tempt vs further then he wil make vs able to beare Therfore be not carefull for I heare say this day you shall be called forth what you shall aunswer The Lord promiseth and will geue them that stand in his defence how and what to aunswere The Lord which is true and cannot lye hath promised and will neuer faile nor forget it that you shall haue both what and how to aunswer so as shal make hys shameles aduersaries ashamed Hang therefore on this promise of God who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in him Neuer was it heard of or shall be that any hoping in the Lord was put to foile Therfore as I sayd I say agayne Deare Sister be not only not carefull for your answeryng but also be ioyfull for your cause Confesse Christ and be not ashamed and he will confesse you neuer bee ashamed of you Though losse of goodes and lyfe bee like here to ensue A blessed thing seeing a man must needes dye to dye for the Lord. Yet if Christ be true as hee is most true it is otherwyse in deede For he that looseth his lyfe sayth he winneth it but he that saueth it looseth it Our sinnes haue deserued many deathes Nowe if God so deale with vs that hee wyll make our deserued death a demonstratioâ— of his grace a testimoniall of hys veritie a confirmation of hys people and ouerthrowe of hys aduersaries What great cause haue wee to bee thankefull Be thankefull therefore good Sister bee thankefull Reioyce and be mery in the Lord be stoute in his cause quaâ—ell be not faynt harted but runne out your race and set your captaine Christ before your eyes Beholde howe great your a small congregation But be it so that Peter had as much geuen to him as they do affirme· Who yet will graunt that Peter had a patrimony geuen for his heires He hath left say the Papists to his successors the selfe â—ame right which he receyued Oh Lord God then must hys successor be a Sathan for hee receyued that title of Christ hymselfe I would gladly haue the Papistes to shew me one place of succession mentioned in the Scriptures I am sure that wheÌ„ Paule purposely painteth out the whole administration of the church he neither maketh one head nor any inheritable Primacie yet he is altogether in commendation of vnitie After he hath made mention of one God the father of one Christ of one spirit of one body of the Church of one fayth and of one Baptisme then hee describeth the meane and maner how vnitie is to be kept namely because vnto euery pastour is grace geuen after the measure wherwith Christ hath endued them Where I pray you is now any title of Plenitudinis potestatis of fulnesse of power When he calleth home euery one vnto a certayne measure why did he not forthwith say one Pope Which thing he could not haue forgotten if the thyng had bene as the Papists make it But let vs graunt that perpetuitie of the Primacye in the church was established in Peter I would gladly learne why the seat of the Primacy should be rather at Rome then elswhere Mary say they because Peters chaire was at Rome This is euen lyke to this that because Moses the greatest Prophet and Aaron the first Priest exercised their offices vnto their death in the deserte therfore the principallest place of the Iewish Church should bee in the wildernesse But graunt them their reason that it is good What should Antioch claime For Peters chaire was there also wherin Paule gaue hym a checke which was vnseemely and vnmanerly done of Paule that would not geue place to his President and better No say the Papistes Rome must haue this authoritie because Peter died there But what if a man should by probable coniectures shew that it is but a fable which is fained of Peters Bishoprike at Rome Read how Paule doth salute very many priuate persons when he writeth to the Romaines Three yeres after his Epistle made he was broght to Rome prisoner Luke telleth that he was receiued of the brethren and yet in all these is no mention at all of Peter which then by their stories was at Rome Belike he was proud as the Pope and Prelates be or els he woulde haue visited Paule Paule beyng in prison in Rome did write diuers Epistles in which hee expresseth the names of many whiche were in comparison of Peter but rascall personages but of Peter he speaketh neuer a word Surely if Peter had bene there this silence of hym had bene suspicious In the 2. Epistle to Tim. Paule complaineth that no man was with hym in his defence but al had left hym If Peter had bene then at Rome as they write then eyther Paule had belied hym or Peter had played his Peters part Luke 23. In another place how doth he blame all that were with hâ—m only Timothy excepted Therfore we may wel doubt whether Peter was at Rome B. as they prate for all this tyme long before they say that Peter was bishop there But I will not stirre vp coles in this matter If Rome bee the chiefe seate because Peter died there why should not Antioch be the second Why should not Iames Iohn which were taken with Peter to be as pillers Why I say shoulde not their seates haue honor next to Peters seate Is not this geare preposterous that Alexandria where Marke which was but one of the disciples was bishop should be preferred before Ephesus where Iohn the Euangelist taught and was bishop and before IerusaleÌ„ where not only Iames taught and died bishop but also Christ Iesus our Lord high priest for euer by whom beyng Maister I hope honour should be geuen to his chaire more theÌ„ to the chaire of his Chaplaines I need to speake nothyng how that Paule telleth Peters Apostleship to concerne rather circumcision or the Iewes therfore properly pertaineth not to vs. Neither do I need to bring in Gregorius the first bishop of Rome which was about the yere of our Lord. 600. who plainly in his works doth write that this title of Primacy to be head ouer all churches vnder Christ is a title meete and agreyng only to Antichrist and therfore he calleth it a prophane a mischieuous and an horrible title Whome should we beleeue now if we will neyther beleeue Apostle nor Pope If I should go about to tel how this name was first gotten by Phocas I should be too long I purpose God willing to set it forth at large in a worke which I haue begun of Antichrist if God for his mercies sake geue me life to finish it For this present therefore I shall desire your Ladyship to take this in good part If they wil needs haue the B. of Rome to be acknowledged for the head of the Church then will I vrge them that they shall
sayd Vengeance is myne and I will punish Rom. 12. And for so much as he was a very leane man he added thys moreouer saying It is all one for shortly I must haue forsaken thys skin which already scarsely hangeth to my bones I know well that I am a mortall and a corruptible worme and haue nothing in me but corruption I haue long time desired my latter day haue made my request that I might be deliuered out of this mortall body to be ioyned with my Sauiour Christ. I haue deserued through my manifold sinnes committed agaynst my Sauior Christ my crosse and my Sauiour Christ hath borne the crosse and hath died vpon the crosse and for my part I will not glory in any other thing but onely in the crosse of Iesus Christ. There were present by This blessed Martyr drowned certayne naughtye persons which tould not endure to heare this godly exhortatiō but made a signe vnto the hangman to cast him down into the riuer After he was throwne downe he moued by a certayne space in the water in such sort that the riuer whereinto he was cast was redde with bloud This was a certayne signe and token that innocent bloud was that daye shed They which were there present beholding that whiche had happened The water miraculously couloured with bloud where he was drowned were greatly amazed and astonyed cōsidering with themselues what the stayning of the water with the bloud should signify Euery man returned home pēsiue and sad maruelling at the cruel deed that was done that day notwithstanding no man durst open his mouth to speake one word because that all thinges were exercised with such cruelty This was done in the towne of Ensissheim an 1525. These thinges I did vnderstand by one which did behold them with his eyes The Lord of his great grace be mercifull vnto vs and forgeue vs our sinnes Ex Oecolam Such was the wickednes then of those dayes and yet is still that who so euer was perceiued to fauour the Gospel or any thing to dislike the doctrine of the popes church he was hated and despited of the Rulers Lawiers and al other Papistes through the whole countrey about but especially of priestes monks and friers And though the life of the Gospellers were neuer so sound vpright yet such was the hatred and malice of the Popes frendes agaynste them that they neuer ceased to seek all occasiōs and deuise matters how to bring them to death It so happened a litle before this present time that there was a commotion of the rude and rusticall people of the country rising in armour inordinately agaynst theyr Rulers to the great disturbance of the whole country of Germany no lesse to theyr owne destruction of whom were slayn aboue 20000. At length when this rebellion was appeased and all things quiet such as were the popes frēds to worke theyr malice agaynst the Gospell tooke occasion thereby not long after to accuse and entangle such as they knew to be Gospellers Protestantes And although the sayd Gospellers were neuer so inculpable cleare from al rebellion yet that sufficed not for causes were made false witnesses brought corrupt Iudges suborned to condemne the innocent many were put to death theyr cause neither being heard nor knowne By reason whereof a great nūber of good innocent Christians were miserably brought to theyr end and martyrdome In the number of whome was this poore man also whose story by Oecolampadius is thus described ¶ An other history of a certayne man of the country wrongfully put to death collected by the sayd Iohn Oecolampadius Ex Ioan. Occolampadio THere was sayth he a certayne manne of the countrey which in my iudgement was a good man and louer of iustice and a mortall enemye of all the cruell exactions of the Gentlemen which oppressed the poore people Thys man after the tumult and commotion of the countrey was appeased was grieuously vexed and tormented because he had cryed Alarme when as a great number of horsemen raunged about the countrey to seeke out those which had bene the authours of that sedition This poore man was taken by pollicy so vpholden with fayre promises that they made him cōfesse whatsoeuer they requyred He thinking that they would not haue put him to death was cast in prison wheras he was long time deteined well cherished to take away all suspition from him but after he had taried a long time in prison they put him to the Pinbank laying diuers and many grieuous offences to his charge where they kept him hanging in the trusse of the corde The trusse of the corde is a certaine hanging vp by the handes behinde hauing a waightie stone fastened at their feete the space of sixe houres hanging a great stone fastened at hys feete The sweat that dropped from his body for very payne and anguish was almost bloud In this distresse he cryed out pitifully but all that could not once moue the tormenters hartes When as all the power strength in his body beganne to fayle him with great violence they let him fall downe There this poore man lay euen as a stocke not mouing any part or member of his body but a little drawing his breath which was a token that there was some life in him Here the tormenters were in great doubt what to do with the man whom they sought by al meanes to destroy in what place they might put him that he should not die of that torment Amongest them there was one which brought vineger and rose water and rubbing him therewithall they dyd somewhat recouer him After that they had caused hym to eate and drinke such as they had prouided for him they let him downe into a deepe dungeon where he could see neyther Sunne nor Moone All this was done to the intent to put him to more torment when he had somewhat recouered his strength agayne There they let him continue xviij dayes after which time they brought him agayne to examination propoūding certaine articles vnto him whiche he constantly denyed They deuised diuers and sundry kindes of tormentes to the intent they might euen of force extorte something of this poore man which might seeme woorthy of death yet for all that they were fayne to depart without theyr purpose The xx day after these tyrauntes hyred a hangman a man sure worthy of his office whiche lefte no kinde of cruelty vnpractised The innocent man againe tormented Yet did he misse of his purpose also and was constrained to leaue his cruelty and to pronounce euē with his own mouth that the man was innocēt in that he had so constantly endured so many horrible and grieuous tormentes Yet these tyrauntes came agayne the fourth time False witnes suborned two witnesses agaynst him thus cōcluding that he was worthy of death because he had cried Alarme after the truice was taken woulde haue moued a new sedition The day was appointed
