confession And what if she had opened the same vnto the Iudges They would sayth he haue spared her life for the time and so the innoceÌ„t had bene preserued And how is M.H. sure of this more then was the life spared of the young Lady mistres sometime of M. H. who suffered notwithstanding she was reported of some to be with childe Because the law sayth he is beneficiall to women in her case clayming the benefite thereof The law so geueth I grauÌ„t But it foloweth not therfore whatsoeuer the law geueth or prescribeth the same to be put by and by in execution But many times the law goeth as it pleseth them which haue the handling of the law As for example the law willeth none to be condemned by sentence of death for heresye whiche the first time reuoke theyr opinion and yet contrary to this law they condeÌ„ned her vnlawfully Agayne the like law prescribeth none to be executed for heresy before the writ be sent downe de coÌ„burendo and yet contrary to this lawe without any suche writ as farre as I yet vnderstand they burned her moste cruelly And what lawe then was here to be looked for of these men who in theyr doinges herein seemed neither to obserue law nor to regarde honesty nor much to passe for charity And albeit she had claymed neuer so much the priuiledge of the law what had that auayled with those men whose hunting altogether as by theyr proceedinges maye appeare semeth to be for the houshold goodes of these women which after theyr death immediatly they incroched in to theyr owne handes But bee it admitted that neither she demaunded this benefite of the law nor that the Iudges would euer haue denyed her if she had so done yet had it bene the parte of a graue accuser before he had bene descended into such a raâ—ling action of murder agaynst a poore woman now dead gone first to haue aduised wisely with himselfe whether it might be that she had no such intelligence what benefite the law would haue geueÌ„ in case it had bene required For not vnlike it is and well may be thought rather yea then no that the simple woman brought vppe all her lyfe long in her mothers house in an obscure Iseland in such an outcorner of the realme farre of from the Courte and practise of English lawes neuer heard before of any such benefite of the law and therefore vpon mere simplicity for lacke of skil required it not because she knew not what to require Peraduenture also her senses might be so astonied with the greatnesse and sodennesse of the feare that it was out of her remembraunce Certes it had bene the duty of the Iudges which knew the lawe hauing the woman before them could not be ignorant of her case to haue questioned with her thereof and to haue holpen her simplicity in that behalfe Or at least if they had disdained yet it had bene the Priestes parte who was her Ghostly Father and made priuy thereunto either to haue instructed her or to haue stayd the executioÌ„ of her death for sauegard of the childe But all this denyeth M.H. and to aggrauate the matter inferreth that shee not of any simple vnskilfulnesse of the law but onely of mere wilfulnesse for auoyding of worldlye shame concealed her owne turpitude and so became a murderer of her babe c. These be the wordes of M. H. written by him not of any sure ground but onely vpon his catholicke coniecture for other demonstration certeinely to prooue this true he bringeth none Wherefore to aunswere coniecture by coniecture thus I replye to him agayne that in case she had bene asked the questioÌ„ of the Iudges and Inquisitours whether shee had bene with childe and then had denyed the same or els if she by any other colourable meanes had cloaked her being with child whereby it should not appeare this accuser might haue some probable aduauntage agaynst the woman Nowe as she was neuer demaunded of theyr partes any such question nor did euer deny any such matter so to aunswere this man with as good probability I holde that in case they had inquired that matter of her she woulde neuer haue denyed it And therfore whereas she is accused for her not vttering of her child why may she not by as good reason agayne be defeÌ„ded for not denying the same But she shoulde haue vttered it sayth he It had bene well done say I. And I would she had but yet that is not the question betwene him and me what she shoulde haue done but why she did it not M. Harding wandring in his blind surmises phantasieth the cause onely to be for hiding her dishonesty for that she would not shame the Gospell So that in Summa to this effect tendeth all his accusation Perotine being big with childe at her condemnation did not shew it to the Iudges Ergo she did not conceale her turpitude and because she would not shame the Gospell But here this accuser must vnderstande if he haue not forgotte his Logike that such argumentes which do truly holde a Signis doe alwayes presuppose that the signes whiche goe before the thinges signified must be necessary perpetuall and firme as is betweene causes naturall their effectes Otherwise if the signes be doubtfull voluntary or accidentall there is no firme consequent can proceede therof Now if the sayd accuser shoulde be put to his proofe how to iustifie this his sequele to be true by euident demoÌ„stration that she did it onely for couering her dishonesty I suppose verely he should be found to say more then hee is able to make good and in conclusion shuld be brought into the like case as were the Phariseis who comming to accuse the adulteresse before christ went away mute with as much shame out of the temple as the woman her selfe came in hauing not one word to aunswere For a man to pronounce assuredly vpon the secret cogitation and intent eyther of man or womaÌ„ farther theÌ„ by vtterance of speach is to him signified passeth his capacitie and is to bee lefte onely to him which is serutans corda renes Deus But for so muche as M.H. worketh as I sayde by surmises construing euery thing to the worste let vs see what may be surmised as much agayne to the contrarye concerning the quallitie of this surmised murder Wherin diuers thinges are to be considered as hereunder followeth The first coniecture is this that suche maner of womeÌ„ which for worldly shame are disposed to murder their children haue otherwayes to compasse that wickednesse then by silence keeping Now as touching this Perotine going to be burned neither coulde this silence saue her if she would from â—ordly shame neither is it to be thought any such intent euer to be in her to murder her childe as might well appeare in her mothers house where if shee might haue continued her whole
thee and I will send my wrath vpon thee vpon thee I say O Englande and punish thee according to thy wayes and rewarde thee after all thyne abhominations Thou hast kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hast stirred vp the coales For thou waste once lightned and hadst tasted of the heauenly gifte and wast become partaker of the holy ghost haddest tasted of the good word of God Yea it is yet in thy mouth sayth the Prophet Alas O Englād thou knewest thy Lorde and maisters wil but diddest nothing thereafter Thou must therefore sayeth hee suffer many stripes and many sharpe strokes and walke on in the glittering and hot flame of thine owne fire and in the coles that thou hast kindled This commeth to thee from my hande saith the Lorde namely That thou shalt sleepe in sorrowe yea euen so thou shalt The plain truth telleth the tale the immutable iustice of the euerliuing God and the ordinarie course of his plagues from the beginning confirmeth the same The ioy of our heart sayeth Ieremie is gone oure glory is fallē away our mery singing is turned into mourning the garland of our head is fallen Alas and weale away that euer we sinned so sore Wo worth all abhominations and wickednesse wo woorth cloked hypocrisie woe worth our carnall liberty wo worth our most cursed idolatrie For because of these things sayth the Lorde ye shall perish with sword hunger and pestilence Wherfore let all the wicked enemies of Christe and all the vnbeleuers look to be tormented and vexed with al hellish furies and cleane wythout hope at Gods accompting day which know not God in Christ to be their very righteousnesse their life their onely saluation alone sauiour nor beleeue not in him They must sayth S. Iohn needes abide and pearish wyth their sinnes in death and in eternall damnation But we be the children of Saintes as the elder Toby did aunswer and looke for an other life which God shall geue to all them which chaunge not theyr faith nor shrinke not from him Reioyce therefore ye Christian afflicted brethren for they can not take our soules and bodies out of the handes of the almighty which be kept as in the bosome of our most swete and louing father and if we abide fast in Christ and turn not away like weathercocks surely we shall liue for euer Christ affirmeth the same saying My sheepe heare my voyce I knowe them they hearken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlasting life for they shall not be lost nor no manne shall plucke them oute of my handes no nor yet this flattering world with all his vaine pleasures nor any tyranne with his great threates stout bragges can once mooue them oute of the way of eternall life What consolation and cōfort may we haue more pleasant and effectuous then thys God is on our side fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth and is afflicted wyth vs. As the world can doe nothing against his might neyther in taking away or diminishing of his glory nor putting him from his celestiall throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of hys children without his good will For we are members of his body oute of hys fleshe and of hys bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therefore with an earnest faith set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospell let vs not be sundred from the same by any temptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of God to be inuinsible inuiolable immutable Promising and geuing vs his faithfull souldiours life eternal It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his onely benefite of his only mere mercy vnto him only must we render thāks Let not therefore the vaine fantasies and dreames of men the foolish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue and separate vs from our hope of the crowne of righteousnes that is layd vp in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and merry last day I meane to the faithfull when Christ by his couenaunt shall graunt and geue vnto them that ouercome and keepe hys woordes to the ende that they may ascend and sitte in seate with him as he hath ascended sitteth on throne with hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shall then be with Christ glorified now in the butchers hands as shepe apoynted to die then sitting at Gods table with Christ in his kingdom as Gods honorable and deare children where we shall haue for earthly pouertie heauenly riches for hūger and thirst saturitie of the pleasant presence of the glory of God for sorrowes troubles and colde yrons celestiall ioyes and the company of aungels and for a bodely death life eternal Oh happy soules Oh precious death and euer more blessed right dear in the eyes of God to you the spring of the Lord shal euer be florishing Then as sayth Esay the redeemed shal returne and come againe into Sion praising the Lorde and eternall mercies shal be ouer their heads they shall obtaine mirth and solace sorrowe and woe shal be vtterly vanquished yea I am he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlasting consolation To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be glory and praise for euer Amen Robert Samuel An other letter wrytten to the Christian congregation by Robert Samuel wherein he declareth the confession of his faith The beliefe of the hert iustifieth and the knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of mē be not afraid of their blasphemies and reuilings for wormes and mothes shal eat them vp like cloth and woolle but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my selfe these pearillous times pearishing daies and the vnconstante and miserable state of man the decay of our faith the sinister reporte and false sclaunder of Gods most holy word these vrgent causes in conscience do constraine me to confesse and acknowledge my faith and meaning in Christes holy Religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying be readye alwayes to geue an aunswere to euerye man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with meekenes and feare hauing a good conscience that when they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falsly accused your good conuersation in Christ. As touching my doctrine for that little talent that God hath geuen mee God I take to recorde mine owne conscience and mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willingly taughte any other thinge then I receiued of the holye Patriarckes Prophetes Christe and hys Apostles For it were not onely sinne but also the verye parte of a cursed miscreant to
