heereafter ensueth ¶ A letter sent to the Bishop of Winchester signed by the king and subscribed by the Counsaile IT is not we thinke vnknowen vnto you with what clemency and fauour The kings letter to Winchester we by the aduise of our Counsayle caused you to be heard and vsed vpon these sundry complaintes and informations that were made to vs our said Counsaile of your disordered doinges and wordes both at the tyme of our late visitation and otherwise Which notwithstāding considering that the fauour both then and many other tymes ministred vnto you wrought rather an insolent wilfulnes in your selfe thē any obediente conformitie such as would haue beseemed a man of your vocation we could not but use some demonstration of iustice towardes you Notorious contemptes in Winchester noted as well for such notorious and apparaunt contemptes and other inobediences as after and contrary to our commaundement were openly knowen in you as also for some example and terrour of such others as by your example seemed to take courage to mutter and grudge agaynst our most godly proceedinges whereof great discord inconuenience at that tyme might haue ensued For the auoyding whereof for your iust deseruinges you were by our sayde Counsayle committed to warde Where albeit we haue suffred you to remaine a long space sending vnto you in the meane tyme at sundry tymes diuers of the Noble men and others of our priuy Counsayle and trauayling by them with clemencye and fauour to haue reduced you to the knowledge of your duety yet in al this time haue you neyther knowledged your faultes nor made any such submission as might haue beseemed you nor yet shewed any apparāce either of repētāce or of any good conformitye to our godly proceedinges Wherewith albeit we both haue good cause to be offēded might also iustly by the order of our lawes cause your former doinges to be reformed and punished to the exāple of others yet for that we would both the world your self also shuld know that we delite more in clemency then in the straight administratiō of iustice we haue vouchsafed not only to a dresse vnto you these our letters but also to sēd eftsones vnto you 4. of our priuy coūsel with certain articles which being by vs with the aduise of our sayde Counsaile considered Anno 1551. we thinke requisite for sondry considerations to be subscribed by you and therefore woulde and commaunde you to subscribe the saide Articles vpon paine of incurring such punishment and penalties as by our lawes may be put vppon you for not doing the same Geuen at our palace of Westminster the 8. day of Iulye the 4. yeare of oure raigne With this letter addressed from the king and his Counsaile these Articles also were deliuered to the B. of Winchester here following The copie of the Articles The Bishop◠aunswere to this article in the margent WHereas I Steuen bishop of Winchester haue ben suspected as one too much fauouring the bishop of Romes aucthoritie decrees and ordinaunces and as one that did not approoue or allow the kings maiesties proceedinges in alteration of certayne rites in religion was conuented before the kings highnes counsaile and admonished therof and hauing certaine things appoynted for me to doe and preache for my declaration haue not done that as I ought to do although I promised to do the same
like yours which thing doth manifestly appeare in his writings which are agaynst it in euery place And Augustine is a reasonable man he requireth to be beleued no further then he bringeth scripture for his proofe and agreeth with Gods word West In the same place he proueth a propiciatorie sacrifice and that vpon an aulter and no Oyster boord The blasphemous mouth of D. Weston calling the Lordes table an Oyster bord Lat. It is the Lords table and no Oyster boord It may be called an aultar and so the doctors call it in many places but there is no propiciatorie sacrifice but only Christ. The doctors might be deceiued in some points though not in all things * I beleeue them when they say well Cole Is it not a shame for an old man to lye You say Doctores legenâ—i sunt cum venia you are of the old fathers fayth where they say well and yet ye are not Lat. I am of their faith when they say well I referre my selfe to my L. of Caunterburies booke wholy herein Smyth Then are you not of Chrysostomes faith nor of S. Augustines fayth Lat. I haue said when they said well and bring scripture for them I am of their faith and further Augustine requireth not to be beleeued West Origen Hom. 13. vpon Leuiticus Latimer I haue but one worde to say Panis Sacramentalis the Sacramentall bread is called a Propitiation because it is a Sacrament of the Propitiation What is your vocation West My vocation is at this tyme to dispute otherwise I am a Priest and my vocation is to offer Lat. Where haue you that authorttie geuen you to offer West Hoc facite Do this for facite in that place is taken for offerte that is offer you Lat. Facere for sacrificare with D. Weston Is Facere nothing but sacrificare to sacrifice Why then no man must receiue the sacrament but priestes onely for there may none offer but priests Ergo there may none receiue but priests West Your argument is to be denied Lat. If Christ offered himselfe at the Supper and the next day vpon the Crosse then was Christ twise offered Did Christ then offer himselfe at his supper Pye Yea he offred himselfe for the whole world Latimer Then if this worde Facite Do ye signifie Sacrificate Sacrifice ye it followeth as I sayd that none but Priestes onely ought to receiue the Sacrament to whom it is onely lawfull to sacrifice and where find you that I pray you West Fourty yeare agone whether could you haue gone to haue found your doctrine Lat. The more cause we haue to thanke God that hath now sent the light into the world West WestoÌ„s rayling The light Nay lite and lewd Preachers for you could not tell what you might haue Ye altered changed so often your communions and altars and all for this one end to spoile and rob the Church Latimer These things pertayne nothyng to mee I must not aunswere for other mens deedes but onely for myne owne West Well M. Latimer this is our entent to wyll you well and to exhort you to come to your selfe and remember that without Noes Arke there is no health Remember what they haue bene that were the beginners of your doctrine none but a few flying Apostataes runnyng out of Germany for feare of the fagot Remember what they haue bene which haue set forth the same in this Realme A sort of flyngbraines and light heads which were neuer constant in any one thyng as it was to be seene in the turnyng of the Table where lyke a sort of Apes they coulde not tell which way to turne their tailes D. Westons Apes haue tayles looking one day West and another day East one that way and an other this way They will be lyke they say to the Apostles they wyll haue no Churches A houell is good enough for them They come to the Communion with no reuerence They get them a Tankard and one sayth I drinke and I am thankfull Blasphemous lyes of D. WestoÌ„ sitting in Cathedra pestilentiae the more ioy of thee sayth another And in them was it true that Hyllary sayth Annuas meÌ„struas de deo fides facimus id est We make euery yere and euery month a fayth A runnagate Scot did take away the adoration or worshipping of Christ in the Sacrament by whose procurement that heresie was put into the last CoÌ„munion booke Who be these or where be they M. Oblocutor that will be lyke the Apoâ—tles that will haue no Churches that be runnagates out of Germany that get them tancardes that make monthly faythes that worship not Christ in all his Sacramentes Speake truth maÌ„ and shame the deuill so much preuayled that one mans authoritie at that tyme. You neuer agreed with the Tygurines or Germaines or with the Churche or with your selfe Your stubbornnesse commeth of a vayne glory which is to no purpose for it will do you no good when a fagot is in your beard And we see all by your owne confession how little cause you haue to be stubborn for your learning is in scoffers hold The Queenes grace is mercifull if ye will turne Lat. You shall haue no hope in me to turne I pray for the Queene daily euen from the bottome of my hart that she may turne from this religion West Here you all see the weakenes of heresie against the truth he denieth all truth and all the old fathers HEre all good Readers maye see how this glorious Prolocutor triumpheth but whether he hath the victorye or no that I suppose they haue not yet neyther heard nor seene And geue that he had the victory yet what great meruayle was it disputyng as hee dyd Non sine suo Theseo that is not without his tipplyng cuppe standing at his elbow all the time of his disputation notwithout a priuy notyng and smilyng of them that beheld the matter but specially at that tyme when Doctour Ridley disputyng with one of the Opponentes the sayd Prolocutor tooke the cuppe and holding it in hys hand sayd to the Opponent Vrge hoc vrge hoc Nam hoc facit pro nobis In which wordes as he mooued no little matter of laughter to the beholders thereof Vrge hoc quoth Weston with his berepot so I thought here also not to leaue the same vnmentioned somwhat also to delight the Reader withal after his tedious wearines in reading the story therof ¶ To the Reader And thus hast thou louyng Reader the whole action and stage of this Doctourly disputation shewed foorth vnto thee against these three woorthy Confessours and Martyrs of the Lorde wherein thou mayest behold the disordered vsage of the Uniuersitie men the vnmannerly manner of the Schoole the rude tumult of the multitude the fiercenes and interruption of the Doctors the full pith and ground of all their argumeÌ„ts the censures of the Iudges the railyng language of the Oblocutor with his blast of
is where iudgements be partiall and parties be addicted there all thinges turne to victorie though it be neuer so meane and simple as in this disputation might well appeare For first of the Opponents part neither was there almost any argument in true moode figure rightly framed neither could the answearers be permitted to say for them selues and if they answeared any thing it was condemned before they began to speake Againe such disturbaunce and confusion more like a conspiration then anye disputation without al forme and order was in the schooles during the time of their answering that neither could the answearers haue place to vtter their minds neither would the Opponents be satisfied with any reasons CoÌ„cerning the which disturbaunce of that misruled disputation you shall heare what M. Ridley himselfe reporteth by his owne description in maner as foloweth The reporte and narration of M. Ridley concerning the misordered disputation had against him and his felow prisoners at Oxford B. Ridleyes report of the misorder of this disputation I Neuer yet sithence I was borne saw or heard any thing done or handled more vainely or tumultuously then the disputation which was with mee in the Schooles at Oxforde Yea verely I coulde neuer haue thought that it had ben possible to haue founde amongest men recounted to be of knowledge and learning in thys Realme any so brasen faced and shamelesse so disorderly and vainely to behaue themselues more like to Stageplayers in Enterludes to set forth a Pageant then to be graue Diuines in Schooles to dispute The Sorbonical clamours which at Paris I haue seene in time past when Popery most raigned might be worthely thought in coÌ„parison of this thrasonical ofteÌ„tation to haue had muche modestie And no greate maruaile seeing they which should haue beene Moderatours and Ouerseers of others and whych shoulde haue geuen good ensample in woordes and grauitie they themselues aboue all other gaue worste ensample and did as it were blow the trompe to the rest to raile rore rage and cry out By reason wherof good christen reader