wickednesse with perfect hatred and rue the persons with christeÌ„ modestie knowing that with what measure we met vnto others with the same shall it be moten to vs agayne Finally let al folkes both maried and vnmaried learne hereby to possesse and kéepe their vessell in honestie and cleannesse For if the knot betwene man and wife whiche ought to be inseparable be once broken it is seldome or neuer knit again And though it be yet is not the wound so throughly healed but there appéereth some skarre euer after But if the sore rancle fester inwardly as commonly it doth except the more grace of God be in the end it bursteth forth to the destructioÌ„ or hurt of both parties not lightly without great harme to others also besides themselues as we sée by this example For when the body which was dedicated to God to be his temple and the tabâ—…rnacle of his holy spirite is become the sinke of sinne and cage of vncleannesse the deuill ceasseth not to driue the parties still headlong vnto naughtinesse till they be falne eyther into open shame and daunger of temporall law or into damnable destruction both of body soule according as Salomon in his Prouerbes sayth that the steps of a harlot leade downe vnto death and hir feete perce euen vnto hell Therefore good reader so heare and reade this present example as the same may turne to the bettering of thy state and not to occasion of slaunder nor to the hurt of thine owne conscience nor to the offence of thy Christian brethren Farewell A. G. Anne Saunders confession as she spake it at the place of execution GOod people I am come hither to die the deathe wherevnto I am adiudged as worthely as deseruedly as euer died any I had a good husband by whom I had manie children with whom I liued in wealth might haue done stil had not the deuill kindled in my hearte first the hellish firebrand of vnlawfull lust afterward a murtherous intent to procure my saide husbande to be bereued of his life which was also by my wicked meanes accomplished as to the world is known And as I woulde if he coulde heare me if it might be prostrate vpon the ground at my husbands feete aske mercy with plentiful teares of him so that which I may I oughte to doe I aske mercye of God I aske mercie of all men and women of the world whoÌ„ by my deede example I haue offended and especiallye I bewaile my husbande aske mecie of my childreÌ„ whoÌ„e I haue beraued of so good a father I aske mercy of his kindred and frendes whome I haue hurt of all my frends kindred of whom I am abashed and ashamed and beyng of my selfe vnworthy of pittie yet I besech them all you all all the whole worlde euen for gods sake and for our sauiour Christs sake to forgiue me And I thank God with my whole harte he hathe not suffered me to haue the reigne and bridle of sinning gyuen me at my will to the daunger of my eternall damnatioÌ„ but that he hath founde out my sin brought me to punishment in this world by his fatherly correctioÌ„ to amend to spare and saue me in the world to come I beseche him graunte me his heauenly grace that all who do behold or shall heare of my death maye by the example therof be frayed from like sinning And I besech you all to pray for me and with me The Prayer whiche was said by Anne Saunders at the place of execution the copie wherof she deliuered vnto the right honourable the Eâ—…rle of Bedforde AS I doe confesse vvyth great sorrovv O deare â—…ather that I haue grieuously and oftentimes inned againste heauen and against thee am â—…vvorthy to be called thy daughter so O deare Father I acknovvledge thy mercy thy grace and loue tovvards me most vvretched sinner offred me in my Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe in vvhom thou giuest me an hearte to repent And by repentance hast put away my sinnes and throvvne them into the bottome of the Sea O deare Father encrease and continue this grace vntill the ende and in the ende I testifie this day O Lord my God thy loue O Lorde thy sauing health is liâ—…e euerlasting and ioy vvithout end and bicause thou hast touched my sinfull heart vvith the 〈…〉 pleasure of my sinne and vvith a deâ—… of thy kingdome O deare Father 〈◊〉 thy Christes sake as I hope thou vvilt so I beseeche thee to finishe that good vvorke in me Suffer me not mercifull and louing Father to be troubled vvith death vvhen it layeth holde on me nor vvith the loue of life vvhen it shal be taken avvay O Lorde novve as thou hast so still lifte vp my soule as it vvere vvith an eagles vvings vnto Heauen there to beholde thee Lorde into thy hands I commit my body that it be not troubled in death and my soule that it see not damnation Come Lorde Iesu come assiste me vvith thy holy spirite a vveake vvomaÌ„ in a strong battell come Lord Iesu come quickly saue thy hand maide that putteth hir trust in thee behold me in Christ receiue me in christ in vvhose name I pray saying Our Father