N quid sit opprimere fraudare in negotio fratrem and what followeth thereof It is truely sayde non tollitur peccatum nisi restituatur oblâ—tum No restitution no saluation which is as well to bee vnderstand de rebus per fraudes technas dolos as de rebus per manifestum furtum latrocinium partis Wherefore let not your brother mayster N. by cauillation continue in the Deuils possession I will doe the best I can and wrestle with the Deuill omnibê° viribus to deliuer you both froÌ„ him I will leaue no one stone vnmoued to haue both you and your brother saued There is neither Archbishoppe nor Byshoppe nor yet any learned man either in Vniuersities or elswhere that I am acquaynted withal that shall not write vnto you and in theyr writing by their learning confute you There is no Godly man of Lawe in this realme that I am acquaynted withall but they shall write vnto you and confute you by the law There is neither Lord nor Lady nor yet anye noble personage in this Realme that I am acquaynted withall but they shall write vnto you and Godlye threaten you with their authoritie I will doe all this yea and kneele vppon both my knees before the kinges maiestie and all his honourable Counsaile with most humble petition for youre reformation rather then the Deuill shall possesse you still to you â—inall damnation So that I doe not dispayre but verely trust one way or other to plucke bothe you and also your crabbed brother as crabbed as you saye hee is out of the Deuilles clawes maugre the Deuilles heart These premisses well considered looke vppon it good maister N. that wee haue no farther adoe Gods plague is presentlye vppon vs therefore let vs now dilligently looke about vs and in no wise defend but willingly reknowledge and amend what soeuer hath bene amisse These were the capitall poyntes of youre talke as I was informed after you had perused that my nipping and vnpleasaunt letter and I thought good to make you some aunswere to them if perchaunce I might so moue you the rather to call your selfe to some better remembrance and so more earnestly apply your selfe to accomplish and performe what you haue begunne and promised to doe namely the thing it selfe being of suche sorte as apparantly tendeth both to your worship and also to Gods high pleasure Thus loe with a madde head but yet a good will after longe scribling I wotte not well what but I knowe you can reade it and comprehende it well enough I bid you most hartily to fare in the Lord with good health and long life to Gods pleasure Amen From Baxsterley the xv of Iuly During the time that the said M. Latimer was prisoner in Oxford we read not of much that he did wryte besides his conference with Doctor Ridley and his protestation at the time of hys disputation Otherwise of letters we finde very fewe or none that he did write to his friendes abroad saue onely these few lynes whiche hee wrote to one maistres Wilkinson of LondoÌ„ a godly matron and an exile afterwarde for the Gospels sake Who so long as she remayned in England was a singular patronesse to the good saynctes of God and learned Byshoppes as to mayster Hooper to the Byshop of Hereford to Mayster Couerdale M. Latimer Doctor Cramner with many other The copy and effect of which hys letter to Maystres Wilkinson here followeth ¶ A letter sent to maystres Wilkinson of London widowe from mayster Hugh Latimer out of Bocardo in Oxford IF the gifte of a pot of a cold water shall not bee in obliuion with God how can God forget your manifolde bountifull giftes when he shall say to you I was in pryson and you visited me God graunt vs all to do and suffer while we be here as may be to hys will and pleasure Amen Yours in Bocardo Hugh Latimer Touching the memorable actes and doynges of thys worthye man among many other this is not to bee neglected what a bold enterprise he attempted in sendyng to kyng Henry a present the maner whereof is this There was then and yet remayneth still an old custome receaued from the old Romaynes that vpon Newyeares day being the first day of Ianuary euery Bishoppe with some handsome Newyeares gifte shoulde gratify the king and so they did some with golde some with siluer some with a purse full of money and some one thing some an other but maister Latimer being bishoppe of Worcester then among the rest presented a new Testament for his New-yeares gifte with a napkyn hauing this posie aboute it Fornicatores adulteros iudicabit Dominus And thus hast thou gentle reader the whole life both of maister Ridley of mayster Latimer two worthy doers in the churche of Christ seuerally and by themselues sette foorthe and descrybed with all theyr doynges writinges disputations sufferinges their paynefull trauayles faythfull preachinges studyous seruice in Christes Churche their patiente imprisonmente and constaunt fortitude in that whiche they had taught with all other their proceedinges from time to time synce theyr first springinge yeares to thys present tyme and Moneth of Queene Mary beyng the Moneth of October Anno. 1555. In the whiche Moneth they were bothe brought foorth together to theyr finall examination and execution Wherfore as we haue heretofore declared both theyr liues seuerallye and distinctlye one from the other so nowe ioyntly to couple them bothe together as they were together both ioyned in one society of cause and Martyrdome we will by the grace of Chryst prosecute the rest that remayneth concerning their latter examination disgrading and constant suffering with the order and maner also of the Commissioners which were Mayster White Byshop of Lincolne Mayster Brookes Bishop of Glocester with others and what were theyr wordes theyr obiections theyr Orations there vsed and what againe were the aunsweres of these men to the same as in the processe here followeth to be seene The order and maner of the examination of Doctour Ridley and mayster Latimer had the xxx day of September 1555. FIrst after the appearyng of Thomas Cranmer Archbyshop of Caunterbury before the Popes Delegate and the Queenes Commissioners in S. Maryes Church at Oxford about the xii day of September whereof more shal be sayde by the Lordes grace when wee come to the death of the sayd Archbyshoppe shortly after vpon the 28. day of the sayd month of September was sent downe to Oxforde an other Commission from Cardinall Poole Legate a latere to Iohn White Byshoppe of Lincolne to Doctour Brokes Byshop of Glocester and to Doctour Holiman Byshoppe of Bristowe The contentes and vertue of which Commission was that the sayd Iohn of Lincoln Iames of Glocester and Iohn of Bristow they or two of them shoulde haue full power and authoritye to ascite examine and iudge mayster Hugh Latimer and M. Doctour Ridley pretensed Byshoppes of Worcester and London for dyuers
comely a person to them that were there present as one should lightly see and where as in his clothes he appeared a withered and crooked silke olde man he now stood bolt vpright as comely a father as one might lightly behold Then M. Ridley standyng as yet in hys trusse sayde to his brother it were best for me to goe in my trusse still No quoth hys brother it will put you to more payne and the trusse will do a poore man good Whereunto Maister Ridley sayd be it in the name of God and so vnlaced hymselfe Then beyng in his shirt he stoode vpon the foresayd stone and held vp hys handes and sayd Oh heauenly Father I geue vnto thee most harty thankes for that thou hast called me to bee a professour of thee euen vnto death I beseech thee Lord GOD take mercy vpon this Realme of England and deliuer the same from all her enemies Then the Smith tooke a chaine of iron and brought the same about both D. Ridleis and M. Latimers middles and as he was knockyng in a staple D. Ridley took the chayne in his hand and shaked the same for it did gird in his belly and lookyng aside to the Smith sayd good felow knocke it in hard for the flesh will haue hys course Then his brother did bring hym gunpouder in a bag and would haue tied the same about hys necke M. Ridley asked what it was His brother said gunpouder Then sayd he I take it to be sent of God therefore I will receyue it as sent of hym And haue you any sayd he for my brother meanyng M. Latymer Yea sir that I haue quoth hys brother Then geue it vnto hym sayd he betyme least ye come to late So hys brother went and caried of the same gunpouder vnto M. Latymer In the meane tyme D. Ridley spake vnto my L. Williams and sayd My L. I must be a suter vnto your lordship in the behalfe of diuers poore men and especially in the cause of my poore Sister I haue made a supplication to the Queenes Maiestie in their behalfes I beseech your Lordship for Christes sake to bee a meane to her grace for them My brother here hath the Supplication and wyll resort to your lordship to certifie you hereof There is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience I praise God this onely excepted Whiles I was in the Sea of London diuers poore men tooke Leases of me and agreed with me for the same Now I heare say the B. that nowe occupieth the same roume wil not allow my graunts vnto them made but contrary vnto all law and conscience hath taken from them their liuynges and will not suffer them to enioy the same I beseech you my Lord be a mean for them you shall doe a good deed and God wil reward you Then brought they a fagot kindled with fire and layd the same downe at D. Ridleys feete To whome Maister Latymer spake in this maner Be of good comfort maister Ridley and play the man wee shall this day light such a candle by Gods grace in England as I trust shall neuer be put out And so the fire beyng geuen vnto them when D. Ridley saw the fire flamyng vp toward hym he cryed wyth a wonderfull lowd voyce In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum Domine recipe spiritum meum and after repeated this latter part often in English Lord Lord receyue my spirit M. Latymer crying as vehemently on the other side Oh Father of Heauen receyue my soule who receyued the flame as it were embrasing of it After as he had stroked hys face with hys hands as it were bathed them a little in the fire he soone died as it appered with very litle payne or none And thus much concerning the end of this old and blessed seruaunt of God M. Latymer for whose laborious trauails fruitfull lyfe constāt death the whole Realme hath cause to geue great thankes to almighty God But M. Ridley by reason of the euill makyng of the fire vnto hym because the wooden fagots were laid about the gosse and ouer high built the fire burned first beneath beyng kept downe by the woode Which when he felt hee desired them for Christs sake to let the fire come vnto him Which when hys brother in law heard but not well vnderstood entendyng to ridde hym out of his payne for the which cause he gaue attendance as one in such sorow not well aduised what he did heaped fagots vpon hym so that he cleane couered hym which made the fire more vehement beneath that it burned cleane all hys neather parts before it once touched the vpper and that made him leape vp and downe vnder the fagots and often desire them to let the fire come vnto him saying I cannot burne Which in deed appeared well for after hys legs were consumed by reason of his struglyng through the payne whereof he had no release but only his contentation in God he shewed that side toward vs clean shirt and all vntouched with flame Yet in all this torment he forgate not to call vnto God still hauyng in his mouth Lord haue mercy vppon me intermedling this cry let the fire come vnto me I can not burne In which paynes he laboured till one of the standers by with his bill pulled of the fagots aboue and where he saw the fire flame vp hee wrested himselfe vnto that side And when the flame touched the gunpouder hee was seene stirre no more but burned on the other side fallyng downe at M. Latymers feete Which some said hapned by reason that the chaine loosed other sayd that he fell ouer the chaine by reason of the poise of his body and the weakenes of the neather limmes Some say that before he was like to fall from the stake he desired them to holde him to it with their billes Howsoeuer it was surely it moued hundredes to teares in beholding the horrible sight For I thinke there was none that had not cleane exiled all humanitie and mercy which would not haue lamented to behold the fury of the fire so to rage vpon their bodies Signes there were of sorrowe on euery side Some tooke it greuously to see their deaths whose lyues they held full deare Some pitied their persons that thought theyr soules had no neede thereof His brother mooued many men seyng his miserable case seeyng I say hym compelled to such infelicitie that he thought then to doe hym best seruice when he hastened hys ende Some cryed out of the lucke to see his endeuor who most dearely loued hym and sought his release turne to hys greater vexation and encrease of payne But who so considered their preferments in tyme past the places of honor that they sometyme occupied in this common wealth the fauour they were in with their princes and the opinion of learnyng they had could not chuse but sorow with teares to see so great