whole bodies and that all the Priestes in the Church were blind and had led the people the wrong way Likewise it was alledged agaynst him that he had denied Purgatory and had sayd that while he were alyue he would do as much for him selfe as he could for after his death he thought that prayer almes deedes could little helpe him These and such like matters were they wherewith these poore and simple men and women were chiefly charged and as heynous heretickes excommunicated emprisoned and at last compelled to recant and some of them in vtter shame and reproch besides the ordinary bearyng of fagots before the Crosse in processiō The maner of popish penaunce or els at a Sermon were enioyned for penaunce as they termed it as well to appeare once euery yeare before their ordinary as also to weare the signe of a fagot painted vpon their sleeues or other part of their outward garment and that during their liues or so often and long as it pleased their ordinary to appoint By which long rigorous and open punishing of them they ment as it should seeme vtterly to terrifie and keepe backe all others from the true knowledge of Iesus Christ and his Gospell But the Lord be euermore praysed what effect their wicked purposes therein haue takē The troubles of Helene Heyer and Robert Barkeway these our most lightsome dayes of Gods glorious Gospel do most ioyfully declare THere were also troubled beside these certaine others more simple and ignoraunt who hauyng but a very smal smake or tast of the truth did yet at the first as it may seeme gladly consent vnto the same but beyng apprehended they quickly agayne yelded and therfore had onely assigned them for their penaunce the bearyng of a litle cādle before the Crosse without any further opē abiuryng or recantyng Amongest which I finde two especially the one a woman called Elene Heyer to whom it was obiected that she had neither confessed her selfe vnto the Priest nor yet receiued the Sacrament of the altar by the space of 4. yeares and notwithstandyng had yearely eaten fleshe at Easter and after as well as others that had receiued the same contrary to the vsuall maner and conuersation of all other Christian people The other was a mā named Robert Berkeway who besides most wicked blasphemies agaynst God whiche he vtterly denyed was charged to haue spoken heynous wordes against the Popes holy and blessed Martyr Thomas Becket callyng him micher and theefe for that hee wrought by craftes and imaginations Thus haue I as briefly as I could summarely collected the principall Articles obiected agaynst these weake infirme and earthy vessels Not minding hereby to excuse or condēne them in these their fearefull falles and daungerous defectiōs but leauyng them vnto the vnmeasurable rich mercies of the Lord I thought onely to make manifest the vnsaciable bloudy crueltie of y e Popes kingdome agaynst the Gospell and true Church of Christ nothyng mitigatyng their enuious rage no not agaynst the very simple idiotes and that sometyme in most friuolous and irreligious cases But now leauyng to say any further herein I will by Gods grace go forthward with other somewhat serious matters ¶ The death and Martyrdome of William Swetyng and Iohn Brewster IN searchyng and perusing of the Register Wil. Sweting Iohn Brewster Martirs for the collection of the names Articles before recited I finde that within the compasse of the same yeares there were also some others who after they had once shewed themselues as frayle vnconstaūt as the rest beyng either therewith pricked in conscience or otherwise zelously ouercome with the manifest truth of Gods most sacred word became yet agayn as earnest professours of Christ as euer they were before and for the same profession were the secōd tyme apprehēded examined condemned and in the end were most cruelly burned Of the which number were Williā Swetyng and Iohn Brewster who were both burned together in Smithfield the xviij day of October in the yeare of our Lord. 1511. the chiefest case of religion alledged agaynst them in their Articles was their fayth cōcernyng the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud Which because it differed from the absurde grosse and Caparniticall opiniō of the new Scholemē was coūted as most heynous heresie Against trāsubstantiatiō corporall presēce in the Sacrament There were other thyngs besides obiected agaynst them as the reading of certaine forbidden bookes and accompanying with such persons as were suspected of heresie But one great and heynous offence counted amongest the rest was their putting leauing of the paintyng fagots which they were at their first abiuryng enioyned to weare as badges during theyr lyues or so long as it should please their Ordinary to appoynt and not to leaue them off vpō paine of relaps vntill they were dispensed withall for the same The cruell rigor of the Catholike clergy against the professours of the Gospell The breach of this iniunction was esteemed to be of no small weight and yet the matter well throughly considered it seemeth by their cōfessions they were both therunto by necessitie enforced For the one named Sweting being for feare of the Bishops cruelty cōstrained to wander the countreys to get his poore liuing came at length vnto Colchester where by the parson of the parish of Mary Magdalen he was prouoked to be y e holy water clarke and in that consideration had that infamous badge first taken away from him The other which was Brewster leaft off his at the commandement of the Controller of the Earle of Oxfordes house who hiring the poore man to labour in the Earles houshold busines woulde not suffer him working there to weare that counterfait cognisaunce any longer so that as I said necessity of liuing seemeth to compell both of them at the first to breake that iniunction and therfore if charitie had borne as great sway in y e harts of the Popes Clergy as did crueltie this trifle would not haue bene so heinously taken as to be brought against thē for an article and cause of condemnation to death But where tirannie once taketh place as well all godly loue as also all humane reason duties are quite forgotten Well to be short what for y e causes before recited as also for that they had once already abiured and yet as they terme it fel againe into relaps they were both as you haue hearde in the ende burned together in Smithfielde althoughe the same parties as the Register recordeth did againe before their death fearefully forsake their former reuiued cōstancie and submitting themselues vnto the discipline of the Romish Church craued absolution from their excommunication Howbeit because many of the Registers notes records in such cases may rightly be doubted of Submission would not be taken of the charitable catholikes and so called into questiō I refer the certaine knowledge hereof vnto the Lord who is the trier of all truthes and the external
so deuoutly the title of a martyr for withholding that from the king which by law of God and of the realme did belong vnto him and cannot suffer Hunne to be titled for a Marty Cope Dial. 6. Pag. 847. dying in his owne right by the handes of spirituall theeues and homicides as you your selfe do terme them But what do I strayne my trauell any further to proue Hunne a martyr wheÌ„ as Copes own confessioÌ„ doth import no lesse though I said nothing For if I should take no more but his owne very wordes say Cope Ibid. that he was knowne to be an heretique as Cope doth affirme what could I say more seing he dyed for theyr heresy to proue him to dye a Martyr For to dye an hereticke with the Papistes what is it els to say trueth but to dye with God a Martyr But howsoeuer it pleaseth either Syr Tho. Moore to iest or Alen Cope to skowlde out the matter to stile Richard Hunne for a knowne and desperate heretique yet to all true godly disposed meÌ„ Hunne may well be known to be a godly and vertuous person no heretique but faythful and sound saue that onely he semed rather half a papist at least no full Protestant for that he resorted dayly to masse and also had his Beades in prison with him Hunne no full Protestant after the Catholique maner albeit he was somwhat inclining as may appeare toward the Gospell And if the name of a martyr be thought to good for him yet I trust maister Cope wyll stand so good maister to him to let him at least to be a martirs felow But what now if I goe further with Mayster Cope name Richard Hunne not onely â—or a martyr but also commend him for a double martyr Certes as I suppose in so saying I should affirme nothing lesse theÌ„ trueth nor any thing more then truly may be sayd and iustly proued But to geue and graunt this confession vnto the aduersary which notwithstanding might be easily proued let vs see now the proofes of maister Cope how he argueth that Rich. Hunne is no martyr because saith he true men being killed in hie wayes by theeues murderers are not therfore to be counted martyrs c. And was there nothing els in the cause of Hunne but as is in true men killed by theeues murderers They that are killed by theeues and murderers are killed for some pray or money about them And what pray or profit was in the death of Hunne let vs see to redound to them whiche oppressed him If it were the mortuary or the bearing cloth that was a small thing and not worthye his death If it were the Premunire the daunger therof perteined to the Priest and not to them If they feared least the example thereof once begun should afterward redound to the preiudice of the whole church theÌ„ was the cause of his death not priuate but publick teÌ„ding to the whole Church and Clergy of Rome and so is hys death not altogether like to the death of theÌ„ which for priuate respectes are killed of theeues and murderers But he was an heretique sayth Cope By the same reason that Cope taketh him for an heretique I take hym the more to be accepted for a martyr For by that waye which they call heresy the liuing God is serued by no way better And if he were an heretique why then did they not proceed agaynst him as an heretique while he was alyue when they had him at Fulham before them if they had ben sure to entrappe him in that snare why did they not take theyr aduauntage The cause of Hunnes secret murther discussed when they might with least ieoperdye why did they not proceede and condemne hym for an heretique why made they suche haste to preuent his death before why did they not tary the sentence of the law hauing the law in theyr owne handes But belike they perceiued that he coulde not be prooued an heretique while he liued and therfore thought it best to make him away priuily and to stop the Premunire and afterward to stop the pursuite of his death by making him an heretique And therfore were articles deuised by the Chauncellour as is proued by witnesse of Charles Ioseph and other pag. 785. agaynst hym and he condemned for an heretique Craftie practise and all his fauourers also who so euer durst styrre to take his part and so therevpon was committed to the secular power and burned Wherin they did him double wrong first in that they burned him for an heretique hauing before submitted himselfe to theyr fauourable correction as it appeareth yet in the Bishops Registers by his owne hand as it is there preteÌ„ded whiche was agaynst theyr owne lawes Agayne if he had not submitted himselfe at that time yet did they hym wronge to burne him before they knewe and hearde hym speake as Tindall sayth whether he woulde recant or no. And yet admit that he was condemned and burned for an heretique Hunne had doble wroÌ„g yet to be killed and burned of them for an heretique that taketh not from him the name of a martyr but rather geueth him to be a double martir But Cope yet proceding in his hoat coler agaynst Rich. Hunne after he hath made him first no martyr and then an heretique thirdly he now maketh him also a murtherer of himselfe and sayeth that no other man was any part of his death Copes reasons why Hunne should hang him selfe but only his owne handes and that either for indignation and anger or for desperation or for some cause he knoweth not what And in his Epilogus to make it probable he allegeth the example of one but namelesse who in Queene Maries time in like sort went about to hang himself had he not bene taken in the maner and rescued Furthermore as touching the Chauncellour he argueth that there was no cause why he should attempt any such violence agaynst him both for his age and for his dignitye for his learning and for the greatnesse of his owne perill which might ensue thereof Who if he had maligned the man and had bene so disposed to worke his destruction had meanes otherwise without daunger to bring that about hauing him within his dauÌ„ger conuict and fast tyed for heresy Wherunto I aunswere that to all this matter Copes reasons aunswered sufficient hath bene aunswered by the story it selfe of his death aboue specified Whereby the maner of his death by circumstaunces of his handling and hanging Proufes that Hunne dyd not hange him selfe by his necke broke by his bodye loose by his skinne fretted by his wristes wroung by his gyrdle in such shortnesse double cast about the staple by his cap right vpon his head by his heare kemmed by his eyes closed by the cake of bloud founde in the floore by his Shyrt coller Doublet Iacket and other outwarde partes of his garmentes without drop of bloud vnspotted by the stoole so
