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
denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
Baptisme is a marke of Christes Church a seale and confirmation of our acception into the grace fauour of God for Christes sake For his innocencie his righteousnesse his holinesse his iustice is ours geuen vs of God and our sinnes and vnrighteousnesse by his obedience and abasing of him selfe to the death of the crosse are his whereof Baptisme is the signe seale and confirmation Baptisme is also a signe of repentaunce to testifie that we be borne to the waues of pearils and chaunges of life to the intent that we should die continually as loÌ„g as we liue from sinne and rise againe like new men vnto righteousnesse Rom. 6. The other Sacrament which is the supper and holy Maundie of our Sauiour Christ whereby the church of Christ is knowen I beleeue to be a remembraunce of Christes death and passion a seale and confirmation of his moste precious bodye geuen vnto death euen to the vile death of the crosse wherewith wee are redeemed and deliuered from sinne death hell and damnation It is a visible woorde because it worketh the same thing in the eyes which the worde worketh in the eares For like as the worde is a meane to the eares whereby the holy Ghost mooueth the heart to beleue Romanes 10. so this sacrament is a meane to the eyes whereby the holy Ghost moueth the hart to beleue it preacheth peace betweene God and man it exhorteth to mutuall loue and all godly life and teacheth to contemne the world for the life to come when as Christ shall appeare which now is in heauen and no where els as concerning his humane body Yet do I beleeue assuredly that his very body is present in his moste holy Supper at the contemplation of oure spirituall eyes and so verely eaten with the mouth of our faith For as soone as I heare these most comfortable and heauenly woordes spoken and pronouÌ„ced by the mouth of the Minister This is my body which is geuen for you when I heare I say this heauenly harmonie of Gods vnfallible promises and truthe I looke not vppon neyther doe I beholde breade and wine for I take and beleue the wordes simply and plainly euen as Christe spake them For hearing these wordes my senses be rapt and vtterly excluded for faith wholely taketh place and not flesh nor the carnall imaginations of our grosse fleshly and vnreuerent eating after the maner of our bodily foode whiche profiteth nothinge at all as Christe witnesseth Iohn 6 but with a sorrowfull and wounded conscience an hungry and thirsty soule a pure and faithfull mind do fully embrace beholde and feede and looke vppon that most glorious body of Christ in heauen at the right hande of God the father very God and very man which was crucified and slaine and his bloud shed for our sinnes there nowe making intercession offering and geuing his holy body for me for my body for my raunsome for my full price and satisfaction who is my Christ and all that euer hee hath and by this spirituall and faithfull eating of this liuelye and heauenlye breade I feele the moste sweete sâ—ppe and taste of the fruites benefites and vnspeakeable ioyes of Christes deathe and passion fullye disgested into the bowelles of my soule For my minde is quieted from all worldly aduersities tormoylinges and trouble my conscience is pacified from sinne deathe hell and damnation my soule is full and hathe euen enough and will no more for all things are but losse vile dounge and drosse vayne vanitie for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesu my Lord and Sauiour Thus nowe is Christes flesh my very meate in deede and hys bloud my very drinke in deede I am become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Nowe I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in me yea I dwell in him and he in mee for thorough faithe in Christe and for Christes sake we are one that is of one consente minde and fellowshippe with the Father the Sonne and the hol Ghost Iohn 17. Thus am I assured and fullye perswaded and on this rocke haue I builded by Gods grace my dwelling and resting place for body and soule life and death And thus I commit my cause vnto Christe the righteous and iust iudge who will an other day iudge these debates and controuersies whome I humbly beseeche to cast his tender and mercifull eyes vppon the afflicted and ruinous Churches and shortly to reduce them into a godly and perpetuall concorde Amen Thus do I beleeue and this is my faith and my vnderstanding in Christ my Sauiour and his true and holy religion And thys whosoeuer is ashamed to doe among this adulterous and sinnefull generation of hym shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels Robert Samuel William Allen Martyr NExt after the suffering of Robert Samuel aboute the beginning of September was burned William Allen in Walsingam labouring man seruaunte sometime to Iohn Houghton of Somerton He being broughte before the Bishop and asked the cause why he was imprisoned aunsweared that he was put in prison because he woulde not followe the Crosse saying that he woulde neuer go on Procession Then being willed by the Bishoppe to returne againe to the Catholicke Churche he aunsweared that he would turne to the Catholicke Churche but not to the Romishe Church and said that if he saw the King and Quene and all other folowe the crosse or kneele downe to the crosse he would not For the which sentence of condemnation was geueÌ„ against him the 12. of August and he burned at Walsingham about the beginning of September who declared suche constancie at hys Martyrdome and hadde suche credite wyth the Iustices by reason of hys vprighte and well tried conuersation among them that he was suffered to goe vntied to hys suffering there being fastened with a chaine stoode quietly without shrinking vntill he dyed The Martyrdome of Roger Coo of Melforde in Suffolke Shereman first examined before the Byshop of Norwich and by him condemned Anno 1555. August 12. ROger Coo broughte before the Bishop first was asked why he was imprisoned Coo· At the Iustices commaundement Bishop There was some cause why Coo. Heere is my accuser let hym declare And his accuser sayde that hee woulde not receyue the Sacrament Bish. Then the Bishop sayde that he thought he had transgressed a lawe Coo. But Coo answered that there was no law to transgresse Bish. The Bishop then asked what he sayd to the law that then was Coo. He answered how he had bene in prison a long time and knew it not No sayd his accuser nor wilt not My Lord aske him when he receiued the Sacrament Coo. When Coo heard him say so he sayde I pray you my Lord let him sit downe and examine me him selfe Bish. But the Bishoppe woulde not heare that but sayde Coo why will ye not receiue
was brought before the Bish. of Douer and Nich. Harpesfield or some other deputed in their roume long before the other two videlicet the xvj day of September and there had propounded vnto hym such ordinarie Articles as it seemeth as was commonly ministred by Boner to those of hys iurisdiction beyng willed for that present to depart and to deliberate with hymselfe vpon the matter agaynst the next tyme of his appearance he made aunswer that hee would no otherwyse say by Gods grace then hee had already sayde which was this As touchyng the Sacrament of Christes bodye I do beleeue quoth he to be left vnto hys Churche wyth thankes geuyng in commemoration of hys death passion vntill his commyng agayne So that it is left in remembraunce of hys body and not by the wordes of consecration to be made his body really substantially and the same body that was borne of the virgin Mary I vtterly do deny that After this besides sundry other tymes the third day of October the sayd Ioh. Web Gregory Roper George Parke were brought all three together before the sayd Iudge who there and then agreeyng and stedfastly allowyng the former aunswere made before by Maister Webbe were by the bloudy Prelates adiudged heretikes and therefore about the ende of the same month of October or els as I otherwyse finde in the latter ende of Nouember they together were taken and brought out of prison to the place of Martyrdom Who by the way goyng toward the stake sayd certaine Psalmes mournefully Roper was a yonger man of a fresh colour courage complexion the other two were somewhat more elderly all goyng in white linnen with their gownes vpon Roper at his commyng to the stake puttyng of hys gowne fet a great leape So soone as the flame was about hym the sayd Roper put out both hys armes from hys bodye lyke a Rood and so stood stedfast continuyng in that maner not pluckyng his armes in tyll the fire had consumed them and burnt them of And thus these foresayde Martyrs of Christ beeyng brought as I sayde to the stake and there compassed about with a chayne were burnt and consumed all thre together in one fire at Canterbury abidyng most patiently their torments and countyng themselues happy blessed of the lord that they were made worthy to suffer for Christes Gospels sake * William Wiseman THe 13. of Decemb. in the Lollards Tower died William Wiseman a Clothworker of London where hee ⧠The order and maner of burying in the Fields such as dyed in prison and namely of William Wiseman was in prison and bands for the Gospel worde of God How and whereupon he deceased it is not fully certaine Some thought that either through famine or ill handling of some murtheryng papists he was made away By reason whereof the Crouner named Iohn Gibbes Gentleman with an enquest of twelue men were fayne to sit vpoÌ„ hym who although to the outward apperance were sayd to finde nothyng in hym els but onely Gods visitation yet what other priuy causes there might be of hys death the Lord knoweth I haue not to say After the sayd William was departed as is sayde in the Tower the holy Catholike church men cast hym out into the fieldes commanded that no man should bury him according as theyr deuout maner is to do with all such as dye in lyke sort whoÌ„ they account as prophane and worthy of no buriall but to be cast to dogs and birdes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Poet sayeth And yet all this their mercilesse commaundement not withstandyng some good Tobies there were which buried hym in the euenyng as commonly they did all the rest throwen out in lyke sort whom they were woont priuily by night to couer and many tymes the Archers in the fields standyng by and singing together Psalmes at their buriall ¶ Iames Gore IN the same month about the 7. day of Decemb. deceased also Iames Gore in the prison at Colchester layed there in bands for the right and truth of Gods word ⧠The processe and historie of M. Iohn Philpot examined condemned and Martyred for the maintenance and defence of the Gospels cause against the Antichristian Sea of Rome NExt foloweth the constant Martyrdome of M. Iohn Philpot of whome partly ye heard before in the beginning of Queene Maries time in prosecutyng the disputation of the Conuocation house He was of a worshipfull house a knights sonne borne in Hamshire brought vp in the new Colledge in Oxford where he studied the Ciuill lawe the space of 6. or 7. yeares besides the study of other liberall artes especially of the tongs wherein very forwardly he profited namely in the knowledge of the Hebrue tong c. In witâ—he was pregnaÌ„t and happy of a singuler courage in spirit feruent in religion zelous and also well practised and exercised in the same which is no small matter in a true deuine of nature and condition plaine and apert far from all flatterie farther from all hypocrisie and deceitfull dissimulation What his learnyng was hys owne examinations penned of hys owne hand can declare From Oxford desirous to see other countries as occasion serued thereunto he went ouer into Italy and places thereabouts where he commyng vpon a tyme from Uenice to Padua was in daunger through a certayne Franciscan Frier accompanying hym in hys iourney who coÌ„myng to Padua sought to accuse hym of heresie At length returnyng to England hys countrey agayne as the tyme ministred more boldnes to hym in the dayes of King Edward he had diuers conflictes with Gardiner the bishop in the Citye of Winchester as appeareth by dyuers of Winchesters letters and hys examinations Wherof read before After that hauyng an aduauson by the sayd B. he was made there Archdeacon of Winchester vnder D. Pomet who then succeeded Gardiner in that Bishoprike Thus duryng the tyme of K. Edward he continued to no small profite of those parties thereabout When that blessed king was taken away Mary hys sister came in place whose study was wholy bent to alter the state of religion in the wofull realme of England first she caused a Conuocation of the Prelates learned men to be congregate to the accomplishment of her desire In the which Conuocation M. Philpot beyng present accordyng to hys roume and degree with a few other susteined the cause of the Gospel manfully agaynst the aduersary part as is aboue recited for the which cause not withstandyng the liberty of the house promied before hee was called to accompt before B. Gardiner the Chauncellour then beyng hys Ordinary by whome he was first examined although that examination came not yet to our handes From thence agayne he was remooued to Boner and other Commissioners with whom he had dyuers sundry conflictes as in hys examination here followyng may appeare ¶ The first examination of M. Iohn Philpot before the Queenes
Idole at the commandement of sir Iohn Tirrell knight of Gippyng hall in Suffolke and certaine other Iustices there who sent both hym and them to Eay dungeon in Suffolke till at length they were all three together broght before Dunnyng then Chauncellor of Norwich and M. Myngs the Register sittyng at the Towne of Beckles to be examined And there the sayd Chancellour perswading what he could to turne them from the truth could by no meanes preuaile of his purpose Whereby mynding in the ende to geue sentence on them he burst out in teares intreatyng them to remember themselues and to turne agayne to the holy mother church for that they were deceiued and out of the truth and that they should not wilfully cast away thēselues with such like wordes Now as he was thus labouryng them and semed very loth to read the sentence for they were the first that he condemned in that dioces the Register there sittyng by beyng weary belike of tarying or els perceiuyng the constant Martyrs to be at a point called vpon the Chauncellour in hast to ridde them out of the way and to make an ende At which wordes the Chauncellour read the condemnation ouer them with teares and deliuered them to the secular power ¶ Their Articles THe Articles obiected to these and commonly to all other condemned in that Diocesse by Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwich and by Dunnyng his Chauncellor were these 1. First was articulate agaynst them that they beleeued not the Pope of Rome to bee supreme head immediately vnder Christ in earth of the vniuersall Catholike Church 2. Item that they beleeued not holy bread and holy water ashes palmes and all other lyke ceremonies vsed in the Churche to be good and laudable for stirring vp the people to deuotion 3. Item that they beleeued not after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest the very naturall body of Christ and no other substance of bread and wine to be in the sacrament of the Altar 4. Item that they beleeued it to be Idolatry to worship Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar 5. Item that they tooke bread and wine in remembrance of Christes Passion 6. Item that they would not follow the Crosse in procession nor be confessed to a Priest 7. Item that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in himselfe free will to do good or euill For this doctrine and articles aboue prefixed these three as is aforesayd were condemned by Doctor Dunning committed to the secular power Syr Iohn Sylliard being the same tyme hyghe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke And the next day following vpon the same they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles Whereupon it is to be thought that the writte De comburendo was not yet come downe nor could not be the Lord Chaunlour Bish. Heath being the same time at London Which if it be true then it is playne that both they went beyond their Commission that were the executioners also the Clergy which were the instigatours thereof cannot make good that they now pretend saying that they did nothing but by a lawe But this let the Lord finde out when he seeth his tyme. In the meane tyme while these good men were at the stake had prayed they sayd there beliefe and when they came to the reciting of the Catholicke Church Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them That is well sayd Syrs quoth he I am glad to heare you say you do beleeue the Catholicke Church That is the best word I heard of you yet To which his sayinges Edmund Pole aunswered that though they beleeue the Catholicke Churche yet doe they not beleeue in their Popish Church which is no part of Christes Catholicke Churche and therefore no part of their beliefe When they rose from prayer they all went ioyfully to the stake and being bounde thereto and the fire burning about them they praysed God in such an audible voyce that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them Then one Robert Bacon dwelling in the sayd Beckles a very enemye to Gods truth and a persecutour of his people being there present within hearing thereof willed the tormentours to throw on fagots to stoppe the knaues breathes as he termed them so hotte was his burning charitye But these good men not regarding there malice confessed the truth and yelded their liues to the death for the testimony of the same very gloriously ioyfully The which their constancye in the lyke cause the Lord graunt we may imitate and follow vnto the ende Whether it be death or lyfe to glorifye the name of Christ Amen And forasmuch as we haue here entred into the persecution of Northfolke and Suffolke it commeth therefore to minde by occasion hereof brieflye to touche by the way some part for the whole matter cannot bee so exprest as it was done touching the troubles of the towns of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke raysed and stirred by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell other Iustices there of the lyke affinitye The summe and effecte of which briefly is thus signifyed to me by writing * The persecution in the Townes of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight and other of his Colleagues there were persecuted out of the Towne of Winson in Suffolke these persons hereafter following Anno. 1556. Maistresse Alice Twaites Gentlewoman of the age of three score yeres and more and two of her seruaunts Humfrey Smith and his wyfe William Katchpoole and his wyfe Iohn Maulyng and his wyfe Nicholas Burlingham and his wyfe And one Rought and his wyfe Such as were persecuted and driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke Symon Harlstone and Katherine his wife with his fiue children William Whitting and Katherin his wife Thomas Dobson and his wife Thomas Hubbard and his wife Iohn Doncon and his wife his maide William Doncon Thomas Woodward the elder One Konnoldes wife A poore widow One mother Semons maide Besides those that were constrained to do against their conscience by the helpe of the parishe Priest whose name was sir Iohn Brodish ¶ These be the chiefest causes why those aboue named were persecuted FIrst they did hold and beleeue the holy word of God to be the sufficient doctrine vnto their saluation Secondly they denied the Popes vsurped authoritie and did hold all that church of Antichrist to be Christs aduersaries And further refused the abused sacraments defied the masse and all popish seruice and ceremonies saying they robbed God of his honour Christ of his death and glory and would not come at the Church without it were to the defacyng of that they did there Thirdly they did hold that the ministers of the church by Gods word might lawfully marry Fourthly they helde the Queene to be as chiefe head and wicked rulers to bee a great plague sent of God for sinne c. Fiftly
and aged folkes that before were not taught to know Christe in their childehood shoulde now euen with children and babes be forced to learne to know him Now therefore he roreth now he rageth But what els do they brethren which serue Satan and become his ministers slaues in mainteining of his impietie but euen the same which they did to whom Christ our Sauiour threatneth this curse in the Gospell Woe vnto you which shutte vp the kingdome of heauen before men take away the key of knowledge from them you your selues haue not entred in neither haue you suffered them that would enter to come in And from whence shall we say brethren that this horrible mischeuous darknes proceedeth which is nowe brought vpon the worlde From whence I pray you but euen from the smoke of the great furnace of the bottomlesse pit so that the sunne and the ayre are now darkened by the smoke of the pit Now euen now out of doubt brethren the pit is opened agaynst vs and the Locustes begyn to swarme and Abbadon now raigneth Ye therfore my brethren which pertaine vnto Christ and haue the seale of God marked in your foreheades that is to wit are sealed with the earnest of the spirite to be a peculiar people of God quite your selues like men and be strong for he that is in vs is stronger then he which is in the world and ye know that al that is borne of God ouercommeth the world and this is our victory that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth Let the world freat let it rage neuer so much be it neuer so cruel and bloudy yet be ye sure that no man can take vs out of the fathers handes for he is greater then all who hath not spared his owne sonne but hath geuen him to death for vs all and therefore how shall he not with him geue vs all thinges also Who shall lay any thyng to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall then condemne It is Christ that is dead yea rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sworde the rest ye knowe breathren We are certainely perswaded with S. Paul by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe that no kynde of thyng shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Which thyng that it may come to passe by the grace and mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to the comfort both of you of vs all as we for our partes will continually God wyllyng pray for you so deare brethren in the Lorde with all earnest and harty request we beseech you euen in the bowelles of our Lorde Iesus Christ that ye will not cease to pray for vs. Fare ye well deare brethren The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe be with you all euermore Amen ¶ A Letter of Byshop Ridley answearyng to a certayne Letter of one Maister West sometime his Chapleine I Wishe you grace in God and loue of the truth without the which truely stablished in mens hartes by the mightie hand of almighty God it is no more possible to stande by the truth in Christe in tyme of trouble then it is for the waxe to abide the heate of the fyre Sir knowe you this that I am blessed be God perswaded that this worlde is but transitorie and as saint Iohn sayth The world passeth away and the lust thereof I am perswaded Christes wordes to be true Who soeuer shall confesse me before men hym will I confesse also before my father which is in heauen and I beleue that no earthly creature shal be saued whom the Redeemer and Sauiour of the worlde shall before his father denie This the Lorde graunt that it may be so graffed established and fixed in my hart that neyther thinges present nor to come hygh nor low lyfe nor death be able to remoue me thence It is a goodly wishe that you wish me deepely to consider thinges perteyning vnto Gods glorye but if you had wished also that neither feare of death nor hope of worldly prosperitie shoulde let me to mayneteine Gods worde and his truth which is his glory and true honour it would haue liked me well You desire me for Gods sake to remember my selfe In deede sir nowe it is time so to do for so farre as I can perceiue it standeth me vpon no lesse daunger then of the losse both of body and soule and I trow then it is time for a man to awake if any thyng will awake him He that will not feare hym that threatneth to cast both body soule into euerlasting fire whom will he feare With this feare O Lord fasten thou together our frayle flesh that we neuer swarue from thy lawes You say you haue made much sute for me Sir God graunt that you haue not in suing for my worldly deliueraunce impayred and hindered the furtheraunce of Gods worde and his truth You haue knowen me long in deede in the which time it hath chaunced me as you say to mislike some thinges It is true I graunt for sodaine chaunges without substantiall and necessary cause and the heady settyng foorth of extremities I did neuer loue Confession vnto the minister which is able to instruct correct comfort informe the weake wounded and ignoraunt conscience in deede I euer thought might do much good in Christes congregation and so I assure you I thynke euen at this daye My doctrine and my preaching you say you haue hearde often and after your iudgement haue thought it godly sauyng onely for the Sacrament which thing although it was of me reuerently handled and a great deale better then of the rest as you yet in the margent you write warily and in this worlde wisely and yet me thought all sounding not well Sir but that I see so many changes in this worlde so much alteration els at this your saying I would not a litle marueile I haue taken you for my frend and a man whom I fansied for plainnes and faythfulnes as much I assure you as for your learning and haue you kept this so close in your hart from me vnto this day Sir I consider moe things then one and wil not say all that I thinke But what neede you to care what I thinke for any thing I shal be able to do vnto you eyther good or harme You geue me good lessons to stand in nothing against my learning and to beware of vayne glory Truely sir I herein like your counsell very well and by Gods grace I intend to folow it vnto my lyues end To write vnto those whom you name I can not see what it wyll auayle me For this I woulde haue you knowe that I esteeme nothyng auayleable for me