but yet at last perceauing that asmel sir Henry as also the other gentlemen did beholde him somewhat fixedly he brake of his talke Wherewith sir H. Knyuet making as though he had noted nothing did louingly dismisse him praying him that when he had receiued the B. letters he would also repaire to him for a packet to an Englyshe Gentleman of his acquaintaunce at Myllan which he promised to do and so departed againe When sir Henry had thus made sufficieÌ„t tryall of this matter he forthwith wrote his letters vnto the K. Maiestie signifiyng vnto him the whole at large as he had learned In the meane while Ludouicke the next morning repaired vnto the B. of Winchesters lodging to demaunde an answere of those letters the Legate had sent vnto hym but how he vsed him selfe or whether he vttered the talke he had with sir H. Knyuet and with Wolfe whom he supposed at the first to be the B. man it is not certainely knowen But the B. perceiuing that by mistaking one for an other and in supposing Wolfe to be the B. seruaunt Ludouicke had vttered all his message from the Legate vnto Wolfe and that thereby his practises would come to light in great hasty rage caused Ludouicke to be stayed in his owne house while in the meane time him self went to Grauuela one of themperors counsell so practised with him that Ludouick was secretly committed vnto prison in the custody of one of themperours Marshals so as he could be no more talked withall all the tyme of their aboad there And then sending in great hast to sir H. Knyuet to come and speake with him which he did he fell into very hot speach with him saying that he had poyson in his dysh and that a knaue was suborned to be his distructioÌ„ with many such like words Sir Henry told him again how he vnderstode it and prayed him that Ludouicke might be brought face to face to be examined in both their presentes Which the B. would in no case agree vnto affirming that he had so declared the case to Grauuela being indifferent as he thought to them both that he woulde not meddell with Ludouicke nor speake with him but that themperours counsell should examyne hym try what he was for hym To whom sir H. Knyuet againe very earnestly obiected that he maruayled that the B. in matter touching the K. Maiestie their Maister would vse the ayde or means of Grauuela a forraine Princes minister to make him priuie of their question But stay do what he would he would neuer come to the speach of Ludouicke any more euer after Whereupon there rose great and long controuersies betweene them both wryting letters vnto the K. about that matter vntill at last the K. Maiestie perceiuing his affayres otherwaies to slacke therby wrote vnto them both that they should lay all those things vnder foote and ioyne together in his seruice as before which they did accordingly But how soeuer this matter was afterwardes salued here with the K. Maiestie as eyther by the death of sir H. Knyuet which I thinke was not very long after or by other friendes the B. had here at home I know not yet Wolfe who within two monethes after died of a long cough of the Longues vpon his death bed did agayne affyrme the premisses to be most true and therefore in the presence of sir H. Knyuet diuerse other of his seruauÌ„ts he protested that he had not inuented sought or procured this at Ludouickes handes for any malice or displeasure borne to the B. but only for discharge of his fayth duetie vnto the K. Maiesty desiring that the same his protestation might be inserted in the end of his last will and testament which was then presently done thereunto set his hand Now whether this was the matter that the K. moued so often M. Secretary Paget being after L. Keeper to keepe safe as sore matter agaynst the B. I know not but yet it appears by some depositions of the Nobilitie and others in the processe agaynst hym had in K. Edwardes dayes that the K. Maiestie Henry .8 had this matter euer in his mynd for in euery generall pardon that he graunted by Parliament after this practise he did styll except all treasons committed beyond the seas meaning thereby as it was supposed that the B. should not take any benefite by any general pardon if at any time his Maiestie would call him to accompt and therfore all thinges wel wayed he had smal cause to vaunt of his great fauour he had of K. Henry his M. How beit it seemeth he was brought into this fooles paradize by the L. Paget who as he himselâ—e reporteth in his depositions in his messages from the K. to the sayd B. deluded hym telling him muche otherwyse then the K. had spoken counsaling alwayes the K. hard speches agaynst him which thing puffed vp this vaine-glorious Thraso not a litle All whiche premises appeare more at large by the depositions of the Nobles others examined in the long processe against him in K. Edwardes raigne as appeares in our first edition of actes and monumentes from the .804 Page vnto the ende of that processe in that booke at large mentioned But whatsoeuer he was seeing he is nowe gone I referre him to his Iudge to whom he shall stand or fall As concerning his death and maner thereof I woulde they which were present thereat would testifie to vs what they saw This we haue all to thinke that his heath happened so opportunely that England hath a mighty cause to geue thankes to the Lord therfore not so much for the great hurt he had done in times past in peruerting his Princes in bringing in the vi Articles in murderyng Gods saintes in defacing Christes sincere Religion c. as also especially for that he had thought to haue brought to passe in murdring also our noble Queene that now is For what soeuer daunger it was of death that she was in it did no doubt proceede froÌ„ that bloudy bishop who was the cause therof And if it be certain which we haue heard that her highnes being in the Tower a writte came downe from certaine of the Counsell for her execution it is out of controuersie that wily Winchester was the onely Dedalus framer of that ingine Who no doubt in that one day had brought this whole Realme into wofull ruine had not the Lordes moste gratious counsell through M. Bridges then the Lieuetenaunt comming in hast to the Queene certified her of the matter and preuented Architophels bloudy deuises For the which thankes be to the same our Lord and sauiour in the congregacion of al English churches Amen Of thinges vncertaine I must speake vncertainely for lacke of fuller information or els peraduenture they be in the Realme that can say more then here I haue expressed For as Boner Story Thornton Harpsfielde Dunning with other were occupied in puttyng the poore braunches of
you as good authoritye agaynst me in my cause now as Ireneus had agaynst those heretickes But the church of Rome hath swarued from the truth and simplicitye of the Gospell whiche it mainteined in Ireneus time and was vncorrupted from that whiche it is nowe wherefore your Lordships can not iustly apply the authority of Ireneus to the Church of Rome now which is so manifestly corrupted from the Primitiue Church Boner So will you saye still it maketh nothinge for the purpose whatsoeuer authority wee bring and will neuer be satisfied Phil. My Lorde when I doe by iust reason proue that the authorities which be brought agaynst me doe not make to the purpose as I haue alredy proued I trust you will receiue mine aunswere Worc. It is to be prooued most manifestly by all auncient writers that the Sea of Rome hath alwayes folowed the truth and neuer was deceiued vntill of late certayne heretickes had defaced the same Phil. Let that be proued and I haue done Worcest Nay you are of suche arrogancy singularitye and vayne glory that you will not see it be it neuer so wel proued Phil. Ha my Lordes is it nowe time thinke you for me to folow singularity or vayne glory since it is now vpon daunger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come and I know if I dye not in the true fayth I shall dye euerlastingly and agayne I knowe if I do not as you would haue me you will kill me and many thousandes moe yet had I leuer perish at your handes then to perishe eternally And at this time I haue lost all my coÌ„modities of this worlde and now lye in a colehouse where a man would not lay a dog with the whiche I am well contented Cole Where are you able to prooue that the Churche of Rome hath erred at any time and by what Historye certayne it is by Eusebius that the Church was stablished at Rome by Peter and Paul and that Peter was bishop 25. yeares at Rome Phil. I know well that Eusebius so writeth but if we coÌ„pare that which saynt Paul writeth to the Galathians the first it will manifestlye appeare the contrarye that he was not halfe so long there He liued not past 35. yeres after he was called to be an Apostle and Paul maketh mention of his abiding at Hierusalem after Christes death more then 18. yeares Cole What did Peter write to the Galathians Phil. No I say Paule maketh mention of Peter writing to the Galathians and of his abiding at Hierusalem And further I am able to proue both by Eusebius other Historiographers that the church of Rome hath manifestly erred and at this present doth erre because shee agreeth not with that which they wrote The primitiue Church didde vse according to the Gospell and there needeth none other proofe but compare the one with the other Bon. I may compare this man to a certayne man I reade of which fell into a desperation weÌ„t into a wood to hang himselfe and wheÌ„ he came there he went vewing of euery tree and could find none on the which he might vouchsafe to hange himselfe But I will not apply it as I mighte I pray you M. Doctor go forth with him Cole My Lord there be on euery side on me that be better able to answere him and I loue not to fall in disputation for that now a daies a man shal not but susteine shame and obloquy thereby of the people I had leuer shewe my mind in writing Phil. And I had leuer that you should do so then otherwise for then a man may better iudge of your words then by argument and I beseeche you so to do But if I were a rich man I durst wager an hundred pouÌ„des that you shal not be able to shew that you haue sayde to be decreed by a generall Counsell in Athanasius time For this I am sure of that it was concluded by a generall Councell in Africa many yeares after that none of Africa vnder payne of excommunication should appeale to Rome the which Decree I am sure they woulde not haue made if by the scriptures by an vniuersall Councell it had bene decreed that al meÌ„ should abide folow the determination of the churche at Rome Cole But I can shew that they reuoked that error again Phil. So you say M. Doctour but I pray you shewe me where I haue hitherto heard nothing of you for my conteÌ„tation but bare wordes without any authority Boner What I pray you ought we to dispute with you of our fayth Iustinian in the law hath a title De fide Catholica to the contrary Phil. I am certayne the Ciuill lawe hath such a constitution but our fayth must not depend vpon the ciuil law For as saynt Ambrose sayth Non lex sed fides congregauit Ecclesiam Not the lawe but the Gospell sayth hee hath gathered the church together Worcest M. Philpot you haue the spirit of pride wherewith ye be led which will not let you to yelde to the truth leaue it for shame Phil. Syr I am sure I haue the spirite of fayth by the which I speake at this present neyther am I ashamed to stand in my fayth Glocest. What do you thinke your selfe better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Phil. Elias alone had the truth when they were foure huÌ„dreth priestes agaynst him Worcest Oh you would be counted now for Helias And yet I tel thee he was deceiued for he thoght there had bene none good but himselfe and yet he was deceiued for there were seuen hundred besides him Phil. Yea but he was not deceiued in doctrine as the other seuen hundred were Worcest By my fayth you are greatly to blame that you can not be conteÌ„t to be of the Church which euer hath â—en of that faythfull antiquity Phil. My Lord I know Rome and haue bene there wher I saw your Lordship Worcest In deede I did flee from hence thither and I remember not that I saw you there But I am sory that you haue bene there for the wickednesse which you haue seene there peraduenture causeth you to do as you do Phil. No my Lord I doe not as I do for that cause for I am taught otherwise by the Gospell not altogether to refuse the minister for his euill liuing so that he bring sound doctrine out of Gods booke Worc. Doe you thinke that the vniuersall Church may be deceiued Phil. S. Paul to the Thessalonians prophesieth that there should come an vniuersall departing from the faith in the latter dayes before the coÌ„ming of Christ saying Non veniet Christus nisi venerit defectio prius that is Christ shal not come till there come a departing fyrst Cole Yea I pray you how take you the departyng there in S. Paule It is not meant of fayth but of the departing from the Empyre For it is in
of London PLeaseth your good Lordship to vnderstand that yesterday I dined with my Lord of Exceter who soon after my first coÌ„ming vnto him asked me what newes I answered none but good that I had heard No sayth he Why it is a rumour in the City that tomorowe the Queenes Grace will take her iourney towardes the king I aunswered that I thought it not to bee any whit true but an inuention of Heretickes yea and further sayeth he there is report made abroad of my Lorde our Mayster that he is in discomfort and therefore will suffer no man to come vnto him When I heard thus much I began to laugh and declare how vntrue this report was so that my Lord who before was very sad afterward knowing the truth reioyced much to heare that all was wel with your lordship and desired me to do his harty commendations to your Lordship One of my Lord of Penbrokes retinue a very handsome maÌ„ and as farre as I can yet learne Catholicke is a suter to your lordship to haue licence to erect a schoole and the order which he inteÌ„deth to vse is coÌ„teined in this printed paper which I send here in inclosed to your Lordship I would be gladde for my Lorde of Penbrokes sake that he vnderstood that vppon my motion your Lordship were content he should teach as he intendeth Mayster Iohnson and I haue trauelled with the Prieste and he hath subscribed his name to this draughte whiche is herein inclosed and hath promised he will stand to the same before your Lordship When I had written thus much sodenly came tydinges to me that Iordanis conuersus est retrorsum Cluney comming to the Priest found him lying prostrate groning as though he should haue dyed forthwith Then Cluney tooke him vppe and set hym vpon a stoole and came to me and told me of this reuell It chauÌ„ced that M. Iohnson was with me and we went to this fond hereticke fouÌ„d him lying all a long holding his hands vp looking hypocritically towardes heauen I caused Thomas More Cluney to set him on the stoole and with much adoe at length he tolde me that Sathan had bene with him in the night and tolde him that he was damned and weeping he prayed M. Iohnson and me to see the bill whereunto he subscribed and when he sawe it he tare out his name è libro scilicet viuentium Me thinketh by him he will needes burne a Fagot neither is there any other likelihood of the young woman I haue enquired of the two persons which sue to haue a licence to eat flesh And the woman of Christ Church is in deed very much diseased and hath bene long diseased and she and her husband both Catholicke Of the other yet I canne learne nothing Thus Iesus euermore preserue your good Lordship and my Mistres your Lordshippes sister with all yours This present Saterday Your Lordships most bounden seruaunt Iohn Harpsfield ¶ Here foloweth an other letter of Robert Iohnson Register touching Thomas Whittell written