by force and violence terror and oppression and sheding of bloud In this meane while the inhabitauntes of Merindoll and other places thereabout were among the mountains and rockes in great necessitie of viccualles and muche affliction who had procured certaine men whiche were in some fauour and authority with Miniers to make request for them vnto him that they might depart safely whether it shoulde please God to leade them with theyr wines and children although they had no more but their shirts to couer their nakednesse Antichrist here plaieth the deuill Whereunto Miniers made this aunswere I know what I haue to doe not one of them shall escape my handes I will send them to dwel in hel among the deuils After this there was a power sent vnto Costa which likewise they ouercame committed there great slaughter The towne of Costa destroyed Many of the inhabitantes fledde away and ranne into an orcharde where the souldiours rauished the women and maidens and when they had kept them there inclosed a day and a night they handled them so beastly that those which had great bellies and the younger maidens dyed shortly after It were impossible to comprehend all the lamentable and sorrowfull examples of this cruell persecution against the Merindolians and their fellowes Martyrs of-Costa In so muche that no kinde of cruell Tyrannie was vnpractised For they whych escaped by woodes and went wandering by mountaines were taken and set in galleis or else were slaine outright Many which did hide themselues in rockes and darke caues some were famished with hunger some were smothered with fire and smoke put vnto them All which may more fully be vnderstand by the recordes of the Court and by the pleas betweene them and theyr aduersaries in the highe Consistorie of the Courte of Paris Where all the doores being set open and in the publicke hearing of all the people the case of this trouble and persecution was shortly after solemnly debated betwene two great lawyers the one called Aubrius which accused Minerius the president committed to prison and the other called Robertus who was the defendant against him When the Merindolians were slaine their cause was pleaded The cause why this matter of Merindol was brought in plea and iudgement to be decided by the law was this Henry the second French king which newly succeeded Fraunces his father aboue mentioned considering howe this cruell and infamous persecution againste hys owne subiectes and people was greatly misliked of other Princes and also obiected both against him and his father as a note of shamefull Tyrannie by the Emperour hym selfe Charles the fift Fraūces the Frēch king noted of tyranny by Charles 5. Emperour The cause of the Merindolians after their death pleaded 50. times in the Court Minerius losed out of prison and that in the publicke Councel of all the states of Germany for so murthering spoyling his own naturall subiects without all reason and mercy he therefore to the entent to purge and cleare himselfe thereof caused the sayd matter to be brought into the Court and there to be decided by order of Iustice. Whiche cause after it was pleaded to and froe in publike audience no lesse then fiftie times and yet in the ende coulde not be determined so it brake of and was passed ouer and at length Minerius being loosed out of prisone was restored to his libertie and possessions agayne vppon this cōdition and promise made vnto the Cardinal Charles of Lorraine that he should banish and expell these new Christians terming so the true professors of the Gospell out of all Prouince Thus Minerius being restored returned againe into Prouince where hee began againe to attempt greater tyrannie then before The iust stroke of God vpon cruell Minerius Neither did his raging furye cease to proceede before the iust iudgement of God lighting vpon him brought him by a horrible disease vnto the torments of death which he most iustly had deserued For he being strocken with a strange kinde of bleding at the lower partes in maner of a bloudy flixe and not being able to voyde any vrine thus by little and little his guttes wythin hym rotted and when no remedy could be founde for this terrible disease and his entrals now began to be eaten of wormes a certaine famous surgeon named La Motte whych dwelt at Arles a man no lesse godly then expert in hys science was called for who after he had cured him of this difficultye of making water and therefore was in great estimation with him before he would procede further to searche the other partes of his putrified bodye and to searche out the inward cause of his malady he desired y t they which were present in the chamber with Minerius Good counsaile geuen to Minerius of his Surgeon wold depart a little a side Which being done he began to exhort Minerius with earnest wordes saying howe the time nowe required that he should aske forgeuenes of God by Christe for his enormous crimes and cruelty in sheding so muche innocent blud and declared the same to be the cause of this so straunge profusion of bloud comming from him Minerius seeketh the bloud of his Surgeon These woordes being hearde so pearsed the impure conscience of this miserable wretch that he was therewith more troubled then with the agonie of his disease in so much that hee cryed out to lay hande vppon the Surgeon as an hereticke La Motte hearing thys eftsoones conueyed him selfe out of sight and returned againe to Arles Notwythstanding it was not long but he was sent for againe being intreated by his frendes The wretched end of wretched Minerius the persecuter and promised most firmely that his comming should be without any perill or danger and so with much ado he returned againe to Minerius what time all nowe was past remedy and so Minerius raging and casting out moste horrible and blaspheming wordes and feeling a fire which burnt him from the nauill vpward with extreme stinch of the lower parts finished his wretched life Whereby we haue notoriously to vnderstand that God through his mighty arme at length confoundeth such persecuters of his innocent and faithful seruaunts bringeth them to nought to whome be praise and glory for euer Moreouer besides this Iustice of God shewed vpon Minerius here also is not to be forgotten which folowed likewise vpon certaine of the other which were the chiefe doers in this persecution vnder Minerius aforesaid namely Lewes de Uaine brother in lawe to the saide President and also the brother and the sonne in law to Peter Durāt The iust plague of God vpon 3. persecuters maister butcher of the Towne of Aix the which three dyd slay one an other vpon a certaine strife that fel amōg them And vppon the same day the Iudge of Aix who accompanied Minerius in y e same persecutiō as he returned homewarde going ouer the Riuer of Durance was drowned Ex Hist. Gallica Henr.
stone then from which the water ran bodily Christe but it signified Christe that calleth thus to all beleuing and faithful men Who soeuer thirsteth let hym come to mee and drinke and from his bowelles shall flowe liuely water This he sayd of the holy Ghost whych they receiued who beleeued on him The Apostle Paul sayth that the Israelites did eate the same ghostly meat dranke the same ghostly drinke because that heauenly meate that fed them 40. yeares and that water which from the stone did flowe had signification of Christes body and hys bloud that now be offred daily in Gods Church It was the same which we now offer not bodely but ghostly We said vnto you ere while that Christ halowed bread and wine to housell before his suffering Math. 26. Luke 22. Marke 14. and sayde Thys is my body and my bloud Yet he had not then suffered but so notwithstanding he * * Now we eate that body which was eaten before he was borne by faith turned through inuisible mighte the bread to his owne bodye and that wine to his bloud as he before did in the wildernes before that he was borne to be a man when he * * Here is no transubstantiation turned y e heauenly meate to his flesh and the flowing water from that stone to his owne bloud Uery many did eate of that * * Mantua heauenly meat in the wildernes and drinke the ghostly drinke and were neuerthelesse dead as Christ sayd And Christ meant not y e death whych none can escape but that euerlasting death which some of that folke deserued for theyr vnbelief Moyses and Aaron and many other of that people which pleased God did eate that heauenly bread and they died not y ◠euerlasting death though they died the common death They sawe that the heauenly meate was visible and corruptible they ghostly vnderstood by that visible thing and ghostly receiued it The Sauiour sayeth Iohn 6. Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath euerlasting life And he bad them not eate that body wherewith hee was enclosed nor to drinke that bloude which he shed for vs * * What body the faithful do now eate but he meant with those wordes that holy housell which ghostly is his body and his bloud and hee that tasteth it with beleeuing heart hathe that eternall life In the olde lawe faithfull men offred to God diuers Sacrifices that had * * A signification before Christ. foresignification of Christes bodye which for our sinnes he himselfe to his heauēly father hath since * * A sacrifice in Christes tyme. offered to sacrifice Certainly this housell which we do now halow at Gods alter is a * * A remēbraūce of Christ. Math. 26. Hebr. 10. remembrance of Christes body which he offered for vs and of hys bloud whych he shed for vs So he himselfe commaunded Doe thys in my remembraunce Once suffered Christe by hym selfe but yet neuerthelesse hys suffering is daily renued at thys supper through mysterie of the holy housell Therefore we ought to consider diligently howe that this holy housell is both Christes bodye and the bodye of all * * The housell is also the body of al faithfull men faithfull menne after ghostly mysterie As wise Augustine sayeth of it If ye wil vnderstand of Christes body here the Apostle Paule thus speaking Yee truely be Christes body and his members Nowe is your mysterie sette on Gods table and ye receiue youre mysterie which mysterie ye your selues be Be that which ye see on the altare and receiue that which yee your selues be Againe the Apostle Paule sayeth by it We manye be one bread and one bodye Understande nowe and reioyce many be one bread and one body in Christ. He is our heade and we be his limmes and the bread is not of one corne but of many nor the wine of one grape but of many So also we all shoulde haue one vnitie in our Lorde as it is wrytten of the faithfull armie how that they were in so great an vnitie as though al of them were one soule and one heart Christe hallowed on hys table the mysterie of oure peace and of our vnitie He which receiueth that mysterie of vnitie keepeth not the bonde of true peace receiueth no mysterie for himselfe but a witnesse against himselfe It is very good for Christen men that they goe often to howsell if they bring with them to the alter vngiltines and innocēcy of hart if they be not oppressed with sinne To an euil man it turneth to no good but to destruction if hee receyue vnworthely that holy housell Holy * * No scripture inforceth the mixture of water with the wine bookes commaund that water be mingled to that wine which shall be for housell because the water signifieth the people the * * The wine signifieth Christes bloud wine Christes bloud and therefore shall neither the one wythout the other be offered at the holy masse that Christ may be wyth vs and we with Christ the head with the limmes and the limmes with the head Wee woulde before haue intreated of the Lambe whyche the olde Israelites offered at theyr Easter time but that we desired first to declare vnto you of this mysterie and after how we should receiue it That signifying lambe was offered at the Easter And the Apostle Paule sayeth in the Epistle of this present day that Christ is our Easter who was offred for vs and on this day rose from death The Israelites did eate the Lambes fleshe as God commaunded with vnleauened bread and wilde lettisse * * How we should come to the holy communion so wee shoulde receiue that holy housell of Christes body and bloud without the leauen of sinne and iniquitie As leauen turneth the creatures from their nature so doth sinne also chaunge the nature of manne from innocencie to vncleannesse The Apostle hath taught howe we shoulde feast not in the leauen of the euilnesse but in the sweete doughe of puritie and truth The herbe which they should eate with the vnleauened bread is called lettisse and is bitter in taste So we should with bitternesse of vnfained repentaunce purifie oure minde Exod. 12. if wee will eate Christes bodye Those Israelites were not woonte to eate rawe fleshe and therefore God badde them to eate it neyther raw nor sodden in water but rosted with fire He shal receiue the body of God rawe that shal thinke without reason that Christ was onely manlike vnto vs and was not God And he that will after mans wisedome search y e mystery of Christs incarnation doth like vnto him that doth seeth lambes fleshe in water because that water in this same place signifieth mans vnderstanding but we should vnderstand that all the mistery of Christes humanitie was ordered by the power of the holy Ghost and then eate we his body rosted with fire because the holy
are deceaued oft times in small trifles which thinke themselues so wise in Gods matters as though they coulde not erre should see by theyr own senses and iudgements how blind and infatuated they were in these so small matters sensible trifles Thus this strong imaginatioÌ„ of fire being fixed in their heades as nothing could remoue them to thinke contrary but that the Church was on fire so euery thing that they saw or heard What strong imagination can do in deluding mans senses encreased this suspition in them to make it seme most true which was in deede most false The first chiefest occasion that augmeÌ„ted this suspition was the hereticke there bearing his fagot which gaue them to imagine that all other heretickes had conspired with him to set the Church on fire After this through the rage of the people running too and fro the dust was so raysed that it shewed as it hadde bene the smoke of fire Which thing together with the out-cry of the people made all men so afrayd that leauing the Sermon they began altogether to runne away But such was the preasse of the multitude running in heapes together that the more they laboured the lesse they could geue out For whilest they ranne all headlong vnto the doores euery man striuing to get out first the thrust one another in such sort and stucke so fast that they which were without neither could get into the Church agayn neither they that were within could get out by any meanes So the one dore being stopped the ran to an other litle wicket on the North side towardes the Colledge called Brason nose Much 〈◊〉 done in the thronge whereof some dyâ—â— some yet 〈◊〉 aliue 〈◊〉 mothers armes were there 〈◊〉 thinking so to passe out But there agayne was the like or greater throng So the people clustring thronging together it put many in daunger and broughte many vnto theyr end by brusing of their bones or sides There was yet an other dore towardes the West which albeit it was shut and seldom opened yet now ranne they to it with such sway that the great barre of iron which is incredible to be spoken being pulled out and broken by force of mens handes the dore notwithstanding could not be opened for the