bee free from chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastardes and no children Seing then when as we haue had carnall parents which chastened vs we reuerenced them shall not we much more be subiect vnto our spirituall father that we might liue And they for a litle time taughte vs after theyr owne mind but this father teacheth vs to our commodity to geue vnto vs his holinesse Al chastisment for the present tyme appeareth not pleasaunt but paynefull but afterward it rendereth the fruite of righteousnesse on them which are exercised in it Wherefore let vs bee of good cheere good Brethren and let vs plucke vppe our feeble members that were fallen or beganne to faynt hart handes knees and all the rest and let vs walke vpright and straight that no limping no◠〈…〉 bring vs out of the way Let vs looke not vpon the thinges that be present but with the eyes of our fayth let vs stedfastly behold the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen and so choose rather in respecte of that whiche is to come with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse then for this short life time to inioy all the riches honours and pleasures of the broade worlde Why should we Christians feare death Can death depriue vs of Christ which is all our coÌ„â—ort our ioy and our life Nay forsooth But contrary death shall deliuer vs from this mortall body whiche lodeth and beareth downe the spirite that it cannot so well perceiue heauenly thinges in the which so long as we dwell wee are absent from God Wherefore vnderstanding our state in that we be Christians that if our mortall body which is our earthly house were destroied we haue a building a house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen c. therefore wee are of good cheere and know that when we are in the body we are absent from GOD for we walke by fayth and not by cleare fight Neuerthelesse we are bolde and had rather be absent from the bodye and present with GOD. Wherefore we striue whether we be present at home or absent abroad that we may alwayes please him And who that hath true fayth in our Sauior Christ whereby he knoweth somewhat truely what Christ our Sauiour is that he is the eternall sonne of God life light the wisedome of the father all goodnesse all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good that heart canne desire yea infinite plentye of all these aboue that that mans hart canne either conceiue or thinke for in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godheade corporally and also that he is geuen vs of the Father and made of GOD to be our wisedome our righteousnesse our holâ—nesse and our redemption who I say is he that beleueth this in deede that woulde not gladly bee with his mayster christ Paul for this knowledge coueted to haue bene loosed from the body and to haue beene with Christ for that he counted it muche better for himselfe and had rather to be loosed then to liue Therefore these wordes of Christe to the thiefe on the Crosse that asked of him mercy were full of comfort and solace This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell it is our bounden duety to Christ and also to our neighbour To Christ for he dyed for vs and rose agayne that he might be Lord ouer all And seing he dyed for vs we also sayth S. Iohn shoulde ieopard yea geue our life for our Brethren And this kinde of geuing and loosing is getting and winning in deede for hee that geueth or looseth his life thus getteth winneth it for euermore Blessed are they therefore that die in the Lord and if they dye in the Lordes cause they are most happy of all Let vs not then feare death which can do vs no harme otherwise then for a momeÌ„t to make the flesh to smart but that our fayth whiche is surely fastened and fixed vnto the worde of GOD telleth vs that we shall be anon after death in peace in the handes of GOD in ioye in solace and that from death we shall go straight vnto life For Saynt Iohn sayeth he that liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye And in an other place he shall depart from death vnto life And therefore this death of the Christian is not to be called death but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolution and both Peter and Paul a putting of this Tabernacle or dwelling house Meaning thereby the mortall body as wherein the soule or spirite doth dwell here in this worlde for a small time Yea this death may be called to the Christian an end of all miseries For so long as we liue here we must passe through many tribulations before we canne enter into the kingdome of heauen And nowe after that death hath shot his bolt all the christian mans enemies haue done what they canne after that they haue no more to doe What coulde hurte or harme poore Lazarus that lay at the rich mannes Gate His former penury and pouerty his misery beggery and horrible sores and sickenesse For so soone as death had stricken him with his dart so soone came the aungels and caryed him straight vp into Abrahams bosome What lost he by death who from misery and payne is set by the ministery of Aungels in a place both of ioy and solace Farewell deare brethren farewell and let vs comforte our hartes in all troubles and in death with the worde of God for heauen and earth shall perish but the word of the Lord endureth for euer Farewell Christes dearely beloued spouse here wandering in this world as in a straunge land farre from thine owne couÌ„try coÌ„passed about on euery hand with deadly enemies which cease not to assault thee euer seeking thy destruction Farewell farewell O ye the whole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God here liuing vpon earth the true churche militant of Christ the true misticall body of Christ the very house holde and family of God and the sacred temple of the holy ghost Farewell Farewell O thou litle flocke of the highe heauenlye pastour Christ for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlasting and eternall kingdome Farewell Farewell thou spirituall house of God thou holy and royall priesthood thou choseÌ„ generatioÌ„ thou holy nation thou wonne spouse Farewell Farewell N. R. ¶ An other treatise of B. Ridley wherein is conteyned first a lamentation for the chaunge of Religion in England then a comparison betwene the doctrine of the Gospell and the Romish religion with wholesome instructions in the end to all christians how to behaue themselues in time of tryall ALas what misery is thy church brought vnto O lord at this day Where of late the worde of the Lord was truely preached was read and heard in euery towne in euery Church
sent to be our Byshop and also our Sacrifice he was sent from the Trinitie to be our Mediatour betwene God and vs and to reconcile ve to the fauour of God the Father he was the Byshop that offered for our sinnes and the Sacrifice that was offred and as he is our Byshop so is he our meane to pacifie God for vs for that was the office of a Byshop to sacrifice for the sinnes of the people and to make intercession for the people and as he was our Sacrifice so was he our reconciliation to God agayne But we must confesse and beleeue hym throughly I say for as he was our Byshoppe then so is it hee that still keepeth vs in fauoure with GOD and lyke as his Sacrifice then made was sufficient for vs to delyuer vs from our sinnes and to bryng vs in fauour with GOD so to continue vs in the same fauoure of GOD he ordeyned a perpetuall remembraunce of hym selfe he ordeyned hym selfe for a memory of hym selfe at his last Supper when he instituted the Sacrāment of the Aulter not for an other Redemption as though the worlde needed a new Redemption from sinne but that we myght throughly remember his most holy Passion he instituted this Sacrament by his most holy worde saying This is my body which worde is sufficient to proue the Sacrament and maketh sufficiently for the substaunce thereof And this dayly Sacrifice he instituted to be continued amongest Christian men not for neede of an other Redemption or Satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde for that was sufficiently perfourmed by his Sacrifice of his body and bloud done vppon the Crosse neyther that he is nowe our Byshoppe for neede of any further Sacrifice to be made for sinne but to continue vs in the remembraunce of his Passion suffered for vs to make vs strong in beleeuyng the fruite of his Passion to make vs diligent in thankesgeuyng for the benefite of his Passion to establyshe our fayth and to make it strong in acknowledgyng the efficacie of his death and Passion suffered for vs. And this is the true vnderstandyng of the Masse not for an other Redemption but that we may be strong in beleeuyng the benefite of Christes death and bloud shedding for vs vppon the Crosse. And this it is that wee must beleeue of Christ and beleeue it throughly and therfore by your pacience as Peter made his confession so wyl I make confession wherein by your Maiesties leaue and sufferaunce I will playnly declare what I thinke of the state of the Church of Englande at this day how I like it and what I thinke of it Where I sayd of the Masse that it was a Sacrifice ordeyned to make vs the more strong in the fayth and remembraunce of Christes Passion and for commendyng vnto GOD the soules of such as be dead in Christe for these two thynges are the speciall causes why the Masse was instituted the Parliament very well ordeyned Masse to be kept and because we shoulde be the more strong in the fayth and deuotion towardes GOD it was well done of the Parliament for mouyng the people more and more to deuotion to ordeyne that the Sacrament shoulde bee receiued in both kindes Therefore I say that the Acte of Parliament for receiuing of the Sacrament of the Alter in both kindes was well made I say also that the Proclamation whiche was made that no man should vnreuerently speak of the Sacrament or otherwise speake of it then Scripture teacheth them was well made For this proclamation stoppeth the mouthes of all suche as will vnreuerently speake of the Sacrament for in Scripture is there nothing to be found that maketh any thing agayng the Sacrament but all maketh with it Wherefore if they were the children of obedience they would not vse any vnreuerent talke agaynst the Sacrament nor blaspheme the holy Sacrament For no worde of the Scripture maketh any thing agaynst it But here it may be sayde vnto mee Why Syr is this your opinion It is good you speake playnelye in this matter and halt nothyng but declare your mynde playnelye without any coulouryng or couert speakyng The Acte for the dissoluyng and suppressing of the Chauntries seemeth to make agaynst the Masse howe lyke you that Acte What say you of it or what woulde you say of it if you were alone I will speake what I thynke of it I wyll vse no coulourable or couert woordes I wyll not vse a deuised speeche for a tyme and afterwarde goe from it agayne If Chauntries were abused by applying the Masse for the satisfaction of sinne or to bryng men to heauen or to take away sinne or to make men of wicked iust I lyke the Acte well and they myght well be desolued for the Masse was not instituted for any suche purpose yet neuerthelesse for them that were in them I spake nowe as in the cause of the poore it were well done that they were prouided of lyuinges The Acte doth graciously prouide for them duryng thier lyues and I doubte not but that your Maiestie and the Lordes of your most honorable Counsell haue willed and taken order that they should be well looked vnto but yet howe they shall be vsed at the handes of vnder officers God knoweth full hardly I feare But as for the Chauntries them selues if there were any suche abuse in them concerning the Masse it is no matter if they be taken away Kyng Henry the eyght a noble and wyse Prince not without a great payne maynteined the Masse and yet in his doctrine it was confessed that Masses of Scala Coeli were not to be vsed ne allowed because they dyd peruert the right vse of and institution of the Masse For when men adde vnto the Masse an opinion of satisfaction or of a newe redemption then doe they put it to an other vse then it was ordeyned for I that allow Masse so well and I that allowe praying for the dead as in deede the dead are of Christian charitie to bee prayed for yet can agree with the Realme in that matter of putting downe Chauntries But yet ye woulde say vnto me there be fewer Masses by puttyng away the Chauntries So were there when Abbeyes were dissolued so be there when ye vnite many Churches in one But this is no iniury nor preiudice to the Masse it consisteth not in the number nor in the multitude but in the thing it selfe so that the decay of the Masse by takyng away of the Chauntries is aunsweared by the Abbeyes But yet I woulde haue it considered for the persons that are in thē I speake of the poore mens liuinges I haue nowe declared what I thinke of the Acte of Parliament made for the receyuing of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christe in both kyndes Ye haue my mynde and opinion concernyng Proclamation that came foorth for the same Acte and I haue shewed my
destruction And then I weene your new made Prosolites will be glad to couer their crowns with a Cowe turd sauyng your Lordships reuerence I should haue sayd first Well I rather desire the conuersion then confusion the Lord send the one of them shortly as may be most to his glory Amen I signifye also vnto your Lordshyp that the raylyng words which your lying preacher shewed forth of hys filthy fountayne vpon Sonday agaynst the deare seruaunt of God good M. Philpot doth greatly redounde to your Lordships dishonesty and much deface your spiritual honour Uerily I see that the great wrath of GOD hath so blynded your eyes that you see not what is with you nor what is against you but still you vomite out your owne shame and make all the world wonder vpon you Was it not enough for you to condemne hym most vniustly ye contrary to your own lawes and to kill his innocent body most tirannously but you must also set a lying limme of the Deuill to blaspheme slaunder and belye him now he is dead Oh viperous generation seed of the serpent right children of the deuill full well doe you counterfaite the fathers steps whom Christ calleth a murderer and a lyer from the beginnyng which two thinges be the onely weapons of your war wherwith you maintaine all your mischiefe that is to say lying and murder for those whom ye cannot ouercome with your lying perswasions them you kill most cruelly and then blaspheme belye them with railyng sentenses when they are deade But all this will not blynd the people of God nor yet make them any whit the lesse beleeue the truth nor abate their loue from the true preachers thereof yea it is a true signe and token that they are the very disciples of Christ for he hath sayd Blessed are ye when men reuile you and say all maner of euill sayings agaynst you for my names sake Reioyce be glad for great is your reward in heauen And doubtlesse great is that good mans reward in heauen by this time as your Lordships damnation shall be great in hel except you repent and surcease from sheddyng innocent bloud But it is to be feared your hart is hardned as Pharaoes was seyng that with Iudas ye haue sold and betraied your maister Take heed my Lord lest you come to the same ende or a worse then he did For verily I caÌ„not perceiue how you should escape it long Therfore say not but a womaÌ„ gaue you warning if you list to take it And as for the obteining of your popish purpose in suppressing the truth I put you out of doubt you shall not obtaine it so long as ye go this way to worke as you doe for verily I beleeue that you haue lost the harts of 20000. that were ranke papists with in this 12. months It is found very true that one holy doctor sayeth the bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Gospel when one is put to death a thousand doth rise for hym And that this is true you may well perceiue by the harty loue that the people shewed vnto good M· Philpot at his goyng to his death They went not about to make an Idoll of hym as your adders brood would beare meÌ„ in hand but they worshipped God which gaue such strength to his deare child to die so constantly for the testimony of his truth to the vtter destruction of that detestable idolatry which your lordship doth most diuelishly maintaine with the force of fire fagots and sword yea rather then faile to famish men in prison agayne as ye haue done already It is reported of your owne tormenters that the 6. prisoners that you haue in your prison be put into 6. seueral places al the day and euery night brought together and set in the stockes Forsooth my L. this doth get you a foule name all abroad the countrey and yet all will not helpe your lordships pestilent purpose but euery way hinder the fame For Zorobabell will bee founde no lyer which sayd The truth should haue victory you do but striue agaynst the streame and kicke against the pricke the Lord doth laugh your doyngs to scorne and will bring all your counsailes and deuises to naugh as knoweth the Lord God who of hys great mercy shortly conuert your Lordship or vtterly coÌ„found you and get his name a glory ouer you Amen Your Lordships Oratour who praieth daily to God that he may rewarde you according to your deeds * Anno. 1556. ¶ The Story of seuen Martyrs suffryng together at London for the lyke testimony of Christes Gospell THe Catholike prelates of the Popes band beyng as yet not satisfied with this their one â—eres bloudy murderyng of the reuerend lerned principal members of Christes church whereof there were now very few which either were not consumed by most cruel fire or els for the auoidyng of their popâ—sh rage compelled to flee their natural country continued still this next yere also which was an 1556. in no lesse crueltie towards the more simple inferior sort of people I meane in degree though God be praysed not in stedfastnes hauing yet sometimes amoÌ„gst them such as were both learned and of good estimation as in continuance of this history shall appeare Wherfore as the first fruites thereof to beginne this yeare withall about the 27. day of Ianuary were burned in Smithfield at London these seuen personnes hereafter followyng to witte Thomas Whittle Priest Barthelet Greene Gentleman Iohn Tudson Artificer Iohn Went Artificer Thomas Browne Isabel Foster wyfe Ioane Warren alias Lashford Mayd All whith seuen as they were burned together in one fire so were they likewyse all vppon one sort and forme of Articles condemned in one day Howbeit forasmuch as the gyfts of God in them were diuers some more abounding in knowledge then others their dealyngs wythall were also diuers as shall be more plainly perceiued in the discoursing of their seuerall processes hereafter folowing And therefore for the better vnderstandyng hereof I will first by the leaue of the Lord passing ouer their priuate articles and examinations had at sundry tymes in the bishops house set foorth their generall examinations in the publike Consistorie vpon the Bishops articles there ministred vnto them with their aunswers also vnto the same accordyng as they all agreed after one maner and sort together as here by the words both of the articles and theyr aunswers vnder written may appeare ¶ The forme and wordes of Boners Articles ministred to the seuen persons aboue mentioned in his Consistorie ANd first to behold the maner of speach in these bishops sittyng in their maiesty to terrifie the eares of the simple withall let vs heare the pontificall phrase of this Bishops beginnyng in this sort ¶ The within written articles and euery of them and euery part and parcell of them we Edmund by the permission of God Bishop of London do obiect and minister to thee Thomas Whittle c of our