to Boner Bishop of London MY bounden duety premised pleaseth your Lordshyp to vnderstande that this laste Fridaye in the after noone Mayster Archdeacon of London did diligently trauell with Syr Thomas Whittell I being present and perceiuing his conformity as outwardlye appeared deuised a submission and hee being content therewith did subscribe the same But now this saterday morning Mayster Archdeacon and I vpon Cluneys report declaring that he fayned himselfe to be extracted of his senses went vnto hym to whom he declared that Sathan in the night time appeared vnto him and said that he was damned for that he had done against his conscience in subscribing the said submission with other like wordes c. And theÌ„ Mayster Archdeacon at his earnest request deliuered vnto him the submissioÌ„ And thereupon the sayd Whittell did teare out his subscription made in the foot of the same as your Lordshippe shall perceiue by the submission sent now vnto your Lordship by Mayster ArchdeacoÌ„ wherewith the sayd Whittell was somewhat quieted And as touching Ioane Lashford Mayster Archdeacon didde likewise trauell with her and shewing her Syr Thomas submission which I readde vnto her two times demaunded if she could bee content to make the like submission and she desired respite vntill this morning And beyng nowe eftsoones demaunded in likewise sayth that she will not make any thing in writing nor put any signe thereunto Mayster Archdeacon and I entend thyâ— after noone to examine the sayd Syr Thomas vpon Articles for as yet there doeth appeare nothing in writing agaynste hym as knoweth almighty GOD who preserue your good Lordshyp in prosperity long with honour to endure From London thys Saterday By your Lordships dayly bedesman and bounden seruaunt Robert Iohnson ¶ The Condemnation Death and Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell COncerning the woordes and aunsweres of the sayde Thomas Whittell at his laste examination before the Bishop vpon the xiiij day of Ianuary the yere aboue expressed Boner with his other felow Bonerlingeâ— sittyng in his Consistory at after noone first called forth Thomas Whittell with who he began in effect as foloweth because ye be a Priest sayth he as I and other Bishops here bee and did receiue the order of Priesthoode after the riâ—e and fourme of the Catholicke Churche ye shall not thinke but I will minister iustice as well vnto you as to other And then the sayd Boner in further communication did charge hym that when in tymes past he had sayde Masâ—e according to the order then vsed the same Whittell nowe of late had rayled and spoken agaynste the same saying that it was Idolatry and abhomination Whereunto Thomas Whittell aunswering agayne sayd that at such times as he so sayde Masse he was then ignoraunt c. adding moreouer that the eleuation of the Sacramente at the Masse geueth occasion of Idolatry to them that be ignoraunt vnlearned After this the bishop making hast to the Articles whiche in all his examinations euer he harped vpon came to this Article That thou wast in times past baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church To this the sayd Whittell inferred agayne I was baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church although I did forsake the Church of Rome And ye my Lord do call these heresies that be no heresies and do charge me therwith as heresies and ye ground your selfe vpon that religion whiche is not agreable to Gods word c. Then the sayd victorious souldiour and seruant of our Sauior constant in the verity receiued and professed was agayne admonished and with perswasions entreated by the bishop who because he would not agree vnto the same the bishop forthwith proceeded first to his actuall degradation that is to vnpriest him of all his priestly trinkets and clarkly habite The order and maner of whiche theyr popish and most vayne degradation before in the storye of Bishop Hooper pag. 1435. is to be sene
tribulations that being founde constant to the end he may crowne his owne giftes in them in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to goe before looking for you to followe my faythfull frend that we maye sing perpetuall praise to our louing Lord God for victory ouer Sathan and sinne won for vs by Iesus Christ God and man our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate Amen Farewell and pray in fayth Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and nowe condemned to dye for the Gospels sake 1556. Ianuary 21. ¶ All my felowes salute you Salute all our faythful brethren with you ¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn Went and other his prison felowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt fed Daniel in the Lions denne and deliuered Paul Peter and the Apostles out of prison vouchsafe of his goodnes to keep feed and deliuer you my good brother Went with the other our felow souldiors your prison felowes as may be most to his glory to your consolatiō and the edification of his Church I cannot but praise God most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioye in the crosse of Christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy the kingdome of God as Paule sayth And though the world counteth the yoake and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing yet we which haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioice in this persecution as touching our selues in as much as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause and not ours at whose hand if we endure to the end we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christ not onely a greate reward in heauen but also the kingdome of heauen it selfe also in the meane season be sure to bee defended and cared for so that we shall lacke no necessarye thinges neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge Oh what is he that would mistrust or not gladly serue so louing a father O how vnhappy are they that forsake him and put theyr trust in man But how blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake in these troublesome dayes doe committe theyr soules and bodyes into his handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and his Church thē to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we nowe beare hath bene common to all the faythfull from Abell hitherto and shal be to the end because the Deuill hauyng great wrath agaynst God and his Christ can not abide that hee should for his manifolde mercies bee lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate and therefore because we will not deny Christ nor dissemble with out fayth but openly protest and professe the same before the world he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians as S. Iohn sayth the Deuill shall cast some of you into prison And Dauid sayth I beleued and therfore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwithstanding goe forward deare brethren as ye haue begon to fight the Lords battel considering Christe the Captayne of your warre who will both fight for you geue you victorye and also highlye rewarde your paynes Consider to your comfort the notable and chiefe shepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these dayes I meane those learned and godly Bishops Doctours other ministers of Gods word whose fayth and examples we that be inferiours ought to folowe as S. Paule sayth Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God the ende of whose conuersation see that ye look vpon and folow theyr faith The grace blessing of God with the ministery of his holy Angels be with you for euer Amen All my prison felowes greete you From the Colehouse this 4. of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy Minister of Christ nowe his prisoner for the Gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous and Mary blessed the Lorde GOD encrease and make stable in your hartes my deare and faithfull brethren sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be mery and glad c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes First the persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall that is for the probation and proofe of their fayth Which fayth like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes so will he haue it made manifest to the whole worlde through persecution that so it may euidently appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution paynes nor death shal be able to seperate them from the loue of hym And thus was Abraham tried and Iob tempted that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge that the deuill naturall loue nor no other enemie coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied who both tryeth his people by many tribulations and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison Paule from his enemies in Damasco and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe And also he deliuered Abell Eleazar Steuen and Iohn Baptist with other manye by deathe and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth Take my brethren sayth he the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord beholde we count them happy which endure Y◠haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull Also the Lorde tryeth vs to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes that no Hypocrisy or Ambitiō deceiue vs that the strong
and he will keepe you from all euill Call vpon his holy name he will strengthen you and assiste you in all your wayes and if it please him to lay his crosse vpon you for his Gospelles sake refuse it not neither shake it off by vnlawefull meanes leaste you should as God forbidde finde a more grieuous crosse and torment of conscience if you shoulde dissemble and denye the knowen verity then is any persecution or death of body Oh howe happye are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake their rewarde is great in heauen The momentanie afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vpon vs. Oh remember the Godly weman of the old testament and new which liued in Gods seruice and feare and therefore are now in blisse and commended for euer as namely Iudith Hester Abigael the mother of the 7. sonnes Mary Elizabeth Susanna Lidia and Phebe and others Set theyr examples before your eyes and feare nothing for Sathan is conquered by our Sauiour Christe sinne is put to flight and the gate of immortality and eternall life is set wide open God graunt we may enter therein through the doore Iesus Christ Amen Thomas Whittell ¶ The Story of Mayster Bartlet Greene Gentlemanne and Lawyer Martyr AFter the Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell nexte followeth in order to speake of Bartlet Greene who the nexte day after the foresayde Whittell was likewise condemned Thys Greene was of a good house and hauinge such Parentes as both fauoured learning and were also willing to bring vp this theyr childe in the same Who after some enteraunce in other inferiour Schooles was by them sent vnto the Uniuersity of Oxforde where thorow exercise and diligent study he so profited that within short time he atteined aswell to the knowledge of sundery prophane Sciences and also now in his last yeares vnto the godly vnderstanding of Diuinitye Whereunto through ignorance in which he was trayned vp from his youth he was at the first an vtter enemy vntill such tyme as God of his mercy had opened his eyes by his often repayring vnto the commō Lectures of Peter Martyr reader of the Diuinity Lecture in the same Uniuersity so that therby as by Gods instrument he saw the true lighte of Christes Gospell Whereof when he had once tasted it became vnto hym as the fountayne of liuely water that our Sauiour Christ spake of vnto the woman of Samaria so as he neuer thirsted any more but had a well springing vnto euerlastyng life In so much as when he was called by his frendes frō the vniuersity and was placed in the Temple at London there to attayne to the knowledge of the common Lawes of the Realme he yet continued still in his former study earnest profession of the Gospell wherein also he did not a litle profite Howbeit suche is the fraylety of our corrupte nature without the speciall assistaunce of Gods holy spirit through the continuall accompanying and felowshyp of such worldly I will not say to much youthfull young gentlemen as are commonly in that and the like houses he became by litle and litle a compartner of theyr fond follies and youthfull vanities aswell in his apparell as also in banquettinges and other superfluous excesses whiche he afterward being agayne called by Gods mercifull correction did sore lament and bewayle as appeareth by his one testimonye notified and lefte in a booke of a certayne frend of his a litle before his death written with his owne hand in maner as foloweth ¶ This did Mayster Bartlet Greene write in Mayster Bartram Calthrops Booke TWo thinges haue very muche troubled me whilest I was in the Temple Pride and Glottonye whiche vnder the coulour of glorye and good felowshippe drewe me almoste from GOD. Agaynst both there is one remedye by prayer earnest and without ceasing And for as much as vayne glory is so subtle an Aduersarye that almoste it woundeth deadly ere euer a manne can perceiue himselfe to be smitten therefore we ought so muche the rather by continuall prayer to labour for humblenesse of minde Truely Glottony beginneth vnder a charitable pretence of mutuall loue and society and hath in it most vncharitablenesse When we seeke to refresh our bodies that they may be the more apte to serue GOD and performe our duetyes towardes our Neyghbours then stealeth it in as a priuye theefe and murthereth both body and soule that nowe it is not apte to to pray or serue GOD nor apte to studye or labour for our neighbours Let vs therefore watch and be sober For our aduersary the Deuill walketh about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour And remember what Salomon sayth Melior est patiens viro forti qui dominatur animo expugnatore vrbium 1. A pacient man is better then a strong warrior and he that conquereth his owne stomacke is better then hee that conquereth Townes and Cityes Bartlet Greene. Animorum in fide vnio per charitatem acta firma est amicitia Vale mi Bartrame mei memineris vt semper simillimi efficiamur Vale. Apud nouam Portam 20. Ianuarij 1556. Set sober loue agaynst hasty wrath Bartlet Greene. Thus we see the fatherly kindenesse of our moste gracious and mercifull God who neuer suffereth his electe children so to fall that they lye still in security of sinne but oftentymes quickeneth them vp by some such meanes as perhaps they thinke least of as he did here this his strayed sheepe And now therfore to returne to our history for the better maynteinaunce of himselfe in these his studyes and other his affayres he had a large exhibition of his grandfather Mayster Doctour Bartlet who during the tyme of Greenes inprisonment made vnto him large offers of great liuinges if he would recant and forsake the truth and Gospell of Christ come home agayne to the Church and Sinagogue of Rome But these his perswasions the Lord be therefore praysed tooke small effect in this faythfull hart as the sequell did declare He was a man beloued of all men except of the Papistes who loue none that loue the truth and so he well deserued for he was of a meeke humble discreete and most gentle behauiour to all Iniurious he was to none beneficiall to many especiallye to those that were of the householde of fayth as appeared amongest other by his frendly dealing with maister Christopher Goodman beeing at that present a poore exile beyond the Seas With whom this Bartlet Greene aswell for his toward learning as also for his sober and Godly behauiour had often society in Oxforde in the dayes of good king Edwarde which now notwithstanding hys frendes misery and banishment he did not lightly forget and that turned as it chaunced not without the prouidence of almightye GOD to the greate griefe of both the one of heart for the losse of his Frende and the other of body in suffering the cruell