preasse or multitude of people At the last when they were there also past all hope to get out then they were all excedingly amazed and ran vp and downe crying out vpon the heretickes which had coÌ„spired theyr death The more they ranne about cried out the more smoke dust rose in the Church euen as though all thinges now had bene on a flaming fire I thinke there was neuer such a tumultuous hurly burly rising so of nothing heard of before nor so great a feare where was no cause to feare nor peril at all so y t if Democritus the mery philosopher sitting in y e top of the church Democritus was a Phiâ—â—sopher â—hich 〈…〉 laugh 〈…〉 thinge◠〈…〉 vsed to weepe at 〈◊〉 tâ—â—nges seing al things in such safety as they were hadde looked downe vpon the multitude and beholden so great a number some howling and weeping running vppe and downe and playing the madde men now hither now thither as beyng tossed too and fro with waues or tempestes trembling and quaking raging and faring without any manifest cause specially iâ— he had sene those great Rabbines the Doctors laden with so many badges or cognisaunces of wisedome so foolishly and ridiculously seeking holes and corners to hide themselues in gasping breathing and sweating and for very horror being almost beside themselues I thinke he would haue satisfied himself with this one laughter for all his life time or elles rather woulde haue laughed his hart out of his belly whilest one sayd that he playnely heard he noice of the fire an other affirmed that he sawe it with his eyes and an other sware that he felt the molten leade dropping downe vpon his head and shoulders Such is the force of imagination when it is once graffed in mennes hartes through feare In all the whole company there was none that behaued himselfe more modestly then the Hereticke that was there to do penaunce who casting his Fagot of froÌ„ his shoulders vpon a Monkes head that stood by kept himselfe quiet minding to take such part as the other did All the other being careful for themselues neuer made an end of running vp and downe crying out None cried not more earnestly then the Doctor that preached who was as I sayd D. Smith who in a maner first of all cryed out in the pulpit saying These are the traines and subtleties of the heretickes agaynst me Lord haue mercy vpoÌ„ me Lord haue mercy vpon me But might not God as it had bene to speake with Iob out of a whyrle winde haue aunswered agayne vnto this Preacher thus Thou doest now implore my mercy but thou thy self shewest no mercy vnto thy felowes and brethren How doth thy flesh treÌ„bell now at the mention of fire but you thinke it a sport to burne other simple innocents neither do you any thing at all regard it If burning seme so grieuous a matter vnto you and to suffer the torment of fire then you should also haue the like consideration in other mens perils and dauÌ„gers when as you do burne your felowes and brethren Or if you thinke it but a light or trifling matter in theÌ„ go to now do you also with like courage coÌ„temne with like patience suffer now the same tormentes your selues And if so be it I shoulde nowe suffer you with the whole Church to be burned to ashes what other thing shoulde I do vnto you then you do dayly vnto your felowes and brethren Wherefore since you so litle esteme the death of others be now content that other men shoulde also litle regard the death of you With this I say or with some other like aunswere if that either God or humane charity either the common sense of nature would expostulate with them yea if there had bene a fire indeed as they were more feared then hurt who would haue doubted but that it had happened vnto them according to their deserts But now worthy it is the noting how the vayne feare and folly of those catholicks either was deluded either how theyr cruelty was reproued whereby they being better taught by theyr owne example might herafter learne what is to put other poore men to the fire which they themselues here so much abhorred A good warning for the Papistes to know what burning meaneth But to returne agayn to the descriptioÌ„ of this pageantâ— wherin as I sayd before there was no daunger at all yet were they all in such feare as if present death had ben ouer their heades In all this great maze and garboyle there was nothing morâ— feared then the melting of the lead which many affirmed that they felt dropping vpoÌ„ their bodies Now in this sodein
Winchester aforenamed to be present The Bishop of Winchester taketh his occasiâ— to worke his mischiefe as also at the Queenes takynge her leaue who verye well had printed in his memorie the kings sodaine interrupting of the Queene in her tale and falling into other matter and thoughte y t if the yron were beaten whilest it was hotte and that the kynges humoure were holpen suche misliking might followe towardes the Queene as might both ouerthrow her all her endeuors and only awaited some accasion to renewe into the kings memory the former misliked argument Hys expectatioÌ„ in that behalfe did nothing faile him For the king at y t time shewed himselfe no lesse prompt and ready to receiue any information then the bishop was maliciously bent to stir vp the kings indignation against her The king immediately vpon her departure from him vsed these or like wordes A good hearing quoth he it is when women become suâ—h Clerkes and a thing much to my comfort to come in mine olde dayes to be taught by my wife The Bishop hearing this The Bishop oâ— Winchesterâ— wordes to thâ— king seemed to mislike that the Queene shoulde so much forget her selfe as to take vppon her to stand in any argument wyth his maiestie whom he to his face extold for his rare vertues and especially for his learned iudgement in matters of religion aboue not only Princes of that and other ages but also aboue Doctours professed in Diuinitie and sayde that it was an vnseemely thing for any of his maiesties subiects to reason and argue with him so malapartly and greuous to him for hys parte and other of his Maiesties Councellours and seruauntes to heare y e same and that they all by proofe knew his wisedome to be such that it was not nedeful for any to put him in mind of any such matters inferring moreouer how daÌ„gerous and perillous a matter it is and euer hath bene for a Prince to suffer suche insolent woordes at hys subiectes hands who as they take boldnesse to contrary their soueraigne in wordes so want they no will but onely power and strength to ouerthwart them in deedes Besides thys Winchesters accusation against the Queene that the Religion by the Queene so stifly maintained did not onely disallow and dissolue the pollicie and politicke gouernment of Princes but also taught the people that all thynges oughte to be in coÌ„mon so that what colour so euer they pretended theyr opinions were in deede so odious and for the Princes estate so perillous that sauing the reuerence they bare vnto her for hys Maiesties sake they durst be bolde to affirme that the greatest subiect in this lande speaking those woordes that shee dyd speake and defending those argumeÌ„ts that she did defend had with indifferent iustice by law deserued death Howbeit for his part he would not nor durst not without good warrante from his Maiestie speake hys knowledge in the Queenes case althoughe very apparaunt reasons made for hym and suche as his duetifull affection towardes his Maiestie and the zeale and preseruatioÌ„ of hys estate would scarcely geue hym leaue to conceyue though the vttering thereof might thorowe her and her faction be the vtter destruction of hym and of suche as in deede dyd chiefly tender the Princes safetie wythout hys Maiestie would take vpon him to be their Protector and as it were theyr Buckler Whych if he would doe as in respect of hys owne safetye hee ought not to refuse he with others of hys faithfull Counsailours coulde wythin shorte time disclose such treasoÌ„s cloked with this cloke of heresy that his maiestie should easily perceiue how perillous a matter it is to cherish a Serpent within hys owne bosome Howbeit he would not for his parte willingly deale in the matter both for reuerent respect aforesaid and also for feare lest the faction was growen already too great there with the princes safetie to discouer the same And therewithall with heauie countenance and whispering together with them of y e secte there present he helde his peace Winchester abuseth the king with his flattering These and such other kindes of Winchesters flattering phrases marueilously whetted the king both to anger and displeasure towards the Queene and also to be ielous and mistrustfull of his own estate For the assuraunce whereof Princes vse not to be scrupulous to doe any thyng Thus then Winchester wyth his flattering woordes seeking to frame the kynges disposition after hys owne pleasure so farre crept into the king at that time and wyth doubtfull feares he with other his fellowes so filled the kyngs mistrustfull minde that before they departed the place the king to see belike what they would doe had geuen commandement with warrant to certaine of them made for y t purpose to consult together about the drawing of certaine articles against the Queene wherin her life might be touched which the king by their perswasions pretended to be fully resolued not to spare hauing any rigour or coloure of law to countenance the matter With this commission they departed for that time from the king resolued to put theyr pernicious practise to as mischieuous an execution Duringe the time of deliberation about thys matter they failed not to vse al kinds of policies How Winchester and his fellowes deuise against the Gospellers and mischieuous practises aswell to suborne accusers as otherwise to betray her in seeking to vnderstand what bokes by law forbidden shee had in her closet And the better to bring theyr purpose to passe because they would not vpon the sodaine but by meanes deale wyth her they thought it best at the first to begin with some of those Ladies whom they knew to be great with her and of her bloud The chiefest whereof as most of estimation and priuie to all her doings were these Lady Harbert the Lady Harbert afterwarde Countesse of Pembroke and sister to the Queene chiefe of her priuie chamber the Lady Lane being of her priuie chamber and also her cosine germane Lady Lane the Lady Tyrwit of her priuye chamber and for her vertuous disposition in very great fauour and credite with her Lady Tyrwitte It was deuised that these three aboue named shoulde first of all haue bene accused and brought to aunswer vnto the 6. articles and vpon their apprehension in the Courte their closet and coffers shoulde haue bene searched y t somewhat might haue bene found wherby the Queene myght be charged Winchesters plateforme which being found y e Queene her selfe presently should haue bene taken and likewise caried by barge by night vnto the Tower This platforme thus deuised but yet in the ende comming to no effecte the king by those aforesayde was foorthwith made priuie vnto the deuise by Winchester and Wrisley and his consent therunto demanded Who belike to prooue the byshops malice how farre it would presume like a wise politike Prince was contented dissemblingly to geue his consent and to alow of euery
his first Epistle and v. chapter Hereby a man may gather by these wordes of Christ y e either there was no autoritie geuen vnto Peter more then vnto others or els that Peter did equally communicate that right and autority which he had receiued vnto others and did not reserue it vnto himselfe after his death to bee transported vnto the Bishops of Rome As for such reasons as they doe alledge which are not gathered or taken out of holy scriptures I passe them ouer least I myght seeme to contend with shadowes The second Article That Indulgences and pardons graunted by our supreme head the pope are of no force strength or effect but tend onely to the abuse of the people and the deceiuyng of their soules Borthwike Indulgences to be of no effect It shal be euidently declared that indulgences and pardons are of none effect after that I haue first of all taught what they do call Indulgences or pardons They say they are the treasure of the church that is to say the merites of Christ of the Saints Apostles and Martyrs which they impudently affirme to haue performed and merited more at Gods hand at the tyme of their death then was necessary or needfull for them that of the aboundance of their merites there did so much superabound which was not onely sufficient for themselues The treasure of the church as popeholders taâ—e it but also might redound to the helpe of others And because so great a goodnes should not be superfluous or in vayne they affirme and teach that their bloud was mixed and ioyned with y e bloud of Christ and of them both the treasure of the church was compouÌ„d and made for the remission and satisfactioÌ„ of sinnes How cunning and notable cookes these are which can make a confection of so many sundry herbes Furthermore they do fayne the custody and keping of this treasure to be coÌ„mitted wholy vnto the bishop of Rome Lord treasurer of the church Papists hold to be the Pope in whose power consisteth the dispensation of so great treasures that he eyther by himselfe may geue or graunt or otherwyse geue power vnto other to geue the same And hereupon riseth the plenary Indulgences and pardons graunted by the Pope for certaine yeares by cardinals for 100. dayes by bishops for 40. dayes This is the iudgement and opinion which they hold of the Indulgences But I pray you who taught those saints to worke or deserue for other but only Sathan who would vtterly haue y e merits of Christ extinguished and blotted out which he knoweth to be the onely remedy of saluation For if the Scripture do teache vs that no man of himselfe can deserue or worke their saluation No man of himsâ—lfe can worke his owne saluation how did the saints then worke or merit for others It is manifest that Christ saith in the