manifestly it may appeare that they neuer sought for any truth or verity but onely for the glory of the worlde and their owne bragging victorie No veritie but glory sought for in this disputation But least by the innumerable railings reprochful tauÌ„ts wherwith I was baited on euery side our cause yea rather Gods cause his churches should be euill spoken off and slandered to the world through false reportes and vntrue ensamples geuen out of oure disputation and so the veritie might sustaine some damage I thought it no les then my duety to wryte mine answeres to the intent y t who so euer is desirous to know the truth thereof may by this perceiue as well those things which were chiefly obiected as summarily that which was answered of me vnto euery of them How be it good Reader I confesse this to be most true that it is vnpossible to set foorth either all that was God knoweth tumultuously and confusedly obiected of their partes being so many speaking many times all together so thicke that one coulde not well heare an other either all that was answeared on my behalfe to theÌ„ so sondry and diuers Opponents Moreouer a great parte of the time appoynted for the disputations was vainly coÌ„sumed in opprobrious checks and reuiling tauntes with hissing and clapping of hands and that in the English tongue to procure the peoples fauour wythall All which things when I with great grief of heart did beholde protesting openly that suche excessiue and outragious disorder was vnseemely for those schooles and men of learning and grauitie and that they which wer the doers and stirrers of suche things did nothing else but bewray the slendernesse of theyr cause and theyr owne vanities I was so farre off by thys my humble complaynt from doing any good at all that I was enforced to heare suche rebukes checkes and tauntes for my labour as no persone of any honestie wythout blushing coulde abide to heare the like spoken of a moste vile varlet against a moste wretched Russian At the firste beginning of the Disputation when I should haue confirmed mine answeare to the firste proposition in fewe wordes D. Ridley could not be suffered to read for hindered protection and that after the maner and lawe of Schooles afore I coulde make an ende of my firste probation which was not very long euen the Doctors themselues cried oute hee speaketh plasphemies hee speaketh blasphemies And when I on my knees besoughte them and that heartily that they woulde vouchsafe to heare me to the ende whereat the Prolocutour being mooued cryed out on hie Let him reade it let him reade it yet when I began to reade it agayne there followed immediately such showting such a noyse and tumult and confusion of voyces crying blasphemies blasphemies as I to my remembraunce neuer hearde or read the like excepte it be that one whych was in the Actes of the Apostles stirred vp of Demetrius the siluer Smith and other of hys occupatioÌ„ crying out against Paule Greate is Diana of the Ephesians great is Diana of the Ephesians and except it be a certaine disputation whych the Arrians had against the Orthodoxes and suche as were of godlye iudgemente in Aphryca where it is sayde that suche as the President and rulers of the Disputation were suche was the ende of the disputations All were in a hurly burly and so great were the sclanders which the Arrians cast out that nothing could quietly be heard This wryteth Uictor in the second booke of his Hystorie The which cries and tumultes of them agaynst mee so preuailed that wild I nild I They 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Aprill 14 I was enforced to leaue of y e reading of my probations although they were short If any man doubt of the truth hereof let the same aske any one that was there and not vtterly peruerted in Poperie and I am assured hee will say I speake the least But to complaine of these things further I will cease And further speaking of thys disputation hee concludeth with these wordes And thus was ended thys moste glorious disputation of the most holy Fathers sacrificers Doctours and Maisters which fought most manfully as yee may see for theyr god and goodes for theyr faith and felicitie for theyr countrey and kitchin for theyr beautye and belly with triumphant applauses and fauour of the whole Uniuersitie After the disputation of maister Latimer ended whych was the 18. day of April the Friday following whych was the 20. day of the sayde moneth the Commissioners sate in saint Maries Church as they did the Saterday before and Doctor Weston vsed particularly disswasions wyth euery of them and woulde not suffer them to answeare in anye wise but directly and peremptorily as his woordes wâ—re to say whether they woulde subscribe or no. And firste to the Bishop of Canterbury he said he was ouercome in disputations whome the Byshop aunsweared
people of God and theyr aduersaries into whose handes they were putte and deliuered and that of GOD and by hys good will and pleasure were Idolatrers and the people of the Deuill but they woulde be called the chiefe members of God and reioyced that they hadde the true God and that it was nowe declared by myracle that the Israelites hadde but a false God and a false religion seeing they were deliuered into the Babylonians handes And all the other the Herodes and Pharao I meane plainely determined that if the menne whiche they killed and handled euil hadde bene Goddes people God would neuer haue suffered them to come into their hands but rather haue done the contrarye and haue lette Iohn Baptist kill Herode and the Israelites Pharao and Nabuchodonosor Euen the like is nowe to be seene in vs and in our most cruell aduersaries They are not therfore the catholike Church because our merciful God hath at this present geueÌ„ our liues into their handes neyther are wee therefore heretickes because wee suffer punishment at theyr handes as the Lord Chauncellour by hys reioycing seemeth to gather the contrarye is hereby to be gathered that we be the members of the true Catholike church because wee suffer for the same Doctrine which Iohn Baptiste Iames the Israelites yea Christe the Apostles did teache of which none taught any thing of oure aduersaries doctrine namely that the rotten Antichristian heade of Rome shoulde be the heade of Christes church But they haue manifestly taught the contrary specially Paule 2. to the Thessalonians the 2. chapter Iohn in the Apocalipse Dan. 11. which thing if I might haue life and Bookes I would so by Gods grace set foorth that all the world should see it and that our aduersaries with their Antichristian head are the members of the Deuils church as they vndoubtedly are And in like case as the aboue meÌ„tioned holy men though they in their dayes were counted to be heretickes seditious and disturbers of the whole worlde for vnto Iohn Baptiste it was sayde Iohn 1. Wherefore baptisest thou if thou be not Helias nor that Prophet c. As who saye thou haste no such authoritie to beginne a newe Ceremonie in the Churche For we be in ordinarie possession of the churche and of vs thou haste receiued no such power We abide by our circumcision and the like coulde I declare of Iames and of all the Apostles and Prophetes and of our Sauiour Christe him selfe that were all condemned as heretickes blasphemers of God and disturbers of the whole world Paule and Silas Act. 16. heard like woordes of the Philippians these men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache institutions whych are not lawful for vs to receiue seeing we be Romaines And in 17. In Athens the wise menne of this world suche as gaue their endeuour to wisedom said by S. Paule Quid vult spermologus hic dicere That is What will this prater as my Lord Chancelour sayd to me shall we suffer this felow to prate wheÌ„ I would faine haue sayd that thyng that I haue heere wrytten trifler newes caryer or â—ringer that telleth what so euer men will haue him for gaine and aduauntage that will for a piece of bread say what yee will haue hym c. And an other sayd in the same place hee seemeth to be a preacher of newe Deuelles c. And Actes 21. The Iewes say by Paule laying handes on hym helpe O yee Israelites saye they this is the manne that teacheth all men euery where against the people meaning the Iewes and the law and this place meaning Ierusalem and yet was neuer a woorde of these true And Actes 22. the same Iewes sayde of Paule out of the earthe wyth that man or away wyth him For it is not lawfull for him to liue or he is not woorthy to liue And howe many moe of these examples are to be found in the Bible Although I say these men were in their dayes taken for heretickes of them that were then in authoritye and of the great multitude of the worlde yet it is nowe wel knowen yea and very shortly after their deathes this was known yea and euen in theyr liues also vnto the true Catholicke Churche that they were not onely the chiefe and speciall members of the true Catholicke Churche but also the founders and builders thereof notwithstanding the sinister iudgement that the wise and mighty menne and the great multitude of the worlde hadde of them and in theyr consciences they were alwayes assuredlye certified of the same Euen the same shall the world find true in vs shortlye after oure deathes as also there be at thys houre the Lorde be thanked therefore not a fewe that already know it as we our selues also are by Gods grace assuredly certified in our consciences that we are no heretikes but members of the true catholike church and that our aduersaries the bishops and popish cleargie which wil haue that title are the members of Sathans churche and theyr Antichristian head of Rome wyth them But here they wil crie out loe these men wil be stil like Iohn Baptist the Apostles and the Prophets c. I answere we make not our selues like vnto them in the singular vertues and giftes of God geuen vnto them as of miracles doing and of many other things The similitude and likenesse of them and vs consisteth not in all things but only in this that is that we be like them in doctrine and in the sufferinge of persecution and infamie for the same We haue preached theyr very doctrine and none other thing that we are able sufficiently to declare by theyr wrytings by wryting for my part I haue profered to prooue the same as is now often sayd And for this cause we suffer the like reproche shame and rebuke of the worlde the like persecution leesing of our liues and goodes forsaking as our maister Christ commandeth father mother sister brethren wiues children and all that there is being assured of a ioyfull resurrection and to be crowned in glorye wyth them according to the vnfallible promises made vnto vs in Christ our onely and sufficient mediatour reconciler priest and sacrifice which hath pleased the father and quieted and pacified his wrath against our sinnes made vs wythout spot or wrinkle in his sight by imputation although wee off and in our selues are bespotted be blotted w t many filthy sinnes which if the great mercy graunted in Christ did not put away by not imputing them vnto vs of his measurelesse vnspeakeable mercye and loue to saue vs they woulde haue brought vs to euerlasting damnation and death perpetuall Heerein and in no other doe we affirme our selues to be like vnto our head Christe and all his Apostles Prophetes Martyrs and Saintes And heerein oughte all Christian menne to be like them and heerein are all true Christen men and women lyke them euery one according to the measure of y e faith that