three daies ago bethought my selfe of and therewithall remembred how that Martin Luther appealed in his tyme frō Pope Leo the x. to a generall Councell lest I should seeme rashly and vnaduisedly to cast away my selfe I determined to apeale in like sort to some lawfull and free generall Councell But seeyng the order and forme of an Appeale pertaineth to the Lawyers wherof I my selfe am ignorant and seyng that Luthers Appeale commeth not to my hand I purposed to breake my mynd in this mater to some faithfull friend and skilfull in the law whose helpe I myght vse in this behalfe and you onely among other came to my remembraunce as a man most meete in this Vniuersitie for my purpose But this is a matter that requireth great silence so that no man know of it before it be done It is so that I am summoned to make myne aunswer at Rome the xvj day of this moneth before the which day I thinke it good after sentence pronounced to make myne Appeale But whether I should first Appeale from the Iudge Delegate to the Pope and so afterward to the generall Councell or els leauyng the Pope I should appeale immediately to the Councell herein I stande in neede of your counsaile Many causes there bee for the which I thinke good to appeale First because I am by an othe bound neuer to consent to the receiuyng of the B. of Romes authoritie into this realme Besides this where as I vtterly refused to make answer to the Articles obiected vnto me by the B. of Glocester appointed by the Pope to be my Iudge yet I was content to aunswer Martin and Story with this Protestation that myne aunswer should not bee taken as made before a Iudge nor yet in place of iudgemēt but as pertainyng nothyng to iudgement at all and moreouer after I had made myne answer I required to haue a copy of the same that I might either by addyng thereunto or by alteryng or takyng from it correct and amend it as I thought good The which though both the Bish. of Glocester and also the King Quenes Proctours promised me yet haue they altogether broken promise with me and haue not permitted me to correct my said answers accordyng to my request and yet notwithstandyng haue as I vnderstand registred the same as Actes formally done in place of iudgement Finally forasmuch as all this my trouble commeth vpon my departyng from the B. of Rome and from the Popish religion so that now the quarell is betwixt the Pope hymselfe and me and no man can be a lawfull and indifferent iudge in his owne cause it seemeth me thinke good reason that I should be suffered to appeale to some generall Councell in this matter specially seeyng the law of nature as they say denieth no man the remedy of appeale in such cases Now since it is very requisite that this matter should be kept as close as may be if perhaps for lacke of perfect skill herein you shall haue neede of further aduise then I beseech you euen for the fidelitie and loue you beare to me in Christ that you will open to no creature alyue whose the case is And forasmuch as the tyme is now at hand and the matter requireth great expedition let me obtaine this much of you I beseech you that laying aside all other your studies and businesse for the tyme you will apply this my matter onely till you haue brought it to passe The chiefest cause in very deede to tell you the truth of this myne Appeale is that I might gayne tyme if it shall so please God to lyue vntill I haue finished myne aunswer against Marcus Antonius Constantius which I haue now in hand But if the aduersaries of the truth will not admit myne Appeale as I feare they will not Gods will be done I passe not vpon it so that GOD may therein be glorified bee it by my lyfe or by my death For it is much better for me to dye in Christes quarell and to raigne with hym then here to be shutte vppe and kept in the prysonne of this body vnlesse it were to continue yet still a while in this warrefare for the commoditie and profite of my brethren and to the further aduauncing of Gods glory to whom be all glory for euermore Amen There is also yet an other cause why I thinke good to Appeale that where as I am cited to go to Rome to answer there for my selfe I am notwithstanding kept here fast in prison that I can not there appeare at the tyme appoynted And moreouer forasmuch as the state I stand in is a matter of lyfe and death so that I haue great neede of learned counsaile for my defence in this behalfe yet when I made my earnest request for the same all manner of counsaile and helpe of Proctors Aduocates and Lawyers was vtterly denyed me Your louyng friend Tho. Cranmer ¶ Another Letter of D. Cranmer Archbishop to Maistresse Wilkinson exhortyng her to flie in the tyme of persecution THe true comforter in all distresse is only God through his sonne Iesus Christ and whosoeuer hath him hath company enough although he were in a wildernesse all alone and he that hath xx thousand in his companye if God be absent is in a miserable wildernesse and desolation In hym is all comfort without hym is none Wherfore I beseech you seeke your dwellyng there as you may truly and rightly serue God and dwell in hym and haue him euer dwellyng in you What can be so heauy a burden as an vnquiet conscience to be in such a place as a mā can not be suffred to serue God in Christs religion If you be loth to depart from your kin and friends remember that Christ calleth them hys mother sisters and brothers that do hys fathers will Where we finde therefore God truely honoured accordyng to his will there we can lacke neyther friend nor kinne If you be loth to depart for slandering of gods word remember that Christ when his houre was not yet come departed out of his countrty into Samaria to auoyde the malice of the Scribes and Pharisies and commaunded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should flie to another And was not Paule let downe by a basket out at a window to auoyd the persecution of Aretas And what wisedome and pollicy he vsed from tyme to tyme to escape the malice of his enemies the Actes of the Apostles doe declare And after the same sort dyd the other Apostles albeit when it came to such a pointe that they could no longer escape danger of the persecutours of gods true religion then they shewed themselues that their flying before came not of feare but of godly wisdom to do more good that they would not rashly without vrgent necessitie offer themselues to death which had bene but a temptation of God Yea when they were apprehended could no longer auoyd then they stoode
desiring him that he might not liue so long as to cal euill good and good euill or light darkenes or darkenes light and so departed he home toward hys house where by the way homeward as it is affirmed he took his death and shortly after departed according to his prayer after he had endured in prison xii weekes After this Ioane his wife continued still in prison with her tender infant till at last she was brought before that Bishop to be examined Whereunto what her aunswers were it is not certainely knowne Howbeit most like it is what soeuer they were they pleased not the Bishoppe as appeared by his ire increased agaynst the poore woman her long continuance in the prison together with her tender babe which also remayned with her in the Iayle partaker of her Martyrdome so long as her milke would serue to geue it sucke till at length the childe being starued for colde and famine was sent away when it was past al remedie and so shortly after dyed And not long after the mother also followed besides the olde woman whiche was mother of the husband of the age of 80. yeares and vpwarde Who being left in the house after their apprehēsion for lacke of comfort there perished also And thus haue ye in one story the deathe of foure together first of the old woman then of the husband after that of the innocent childe and lastly of the mother What became of the other nine children I am not perfectly sure but that I partly vnderstand that they were all vndone by the same This story is reported and testified as well by other as namely by Mistres Bridges dwelling in the same town and partaker then of the like afflictions and hardly escaped with her life A Shomaker suffering in Northamton IN the moneth of October folowing was burned at the towne of Northampton a Shomaker a true witnesse and disciple of the Lorde who accordinge to the grace of God geuen vnto him cleauing fast to the sounde doctrin and preaching of Gods woord renounced the vntrue and false coloured religion of the Romish sea wherein manye a good man hath bene drowned After whom not long after in the same month of October died also in the Castle of Chichester thre godly confessors being there in bonds for the like cause of Christes Gospel who also should haue suffred the like Martyrdom had not theyr naturall deathe or rather as it is to be suspected the cruel handling of the papists made them away before and afterward buried them in the fielde I reade moreouer that in this present yeare to witte An. 1556. was burnt one called Hooke a true witnes of the Lordes truthe at Chester ¶ Fiue famished in Caunterbury Castell by the vnmercifull tyrannie of the Papistes about the beginning of Nouember AS among all the Bishops Boner bishop of London principally excelled in persecuting the poore members and Saintes of Christe so of all Archdeacons Nicholas Harpesfield Archdeacon of Cāterburie as may by mans sight appeare was the forest and of least compassion only Dunning of Norwich excepted by whose vnmercifull nature and agrest disposition verye many were putte to death in that dioces of Canterbury not onely in the bloudy time of that Queene but some also in the blessed beginning of this our moste renowmed Queene that nowe is as by the grace of Christ heereafter shall appeare Of those that suffered in Queene Maries time within the foresayd diocesse of Canterburie some be recited already with the order and fourme set downe of suche Articles as then were most commōly ministred to the examinates by Thorneton Suffragane of Douer and the sayde Nicholas Harpsefielde and other as before in the volume of this hystorie may appeare pag. 1683. Now to proceede in the order and course of time where we left next followeth the moneth of Nouember In the beginning whereof were together in the Castell of Caunterburie 15. godly and innocent Martyrs of which number not one escaped with theyr life but either were burned or els were famished in prisone Of that which two sortes which is the easier death God knoweth it is hard to iudge Notwithstāding the truth is that of these 15.10 were burned and suffered in the fire of whom in the next booke more shall follow hereafter the Lord willing The other 5. were pined and famished most vnmercifully in the straite prisone of whome we haue heere presently to entreate Whose names were these Whiche two were yet vncondemned 1. Iohn Clearke 2. Dunston Chittenden These were condemned to bee burnt 3. W. Foster of Stone 4. Alice Potkins wife of Stapleherst 5. Iohn Archer of Cranbroke weauer Of these 5. prisonners the firste two were vncondemned the other thre last were condemned and should haue bene burned but suffered no lesse tormentes then if they had abidde the fire being macerate and pined to death by famine What theyr articles and answers were it needeth not heere to recite seeing all they in that time of Queene Mary commonly suffered for one maner sort of cause that is for holding against the 7. Sacraments against the realtie of Christes being in his supper for speaking against the churche of Rome and determinations of the same against Images set vp and woorshipped in the churche for not comming to the church and such other like c. First William Foster answearing to these and like articles sayde that he beleeued well in all the Articles of the Creede but to beleeue to be m0e Sacraments then two and to pray to Saintes either to profite vs or to praye for soules in purgatorie to profit them that faith and works doe iustifie or to alow the popish ceremonies in the church that he denied Moreouer hee sayde to carie Candels vpon Candelmasse daye were as good for him as to carye a dungforke and that it is as necessary to cary the galowes about if his father were hanged as the crosse To come to the church he cannot sayd he with a safe conscience Concerning fish daies and flesh daies hee graunted it good to put difference therein except where necessity required the contrary This William Foster was a labouring man of the age of xl yeares He was apprehended and imprisoned by Sir Thomas Moyle Knight Alice Potkins for the like confession was condemned to be burned for that she was not neyther would be confessed to the Priest for that shee receiued not the sacrament of the aultare because shee would not pray to saincts nor creepe to the Crosse. c. Being demaunded of her age she sayde that shee was xlix yeares olde according to her olde age according to her yong age since she learned Christ shee was of one yeares age and was committed by maister Roberts to prisone The answer and confession of Iohn Archer of Crambroke was muche in like sorte And although certayne of these vpon ignorant simplicitie swarued a litle in the