xvij of Luke when we haue done all that which is commanded you for to do yet sayth he we are vnprofitable seruaunts Besides this all that which may be deserued or merited in the righteousnes of man in the 64. chapter of Esay they are compared vnto the garment menstruous defiled to be cast out There are almost infinite places in y e scripture wherein mans power is so extenuate and the corruption frowardnes of our nature so made manifest that euen in the best and most perfect workes there lacketh not imperfection Notwithstanding the parable of the x. virgins written in the 25. chapter of Mathew The parable of the 10. virgines expounded ought to put vs out of all controuersie and doubt There Christ describeth two kindes of men the one kynde of holy men which obserue and keepe the inward righteousnesse of the heart as the oyle of fayth the other sorte is of suche which hauyng no mynde of theyr oyle are aunswered by them whiche are wyse no least that there be not sufficient for you and for vs but go you rather to them which doe sell and buy for your selues in the whiche place it is manifestlye declared how vainely the second sorte of men doth flye to the patronage of the elect by whose merites they thinke to be saued Now let vs waie and consider vpon what places of scripture they build or establish their fayned inuention of pardons they alledge the saying of S. Paule to the Colossians I supply or fulfill the afflictions of Christ which were wanting in my flesh for his body which is y e church But Paul in this place doth not referre that defect or supplement to any worke of redemption expiation or satisfaction but to those afflictions by the which the members of Christ that is to say all faithfull should be afflicted so long as they liue in the flesh wherefore he sayth that this doth yet remaine of the passions of Christ that those afflictions which once he suffered in his owne body he nowe daily suffereth in his members For Christ hath vouchsaued to honour vs with this honour that he doth impute and call our afflictions to be his And where as S. Paule doth adde this word for the church he doth not vnderstaÌ„d thereby for the redemption reconciliation satisfaction or expiation of the church But for the ediâ—â—eng and profitâ—ng of the same as in the ij epistle to Timothie he saith That for the elect sake he suffered all these things y t they myght obtaine saluation but to the intent no man should thinke that saluation to depend vpon those things which he himselfe had suffered he added further The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 a profiteth the which is in Christ Iesu. As touching the reason that the bloud of the Martyrs is not shed in vayne without fruit or profit therefore ought to be conferred to the common vtilitie and profite of the church I answer that the profit and fruit therof is aboundant to glorify God by their death to subscribe and beare witnesse vnto the truth by their bloud and by the contempt of this present lyfe to witnesse that he doth seeke after a better lyfe by his constancie and stedfastnesse to confirme and establish the fayth of the church and subdue and vanquish the enemy The third Article That the Pope is an open vser of Simony daily selling the gifts of the spiritualties and that it is lawfull for all bishops to be coupled and ioyned in matrimony Borthwike This article hath his seuerall partes for those things which we haue spoken or answered vnto the article before written doth sufficiently declare that the Pope is not only a vser of Simony but also a notable deceiuer which selleth such kynd of merchandise as can in no place helpe or preuaile For so much as his pardons are nothyng lesse then such as he faineth them to be Doth he not then shew himselfe a manifest deceiuer when as he maketh faires and markets of them but to the intent I will not seeme in this behalfe vainly to labour or trauaile Pristes mâ—â—riage
not to kneele nor knocke to the visible shew or externall shewe of the Sacrament And the queres of Carmarthen and other places there are not close at the sides so that the people may come in and forth at theyr pleasure Moreouer the Kinges ordinaunces doth not authorise him to rebuke the people for knocking on theyr brests in token of repentaunce of theyr sinnes nor for kneeling in token of submission to God for mercye in Christ. To the 22. he sayth that in time of rebellion in Deuon and Cornewall threatening to come into Wales he teaching the people the true fourme of prayer accordinge to Gods holy word and declaring the prayer vpon beades to be vayne and superstitious yet durste not for feare of tumulte forceably take from any man his beades without authority And touching the not reproouing of suche as hee shoulde meete wearing beades hee remembreth not that he hath so done vnlesse it were in the rebellion tyme at whiche time he durste not rebuke suche Offenders To the 23. he sayth that he beyng in the Pulpitte hys face towardes the people did not see the lightes if anye were set vp about the corpes behinde his backe till after that he came downe from the Pulpitte But he with George Constantine and the aforesayde Chauntour sittyng in the Church in Carmarthen to heare causes and seeing the Uicare with other Priestes with song and lights bringyng a corpes vppe to the Church called forthwyth the Uicare and Priestes and rebuked them in open court as cormorantes and Rauens flying about the dead carcase for lucre sake To the 24. he sayeth that he caused the one childe beyng borne with great perill of death to the Mother and it selfe lying for dead a certayne space after to be christened on the workyng day the other childe was Christened on the working day because both Father and Mother and al other people there were in perill of death by reason of the sodayne sweat which all men feared at that time And touching the rest of the accusatiō which is that by that example it is vsed after the olde accustomed fashion he knoweth no such thing ¶ To the tytle of Couetousnesse he sayth that hys doynges prooue the contrarye as his neighbours knoweth And to the 25. Article he vtterly denyeth To the 26. he sayth that his Hall at Aberguilly being ruinous he vseth for his Hall a greate Chamber adioyning for his selfe and his seruauntes and all manner of straungers and besides twenty persons in house daylye What other hospitality he keepeth honest neighbours can testify To the 27. he sayth that his talke is accordyng to his hearers that is to say reuerently and truely of fayth loue and honest lyfe according to the Scriptures to like Auditours and to other vnreuerent and rash Turmoylers of Scriptures and holye doctrine he doeth talke of honest worldly thinges with Godly intent and that he doeth not moste commonlye talke of suche thinges as are expressed in this Article but when hee hath honest occation so to doe The 28. he sayth is vntrue and that hee hath warned no manne out of theyr landes but where he is destitute of necessary prouision and woulde haue part of his owne demayne from certayne free holdes hauing it onelye from yeare to yeare of pleasure hee cannot obteyne it without brawlyng Wherefore he suffereth them to keepe it euen yet still agaynst right reason And touching the rest that he had rather the Crowes should eat it c. he neuer spake any such word To the 29. he sayth that whereas hys Predecessour Byshop Barloe did let to farme the Isle of Ramsay to one William Browne after whose handes this Defendaunt receiued it into his owne possession the Uicars of Saynt Dauids being dispossessed of it long before he letted it ouer to Stephen Greene for 40. shillings the groūd as it was before and three poundes more for seales connies and foules there he knoweth of no right y e Uicars Chorall had therein who did refuse when this defendant did diligently vpon reasonable conditions offer the same vnto them and this defendant made no promise vnto thē as is conteined in the Article To the 30. he sayth he knoweth not but that he aduertised his Bayliffe to warne the freeholdes and other hauing his demayne to rent during pleasure to leaue it at a lawfull day to this Defendantes necessary vse and dyd not cause the Curate to do as is conteined in the Article to his remembraunce To the 31. he sayth that he knoweth not what y e priest bad in the Churche nor howe many plowes there came vndesired of this Defendaunt But he knoweth certeinly that he desired no mans labour but for his mony To the 32. he sayth that he knoweth not any such appoyntment of Schooles and reuenewes there but he foūd there after the departyng of Byshop Barloe a Schoolemayster an Ussher being a Priest and 20. Scholers which he hath hitherto maynteined better then he founde it to his knowledge he did neuer conuert anye pennye therof to his owne vse albeit he might lawfully haue done the same The 33. he sayeth is all vntrue so farre as hee knoweth To the 34. Article he sayth he neuer purchased more then three percels whereof one was 2. shillinges 8. pence by yeare the second three shillinges foure pence and the third 26. shillinges 8. pence or there about by yeare the rest he denyeth To the 35. he sayeth that he neuer bought of Lewes Iohn Thomas his land good cheape but after forty yeres purchase not knowing at that time any suche thinge as is contayned in the article agaynst the sayd Lewes Iohn Neither badde he the Somner to lette him alone but as soone as he hearde any thing of it commaunded the Somner to cyte him and so he was cyted in this Defendantes house occasionyng him to breake his bargayne to the which Lewes this Defendaunt sayde these wordes If you would geue me your land with an house full of golde I cannot nor will not suffer you to keepe a Lemman Then the sayde Lewes affirming the latter woman to bee his wife and the firste vnknowne to this Defendaunt hee caused the sayde Lewes to bee called to the consistorye for tryall where it hangeth yet And also by lawfull processe excommunicated the firste Woman for that shee would not by any meanes appeare in the Court to claime or to confesse marryage with the sayde Lewes and so she standeth this day at the poynt of significauit To the 56. he sayth that whereas the Chauntour and R. M. with other Chanons there would not obey the Kynges Godlye Iniunctions concerning the fyndyng a Schoole for poore mennes Chyldren a Lectur of Diuinitye Sermons on the Sondayes repayring of their Church and Mansion houses decent order and ministration there but stubbornely counted themselues with the Chauntour to be a bodye politicke without regarde of the Byshoppe and his lawefull monitions beyng hymselfe named in theyr Shyre Statutes Decanus quasi Decanus
named certayne places which places they went about with geÌ„tle and farre sought interpretations to mitigate saying those places were vnderstood farre otherwise then the wordes did purport or then I did take them I answered I did vnderstand theÌ„ as they did purport as theyr owne books do comment and glose vpon them SacrificiuÌ„ Missae quid sit They sayd Sacrificium or Oblatio did not in the Masse signify any thing els then either a Sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuing or els a memoriall of a sacrifice or oblatioÌ„ So they caused aâ— Masse booke to be sent for and shewed me where in some places of the Masse was written Sacrifice of the Masse expounded by the Papistes to be nothing els but the Sacrifice only of thankesgeuing Sacrificium laudis Whereto I aunswered that it folowed not therfore that in all places it signified a sacrifice or oblation of prayse or thankesgeuing and although it did yet was not a sacrifice of prayse or thankesgeuing to bee offered for the sinnes of the people for that did Christ by his owne Passion once offer on the Crosse where the wordes of the Masse were that the Priest did offer an oblation and sacrifice for the sinnes and offences both of himselfe and of the people for them that were dead and for the saluatioÌ„ of the liuing and that the commixion of the body and bloud of Christ was health both of body and soule The Uicare aunswered that was to be vnderstanded of the commixtion of Christes bodye and bloude with hys Church or people So after much exhortatioÌ„ vnto me that I shoulde be conformable to the true Catholicke Churche which as they ment was the Romish Church I departed not consenting vnto them So within a day or twayne came to me Maister More bringing with him certayne Articles whereunto Doctor Crome had consented and subscribed in the presence of certayne witnesses in the dayes of king Henrye the eight and willed me to read theÌ„ ouer The Articles of D. Cromes recantation brought to G. Marsh. asked me whether I woulde consent and subscribe vnto those Articles and after coÌ„munication had of one or two of the sayd Articles I confessed playnly I would in no wise consent and subscribe to those Articles for then I did against mine owne conscience and so he departed So within a short space after which was on sherethursday the sayd Parson and Uicar sent for me agayn saying my lord would be at a short poynt with me for if I would not consent and subscribe vnto 4. Articles drawne out of the articles aforesayd I must go to prison strait wayes 4. Popish Articles for Marsh to subscribe vnto 1. Masse 2. Transubstantiation The first was whether the Masse nowe vsed in the church of England was according to Christes institution with faith reuerence and deuotion to be heard and sene The second whether the almighty by the wordes pronounced by the Priest did chaunge the bread and wyne after the wordes of consecration into the body and bloud of Christ whether it were receiued or reserued 3. Receiuing in one kinde Thirdly whether the laye people ought to receiue but vnder the forme of bread onely and that the one kind was sufficient for them 4. Confession Fourthly whether coÌ„fession to the Priest nowe vsed in England were godly and necessary These foure questions or articles they deliuered me in writing and bad me goe to my chamber and