in Christ may pray that he fall not but endure to the ende and that those that fall through fearefull infirmity might speedely repent and rise agayne with Peter and also that the weake ones mighte bewayle theyr weakenes and crye with Dauid haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heale me for all my bones are vexed Of this opening of the heart by persecution spake holy Simion to Mary Christes mother when he sayde the Sworde that is the Crosse of persecution shall pearse thy Soule that the thoughtes of many hartes may be opened For like as a king that should go to battell is cōpelled to looke in his cofers what treasure he hath and also what number and puisaunce of menne and weapons hee hath so that if he himselfe be vnready and vnarmed to bicker with hys enemye he surceaseth and taketh truice for a time euen so wee by persecutions haue our heartes opened that wee maye looke therein to see what fayth in Christ we haue and what strength to withstand the enemies and to beare the Crosse that if we be riche in these treasures we might reioyce and valiauntly go to Battell or if we want these thinges with all speede to call and crye vppon him which geueth all good giftes to those that aske them Item the crosse trieth the good people from the bad the faythfull from the worldlinges and hipocrites and also cleanseth and scoureth the faythfull hartes from all corruption and filthinesse both of the flesh and the spirit And euen as yron except it be often scoured will soone waxe rusty so except our sinnefull hartes and flesh be often scoured with the whetstone of the Crosse they will soone corrupt ouergrowe with the ruste of all filthinesse and sinne And therefore it is meete and good for vs as the wise man sayeth that as gold siluer are tryed in the fire so should the hartes of acceptable men be tried in the fornace of aduersity Abide the triall deare frendes that yee may obteyne the Crowne of life Fighte manfully in this the Lordes cause that ye may obteyne a glorious victorye here and receiue a greate rewarde in heauen hereafter As yee are called Christians and woulde be angry to be called Iewes or Turkes so declare your Christianity by folowing the steps of Christ whose name ye beare suffer with hym and for his Gospelles sake rather then to denye him or to defile your fayth and conscience with false worshipping of Romish religion Take vp your Crosse my deare hartes now when it is offered you and go vp with Christ to Ierusalem amōgest the Bishoppes Priestes and Rulers if God call you thereto and they will anone sende you to Caluery from whence dying in the cause of the Gospell wherein our good Preachers and Brethren haue geuen theyr liues your soules I warrant you through Christ Iesu shall ascend to God that gaue them and the body shall come after at the last day and so shal ye dwell with the Lord for euer in vnspeakeable ioy and blisse O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake as Christes people in this Iewish Englande nowe doth for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen O my beloued set your mindes on this kingdome where Christ our head and king is considering that as the brute beast tooketh downewardes with the face towardes the earth so man is made contrariwise with his face looking vpward towardes the heauens because his conuersation should be in heauen and heauenlye thinges and not vpon the earth and earthly thinges and S. Paule sayth set your mindes on thinges whiche are aboue where Christ is And agayne he sayth our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour who will chaunge our vile bodyes and make them like to his glorious body Oh the glorious estate that we be called vnto The Lord preserue vs harmeles to his eternal kingdome through Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen The second thing that I note in the foresayde wordes of Peter is that he calleth persecution no straunge thinge And trueth it is for which of the Prophetes were not persecuted with Christ and his Apostles and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truthes sake Cain killed Abell Isaac was persecuted of Ismaell Iacob was hated of Esau Ioseph was prisoned and set in the Stockes the Prophet Esay was cut in two with a Saw Ieremy was stoned Micheas was buffeted and fed with bread and water Helias was sore persecuted Eleazar and the woman with her 7. sonnes were cruelly killed What Christ and the Apostles suffered it is well knowne So that by many tribulations as Paul sayth we must enter into the kingdome of Heauen All the holy Prophetes Christ and hys Apostles suffered such afflictions not for euill doing but for preaching Gods word for rebuking the world of sinne and for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ. This is the ordinance of GOD my Frendes this is the high way to heauen by corporall death to eternall life as Christ sayth he that heareth my woordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but is escaped from death to life Let vs neuer feare death which is killed by Christ but beleue in him and liue for euer as Paule sayth There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu which walke not after the fleshe but after the Spirit And agayne Paule sayth Death where is thy styng Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to God which hath geuen vs victory through Iesu Christe Besides this ye haue seene and dayly doe see the bloud of your good Preachers and Brethren which hath bene shed in the Gospelles cause in this sinnefull Sodome this bloudy Ierusalem this vnhappy City of London Lette not theyr bloud be forgotten nor the bloud of your good Bishop Ridley who like a Shepheard to your comforte exāple hath geuen his life for his sheepe good S. Paule sath remember them that haue spoken to you the word of God and looke vpon the end of theyr conuersation and folow theyr fayth The Deuill euer stirreth vp false teachers as he hath done now ouer all Englande as Peter Paule and Iude prophesied it should be to poyson and kill our soules with the false doctrine And where he fayleth of his purpose that way then mooueth he his members to persecute the seely carcases of the Saynctes because they will not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuing Christ and confesse a dead breadye Christ and honour the same as Christ God and man contrary to Gods commaūdement This is the working of Sathan who knowing hys owne iust damnation woulde all mankinde to be partakers wyth him of the same such a mortall hatred beareth he agaynst GOD and his people And therefore when this wicked Tempter coulde not kill Christe with subtle tentation to fall downe and worship him then
sub hoc pane corpus domini accipimus Zwinglius controlling hym sayd sub signo panis corpus domini accipimus and the other controlled him in like case Greene. Then M. Greene proued theyr opinions of the sacrament to be one in effect being rightly weighed and though theyr words dyd not sound al one yet they meant one thing and theyr opinions were all one as he proued by diuers other examples Feck Then Fecknam desired hym that he woulde not so wilfully caste himselfe away but to be rather conformable to reason and that my Lord Byshoppe there present would be good vnto hym and would graunt him respite if hee woulde demaund it for a fortnight or three weeks and that hee shoulde choose anye learned man whome he would and shoulde goe with hym home to his house and that hee whome he would choose woulde willingly take the paynes to reade and conferre the Doctoures wyth him and open the Doctours myndes meaninges vnto hym Boner Then Boner sayd that hee was proud and an obstinate boy and therfore hee bad Fecknam to holde hys peace and to call him no more M. Greene for sayd hee you ought not to call an hereticke maister Pendle After this Doctor Pendleton alledged to hym this text out of the xxii of Luke Ex hoc non manducabo illud donec impleatur in regno Dei Here sayd he you muste confesse your opinion to be false ells you must saye that Christ was a lyer for Christ sayde I will eate no more of this while it bee fulfilled in my fathers kingdome If Christ did eate no more the bread wheÌ„ he spake these wordes then must you say that he was a lyer for hee dyd eate bread after with hys Disciples before he ascended But if you say he dyd eate hys body then and after but breade it will not agree with the Scriptures nor with goâ—d reason Greene. Then Greene aunswered and sayd that thys was spoken by anticipation as one of theyr owne Byshops which is now dead did say Pendle Then Doctour Pendleton sayd that that was no sufficient discharge nor no sufficient aunswere for him in this case for sayd he it is well knowne that that bishop was of a contrary opinion to you and that he dyed a good christian man Greene. To whiche wordes Greene sayd I do not cal hym to witnesse in this case as though he were a sufficient man to proue my saying to bee true in this matter but I doe alledge hym agaynst you as Paule did the scripture whiche he found grauen in the aultar of the Atheniens agaynst themselues ignoto Deo These with many other wordes were betweene them which I doe ouerpasse because it were to longe to stande vpon recitall of euery thing Last of all the Byshop asked him if he would recant He sayd nay he would not But my Lord sayd he in old tyme there were no men put to death for theyr conscience vntill such time as Byshoppes found the meanes to make it death to beleue contrarye to them but excommunication my Lorde was the greatest penaltie which men hadde for theyr conscience yea in so muche that S. Augustine wrote and commaunded that no man should be put to death for his opinion Boner Then Boner sayd that when saincte Augustine sawe what inconueniences followed of that commaundement he wrote agayne to the Temporall rulers commaundyng them to punishe their bodyes also Greene. But sayde Greene hee bad not put them to death Boner He bad punish them quoth Boner Greene. Yea sayd Greene but not put them to death Bo. That they should be punished quoth Boner again This talke ended he asked Greene if he woulde recant and returne to theyr Romishe mother Whiche when hee denyed the Bishoppe pronounced the sentence difinitiue agaynst hym and so committed him to the Sheriffes of London who caused him to be carried to Newgate And as he was goyng thether ther met with him two gentlemen being both his speciall frendes minding belike to comfort this theyr persecuted brother but at theyr meeting theyr louing and friendly hartes not able anye longer to hide themselues were manifested by the aboundaunce of theyr pittifull teares To whom when Greene sawe them he sayd in these or like wordes Ah my friends is this your comfort you are come to geue me in this my occasion of heauinesse Must I who needed to haue comfort ministred to me become now a comforter of you And thus declaring his moste quiet and peaceable minde and conscience he chearefully spake to them and others vntil he came to the prison doore into the which he ioyfully entred and there remayned alwayes either in praier whervnto he much gaue himselfe or els in some other godlye meditations and exercises vnto the xxviii day of Ianuary when hee with hys other aboue mentioned brethren went most chearefully vnto the place of their tormentes often repeating as well by the waye as also at the stake these Latine verses following Christe Deus sine te spes est mihi nulla salutis Te duce vera sequor te duce falsa nego In English thus O Christ my God sure hope of health besides thee haue I none The truth I loue and falsehoode hate by thee my guyde alone During the tyme of hys imprisonment in Newgate diuers of hys frendes had accesse vnto him to whome he gaue sundry godly exhortations wherewith they were not only well contented but for better remeÌ„brance aswel of the same his instructions as also of hys own good and godly person they desired him to write somewhat in their bookes which request he willingly graunted as in maner here ensueth These verses were written in a booke of mayster Hussey of the Temple Behold thy selfe by me such one was I as thou And thou in tyme shalt be euen dust as I am now Bartlet Greene. ¶ These verses were also written in a booke of mayster William Fleetwood of the same house My resting roode is founde vayne hope hap a dew Loue whome you list with chaÌ„ge death shall me rid froÌ„ you Bartlet Greene. Amonges others diuers and singular good vertues of this good manne especially in him was to bee noted such a modest nature so humbly thinking of himselfe as in few men is to be found euer deâ—ecting hymselfe vnder that was in him and euer seeming to be lesse then he was so that nothing lesse hee coulde abide then to heare of hys prayse or commendation as well declareth not onely his letter written to M. Philpot wherin he doth earnestly expostulate with hym for slaundring hym with prayse of his witte and learning and other manifold vertues of great excellency but also by his owne speache and aunsweres in his examination wherein he casteth from hym all knowledge of learning and cunning when notwithstanding he had more in hym then to anye mennes eyes dyd appeare So great and admirable was this gift of modesty grafted in the nature of
which conteineth worthy matter agaynst the Romish authority Unto the which booke you made a Preface inueying largely agaynst the Bishop of Rome reprouing hys tyranny and falshood calling his power false and pretēced The booke is extant and you cannot deny it Then was the Bishoppe somewhat abashed and looking vpō such as were presēt spake very gētly saying Lo here is a goodly matter in deed My Lord of Winchester being a great learned man did write a booke agaynst the supremacy of the Popes holynes and I also did write a preface before the same booke tending to the same effect And thus did we because of the perilous world that then was For then was it made treason by the Lawes of this realme to mainteine the Popes authority and great daunger it was to be suspected a fauourer of the See of Rome and therefore feare compelled vs to beare with the time for otherwise there had bene no way but one You know when any vttered his conscience in mainteining the Popes authority he suffered death for it And then turning his tale vnto Tyms he sayd But since that time euen sithence the cōming in of the queenes maiesty when we might be bold to speake our conscience we haue acknowledged our faults and my Lord of Winchester himselfe shamed not to recant the same at Paules Crosse. And also thou thy selfe seest that I stande not in it but willingly haue submitted my selfe Do thou also as we haue done My Lord quoth Tyms that which you haue written agaynst the supremacy of the pope may be wel approued by the scriptures But that which you now do is against the word of God as I can well proue Then an other I suppose it was Doctor Cooke sayd Tyms I pray thee let me talke with thee a little for I thinke we two are learned alike Thou speakest much of the scripture and yet vnderstandest it not I will tell thee to whom thou mayest be compared Thou art like to one which intending to goe on hunting riseth vp earely in the morning taketh his houndes and forth he goeth vp to the hils and downe into the vallyes he passeth ouer the fieldes ouer hedge and ditch he searcheth the woods and thickets thus laboureth he all the whole day without finding any game At night home he cōmeth weery of his trauell not hauing caught any thing at all and thus fareth it by thee Thou labourest in reading of the Scriptures thou takest the letter but the meaning thou knowest not and thus thy reading is as vnprofitable vnto thee as hūting was vnto the man I spake of euen now Syr quoth Tyms you haue not well applyed your similitude for I prayse God I haue not read the scriptures vnprofitably but God I thanke hym hath reuealed vnto me so much as I doubt not is sufficient for my saluation Then said the Bishop You brag much of knowledge yet you know nothing you speake much of scripture you know not what scripture is I pray thee tel me How knowest thou that thing to be the worde of God whiche thou callest Scripture To this aunswered Rob. Drakes that he did know it to be the word of God for that it doth shew vnto thē theyr saluation in Christ and doth reuoke call backe all mē frō wicked life vnto a pure and vndefiled conuersation The bishop replied that the heathē writers haue taught precepts of good liuing as wel as the scripture yet theyr writings are not estemed to be Gods word To this answered Tyms saying the olde Testament beareth witnes of those things which are writtē in the new for quoth he there is nothing taught in the new Testament but it was foreshewed in the law and Prophets I will denye all quoth the Bishop I wyll denye all what sayest thou then Then Robert Drakes alledged a sentence in Latin out of the Prophet Esay in the 59. chap. of his prophecy Spiritus meus qui est in te c My spirit whiche is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not departe out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hence forth euen for euer meaning therby to proue that he which had the spirit of God could thereby discerne and iudge truely which was Gods word but before he could explicate his minde he was interrupted by the bishop who spake vnto Doctor Pendleton saying Mayster Doctor I pray you say somewhat vnto these folkes that may do them some good Then D. Pendleton as hee leaned nere vnto the Bishop couered his face with both his handes to the end he might the more quietly deuise what to say but other talke was presently ministred so that for that time he sayd nothing And thus much William Alesbury witnesse hereof being present thereat so farre as he heard hath faythfully recorded and reported What more was spokē and there said for they made not yet an end a good while after because he departed then out of the house he doth not know nor dyd not heare Then the bishop after this and such like communicatiō thus passed betwene them proceding at length in forme of law caused both his articles and aunsweres to the same there and then to be openly read the summe of which hys confession recorded and left by his owne hand writing tēded to this effect as foloweth * The Articles for the which William Tyms of Hockley in Essex was condemned in the Consistory in Paules the xxviij day of March with his aunsweres and confession vpon the same FFrst I did truely confesse and beleeue that I was baptised in the true Catholicke Church of Christ for when I was baptised there was the Element and the word of God according to Christes institution And my Godfathers and Godmother did promise for me and that I shoulde forsake the Deuill and all his workes and that I shoulde keepe Gods commaundements and beleue al the articles of the Christian fayth the which I doe beleue at this day and with Gods help I trust to do while I liue for it was not the wickednes of the Minister that made the Sacrament of none effect c. Item I confessed two Sacramentes and but two in Christes true Churche that is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and that Christ is present with his sacraments as it pleaseth him Item I confessed that Christe hath a visible Churche wherin the word of God is truely preached and the sacramentes truely ministred Item I confessed the See of Rome to be as the late bishop of Winchester hath written in his bookes De vera obediencia to the which I sayde vnto the Bishop of London that he had made a godly Preface also Iohn Bale hath plainly declared in his book called the Image of both churches euen so much as I beleue therof Item
Christe videlicet that in the blessed sacrament of the aultar vnder forme of breade and wine there is not the very body and bloude of our Sauiour in substance but onely a token and memoriall thereof and that the very body and bloude of Christ is in heauen and not in the sacrament 4 Item that she hath bene and yet is amongst the parishioners of Tunbridge openly noted and vehemently suspected to be a sacramentarie and hereticke Her personall answeres to the said Articles TO the whych foresayde articles her aunsweares were these First that shee was and is of the sayd parishe of Tunbridge in the Dioces of Rochester 2 That al persons which do preach and hold otherwise and contrary to that which the holy catholicke churche of Christ doth are to be reputed for excommunicate and heretickes adding wythall that neuerthelesse she beleeueth not the holy Catholike church to be her mother but beleueth only the father of heauen to be her father 3 Thirdly that shee hath and yet doeth verely beleeue hold and affirme in the Sacrament of the Aultare vnder fourmes of bread and wyne not to be the very body and bloud of our Sauiour in substance but onely a token and remembraunce of hys death to the faithfull receiuer and that his body and substaunce is onely in heauen and not in the Sacrament 4 Lastly as touching howe shee hath beene or is noted and reputed among the parishners of Tunbridge shee sayd shee could not tell howbeit shee beleeued shee was not so taken and reputed Examination and condemnation of Iohn Harpole and Ioane Beach THe lyke matter and the same foure Articles were also the same present time and place ministred to Iohn Harpole by the foresayde byshop Maurice who after the like aunsweares receiued of hym as of the other before adiudged and condemned them both together to deathe by one fourme of sentence according to the tenor course of their seueral sentence which ye may read before in master Rogers storie And thus these ij Christian Martyrs coupled in one confession being condemned by the bishop suffered together at one fire in the towne of Rochester where they together ended their liues about the first day of this present moneth of Aprill Iohn Hullyer Minister and Martyr NExte after these ensueth the Martyrdome of Iohn Hullyer Minister who first being brought vp in the Schoole of Eaton was afterwarde Scholler and then Conducte in the Kings Colledge at Cambridge and in the same Uniuersitie of Cambridge suffered vnder Doctour Thurlby Bishop of Elye and hys Chauncelloure for the syncere setting out of the lyght of Gods gracious Gospell reuealed in these oure dayes In whose behalfe thys is to be lamented that among so many fresh wittes and stirring pennes in that Uniuersitie so little matter is leaft vnto vs touching the processe of his iudgement and order of hys suffering whych so innocently gaue hys lyfe in suche a cause among the middest of them By certayne letters whych hee hym selfe leafte behinde him it appeareth that hee was zealous and earnest in that doctrine of truthe whych euerye true Christian man oughte to embrace His Martyrdome was about the second day of this present moneth of Aprill ¶ Letters of M. Iohn Hullier Minister A Letter of Iohn Hullier to the Christian congregation exhorting them faithfully to abide in the doctrine of the Lord. IT standeth now most in hand O deare Christians all them that looke to bee accounted of Christes flocke at that great and terrible day when a separation shal be made of that sort that shal be receiued from the other which shal be refused faithfully in this time of great afflictions to heare our master Christes voice the only true shepheard of our soules whych sayeth Who so euer shall endure to the ende shall be safe For euen nowe is that great trouble in hande as heere in England we may wel see that our Sauiour Christ spake off so long before which shoulde followe the true and sincere preachinge of his Gospell Therefore in thys time wee must needes eyther shewe that wee be hys faithfull Souldiours and continue in hys battaile vnto the ende putting on the armoure of God the buckler of faith the brest plate of loue the helmet of hope and saluation and the sworde of his holy woorde whiche wee haue heard plentifully wyth all instaunce of supplication and prayer or els if we do not woorke and labour with these we are Apostataes and false souldiours shrinking moste vnthankefully from our gracious and soueraigne Lorde and Captaine Christe and leaning to Beliall For as hee sayeth plainely Who so euer beareth not my crosse and foloweth me he can not be my disciple And no man can serue two maisters for either he must hate the one and loue the other or els he shall leane to the one and despise the other The which thing the faithfull Prophete Helias signified when hee came to the people and sayde Why halte yee betweene two opinions If the Lorde be God followe hym or if Baal be hee then folowe him Nowe let vs not thinke but that the same was recorded in wryting for oure instruction whome the endes of the worlde are come vppon as the Apostle Saint Paule sayeth What so euer thyngs are wrytten aforehande they are wrytten for our learning If Christe be that onely good and true shepheard that gaue his life for vs then lette vs that beare his marke and haue our consciences sprinkled with his bloude followe altogether for our saluation hys heauenly voyce and calling according to oure profession and first promise But if we shall not so do certainly say what we can although we beare the name of Christe yet we be none of hys sheepe in deede For he sayeth very manifestly My sheepe heare my voyce and followe me a straunger they will not followe but will flee from him for they knowe not the voyce of a straunger Therefore lette euery man take good heede in these perillous dayes whereof we haue had so much warning aforehande that he be not beguiled by the goodly outward shewe and appearance as Eue was of our olde subtile enemie whose crafte and wylinesse is so manifolde and diuers and so full of close windings that if he can not bring hym directly and the plaine straight way to consent to his suggestions then he will allure him and winde him in by some other false wayes as it were by a traine that hee shall not perceiue it to deceiue him wythall and to steale from him that goodly victorie of the incorruptible and eternall crowne of glorye which no man els can haue but he that fighteth lawfully as at thys present day if hee can not induce him thorowly as other doe to fauor his deuelish religion and of good wil and free heart to helpe to vpholde the same yet he will enueagle him to resorte to hys wicked and whorish schoolehouse and at the least
