other good deedes and as for one of them whatsoeuer he haue of money in his purse he will distribute it for the loue of God to poore people Also he sayde that no man should geue laud nor prayse in no maner of wise to no creature nor to no Saint in heauen Tim. 1. but only to God Soli Deo honor gloria that is To God alone be all honour and glory Also he sayd ah good Sir Edmund ye be farre from the knowledge and vnderstanding of the Scripture for as yet ye be a Pharisey with many other of your company but I trust in God I shall make you and many other mo good and perfect Christen men ere I depart from the Citie The Godly courage of Rich Bayfilde for I purpose to reade a common lecture euery day at S. Fosters Church which lecture shall be to the edifyeng of your soules that be false Phariseys Also he sayde that Bilney preached nothing at Wilsedone but that was true Also he sayd that Bilney preached true at Wilsedone if he sayd that our Ladyes crowne of Wilsedone The peoples offringes bestowed bestowed vppon harlots her rings beades that were offered to her were bestowed amongest harlots by the Ministers of Christes Churche for that haue I seene my selfe he sayd heere in London and that will I abide by Also he sayde he did not feare to commen and argue in Arthur and Bilneys opinions and Articles and if it were with my Lord Cardinall Also he sayd that he would hold Arthur and Bilneys opinions and Articles and abyde by them that they were true opinions to suffer death therfore I know them said he for so noble and excellent men in learning Also he sayde if he were before my Lord Cardinall hee would not let to speake to him and to tell hym that he hath done nought in prisoning of Arthur and Bilney whyche were better disposed in their liuings to God then my Lord Cardinall or my Lord of London as holy as they make themselues Also he sayd my Lord Cardinall is no perfect nor good man to God for he keepeth not the Commaundements of God for Christ he said neuer taught him to folow riches nor to seeke for promotions nor dignities of this worlde nor Christ neuer taught him to weare shoes of siluer and gilt set with pearle and precious stones The Cardinals shooes nor Christ had neuer ij crosses of siluer ij axes nor piller of siluer gilt Also he sayde that euery Priest might preach the Gospell without licence of the Pope my Lord Cardinall my Lord of London or any other man And that would he abide by and thus he verified it as it is written Marke 16. Euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Christ commaunded euery Priest to go foorth thoroughout all the worlde and preache the word of God by the authoritie of this Gospel and not to runne to y e Pope nor to no other man for licence and that would hee abyde by he sayd Also he sayd Wel Sir Edmund say you what you will and euery man my Lord Cardinall also and yet will I say and abide by it my Lord Cardinall doth punishe Arthur Bilney vniustly for there be no truer Christen men in all the world liuing then they two be and that punishment that my Lord Cardinall doth to them he doth it by might and power as who say this maye I do and thys will I do who shall say nay but he doth it of no iustice Also about the xiiij day of October last past at iij. of the clocke at after noone Syr Richarde Bayfilde came to S. Edmunds in Lumbardstreete where he founde me Syr Edmund Peerson Sir Iames Smith and Syr Myles Garnet standing at the vttermost gate of the personage Syr Edmund sayd to Syr Richard Bayfilde how many Christen men haue yee made since yee came to the Citie Quoth Sir Richard Bayfilde I came euen now to make thee a Christen man and these two other Gentlemen with thee for well I know ye be all three Phariseis as yet Also he sayd to Syr Edmund that Arthur and Bilney were better Christen men then he was or any of them that did punish Arthur and Bilney Per me Edmundum Peerson And thus we haue as in a grosse summe coÌ„piled together the names and causes though not of al yet of a great and to great a number of good men good women whych in those sorowful daies from the yere of our Lord 1527. to this present yere 1533. that is til the comming in of Queene Anne were manifold wayes vexed and persecuted vnder the tiranny of the Bishop of Rome Ten Dutchmen Annabaptists put to death Segor Derycke Symon Runa Derycke Dominicke Dauid Cornelius Ellâ—en Milo Where again we haue to note that froÌ„ this present yeare of our Lord 1533. during the time of the sayd Quene Anne we read of no great persecution nor any abiuration to haue bene in the Church of Englande saue onely that the Registers of London make mention of certaine Dutchmen counted for Anabaptists of whom 10. were put to death in sondry places of the realme an 1535. other 10. repented and were saued Where note again that 2. also of the said company albeit the diffinitiue sentence was read yet notwithstaÌ„ding were pardoned by the king which was contrary to the Popes law Now to proceede forth in our matter after that the Byshops and heads of the clergy had thus a long time taken their pleasure Anno. 1533. exercising their cruell authoritie against the poore wasted flocke of the Lord Complaynt of the CoÌ„mons against the Clergy Ex Edw. Hallo A Parliament an 1534. and began