As concerning the cause for the whiche she should dye she had no cause to confesse that but rather geue vnto God most humble prayse that he did make her worthy to suffer deathe for his worde And as concerning that absolution that they were able to geue vnto her being authorised by the pope she did defie the same euen from the bottome of her hart The which thing when the priests heard they said to the Sheriffe Well to morow her stoutnes will be proued and tryed For although perhaps shee hath now some friendes that whisper her in her eares to morow will we see who dare be so hardy as to come neare her and so they went theyr wayes with anger that theyr confession and absolution was nought set by All that night she was wonderfully chearefull mery with a certaine grauitie in so much that the maiestie of the spirit of God did manifestly appeare in her who did expel the feare of deathe out of her heart spending the tyme in prayer reading talking with them that were purposely come vnto her for to comfort her with the word of God About three of the clocke in the morning Satan who neuer sleepeth especially when death is at hand began to stirre himselfe busily shooting at her that fierye darte the whiche he is wont to doe agaynst all that are at defiaunce with him questioning with her how shee coulde tell that she was chosen to eternal life and that Christ dyed for her I graunt that he dyed but that he dyed for thee howe canst thou tell with this suggestion when shee was troubled they that were about her did councell her to follow the example of Paule Galathians 2. where he sayth Which hath loued me and geuen hymselfe for me Also that her vocation and calling to the knowledge of Gods word was a manifest token of Gods loue towards her especially that same holy spirite of God working in her hart that loue and desire towardes God to please him and to bee iustified by him through Christ c. By these and like perswasions especially by the comfortable promises of Christ brought out of the scripture Satan was put to flight and she conforted in Christ. About eight of the clocke maister Sheriffe came to her into her chamber saying these wordes Maistres Lewes I am come to bring you tidings of the Queenes pleasure the whiche is that you shall liue no longer but one houre in this world therefore prepare your selfe therunto 〈◊〉 stādeth you in hand At which wordes being so grosely vttered and so sodaynly by such an officer as he was she was somewhat abashed Wherefore one of her friendes and acquayntaunce standing by sayde these words Maistresse Lewes you haue great cause to prayse GOD who wyll vouchsafe so speedily to take you out of this worlde and make you worthy to be a witnesse to his truth to beare record vnto Christ that he is the onely sauiour After the which words spoken thus she sayde maister Sheriffe your message is welcome to me and I thanke my God that he will make me worthye to aduenture my life in his quarrell And thus maister Sheriffe departed and within the space of one houre he came agayn cum gladiis fustibus and when he came vp into the chamber one of her friendes desired him to geue him leaue to goe with her to the stake to comfort her the whiche the Sheriffe graunted at that time but afterwardes he was sore troubled for the same when she was dead Nowe when shee was brought throughe the towne with a number of bill menne a great multitude of people being present she being led by two of her frends whiche were M. Michaell Reniger and M. Augustine Bernher she was brought to the place of execution and because the place was farre off and the throng of the people great and she not acquaynted with the fresh ayre being so long in prison one of her frendes sent a messenger to the Sheriffes house for some drinke and after she had prayed three seuerall times in the whiche prayer she desired God most instantly to abolish the idolatrous Masse and to delyuer this realme from Papistry at the end of the whiche prayers the most parte of the people cryed Amen yea euen the Sheriffe that stoode harde by her readye to cast her in the fire for not allowing the Masse at this her prayers sayde with the rest of the people Amen when she had thus prayed she tooke the cup into her handes saying I drynke to all them that vnfaynedly loue the Gospell of Iesus Christ and wish for the abolishment of Papistry When she had dronken they that were her frends dranke also After that a great number specially the women of the towne dyd drynke wyth her which afterward were put to open penaunce in the Churche by the cruel Papistes for drinking with her When she was tyed to the stake with the chayne shee shewed such a cheerefulnes that it passed mans reason beyng so well coloured in her face and being so patient that the most part of them that had honest hartes did lament and euen with teares bewayle the tyranny of the Papistes When the fire was sette vppon her she neither struggled nor sturred but onely lifted vp her handes towardes heauen being dead very speedely for the vnder Sheriffes at the request of her friendes had prouided such stuffe by the whiche shee was sodenly dispatched out of this miserable worlde This amongest other thinges may not bee forgotten that the Papistes had appoynted some to rayle vppon her openly and to reuile her both as shee went to the place of Execution and also when she came at the stake Amongest others there was an olde Prieste whiche hadde a payre of writing tables to note bothe the names of the women that dranke of her cuppe as before you heard and also described her friendes by their apparell for presentlye hee could not learne their names and afterwardes enquyred for their names and so immediately after processe was sente out for them bothe to Couentrye and other places but God whose prouidence sleepeth not did defende them from the handes of these cruell tyrauntes Unto the whiche God with the sonne and the holy Ghost bee honour and glory for euer Amen * The Martyrdome of Rafe Allerton Iames Austo Margery Awstoo and Richard Roth burned at Islington IN searching out the certayne number of the faythfull Martyrs of God that suffered within the tyme raygne of Queene Mary I finde that about the 17. day of September wer burned at Islingtō nigh vnto London these 4. constant professours of christ Rafe Allerton Iames Awstoo Margery Austoo his wife and Richard Roth. Amongest the which it first appeareth that this Rafe Allerton was more then a yeare before his condemnation apprehended and brought before the Lorde Darcy of Chich. and was there accused aswell for that he woulde not consent and come vnto the
these articles thus ministred and layd to Cutbert Simson with his aunsweres likewise vnto the same the Bishop calling them altogether obiected to them other positions and articles the same whiche before are mentioned in the story of Bartlet Greene. pag. 1736. onely the 8. Article out of the same omitted and excepted which Articles because they are already expressed in the page aboue mentioned we neede not here to make anye newe reporte thereof but onely referre the Reader to the place assigned ¶ The aunsweres generall of Cutbert Simson Hugh Foxe and Iohn Deuinishe to the Articles by the Bishop to them generally proposed TO the first Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely but Iohn Deuenishe added that that Churche is grounded vpon the Prophetes and Apostles Christe being the head corner stone and how in that Churche there is the true fayth and religion of Christ. To the second Article they all confessed and beleeued that in Christes Catholicke Churche there are but two Sacramentes that is to witte Baptisme and the supper of the Lord otherwise they do not beleue the contentes of this Article to be true in any part therof To the 3. Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely To the 4. Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely ¶ Three godly Martirs burned in Smithfield To the sixt Article they al answered and denied to acknowledge the authoritie of the sea of Rome to be lawfull and good eyther yet his religion To the seuenth Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely that they haue and will doe still while they liue and Iohn Deuinishe adding thereto sayde that the sacrament of the aultar as it is now vsed is no sacrament at all To the 8. Article they all confessed and beleued all thynges aboue by them acknowledged and declared to be true and that they be of the Dioces of London and iurisdiction of the same These three aboue named persons and blessed witnesses of Iesus Christ Cutbert Foxe and Deuenish as they were altogether apprehended at Islington as is aboue declared so the same all three together suffered in Smithfield about the xxviii day of March in whose perfect constancie the same Lorde in whose cause and quarrell they suffered giuer of all grace and gouernour of all thinges be exalted for euer Amen ¶ The suffering and Martyrdome of William Nichole put to death by the wicked hands of the papistes at Herefordwest in Wales WE finde in al ages from the beginning that Sathan hath not ceassed at all times to molest the Churche of Christ with one affliction or other to the tryall of theyr fayth but yet neuer so aparauntly at anye time to all the worlde as when the Lorde hath permitted him power ouer the bodyes of hys saynctes to the shedding of theyr bloud and peruerting of religion for then sleepeth he not I warrant you from murdering of the same vnlesse they will fall downe with Achab and Iesabell to worship him and so kill and poyson their owne soules eternally as in The burning of W. Nicole at Herefordwest in Wales these miserable latter dayes of Queene Mary we haue felt heard and seene practised vppon Gods people Amonge whome wee finde recorded an honest good simple poore man one William Nicole who was apprehended by the Champions of the pope for speaking certayne wordes agaynst the cruell kingdome of Antichriste and the ninth day of Aprill 1558. was butcherly burnt and tormented at Herefordwest in Wales where he ended his life in a most happy and blessed state and gloriously gaue his soule into the handes of the Lorde whose goodnes bee praysed for euer Amen This William Nicoll as we are informed was so simple a good soule that many esteemed him half foolish But what he was we know not but this are we sure he died a good man and in a good cause what soeuer they iudge of hym And the more simplicitie of feeblenes of wit appeared in him the more beastly and wretched dothe it declare their cruell tyrannicall acte therin The Lord geue them repentaunce therefore if it bee his blessed will Amen Amen The Martyrdome of William Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson put to death by the persecuting papists at Norwich in the county of Norfolke IMmediately after William Nicoll succeeded in that honourable and glorious vocation of Martyrdome three constaunt godly menne at Norwiche in Northfolk who were cruelly and tyrannically put to death for the true testimony of Iesus Christ the xix of May. an 1558. Whose names be these William Seaman Thomas Carman Thomas Hudson The sayde William Seaman was an Husbandman of the age of xxvi yeares dwelling in Mendlesham in the county of Suffolke who was sūdry sought for tymes by the commandement of Sir Iohn Tirrell knight at laste he himselfe in the night searched his house and other places for him notwithstanding hee somewhat mist of his purpose God be thanked Then he gaue charge to hys Seruauntes Robert Baulding and Iames Clarke wyth others to seek for him Who hauing no officer went in the euening to hys house where he being at home they took him and caryed him to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tirrell This Baulding being Seamans nighe neighbour and whome the sayde Seaman greatly trusted as a speciall friend notwithstanding to doe hys Mayster a pleasure now became enemy to hys chiefe friend and was one of the busiest in the taking of him Now as they were goyng to cary hym to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tyrrell in the night it is credibly reported that there fell a lyghte betweene them out of the element and parted them Thys Baulding being in company with the rest when the light fell and albeit he was then in hys best age yet after the time neuer enioyed good daye but pyned away euen vnto the death Well for all that straunge sight as I sayd they caried him to theyr Mayster Who when he came asked him why he would not goe to Masse and to receaue the sacrament and so to worship it Unto which William Seaman aunswered denying it to bee a sacrament but sayde it was an Idoll and therefore would not receaue it After whiche wordes spoken sir Iohn Tirrel shortly sent hym to Norwiche to Hopton then Bishop and there after conference and examination had with him the bishop read his bloudy sentence of condemnation agaynst him and afterward deliuered him to the secular power who kepte him vnto the day of Martyrdome This sayd William Seaman left behynde him when he dyed a wife and three children very young and wyth the sayd young children hys wife was persecuted oute of the sayde towne also of Mendlesham because that shee would not go to heare Masse and all her corne and goods seased and taken awaye by Mayster Christopher Coles officers he being Lorde of the sayd towne Thomas Carman who as is sayd pledged Richarde Crashfield at hys burning and thereupon was apprehended being prisoner in Norwiche was about