Flaunders and then resident at his taking in the citie of London of the age of 28. yeares or thereaboutes Henry Adlington was a Sawyer and of Greenested in the county of Sussex and of the age of 30. yeares ⧠The burnyng of xiij persones at Stratford the Bowe neare London whereof the two women went in among them to the stake vntyed Iohn Routh was a Laborer of the parish of Wieks in Essex and of the age of 26. yeres Elizabeth Pepper was the wyfe of Thomas Pepper Weauer of the parish of S. Iames in the towne of Colchester and of the age of 30. yeares or thereaboutes who when shee was burned at Stratford was a xj weekes gone with chylde as shee then testified to one Bosomes wyfe who then vnloosed her neckerchiefe saying moreouer when she was asked why she did not tell them aunswered Why quoth she they know it well enough Oh such be the bloudy hartes of this cruel generation that no occasion can stay them from their mischieuous murthering of the saintes of the Lord which truly professe Christ crucified onelye and alone for the satisfaction of theyr sinnes Agnes George was the wife of Richard George husbandman of West Barefold in the countie of Essex and of the age of 26. yeares This Richard George had another wife burned beside her in the Posterne at Colchester and himselfe lay in prison vntil Queene Elizabeth came to the raigne and then was deliuered When these xiij were condemned and the day apointed they should suffer which was the xxvij day of Iune anno 1556. they were caried from Newgate in London the said day to Stratford the Bow which was the place appointed for their martyrdome there deuided into two partes in two seuerall chambers Afterward the Shiriffe who there attended vpon them came to the one part and told them that the other had recanted and their liues therfore should be saued willing and exhorting them to do the like and not to cast away themselues Unto whom they aunswered that their faith was not builded on man but on Christ crucified Then the shiriffe perceiuyng no good to be done with them went to the other part and sayd lyke a lyer the lyke to them that they whome he had bene with before had recanted and should therefore not suffer death counsailing them to do the lyke and not wilfully to kill themselues but to playe the wise men c. Unto whome they aunswered as their brethren had done before that their fayth was not builded on man but on Christ and his sure word c. Now when he saw it booted not to perswade for they were God be praysed surely grounded on the rock Iesus Christ he then ledde them to the place where they should suffer and beyng all there together most earnestly they prayed vnto God and ioyfully went to the stake and kissed it and embraced it very hartily The eleuen men were tied to three stakes and the two women loose in the midst without any stake and so were they all burnt in one fire with such loue to ech others and constancie in our Sauiour Christ that it made all the lookers on to maruell The Lorde graunt vs the lyke grace in the lyke need accordyng to the good pleasure of his wil Amen In the company of these foresayd xiij were three more condemned to die whose names are here vnder specified Thomas Freeman William Stanâ—ard William Adams Which three answered to those Articles that were propounded vnto the sayd xiij in effect as they did And being thus in the handes of the secular power Cardinall Poole sent his dispensation for their lyues by what occasion I cannot safely say but by meanes therof they then escaped The copy of which dispensation because it is examplified in our first impression I shall desire the Reader to resort to the place of the pag. 1525. The sonday after these foresayd 16. were condemned Fecknam Deane of Paules preached at Paules Crosse where he declared that they had as many sondry opinions as they were sundry persons At the hearing wherof they drew out their faith and set to their hands as hereafter foloweth and directed the same to their friends the faythfull congregation as followeth ¶ Vnto all our dearely beloued friendes and the holy Congregation of Iesus Christ euen so many as loue God Grace bee with you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. So be it BE it manifest to all vnto whome this our certificate shall bee seene that where vpon Saterday beyng the 13. day of Iune at Fulham before the B. of London 16. of vs whose names here vnder are subscribed were condemned to die for the most pure sincere truth of Christes veritie which most godlye truth hath bene from the beginning with the wicked aduersaries thereof continually defaced and is by the Deuill and hys impes euen at this present likewyse daily slaundered Vppon which occasion dearely beloued brethren we are mooued yea constrayned in the eares of all men to manifest our beliefe and also briefly the Articles wherefore we are condemned for the auoydyng of fals reportes and slaunderous tongues which myght happen by the most vngodly and vncharitable Sermon late preached at Paules crosse the 14. of the sayd moneth beyng Sonday by M Fecknam now Deane of the same Church where he in that most worthy audience defamed vs to be in 16. sundry opinions which were a thing preiudiciall to all christian veritie and for a true testimoniall thereof this here vnder written shall answer our cause and therfore we pray you that are of God to iudge The first we beleeue we were baptised in the fayth of Christes Church and incorporate vnto hym and made members of hys Church in the which fayth we continue And althoughe we haue erred for a certayne tyme yet the roote of fayth was preserued in vs by the holy Ghost which hath reduced vs into a full certaintie of the same and we do persist and wil by Gods assistance to the end Now marke that although the minister were of the Church malignant yet his wickednesse did not hurt vs for that he baptised vs in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost There was both the word and the element and our Godfathers and Godmothers renouncyng for vs the Deuill and all his workes and confessing the Articles of the Christian fayth for vs and also witnesses that we were baptised not in the fayth of the Church of Rome but in the fayth of Christes Church 1. Item there are but two Sacramentes in Christes Churche that is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper For in these are contayned the fayth of Christ hys Churche that is the two Testamentes the lawe and the Gospell The effect of the lawe is repentaunce and the effect of the Gospell remission of sinnes 2. Item we beleeue that there is a visible church
wherein the word of God is preached and the holy Sacraments truely ministred visible to the wicked world although it be not credited by the death of Saints confirmed as it was in the tyme of Helias the Prophet as well as now 3. Item the sea of Rome is the sea of Antichrist the congregation of the wicked c. whereof the Pope is head vnder the Deuill 4. Item the Masse is not onely a prophanation of the Lordes Supper but also a blasphemous Idoll 5. Item God is neither spiritually nor corporally in the Sacrament of the aultar and there remaineth no substance in the same but onely the substance of bread and wyne For these the Articles of our beliefe we beyng condemned to die do willingly offer our corruptible bodies to bee dissolued in the fire all with one voyce assentyng and consentyng therunto and in no one poynt dissentyng or disagreeyng from any of our former Articles Apparant also let it be and knowen that being of the former Articles before the bloudy Bishop examined the sayde day and tyme we affirmed to beleeue all that he or they would approoue by the Scriptures But he sayd that he would not stand to proue it with heretikes but sayd they themselues were the holy church and that we ought to beleeue them or els to bee cut of lyke withered branches ¶ Their names subscribed to the same Rafe Iackson Henry Adlington Lyon Cawch Wil. Hallywell George Searles Iohn Routh Iohn Derifall Henry Wye Edmund Hurst Laurence Parnam Tho. Boyer Elizabeth Pepper Agnes George Tho. Freeman Wil. Stannard Wil. Adams * Trouble and businesse in the Diocesse of Lichfield IN the Diocesse of Lichfield about the 14. of Iune in the same yeare Iohn Colstocke who was lately come from London before and now dwelling at Welington though he suffred no Martyrdome yet susteined some trouble beyng attached and examined by the B. named Rafe Bane for hys Religion especially for two poynts in holding agaynst the realtie of Christ in the Sacrament and against Auricular confession to be made to the Priest For the which cause beyng compelled to recant he was enioyned in the church of S. Cedde to beare a fagot before the crosse bare-headed hauyng in the one hand a Taper and in the other a payre of beades c. Amongst diuers other which in the same diocesse and the same tyme were suspected troubled for the lyke was Tho. Flyer of Uttoxater Shomaker Nich. Bail of Uttoxater Capper Tho. Pyot of Chedall Item Henry Crimes for marying his wife on Palme sonday euen c. Some other also there were which had the like penance enioyned them as Tho. Iohnson about the 26. day of this moneth of Iune because he sware by the holy Masse before the B. sittyng in iudgement who for the same was driuen to goe before the Crosse with hys Taper and beades c. Concerning the which Tho. Flyer aboue named being a godly and a zealous man this furthermore is to bee noted and not vnworthy of gratefull memory that where as in the Towne of Uttoxater commaundement was directed vnto him amongst others from the Ordinary for pullyng downe monuments of superstition and namely the Roode loft he beyng one of the churchwardens or Side-men on a tyme had talke vpon the same with certayne of his neighbours where one wished them ill to chieue that should go about such an acte What wordes passed els amongest them ministryng matter of further prouocation it is not perfectly known In fine the sayd Flier beyng offended and afterward metyng with him that had vsed such wordes before began to common with hym of the matter but in the ende the man so little repented him of those sayings that hee added yet more fierce words and at length strokes also in such wise that at that conflict the sayd Tho. Flyer was slayne and yet so was the matter handled such amends was made with money by the murtherer and hys friends to the sayd Fliers wyfe that he suffred little or nothyng for the same saue onely that he was banished that towne and sworne and bound neuer to come in it so long as the sayde Fliers wyfe should lyue ¶ Three men dead in the prison of the Kings Bench. AFter the burning of these in Stratford the same moneth died in the prison of the Kings Bench in Southwarke one Tho. Parret and was buried in the backside the 27. day of the moneth abouesayd Also Martin Hunt as is reported in the same prison was famished the 29. day At which tyme likewyse died in the same prison as I find recorded one Iohn Norice and after the same sort as the other was buried on the backeside of the sayd prison the day aboue mentioned ¶ The story of three Martyrs sufferyng at S. Edmondesbury AFter the death of the aforesayd Tho. Parret Martine Hunt and Iohn Norice were three martyred at S. Edmondsbury in Suffolke in one fire whose names are here vnder specified Roger Bernard Adam Foster Robert Lawson ¶ The first examination of Roger Bernard before D. Hopton B. of Norwich WHen Roger Bernard came before the Bish. first he was asked whether hee had bene with the Priest at Easter to be shriuen whether he had receiued the blessed Sacrament of the aultar or no. Unto whome Roger Bernard answered no I haue not bene with the Priest nor confessed my selfe vnto hym but I haue confessed my sinnes vnto almighty God I trust he hath forgeuē me wherfore I shall not need to go to the priest for such matters who cannot helpe hymselfe Bish. Surely Bernard thou must needes goe and confesse thy selfe vnto hym Rog. That shall I dot do by Gods grace while I liue Bish. What a stout boyly heretike is this how malipertly he answereth Rog. My L. it grieueth me no whit I thanke God to be called heretike at your hands for so your forefathers called the Prophetes and Confessours of Christ long before this tyme. At these words the B. rose vp in a great heat and bad Bernard follow hym Then the B. went and kneeled before that they call the Sacrament of the aultar and as hee was in his prayers kneelyng he looked backe and asked Bernard why he came not and did as he did Unto whom Bernard aunswered I cannot tell why I should so doe Why quoth the Bish. thou lewd felow whom seest thou yonder pointyng to the pixe ouer the aultar Rog. I see no body there Do you my Lord Bish. Why naughty man doest not thou see thy maker Rog. My maker No I see nothyng but a fewe cloutes hangyng together on a heape With that the Byshop rose vp sore displeased and commaunded the Gaoler to take hym away and to lay irons enough on hym For quoth he I will tame hym or he go from me I trow so and so he was caried away ¶ The second examination of Roger Bernard before the sayd Bishop THe next
all other his benefites Ah my deare heart in the Lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of his great mercy and infinite goodnes hath vsed me most miserable wretche at any tyme as his instrument to minister any thing vnto you eyther by wordes or writing that might bee an occasion of your ioy and comfort in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to prayse and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your moste louing and godly letter seemeth to importe Oh happy am I that the Lorde hath appoynted me vnto so good a ground to sowe his seede vppon but muche more happie are you whose heart the Lorde hath prepared made so meete to receiue the same so effectuously geuing therto the sweete showers and heauenly dewes of his grace and holy spirit that it may bring forth fruite in due season accordingly the increase whereof we shall shortly reape together with perfect ioye and gladnes and that continually Therefore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her deare cosin Mary Happy are you and happy shall you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most sweet and faythfull promises of your redeemer Iesus Christ you haue surely layd vp in the treasury of your hart His comfortable callinges you haue faythfully heard his faythfull admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therefore you shall neuer come into iudgement your sinnes shall neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them from you as farre as is the East from the West and hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification holynesse so that now no creature neyther in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly king Sathan is nowe iudged he is nowe cast out from you hee hath no part in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ whyche wil not loose you your stedfast fayth in him hathe ouercome that sturdy and braggyng Prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the finall victory ouer hym and al hys army that they shall neuer hurt you What woulde you haue more Oh my deare heart howe great treasures are layde vp in store for you and how gloryous a Crowne is alreadye made and prepared for you And albeit the holy Ghost doth beare wytnesse of all these thinges in your heart and maketh you more sure and certain thereof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I being certaynly perswaded and fully assured by the testimony of Gods spirite in my conscience of youre eternall and sure saluation in our sweete Sauioure Iesus Christe haue thought it good yea and my bounden duety not onely at thys tyme to wryte vnto you and to shew my ioyfull hart in that behalfe but also by the word and commaundement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of his sweete sonne Iesus chryst oure Lorde to whom all knees shall bow whom all creatures shall worshippe and also by the impulsion of the holy Ghost by whose power and strength all the faythfull bee regenerate I doe I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a Citizen of heauen The Lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for his deare sonnes sake in whom thou doest also vndoubtedly beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy sinnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and full pardoned all thine offences bee they neuer so many so grieuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As truely as he liueth he will not haue thee dye the death but hath vtterly determined purposed and eternally decreed that thou shalte lyue with him for euer Thy sore shall bee healed and thy woundes bounde vpp euen of himselfe for his owne names sake He doth not nor will not looke vpon thy sinnes in thee but he respecteth and beholdeth thee in Christ in whome thou art lyuely graffed by faith in his bloud and in whome thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a sweete vessell of his mercy and saluation and wast thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was laid In testimony and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which woorketh in thee faith loue and vnfained repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commanded me this day although a most vnwoorthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministery of hys holy woord grounded vpon the truth of his most faithfull promisses the which thou beleeuing shalt liue for euer Beleeuest thou this my deare heart I knowe well thou doest beleeue The Lorde increase thy faith and geue thee a liuely feeling of all hys mercies wherof thou art warranted and assured by the testimony of the holy Ghost who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtfull dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true children of God all that I haue sayde and by Gods grace I will as a witnesse thereof confirme and seale the same with my bloud for a most certaine truthe Wherefore my good brother praise the Lord with a ioyful heart and geue him thankes for this his exceeding great mercy casting away all dubitation and wauering yea all sorow of heart and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and most deare and louing father commandeth you to doe by me nay rather by his owne mouth woord pronounced by me But now my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I coulde finde in my heart to wryte 2. or 3. sheetes of paper declaring the ioy I beare in my heart for you mine owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so short as you do well know I am heere constrained to make an ende desiring you to pardone my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my prayer shal supply that my pen doth wāt as knoweth the almighty God to whose most merciful defence I doe heartely commit you and all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most heartely to remember me in their hearty and dailye prayers as I know right well they doe for I feele the daily comfort and commodity therof therfore I neither wil nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you al. Amē Yours for euer vnfainedly Iohn Careles A letter of thankes to a faithfull frend of his by whom he had receiued much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the father of all mercye for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred vnto