c. Anne SauÌ„ders dying to the world and liuing to God. After this she also said a godly Prayer out of the Serice boke which is vsed to be said at the hour of death note of a certaine saying vvhich Master Saunders had lefte written with his owne hand in his studie CHriste shal be magnified in my body whither it be thorough life or else death For Christe is too me life and death is too me aduauntage These wordes were M. Nowels Theame which he preached at the buriall of my brother Haddon vpon Thursday beyng y xxv day of 〈◊〉 Anno. Do. 1570. Anno. Râ—…ginae Elizabeth 13. AmoÌ„g other things which he preÌ„ached this saying of his is to be had alwayes in remembrance that is that we must all when we come to pray first accuse and coÌ„demne our selues for our sinnes committed against God before the seate of hys Iustice and then after cleaue vnto him by faythe in the mercy and merites of our Sauioure and Redéemer Iesus Christ whereby we are assured of eternall saluation
good iustice and being 〈◊〉 to the state of the case beforehâ—…nd and also finding him out by his owne vnwise 〈◊〉 whereof among other one was thâ—…t he inteÌ„ded to marie hir not only frustrated his desire but also adiudged him to stande vpon the pillorie with apparant notes and significations of his lewde and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª he was set 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of execution at the tyme of theyr suffering with a paper pinned vpon hys breast wherein were written certain wordes in great Letters conteyning the effects of his fact to his open shame 〈◊〉 For practising to colour the detestable factes of George Saunders wife Which was a very good lesson to teache all persons to refrayne froÌ„ any deuises or practises to deface or discredite the honorable procéedings of Counsellours and publike lawfull forme of trialles and iudgementes according to Justice or to hinder the beneficiall course of so good examples By this occasion Mistresse Sanders was vtterly vnprouided to die at that time and therfore as well in respect of mercie as for the considerations aforesaid a further respite was giuen to them vnwitting and a repriuie was sent by M. Mack williams for a time if neede were In the meane time that is to wit vpon the saturday morning the constant reporte goeth that as certaine men came talking through Newgate one happened to speake lowde of the gallowes that was set vp and of the greatnesse and strongnes of the same saying â—…t would hold them both and moe the sounde of whiche wordes did so pierce into the watchfull eares of mistresse Saunders who lay nearehand that being striken to the heart with the horror of the present death which she loked for that day she went immediatly to mistresse Drewrie and telling hir that she knew certainely by the wordes which she had heard that they should by all likelihode be executed that day asked hir if she would stand to hir former promise But mistresse Drewrie after better consideration of hir selfe counselling hir to fall to playne and simple dealing telling hiâ—… that for hir owne parte she was fully determined not to dissemble any longer nor to hazarde hir owne soule eternally for the safetie of an other bodies temporall life Then Mistresse Saunders who had determined to acknowledge nothing agaynst hir selfe so long as she might bee in any hope of life howbeit that she always purposed to vtter the truth whensoeuer she should come to the instant of death as she hir self confâ—…sed afterward being striken both with feare and remorse did by the aduise of master Coâ—…e who laboured verie earnestly with hir to bring hir to repentance and was come to hir verye early that morning because it was thought they shoulde haue bene executed presently send for the Deane of Paules agayne and bewayling hir former stubburnes declared vnto him and master Cole master Charke and master Yong that shée had giuen hir consent and procurement to hir husbandes death through vnlawfull luste and liking that she had to Brown confessing hir sinfulnesse of life committed with him and humbly submitting hirselfe to hir deserued punishment besought them of spirituall comfort and councell which thing they were glad to perceyue and therevpon employed their trauell to do them good and laboured very painfully to instruct them aright for God wote they founde all the thrée prisoners very rawe and ignorant in all things perteyning to God to their soule health yea and euen in the very principles of the Christen religion Neuerthelesse through Gods good working with their labour they recouered them out of Sathans kingdome vnto Christ insomuch that besides their voluntary acknowledging of their late heinous fact they also detested the former sinfulnesse of their life and willingly yelded to the death which they had shunned vttering such certaine tokens of their vnfayned repentance by all