furthermore to stretch foorth their rigour and austeritie to attach molest also other greater persons of the temporaltie so it fell that in y e beginning of the next or 2. yere following which was an 1534. a parlament was called by the king about the 15. day of Ian. In the which parlament the commons renuing their old griefes complained of the cruelty of the Prelates Ordinaries for calling men before them Ex Officio For suche was then the vsage of the Ordinaries and theyr Officials Crueltye of the Clergye against the temporaltie that they would send for men lay accusations to them of heresie onely declaring to them that they were accused and would minister Articles to them but no accuser should be brought forth wherby the coÌ„mons was greuously anoyed oppressed for the party so acited must eyther abiure or do worse for purgatioÌ„ he might none make As these matters were long debating in the Common house as last it was agreed that the temporall men should put their griefs in wryting and deliuer them to the King Whereuppon the 18. day of Marche the common speaker accompanied wyth certaine Knights and Burgeses of the common house came to the Kyngs presence and there declared how the temporal
poore innocent manne Wherefore all we doe perceiue that this murther coulde not bee done but by the commaundement of the Chauncellour and by the witting and knowing of Iohn Belringer Charles Ioseph within the tower of Lond. of his owne free will vnconstrayned said that maister Chauncellor deuised wrote with his owne hand all such heresyes as were layde to Hunnes charge Witnes of Charles Ioseph Sumner recorde Iohn God Iohn True Iohn Pasmere Richarde Gibson with many other Also Charles Ioseph sayth that when Richard Hunne was slayne Iohn Belringer bare vp the steyre into Lollardes tower a waxe candle hauing the keyes of the doore hanging on his arme and I Charles went next to him and maister Chauncellour came vppe last and when all wee came vppe wee found Hunne lying on his bed and then maister Chauncellour sayd lay handes on the theefe and so all we murdered Hunne then I Charles put the gyrdle about Hunnes neck and then Iohn Belringer and I Charles did heue vp Hunne and Mayster Chauncellour pulled the gyrdle ouer the staple and so Hunne was hanged ¶ The Deposition of Iulian Littel late seruaunt to Charles Ioseph by her free will vnconstrayned the 6. yere of our soueraigne Lord king Henry the eight within the Chappel of our Lady of Bethlem shewed to the Inquest The witnes of Iulian Littell against Charles Ioseph FFrst Iulian sayth that the wednesday at night after the death of Richard Hunne Charles Ioseph her Mayster came home to his supper then Iulian sayd to him Mayster it was tolde me that ye were in prison Charles aunswered It is mery to turne the penny and after supper Charles trussed vp a parcel of his goodes and with helpe of Iulian bare them into Maister Porters house to keepe and that done Charles sayd to Iulian Iulian if thou wilt be sworne to keepe my counsell I wyll shew thee my mind Iulian aunswered yea if it be neyther felony nor treason Then Charles tooke a booke out of his purse and Iulian sware to him therupon then sayd Charles to Iulian I haue destroyed Richard Hunne Alas mayster said Iulian how he was called an honest man Charles aunswered I put a wyer in his nose Alas sayd Iulian nowe be ye cast away and vndone Then sayd Charles Iulian I trust in thee that thou wilt keepe my counsell and Iulian aunswered yea but for Gods sake Mayster shyft for your selfe and then Charles sayde I had leuer then a hundred pound it were not done but that is done can not be vndone Moreouer Charles sayd then to Iulian. Upon Sonday when I rode to my cosin Baringtons house I taryed there and made good cheare all day til it was night and yet before it was midnight I was in London and had killed Hunne and vpon the next day I rode thyther aagayne and was there at dinner and sent for neighbors and made good cheare Then Iulian asked Charles where set you your horse that night you came to towne and wherefore came ye not home Charles aunswered I came not home for feare of bewraying and then Iulian asked Charles who was with you at the killing of Hunne Charles aunswered I will not tell thee and Iulian saith that vpon the Thursday folowing Charles taried all day in his house with great feare and vpon Friday folowing early in the morning before day Charles went forth as he sayd to Paules and at his comming in agayne he was in a great feare saying hastely get me my horse with greate feare and haste made him ready to ride and bade Mayâ—â—er Porters lad leade hys horse into the field by the backeside and then Charles put into his sleeue hys Mase or Masor with other plate borowed of mayster Porter both golde siluer but howe much I am not sure and Charles went into the field after his horse and Iulian brought hys bouget after hym Also vpon friday in Christmas weeke folowing Charles came home late in the night and brought with him three Bakers and a Smyth of Stratforde and the same night they carryed out of Charles house all hys goodes by the fieldes side to the Bell in Shordich and early in the morning conueyed it with Cartes to Stratford Moreouer Iulian sayth that the Saterday