subscribe my aunsweres with mine owne hand and come agayne So within one halfe houre I came to them agayn and deliuered them the questions with mine aunsweres G. Marsh denieth the Articles The first I denyed The second I aunswered as I did to my Lord afore as is aboue written To the third I aunswered that the lay people by Christes institution ought to receiue vnder both kindes that it sufficeth not them to receiue vnder the one kinde onely Fourthly that though confession auricular were a commodious meane to instruct the rude people yet was it not necessary nor commaunded of God They much exhorted me then to leaue mine opinions saying I was much deceiued vnderstanding the Scriptures amisse and much councelled me to folow the Catholicke Church of Christ G. Marsh exhorteth to the Catholicke Church and to doe as other did I aunswered my fayth in Christ conceiued by his holy word I neyther could nor would deny alter or chauÌ„ge for any liuing creature whatsoeuer hee were desiring them to speake to my Lord that during my life and imprisonment my poore frendes might be suffred to relieue me with necessary thinges according to theyr powers and so after much exhortation of them to do beleue as the Catholicke Church did we departed I from theÌ„ceforth continuing in the Porters ward not comming forth of my chamber sauing at noone and night while I dined and supped Upon one of the Easter holydaies maister Shereburn and M. More sent for me perswading me muche to leaue mine opinions M. Sheâ—â—burne anâ— M. Morâ— examineâ— of Georâ—â— Marsh. saying all the bringers vp and fauorers of that Religion had euill lucke and were either put to death or in prison and in daunger of life Agayne the fauorers of the Religion now vsed had wondrous good lucke prosperity in al thinges with many other worldly reasons of mans wisedome for as for the scriptures Maister Shereburne confessed himselfe ignoraunt I aunswered that I beleued and leaned onelye to the Scriptures Gods 〈◊〉 is not to 〈◊〉 esteemeâ— by prospâ—â—rity or adâ—uersity not iudging thinges by prosperity or aduersity but they earnestly aduised me to refuse mine opinions and not to let for any worldly shame I aunswered that that whiche I dyd I did not for the auoyding of any worldly shame saying my soule and lyfe were dearer to me theÌ„ the auoiding of any worldly shame neither yet did I it for any vayn prayse of the world but in the reuerent feare of God Then Maister More questioned with me of receiuing the Sacrament vnder the one kinde I sayd Christes institution was playne that all men shoulde drinke of the cup. Then he tolde me of the 24. of Luke and the 20. of the Actes where was but mention of breaking of bread onely Christeâ— breakinâ— bread 〈◊〉 24 〈◊〉 not the râ—â—ceiuing â—â—â—der one kinde wherof he gathered that they receiued the Sacrament but vnder one kinde That I denyed saying those places either did not speak of the celebration of the Lordes Supper or els vnder the name of breaking bread was signified and ment the receiuing of the Sacrament both of the body bloud of Christ according to his institution So after much communicatioÌ„ of that matter M. Shereburne sayd it was great pity that I being a welfauored youÌ„g man and one that might haue good liuing and do good would so foolishly cast my selfe away sticking so hard to such foolish opinions I aunswered as afore I had done to my Lorde and to
of Christes insâ—â—tution is abominable naught and full of idolatry and is of the ordinance of the Pope not of the institution of Christ and hath no goodnes in it sauyng the Gloria in excelsis the Epistle and Gospell and therfore thou hast not nor wilt not come and be present at masse nor receiue the sacrament of the altar nor any other sacrameÌ„t of the church as they are now vsed in this realm of England c. 7. Item that thou hast in tymes past beleued yet doest now beleeue Against auricular confession Church seruice that auricular confession is not necessary to be made vnto the priest but is a thing superfluous voyd and naught only to be made to God to none other person And likewyse thou hast condemned as superfluous vayne and vnprofitable all the ceremonies of the church and the seruice of the same and hast sayd that no seruice in the church ought to be sayd but in the English tong and if it be otherwise it is vnlawfull and naught 8. Item that thou beyng notoriously and openly suspected for an heretike and a person culpable in the premisses was of late called and coÌ„uented before the Erle of Oxford and M. Phillip Paris The Earle of Oxford M. Phillip Paris and there was charged with the said heresies especially against the sacrament of the altar And because thou didst maintaine and stand to thy said heresies and wouldst not come to the church and be confessed and receiue the said sacrament as other christian people did but vtterly didst refuse to doe the same thou wast by the said Earle of Oxford and M. Phillip Paris seÌ„t vp by a Constable vnto me Bishoppe of London and was by them denounced detected and put vp to me as an heretike and misbeleuyng person 9. Item that thou hast knowen and beleeued thou doest know and beleeue or at the least thou hast credibly heard reported spoken and said that all and all maner persons which do teach preach or hold any thing concernyng the sacraments of thr Church or any the articles of the fayth otherwise then is found already discussed and determined by the mother the holy church or doth call into doubte or question that thyng which is already decided or determined by the Church or that willingly and wittingly do vtter openly or priuily any slaunderous or blasphemous wordes concernyng the sayd Sacraments or any of them or that do preach teach or keepe any sect or kynd of heresie agaynst the wholesome doctrine of the church doe wittingly willingly or obstinately defend the said sect or kind of heresie are by the Canons of the whole and vniuersall Catholike Church and also by the Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Church of England by their so doing accursed with that curse which doth separate them from the entry into the Church from the receiuing of the Sacramentes and from the company of faythfull people and are in continuyng in this sayd sect and heresie to be pronounced declared and taken for heretikes and to be deliuered to the secular power and by the lawes temporall of this realme of England and the custome of the same to be by the sayde secular power put to death and burnt for this sayd sect and heresie 10 Item that thou by reason of the premisses wast art to be pronounced takeÌ„ had reputed and iudged for a manifest and open wilfull and obstinate heretike for a wycked and cursed person and to bee punished accordingly for the same accordyng to the said Canon lawes vsages and customes * The aunsweres whiche the sayd Thomas Osmund William Bamford and Nicholas Chamberlaine seuerally made vnto these Articles TO the first they aunswered and confessed the same to be true The aunsweres of the three prisoners to the articles agreeing all in one except that they do beleue y t there is here in earth one Catholicke whole Church and that the same church doth hold and beleue as is conteined in this Article To the second they aunswere beleue the sayd Article not to be true for they say that they haue doe beleue that they are necessarily bounden vnder payne of damnatioÌ„ of their soule to geue full fayth and credeÌ„ce vnto the said Catholicke Church to the fayth and religion of the same in all necessary points of the same fayth and religioÌ„ without waueryng or doubtyng in any part therof To the third they auÌ„swere that the Church of Rome The Church of Rome not to be beleeued other Churches mentioned in this Article bee not true meÌ„bers partes as they be vsed in fayth religion of the Catholicke Church of Christ that the fayth and religion vsed in the sayd Churches is not agreable with y e Church of Christ but are false and erroneous To the fourth they aunswere and say that how so euer the sayd Churches of Rome and others of Christendome haue and do beleue touchyng the SacrameÌ„t of the aulter yet they do beleue that in the SacrameÌ„t vnder the formes of bread wine there is not the very substauÌ„ce of Christes body bloud but that there is onely the substauÌ„ce of materiall bread and wine that the same materiall bread wyne be onely the signes and tokeÌ„s of Christes body and bloud and are to be receiued onely for a remembraunce of Christes passion and death without any substaunce of Christes body and bloud at all To the fiâ—t Article they aunswere that the true receiuyng and eatyng of Christes body The â—rue eating of Christs body accordyng to Christes institution is to take distribute and eate materiall bread and thereby to remember the passion and death of Christ and so receiue by fayth as they beleue Christes body and bloud and not otherwise To the sixt they aunswere the same to bee true in euery part therof except that ouer and besides the Gloria in excelsis the Epistle and Gospell which they beleue to bee good they beleue the Pater noster and Creâ—de vse in the Masse be also good Auricular confession not necessary Ceremonyes idle in the Chusch To the seueÌ„th they aunswere and confesse that auricular confession is not necessary to be made to the Priest neuerthelesse they thâ—ncke that it is necessary to goe to such a Priest as is able to geue good counsell And that for counsell only and not otherwise And as concerning the ceremonies of the church they answer the same to be vayne vnprofitable No seruice in the Church ought to be sayde but onely in the English tong To the eight they answer and beleeue the same to bee true in euery part thereof except that they doe not beleeue that they be heretikes or suspected of heresie To the ninth Osmund and Bamford aunswered that they referred themselues to the sayd lawes mentioned in that article but Chamberlaine made no aunswer at all to this article To the tenth the sayd Osmond and Bamford answered and sayd that by reason of
called down to speak with mayster Weston which was then come in Mayster Bradford then being called downe so soone as he was entred into the Hall D. Westoâ— commeth 〈◊〉 M. Bradford M. Weston very gentlye tooke him by the hand asked how he did with such other talke At length he willed auoydaunce of the chamber So they all went out saue Mayster Weston himselfe M. Colliar the Earle of Darbyes seruant the Subdeane of Westminster the Keeper Mayster Clayden and the Parson of the Church where the Counter is Now theÌ„ he began with M. Bradford to tell how that he was often minded to haue come vnto him beyng therto desired of the Earle of Darby and quoth he after that I perceiued by his man that you could be conteÌ„ted rather to speake with me then any others I coulde not come but to do you good if I can for hurt you be sure I will not Bradford Syr quoth Mayster Bradford when I perceyued by the report of my Lords seruant that you did beare me good will more as he sayd then any other of your sort I tolde him then that therfore I could be better content more willing to talke with you if you shoulde come vnto me This did I say quoth he otherwise I desired not your comming West Wel quoth he now I am come to talk with you but before we shall enter into any talke certayn principles we must agree vpon which shall be this dayes worke First quoth he I shall desire you to put away all vain glory and not hold any thing for the prayse of the world D. Westoâ— lessâ—ns 〈◊〉 as he did 〈◊〉 follow himselfe Vain glorâ— Brad. Syr S. Augustine maketh that in deed a piece of the definitioÌ„ of an heretick which if I cannot put away cleane for I thinke there will a spice of it remaine in vs as long as this flesh liueth yet I promise you by the grace of God that I purpose not to yeld to it God I hope wil neuer suffer it to beare rule in them that striue there against desire all the dregges of it vtterly to be driuen out of vs. Weston I am glad to heare you say so although in deed I thinke you do not so much esteme it as others do Secondly I would desire you that you wil put away singularity in your iudgement and opinions Singulâ—â—â— Brad. Syr God forbid that I should sticke to any singularity or priuate iudgement in Gods Religion Hytherto I haue not desired it neyther doe nor mynde at any tyme to hold any other doctrine then is publick and catholick vnderstanding catholicke as good men do according to Gods word West Uery well this is a good dayes worke I hope to do you good therfore now thirdly I shall pray you to write me Capita of those thinges wherupon you stand in the sacrament and to send them to me betwixt this and Wednesday next vntill which time yea vntil I come to you again be assured that you are without all perill of death Of my infidelity Weston wil 〈◊〉 M. Bradford to â—ut downe 〈◊〉 writing 〈◊〉 chiefe â—round of 〈◊〉 â—ayth warrant you I therfore away with all dubitations c. Brad. Syr I will write to you the groundes I leane to in this matter As for death if it come welcome bee it this which you require of me shall be no great let to me therin West You know that S. Augustine was a Manichean yet was he coÌ„uerted at the length so haue I good hope of you Brad. Syr because I will not flatter you I woulde you should flatly know that I am euen setled in the Religion wherfore I am condemned West Yea but if it be not the truth you see euident matter to the contrary will you not then geue place Brad. God forbid but that I should alwayes geue place to the truth West I would haue you to pray so Brad. So I do and that he will more and more confirme me in it as I thanke God he hath done and doth West Yea but pray with a condition if you be in it Brad. No Syr I cannot pray so because I am setled and assured of his truth Well quoth Weston as the learned Bishop aunswered S. Augustines mother that though she was obstinate yet the teares of such a mother could not but winne her sonne so quoth he I hope your prayers for then Bradfordes eyes dyd