kinde of modestie méekenesse as no greater could be deuised For Mistresse Saunders the same day sent for hir husbands brothers and their wiues and kinsfolke that were in the towne whiche came vnto hir the day before hir death in whose presence she knéeling mildely on hir knées with abundance of sorrowful teares desired them of forgiuenesse for bereuing them of their deare brother and friende wherevnto master Saunders the Lawyer in the name of them al answered that as they were very soriâ—… both for the losse of theyr friend and also for hir heinous fault so they heartily forgaue â—…ir and in token thereof knéeled downe altogyther praying to GOD wyth hir and for hir that hée also woulde remitte hir sinne Besides this pitiful submission she also bewayled hir offence towardes hir owne kinred whome she had stayned by hir trespas and towardes the whole worlde 〈◊〉 she had offended by hir crime but especially hir children whome she had not onely berâ—…fte bothe of father and mother but also lefte them a coarsie and shame Wherfore after exhortation giuen to suche of them as were of any capacitie and discretion that they shoulde feare God and learne by hir fall to auoyde sinne she gaue eche of those a booke of maister Bradfordes meditations wherin she desired the foresayd thrée preachers to write some admonition as they thought good Whiche doone she subscribed them with these wordes Youre â—…orowfull mother Anne Saunders And so blessing theÌ„ in the name of God of our Sauior Iesus Christ she sent theÌ„ away out of hir sorowfull sight and gaue hir selfe wholly to the settling of hir grieued heart to the quiet receiuing of the bitter cup which she dranke of the nexte day as â—…ath bene tolde before Howbeit without doubt to hir euerlasting comforte And mistresse Drewrie no lesse carefull of hir owne state besides hir humble repentance in the prison and hir earnest desiring of the people to pray for hir selfe and the others with hir as they came toward execucution did vpon the Carte not onely confesse hir giltinesse of the facte as mistresse Saunders had don but also with great lowlinesse and reuerence first knéeling downe towards the Earle of Bedforde and other noble men that were on horssbacke on the East side of the stage tooke it vpon hir death that whereas it had bin reported of hir that she had poysoned hir late husbande Master Drewrie and dealt with witchcraft and sorcerie and also appeached diuers merchante mens wiues of dissolute and vnchast liuing she had done none of all those thinges but was vtterlie cleare bothe to God and the worlde of all suche manner of dealing And then with like obeysance turning hir â—…fe to the â—…arle of 〈◊〉 who was in a chamber behinde hir she protested vnto him before God that whereas she had bene reported to haue bene the cause of separation betwixte him and my Lady his wyfe she neither procured nor consented to any suche thing But otherwise wheras in the time of hir seruice in his house she had offended him in neglecting or contemning hir duetie she acknowledged hir
fault and besoughte him for Gods sake to forgiue hir who very honorably and â—…uen with teares accepted hir submission and openly protested him selfe to pray hartily to God for hir Hir seruant also hauing openly acknowledged his offence kneeled meekly downe praying seuerally with a preacher as â—…he of them had done at their first comming to the place Which done they were all put in a readinesse by the Executioner and at one instant by drawing away the Cart wheron they stoode were sent togither out of this worlde vnto God. And Browne also a good while afore during the time of his imprisonment coÌ„ming to a better minde than he had bene of in time paste confessed that he had not héeretofore frequeÌ„ted sermons nor receiued the holy sacrament nor vsed any calling vpon God priuate or publike nor giueÌ„ him selfe to reading of holy Scripture or any bookes of godlynesse but had altogither followed the appetites and lustes of his sinfull flesh euen with greedinesse and outragious contempt both of God and man Neuerthelesse God was so good vnto him and schooled him so well in that short time of imprisonment as he cloased vp his life with a maruellous apparance of heartie repentance constant trust in Gods mercy through Iesus Christ and willingnesse to forsake this miserable worlde Nowe remayneth to shewe what is to be gathered of this terrible example and how we oughte to apply the same to our owne behoofe First I note with S. Paule that when men regarde not to knowe God or not to honour him when they know him God giueth them ouer to their own lustes â—…o as they runne on from sinne to sinne and from mischiefe to mischiefe to do suche things as are shamefull and odious euen in the sight of the worlde to their owne vnauoidable perils And when the measure of their iniquitie is filled vp there is no way for them to