the 13. and 14. articles they confesse and graunt the contents of them to be true in euery part When at the daies before specified these good men were produced before Boners Chancellour Thomas Darbishire and had the foresaide articles ministred vnto them and they as ye haue heard had made aunswere vnto the same in the ende the Chauncellor commaunded them to appeare before them againe the 11. day of Iuly after in the sayde place at Paules Where when they came he required of them whether they woulde tourne from their opinions to the mother holy church and if not that then whether there were anye cause to the contrarye but that they might procede with the sentence of condemnation Wherunto they all answeared that they would not go from the truthe nor relent from any part of the same while they liâ—â—ed Then he charged them to appeare before him againe the next daye in the afternoone betweene one and two of the clocke to heare the definitiue sentence redde agaynste them according to the Ecclesiasticall lawes then in force At which time he sitting in iudgemeÌ„t talking with these godly and vertuous men at the last came into the sayde place syr Edwarde Hastings sir Thomas Cornewales knights two of Quene Maries officers of her house and being there they sate them down ouer against the Chancellor in whose presence the sayde Chancellor condemned those good poore Lambes and deliuered them ouer to the secular power who receiued and caried them to prisonne immediately and there kept them in safetie till the daye of their deathe In the meane time this naughty Chancellor slept not I warrant you but that day in which they were condemned he made certificate into the Lorde Chancellors office from whence the next daye after was sent a writ to burne them at Brainforde aforesaid which accordingly was accomplished in the same place the said 14. daye of Iulye Whereunto they being brought made theyr humble praiers vnto the Lorde Iesus vndressed themselues wente ioyfully to the stake whereto they were bounde and the fire flaming about them they yelded their soules bodies and liues into the handes of the omnipotent Lorde for whose cause they didde suffer and to whose protection I commend thee gentle Reader Amen The burning of sixe Martyrs at Brainforde Among these 6. was due William Pikes as yee haue heard who sometime dwelt in Ipswiche in Suffolke by his occupation a Tanner a very honest godly man of a vertuous disposition a good keper of hospitalitie and beneâ—icial to the persecuted in Queene Maries daies Thys saide William Pikes in the 3. yeare of Queene Maries raigne a little after Midsomer being then at libertie weÌ„t into his Garden and tooke wyth him a Bible of Rogers translation where hee sitting wyth his face towardes the South reading on the said Bible sodenly fell downe vpon his booke betwene a 11. and 12. a clocke of the day foure drops of fresh bloud he knew not from whence it came Then he seeing the same was sore astonished coulde by no meanes learne as I sayd from whence it should fall and wiping out one of the droppes with his finger called his wife and said In the vertue of God wife what meaneth this Wil the Lord haue 4. sacrifices I see wel enough the Lorde will haue bloude his wil be done and geue me grace to abide the triall Wife let vs pray sayde hee for I feare the day draweth nigh Afterwarde he daily looked to be apprehended of the papistes and it came to passe accordingly as yee haue heard Thus much thought I good to wryte heereof to stirre vp our dull senses in considering the Lordes woorkes and reuerently to honour the same His name therefore be praised for euermore Amen Moreouer concerning the sayd William Pikes as he was in Newgate sore sicke and at the poynte of deathe so that no man looked he should liue 6. houres there declared to them that stoode by that he had bene twise in persecution before and that now he desired the Lord if it were his will that he might glorifie his name at the stake and so as he prayed it came to passe at Brainford Ye hard before of those 22. taken at Islington 13. were burned and 6. escaped albeit very hardly some of them not without scourging by the hands of the bishop In the which number was Thomas Hinshaw Ihon Milles according to the expresse Picture here after purported Ex epigrammate Ennij apud Ciceronem allusio Si fas caedendo coelestia scandere cuiquam est Bonnero coeli maxima porta patet In effigiem Boneri carmen QVae noua forma viri quid virga quid ora quid aluus Pondera quid ventris crassitiesue velit Corpus amaxaeum disten to abdomine pigrum Rides anne stupes lector amice magis Vasta quid ista velint si nescis pondera dicam Nam nihil hic mirum venter obesus habet Carnibus humanis sanguine vescitur atro Ducentos annis hauserat ille tribus Ergo quid hoc monstri est recto vis nomine dicam Nomen nec patris nec gerit ille matris Qui patre Sauago natus falso que Bonerus Dicitur hunc melius dixeris Orbilium The same in English MUse not so much that natures woorke is thus deformed now With belly blowen and head so swolne for I shall tell you how This Canniball in three yeares space three hundreth Martyrs slew They were his foode he loued so bloud he spared none he knew It should appeare that bloud feedes fat if men lie well and soft For Boners bellie waxt with bloud though he semde to fast oft O bloudy beast bewaile the death of those that thou hast slaine In time repent since thou canst not their liues restore againe G. G. In Bonerum CArnificis nomen debetur iure Bonero Qui sine Christicolas crimine mactat oues Certe carnificis immitis nomine gaudet Siue isto peius nomine nomen amat Carnificem vocitas ridet crudelia facta Narrisâ— rem gratam non facis ipse magis Det Deus vt sapias meliora Bonere vel istis Te feriant meritis munera digna precor The scourging of Thomas Hinshaw ⧠The right Picture and true Counterfet of Boner and his crueltie in scourging of Gods Sainctes in his Orchard a Fulham The next mornyng the Bish. came and examined hym himselfe and perceiuyng no yelding to his mynde he sent M. Harpsfield to talke with him who after long talke in the end fell to raging words callyng the sayd Thomas Hinshaw pâ—euish boy and asked him whether he thought he went about to damne his soule or no c. Unto whiche the sayd Tho. answered that he was perswaded that they laboured to maintaine their darke and diuelish kingdom and not for any loue to truth Then Harpsfield beyng in a mighty rage told the B. thereof Whereat the B. fumed fretted that scant for anger beyng able
pernicious counsaile layed agaynst another were turned to a net to catche hymselfe accordyng to the Prouerbe Malum consilium consultori pessimum After the death of this Gardiner followed the death also and droppyng away of other her enemies whereby by little and litle her ieoperdy decreased feare diminished hope of comfort began to appeare as out of a darke cloud and albeit as yet her grace had no full assurance of perfect safetie yet more gentle intertainment daily did grow vnto her till at length to the moneth of Nouember and xvij day of the same three yeares after the death of Ste. Gardiner followed the death of Queene Mary as hereafter God graunting shall be more declared Although this history followyng bee not directly appertaining to the former matter yet the same may here not vnaptly be inserted for that it doth discouer and shew forth the malicious heartes of the Papistes toward this vertuous Queene our soueraigne Lady in the tyme of Queene Mary her sister which is reported as a truth credibly tolde by sundry honest persones of whome some are yet alyue and doe testifie the same The matter wherof is this Soone after the sâ—urre of Wiate and the troubles that happened to this Queene for that cause it fortuned one Robert Farrer a Haberdasher of London dwelling nere vnto Newgate market in a certaine mornyng to be at the Rose tauerne from whence he was seldome absent and falling to his common drinke as he was euer accustomed and hauing in his company three other companions lyke to himselfe it chaunced the same tyme one Laurence Shiriffe Grocer dwelling also not farre from thence to come into the said Tauerne and finding there the sayde Farrer to whom of long time he had borne good will sate down in the seat to drinke with him and Farrer hauyng in hys full cups and not hauing consideration who were present began to talke at large namely against the Lady Elizabeth and said that Gill hath bene one of the chiefe doers of this rebellion of Wiat and before all be done she and al the heretikes her pertakers shall well vnderstand of it Some of them hope that she shal haue the crowne but she and they I trust that so hope shall hop hedlesse or be fried with Fagots before she come to it The aforesaid Laurence Shiriffe Grocer beyng then seruaunt vnto the sayd Lady Elizabeth and sworne vnto her grace could no longer forbeare his olde acquaintance and neighbour Farrer in speaking so vnreuerently of his Mistres but sayd vnto him Farrer I haue loued thee as a neighbour and haue had a good opinioÌ„ of thee but hearing of thee that I now heare I defie thee and I tel thee I am her graces sworne seruaunt and she is a Princesse and the daughter of a noble kyng and it euill becommeth theâ— to call her a Gill for thy so saying I say thou art a knaue and I will complain vpon thee Do thy worst said Farrer for that I said I will say againe and so Shiriffe came from his company Shortly after the said Shirife taking an honest neighbour with him went before the Commissioners to complaine the which Commissioners â—ate then at Boner the Bishop of Londons house beside Paules and there were present Boner then beyng the chiefe Commissioner the L. Mordant sir Iohn Baker D. Darbishiere Chauncellour to the Bishop Doctour Story Doctour Harpsfield and other The aforesayd Shiriffe commyng before them declared the maner of the sayd Rob. Farrers talke agaynst the Lady Elizabeth Boner answered peradueÌ„ture you tooke him worse then he ment Yea my L. sayd D. Story if you knew the man as I do you would say there is not a better Catholike nor an honester man in the Citie of London Well sayd Sheriffe my Lord she is my gracious Lady and mistres and it is not to be suffered that such a varlet as he is should call so honorable a princes by the name of a Gil And I saw yesterday in the Court that my Lord Cardinall Poole meeting her in the Chamber of presence kneeled downe on his knees and kissed her hand I saw also that King Philippe meeting her made her such obeisance that his knee touched the grouÌ„d and then me thinketh it were too much to suffer suche a varlet as this is to call her Gill and to wish them to hop headlesse that shall wish her grace to enioy the possession of the crowne when God shall sende it vnto her as in the righte of her inheritaunce Yea stay there quoth Boner When God sendeth it vnto her let her enioy it But truely sayde he the man that spake the woordes that you haue reported meant nothing against the Ladie Elizabeth your Mistresse and no more doe we but he like an honest and zealous man feared the alteration of Religion whiche euerye good manne ought to feare and therefore sayde Boner good man goe your wayes home and reporte well of vs towarde youre Mistresse and we will send for Farrer and rebuke him for his rash and vndiscrete woordes and we trust he will not doe the like againe And thus Sheriffe came awaye and Farrer had a flappe with a foxe taile Nowe that yee may be fully informed of the aforesaid Farrer whom D. Story praised for so good a man ye shal vnderstande that the same Farrer hauing two daughters being handsome maidens the Elder of them for a summe of money he him selfe deliuered to Syr Roger Cholmley to be at his commandement the other he sold to a Knight called Syr William Good dolphin to be at his commandement whom he made his lackie and so caried her with hym being apparelled in mans apparel to Bolein and the sayd Farrar followed the Campe. He also was a greate and a horrible blasphemer of God and a common accuser of honest and quiet men also a common dronkarde And nowe I referre the life of these Catholickes to your iudgement to thinke of them as you please But of this matter enough and too much Now let vs retourne where we left before which was at the deathe of Quene Marie After whose decease succeeded her foresayd sister Ladie Elizabeth into the right of the crown of England who after so long restrainement so great daungers escaped suche blusterous stormes ouerblowne so manye iniuries digested and wronges sustained by the mightye protection of our mercifull God to our no small comforte and commoditie hath ben exalted and erected out of thrall to Libertie out of daunger to Peace and quietnesse from dread to Dignitie from miserie to Maiestie from mourning to Ruling Briefly of a prisonner made a Princesse and placed in her throne Royal proclaimed now Quene with as many glad hearts of her subiects as euer was any King or Queene in this Realme before her or euer shall be I dare say heereafter Touching whose florishing state her Princely reigne and peaceable gouernment with other things diuers and