was retayned of M. Sentlow till the tyme that he was agayne molested and laid for whereby he was coÌ„pelled vnder the pretence of being Captayne of a ship going to Ireland to take the Seas and so escaped he although not without extreme perill of drowning through Fraunce Great frendship betweene M. Bullinger and M. Hooper to the higher partes of Germany Where he entring acquaintance with the learned men was of theÌ„ freÌ„dly and louingly enterteined both at Basil and especially at Zuricke of Mayster Bullinger being his singuler frend Where also he maryed his wife which was a Burgonian and applied very studiously the Hebrue toung At length when God saw it good to stay the bloudy time of the 6. Articles and to geue vs king Edward to raygne ouer this Realme with some peace and rest vnto the gospel amongest many other English exiles which theÌ„ repared homeward M. Hooper also moued in coÌ„scieÌ„ce thought not to absent himselfe seing such a time and occasion offered to helpe forward the Lords worke M. Bullingers wordes to M. Hooper at his departing from Zurick to the vttermost of his ability And so comming to M. Bullinger and other of his acquayntance in Zuricke as duty required to geue them thankes for their singuler kindnes and humanity toward him manifolde wayes declared with like humanity agayne purposed to take his leaue of theÌ„ at his departing so did Unto whom M. Bullinger agayne who had alwayes a speciall fauor to M. Hooper spake on thys wyse M. Hooper sayde he although we are sory to parte wyth your company for our own cause yet much greater causes we haue to reioice both for your sake and especially for the cause of Christes true religion that you shall now returne out of long banishment vnto your natiue country agayn where not onely you may enioy your own priuate liberty but also the cause and state of Christes Church by you may fare the better as we doubt not but it shall An other cause moreouer why we reioyce with you for you is this that you shal remoue not only out of exile into liberty The aunswere of M Hooper to M. Bullinger but you shall leaue here a baren a sower an vnpleasant country rude sauage and shal go into a land flowing with milke and hony replenished w t al pleasure fertility Notwithstanding w t this our reioycing one feare and care we haue least you being absent and so far distant from vs or els comming to such aboundance of wealth felicity in your new welfare and plenty of al thinges and in your florishing honors where ye shall come peraduenture to be a Bishop and where ye shall finde so many new frends you wil forget vs your old acquaintance welwillers Neuertheles howsoeuer you shall forget shake vs of yet this perswade your selfe y t we will not forgette our old frend felow M. Hooper And if you shal please not to forget vs agayne then I pray you let vs heare from you Whereunto M. Hooper aunswering agayne first gaue to M. Bullinger and the rest right harty thankes for that their singuler good will and vndeserued affection appearing not onely now but at all times towardes him declaring moreouer that as the principal cause of his remouing to his countrey was the matter of Religion so touching the vnpleasantnes and barrennes of that couÌ„try of theirs there was no cause therein why he could not finde in his hart to continue his life there as soone as in any place in the world and rather then in his owne natiue country if there were nothing els in his coÌ„science that moued hym so to do And as touching the forgetting of his olde frendes although sayd he the remembraunce of a mans countrey naturally doth delight him neither could he deny but god had blessed his country of England with many great commodities yet neither the nature of country nor pleasure of commodities nor newnesse of frendes should ouer induce him to the obliuion of such frendes and benefactors whoÌ„ he was so intirely bound vnto therfore you shall be sure sayde he from time to time to heare from me and I wyll write vnto you as it goeth with me But the last newes of al I shal not be able to write for there sayd he taking M. Bullinger by the hand where I shall take most paynes there shall you heare of me to be burned to ashes M. Hooper prophesyeth of himselfe and that shal be the last newes which I shal not be able to write vnto you but you shall heare it of me c. To this also may be added an other like prophetical demonstration forshewing before the maner of his Martyrdome wherewith he should glorify God which was this When M. Hooper being made Bishop of Worcester and Glocester should haue his armes giueÌ„ him by the Herold A note 〈◊〉 M. Hooâ—â—â— armes 〈◊〉 signify 〈◊〉 his Marâ—â—â—â—dome as the maner is here in EnglaÌ„d euery Bishop to haue his armes assigned vnto him whether by the appoyntment of M. Hoper or by y e Herold I haue not certainly to say but the armes which were to him allotted was this a Lambe in a fiery bush and the sunne beames from heauen descending downe vpon the Lambe rightly deuoting as it seemed the order of his suffering which afterward folowed But now to the purpose of our story againe M. Hooâ—â—â— returnâ—â— agayne 〈◊〉 Englanâ— Thus wheÌ„ M. Hooper had taken his farewell of M. Bullinger and his frends in Zurick he made his repayre agayn into Enland in the raigne of K. Edward 6. where he comming to London vsed continually to preach most tymes twyse at least once euery day and neuer fayled In his Sermons according to his accustomed maner he corrected sinne The notâ—â—ble diligâ—â—â— of M. 〈◊〉 in prâ—â—â—ching and sharply inueyed agaynst the iniquity of the world and corrupt abuses of the Churche The people in great flocks and companies daily came to heare his voyce as the most melodious sounde and tune of Orpheus harpe as the Prouerbe sayth Insomuch that often times when he was preaching the Church shoulde be so ful that none could enter further then the dores therof In his doctrine he was earnest in tong eloquent in the scriptures perfect in paynes indefatigable Moreouer besides other his giftes and qualities this is in him to be maruelled that euen as he began so he coÌ„tinued still vnto his liues end The singâ—â—ler vertuâ—â— of M. Hâ—â—â—per descrâ—â—bed For neither could his labour and payne taking breake him neither promotion chaunge him neither daynty fare corrupt him His life was so pure and good that no kinde of sclauÌ„der although diuers went about to reproue it could fasteÌ„ any fault vpoÌ„ him He was of body strong his health whole souÌ„d his wit very pregnant his inuincible pacience able to sustein whatsoeuer sinister fortune and aduersity could doe He was constant of iudgement a good
the Wardens owne chamber where he remayned sixe days and in the meane tyme his former chaÌ„ber was searched by D. Martin and others for writyngs and bookes which M. Hooper was thought to haue made but none was found ¶ Here followeth another examination of M. Hooper An other examination of M. Hooper before the Bishop of Winchester and his fellowes THe 28. of Ianuary Winchester and other the Commissioners sate in iudgement at S. Mary Oueries whereas M. Hooper appeared before them at after noone agayne and there after much reasonyng and disputation to and fro hee was commaunded aside tyll M. Rogers which was then come had bene likewise examined Examinations beyng ended the two Shiriffes of London were commaunded about foure of the clocke to cary them to the Counter in Southwarke there to remayne vntill the morow at ix a clocke to see whether they would relent and come home agayne to their Catholicke Church So M. Hooper went before with one of the Shiriffes and M. Rogers came after with the other and beyng out of the Church doore M. Hooper looked backe and stayed a little tyll M. Rogers drewe neare M. Hoopers wordes to M· Rogers vnto whom he sayd Come brother Rogers must we two take this matter first in hand and beginne to fry these fagots Yea Sir sayd M. Rogers by Gods grace Doubte not sayde M. Hooper but God wyll geue strength So goyng forwardes there was such a prease of people in the streetes which reioyced at theyr constauncie that they had much adoe to passe By the way the Shiriffe sayd to M. Hooper I woonder that ye were so hastie and quicke with my L. Chancellour M. Hooper earnest in his Maysters cause and dyd vse no more pacience He aunswered M. Shiriffe I was nothyng at all impacient althogh I was earnest in my maisters cause and it standeth me so in hand for it goeth vpon life and death not the life and death of this world only but also of the world to come Then were they committed to the Keeper of the Counter and apointed to seueral chambers with commaundement that they should not be suffred to speake one with another neyther yet any other permitted to come at them that night Upon the next day followyng the 29. of Ianuary at the houre appoynted they were brought agayne by the Shiriffes before the sayd Bishop and Commissioners in the Churche The thyrd and last exâ—mination of M. Hooper where they were the day before And after long and earnest talke when they perceyued that M. Hooper would by no meanes condescend vnto them they condemned hym to be disgraded and read vnto hym his condemnation M. Hooper condemned That done M. Rogers was brought before them and in lyke maner entreated and so they deliuered both of them to the secular power the two shirifs of London who were willed to cary them to the Clinke a prison not far from the B. of Winchesters house and there to remayne till night When it was darke M. Hooper was led by one of the Shiriffes with many bils and weapons first through the B. of Winchesters house and so ouer London bridge thorough the Citie to Newgate And by the way some of the Sergeaunts were wylled to goe before and put out the Costerdmongers candles who vse to sit with lyght in the streetes eyther fearyng of lykelihoode that the people would haue made some attempt to haue taken him away from them by force Darkeâ— best for Papistâ—â— if they had seene hym goe to that prysonne or els beyng burdened with an euill conscience they thought darckenesse to be a most fitte season for such a businesse But notwithstandyng this deuise the people hauyng some foreknowledge of his comming The 〈◊〉 reioysinâ— the 〈◊〉 of Mâ— Hooper M. Roâ—â—â— M. 〈◊〉 sent to Newgatâ—â— many of them came foorth of their dores with lights and saluted hym praysing God for his constancie in the true doctrine which he had taught them and desiring God to strengthen hym in the same to the ende M. Hooper passed by and required the people to make their earnest prayers to God for hym and so went through Chepeside to the place appoynted was deliuered as close prisoner to the Keeper of Newgate where he remained sixe dayes no body beyng permitted to come to him or to talke with him sauyng his Keepers and such as should be appoynted thereto During this tyme Boner B. of London and others at his appoyntment as Fecknam Chedsey B. Boneâ— his Chaâ—â—laynes 〈◊〉 with Hooper prison and Harpsfield c. resorted diuers tymes vnto hym to assay if by any meanes they could perswade him to relent and become a member of their Antichristian church All the ways they could deuise they attempted For besides the disputations and allegations of testimonies of the Scriptures and of auncient writers wrasted to a wrong sense accordyng to their accustomed maner they vsed also all outward gentlenes and significations of friendship with many great profers and promises of worldly commodities not omittyng also most grieuous threatnyngs if with geâ—tlenesse they could not preuaile but they found hym alwayes one man stedfast and immoueable When they perceiued that they could by no means reclayme him to their purpose with such perswasions and offers as they vsed for his conuersion False ruâ—â—mors of Hoopers recantatâ—â—â— then went they about by false rumours and reports of recantations for it is well knowen that they and their seruaunts dyd spread it first abroade to bring hym and the doctrine of Christ which he professed out of credite with the people So the brute beyng a little spread abroad and beleeued of some of the weaker sort by reason of the often resort of the Byshop of London and other it encreased more at the last came to M. Hoopers eares Wherewith he was not a little greued that the people should geue so light credite vnto false rumors hauyng so simple a ground as it may appeare by a letter which he wrote vpon that occasioÌ„ the copy wherof followeth * A letter of Maister Hooper for the stoppyng of certayne false rumours spread abroad of hys recantation THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee wyth all them that vnfainedly looke for the comming of our Sauiour Christ Amen A 〈◊〉 of M. Hoâ—per agayâ—â—â— false 〈◊〉 spread oâ— his recanâ—â—â—tion Deare brethren and sisters in the Lord and my fellowe prisones for the cause of Gods gospell I do much reioice and geue thankes vnto God for your constancie and perseuerance in affliction vnto whom I wish continuaunce vnto the end And as I do reioyce in your fayth and constancie in afflictions that be in prison eueÌ„ so do I mourne and lament to heare of our dere brethren that yet haue not felt such dangers for gods truth as we haue and do feele and be daily lyke to suffer more yea the very extreme and vile death of the fire yet such is the report abroade as I am