shewe that hee hadde wept in prayer canne not but be heard of God though not as you would yet as best shall please God Do you not quoth he remember the hystory thereof Brad. Yea Syr quoth Bradford I thinke it be of Saynt Ambrose West No that it is not And here WestoÌ„ would haue laid a wager and begaÌ„ to triumph saying to Bradford as you are ouersene herein so are you in the other thinges Brad. Well Syr I will not conteÌ„d with you for the name This I remember Saynt Augustine writeth in his confessions After this talke Weston begunne to tell M. Bradforde howe the people were by him procured to withstande the Queene M. Bradâ—ord wrongâ—â—lly charâ—ed with â—â—dition Whereunto Bradforde aunswering agayne bade him hang him vp as a traytour and a thefe if euer he encouraged any to rebellion whiche thing his Keeper and others that were there of the Priests affirmed on his behalfe So much talke there was to litle purpose at that time Doctor Weston declared moreouer howe he had saued men going in the cart to be hanged and such like The end was this that Bradford should send vnto him capita doctrinae of the supper after wednesday he woulde come vnto him agayne and thus departed he after that he had dronken to him in beare and wine I omit here talk of Oxford of books of Germane writers of the feare of death and such other talke which are to no purpose * An other disputation or talke betwene Mayster Bradford and Doctour Pendleton â—n other â—â—â—eptatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 taâ—â—e beâ—weene M. â—radford D. Pendleâ—on IN the meane time wheÌ„ Mayster Bradford had written his reasons and argumentes had sent them to Doctor Weston in short space after about the 28. of Marche there came to the Counter Doctour Pendleton and with hym the foresayd M. Collier sometime Warden of Manchester and Steuen Bech After salutations Mayster Pendleton began to speak to Bradford that he was sory for his trouble And further quoth he after that I didde knowe you could be content to talke with me I made the more speed being as ready to doe thee good and pleasure thee that I can as ye would wish Brad. Syr the maner how I was content to speake wyth you was on this sorte Mayster Bech was often in hande with me whom he shoulde bring vnto me and named you amongest other and I sayd that I had rather speake with you then with any of all the other Nowe the cause why I so would I will briefly tell you I
substaunce of bread and wine and is receiued of the wicked The 〈◊〉 of his coâ—â—demnaâ—ioâ— declared yea of dogges mise Also I am excommunicated and counted as a dead menber of Christes Church as a rotten braunche and therefore shall be cast into the fire Therefore ye ought hartily to reioyce with me and to geue thankes for me that God the eternall father hath vouched safe our mother to bring vp any childe in whom it would please him to magnifie his holy name as hee doth A great mercy of God to turne the death of â— saintes 〈◊〉 deseruâ—â— to serue a confirmâ—â—tion of his owne glorâ— and I hope for his mercye and truthes sake will do in me and by me Oh what such benefite vppon earth can it be as that that which deserued deathe by reason of my sinnes should be deliuered to a demonstration a testification and confirmation of Gods veritie and trueth Thou my mother the Vniuersitie hast not onely had the truth of gods word playnely manifested vnto thee by reading disputinge and preaching publickely and priuately but now to make thee altogether excuselesse and as it were almost to sinne agaynst the holy Ghost if thou put to thy helpyng hand with the romysh route to suppresse the veritie and set out the contrary thou hast my lyfe and bloud as a zeale to confirme thee if thou wilt be confirmed or els to confound thee and beare witnes agaynst thee if thou wilt take part with the prelates and Clergye Cantabriâ—â—ense◠〈…〉 moniti which nowe fill vp the measure of their fathers which slew the Prophetes and Apostles that all righteous bloud from Abell to Bradforde sued vpon the earth may be required at theyr handes Of this therefore I thought good before my death as tyme and libertie woulde suffer me for loue and duetye I beare vnto thee to admonishe thee good mother and my sister the Towne that you would call to minde from whence you are fallen and study to do the first workes You know if you wil these matters of the Read before the letter Cambridâ—â— to K. Henâ—â— 8. pag. 1104. Romish supremacy and the Antichristian transubstantiation whâ—â—â—by Christes supper is ouerthrowne his priesthoode euacuatâ— his sacrifice frustrate the ministery of his word vnplaced repentaunce repelled fayth faynted godlines extinguished the Masse mayntayned idolatry supported and all impietie cherished you know I say if you will that these opinions are not onely besides Gods word but euen directly agaynst it and therfore to take part with them is to take part agaynst God agaynst whome you cannot preuayle Therefore for the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and bloud I beseeche you to take Christes collyrium and eye salue to annoynt your eyes that you may see what you doe and haue done in admitting as I heare you haue admitted yea alas authorised and by consent confirmed the Romish rotten rags whiche once you vtterly expelled Oh be not canis reuersus ad vomitum be not * The 〈◊〉 returned to his owne â—omitte Sus lota reuersa ad volutabrum coeni Beware least Satan enter in with seuen other spirites and then postrema shal be worse then the first It had bene better yee had neuer knowne the truth then after knowledge to runne from it Ah woe to this world and the thinges therein * The soâ—â— that was washed returned to 〈…〉 in the â—ite 2. Pet. 1. which hath nowe so wrought with you Oh that euer this dirt of the deuill shoulde daube vpp the eye of the Realme For thou oh mother art as it were the eye of the Realme If thou be light and geue shyne all the body shall fare the better But if thou the light be darcknes alas how great will the darckenes be What is man whose breath is in his nostrels that thou shouldest thus be afrayde of him Oh what is honour and life here Bubbles What is glorye in this worlde but shame Why art thou afrayde to carrye Christes Crosse Wilt thou come into hys kingdome and not drynke of his cup Doest thou not know Rome to be BabiloÌ„ The glory of this world is a vaine thing Babylon hath Iuda in captiuity doest thou not know that as the olde Babilon had the children of Iuda in captiuitie so hath this Rome the true Iuda that is the confessours of Christ Doest thou not know that as destruction happened vnto it so shall it do vnto this And trowest thou that God will not deliuer his people now when the time is come as hee did theâ— Hath not God commaunded hys people to come out from her and wilt thou geue ensample to the whole Realme to runne vnto her Hast thou forgotten the woe that Christ threatneh to offence geuers Wilt thou not remember that it were better that a Mylstone were hanged about thy necke and thou throwe into the sea then that thou shouldest offend the little ones And alas how hast thou offended yea and howe doest thou still offend The church â—â—ndeth 〈◊〉 in the outward shew Wilt thou consider thinges according to the outward shew Was not the Synagogue more seemely and like to be the true Church then the simple flocke of Christes Disciples Hath not the whore of Babilon more costly aray and rich apparell externally to set forth her selfe then the homely housewyfe of Christ Where is the beautie of the kinges daughter the Churche of Christ without or within Doth not Dauid saye wythin Oh remeÌ„ber that as they are happy which are not offended at christ so are they happy whiche are not offended at hys poore church Can the Pope and his prelates meane honestly whiche make so much of the wife and so little of the husband The Churche they magnifie but Christ they contemne If this Church were an honest woman that is Christes wife except they woulde make much of her husband Christ and his worde shee woulde not be made much of them When Christ and hys Apostles were vppon earth who was more like to be the true Church they or the Prelates Byshops Synagogue If a man should haue followed custome vnitie antiquitie or the more part shoulde not Christ and his companye haue bene cast out of the dores Therfore bade Christ Search the scriptures And good mother shall the seruaunt be aboue his master shall we looke for other entertaynment at the handes of the world then Christ and his deare Disciples found who was taken in Noes tyme for the Church Poore Noe and his familie or others Who was taken for Gods Churche in Sodom Lot or others And doth not Christ say As it was than so shall it goe now towardes the comming of the sonne of man What meaneth Christ when he sayth Iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand doth not he tell that charitie shall waxe colde And who seeth not a wonderfull great lacke of charitie in those whiche woulde nowe be taken for Christes Church All that feare GOD in thys Realme truely can
viam tuam spera c. Sperantem in Domino misericordia circundabit i. That which remayneth I commit to my Lord God and I trust in him that he will doe according to this Cast thy care on the Lord. c Cast all your care vpon him c. Reueale vnto the Lord thy way and trust c. Who that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about I didde not nor do not knowe but by your Letters quod cras wee shall come coram nobis Mine owne heart stick still to dabitur vobis Fidelis enim est Dominus dabit in tentatione euentum quo possumus sufferre Nouit Dominus pios é tentatione â—ripere c. O vtinam pius ego essem Nouit Dominus in die tribulationis sperantes in se. c. i. It shall be geuen you c. For the Lorde is faythfull He will in tentation make away that ye may be able to beare it The Lord knoweth how to rid out of tentation the godly c. O woulde God I were godly The Lord knoweth howe to deliuer out of tentation suche as trust in him c. I canne noâ— thinke that they will offer any kinde of indifferent or meane conditioÌ„s for if we wil not adorare bestiaÌ„ we neuer shal be deliuered but agaynst theyr will thinke I God our father gracious Lord make perfecte the good he hath begunne in vs. Faciet miâ—â—â—ter charissime frater quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad conuiueÌ„dum commoriendum O si tecum essem Hee will doe it my brother my deare brother whom I haue in my inward bowels to liue and dye with O if I were with you Pray for me mine owne hart roote in the Lord. For euer your owne Iohn Bradford ¶ An other Letter to Mayster Laurence Saunders GOds sweete peace in Christ be with you my good brother in the Lord Iesus and with al your concaptiues Amen I was letted this morning from musing on that whiche I was purposed to haue thought on by reason of you agaynst whome I saw my selfe guilty of negligence euen in this poynt that I would not write I should say that I had not written vnto you as yet therefore out of hande in maner I prepared my selfe to purge my selfe hereof not that I will go about to excuse my faulte for that were more to loade me but by asking both GOD and you pardon to get it no more layed to my charge Now then as I was thus purposing and partly doyng commeth there one with a letter from you for the which as I haue cause to thanke GOD and you howbeit not so that you should thinke I geue not the whole to God so I see my selfe more blame worthy for this long holding my peace Howbeit good brother in this I haue geuen a demonstration to you to behold my negligence in all other thinges and especially in praying for you M. Bradford 〈…〉 and for the Churche of GOD which for my sinnes and hypocrisy hypocrisye in deede euen in this writing GOD deliuer me â—rom it haue deserued to be punished Iust is God for we haue deserued all kindes of plagues at his handes but yet mercifull is he that will on thys wyse chastise vs wyth this world ne cum mundo condemnemur i. That we should not be condemned with the worlde He might otherwyse haue punished vs I meane he might haue for other causes cast vs in prison me especially then for his Gospell and wordes sake Praysed therefore be his name whiche voucheth vs worthye this honour Ah good GOD forgeue vs our sinnes and worke by this thy fatherly correction on vs on me especially affectually to loue thee and thy Christ and with ioyfulnesse vnto the end to carry thy Crosse through thicke and thinne Alwayes set before our eyes not this gallowes on earth if we will sticke to thee but the gallowes in Hell if wee denye thee and swarue from that we haue professed Ah good Brother if I could alwaies haue GOD his Maiestye mercy heauen hell c. before mine eyes then should I obdurare as Paul writeth of Moses Heb. 11. Obdurauit inquit perinde quasi vidisset eum qui est inuisibilis i. He endured sayth he as he that saw him which is inuisible Pray for me as I know you doe and geue thankes also for In Domino spero 〈◊〉 22. non nutabo Si ambulauero per vallem vmbrae mortis non timâ—bo quia tu Domine mecum es c. Amen i. In the Lord I trust I shall not wauer If I walk by the valley of the shadowe of death I will not feare for thou art with me O Lorde I thinke we shall be shortly called forth for now legem habent secundum legem c. otherwise will they not reason with vs and I thinke theyr shootanker will be to haue vs to subscribe The which thing if we doe though with this condition so farre as the thing subscribed to repugneth not agaynst Gods worde yet thys will be offensiue Therefore let vs vadere planè and so sanè I meane let vs all confesse that we are no chaungelings but reipsa are the same we were in religion and therefore can not subscribe except we wil dissemble both with God our selues and the world Haec tibi scribo frater mi charissime in Domino Iam legam tuam EpistolaÌ„ i. These things I write to you deare brother in the Lord. Now I will read your Epistle 1. Iohn 13. Ah brother that I had practicam tecum scientiam in vite illa quam pingis roga Dominum vt ita verè sentiam Amen i. The practical vnderstanding with you in that vine whiche you describe Pray the Lorde that I may so thinke in deed God make me thankefull for you Salutant te omnes concaptiui gratias Domino pro te agunâ— idem tu facies pro nobis ores vt c. i. All our felow prisoners salute you geue thankes to God for you The same do you for vs pray that c. Your brother in the Lord Iesus to liue and dye with you Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare Fathers D. Cranmer D. Ridley and D. Latimer IEsus Emanuell My deare fathers in the Lord I beseech GOD our sweete Father through Christ An other letter of M. Bradford to D. Cranmer D. Ridley and D. Latimer to make perfect the good hee hath begunne in vs all Amen I had thought that euery of your staues had stande nexte the dore but now it is otherwise perceiued Our deare Brother Rogers hath broken the I se valiauntly and as this day I thinke or to morow at the vttermost harty Hooper sincere Saunders and trusty Taylour end theyr course and receiue theyr crowne The nexte am I whiche hourely looke for the porter to open me the gates after them to enter into the desired rest GOD forgeue me mine vnthankefulnesse for this exceeding great mercy that amongest