Mary by one Ladye Anne Wharton 2128 Lady Iane her talke with Fecknam .1419 her letters 1420. her death and prayer at the same 1422 Lady Katharine duchesse of Suffolke her tragicall story 2078 2080 Lady Kneuet her trouble and deliuerie 2072 Lady Mary her letters to K. Edward 6. and the councell .1332.1333.1335.1336.1338.1339 with answers to the same ibid. Lady Uane a great benefactor to Gods saints 1838 Ladislaus a yong Pope 720 Ladislaus and his dominions 722 Ladislaus an enemy to the gospell .721 his strange fact at his death ibid. Laishford Martyr her story and martyrdome 1689.1702 Lannam men in Suffolke ryse against the proud bishop of Norwich 428. Lambert Martyr his story .1101 articles obiected agaynst him his aunsweres to the articles .1101.1102 set at liberty .1121 hys disputation before the Kyng nobles .1122 his constant martyrdome for the truth of Christs gospell 1124 Lacels death and martyrdom .1240 his letter of the sacrament 1241 Lambe Martyr his story Martyrdome 1267 Lampes in the church 1404 Lambeth when and by whom first built 233 Lambrith Archb. of Canterbury 129 Launcelot Martyr his story 1279 Landesdale one of the gard his story and terrible end 2104.2105 Lanfrancus Archb. of Cant. 172 Lane Martyr his story 2047 Landes restored to Abbeys by Q. Mary 1559.1560 Larke and Germain Gardine traitors agaynst the kings supremacie 1230 Laremouth his history and death 2150 Latimer Preacher and Martyr his excellent story 17â—0 made Bish. of Worcester .1738 cast into the Tower .1740 appeareth before the Commissioners .1762 his examination and aunsweres .1763.1764.1766 his Letters .1746.1748.1749.1750 hys death and constant martyrdome at Oxford 1769.1770 Latimer coÌ„plained of Boner .1311 disputeth at Oxford .1454.1455 1456.1428 condemned with doctor Cranmer and doctor Ridley 1463 Latimer his sermon at Cambridge of the Cardes conteinyng most excellent and comfortable doctrine for euery christian man to follow 2142.2143 Latine seruice reprooued edifieth not 1903 Latine seruice defended .1588 confuted 1617 Latine masse first song at ConstaÌ„tinople 1404 Laurence his worthy history .71 tormented on a firie gridiron to the death 72 Laurence Martyr 1542 Laurence Pernam Martyr 1914.1915 Laurence Martyr with v. other burned in Cant. 1688 Laurence Gest Martyr his story 775 Laurentius Anglicus condemned by the Pope 322 Laurentius Archb. after Austen 119 Laurence Shiriffe sworne friende and seruant to the good lady Elizabeth his maistresse .2097 his faithfulnes towards her ibid. Launder Martyr his story 1680 1681 Lawson her trouble deliuerance 2070.2071 Lawson Martyr his story 1917 1918 Lauerocke Martyr 1910 Lawes by the king and Nobles at Oxford 329 Law of premunire with the penalties 419 Lawes of king Edward others 165.166 Law and the gospell their differeÌ„ce 26.27 Lawes of Egelred agaynst wicked Iudges and Iusticers 162 Lawes of Claredon 207 Lawes of king Ethelstane concernyng Ecclesiasticall causes and tithes .149 hys lawes coÌ„cerning thieues 150 Laws of K. Alfrede K. Edward 147 Lawes of Canutus 164 Lands restored to Abbeis by Q. Mary 1559.1560 Lawes of king Henry the 1. 191 Lawes whereto Becket Archb. of Cant. agreed and agreed not 206.207 Law how loosed how not loosed by Christ. 483 Lawe of Moises of all lawes the iustest 488 Lawes Ecclesiasticall by kings of this realme before the conquest 779 Law with the doctrine thereof 976. Law and the Gospell wherto they serue 1655 Lawes of the Pope and of England differ and wherein 1889 1890 L E. Leaden hall built 712 Learned men increase in christendome 730 League betwixt the Pages of Zuitzerland 866 Leafe Martyr his story .1623 his examination condemnation and martyrdome 1623.1624 Learned men agaynst the Pope 398 Learned men agaynst Friers 409 Learned men sent for into England 1296 Legate commanding chastity takeÌ„ himselfe with an Harlot 199 Legates of the Popes not admitted of the Nobles .369 robbed of theyr treasure in the North couÌ„trey 370 Legate of the Popes restrayned from comming into England 707 Legate du prat persecutor his fearfull death 2109 Legend and Masse booke of the papistes full of filthy and blasphemous lyes 584 Legend of S. Albane disproued 88 Legittimation of Priestes childreÌ„ 1176 Leicester interdicted 505 Leicester menne persecuted for the Gospell 505 Lent fast and the ordinances therof falsely ascribed to Telesphorus 53 Lent and fasting the originall therof .52 diuersly kept ibid. Lelond Iustice his sodeine death 2101 Lent fast brought in 665.1404 Lennam towne riseth agaynst their Bishop and swingeth him well 428 Leonard Keisar martyr his story 885 Leonard Cox scholemaister at Reding 1032 Leo .8 Pope 159 Leo .9 Pope 168 Leonides Martyr 54 Leofricus Earle of Mercia 165 Lesson good for Ministers to seeke theyr lost sheepe 36 Letter of Anselme to Ualtram bishop of Norenberge 187 Letter of Anselme to K. Henry .1 192 Letters of Anselme agaynst Priestes mariage 195 Letter most excellent and worthy of all Christian men to be redde of Pomponius Algerius an Italian Martyr 939 Letter of Tho. Becket to the Bishop of Norwich 217 Letter of Boner to the L. Cromwell against Winchester 1090 Letter of a certaine godly woman written to Boner rebukyng him for his bloudy crueltie to Gods saints 1842.1844.1845 Letter of Boniface B. of Mentz and Martyr to Ethelbald the kyng 128 Letter of the brethren of France to the brethren of Asia 46 Letters of the Councel of Calice against the Protestants 1224 Letter of Iohn Kingstone commissary to Byshop Boner concernyng the 22. prisoners apprehended at Colchester for the truth 1971.1972.1973 Letter of king Phillip out of England to the Pope 1478. Letter of king Henry 1. to the pope 192. Leiton martyr hys story and martyrdome 1131. Letter of Earle Lewes to Bishop Waltram 190.191 Letter of Lucifer to the Popes Clergy 502. Letter of Marcus Aurelius Antonius Emperour to the senate of Rome concerning the Christians 51 Letters of Queene Mary to king Edward the 6. and the Councel with aunsweres to the same 1332.1334.1335.1336.1337.1338.1339 Lewes Gentlewoman Martyr burned at Lichfield 2012.2013 Letters of the Lady Mary and the councell each to other 1406.1407.1408 Letters of the nobles and commonaltie of Englande to the Pope 291 Letters of Otho Archbishoppe of Caunterbury to the Prelates 151. Letter of Pope Urbane to Baldwine Archbishop of Canterbury 240. Letters to the Pope concerning Becket 220.221 Letter of Pope Hadrian to Fredericke the Emperour with aunswere to the same 203. Letter of Pope Alexander to Becket Archbishop of Canterbury with aunswere to the same 208 209.216 Letter of the Pope concerning the degradation of Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury 2132.2133 Letter of William Symmes to a certayne frend of hys 2142. Letter layd vpon Queene Maryes deske agaynst shee shoulde come to prayer conteining an expostulation and dehortation from the abhominable sinne of idolatry 2139. Letter of William Hunter to hys mother 2150. Letter of Queene Mary to the Duke of Northfolke 2128. Letter of one Iohn Meluine prisoner for Gods truth in Newgate 2140. Letters of Constantine 103. Letters of Doctor
maiesticall maner therof 750 R O. Robert De Artois a noble man of France exciteth king Edward the 3. to make claym to the kingdome of Fraunce 376. Robert Brakenbery true to hys Prince 728. Robert Braybroke byshop of LoÌ„don 443. Robert Bacon a bloudy and cruelâ— enemy to the Sayntes of Godâ— 1912. Robert Barnes hys story 1192. Robert Cosin Martyr hys story 818. Robert Chapell his trouble and persecution .641 abiured ibid. Robert Dynes Martyr his story and Martyrdome 2042. Robert Drakes hys story .1895 hys examination and death 1896.1897.1898 Robert Edgore hys death 2103.2104 Robert Farrar of London a sore enemy filthy talker by the good Lady Elizabeth 2097. Robert Grosthead made Byshop of Lincolne 279. Roberts Gentlewoman her trouble and deliueraunce 2073. Robert Grosthead Byshoppe of Lincolne his coÌ„mendatioÌ„ books trouble and death .325 hys articles agaynst the Pope 325. Robert Glouer Martyr and his Brother theyr trouble persecution and death 1709.1710.1711 1712.1713 Robertus Gallus his Prophesies agaynst the Pope 322 Robert Harrison Martyr 1277 Robert Kyng Robert Debnam hanged for takynge downe the Roode of Douer Courte 1031 Robert Kylwarby Archbyshoppe of Caunterbury 336 Robert Lambe with other moe Martyrs 1267 Robert Lawson Roger Bernard Martyrs theyr Storyes 1917 1918.1919 Robert Miles aliâs PluÌ„mer martyr his story 2047 Robert Milles Martyr his story and martyrdome 2042 Robert Packington murthered 1130 Robert Parson of Heggeley hys examination and aunsweres 641 Robert Pigot Martyr his Story examination and constaunt martyrdome 1715.1716 Robert Smith Martyr .1689 his examinations and answeres .1691.1692.1693.1694 his Godly Letters to diuers of hys Frendes 1696.1698.1699.1700.1701.1702 Robert Samuell Martyr his story and death .1703.1604 hys letters 1705.1706 Robert Twing spoyled of his benefice by the Papistes 276 Robert Streater Martyr 1708 Robert Southam Martyr his story martyrdome 2037.2038 2039 Robert Williams scourged 2062 Roger Acton knight why executed as a traytor 587 Roger Byshop of London excommunicated the Popes Usurers 278 Roger Clarke Martyr his Story and Martyrdome 1231.1232 Roger Holland Martyr .2037.2038.2039 his examination and aunsweares .2039.2040 his death and martyrdome 2039 2042 Roger Mortimer earle of Marsh executed 376 Roger Cooe his examination condemnatioÌ„ and martyrdome 1707 1708 Rogers burned in Northfolke 1241 Roger Onley proued not guilty of treason 703 Rogers his story and martyrdome 1484. his examinations and answeares .1485.1486 hys condemnation .1488 his admonition to the Byshoppes out of prison .1489.1490 his Propheticall sayinges .1492 hys constaunt martyrdome for the truth 1493 Rockewood Persecutor hys death 2101 Rood of Paules in London set vp with Te Deum solemnly song 1472 Roode sette vppe in Lankeshyre 1474 Rhodes besieged .744 and wonne of the Turkes 748 Rodolphe Archbishop of Caunterbury 198 Rogation dayes in olde time without superstition 128 Rochester besieged of the Barons 332 Rome why aduaunced aboue other Cittyes .18 sacked destroyed 987 Rome full of all abhominations .697 not the Catholicke Church and why 1803 Rome not supreame head ouer other Churches 1759 Rome described in her Colours 322 Rome how it beganne to take head ouer other Churches 120 Rome proued to be Babilon .478 Antichristes neast 562 Romaynes punished by their owne Emperours for contemningâ— Christ and his true Religion 31. Romaynes olde theyr fayth 20 Romanes 23. brought into England to be beneficed 287 Romanus his lamentable history death 89 90 Romeshot confirmed by Canutus 163 Romish prelats displaced by queene Elizabeth and good Bishoppes placed in theyr stead 2125 Rowland Taylour Doctour and Martyr his life and story .1518 cited .1519 appeareth before Winchester theyr conference together .1520 depriued of his benefice 1521 Rounde Table built in Windsour 384 Rough Martyr his story and martyrdome 2028.2031.2034 Rollo a Dane first Duke of Normandy 141 Roper Martyr his story persecution and death 1794 Rochtailada Martyr his Story 391 Rose his trouble for the Gospell .2082 his examinations .2083.2084.2085 his deliuery 2086.2087 Rose Allin her story .2005 her hand burned by Edmund Tyrill 2006 2007 Rose Minister with 30. godly persons taken in Bowchurch at the Communion 1480 Rota an Office in the Courte of Rome full of all abhomination 857 Roy burned in Portingall for the Gospell 1398.1027 Roth Martyr his story and martyrdome 2013.2014.2015.2016.2017.2018.2019 R V. Rubricke of the 5. woundes after the Papistes 1398 S A. SAbinus publisheth the Emperors decree 82 Sabinianus Bishop of Rome 120 Sabina Martyr his story 4 Sacrament called breade of Saynt Paule of the Chanon of the masse it selfe and of the fathers 534 Sacrament defined .1183 why called the body of Christ. 1392 Sacrament of the Lordes bodye called breade of Saynt Cyprian 62 Sacrament hath two thinges in it to be noted 500 Sacrament is not to be considered in nature but what it is in mistery 1432 Sacrament in one kind contrary to the worde of God practise of the primitiue Church and Fathers in all ages 1150.1151 Sacramentall mutation in the Lordes Supper what and howe 1761 Sacrament hath both commaundement and promise annexed 1611 Sacramentes are confirmations of Gods grace towards his people 1707 Sacrament made an Idoll by the Papistes 28 Sacramentes take theyr names of those thinges whiche they represent .1129 not Christes body in deede but in representation onely 1130 Sacramentes without theyr vse are no Sacramentes .1809.1815 ministred in one kinde by the papistes .1820.1821 abused ibid. oughte to bee ministred in bothe kindes and not in one as the papistes do 1890 Sacrament neither chaunged in substaunce nor accidence .1380 they are seales of Gods grace towardes vs. 1431 Sacrament of the Aultar no Sacrament 1977 Sacrament of the aultar ouerthroweth the Lordes supper 1626 Sacramente of the Aultare who brought in 544 Sacrament of Penance 544 Sacrifice of Christ once offered sufficient for all 1432 Sacrifice propiciatory of the masse is derogatory to Christes death and passion 1761 Sacrifice of the Church and Sacrifice for the Church 1615 Sacrifice of Christ not many tymes offered but once for all 484 Sadoletus Cardinall his desperate death 2106 Safe conducte graunted to Iohn Hus. 596 Sagaris Martyr 4 Saladine slayeth Christian Captaynes and is put to flight hymselfe 245.246 Salisbury the first Byshop therof 183 Sanctus his notable constancy and cruell martyrdome 46 All Sayntes day first instituted with the day of all soules 137 Sayntes not to be called vppon or prayed vnto 1108.1109 Sayntes are not to be worshipped 1741 Sayntes of the Popes Traytors 579 Saynt Stephen the Ringleader of all Christes holy Martyrs 32 Saynt Iohns Gospell translated into English by Beede 127 Saynt Iohn of Beuerleyes miracles reproued 125 Saynt Iames the Apostle Martyred 32 Saynt Edmond Chanon of Salisbury Canonized a Saynt 270 San Romayne his story and constant martyrdome for the trueth 928.929.930 Saynt Peters body clothed in siluer in Rome 130 Saynt Martin persecuted 955 Saynt Bridget 419 Saynt Elizabeth her Story 273.268 San Beneâ—o 931 Sarton burned at Bristow for the truth of Christes Gospell 2149 Saunders his life and