hee for a lawe wee haue commission to proceede with them when they be dispatched let their frendes sue the lawe Nowe howe soone a man may haue such a commission at my Lord Chancelors hand you know It is as hard to be obtained as an enditement for Christ at Cayphas hande Besides that the Byshoppes hauing the Queene so vpon their sides may do all things both without the aduise and also the knowledge of the rest of the Lordes of the temporaltie who at this present haue found out the marke that the Bishops shote at and doubtles be not pleased with their doings I pray you helpe that our brother Sanders and the rest in the Marshalsey may vnderstande these things and sende me your answere betime Iudas non dormit nec scimus diem neque horam i. Iudas slepeth not neither know we the day nor the hour Dominus Iesus Christus suo sancto numine nos omnes consoletur adiuuet Amen i. The Lord Iesus Christ with his holy spirite comfort and strengthen vs all Amen May 6. 1554. Yours and with you vnto death in Christ I Hooper An exhortation to pacience sent to his godly wife Anne Hooper whereby all the true members of Christ may take comfort and courage to suffer trouble affliction for the profession of his holy Gospel OUr sauiour Iesus Christ dearely beloued my godly wife in s. Mathewes Gospell said to his disciples M. 18. that it was necessary sclaunders shoulde come and that they coulde not be auoided An effectuâ—â— letter of M Hooper sent to hys wife he perceiued as wel by the coÌ„dition of those that should pearish be lost for euer in the world to come as also by their affliction that should be saued For he sawe the greatest part of the people would contemne neglecte whatsoeuer true doctrine or godly wayes should be shewed vnto them or els receiue it vse it as they thought good to serue their pleasures without any profite to their soules at all not caring whether they liued as they were coÌ„manded by Gods word or not but would thinke it sufficient to be counted to haue the name of a Christian man wyth such workes and frutes of his profession and Christianitie as his fathers and elders after their custome maner esteeme and take to be good fruites and faithful works and wil not try them by the worde of God at all These men by the iust iudgement of God be deliuered vnto the crafte and subtiltie of the deuill Math. 14. that they may be kept by one sclaunderous stuÌ„bling blocke or other that they neuer come vnto Christ who came to saue those that were lost as yee may see howe God deliuereth wicked menne vp vnto their owne lustes to do one mischiefe after an other carelesse Rom. 1.1 1. Thes. 2. vntil they come into a reprobate minde that forgetteth it selfe and can not knowe what is expedient to be done or to be least vndone because they close their eyes and will not see the lyghte of Gods woorde offered vnto them and being thus blinded they preferre their owne vanities before the truth of Gods woorde Whereas such corrupt mindes be Errour taken for truth and persecution for Gods seruice there is also corrupt election and choyse of Gods honor so that the minde of man taketh falsehoode for truthe superstition for true religion death for life damnation for saluation hell for heauen and persecution of Christes members for Gods seruice and honour And as these men wilfully and voluntarily reiect the woorde of God euen so God most iustly deliuereth them into the blindnes of mind hardnes of heart that they can not vnderstand Iohn 8.9 nor yet consent to any thyng that God would haue preached and set foorth to his glory after his owne will and worde wherefore they hate it mortally of all things most detest Gods holy worde And as y e deuill hath entred into their hearts that they them selues can not nor will not come to Christ to be instructed by hys holy woord euen so can they not abide any other man to be a Christian man and to lead his life after the word of God but hate him persecute him robbe him imprisone hym yea and kil him whether he be man or womaÌ„ if God suffer it And so much are those wicked men blinded that they passe of no law whether it be Gods or mans but persecute such as neuer offended yea do euil to those that daily haue praied for them and wish them Gods grace In their Pharaonical and blind furie they haue no respect to nature No respect of nature with the persecuting aduersaries For the brother persecuteth the brother the father the sonne and most deare frends in diuelish sclaunder and offence are become most mortal ennemies And no marueile for when they haue chosen sundrye maisters the one the deuill the other God the one shall agree with the other as God and the deuell agree betweene them selues For this cause that the more parte of the worlde doth chuse to serue the deuill vnder cloaked hypocrisie of Gods title Christ sayd Math. â—8 It is expedient and necessary that sclanders should come and many meanes be deuised to keepe the litle babes of Christ from the heauenly father But Christ sayth Wo be vnto him by whome the offence commeth Yet is there no remedy man being of such corruption and hatred towardes God but that the euil shal be deceiued persecute the good and the good shall vnderstand the truth and suffer persecution for it vntill the worlds ende For as he that was borne after the flesh persecuted in times past him that was born after the spirite Geâ—e 4. Gâ—lat 4. euen so is it now Therefore for so much as we liue in this life amongst so many great pearils and daungers we must be wel assured by gods word how to beare them and how paciently to take them as they be sent to vs froÌ„ God We must also assure our selues that there is no other remedy for Christians in the time of trouble then Christ himself hath appoynted vs. Luke 2. In S. Luke he geueth vs thys commandement Ye shall possesse your liues in pacience sayeth he In the which words he geueth vs both commaundement what to doe and also great comfort and consolation in all troubles Hee sheweth also what is to be done and what is to be hoped for in troubles Patience in troubles onely the christian mans remedy Rom. 8. and when troubles happen he biddeth vs be pacient and in no case violently nor seditiously to resist our persecuters because God hath such care and charge of vs that he wil keepe in the mids of all troubles the very heares of our heade so that one of them shall not fall away without the wil and pleasure of our heauenly father Whether the haire therfore tarie in the head or fal from the head it is the wil of the
matrone dwelling in Manchester and to hys brethren and sisters and other of his frendes there OUr deare and sweete Sauioure Iesus Christ whose prisoner at this present praysed be his name therfore I am preserue and keepe you my good mother A letter of M. Bradford to his mother brethren and sisters wyth my brothers and sisters my Father Iohn Traues Thomas Sorrocold Laurence and Iames Bradshawe with theyr wiues and familyes c. now and for euer Amen I am at this present in prison sure enough for starring to confirme that I haue preached vnto you as I am ready I thanke God with my lyfe and bloud to seale the same if god vouch me worthy of that honor For good mother and brethren it is a most speciall benefite of God to suffer for his names sake and gospel as now I doe I hartily thanke him for it and am sure that with him I shal be partaker of his glory as Paule sayth If we suffer with hym we shall raygne with him Therfore be not faynt harted but rather reioyce 2. Tim. 2. at the least for my sake which now am in y e right and high way to heauen for by many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heauen Actes 14. Now will God make knowne his children When the winde doth not blow then can not a man know the wheate from y e chaffe but when the blast commeth then fleeth away the chaffe but the wheate remayneth and is so farre from being hurt that by the winde it is more clensed from the chaffe and knowne to be wheaâ—e Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods children by the crosse of affliction God beginneth his iudgement with his owne house Alwayes God beginneth his iudgement at hys house Christ and the Apostles were in most miserie in the land of Iewry but yet the whole land smarted for it after so now Gods Children are first chastised in this worlde that they should not be damned with the world for surely great plagues of God hang ouer this Realme Ye all know there was neuer more knowledge of god and lesse godly liuing and true seruing of God It was counted a foolishe thing to serue God truely Complaynt of the Carnall and wicked lyfe among the Gospellers and earnest prayer was not past vpon Preaching was but a pastime The Communion was counted too common Fasting to subdue the fleshe was farre out of vse Almes was almost nothing Malice Couetousnes and vncleannes was coÌ„mon euery where with swearing dronkenes and idlenes God therfore nowe is come as you haue hearde mee preach and because he will not damne vs with the world he beginneth to punishe vs as me for my carnall liuinge For as for my preaching I am most certaine it is was Gods trueth and I trust to geue my life for it by Gods grace But because I loued not the Gospell truely but outwardly therefore doth he thus punish me nay rather in punishing blesseth me And in deede I thanke him more of this prison The cause why God first punisheth his in this world then of any Parlour yea then of anye pleasure that euer I had for in it I finde God my most sweet good God alwayes The flesh is punished first to admonish vs nowe hartily to liue as we professe secondlye to certifie the wicked of their iust damnation if they repent not Perchaunce you are weakened in that whiche I haue preached because God doth not defend it as you thinke but suffereth the popish doctrine to come agayne and preuayle but you must know good mother that God by this doth proue and try his children people whether they wil vnfaynedly and simply hang on him his worde God vseth to proue and try his children So dyd he w t the Israelites bringing theÌ„ into a Desert after theyr comming out of Egypt where I meane the wildernes was want of all thinges in comparison of that which they had in egipt Christ wheÌ„ he came into this world brought no worldly wealth nor quietnes with him but rather war The world sayth he shall reioyce but ye shall mourne weepe but your weeping shal be turned into ioy Iohn 16. and therefore happye are they that mourne and weep for they shal be comforted They are marked then with Gods marke in their foreheades and not with the beastes marke I meane the popes shauen â—rowne Of this place the Earle of Darby seemeth to take hold complayning that he curseth them that teacheth any false doctrine c. Page 1523. The Masse rebuketh no sinne nor shameth consciences as preaching doth who now with his shauelinges reioyce but