were burned he speaketh neuer a worde of theyr condemners and true murderers in deede Thirdly for so much as M. Harding is here in hande with infantacide and with casting away young childrens liues I woulde wishe that as he hath sisted the doynges of this woman to the vttermost who was rather murdered then a murderer so hee would with an indifferent eye looke on the other side a little vppon them of hys owne Clergy and see what he could finde there amongest those wilfull contemners of immaculate mariage Not that I do accuse any of incontinencie whose liues I knowe not but there is one aboue that well knoweth and seeth all thinges be they neuer so secret to man and most certainly will pay home at length wyth fire and brimstone when hee seeth his time I say no more and not so much as I might following herein the Paynters whiche when their colours will not serue to expresse a thing that they meane they shadow it with a veile But howsoeuer the matter goeth with them whether they may or may not be suspected touchyng thys crime aforesayd of infantacide most sure and manifest it is that they are more then worthely to be accused of homicide in murdering the children and seruauntes of God bothe men and women wines and maydes old young blinde and â—ame madde and vnmadde discreete and simple innocentes learned with the vnlearned and that of all degrees from the high Archbishop to the Clark and Sexten of the church and that most wrongfully and wilfully with such effusion of innocent Christian bloud as cryeth vp dayly to God for vengeance And therefore M.H. in my minde shoulde doe well to spare a little time from these his inuectiues wherewith he appeacheth the poore protestantes of murder whom they haue murdered themselues and exercise his penne wyth some more fruitfull matter to exhort these spirituall Fathers first to cease from murdering of their owne children to spare the bloud of innocentes not to persecute Christ so cruelly in his members as they do and furthermore to exhort in like maner these Agamistes and wilful reiecters of matrimony to take themselues to lawfull wiues and not to resist Gods holy ordinaunce nor encounter his institution with an other contrary institution of theyr own deuising lest perhappes they preuented by fragilitie may fall into daunger of suche inconueniences aboue touched which if they be not in theÌ„ I shall be glad but if they be it is neyther theyr rayling agaynst the poore protestantes nor yet theyr secret auricular confession that shall couer theyr iniquities from the face of the Lord when hee shall come to reueale abscondita tenebrarum iudicare saeculum per ignem And thus for lacke of further laysâ—re I end with M. H. hauing no more at this time to â—ay vnto him but wish him to feare God to embrace his truth to remember himselfe and to surcease from this vncharitable rayling and brawling especially agaynst the dead whiche cannot aunswer him or if he will needes coÌ„tinue still to be suche a vehement accuser of other yet that hee will remember what belongeth to the part of a right accuser First that his accusation be true secondly that no blinde affection of partialitiâ— be mixt withall thirdly whosoeuer taketh vppon them to carpe and appeache the crimes of other oughte themselues to be sincere and vpright and to see what may be written in their owne foreheades Whoredome and murder be greeuous offences and worthy to bee accused But to accuse of murder the parties that were murdered and to leaue the other persons vntouched whiche were the true murderers it is the part of an accuser which deserueth himself to be accused of partialitie As verily I thinke by this woman that if she hadde bene a Catholicke Papiste and a deuout follower of their Church as she was a Protestant she had neyther bene condemned theÌ„ aliue of them nor now accused being dead of M. H. But God forgeue him and make him a good man if it be his will Three Martyrs burned at Greenstead in Sussex NEre about the same time that these three womeÌ„ with the infant were burned at Garnesey suffered other three likewise at Grenestead in Sussex two men and one woman the names of whome were Thomas Dungate Iohn Foreman and mother Tree who for righteousnes sake gaue themselues to death and tormentes of the fire patiently abiding what the furious rage of man could say or worke agaynst them at the sayde Towne of Grenested ending theyr lines the xviij of the said month of Iuly and in the yeare aforesaide ¶ The burning and Martyrdome of Thomas More in the Towne of Leicester Iune xxvi the yeare .1556 AS the bloudy rage of this persecution spared neyther manne woman nor childe wife nor mayde lame blynde nor creple and so through all men and women as there was no difference either of age or sexe considered so neyther was there any condition or qualitie respected of anye person but whosoeuer he were that helde not as they did on the pope and sacrament of the Aultar were he learned or vnlearned wise or simple innocent all went to the fire As may appeare by this simple poore creature innocent soule named Thomas More retayning as a seruaunt to a Mans house in the towne of Leicester about the age of 24. and after in manner of an housbandman for speakyng certayne wordes that his Maker was in heauen not in the Pixe was thereupon apprehended in the countrey being with his frendes Who comming before his Ordinary first was asked whether he did not beleue his Maker there to be poynting to the high Aultar Whiche he denyed Then asked the Bishop how then sayd hee doest thou beleue The young man aunswered agayn as his Creede did teache him To whom the bishop sayde and what is yonder that thou seest aboue the aultar He aunswering sayd forsooth I cannot tell what you would haue me to see I see there fine clothes with golden tassels and other gay geâ—e hanging about the pixe What is within I cannot see Why Doest thou not beleue sayth the bishoppe Christ to be there fleshe bloud and bone No that I doe not sayd he Whereupon the Ordinary making short with him red the sentence and so condemned the true and faythfull seruaunt of Christ to death in sainct Margaretes Churche in Leicester who was burnt and suffered a ioyfull glorious Martirdome for the testimony of righteousnesse in the same Towne of Leicester the yeare of our Lord aboue mentioned .1556 about the 26. of Iune To this Thomas Moore we haue also annexed the aunsweres and examination of one Iohn Iackson before Doctour Cooke one of the Commissioners for that it belongeth much vnto the same time ¶ The examination of Iohn Iackson had before Doctor Cooke the 11. day of March An. 1556. FIrst when I came before him he railed on me and called me hereticke I aunswered and sayde
neyther of mannes lawes neyther at such time as men require it but at such time as God geueth it ¶ The examination and answeres of Iohn Newman Martyr before D. Thornton and others FIrst one of the Doctours or one of the Benche eyther the Archdeacon or Fauced or some other whose name Iohn Newman doth not expresse beginneth asking in this wise Doctor How say ye to this This is my body whiche is geuen for you Newman It is a figuratiue speach one thing spoken and an other ment as Christ sayth I am a vine I am a dore I am a stone c. Is hee therefore a materiall stone a vine or a dore Doct. This is no figuratiue speache For he sayth This is my body which is geuen for you so sayth he not of the stone vyne or dore but that is a figuratiue speach New Christ sayth this cup is the new Testament in my bloud If ye will haue it so meant then let them take and eate the Cup. Doct. Nay that is not so meant so it is a common phrase of speache among our selues we say to our friende drinke a cup of drinke and yet we meane hee shoulde drinke the drinke in the cup. New Why if we will haue the one so vnderstoode ye must so vnderstande the other Doct. Nay it is a common vse of speach to say drynke a cup of Ale or Beere And therefore it is no figuratiue speache New The often vsing of a thing doth not make that thing otherwise then it is but where soeuer one thing is spoken and an other ment it is a figuratiue speach Doct. Well we will not stand here about Howe say ye by the reall presence Is not christes naturall body there that was borne of the virgine Mary New No I do not so beleue neither can I so beleeue for the soule of man doth not feede vpon naturall thinges as the body doth Doct. Why how then doth he feede New I thinke the soule of manne dothe feede as the Aungelles in heauen whose feedyng is onely the pleasue ioye felicitie and delectation that they haue of God so the soule of man doth feede and eate through fayth the body of Christ. Colens Yea but if the body doe not feede vppon naturall thinges the soule cannot continue with the body therefore the body must needes feede vppon naturall thinges that both may liue together New I graunt it to be true but yet the soule dothe liue otherwise then the bodye whiche doth pearysh therefore naturall thinges do but feede the body onely I pray you what did Iudas receiue at the supper Colens Mary Iudas did receaue the very body of Chryst but it was to hys damnation Newman Why was the Deuill entred into him before Then he hadde both the Deuill and Chryst in hym at one tyme. Colens Nay the deuill did enter into him afterwade New Yea and before too what doe ye thinke had hee but one Deuill Nay I think he had rather a legion of deuils at the latter end Colens Well put case it be so what say you to that New Mary if Christe and the Deuill were both in Iudas at once I pray you how did they two agree together Colens Wee graunt they were bothe in Iudas at that tyme for Chryst may bee where the Deuill is if he will but the deuill cannot be where Christe is excepte it please Christ. New Christ will not be in an vncleane person that hathe the Deuill Thornton Why will ye not beleue that Christ was in hell and ye will graunt that the Deuill is there and so mighte he be in Iudas and if it pleased him New Christ woulde not suffer Mary Magdalen to touche him which sought him at his graue and did loue him entirely much lesse he will suffer an vngodly man to receaue him into his vncleane body Thornton Yes seeing God may do all thinges he may do what he list and be where he will And doth not the Psal. say he is in hell and in all places Why shoulde wee then doubt of his being there New Though his Godhead bee in all places yet that is not sufficient to prooue that his humanitie is in all places Thornton No doe you not beleeue that God is omnypotent and may do all thinges New I doe beleue that God is almighty and may doe all that he will do Thornton Nay but and if he be omnipotent hee may doe all thinges and there is nothing vnpossible for hym to do New I know God is almighty and can do all that he wil but he cannot make his sonne a lyer he cannot deny hym selfe nor hee cannot restore virginitie once violated and defiled Thornton What is that to youre purpose GOD dothe not defile virginitie we speake but of thinges that God doth New Why will ye haue the humanitie of Christ in all places as the deitie is Thornt Yea he is in all places as the deitie is if it please him New I will promise you that seemeth to me a very great heresie for heauen and earth are not able to conteine the diuine power of God for it is in all places as here and in euery place and yet ye will say that where soeuer the deitie is there is also the humnanitie and so ye wil make him no body but a phantasticall body and not a body in deede Thornton Nay we do not say he is in al places as the deitie is but if it please him he may be in all places with the deitie New I promise you that it seemeth to me as great an heresie as euer I heard of in my life and I dare not graunt it least I shoulde deny Christ to be a very man and that were agaynst all the scriptures Thornton Tushe what shall we stande reasoning wyth him I dare say he doth not beleeue that Christ came out of his mother not opening the matrice Doe you beleue that Christ rose from death and came through the stone New I doe beleue that Christ rose from death But I doe not beleue that he came through the stone neither doth the scripture so say Thornton Loe how say you he doth not beleue that chryst came through the stone And if he doth not beleue this how shall he beleue the other If he could beleue this it wer easie for him to beleue the other New The scripture doth not say he went through the stone but it saith the Angels of God came downe and roled away the stone and for feare of him the keepers became euen as dead men Thornt A foole foole that was because the women shuld see that he was risen agayne from death New Well the scripture maketh as much for me as it doth for you and more to Thornton Well let vs not stande anye longer aboute him Backe agayne to the real presence How say ye is the body of Christ really in the sacrament or no New I haue aunswered you already
if I might be in choice and not displease God Chichest The sheriffe tooke paine to come to me of loue he sayd which he bare to you as to himselfe and sayd you were desirous to speake with me Wood. I thought it mete to appeale to my Ordinarie For they goe about to shed my bloud vnrighteously For they haue laid many vniust things to my charge Wherefore I thoughte it meete to appeale to you that if you can finde any fault in me meete to be reformed by Gods woorde I stād to be reformed and likewise if my bloud shal be shed vnrighteously that it mighte be required at your handes because you haue taken vppon you to be the Phisition of our countrey Story Is not this a peruerse felow to lay to your charge that his bloude shal be required at your hands Thinkest thou that thou shalt be put to death vniustly that thy bloude should be required No if he should condemne a hundred such heretickes as thou art I helped to ridde a good sort of you And I promise thee I will helpe to ridde thee too the best that I can Wood. Then I would haue answeared him but the Bishop desired vs both to geue him place Chichest Well neighbour Woodman I call you neyghbour because you be one of my Diocesse and you are sent to me that I should geue you spirituall counsell for I am your spiritual Pastour Therefore heare what I shall say to you Wood. First I desire you to heare me a few woordes You haue said you wil geue me spiritual counsell Be you sure that you haue the spirite of God Chichest No I am not sure of that Wood. No be you not sure of that Chich. So by S. Mary I dare not be so bold to say so I doubt of that Wood. Then you be like the waues of the sea as saith S. Iames that be tossed about with the wind and be vnstable in all your wayes and can looke for no good thyng at the Lordes hand Yea yee are neither hote nor colde and therefore God will spew you out of his mouth as sayeth S. Iohn Then they were in a great furie especially doc Storie saying Storie What a peruerse fellow is this he hath the Deuil within him and is madde Hee is woorse then the Deuill Nowe I perceiue that it is true that is reported by thee and it is the pride of all suche heretickes to boaste themselues Chich. Yea surely hee is sent to mee to learne and taketh vpon him to teache me Wood. I seeing their blindnesse and blasphemie it made my heart melt and mine eies gush oute with teares saying The Iewes saide to Christ he hadde the Deuill and was madde as you haue said heere by me But I knowe the seruant is not aboue his maister And God forbid that I should learne of him that confesseth that he hath not the Spirite of God Chich. Why doe you thinke that you haue the Spirite of God Wood. I beleeue verely that I haue the spirite of God Chich. You boast more then euer Paul did or any of the apostles the which is great presumption Wood. I boast not in my selfe but in the gift of God as Paule did for he sayd he beleued verily that he had the spirit of God makyng thereof no doubts in the 1. to the Cor. the 7. chap. Chich. It is not so you belye the text Wood. If it be not so let me be burned to morow Story Thou shalt not be burned to morow but thou shalt be burned within these 6. dayes I promise thee Chich If it be so it is wrong translated as it is in a thousand places more Wood. Then one looked in a Latine Testament and another in a Greeke Testament and they said it was in them both that Paul supposed that he had the spirit of God but he was not sure Chich. Euen so I hope and suppose that I haue the spirite of God but I am not sure Wood. If that place be wrong trāslated and so many places of the Bible as you say then I may say with Christ it cannot be auoyded but offences must be geuen But woe vnto them by whom they come I may say woe vnto false Translaters For cursed are they that adde or take away But take you heed that you belie not the Translaters I beleeue they had the feare of God more before their eies then you report of them And yet if that place bee wrong translated I can prooue places enough that Paule had the spirit of God as I my selfe and all Gods elect haue Chich. How prooue you that Wood. No man can beleeue that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost First to the Corrinth the 7. chap. I do beleeue that Iesus Christ is my redeemer and that I shall bee saued from all my sinnes by his death and bloudsheding as Paule and all the Apostles did and as all faithfull people ought to do which no man can doe without the spirite of God And there is no damnation to thē that are in Christ Iesus so is there no saluation to them that are not in Christ Iesu. For he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his but is a cast away as he saith in the same text And againe We haue not receyued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but we haue receyued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father The same spirit certifieth our spirites that we are the sons of God Here are proofes enough that Paule was sure that he had the spirite of God Also S. Iohn sayth He that beleeueth not that Christ is come in the flesh is an Antichrist denieth both the Father and the sonne which is sinne against the holy Ghost which shall neuer bee forgeuen in this world nor in the world to come Besides all this Hee that beleeueth in God dwelleth in God and God in hym So is it impossible to beleue in God vnlesse God dwell in vs. Oh good God what more iniurie can be done vnto thee then to mistrust that we haue receyued thy holy spirite by thy gift Thus may all men see their blindnes and whose seruants they be as they do declare themselues both by their words and deeds Story Oh my Lord what an heretike is this same Why heare you hym Sende hym to prison to his fellowes in the Marshalsee and they shall bee dispatched within these xij dayes Wood. When I heard hym say so I reioyced greatly in my hart desiring God if it were his will to keepe hym in that mynd For I looked surely to haue gone to the B. of Londons colehouse or to Lollards tower yea I thoght my selfe happy if I might haue gone to Lollardes tower but it pleased God to put in the hartes of them to send me to the Marshalsee amongst our brethren and my olde prison fellowes So mercifully hath God delt with mee in casing of my
his word as you doe howe dare you for your life to take vpon you to preache teach the people vnderstand not what you say For I protest before GOD you vnderstande not the scriptures but as far as naturall reason can comprehēd For if you did you would be ashamed to speake as you do Lang. Wherein haue I spoken amisse take heede you haue a toy in your head wil make you dispayre I dare say you can not tell what you say Wherefore reproue you me as you do Wood. Because you blaspheme GOD and as for dispayring take heed to your selfe For I can not see but you be out of your wit alreadye· and as for me I prayse God I can tell what I say and what you haue sayd the whiche shall turne to your shame if you wil talke the Scriptures with me So when hee perceiued that I spake earnestlye and challenged hym to talke by the woorde his colour began to chaunge and his fleshe beganne to tremble and quake And I sayd Proue your sayinges true if you can for I will proue them false by Gods helpe You sayd All children or other that be not baptised with water all shall be damned I dare not say so for all the good in the worlde And you brought in the saying of Christ for your warrant In the xvi of Marke it is written Who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued which words be very true and who so beleueth not shal be damned Which words be very true also He sayeth He that beleueth not shal be damned Yea S. Iohn sayeth He that beleueth not is condemned already because he beleueth not But neither of these two scriptures nor no other scriptures in all the newe Testament sayth that he that is not baptised shal be damned or is damned already But if he beleue not he shal be damned and is damned already as is aforesayd Then he woulde haue interrupted me would haue layd to my charge that I was an Anabaptist But I wold geue him no place to speake but sayd Let me make an end and then say what you can You shall haue as much to doe by Gods helpe with this matter as euer you had to aunsweare thing in your life You knowe I am sure it is no maner to plucke a tale out of a mans mouth nor it is not the order of reasoning as you know that better then I can tell you Then Doctor Langdale bade me say on Wood. My saying was that they that beleue not shall be damned and be dāned already But I dare not say for all the goods vnder heauen that all they that receiue no materiall baptisme by the water shall be damned as you haue sayd yet I would you should not gather of these wordes that I denye Baptisme as you were aboute to laye to my charge or euer I had halfe told my tale But I would not haue you nor no man so rash in iudgement to cōdemn the thing that they are not able to proue by the worde to make it seme to the simple that the outward washing of the water were the cause of fayth Langd Why is it not so will you denye it Howe say you Will you denye it I say the childe hath no fayth before it is baptised and therefore the baptising bringeth the fayth How say you to it Make me a playne answere to this question Wood. Nowe I perceiue you goe about nothing els but to take vauntage of my wordes But by Gods helpe I will aunswere you so that you shall well see your sayings vntrue And yet I will not speak mine owne wordes but the wordes of the holy Ghost out of the mouth of the prophets and Apostles and then aske them whether they wil deny it You sayd that fayth commeth by Baptisme had by the vse of material water I must be so bold to aske you where Iacob was baptised before he had fayth S. Paule sayth in the ninth chapter to the Romanes Or euer the childrē were borne or euer they had done eyther good or bad that the purpose of God which is by election might stand not by the reason of workes but by the grace of the caller the elder shall serue the younger Iacob I haue loued and Esau I hated How think you had this childe fayth or euer he were borne or no answere to this if you can Lang. What you speake of the olde Lawe Iacob was not christened but circumcised I speake of Baptisme and you are gone from baptising to the time of Circumcision answere me to the baptising And me thinke by your talk you deny originall sinne and free will by the wordes that you brought in of S. Paule For if children can bee saued without baptisme then it must needes follow that children haue no originall sinne the which is put away in the baptising But I thinke you know not what originall sinne is nor free will neyther me thinke by your talke Wood. Yes I prayse God I thinke I can tell them all better then you can me thinke euē by your words First I pray you what free will hath man to doe good of himselfe Tell me this first then I will answere to all your other questions that you haue obiected agaynst me Lang. I say that all men haue as much free will nowe as Adam had before his fall Wood. I pray you how proue you that Lang. Thus I prooue it that as sinne entred into the world by the meanes of one that sinned all men became sinners the whiche was by Adam so by the obedience of man righteousnesse came vpon all men that had sinned sette them as free as they were before theyr fall the whiche was by Iesus Christ. Rom. v. Wood. Oh Lorde what an ouerthrowe haue you geuen your selfe here in originall sinne and yet can not see it For in prouing that we haue free wil you haue denied quite original sinne For here you haue declared that we be set as free by the death of Christ as Adam was before his fall I am sure Adam had no originall sinne before his fall If we be as free nowe as he was then I maruell wherefore Paul complayned thrise to God to take away the sting of it God making him aunswere and saying My grace is sufficient for thee These wordes with diuers other approueth originall sinne in vs but not that it shall hurt Gods electe people but that his grace is sufficient for all his But you saye in one place it is not without baptisme and in an other place you put it away quite by the death of Christ and in verye deed you haue spokē truer in the matter thē you be aware of For all that beleue in Christ are baptised in the bloude of Christ that he shed on the Crosse in the water that he swet for payne putting away of our sinnes at his death And yet I say with Dauid in the