religion set vp amongest vs agayne but come away come away as the Angell crieth from amongst them in their idolatrous seruice Apoca. 18. lest you be partakers of their iniquitie Harken to your preachers as the Thessalonians did to Paule that is conferre their sayings with the scriptures if they sound not thereafter the morning light shall not shyne vpon them Esay 8. Vse much and hearty prayer for the spirite of wisedome knowledge humblenes meekenes sobrietie and repentaunce which we haue great need of because our sinnes haue thus prouoked the Lordes anger against vs but let vs beare his anger and acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowfull sighes and doubtles he will be mercifull to vs after his wonted mercy The which thyng he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse and euerlastyng thankes from this tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lord to commaund Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter to M. George Eaton ALmighty God our heauenly Father recompence aboundantly into your bosome my dearely beloued here and eternally A letter aâ— M. Bradford to M. George Eaton the good which froÌ„ him by you I haue continually receiued sithen my comming into prison Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after this lyfe by witnessing your fayth declared to me by your fruits wheÌ„ we shall come and appeare together before the throne of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thanke God I am euen now a goyng euer looking when officers wyll come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I can not complayne because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth thousand deaths at gods hands by reason of my sinnes yet I may and must reioyce because the Prâ—lates do not persecute in me myne iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ. And because they can do hym no hurt for he sitteth in heauen The Prelates persecute and hate the Martirs not for their iniquities but for hatred of Christ of his veritye in them and laugheth them and their deuises to scorne as one day they shall feele therfore they turne their rage vpoÌ„ his poore sheepe as Herode their father did vpon the infants Math. 2. Great cause therefore haue I to reioyce that my dere Sauiour Christ wil vouchsafe amongst many to chuse me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shall be a vessell of honour in whom he will be glorified Therfore my right deare brother in the Lord reioice with me geue thankes for me and cease not to pray that God for his mercies sake would make perfect the good he hath begun in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed and preached I do confesse vnto you in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering Iohn Bradford geueth testimony of his doctrine that it is the very true doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Church of his Prophets Apostles and all good men so that if an Angell should come from heauen and preach otherwise the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but be confirmed in it and as your vocation requireth wheÌ„ God so will confesse it though it be perillous so to do The end shall euidently shew an other maner of pleasure for so doyng then tong can tell Bee diligent in prayer and watch therein Use reuerent readyng of Gods worde Set the shortnesse of this tyme before your eyes and let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memory Practise in doing that you learne by reading and hearing Decline from euill and pursue good Remember them that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellow heires of grace Forget not the afflictions of Syon and the oppression of Ierusalem and God our Father shall geue you hys continuall blessyng thorough Christ our Lorde who guide vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you deare brother for euer in this present lyfe till wee shall meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and Father bryng vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Out of pryson this viij of February Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford ¶ An other Letter to Maistresse Anne Warcuppe ALmighty God our heauenly father for his Christes sake encrease in vs fayth An 〈◊〉 letter Mistreâ— Anne 〈◊〉 by which we may more more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all theÌ„ that beleeue with the hart and confesse Christ his truth wyth the mouth Amen My dearely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I write my farewel to you in this lyfe in deed vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the shiriffe to come for me and I thanke God I am ready for him Now goe I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hill it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is steepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feeble pray therfore to the Lord for me that as I haue now thorough his goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by his grace be strengthened not to rest till I come where I should bee Oh louing Lord put out thy hand and drawe me vnto thee for no man commeth but he whoÌ„ the father draweth See my derely beloued Gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath great weakenes As he sent for Helias in a firy chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my drosse must be purified that I may bee fine gold in his sight Oh vnthankfull wretch that I am Lord do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In deed I confesse right deare to me in the Lord that my sinnes haue deserued hell fire much more then this fire But loe so louyng is my Lord God 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—serued 〈◊〉 death of his to a gloâ—â—â—ous testiâ—â—â—niall of his truth that he conuerteth the remedy for my sins the punishment for my transgressions into a testimoniall of his truth and a testification of his veritie which the Prelates do persecute in me not my sinnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubt not will take my part vnto the very end Amen Oh that I had so open an hart as could so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakeable dignitie which God my father offreth to me Now
terror and feare which tooke from them all reason counsell out of theyr mindes to beholde what practises sondry shiftes euery man made for himselfe it would make not onely Democritus and Heraclitus also to laugh but rather an horse weluere to breake his halter But none vsed themselues more ridiculously then such as semed greatest wise men sauing that in one or ij peraduenture some what more quietnes of minde appeared Amongest whom was one Claymund President of Corpus Christi Colledge whom for reuerence and learnings sake I do here name and a few other aged persons with him Claymundus President of Corpus Christi Colledge which for theyr age and weakenesse durst not thrust themselues into the throng amongest the rest but kneled downe quietly before the high aulter committing themselues theyr liues vnto the sacrament The other which were yonger and stronger ran vp and downe through the preasse maruelling at the vnciuility of meÌ„ and waxt angry with the vnmanerly multitude that would geue no rowme vnto the Doctors Bachelers Maisters and other graduates regent maisters But as the terror and feare was common vnto all men so was there no differeÌ„ce made of persoÌ„s or degrees euery man scamling for himselfe The violet cap or purple gowne did there nothing auayle the Doctour neyther the masters hood nor the monkes coule was there respected Yea if the king or queene had bene there at that present and in that perplexity they had bene no better then a common man After they had long striuen and assayed all maner of wayes and saw no remedy neither by force neither authority to preuayle the fell to entreating and offering of rewardes one offering xx pouÌ„d an other his scarlet gown so that any man would pull him out though it were by the eares Some stood close vnto the pillers thinking themselues safe vnder the vautes of stone for the dropping of the lead Othersome being without mony vnprouided of al shift knew not which way to turne them One being a presideÌ„t of a certaine Colledge whose name I need not here to vtter pulling a bourd out from the pues couered his head shoulders therwith agaynst y e scalding lead which they feared much more then the fall of the Church Now what a laughter would this haue ministred vnto Democritus amongest other thinges to behold there a certayne graund pauÌ„ch who seing the dores stopped and euery way closed vp thought by an other compendious meanes to get out through a glasse window if it might be by any shift But here the icoÌ„ grates letted him notwithstanding his gredy mind would needes attempt if he could happely bring hys purpose to passe WheÌ„ he had brokeÌ„ the glasse was come to the space betwene y e grates where he should creepe out first he thrust in his head w t the one shoulder it weÌ„t thorow wel enough TheÌ„ he labored to get the other shoulder after but there was great labor about y t loÌ„g he stuck by y e shoulders with much adoe For what doth not importune labor ouercome Thus farreforth he was now gotteÌ„ But by what part of his bodye he did sticke fast I am not certayne neither may I fayne forsomuch as there be yet witnesses which did see these thinges which woulde correcte me if I should so doe Notwithstanding this is most certayne that he did stick fast betweene the grates and coulde neither get out nor in Thus this good man being in deed a Monke and hauing but short hose by the which way he supposed soonest to escape by the same he fel into further incoÌ„uenience making of one danger two For if the fire or lead had fallen on the outside those parts which did hang out of the window had bene in danger contrariwise if the slaine had raged within the Church all his other parts had lyen opeÌ„ to the fire And as this man did sticke fast in the windowe so dyd the rest sticke as fast in the dores that sooner they myght haue bene burned then they could once styrre or moue one foot Through the which prese at the last there was a way found that some going ouer their heads gat out Here also happened an other pageaunt in a certayne Monke if I be not misaduised of Glocester Colledge whereat Calphurnius mighte well laugh with an open mouth Pleno ridet Calphurnius ore Horat. So it happened that there was a young lad in this tumult who seing the dores fast stopped with the prese or multitude that he had no way to get out climed vp vpoÌ„ the dore and there staying vpon the top of the doore was forced to tary still For to come downe into the Church agayne he durst not for feare of the fire and to leape downe toward the street he could not without daunger of falling When he had taryed there a while he aduised himself what to do neither did occasion want to serue his purpose For by chaunce amongst them that gat out ouer mens heads he saw a Monke comming towardes him which had a great wide Coule hanging at his backe This the Boye thought to be a good occasion for him to escape by When the Monke came neare vnto him the Boy which was in the toppe of the doore came downe and pretily conueyed himselfe into the Monkes Coule A boye gotte into a Monkes coule thinking as it came to passe in deed that if the Monke did escape he should also get out with him To be briefe at the last the Monke gat out ouer mens heads with the boy in his Coule and for a great while felt no wayght or burden At the last when he was somewhat more come to himselfe and did shake his shoulders â—eling his Coule heuyer theÌ„ it was accustomed to be also hearing y e voyce of one speaking behinde his Coule he was more afrayd then he was before when he was in the throng thinking in very deed that the euill spirit which had set the Church on fire had flyen into his Coule By and by he began to play the Exorcist In the name of God sayd he and all sayntes I commaund thee to declare what thou art that art behinde at my backe To whom the boy aunswered I am Bertrames boy sayd he for that was his name But I sayd the monke adiure thee in the name of the vnseparable trinity that thou wicked spirit do tell me who thou art from whence thou commest and that thou get thee hence I am Bertrames boy sayd he good mayster let me go and with that his Coule began with the wayt to cracke vppon hys shoulders The monke when he perceiued the matter took the boy out and discharged his Coule The boy tooke his legges and ranne away as fast as he could Among other one wiser then the rest ranne wyth the Church dore key beating vpon the stone walles thinking therwith to breake an hole thorough to escape out In the meane time those that were