woe vnto them for they shal be cast down they shal weep and mourne The rich glutton had here his ioye and Lazarus sorowe but afterwardes the time was chaunged The end of carnall ioy is sorrow Now let the whoremoÌ„ger ioy with the dronkarde swearer couetous malicious and blinde bussarde syr Iohn for the Masse will not byte them neither make them to blushe as preaching woulde Nowe may they doe what they will come deuils to the Churche and goe deuils home for no man must find fault And they are glad of this now haue they their hartes desire as the Sodomites had when Lothe was gone but what followed Forsooth when they cried peace al shal be wel then came Gods vengeance fire brymstone froÌ„ heauen and burnt vp euery mothers child euen so deare mother will it do to our papistes Wherefore feare God sticke to his word though all the world would swarue from it Dye you must once when or how The best death of all deathes is to dye for Gods sake can you not tell Dye therfore with Christ suffer for seruing him truely and after his word for sure may we be that of all deathes it is most to be desired to die for gods sake This is the most safe kynde of dying wee can not doubt but that wee shall goe to heauen if wee dye for hys names sake And that you shall dye for his names sake Gods word will warrant you if you sticke to that which God by me hath taught you You shal see that I speake as I thinke for by Gods grace I will drincke before you of this cup if I be put to it I doubt not but God wil geue me his grace strengthen me thereunto pray that he woulde and that I refuse it not I am at a poynt euen when my Lord God will to come to him Death nor life Prison nor pleasure I trust in God shal be able to seperate me from my Lorde God his Gospell In peace when no persecution was then were you content and glad to heare mee then did you beleue me and will you not do so nowe seeing I speake that which I trust by Gods grace if neede bee to verifie wyth my life Good mother I write before God to you as
this life Rom â— are not to bee compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you You knowe the way to heauen is not the wide way of the worlde Math. â— whiche windeth to the deuill but it is a strayte waye which fewe walke in For fewe liue Godlye in Christ Iesu 2. Tim â— 2. Cor. â— Math. â— fewe regarde the lyfe to come fewe remember the daye of iudgement few remember howe Christ will denye them before his father that do deny him here few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day whiche are ashamed of his truth and true seruice few cast their accountes what wil be layed to theyr charge in the day of vengeance few regard the condemnation of theyr owne consciences in doing that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes But I trust yet you are of this fewe my dearely beloued I trust you be of that little flocke which shall enherite the kingdome of heaueÌ„ I trust you are the mourners and lamenters 〈◊〉 10. which shal be comforted with comfort whyche neuer shall be taken from you if you nowe repent your former euilles if nowe you striue agaynst the euilles that are in you if now you continue to call vpon God if nowe you defile not your bodyes with any Idolatrous seruice 〈◊〉 4. vsed in the Antichristian Churches if you molest not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternall redemption a counseller and Mayster to lead you into all trueth whiche good spirite I beseeche the Father of mercye to geue to vs all for his deare sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome I commend you all and to the worde of his grace Actes 10. which is able to helpe you all and saue you all that beleue it folow it and serue GOD therafter And of this I would ye were all certayne that all the heares of your heads are numbred Math. 10. Math. spanâ— 1. Psalm 1â—4 Psalm 31. Pet. 5. so that not one of them shall perishe neither shall any man or deuill be able to attempt any thing much lesse to do any thing to you or any of you before your heauenly father which loueth you most tenderly shall geue them leaue and when he hath geuen them leaue they shall go no further then he will nor keepe you in trouble any longer then he will Therefore cast on him all your care for he is carefull for you Onely study to please hym and to keepe your consciences cleane your bodyes pure from the Idolatrous seruice whiche nowe euery where is vsed and GOD will maruellouslye and mercifully defend and comfort you which thing he doe for his holy names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen * To his dearely beloued in Christ Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife GOd our deare and moste mercyfull Father thorough Christ be with you my good Brother and Sister as with his children for euer and in all thinges so guide you with his holy spirite the leader of his people as may bee to his glory and your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in him Amen Because I haue oftentimes receiued from either of you comfort corporall for the which I beseeche the Lorde as to make me thankefull so to recompence you both now eternally I can not but goe about Lord help hereto for thy mercyes sake to write some thing for your comfort spiritually My dearely beloued looke not vppon these dayes and the afflictions of the same here with vs 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉 ioyfull the 〈…〉 simplye as they seeme vnto you that is as dismall dayes and dayes of Gods vengeaunce but rather as lucky dayes and dayes of Gods fatherlye kindenesse towardes you and suche as you be that is toward such as repent theyr sinnes and euill life paste and earnestly purpose to amende walking not after the will of the world and most part of men for the preseruation of theyr pelfe whiche will they nill they they shall leaue sooner or later and to whome or howe it shall be vsed they know not In deede to suche as walke in theyr wickednesse and winde on with the worlde this tyme is a tyme of wrath and vengeaunce and theyr beginning of sorrowe is but nowe because they contemne the Phisicke of theyr father whiche by this purging time and cleansing dayes would worke theyr weale whiche they will nor Clensing dayes and because they will not haue Gods blessing which both wayes he hath offered vnto them by prosperity and aduersity Gods 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 refused therefore it shall be kepte farre enough from them As when the sicke man will no kinde of Phisicke at the handes of the Phisition he is lefte alone and so the malady encreaseth and destroyeth him at the length To such men in deed these dayes are and should be dolefull dayes dayes of woe and weeping because theyr damnation draweth nigh But vnto such as be penitent and are desirous to liue after the Lordes wil among whom I do not onely count you but as far as a man may iudge I know ye are vnto such I say 〈…〉 receaâ—ed with 〈◊〉 this time is and should be comfortable For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sinnes for the which if he would haue destroyed vs then woulde hee haue letten vs alone and left vs to our selues in nothyng to take to hart his fatherly visitation which here it pleaseth him to worke presently because else where he wyll not remember our transgressions as Paule writeth He chastiseth vs in this world least with the world we should perishe Therefore my deare hartes call to minde your sinnes to lament them God punisheth not twise for one thing and to aske mercye for them in hys sight and withall vndoubtedly beleue to obteyne pardon and assured forgeuenesse of the same for twise the Lord punisheth not for one thing So that I saye first wee haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because our father suffereth vs not to lye in Iesabels bed sleeping in our owne sinnes and security but as mindefull on vs doth correct vs as his children Whereby we may be certayne that we be no bastardes but children for he chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth Difference betweene bastards and children So that they which are not partakers of his chastising or that contemne it declare themselues to be bastardes and not children as I know ye are which as ye are chastised so do ye take it to hart accordingly And therefore be glad my deare hartes and folkes knowing certaynelye euen by these visitatioÌ„s of the Lord that ye are his deare elect children whose faultes your father doth visite with the rodde of correction but his mercy will he neuer take away from vs. Amen Secondly ye haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because they are dayes of triall wherein not onely ye your selues but also the worlde shall
knowe that ye be none of his but the Lords dearelinges Before these dayes came Lord God how many thought of them selues they hadde bene in Gods bosome and so were takē and would be taken of the world But now we see whose they are Trouble tryeth who be of God who be not For to whome we obey his seruauntes we are If wee obey the world which god forbid and hitherto ye haue not done it then are we the worldes but if we obey God then are we Gods Which thing I mean that ye are Gods these dayes haue declared both to you to me to all other that know you better then euer we knew it Therefore ye haue no cause to sorrow but rather to sing in seing your selues to be Gods babes and in seyng that all Gods children do so count you What though the world repine thereat What though he kicke What though he seek to trouble and molest you A true louer of the world is declared by hi◠lyfe My deare hartes he doth but his kinde he cannot loue the Lord which liueth not in the Lorde he can not brooke the childe that hateth the Father he canne not mind the seruaunt that careth not for the Mayster If ye were of the world the world woulde loue you ye should dwell quietly there woulde be no griefe no molestation If the Deuill dwelt in you which the Lord forbid he would not stirre vp his knightes to besiege your house to snatch your goodes or suffer his freendes to enter into your Hogges The deuill neuer entereth into his owne hogges But because Christ dwelleth in you as he doth by fayth therefore styreth he vp his first begotten sonne the worlde to seeke how to disquiet you to robbe you to spoyle you to destroy you and perchaunce your deare Father to trye and to make knowne vnto you and to the world that ye are destinate to an other dwelling the◠here on earth to an other Citty then mannes eyes haue seene at any tyme hath geuen or will geue power to Sathan and to the world to take from you the thinges The Lord geueth power to Sathan sometymes ouer his Seruantes and to what ende God vseth to try his whiche he hath lent you and by taking them awaye to trye your fidelitye obedience and loue towardes hym for ye may not loue them aboue hym as by geuyng that ye haue and keeping it he hath declared his loue towardes you Sathan perchaunce telleth GOD as he did of Iob that ye loue GOD for your goodes sake What now then if the Lord do try you with Iob shall geue him power on your goodes and body accordingly should ye be dismaied should ye dispayre shoulde ye be faynt harted shoulde ye not rather reioyce as did the Apostles that they were coūted worthy to suffer any thing for the Lordes sake Oh forget not the end that happened to Iob for as it happened to him so shall it happen vnto you For GOD is the same God and can not long forget to shew mercy to them that look and long for it as I know ye do and I pray you so to do still For the Lord loueth you and neuer canne nor will forget to shewe and poure out his mercy vpon you After a little while that he hath afflicted tryed you sayth Peter hee will visite comfort and confirme you Iacob must teach vs to wrastle As to Iacob wrastling with the Aungell at the length morning came and the sonne arose so deare hartes doubtlesse it will happen vnto