needes be the true catholicke church Rafe My Lord if you remember I spake of al the world as it is wrytten and not of all Christendome only as me thinke your Lordship taketh it the whiche kinde of speaking you doe not finde in al the Bible For sure I am that the Gospel hath bene both preached and persecuted in all lands First in Iewrie by the Scribes and Phariseis and since that time by Nero Dioclesian and such like nowe here in these our daies by your Lordship knoweth whoÌ„ For truth it is that the church which you call Catholicke is none otherwise Catholike then was figured in Caine obserued of Ieroboam Ahab Iezabell Nabuchadonozor Antiochus Herode wyth innumerable more of the like and as both Daniell and Esdras maketh mention of these last daies by a plaine prophecie and now fulfilled as appeareth and affirmed by our Sauiour Christe and hys Apostles saying There shall come greeuous wolues to deuour the flocke Boner Nowe by the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar M. Morton he is the rankest hereticke that euer came before me How say you haue you heard the like Morton I thought what he was my Lord at the first I. Boner Now by all Halowes thou shalt be brent with â—ire for thy lying thou horeson verlette and prickelouse thâ—â— Dost thou finde a prophecie in Dan. of vs nay you knaue it is of you that he speaketh off and of your false pretenâ—â—d holinesse Go too lette me heare what is the saying of Esdras and take heede ye make not a lie I aduise you Rafe The saying of Esdras is this the heat of a great multitude is kindled ouer you and they shall take away certaine of you and feede the Idols with you and hee that consenteth vnto them shall be had in derision laughed to scorne and troden vnder foote yea they shall be like mad men for they shall spare no man they shall spoile and wast such as feare the Lord c. Boner And haue you taken thys thinge to make youre market good Ah syrrha wilt thou so by my Faith a 〈◊〉 instruction and a necessary thing to be taught among the people By my trouth I thinke there be no more of thys opinion I pray thee tell me Is there any that vnderstaÌ„deth this scripture on this fashion Before God I thinke there be none in all England but thou Rafe Yes my Lord there are in England three religions Boner Saist thou so which be those three Rafe The first is that whiche you holde the seconde is cleane contrary to the same and the thirde is an Neuter being indifferent that is to say obseruing all things that are commaunded outwardly as though he were of your part his heart being set wholy against the same Boner And of these three which art thou for nowe thou must needes be of one of them Rafe Yea my Lord I am of one of them and that which I am of is euen that which is contrary to that which you teach to be beleeued vnder paine of death Boner Ah syr you were here with me at Fulham and had good cheare yea and mony in your purse when you went away and by my faith I had a fauour vnto thee but now I see thou wilt be a naughtie knaue Why wilt thou take vpon thee to read the Scripture and canst not vnderstaÌ„d neuer a woorde For thou hast brought a text of scripture the which maketh cleane against thee For Esdras speaketh of the multitude of you heretickes declaring your hate against the catholicke Churche making the simple or idle people that beleeue that all is idolatrie that we do and so intise them away vntill you haue ouercome them Rafe Nay not so my Lord. For he maketh it more plaine and sayth on this wise They shall take away their goodes and put them oute of their houses and then shall it be knowen who are my chosen sayth the Lord for they shal be tried as the siluer or gold is in the fire And we see it so come to passe euen as he hath sayd For who is not now driuen from house home yea and his goodes taken vp for other menne that neuer swette for them if hee doe not obserue as you command and set foorth Or els if he be taken then must he either deny the truth as I did in dissembling or els he shal be sure to be tried as Esdras sayeth euen as the golde is tried in the fire Whereby all the worlde may knowe that you are the bloudy church figured in Caine the tyraunte neither yet are ye able to auoide it Morton I promise you my Lorde I like hym better nowe then euer I did when he was heere before you the other time For then hee did but dissemble as I perceiued well inough but nowe me thinke he speaketh plainly Bon Mary syr as you say in dede he is plaine For he is a plaine heretike and shal be burned Haue the knaue away Let him be caried to little ease at London vntil I come Rafe And so was I caried to London vnto Little case and there remained that nighte and on the next morrowe I appeared before him againe the Deane of Paules and the Chauncellour of London being present Then were brought foorth certaine wrytings that I had set my hand vnto Boner Come on your wayes syrha Is not thys youre hand and this and this Rafe Yea they are my hande all of them I confesse the same neither yet will I denie any thing that I haue sette my hand vnto But if I haue sette my hand to anye thing that is not lawfull therefore am I sorie Neuerthelesse my hand I will not deny to be my doing Boner Well sayde Nowe yee must tell mee Were you neuer at the Churche since you went from mee at Masse and Mattens c. Rafe No my Lorde not at Masse Mattens nor none other straunge woorshipping of God Boner Yea sayest thou so Wast thou neither at thyne owne parish church nor at none other And doest thou also say that it is a straunge worshipping Why I praye thee wilt thou not beleeue the Scripture to be true Rafe Yes my Lorde I beleeue the Scripture to be true and in the defence of the same I entend to geue my life rather then I will deny any part thereof God willing Deane My Lorde this fellow will be an honest man I heare by him He will not stand in his opinion for he sheweth himselfe gentle and pacient in his talke Boner Oh he is a glorious knaue His painted termes shall no more deceiue me Ah horeson Prickelouse doeth not Christ say This is my body And howe darest thou deny these woordes for to say as I haue a wryting to shew and thine owne hand at the same Lette me see wilt thou deny this Is not this thine owne hande Rafe Yes my Lord it is mine owne hand neyther am I ashamed thereof because my confession therein is agreeable
the Guildhall in Norwich where shee remayned vntill her death This Cicelie Ormes was a very simple woman but yet zelous in the Lordes cause beyng borne in East Deram and was there the daughter of one Thomas Haund Tailor She was taken the v. day of Iuly and dyd for a twelue month before she was taken recant but neuer after was she quiet in conscience vntill she was vtterly driuen from all their Poperie Betweene the tyme she recanted and that she was taken she had gotten a letter made to geue to the Chancellor to let hym know that she repēted her recantation from the bottome of her hart would neuer do the like again while she liued But before she exhibited her bil she was taken sent to prison as is before sayd She was burnt the 23. day of September betweene 7. and 8. of the clocke in the morning the sayd two shirifes being there and of people to the number of 200. When she came to the stake she kneeled downe and made her prayers to God That beyng done she rose vp and sayde good people I beleeue in God the father God the sonne and God the holy ghost three persons and one God ¶ The burnyng of Cicelie Ormes at Norwich ¶ The trouble and disturbance among good men and women at Lichfield AFter the death and Martyrdome of maistresse Ioyce Lewys a little aboue specified diuers good men and women in the same towne of Lichfield were vexed and in trouble before the Bishop and his Chauncellor for kissing the sayd Ioyce Lewys and drinking with her about the tyme of her death the names of which persones were these Ioane Loue Elizabeth Smith Margaret Biddell Helene Bouring Margaret Cootesfote Nich. Bird Ioh. Hurlstone and his wyfe Agnes Glyn Agnes Glouer Agnes Penyfather c. These with other were produced to their examination before the Bishop his Chācellor for the cause aboue named and therefore adiudged for heretikes for that they did pray and drinke with the sayd maistresse Lewys but especially Agnes Penyfather sustained the most trouble for that she accompanied the sayde Ioyce Lewys goyng to her death Whiche Agnes beyng examined further of the sayd Bishop what words she had spoken to two priestes of the church of Lichfield called Iohn Adye and Iames Foxe concernyng the sayd Ioyce Lewys after her burnyng sayd as followeth that she beyng asked by the said two priests beyng at her fathers house in the Citie of Lichfield at such tyme as she came frō the burning of the sayd Ioyce Lewys wherefore shee the sayd Agnes did weep for such an heretike meanyng Ioice Lewys whose soule sayd they was in hell the sayd Agnes Penyfather to the demaund made this aunswer that she thought the sayde blessed Martyr to bee in better case then the sayde two Priestes were With the which wordes she beyng charged and willed to submit her selfe as the other had done aboue rehersed to such penaunce as they should inioyne vnto her refused so to do and therfore was commaunded to close prison the shiriffes beyng charged with her vnder payne of one hundred poundes that none should haue any accesse vnto her At length at the perswasion of her friendes shee was compelled to doe as the other had done before And thus much concernyng thyngs done at Lichfield ¶ The Persecution and crueltie exercised by the Papistes in the Diocesse of Chichester ANd now from Lichfield to come to Chichester although we haue but little to report thereof for lacke of certaine relation and recordes of that countrey yet it seemeth no little trouble and persecution there also to haue raged as in other countreys For what place was there almost in all the Realme where the Popes ministers did not besturre them murtheryng some or other as in the Acts of this ecclesiastical history may sufficiently appeare Wherfore as this plague of the popes tiranny was generall to all other people and countries of England so likewyse in the Diocesse of Chichester diuers and many there were condemned and martyred for the true testimony of righteousnesse within the compasse of Queene Maries raigne In the number of whom were these Martyrs Iohn Foreman of Estgrimsted Iohn Warner of Berne Christian Grouer of the Archdeaconry of Lewys Thomas Athoth Priest Thomas Auyngton of Erdinglie Dennis Burgis of Buxsted Thomas Rauensdale of Rie Iohn Milles of Hellinglegh Nich Holden of Withiam Iohn Hart of Withiam Margery Morice of Hethfield Anne Trie of Estgrenested Iohn Oseward of Woodmancote Thomas Harland of Woodmancote Iames Morice of Hethfield Tho. Dougate of Estgrenested Iohn Ashedon of Ketherfield The greatest doers against these godly and true faithfull Martyrs and sitters vpon their condemnation were these Christopherson the Bishop after Day Rich. Brisley Doctour of Lawe and Chauncellour of Chichester Rob. Taylor Bacheler of Lawe his Deputy Tho. Paccard Ciuilian Anth. Clarke Albane Langdale Bach. of Diuinitie c. ¶ The examination of Thomas Spurdance one of Queene Maries seruaunts before the Chauncellour of Norwich THe Bishops Chauncellour did aske me if I had bene with the priest and confessed my sinnes vnto him And I sayd no I had confessed my sinnes to God and God sayeth In what hower so euer a sinner doth repent and be sory for his sinnes and aske hym forgeuenes willyng no more so to doe he will no more recken his sinne vnto him and that is sufficient for me Then sayd the Chancellor Thou deniest the Sacrament of penance I said I deny not penance but I deny that I shoulde shew my sinnes vnto the priest Then sayd the Chancellor that is a deniyng of the sacrament of penance Write this Article Haue you receiued the blessed sacrament of the aulter sayd he at this tyme of Easter And I sayd no. And why haue ye not sayth he I said I dare not meddle with you in it as you vse it Why do not we vse it truly sayd he I sayde no for the holy supper of the Lord serueth for the Christen congregation and you are none of Christes members therfore I dare not meddle with you least I be like vnto you Why are wee none of Christes members sayde the Chancellor I sayd because you teache lawes contrary to Gods lawe What lawes are those sayd he I sayd these 3. articles that you sweare the people vnto here be false and vntrue and you do euill to sweare the people vnto them Then sayd hee Good people take no heede vnto hys words for he is an heretike teacheth you disobedience and so he would no more speake of that matter Then said he how beleuest thou in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar doest thou not beleeue that after it is consecrated it is the very same body that was borne of the virgin Mary I sayd no not the same body in substance for the same body hath a substance in flesh bloud and bones and was a bloudy sacrifice and this is a dry sacrifice And I sayd
the violater is mortal and deadly sinne After all maner of wayes and meanes attempted to drawe this poore man from Christ and his truth the bishop seeyng that hee could not preuayle determined to send hym to the bishop of Rochester and so did who assayed by all meanes possible to remooue him from his former professed truth But seyng all his endeuors frustrate and that he profited nothyng he signified the same to the Archbishop and withal both went himselfe vnto hym and caried the poore prisoner with him thether also In the afternoone of the same day the said Archbish. of Cant. the bish of Rochester and diuers others assistantes called the sayd poore man before them agayne and caused all the former Articles Interrogatories and demaundes to be red vnto hym in English to the end he should either haue reuoked the same or els recanted them altogether vsing both threates and faire promises to the performaunce thereof but all in vayne for his fayth was built vpon the rocke Christ Iesus and therefore vnable to be remooued with any stormes of persecution whatsoeuer In fine the Archbishop with mature iudgement you must beleeue consulting with the B. of Rochester and other proceeded to his condemnation reading the bloudy sentence of death agaynst him and so was he beyng condemned deliuered to the secular power who caried hym to the prison and soone after hee was burned for the testimonie of Iesus Christ as you may see more at large pag. 997.998 for whose constancie in the truth the euerlasting God be praysed Amen ¶ A note of a certayne good man troubled in Bulloyne the first yeare of king Edward the sixt for the Gospell THe examination of me William Hastlen Gunner in the Castle of high Bulloyne in the yeare of our Lorde 1547. and the first yeare of the reigne of king Edward the sixt As I was in the church at Bulloyne called the stals vpon the 10. of Aprill being Easter Tuesday reading of a godly booke called the lamentation of a Christian against the citizens of London betweene the houres of three and foure at after noone there came certaine men to me as I stoode at an alter in the Churche reading to my selfe and asked me what good booke I had and I sayd they should heare if they pleased theÌ„ they desired me to read out that they might heare and so did I very gladly but I had not read long but the Priestes and Clearkes were at theyr Latine Euensong and I reading mine English book there came a tipstaffe for me taking my two bookes from me and commaunded me to go with him for he sayde I must goe before the counsayle of the towne then went I forthwith with him and a little without the Church doore sir Iohn a Briges met vs and bad the tipstaffe cary me to sir Leanard Beckwith Knight to be examined and comming before his presence hee asked me what bookes they were that I had at the church and was reading of one of them openly in the Church to the people and I sayd so farre as I hadde read them they were good godlye bookes and he said they were heresie and with that he asked me how I did beleeue of the Sacrament of the aultar whether I did not beleue that to be the very body of Christ flesh bloud and bones and I asked him whether hee ment that that was in the pixe or no and he sayde yea euen that in the pixe and I said that since I had sure knowledge of scriptures I did not beleeue it to bee the body of Christ but a bare peece of bread nor by Gods helpe I will neuer beleue it otherwise to be then he sayd I was an hereticke asked me what I made of the sacrament and I sayd if it were duely ministred according to Christes institution that then I did beleue that the faythfull Communicantes in receiuing that blessed Sacrament did receaue into their inward man or soule the very body and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ. Then sayd he doest thou not beleeue â—t to remaine the very body of Christ after the wordes of consecration pronounced by the priest and I sayd no. TheÌ„ said he what doest thou make of the Churche I said as it is now vsed it is a den of theeues and the sinagogue of Sathan thou hereticke sayd he there remaineth the very body of Christ. But I saide that Christ being God and man dwelleth not in temples made with mens handes much other communication had we at that time but thys was the effecte that daye Then hee asked me whether I would be forth comming till to morrow and I saide Sir if you think that I will not you may lay me where as I shall so be then he let me goe for that night and sayde we shall talke farther with thee to morrow so I departed home And about the space of two houres after Mayster Hountington the preacher which did muche good wyth his preaching in Bulloyne at that time came to me and sayde that hee heard me spoken of at my Lorde Grayes which was then Lord Debitie of the towne and Country of Bulloyne and I perceaue sayd he that you are in great daunger of trouble if you scape with your lyfe for there are some of the counsayle merueilously bent agaynst you I sayd the Lordes will be done well said he without you feele in your selfe a full purpose by Gods helpe to stand earnestly to the thing that yee haue spoken you shall doe more hurt then good wherefore said he if you will goe to Callis I will send you where you shall be well vsed and be out of this daunger Then I thanked M. Hountington saying I purpose by Gods assistance to abide the vttermost that they can do vnto me well then sayd he I can tell you you wil be sent for to morrow betimes before the whole Counsaile that is sayd I the thing that I look for Then rose I betimes in the morning and went into the market place that I might spye whiche way the Officer should come for me I had not taryed there longe but I spyed a tipstaffe and went toward him and asked hym whome he sought and he sayde a Gunner of the great ordinaunce in the Castle of Bulloyne and I sayd that I am he theÌ„ said he you must go with me to my Lords I said therefore I looked When I came there I saw my Lorde and the whole Counsaile were assembled together in a close parlour doing my duetie to them my Lord saide to me it is informed me that thou hast seditiously congregate a companye together in the Churche and there in the time of seruice thou didest read vnto them an heretical booke and hast not reuerently vsed silence in the time of the diuine seruice what sayest thou to this I sayd it please your honour I was in the church a good while before any seruice began and no body with me reading to my self alone vpon a booke
greene The loue of God within her hart Shall beutifie her grace The feare of God on the other part Shall stablish her in place This Loue and Feare her colours are Whereby if she be known She may compare both nie and farre Unable to be ouerthrown The loue of God it will her cause Unfained if it bee To haue respect vnto his lawes And hate idolatrie If that she haue the feare of God And be thereto right bent She will do that he her bode And not her owne intent O noble Queene take heed take heed Beware of your owne intent Looke or you leape then shall you speed Haste maketh many shent Remember Saule that noble king What shame did him befall Because that vnto the Lords â—idding He had no lust at all The Lord hath bid you shall loue him And other Gods defye Alas take heéde do not beginne To place Idolatry What greater disobedience Agaynst God may be wrought Then this to moue mens conscience To worship thinges of nought What greater folly can you inuent Then such men to obey How can you serue your owne intent Not foreseing your owne decay And where as first ye should mainteine Your Realme in perfect vnity To rent the peoples hartes in twayne Thorow false Idolatry Is this the way to get you fame Is this to get you loue Is this to purchase you a name To fight with God aboue Is this your care to set vp Masse Your Subiectes soules to stroy Is this your study no more to passe Gods people to anoy Is this to reigne to serue your will Good men in bondes to keépe And to exalt such as be euill And for your grace vnmeét Such as made that fond diuorce Your mother to deface Are nighest you in power and force And most bounden vnto your Grace Well yet take heéd of had I wist Let Gods word beare the bell If you will reigne learne to know Christ As Dauid doth you tell What great presumption doth appeare Thus in a weéke or twayne To worke more shame then in vij yeare Can be redrest agayne All is done without a law For will doth worke in place And this all men may seé and know The weakenes of your case That miserable masking Masse Which all good men doth hate Is now by you brought vp agayne The roote of all debate Your Ministers that loue Gods worde They feéle this bitter rodde Who are robbed from house and goodes As though there were no God And yet you would seeme mercifull In the midds of Tyranny And holy whereas you mayntayne Most vile Idolatry For feare that you should heare the truthe True preachers may not speake But on good Prophetes you make ruthe And vnkindely them intreate Him haue you made Lord Chauncellor Who did your bloud most stayne That he may sucke the righteous bloud As he was wont agayne Those whome our late king did loue You doe them most disdayne These thinges doth manifestly proue Your colours to be but vayne Gods word you cannot abide But as your Prophetes tell In this you may be well compared To wicked Iesabell Who had 400. Prophettes false And fiftie on a rought Through whose false preaching Poore Ely was chased in and out Gods Prophetes you do euill entreate Balles Priestes defend your grace Thus did the Iewes put Christ to death And let go Barrabas Hath God thus high exalted you And set you on a trone That you should prison and deface His flocke that maketh mone The Lord which doth his flock defend As the Aple of an eye Of this full quickly will make an end And banish crueltie Therfore my Counsell I you take And thinke thereof no scorne You shall finde it the best counsell Ye had since you were borne Put away blinde affection Let Gods word be vnpere To try out true religion From this euill fauoured geere Finis ê™ W.M. as it is supposed * The instruction of king Edward the sixt geuen to Sir Anthony Seyntleger Knight of his priuie chamber being of a corrupt iudgement of the Eucharist Vpon this saying of an ancient D. of the Catholicke Church Dicimus Eucharistiam Panem vocari in scripturis Panis in quo gratiae actae sunt c. IN Euchariste then there is bread Wherto I do consent Then with bread is our bodyes fed But farther what is ment I say that Christ in flesh and bloud Is there continually Unto our soule a speciall food Taking it spiritually And this transubstantiation I Beleue as I haue read That Christ sacramentally Is there in forme of bread S. Austen sayth the word doth come Unto the element And there is made he sayth in somme A perfect sacrament The Element then doth remayne Or els must needes ensue S. Austens wordes be nothing playne Nor cannot be found tâ—ue For if the words as he doth say Come to the element Then is not the element away But bides there verament Yet who so eateth that liuely foode And hath a perfect fayth Receiueth Christes flesh and bloud For Christ himselfe so sayth Not with our teeth hys flesh to teare Nor take bloud for our drinke To great an absurditie it were So grossely for to thinke For we must eate hym spiritually If we be spirituall And who so eates hym carnally Thereby shall haue a fall For he is now a spirituall meate And spiritually we must That spirituall meate spiritually eate And leaue our carnall lust Thus by the spirite I spiritually Beleeue say what men list None other Transubstantiation I Beleeue of the Eucharist But that there is both bread and wyne Which we see with our eye Yet Christ is there by power diuine To those that spiritually Do eate that bread and drinke that cup Esteemyng it but lyght As Iudas did which eate that soppe Not iudgyng it aryght For I was taught not long agone I should leane to the sprite And let the carnall flesh alone For dyd it not profite God saue hym that teachyng me taught For I thereby did winne To put me from that carnall thought That I before was in For I beleeue Christ corporally In heauen doth keepe his place And yet Christ sacramentally Is here with vs by grace So that in this high mysterie We must eate spirituall meate To keepe hys death in memory Least we should it forget This do I say this haue I sayd This saying say wyll I This saying though I once denaid I will no more to dye FINIS ¶ This yong Prince became a perfect schoolemaister vnto old erroneous men so as no Diuine could amende hym and therfore this piece is worthy of perpetuall memory to his immortall fame and glory ¶ When Queene Mary came to her raigne a friend of maister Sentlegers charged him with this his Pamphlet Well ê™ he content your selfe I perceiue that a man may haue too much of Gods blessing And euen here Peter began to deny Christ such is mens frailtie ¶ A note of a Letter of one Iohn Meluyn Prisoner in Newgate * Christi