escape the iustice of God which they haue prouoked Insomuche that if they might eschue all bodily punishment yet the very hell of their owne conscience would prosecute them and the sting of their minde would be a continuall prison torment and torture to them wheresoeuer they went Agayne on the other side we must marke the infinit greatnesse of Gods wisdome and mercy who perceyuing the peruerse wilfulnesse of mans frowarde nature to sinning suffreth men sometimes to runne so long vpon the bridle till it séeme to themselues that they may safely do what they liste and to the worlde that they be past recouerie vnto goodnesse and yet in the end catching them in their chiefe pride he rayseth them by their ouerthrow amendeth them by their wickednesse and reuiueth them by their death in such wise blotting out the stayne of their former filthe that their darknesse is turned into light and their terrour to their comfort Moreouer when God bringeth such matters vpon the stage vnto y open face of the world It is not to the intent that men should gaze and wonder at the persons as byrdes do at an Owle not that they should delight them selues others with the fond peradâ—…ture sinister reporâ—…ing of them nor vpbrayd the whole stocke and kinred with the fault of the offenders no surely God meaneth no such thing His purpose is that the 〈◊〉 of his iudgements should by the terrour of the outward sight of the example driue vs â—…o the inward coÌ„sideration of our selues Beholde wee bée all made of the same moulde printed with the same stampe and indued with the same nature that the offenders are We be the impes of the olde Adam and the venim of sinne whiche he receiued from the olde serpent is shedde into vs all and woorketh effectually in vs all Suche as the roote is suche are the braunches and the twiggs of a thorne or bramble can beare no grapes That we stande it is the benefite of Gods grace and not the goodnesse of our nature nor the strengthe of oure owne will. That they are falne it was of frayltie wherfrom we be no more priuiledged than they and that shoulde we ouersoone perceiue by experience if we wer left to our selues He that looketh sâ—…erely into other mennes faultes is lightly blynd in his owne and he that either vpbraydeth the repentant that hath receyued punishement or reprocheth the kinred or ofspring with the fault of the auncester or alye how greate so euer the same hath ben sheweth himselfe not to haue any remorse of his owne sinnes nor to remember that he him selfe also is a man but which thyng he woulde little thinke he fully matcheth the crime of the misdoer if he do not surmount it by his presumptuousnesse When it was tolde oure Sauiour Chryst that Pylate had mingled the bloud of certain men with their owne sacrifise what aunswere made hée Did hée detest the offenders did he declame against their dooings Did he exaggerate the fault of the one or the crueltie of the other No. But framing and applying the example too the reformation of the hearer suppose ye sayd he that those Galileans wer greater sinners than all the other Galileans bycause they suffered such punishment I tell you nay but except ye repente ye shall all likewise perish Or think ye that those eightene vpon whom the toure in Silo fell and slew them were sinners aboue all y dwelt in Hierusalem I tel you nay but except ye repent ye shall all perishe likewise Let vs applie this to our presente purpose Were those whoÌ„ we saw iustly executed in Smith â—…eld greater sinners than al other English people were they greater sinners than all LoÌ„doners Were they greater sinners thaÌ„ all that looked vpon them No verily but except their exaÌ„ple leade vs to repentance we shall all of vs come to as â—…ore punishement in this worlde or else to sorer in the worlde to come Their faults came into the open Theater therefore seemed the greater to our eyes and surely they were great in déede neyther are ours the leâ—…e bicause they lyâ—… hidden in the couert of oure hearte God the searcher of all secrets séeth them and if he list he can also discouer them He hath shewed in some what al of vs deserue to prouoke vs al to repentance that al of vs myght haue mercie at his hand and shewe mercie one to an other with one mouthe and one hearte glorifie his goodnesse It is sayde by the Prophete Samuel that disobedience is as the sinne of Witchcrafte Lette euery of vs looke into himselfe but first lette him put on the spectacles of Gods lawe and carie the lyghte of Gods worde with him and he shall sée suche a gulfe of disobedience in himselfe as he maye well thinke there is none offender but himselfe I say not this as a cloaker of offences that white should not be called white blacke blacke or as a patrone oâ—…â—…sdoers that they shoulde not haue their deserued hyre but to represse our hastie iudgementes and vncharitable spéeches that we myght both detest