you Howbeit do ye as Iob and Iacob did that is order and dispose your thinges that God hath lent you as ye may and whiles ye haue time Who knoweth whether God hath geuen you power this long euen to that end Go to therefore dispose your goodes prepare your selues to tryall that eyther ye maye stande to it like Goddes Champions or els if ye feele such infirmitye in your selues that ye bee not able geue place to violence and goe where ye may with free and safe conscience serue the Lord. Thinke not this counsell to come by chaunce This Erkinald and his wyfe folowing this counsayle did flie both beyond sea or fortune but to come from the Lorde Other Oracles wee may not looke for now As God told Ioseph in a dreame by an Angell that he should flye so if you fele such infirmity in your selues as should turne to Gods dishonor and your owne destruction withall knowe that at this present I am as Gods Aungell to admonish you to take tyme whyles yee haue it and to see that in no case Gods name by you might be dishonored Ioseph might haue obiected the omission of his vocation as perchaunce ye will do But deare hartes lette vocations and all thinges else geue place to Goddes name and the sanctifying thereof This I speake not as though I would not haue you rather to tary und to stand to it but I speake it in respecte of your infirmity whiche if you feele to be so greate in you that ye are not certayne of this hope that God will neuer tempt you aboue your ability flye and get you hence and know that thereby GOD will haue you tryed to your selues and to others For by it you shall know howe to take this world and your home here is no home but that ye looke for an other and so geue occasion to others lesse to loue this worlde and perchaunce to some to doubte of theyr Religion Wherin though they be earnest yet would they not loose so much as ye do for your Religion which ye do confirme to me and others by your geuing place to violence Last of al ye haue cause to reioyce ouer these our daies because they bee the dayes of conformation in the whiche and by whiche GOD our heauenly Father maketh vs like vnto Christes Image here Tribulation doth conforme vs to the Image of Christ. that we may be like vnto him elswhere For if that we suffer with him then we shal reigne also with him if we be buryed with him then wee shall rise with him agayne if that we company with hym in all troubles and afflictions then we shall reioyce wyth him in glory if we now sow with him in teares we shall reape with him in gladnes if we confesse him before men he will confesse vs before his father in heauen if wee take his parte he will take ours if wee loose ought for his names sake he will geue vs all thynges for his truthes sake So that we ought to reioyce and be glad for it is not geuen to euery one to suffer losse of countrey life goodes house c. for the Lordes sake What can God the father do more vnto vs thē to call vs into the camp with his sonne What may Christ our Sauior do more for vs thē to make vs his Warriours What can the holy Ghost do to vs aboue this to marke vs with
so many thowsandes it pleaseth his mercy to choose me to be one in whome he will suffer For although it be moste true that iuste patior i. I iustly suffer for I haue bene a great hypocrite and a greeuous synner the Lorde pardon me yea hee hath done it he hath done it in deede yet hic autem quid mali fecit i. What euill hath he done Christ whome the Prelates persecute his verity which they hate in me hath done no euill nor deserueth death Therefore ought I most hartely to reioyce of this dignation and tender kyndnesse of the Lord towardes me This is a singular mercy of God to haue death which is a due punishment for sinne â— turned into a demonstration testification of the Lordes truâ—he 4. Reg. 2. which vseth the remedy for my sinne as a testimoniall of hys Testament to his glory to my euerlasting comfort to the edefying of his Church and to the ouerthrowing of Antichrist and hys kingdome O what am I Lorde that thou shouldest thus magnifye me so vile a man and miser as alwayes I haue bene Is this thy wont to sende for suche a wretche and an hypocrite as I haue bene in a fiery Charyot as thou diddest for Helias Oh deare Fathers be thankefull for me and pray for me that I styll may be found worthy in whom the Lord would sanctify his holy name And for your part make you readye for we are but your gentlemen hushers Nuptiae agni paratae sunt venite ad nuptias 1. The mariage of the Lambe is prepared come vnto the mariage I now go to leaue my flesh there where I receiued it He meaneth that he should be conueyed by the Queenes Garde into Lankeshire to be burnte as the aduersaryes had once determined lyke as Ignatius was by a company of soldiours conueyed to Rome and cast to the Leopardes I shall be coÌ„ueied thither as Ignatius was at Rome to Leopardis by whose euill I hope to bee made better God graunt if it be his will that I aske it may make them better by me Amen For my farewell therfore I write and send this vnto you trusting shortly to see you where we shall neuer be separated In the meane season I will not cease as I haue done to commende you to our father of heauen And that you would so do by me I most hartely praye euerye one of you You knowe nowe I haue moste neede But fidelis Deus qui nunquam sinet nos tentaâ—i supra id quòd possumus i. Faythfull is God which will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength He neuer didde it hytherto nor now I am assured he will neuer do Amen A dextris est mihi non mouebor Propter hoc laetabitur cor meum quia non derelinquet animam meam in inferno nec dabit me sanctum suum per gratiam in Câ—risto videre corruptionem E carcere raptim expectens omni momento carnificem i. He is on my righte hand therefore I shall not fall Wherefore my hart shall reioyce Psalme 16 for he shall not leaue my soule in hell neither shall suffer me his holy one by his grace in Christ to see corruption Out of prison in haste looking for the Tormentour The 8. of February Ann. 1555. Iohn Bradford * To the honourable Lord Russell now Earle of Bedford being then in trouble for the verity of Gods Gospell THe euerlasting and most gracious God and Father of our Sauiour Iesu Christ A letter of M. Bradford to the Lord Russell now Earle of Bedford â—lesse your good Lordshippe with all maner of heauenlye blessinges in the same Chryst our onely comfort and hope Amen Praysed be God our Father which hath vouched you worthye as of fayth in his Christ so of his Crosse for the same Magnifyed be his holy name who as he hath deliuered you from one crosse so he hath made you willing I trust and ready to beare another wheÌ„ he shall see his time to lay it vpon you for these are the most singular giftes of God geuen as to few The excellencye of fayth and what it worketh so to none els but to these few whiche are moste deare in his sight Fayth is reckoned and worthely among the greatest gyftes of GOD yea it is the greatest it selfe that we enioy for by it as we be iustified and made Gods childreÌ„ so are we temples and possessours of the holy spirite yea of Christ also Eph. 4. And of the Father hymselfe Iohn 14. By fayth we driue the Deuill away 1. Peter 5. We ouercome the world 1. Ioh. And are already Citttizens of heauen and fellowes wyth Goddes deare Sayntes But who is able to reckon the riches that this fayth bringeth with her vnto the soule she sitteth vpon No man or Aungell And therefore as I sayd of all Gods giftes she may be set in the top and haue the vpmost seate The which thing if men considered in that she commeth alonely from Goddes owne mercy seat Fayth commeth by hearing the word and not by hearing Masse by the hearing not of Masse or Mattyns Dyriges or such drasse but of the worde of God in such a toung as we canne and doe vnderstand as they would be diligent and take greate heede for doyng or seeyng any thyng whiche might cast her downe for then they fal also so would they with no lesse care read and heare Goddes holy word ioyning thereto most earnest and often prayer aswell for the more and better vnderstanding as for the louing liuyng and confessing of the same mauger the head of the deuill the worlde our fleshe reason goodes possessions carnall frends wife children and very life here if they should pull vs backe to harken to the voyce and counsell for more quiet sure and longer vse of them Philip. 1. Now notwithstanding this excellency of fayth in that we read the Apostle to matche therewith yea as it were to preferre suffering persecution for Christes sake I trowe no man will be so fond as to thinke otherwise but that I and all Goddes children haue cause to glorify and prayse God whiche hath vouched you worthye so greate a blessing The efficacy of the crosse and what it worketh in Gods children For though the reason or wisedome of the worlde thinke of the Crosse according to theyr reach and according to theyr present sence and therefore flyeth from it as from a most great ignominye and shame Yet Gods Scholers haue learned otherwise to thinke of the Crosse that is the frame house in the which God frameth his children lyke to his sonne Christ the Fornace that fineth Gods golde the high way to Heauen the Sute and Liuery that Gods seruauntes are serued withall the earnest and beginning of all consolation and glory For they I meane Gods scholers as your Lordshyp is I trust doe enter into Goddes sanctuary Psalme 72. least theyr fecte slippe They looke not as beastes do on thinges
miserationibus magnis congregabo te In momento indignationis obscondi faciem meam parumper â te in miserecordia sempiterna misertus sum tui di xit redemptor tuus dominus Nam istud erit mihi sicut aquae Noe. Vt enim iuraui ne porro aquae Noe pertransirent terram sic iuraui vt non irascar tibi non increpem te Montes enim comouebuntur colles contremiscent miserecordia autem mea non recedet à te foedus pacis meae non mouebitur dixit miserator tuus Dominus i. Feare not c. For a little while I haue forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hyd my face from thee for a little season but in euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion on thee sayth the Lorde thy redeemer For this is vnto me as the waters of Noe. For as I haue sworne that the waters of Noe should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angry w t thee nor rebuke thee For the mountaynes shal remoue and hilles shall fall downe but my mercye shall not departe from thee neyther shall the couenaunte of my peace fall awaye sayth the Lorde that hath compassion on thee But the scriptures are full of suche sweete places to them that will portare iram domini expectare salutem auxilium eius i. Beare the wrathe of the Lorde Math. â— and waye for his health and helpe As of all temptations this is the greatest that God hathe forgotten or will not helpe vs through the pykes as they say so of all seruices of God this liketh hym y e best to hope assuredly on him for hys helpe alwayes whiche is adiutor in tribulationibus i. An helper in tribulations 1. Cor. â—â— Psalm 1â— and doth more gloriously shew his power by suche as be weake and feele themselues so For quo infirmiores sumus eo sumus in illo robustiores Sic oculi domini i. The weaker we are the more stronge we are in hym Thus the eyes of the Lord be on them that tremble and feare Voluntatem eorum faciet i. hee will accomplishe their desire he is with them in their trouble hee will deliuer them Antequam clamauerint exaudit eos i. before they cry he heareth them as all the scriptures teach vs. To the reading whereof and hartye prayer I hartily commend you beseechyng almighty God that of his eternall mercies hee woulde make perfecte the good hee hathe begunne in you and strengthen you to the ende that you might haue no lesse hope but much more of hys helpe to your comforte nowe agaynst your enemies then already he hathe