electis Salutem Esdr. 4. ¶ Hoc Seculum fecit altissimus propter multos futurum autem propter paucos ¶ The almighty Lorde hath made this worlde for many but the world or life or come but for a few MOst certayne it is dearely beloued that Christes elect be but few in comparisō of that great number which go in the broad way to euerlasting perdition whiche lyfe after the flesh louing this present euill world deny God in word and deed whose eies are blinded and their harts hardened Most certaine it is also that our Sauior Iesus Christ hath and knoweth his owne whose names are written in the booke of life redemed with the most precious bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ. So that the eternall Father knoweth them which be his The almighty and eternall God graunt that we may haue the testimony of our conscience and the spirit of god to beare record with our spirites that we be his elect children walking in the spirite not fulfilling the lustes of the flesh but as Christes members hauing Christ Iesu fixed before our eyes he being to vs the true way the infallible verity the eternall life Christ hath geuē vs example let vs folow him as deare children for Gods delight is to beholde his Saintes which be in the earth Let vs put on the whole armour of God and walke in the light in these euill dayes in the whiche Sathan in his Aungels seeketh whom he may deuour The almighty Lorde deliuer vs from the mouthes of those vnshamefast dogs They truely seeke ours and not vs vnto the Lord. Esdras sayth and writeth truely the world is made for them and they for the world Dearly bought let vs remember Christ which sayth I haue chosen you out of the world you shal be hated of al worldly men Did euer the couetous Idolaters Oppressors or Whoremongers loue vs Nay they loue Masse Mongers which say peace peace when there is no peace Nay either then flatter the eares or els they say no thing as dum dogges not able to barke of whom be you ware of for though they come in sheepes clothing they be rauening Wolues whose damnation sleepeth not from whose captiuitye the holy will of God saue and preserue you Amen Dearely beloued we hauing the record of our conscience that we be very members in Christes body separate from that malignant Antichristes Church Let vs reioyce in conscience and in the Lord hauing heauenly hope in al his promises which be eternall and most sure to vs in Christ our Sauiour who looseth none of all them whom the eternall Father hath geuen him but at his appearing to be our mercifull Iudge shall rayse vs vppe at that last day for the trumpe of God shall blow and be heard of all Adams posterity sounding Venite ad iuditium Come vnto iudgement come and be iudged Let vs therfore be prepared hauing the wedding garment yea the whole armour of God the mariage garment cleare Lampes that is pure hartes and burning heauenly light in the same Let vs prepare our selues richly to restore to our Lord and Mayster our talentes with the increase of heauenly liuing and occupying then without all doubt we shall heare that most blessed wish of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall then say reioyce good seruauntes I will make you Stewardes ouer many thinges Enter into the euerlasting rest and kingdome whiche hath bene prepared for you from the beginning This is the Kingdome of Iesus Christ whiche at this present is in Babilon and banished to the desert the troublesome waters of Sathan in the Antichrist and his shauelings spiewed out of Christs mouth The Lord be our ayde auenger and deliuerer when his holy will is Amen Dearely bought with the most precious bloud of our Sauior Iesus Christ that we be not deceiued by the Antichrist let vs ponder wey marke and study the heauenly doctrine of our Sauiour Christ in his last Supper the text is Bene dixit dixit bene gratias egit he spake heauenly and well he gaue thankes he tooke bread brake it gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this Sacramentall bread and me the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen which geueth life to the worlde take true fayth heauenly hope kindled with christen charitie thankes geuing for my death let these heauēly vertues enter in your soules then enter I. This is my body This is the true eating of my body which is geuen to the death of the crosse for the ransome and sinnes of Gods elect Likewise after supper he tooke the cup hee spake well gaue thankes and gaue it them saying drinke ye all of this drinke I say by this infallible veritie and euerlasting word ioyned and anexed with this cup my bloud which is shed from before the beginning of the world for many in remission of sins he or shee that thus dwelleth in me and I in him eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Sainct Augustine sayth why preparest thou thy tooth and belly beleeue and thou hast eaten Sainct Barnarde saith when fayth hope christian loue and thankes geuing for Christes death enter in a Christian Christ entereth and agayn S. Augustine sayth vpon these wordes of Christ you shal alwayes haue the poore with you but me shall ye not haue alwayes with you The Church had him but a few dayes touching his humanitie nowe they haue him by fayth with these eyes they do not see him O Iesus Christ thou sonne of the liuing God whiche art in the bosome of thy father God with God the very Image of God the father eternall geue vs victory ouer this Antichrist in thy most precious bloud Be faythfull to the ende and oure sauiour shall crown vs in glory let vs sanctify the name of God in thought word and deede I say vnto the Papist and will not flatter our God is in heauen whome they will not see And is no such little prety mattere as their God the Pope faineth him to be Pray for all the preachers of the veritie that God may geue vs grace and constancie They sing and say they haue him in a string tye not the dog so for feare of hanging To all the faythfull whose names in generall in the booke of lyfe by Christ are written all The godly thought and patient minde doth liberty in prison finde Who so to patience can attayne shall finde in prison is no payne Thrall trouble bownd or free as pleaseth God so shall all be Wherefore I neuer will forsake what pleaseth God lay on my backe Iohn Meluine preacher and priprisoner in Newgate ¶ A note concerning the trouble of Iulius Palmer lately come to my handes To his assured friend and brother in Chryst Mayster Perry preacher at Beuerstone geue these MAyster Perry after my harty commendations in the Lord Iesus Christ vnto you and your wife c. wheras you haue written vnto me
Dangerfield apprehended his owne in house Ioane the wyfe of W. Dangerfield taken with her young infant out of childbed and had to prison Dangerfield made to beleeue falsely that his wyfe had recanted Dangerfield vppon hope of his wiues recaÌ„tation consented to the Bishop The wyfe lamented the fall of her husbaÌ„d Dangerfield lamenteth his promise made to the Bishop The prayer of Dangerfield to God The death of the husband The young infant famished in prison The Martyrdome of the mother The death of the olde woman M. Bridges persecuted the same tyme for Gods word and witnes of this story Anno 1557. Septem October â—â— In Martâ—â—dome of a Sâ—â—maker 〈◊〉 Northaâ—â—ton Octâ—ber 18. 〈◊〉 dyed 〈◊〉 Castle of Câ—â—chester 〈…〉 Hooke 〈◊〉 〈…〉 DuÌ„ning 〈◊〉 persecutors Persecution in Kent â—â— Martyrs 〈◊〉 confessâ—â—â— together 〈◊〉 Canterbury Carying about the Crosse. Necessitye alwayes excused in matters indifferent W. Foster apprehended by Syr Thomas Moyle Mother Potkins Martyr troubled by W. Robertes Alice Potkins in Christ but one yeare olde The aunswere of Iohn Archer Martyr Syr Iohn Gilford committed Father Archer to prison The prisoners letter declaring how they were handled and famished in prison Doctour Bane Doctor Draycot his Chauncellor in Lichfield cruell persecutours Anno 1556. Ianuary The names of them that bare fagottes in the Dioces of Lichfield and Couentrye The names of them which were troubled there and bare no fagottes Ioice Lewes Martyr read hereafter The conclusion of the 11. booke 84. Martyrs and aboue in this yeare 1556. put to death in this realme A briefe declaration of M. Cheekes recantation Astrologye Anno 1557. The cause why the reformation was taken in hande The comming of the Inquisitors and of their entertainment M. Christopherson M. of Trinitye Colledge Bishop elect of Chichester An Oration Gratulatory at their comming thither Watson aunswereth to the Oration Ianuary 9. Ianuary 10. S Maryes and S. Michaels interdicted because of Martyn Bucer and Paulus Phagius buryall Anno 1556. Ianuary Commendation of Martin Bucer Ianuary 11. The Oration of Maister Stokes publike Orator of the Vniuersitye Cardinal Polus The aunswere of M. Scotte Bishop of Cheâ—ter to 〈◊〉 Oration 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 The Commiâ—â—ion assigned by tâ—e Cardinall and â—ay The causes â—eclâ—red 〈◊〉 more commended 〈…〉 A Masse at the Kinges Colledge Ormanet Datarye Pecocke preacheth at Saint Maryes The citation of the Maisters of the Colledges Robert Brasseâ—s exception Alterâ—ation betweene D. Brassie and D. Scot B. of Chester Inquisition at the common schooles Ianuary 12. Inquisition at the Kynges Colledge The maner of receiuing the Inquisitors wheÌ„ they went to make Inquisition Note the ambitious pâ—mpe of these Papistes The Commissioners represent the Pope Here was a foule fault commiâ—ted that these men came in without Procession D. Brassey excuseth himselfe for the â—lacknes of his ProcessioÌ„ M. Brassey maketh exception agayne Doctour Scots aunswere to M. Brassey The Popes authoritye swalloweth vp al other priuileges The Legates saluting first their God The othe refuseâ— of some in the kinges Colledge and why The consultation of the Maister vpon 〈…〉 my vp of M. Bucer Inquisition to be made of M. Bucers doctrine Martin Bucers buâ—iall agaynst the holy Canon lawes Causes why Mart. Bucer and Paulus Phagius bodyes ought to be taken vp Andrew Perne Vice chauncellour made factor for the Vniuersitye in the case of M. Bucer Phagius M. Christophersons testimony of Perne A Supplication putte vp to the Inquisitors by the Vniuersitye Note this â—â—ate of coÌ„ueyance The Sentence of condemnation agaynst Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius copied out by the Datarye Grace asked in the congregatioÌ„ for the taking vp of Martin Bucer 〈◊〉 14. Ianuary 15. 〈◊〉 17. Witnesses sworne agaynst M. Bucer Ianuary 18. Other witnesses sworne agaynst Maister Bucer A Relicke giuen by Ormanet to Trinity Colledge Ormanet in a pelting chafe with M. Dale A commaundement for bringing in of hereticall bookes Graciously considered Ianuary 26. An high matter in a low house The Oration of Doctour Scotte Bishop of Chester before the pronouncing of the Sentence of condemnation What dissembling is here in thesâ— Pope holy Catholickes Tyranny couered with the visor of mercy Sathan transforming himself into an Aungell of light O Lord God as though this were the doing of the Vniuersity and not your owne The Wolfe pretendeth to be a Lambe As though the Cardinall sent you not downe before you came to the Vniuersitye Bucer and Phagius falsely accused of hipocrisie by false hipocrites The Sentence of condemnation agaynst Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius Agaynst Martyn Bucer Agaynst Paâ—lus Phagius Paulus Phagius 〈…〉 Oeâ—â—lampadiâ—â— Bucer Melaâ—cthoÌ„ 〈…〉 Pernes Serâ—â—â— against Bâ—cer D. Pernes accusation against M. Bucer 〈…〉 noted D. Perne Shamefull of D. Perne agaynst M. Bucer D. Perne speaketh agaynst his ownâ— conscieÌ„ce in rayling against M. Bucer Verses agaynst M. Bucer and Phagius The Sentence of condemnatioÌ„ sent to London with the Commissioners letters A writte for burning of heretickes Watsons SermoÌ„ vpon Candlemas day Mary and Ioseph went a procession with waxe candels or els D. WatsoÌ„ sayth false A question to be spurred to D. Watson The sodayne sownde of Christopherson The day assigned for burning M. Bucer and Paulus Phagius bodyes The taking vp of M. Bucer and Paulus Phagius The burning of Martyn Bucer and Paulus Phagius The talke of the countreyfolke of the burning of M. Bucer and Paulus Phagius Watsons Sermon at the burning of Bucer and Phagius As though in these dayes of Queene Mary had bene raysed no subsidies at all Watson sclaunde◠〈…〉 Watson and Scot had both subscribed to the doctrine of the Gospell in the raigne of K. Edward the 6. The reconciling of the Churches that were interdicted A solemne Procession of the Vniuersitye and of the townesmen The order of Procession in Cambridge Oâ—manet Câ—lâ— proâ—â—â—ded Doctours The departing of â—he 〈◊〉 Swineâ—â—â—nes saying as conâ—â—â—ing the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Inquiâ—â—â—rs The Oration of Acworth Anno 1557. Ianuary Anno 1557. Maye 〈◊〉 SermoÌ„ 〈◊〉 Iames 〈◊〉 Anno 1557. February Stephen Gardiner of Winchester â—ande somtyme Maior of the towne Anno 1557. Aprill Iurates sworne agaynst Peter Martyrs wyfeâ— Cardinal Poole earnest in burning dead mens bodyes D. Marshall Deane of Frideswides Peter Martyrs Wiues bones agayne reduced out of the DuÌ„ghill and layd in a decent monument Great ingratitude shewed to Peter Martyr M. Iames Caldfield The bones of Peter Martyrs wyfe coupled with the bones of S. Frideswide Anno 1556. February· Articles of the Cardinall to be enquired in his visitation of Kent Articles of Cardinall Poole to be inquired vpoÌ„ touching the Laitye Anno. 1557. Ianuary â—â—â—uary 15. 〈◊〉 Marâ—â—â—dome of 〈…〉 the Dioces of Canterbury The names 〈◊〉 the Martyrs Concerning their articles read before pag. 1â—72 The cause of 〈◊〉 Martyrdome Examples how kinges Princes the power of the world bend themselues agaynst Christ and his worde and yet could neuer preuayle A terrible proclamation of K. Phillip and Q.
I confessed the Masse to be blasphemye to Christes death and passion Item I confessed that in the Sacrament of the aultar Christ is not present neither spiritually nor corporally but as they vse it it is an abhominable Idoll Last of all I confessed the bishop of LondoÌ„ to be mine Ordinary After this the Bishop falling to entreating and perswasions earnestly exhorted him to reuoke his heresyes as he termed them and to refourme hymselfe vnto the Church of Rome and not to sticke so much to the literall sense of the Scriptures but to vse the interpretation of the olde Fathers To whiche Tyms aunswered I will not reforme my selfe therunto And I thank God of this day for I trust he will turne your cursinges into blessinges And furthermore asking this question he sayde And what haue you to mainteine the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament but onely the bare letter We haue quoth the bishop the catholicke church No sayd Tyms you haue the popish church of Rome for you for which you he periured and forsworne And the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therfore to that church I will not conforme my selfe nor once consent vnto it Then the bishop seing his constant boldnesse to be vnmoueable proceeding to his condeÌ„nation pronounced the sentence definitiue vpon him and gaue him ouer to the secular power * The condemnation of Robert Drakes After calling for Robert Drakes he vsed towardes him the like maner of exhortation that he dyd before To whom Drakes sayd As for your church of Rome I vtterly defy and deny it with all the workes thereof euen as I deny the deuill and all his workes The bishop then vsing his accustomed order of law with his like exhortations at last gaue him the like blessing that Tyms had and so charged the Shiriffe with him The condemnation of Thomas Spurge and of the other three martyrs Thomas Spurge being next demaunded if he would returne to the catholicke Church sayd as foloweth As for your church of Rome I doe vtterly deny it but to the true catholick church I am content to returne and continue in the same whereof I beleue the Church of Rome to be no part or member TheÌ„ in fine calling the rest in theyr courses and vpon the like demaundes receiuing the like aunsweres the sayd bishop gaue vnto ech of them their seueral iudgements so ridding his bloudy handes coÌ„mitted theÌ„ vnto the custody of the Shiriffes of London who sent theÌ„ vnto Newgate whither they went all most ioyfully abiding there the Lordes good time wherin they should seale this theyr fayth with the shedding of theyr bloud which they most stoutly and willingly performed the 14. daye of April as before is mentioned ⧠Letters of William Tyms ¶ To his faythfull sister in the Lord parishioner in the towne of Hockley named Agnes Glascocke THe grace mercy and peace of God our Father thorow Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour with the sweet comfort of hys holy and mighty spirit to the performance of his will to your euerlasting comfort be with you my deare sister Glascocke both now and euermore Amen My most deare and entirely beloued sister yea mother I may right well call you for the motherly care which you haue alwaies had for me I haue me most hartely commended vnto you giuing God most harty thanks for you that he hath geuen you so louing a hart to Christes poore Gospell his poore afflicted flocke for the same and as you haue full godly begonne so I beseech God to geue you power to goe forward in the same and neuer more to looke backe fearing neither fier neyther sworde and then I warrant you you haue not farre to runne And now my deare hart remember well what I haue taught you when I was present with you and also written being absent and no doubte we shall shortly meete agayne with a most ioyfull meeting I go vpon Friday next to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house which is the .20 daye of March where I thinke it will be harde for any of my friendes to speake with me Howbeit I trust I shall not long tary there but shortly after be caryed vp after my deare brethren and sisterne which are gone before me into heauen in a fiery chariot therefore now I take my leaue of you tyll we meete in heauen hye you after I haue tarryed a great while for you and seeing you be so long a making ready I will tarry no longer for you You shall find me merely singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabboth at my iourneyes ende Therefore nowe my deare hart make good hast and loyter not by the way â—easte nighte take you and so ye be shutte out of the gate with the foolishe virgines And now my sister in witnes that I haue taught you nothing but the truth here I write my name with my bloud for a testimoniall vnto you that I will seale the simple doctrine which I haue taught you with the rest And thus fare you well and God defend you from Antichrist and all his Ministers the false Priestes Amen These words following were written with his owne bloud Continue in prayer Aske in fayth And obteyne your desyer By me William Tyms in the Kynges Bench for the Gospell of Christ. ¶ An other letter of the sayd W. Tyms wherein he doth comforte his sister Glascocke being in greate sorrowe and repentance for going to the Masse God be mercifull vnto you pardon forgeue all your sinnes send you fayth to beleeue the same that you may be partaker of his heauenly Kingdome Amen My deare sister I haue me most hartely commended vnto you as I haue lamented your falling from God by being partaker with that Idolatrous Priest so haue I since I heard of your earnest repentance very much reioysed and also praysed almighty God for his mercy shewed vnto you in that he hath not left you to your selfe but since your denyall he hath shewed his mercy on you by looking backe on you as he did on Peter and so caused you to repent as Peter did bitterly to weepe for your sinnes where as if God had lefte you to your selfe you had runne forward from one euill vnto an other till at the length your harte shoulde eyther haue bene hardened or els you shoulde haue dispayred of the mercy of God And seeing that God hath bene so mercyfull vnto you as he hath bene bee you not vnthankefull vnto him for the same For I certyfie you that your sorrowfull hart that you haue had doth declare vnto me that God hath pardoned and forgeueÌ„ all your sinnes for the bloudshedding of that immaculate lambe Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Therefore as Peter after the tyme that Christe had forgiuen him his sinne did boldly confesse Christ before all his enemies euen so my deare hart in the Lord seing that God hath so mercyfully pardoned
generall CouÌ„cell and his picture burned Wood. If he were an heretick I thinke he vnderstoode it not so in deed but I am sure all Christians ought to vnderstand it so Chich. O what vayne glory is in you as though you vnderstood all thing other men nothing Heare me I will shew you the true vnderstanding both of the aultar the offering on the aultar We haue an aultar sayd Paul that ye may not eate of meaning thereby that no man might eat of that which was offered on the aultar but the Priest For in Paules time all the liuing that the Priest had the people came offered it on the aultar mony or other thinges and when the people came to offer it and then remeÌ„bred that they had any thing agaynst their brother theÌ„ they left their offering vpon the aultar and went were reconciled to theyr brother and they came agayne and offred their gift and the Priest had it This is the true vnderstanding of the place that you haue rehersed wherefore you be deceiued Wood. My Lord that was the vse in the olde law Christ was the ende of that But in deede I perceiue by Paules wordes the sacrifice was offered in Paules time yet that maketh not that it was wel done but he rebuked it Wherfore it seemeth to me that you be deceiued Chich. Who shall be iudges betwixt vs in this matter Wood. The xij of Iohn declareth who shall be iudge in the last day Chich. You meane the word shall iudge the word Howe can that be Wood. Saynct Peter sayth The Scripture hath no priuate interpretation but one scripture must be vnderstand by an other Chich. And you will vnderstande it one way and I wyll vnderstand it an other way and who shal be Iudges betwixt vs then Wood. The true church of God is able to discusse al doubtes to whom I referre it Chich. I am glad you say so if you will say so in deed Wood. My Lord I neuer meant otherwise Chich. The Church of God doth allow the Sacrament of the aultar Wood. What do you offer now vpon the aultar Chich. We offer vp in the blessed Sacramente of the Aultar the body of Christ to pacifye the wrath of God the Father and therewith they put off their cappes all to that abominable Idoll Wood. Saynt Paule sayth to the Hebrues in the x. chap. We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ vpon the crosse once for all and euery Priest is dayly ministring oftentimes offereth one maner of offering which can neuer take away sinnes and that is the offering that you vse to offer As farre as I can see you be priestes after the order of Aaron that offered vp Sacrifice for their own sinnes and the sinnes of the people Chichest Nay Aarons sacrifice was with bloud whiche signifieth the death of Christe the whiche was ended vpon the Crosse by his bloudshedding but we are Priestes after the order of Melchisedech the whiche offered breade to the king in remembraunce and signified the geuing of Christes body in bread wine at his last supper the whiche he gaue to his disciples commaunded it to be vsed to the end of the world This is the sacrifice that we offer according to his word Woodman Me thinke you haue made the matter verye playne to me that as Christ was the ende of all Sacrifices so was he the beginning of the Sacramentes willing them to be vsed in the remembraunce of him to the worldes end Chichest What in remembraunce of hym and not hym selfe as his worde sayth Take eate this is my body It is not the signe onely but the thing it selfe How say you is it not his body after the words be spoken by the priest How say you goe briefly to worke for I can not long tary with you Wood. My Lord if you will answere me to one sacrameÌ„t I will answere you to another Chich. Yes I am very well contented with that Wood. If you say the words of baptisme ouer the water there be no childe there is there true baptisme Chich. No there must be the water the worde and the child and then it is baptisme Wood. Uerye well Then if a childe bee Baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne it is not truely baptised Chich. No the childe muste bee baptised in the name of the father of the sonne the holy ghost or els it is not truly baptised Wood. Then there may be nothing added nor takeÌ„ away from the Sacraments may there Chich. No sayd the Bishop Wood. Now my Lord I will answere to you if it please you Chich. Well how say you Take eat this is my body is it not Christes body as soone as the wordes be sayd Wood. My Lorde I will aunswere you by your owne wordes that you aunswered me whiâ—h is true the water the word and the childe all these together make baptisme the bread wine and the word make the Sacrament the eater eating in true fayth maketh it his body Here I proue it is not Christes body but to the faythfull receiuer For he sayd Take eat this is my body He called it not his body before eating but after eating And Saynt Augustine sayth Crede manducasti Beleue and thou hast eaten And Saynt Iohn sayth He that beleueth in God dwelleth in God and God in him wherfore it is vnpossible to dwell in God and to eat his body without a true fayth Priest Then the fayth of the receiuer maketh it his body not his word by your saying I pray you what did Iudas eate Wood. Iudas did eat the sacrament of Christ and the deuill withall Priest He eat the body of Christ vnworthely as S. Paule sayth Wood. Nay S. Paule sayth no such thing He speaketh not of eating of his body vnworthely but of the sacrament vnworthely For he sayth Who soeuer eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body and not because he eateth the Lordes body If Iudas had eat Christes body it must needes folow that Iudas is saued For Christ sayth in the sixt of Iohn Who so euer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp agayne at the last day Priest My Lord this man is an interpreter after his own minde Chich. I see it is but folly to talke with you it is but lost labour How say you Doe you not beleue that after the wordes be sayd there remayneth neither bread nor wyne but the very body of Christ really make me a playne aunswere for I will talke no more with you Wood. I will make you no directe aunswere howe I beleue of the true Sacrament I doe beleue that if I come to receiue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ truely ministred beleuing that
Christ was borne for mee and that he suffered death for me and that I shall be saued from my sinnes by his bloudshedding so receiuing the Sacrament in that remembraunce then I beleue I do receiue wholly Christ God and maÌ„ mistically by fayth this is my beliefe Chich. Why then it is no body without fayth Gods word is of no force as you count it Wood. My Lorde I haue tolde you my minde without dissimulation more you get not of me without you will talke with me by the Scriptures and if you will do so I will beginne anew with you proue it more plainly thre or foure maner of wayes that you shall not say nay to that I haue sayd your selfe Then they made a great laughing and sayd Thys is an Hereticke in deede it is time he were burned Which wordes moued my spirite and I sayde to them Iudge not least you be iudged For as you iudge me you shall be iudged your selues For that you call heresy I serue God truely with as you all shall well know when you shal be in hell and haue bloud to drinke and shal be compelled to say for payne This was the maÌ„ that we iested on whose talke we thought foolishnes and his end to be without honour but now we may see how he is counted among the Sayntes of GOD and we are punished These wordes shall you say being in hell if you repent not with speed if you consent to the shedding of my bloud wherefore looke to it I geue you counsell Priest What you be angry me thinkes Now I will saye more to you then I thought to haue done You were at Baxill a twelue moneth agone sent for the Parson talked with him in the Churchyard and would not goe into the church for you sayd it was the Idols temple Yea I was with mine olde Lorde when he came to the Kinges Bench to you and you sayd many stout wordes to him Wood. That I sayde I sayde and where you sayde I was angrye I take God to my recorde I am not but am zelous in the truth speake out of the spirite of God with chearefulnes Priest The spirite of God hough hough hough thinke you that you haue the spirit of God Wood. I beleue surely that I haue the spirite of GOD I praise God therfore and you be deceiuers mockers and scorners before God and be the childreÌ„ of hel all the sort of you as farre as I can see And therwith came in D. Story poynting at me with his finger speaking to the bishop in Latin saying at length Story I can say nothing to him but he is an hereticke I haue heard you talke this houre and a halfe and can heare no reasonablenes in him Wood. Iudge not lest you be iudged for as you iudge you shal be iudged your selfe Story What be you a preaching you shal preach at a stake shortly with your felowes My Lord trouble your self no more with him With these wordes one brought woorde that the Abbot of Westminster was come to dyne with the Byshop and many other gentlemen and women Then there was rushing away with speed to meet him Then sayd Doctor Story to my keeper Story Cary him to the Marshalsee againe and let him be kept close and let no body come to speake with him Wood. And so they departed Then one of the priestes begon to flatter with me and sayd for Gods sake remember your selfe God hath geuen you a good wit you haue read the scriptures well haue borne them wel in memory It were great pity you should do amisse Wood. What a flatterer be you to say my wit is good and that I haue red the scriptures well but euen now you said I was an heretike despised me If I be an heretike I can haue no good wit as you haue coÌ„fessed But I think your owne conscieÌ„ce doth accuse you God geue you grace to repent if it be his will Priest I cal it a good wit because you are expert in all questions Wood. You may call it a wicked wit if it agree not with gods word Then one cried Away away here commeth strangers So we departed I came againe to the Marshalsee with my Keeper ¶ The third examination of Richard Woodman copied with his owne hand before D. Langdall parson of Buxted in Sussex and Chaplaine to my Lord Montague and M. Iames Gage at my Lord Montagues house beside S. Mary Oueries in Southwarke the 12. day of May Anno. 1557. THe 1â— day of May the Marshal came to the Marshalsee sent for me to speake with him When I came before him had done my dutie he asked my name what countrey man I was I shewed him both Then he asked me when I was abroad in the city To whom I answered if it shal please your maistership I was abroad in the citie on Monday was seuennight Marshall What made you abroad Wood. The B. oâ— Chichester sent for me to talke with mee at home at his house beside S. Nicholas shambles Mar. Were you abroad no otherwise then so Wood. No forsooth I was neuer abroad since I was sent hither but then For I haue nothing to do abroad vnlesse they send for me Mar. This is a marueilous matter I promise you I was not so rebuked these 7. yeares as I was for you within these 3. dayes It is reported that you were abroad in the citie at certaine Tauernes spake seditious wordes both in the Tauernes and Streetes as you went Wood. Syr the trueth is I was in neuer a house or Tauerne whiles I was abroad but in the bishops house as my keeper can will I am sure testify nor I neuer talked with any man in the streetes as I came but with my keeper sauing with one man in deede of the Parishe of Framfield in Sussex where M. Iames Gage dwelleth His name is Rob. Smith being one of my most enemies who stood in a waine as we came by and was vnlading of Cheese me thought but a litle way from the Marshalsee In deede I bade him God speede and asked him howe he did and he sayd well he thanked me and he asked me how I did and I sayd well I prayse God that was all the talke that we had these wordes were spoken as I came by him I promise you sir I stoode not still while I spake theÌ„ as my keeper can tell and I thinke these words were no seditious wordes but might be spoken well enough I thinke or els it were very strayt Marshall Then it is to bee thought that that man reported otherwise then it was I am gladde it is as you say Well make you ready for you must go forth straight way where you shall be examined of that and of other thinges where you shal aunswere for your selfe Go make hast for I will â—ary till you be ready Wood. So I departed
in his wagon with his wife and a gentlewoman waiting on her and his foole As soone as the Wagon was come without the gate of the citie called Croneborgh gate vpon the wooden bridge beyng at that tyme made for a shifte with railes or barres on both sides for more safetie of the passengers halfe a mans heighth more the horses stood still and would by no meanes go forward whatsoeuer the guider of the wagon could do Then he in a drunken rage cried out to him that guided the wagō saying Ride on in a thousand deuils name ride on Wherat the poore man answered that he could not make the horses to goe forward By and by whyle they were yet thus talking sodenly rose as it were a mighty hurlewynd with a terrible noyse the wether beyng very faire no wynd stirring before tost the wagon ouer the barre into the towne ditch the ropes whereat the horses had bene tied beyng broken a sunder in such sort as if they had bene cut with a sharp knife the wagon also being cast vpsidedowne with the fore end thereof turned toward the towne agayne and he drowned in the mire and when he was taken vp it was found that his necke also was broken His wife was taken vp aliue but died also within three dayes after But the Gentlewoman and the foole by Gods mighty prouidence were preserued had no harm The foole hearing the people say that his Maister was dead sayd was not I dead was not I dead too This was done an 1553. Witnesse hereof not onely the Printer of the same story in Dutch dwelling then in Andwerpe whose name was Fraunces Fraet a good man and afterward for hatred put to death of Papistes but also diuers Dutchmen here now in England and a great number of English merchants which then were at Antwerpe are yet alyue Of the sodaine death of Bartholomeus Chassaneus or Cassanus persecutor read before pag. 943. Of Minerius the bloudy persecutor or rather tormētor of Christes saints how he dyed with bleeding in hys lower partes ye heard before pag. 953. And what should I speake of the iudge which accompanied the sayd Minerius in his persecution who a little after as he returned homeward was drowned and three mo of the same company killed one another vpon a strife that fell amongst them pag. 953. Ioannes de Roma cruell Monke whom rather wee may call a hell hound then persecutor what hellishe tormentes hee hadde deuised for the poore Christians of Angrongne the cōtents of the story before doth expresse pag. 216. Agayne with what like torments afterward that doublefold the Lord payd him home agayne who in hys rottyng and stinking death neither could find any enemy to kill hym nor any friend to bury him who neither could abide his owne stinking carion nor any man els to come neare hym Hereof read also in the same page and plate aboue specified Such a like persecutor also the same tyme was the lord of Reuest who likewise escaped not the reuenging hand of Gods iustice being striken after his furious persecution with a like horrible sicknes and such a furie and madnesse that none durst come neare him and so most wretchedly died Whereof read before pag. 943. Touching the like grieuous punishment of God vpō one Iohn Martin a persecutor read pag. 955. Erasmus in an Epistle or Apologie written in defence of his Colloquies inferreth mention of a certayne noble person of great riches and possessions who hauyng wyfe and children with a great familie at home to whom by S. Pauls rule he was bound in conscience principally aboue all other worldly thyngs to attend had purposed before his death to go see Ierusalem And thus all thyngs beyng set in order this Noble man about to set foreward on his iourny committed the care of his wife whom he left great with childe and of his Lordshippes and Castles to an Archbishop as to a most sure and trusty father To make short it happened in the iourney this Noble man to dye Whereof so soone as the Archbishop had intelligence in stead of a father he became a thiefe and robber seising into his owne handes all his Lordshippes and possessions And moreouer not yet contented with all this he layed siege agaynst a strong fort of his vnto the which his wife for safegard of her selfe did flee where in conclusion shee with the child that she went withall pitifully was slaine and so miserably perished Which story was done as testifieth Erasmus not so long before his tyme but that there remayned the nephews of the said Noble man then aliue to whom the same inheritance should haue fallen but they could not obtaine it What commeth of blynd superstition when a mā not conteining himselfe within the compasse of Gods worde wandereth in other bywayes of his owne and not contented with the religion set vp of the Lord wyll binde his conscience to other ordinaunces prescriptions and religious deuised by men leauyng Gods commaundements vndone for the constitutions and preceptes of men what ende and reward I say commeth thereof at length by this one example beside infinite other of the like sort men may learne by experience and therefore they that yet will defend Idolatrous pilgrimage and rash vowes let them well consider hereof It is rightly sayd of saint Hierome to haue bene at Hierusalem is no great matter but to lyue a godly and vertuous lyfe that is a great matter in very deede In the yeare of our Lord 1565. there was in the town of Gaunt in Flanders one William de Weuer accused imprisoned by the Prouost of S. Peters in Gaunt who had in his Cloister a prison and a place of execution and the day when the sayd William was called to the place of iudgement the Prouost sent for M. Gyles Brackleman principall aduocate of the Counsaile of Flaunders Borough maister and Iudge of S. Peters in Gaunt wyth other of the rulers of the towne of Gaunt to sit in iudgement vpon hym and as they sate in iudgement the Borough maister named M. Gyles Brackleman reasoned with the sayd William de Weuer vpon diuers articles of his fayth The one whereof was why the sayd William de Weuer denied that it was not lawfull to pray to Saintes and he aunswered as the report goeth for three causes The one was that they were but creatures and not the creator The second was that if he should call vpon them the Lord did both see it and heare it therefore he durst geue the glory to none other but to God The third and chiefest cause was that the creator had commaunded in his holy word to call vpon him in troubles vnto which commaundement he durst neither adde nor take from it The Borough maister M. Gyles Brackelman also demaunded whethere he did not beleeue that there was a Purgatory which he should go into after
this lyfe where euery one should be purified and cleansed He aunswered that he had red ouer the whole Bible and could finde no such place but that the death of Christ was his Purgatory with many other questions proceedyng after their order vntill hee came to pronounce hys condemnation But or euer the sayd condemnation was red foorth the iudgement of God was laid vpon the sayd Borough maister who sodainly at that present instaunt was striken with a Palsey that his mouth was drawen vp almost to his eare and so hee fell downe the rest of the Lordes by and by standing vp and shadowyng him that the people coulde not well see hym and also the people were willed to depart who beyng still called vpon to depart aunswered the place was so small to go out that they could goe no faster Then the Borough maister beyng taken vp was caried to his house and it is not yet vnderstood nor commonly knowen that euer he spake word after he was first striken but was openly knowen to bee dead the next day followyng And yet notwithstandyng that this was done about tenne of the clocke they burned the sayd William de Weuer within three houres after on the same day The 4. day of March 1566. the lyke example of the Lordes terrible iudgement was shewed vpon sir Garret Triest knight who had long before promised to the Regent to bring downe the preachyng For the which act as the report goeth the Regent agayne promised to make hym a Graue which is an Erle Of the which sir Garret it is also said that he commyng from Bruxels towardes Gaunt brought with him the death of the Preachers and beyng come to Gaunt the sayde sir Garret with other of the Lordes hauyng receiued from the Regent a Commission to sweare the Lordes and Commons vnto the Romish Religion the sayd sir Garret the 4. day of March aboue noted at night beyng at supper willed the Lady his wyfe to call hym in the mornyng one houre sooner then he was accustomed to ryse for that hee should the nexte day haue much businesse to doe in the towne house to sweare the Lordes and people to the Romish Religion But see what happened The sayd sir Garret goyng to bedde in good health as it seemed when the Lady his wife called him in the mornyng accordyng to his appoyntment was found dead in her bedde by her and so vnable to prosecute his wicked purpose The fift day of March 1566. which was the day that Sir Garret Triest appoynted to be there and the Lords of Gaunt were come into the Towne house as they had afore appoynted to proceed and to geue the othe accordyng as they had their Commission and Maister Martin de Pester the Secretary beyng appoynted and about to geue the othe as the first man should haue sworne the sayd Martine de Pester was striken of God with present death likewyse and fell downe and was caried away in a chaire or settell and neuer spake after Witnes hereunto Peter de Bellemaker Abraham Rossart Maerke de Mill. Lieuen Hendrickx Ian Coucke Roger Vanhulle Ioys Neuehans Lyauin Neuehans Wil. vanden Boegarde Ioys de Pitte About the borders of Sueuia in Germany not farre from the Citie of Uberlyng there was a certayne Monastery of Cistercian Monkes called Salmesnisie founded in the dayes of Pope Innocent 2. by a noble Baron named Guntherame about the yeare of our Lord 1130. This Celle thus beyng erected in processe of tyme was enlarged with more ample possessions findyng manye and great benefactoures and endowers liberally contributyng vnto the same as Emperours Dukes and rich Barons Amongest whome most especiall were the Earles of Montforte who had bestowed vpon that monastery many new liberties and great priuiledges vpon this condition that they shoulde receiue with free hospitalitie any stranger both horseman or footeman for one nightes lodging who so euer came But this hospitalitie did not long so continue through a subtile and diuelish deuise of one of the Monkes who tooke vpon hym to counterfeite to play the part of the Deuill ratling and raging in his chaynes where the straungers should lie after a terrible maner in the night tyme to fray away the gestes by reason wherof no stranger nor traueller durst there abide and so continued this a long space At length as God would it so happened that one of the Earles of the sayde house of Mountforte benefactours to that Abbey commyng to the Monastery was there lodged whether of set purpose or by chance it is not knowen When the night came and the Earle was at hys rest the Monke after his woonted maner beginneth his pageant to play the tame yea rather the wylde Deuill There was stampyng rappyng spittyng of fire roring thunderyng bounsing of boordes and ratling of chaines enough to make some man starke mad The Erle hearing the sodaine noyse and beyng somewhat peraduenture afraid at the first although he had not then the feate of coniuring yet taking a good hart vnto him running to his sword he layd about him well fauoredly and followyng still the noyse of the deuill so coniured him at last that the monke which counterfeited the deuill in iest was slayne in hys owne likenes in earnest Ex Gaspare Bruschio in Chronologia Monasteriorum Germaniae ⧠After the imprisonment of the congregation which were taken hearyng Gods word in S. Iames streete in Paris an 1558. as is aboue storied was a letter written to the king which was diuulgate abroad proouing declaring by diuers histories what afflictions and calamities from tyme to tyme by Gods righteous iudgement haue fallen vppon such as haue bene enemies to his people and haue resisted the free passage of his holy word In which letter forsomuch as beside the sayd examples much other good fruitfull matter is conteined worthy of all mē to be read and especially of Princes to bee considered I thought here good to copy out the whole as the Frenche booke doth geue it The translation of the which letter into English is after this tenor as followeth ¶ A Letter translated out of French into English written to K. Henry the 2. French kyng COnsider I pray you sir and you shall finde that all your afflictions haue come vpon you since you haue set your selfe agaynst those which are called Lutherans When you made the Edict of Chasteaubriant God sent you warres but when ye ceased the execution of your sayde Edict and as long as ye were enemye vnto the Pope and goyng into Almanie for the defence of the libertie of the Germaines afflicted for Religion your affaires prospered as ye would wishe or desire On the contrary what hath become vpō you since you were ioyned with the Pope agayne hauing receiued a sword from him for his own safegard And who was it that caused you to breake the truce God hath turned in a moment your prosperities into such afflictions that they touch not onely