geuen you agaynst N. for not subscrybing to the kinges will Be certayne be certayne good M. Hales that all the heares of your head your deare father hath numbred so that one of them shall not pearishe your name is written in the booke of lyfe Therefore vpon God cast all your care whiche will comforte you with his eternall consolations and make you able to goe through the fire if neede bee whiche is nothing to be compared to the fire where into our enemies shall fall and lye for euer from the whiche the Lorde deliuer vs though it be through temporall fire which must be construed according to the ende and profite that commeth after it so shall it then not muche deare vs to suffer it for our mayster Christes cause the whiche the Lord graunt for his mercies sake Amen From the kings Bench. Your humble Iohn Bradford ⧠To my very friend in the Lord Doctor Hyll Phisition THe God of mercy and father of all comforte at this present and for euer engraffe in your harte the sense of his mercy in Christ â—etter to 〈◊〉 Hill 〈◊〉 and for the continuaunce of hys consolation whiche cannnot but enable you to carrye wyth ioye whatsoeuer crosse he shall lay vpon you Amen Hetherto I coulde haue no suche libertye as to wryte vnto you as I thynke you knowe but nowe in that throughe Gods prouidence I haue no suche restraynte I cannot but somthing write as well to purge me of this suspicion of vnthankfulnes towardes you as also to signifie my carefulnes for you in these perilous dayes least you should waxe colde in Gods cause whiche God forbid or suffer the light of the Lord once kindled in your harte to be quenched and so become as you were before after the example of the worlde and of many othere whiche woulde haue bene accompted otherwise in our dayes and yet still beguile themselues still would be so accompted although by their outward lyfe they declare the contrary in that they thinke it inough to keepe the harte pure notwythstandynge that the outward man doth curry fauour In whiche doyng as they deny God to be ielous and therefore requireth the whole man as well body as soule being bothe create as to immortalitie and societye wyth hym so redeemed by the bloud of Iesus Christ and now sanctified by the holy spirite to be the temple of GOD and member of hys sonne as I say by their parting stake to geue God the harte â—â—rting 〈◊〉 bâ—â—wene God and the world 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 church and the world the body they deny God to be ielous for els they woulde geue hym both as the wyfe would doe to her husband whether he be ielous or noe if shee bee honest so they playe the dissemblers with the Churche of GOD by theyr facte offendyng the godlye whome eyther they prouoke to fall wyth them or make more carelesse and consciencelesse if they be fallen and occasionyng the wicked and obstinate to tryumphe against God and the more vehemently to prosecute theyr malyce agaynst suche as will not defile themselues in bodye or soule with the Romyshe ragges now reuiued amongest vs. Because of thys I meane least you my deare Mayster and brother in the Lorde shoulde doe as many of our Gospellers doe for feare of man whose breathe is in hys nostrels and hathe power but of the body Gospell 〈◊〉 â—say 2. not fearyng the Lord which hath power both of soule and body and that not onely temporallye but also eternally I could not but write something vnto you aswell because duety deserueth it for many benefites I haue receiued of God by your handes for the whiche hee rewarde you for I cannot as also because charitie and loue compelleth me not that I thinke you haue anye neede for as I may rather learne of you so I doubt not but you haue hetherto kept your selfe vpright from haltyng but that I might both quyet my conscience callyng vppon me hereabout â— Hill M. â—radfordes â—hisition Maiâ—eâ—s Sortes of â—biectes Wayes Kingâ—â—mes and signifie vnto you by some thynge my carefulnes for your soule as payneful and often you haue done for my body Therefore I praye you call to minde that there bee but two maysters two kindes of
this binedeth hym as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth Our Fathers hoped in thee and thou deliueredst them c. Psal. 22. yet by coÌ„iectures I coulde not but suppose thoughe not so certainely the time of your suffering and probation to be at hande For now is the power of darknes fully come vpon this realme most iustly for oâ—r sinnes and abusing the light lent vs of the Lorde to the setting foorthe of oure selues more then of Gods glory y t as wel we might be brought into the better knowledge of our euils and so heartily repeÌ„t which God graunt vs to doe as also we might haue more feeling and sense of our sweete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs thereby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweet and pleasant vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensibly in all oure hearts for Gods holy names sake For this cause I thoughte it my duetie beynge nowe where I haue some libertye to write the Lord be praised and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had heard nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lord although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to goe on forewardes in the way of God whereinto you are entred considering that the same cannot but so much more and more waxe strait to the outward man by howe muche you drawe nearer to the ende of it Euen as in the trauaile of a woman The nearer we come to our iourneyes end trauayling to heauen the strayter is the way the nearer shee draweth to her deliuerie the more her paines encrease so it goeth with vs in y e Lordes way the nearer we drawe to our deliueraunce by death to eternall felicitie Example whereof we haue I will not say in the holy Prophetes and Apostles of God which when they were young girded them selues and went in manner whether they would Example of the trauell of a woman Iohn 21. but when they waxed olde they went girded of others whither they would not concerning y e outward man but rather and moste liuely in our Sauiour Iesus Christ whose life way was much more painfull to hym towardes the ende then it was at the beginning And no marueyle Example of Christ and his Apostles for Satan cane something abide a man to begin wel set forewards but rather then he should go on to the ende he wil vomite his gorge and cast flouds to ouerflow him before he wil suffer that to come to passe Therefore as we should not be dismaide nowe at thys world The malice of the deuill no new thing as though some strange thyng were happened vnto vs in that it is but as it was wont to be to the godly in that the Deuill declareth him selfe after his olde woont in that we haue professed no lesse but to forsake the world and the deuil as Gods very enemie in that we learned no lesse at the first when we came to Gods schole then to deny our selues and take vp our crosse and folow our master which leadeth vs none other way then he him selfe hath gone before vs as I say we should not be dismaid so we should with patience and ioy go forewards if we set before vs as present the time to come like as the wife in her trauaile doeth the deliuerance of her child and as the saints of God did but especially our sauiour and paterne Iesus Christe for the Apostle sayeth Heb. 12. He set before him the ioye and glorye to come and therfore contemned the shame sorow of the crosse so if we did we shoulde finde at the length as they founde For whome would it greeue which hath a long iourney to go to go through a peece of foule way if he knewe that after that the way should be moste pleasaunt yea the iourney shoulde be ended Godly counsell stirring vs to the contempt of this transitory lyfe and he at his resting place most happie Who wiil be afeard or lothe to leaue a litle pelfe for a little time if he knewe he should shortly after receiue most plentifull riches Who will be vnwilling for a little while to forsake his wife children or frends c. when he knoweth he shall shortly after be associated vnto them inseparably euen after his owne hearts desire Who wil be sory to forsake this life which can not but be moste certaine of eternall life Who loueth the shadowe better then the bodye Who can loue this life but they that regarde not the life to come Who can desire the drosse of this worlde but such as be ignoraunt of the treasures of the euerlasting ioy in heauen Mathew 19. I meane who is afeard to die but suche as hope not to liue eternally Christ hath promised pleasures richesse ioye 1. Peter 2. felicitie and all good things to them that for hys sake lose any thing or suffer any sorrowe And is he not true Howe can hee but be true for guile was neuer founde in his mouth Alas then why are we so slacke and slow yea harde of heart to beleue him promising vs thus plentifully eternal blisfulnes and are so ready to beleue the worlde promising vs many things and paying vs nothing If we will currie fauour nowe and halâ—e on bothe partes then it promiseth vs peace The flatteâ—ing promises of this world ill fauoâ—â—â—ly performed quietnesse and many thinges els But howe doeth it pay this geare or if it pay it with what quietnesse of conscience Or if so howe long I pray you Doe not we see before our eyes men to die shamefully I meane as Rebelles and other malefactours which refuse to dye for Gods cause What way is so sure a way to heauen as to suffer in Christes cause If there be anye waye on horsebacke to heauen surely this is the way By manye troubles sayeth the Apostle wee must enter into heauen Actes 14. All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution For the world can not loue them that are of God 2. Timothy 3. the deuill can not loue hys ennemies the worlde will loue none but hys owne you are Christes therefore looke for no loue heere Should we looke for fire to quenche our thirste And as soone shall Gods true seruants finde peace and fauour in Antichrists regiment Therfore my dearly beloued be stout in the Lorde and in the power of his might Put on you his armour stande in the libertie of Christe which you haue learned reioyce that you may be counted woorthy to suffer any thyng for Gods cause to all men thys is not geuen Your rewarde is great in heauen though in earth you find nothing The iourney is almost past you are almost in the hauen halt on a pace I beseeche you and merily hoâ—se vp your sailes To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉
he traineth his souldiers to geue a fierce onset on vowarde of Gods battaile You see how he hath receyued power of God to molest Gods children and to beginne at hys house By reason whereof consider two thinges one the cause on our behalfe the other what will be the sequele on straungers For the first if we be not blind we can not but wel see that our sinnes are the cause of all this miserie 2. Thinges to be considered in the persecution of gods people our sinnes I say which I would that euery one of vs would applye to our selues after the example of Ionas and Dauid turning ouer the wallet that other mens offences myght lie behinde and our owne before Not that I woulde excuse other men whyche exteriourly haue walked muche more grossely then manye of you haue done but that I woulde prouoke you all as my selfe to more hearty repentance and prayer Let vs more and more encrease to knowe and lament our doubting of God of his presence power anger mercy c. Let vs better feele and hate our self loue securitie negligence vnthankfulnes vnbelief impacience c. and then doubtlesse the crosse shall be lesse careful yea it shal be comfortable and Christ moste deare and pleasaunt death then shal be desired Earnest repentance maketh the Crosse more pleasaunt as the dispatcher of vs ouâ— of al miserie and entrance into eternall felicitie and ioye vnspeakeable the whych is so much the more longed for by howe muche we feele in dede the serpents bits wherwith he woundeth our heeles that is our outward Adam and senses If we had I say a liuely and true feeling of his poyson we could not but as reioyce ouer oure captaine y t hath bruised hys head Coloss. 1. so be desirous to followe his example that is to geue our liues with him and for him and so to fill vp his passions that he might conquere and ouercome in vs and by vs to his glory and comfort of his children If Gods iudgementes be so sharpe to his children what will it be to his enemyes Nowe the seconde I meane the sequele or that whych will folowe on the straungers my dearely beloued let vs well looke vpon For if so be that God iustly doe thus geue to sathan and his seede to vexe and molest Christe and hys penitent people Oh what and how iustly may he and wil he geue to Sathan to intreate the rechlesse and impenitent sinners If iudgement beginne thus at Gods house what will followe on them that be wythout if they repent not Certainely for them is reserued the dregs of Gods cuppe that is brimstone fire and tempest intollerable Now are they vnwillinge to drinke of Gods cuppe of afflictions which he offereth commoÌ„ with his sonne Christ our Lord Math. 8. least they shoulde lose their pigges with the Gergelites They are vnwilling to come into the waye that bryngeth to heauen The doinges wayes of the wicked described and what is the end thereof euen afflictions they in their hearts crie Let vs cast his yoke from vs they walke two wayes that is they seeke to serue God Mammon which is vnpossible they will not come nigh the straight way that bringeth to life they open their eyes to beholde present things onely they iudge of Religion after reason and not after Gods word they folowe the more part and not the better they professe God wyth their mouthes but in their hearts they denye him or els they would sanctifie him by seruing hym more then men they parte stake with God which woulde haue all geuing part to the world to the Romish rout and Antichristian Idolatrie now set abroad amongst vs publikely they will haue Christ but none of his crosse which will not be they will be counted to liue godly in Christ but yet they wil suffer no persecution they loue this world wherthrough the loue of God is driuen foorth of them they sauour of those things that be of menne and not that bee of God Summa they loue God in theyr lippes but in theyr hearts yea and in their deedes deny hym as well by not repenting their euils past as by continuing in euill stil by doing as the world the flesh and the deuil willeth and yet still perchaunce they will pray or rather prate Thy will be done in earth which is generallye that euery one shoulde take vp his crosse and follow Christe But thys is a harde saying who is able to abide it Therefore Christ must be praied to depart least al their pigges be drowned The deuill shall haue his dwelling againe in themselues rather then in their pigges and therefore to the Deuill shall they go and dwel with him in eternall perdition and damnation euen in hell fire a torment endlesse and aboue all cogitations incomprehensible if they repent not Wherefore by them my dearely beloued be admonyshed to remember your profession howe that in Baptisme you made a solempne vowe to forsake the Deuill the world c. You promised to fight vnder Christes standard You learned Christes Crosse afore you begunne wyth A. B. C. Goe to then pay your vowe to the Lorde fighte lyke mende and valiant menne vnder Christes standarde take vp your Crosse and follow your maister as your brethren M. Hoper He doth embolden them to take vp Christes Crosse and to follow him Rogers Tailor and Sanders haue done and as nowe your brethren M. Cranmer Latimer Ridley Farrar Bradford Haukes c. be ready to doe The Ise is broken before you therefore be not afraide but be content to die for the Lorde You haue no cause to wauer or doubt of the doctrine thus declared by the bloud of the pastours Remember that Christ sayeth He that will saue his life shall lose it And what should it profite you to winne the whole worlde muche lesse a little quietnesse your goodes c. and to lose your owne soules Render to the Lord that he hath lent you by such meanes as he would haue you render it and not as you would Forget not Christes disciples must deny themselues as well concerning their will as concerning their wisdome Haue in mind that as it is no small mercy to beleeue in the Lorde Blessed be they that dye in the Lord but more â—â—â—ssed be they that dye for the Lord. so it is no small kindnesse of God towardes you to suffer any thing much more deathe for the Lorde If they be blessed that die in the Lord howe shall they be that die for the Lorde Oh what a blessing is it to haue death due for our sinnes diuerted into a demonstration and testification of the Lordes trueth The end riches 〈◊〉 follow 〈◊〉 Crossâ— Oh that we had a little of Moises faith to looke vppon the ende of the Crosse to looke vpon the rewarde to see continually wyth Christe and hys people greater richesse then the richesse of Egypt Oh let vs pray that God would
Tower hill where hee vttered these woordes M. Wiats words touching the Lady Elizabeth touching the Lady Elizabeth and the Earle of Deuonshyre Concerning sayd he what I haue sayd of other in my examination to charge any other as partakers of my doings I accuse neyther my Lady Elizabeths grace nor my Lord of Deuonshyre I can not accuse them neyther am I able to say that to my knowledge they knew any thing of my rising And when Doctour Weston tolde him that his confession was otherwise before the Counsell he aunswered that which I said then I sayd but that which I say now is true Uppon the Tuesday beeing the xvij of Aprill Syr Iames Croft and Maister Winter Aprill 17. Sir Iames Croft M. Winter Sir Nichoâ—las Throgmorton were brought to the Guild hall with whom also the same time and to the same place was brought sir Nicholas Throgmorton and there arraigned of treason for that he was suspected to be of the conspiracie with the Duke of Suffolke the rest agaynst y e Queene where he so learnedly and wisely behaued him selfe as well in clearing his owne case as also in opening such lawes of the Realme as were then alledged agaynst him that the Quest which was charged with his matter could not in conscience but finde him not gilty The Queâ—â—â— troubled 〈◊〉 Sir Nichoâ—las Throgmorton for y t which the said xij persons of the Quest being also substantiall meÌ„ of the Citie were bounde in the summe of 500. poundes a peece to appeare before y e Queenes Counsell at a day appointed there to answere such things as should be laid against theÌ„ for his acquiting Which Quest appeared accordingly before the Counsell in the Starre chamber vppon Wednesday being the xxv of Aprill and S. Markes daye Aprill 25. From wheÌ„ce after certaine questioning they were coÌ„mitted to prison Emanuell Lucar maister Whetstone were committed to the Tower and the other ten to the Fleete As concerning the condemnation of Thomas Archbyshop of Cant. of Doctour Ridley and M. Latymer which was the xx of this moneth of Aprill also of their disputations because we haue sayd enough before it shall not neede now to bestow any further rehearsall thereof The Friday next following after the condemnation of them the xxvij of Aprill Lord Thomas Gray L. Thomas Gray beheâ—â—ded Aprill 27. Aprill 28. the late Duke of Suffolkes brother was beheaded at Tower hil Upon the Saterday beeing the xxviij of Aprill Syr Iames Croft and Maister Winter were agayne brought to the Guild hall where Sir Iames Croft was arraigned and condemned and because the day was farre spent Maister Winter was not arraigned Upon the Thursday being the xvij of May William Thomas was arraigned at the Guild Hall W. Thomas condemneâ— May. 17. and there the same day condemned who the next day after was hanged drawne and quartered His accusation was for coÌ„spiring the Queenes death which how true it was I haue not to say This is certaine that he made a right godly ende and wrote many fruitefull exhortations Letters and Sonets in the prison before his death In the moneth of May it was so giuen out and bruitted abroad A certaine disputation intended to be had at Cambridge that a solemne disputation should be holden at Cambridge as ye heard before in Maister Ridleys letter page 1396 betwene M. Bradford M. Saunders mayster Rogers and other of that side and the Doctours of both the Uniuersities on the other side like as had bene in Oxford before as you haue heard Whereupon y e godly Preachers which were in prison hauing word therof albeit they were destitute of their bookes neither were ignorant of the purpose of the aduersaries and how y e cause was preiudicate before also how the disputations were coÌ„fusedly haÌ„dled at Oxford neuerthelesse they thought not to refuse the offer of disputatioÌ„ so that they might be quietly and indifferently heard and therefore wisely pondering the matter with themselues by a publicke consent directed out of prison a declaration of their minde by writing the vij day of May. Wherein first as touching the disputation although they knew that they should do no good wheras all things were so predetermined before yet neuertheles they would not deny to dispute The preachers in prâ—â—son refuse not to dispute before indifferent Iudges so that the disputation might be either before the Queene or before the Counsaile or before the ParlameÌ„t houses or else if they might dispute by writing for else if the matter were brought to the Doctours handling in their owne scholes they haue sufficient proofe they sayd by the experience of Oxford what little good will be done at Cambridge and so coÌ„sequently declaring the faith and doctrine of their Religion and exhorting the people withall to submit themselues with all patience and humilitie either to the will or punishmeÌ„t of the higher powers they appealed in the end from them to be theyr Iudges in this behalfe and so ende their protestation the copie and contents whereof I thought not vnfit here to be inserted * A copie of a certayne declaration drawne and sent out of prison by Mayster Bradford Mayster Saunders and dyuers other godly Preachers concerning theyr disputation A declaratiâ—on of the godly preachers written and senâ— abroad out of prison and doctrine of their Religion as followeth BEcause we heare that it is determined of the magistrats and such as be in authoritie especially of the Clergye to send vs speedely out of the prisons of the kings Bench the Fleet the Marshalsey and Newgate where presently we are and of long time some of vs hath ben not as rebelles traytors seditious persons theeues or transgressours of any lawes of this realme inhibitions Proclamations or commaundements of the Queenes highnes or of any of y e Councels Gods name be praysed therfore but alonely for the conscience we haue to God and his most holy word truth vpon most certayne knowledge because we say we heare that it is determined we shal be sent to one of the vniuersities of Cambridge or Oxford there to dispute with such as are appointed in that behalfe A 〈◊〉 of a preâ—enâ—ed 〈…〉 at Cambridge in that wee purpose not to dispute otherwise then by writing except it may be before the Queenes highnes and her Counsell or before y e Parlament houses and therfore perchaunce it will be bruted abroad that we are not able to mayntaine by the truth of Gods word and the consent of the true and Catholicke Church of Christ the doctrine we haue generally and seuerally taught and some of vs hath writteÌ„ set forth wherthrough the godly and simple may be offended somwhat weakened we haue thought it our bounden dutie now whilest we may by writing to publish and notifie the causes why we will not dispute otherwise then is abouesayd to preuent the offences which might come thereby First because it is euidently knowne vnto the whole