at night before the death of Hunne Charles came home and brought with him a gurnard saying it was for Hunne Charles boy called to Iulian that there was also ordeyned a piece of fresh Salmon which Iohn Belringer had Also Charles said to the said Iulian were not this vngracious trouble I could bring my Lord of LondoÌ„ to the doores of heretiques in London both of men and women that bene worth a thousand pound But I am afrayd that the vngracious midwife shall bewray vs all Also Charles sayd vnto maistres Porter in likewise more larger saying of the best in London whereto maistres Porter aunswered the best in London is my Lorde Maior then Charles sayde I will not scuse him quite for that he taketh this matter hoate Whereas Charles Ioseph sayth he laye at Neckehyll with a harlot a mans wife in Baringtons house the same night and there abode vntill the morrowe at eleuen of the clock that Richard Hunne was murthered wherupon he brought before the kinges Counsell for his purgation the foresayd Baude Baringtons wyfe and also the foresayde Harlot which purgation we haue proued all vntrue as right largely may appeare aswel by the deposition of Iulian Littel Thomas Chichesley Taylor Tho. Symondes Stationer of Rober Iohnsonne and his wife of Iohn Spalding Belringer Also of Peter Turner sonne in lawe of the foresayde Charles Ioseph who sayde before to an honest woman a waxe chaundelers Wyfe The witnes of Peter Turner that before this day seuenth night Hunne should haue a mischieuous death c. Also of Iohn Enderbye Baker to whome Iohn Spalding himselfe declared these wordes That there was ordeined for Hunne so grieuous penaunce that when men heare of it they shal haue great maruel therof c. Besides the deposition moreouer of Alen Creswel wax chauÌ„delor The witnes of Iohn-Spalding himselfe and Richard Horsenayle Bayliffe of the Sanctuary towne called Godsture in Essex Which testimonyes depositions hereafter folow * The Deposition of Alen Creswell waxechaundeler THe sayde Alen sayeth that Iohn Graunger seruaunt with my Lord of London in my L. of Londons kitchin at such time as the said Alen was seruing of Hunnes coffeÌ„ that GrauÌ„dger told to him that he was present with Ioh. belringer the same sonday at night that Rich. Hunne was found dead in the morow when the keepers set him in the stocks in so much the sayd Hunne desired to borow the kepers knife the keper asked him what he would do with his knife he answered I had leuer kil my selfe then to be thus entreated This deposition the sayd Alen will prooue as far forth as any christian man may saying that GrauÌ„dger shewed to him these wordes of his owne
of August an 1511. and being at that time brought before D. Smith B. of Lincolne was by him examined vpon dyuers and sundry articles the effect wherof are these 1. First that he had spoken against auricular confession and denyed the corporall presence of Christes body in the sacrament of the altar 2. Item that he beleued that al holy men of his sect were onely priestes 3. Item that he had affirmed that the father of heauen was the altar and the second person the sacrament The articles of Thomas Man that vppon the Ascension day the sacrament ascended vnto the altar and there abideth still 4. Item that he beleued not aright in the sacrament of extreme vnction 5. Item that he had called certaine priestes meanely arrayed pyld knaues 6. Item that he had sayd that pulpits were priestes lying stooles 7. Item that he had beleued that images ought not to be worshipped and that he neyther beleeued in the Crucifixe nor yet would worship it 8. Item that he had affirmed that he heard say the word of God and God to be al one and that he worthily receiueth the word of God receiueth God 9. Item that he had sayd that the popish Churche was not the church of God but a sinagogue and that holy men of his sect where the true church of God For these and suche like matters was he a long time emprisoned and at last through frailtie and feare of death was contented to abiure yeld himselfe vnto the iudgement of the Romish Church and thereupon was enioyned not only to make hys open recantation but also from thencefâ—rth to remayne as prisoner within the monastery of Osney besides Oxford Thomas Man sent to the monastery of Osney and so to beare a fagot before the first crosse at the next generall Procession within the Uniuersitie Howbeit not long after the Bishop hauing neede of the poore mans helpe in hys housholde busines tooke him out of the said Monastery and placed him with in his owne house vntill his busines was ended and then hys turne once serued hee appoynted D. Wilcockes his vicar generall that in hys next iudicial Session within the sayd Priorie of Frideswide at Oxforde Thomas Man sent to the monastery of Frideswyde he shoulde assigne him to remayne within the sayd Priorie and not to depart thence without licence of the Prior for the tyme being vpon payne oâ— relapse and vpon lyke payne he also enioyned him to weare the signe of a Fagot vnder his vppermost garment vntill he were dispensed withall for the same Al which notwithstanding he beyng belike both sory for hys offence in denying the trueth and also weary of his seruile and prisonlike bondage bethought hymself how he might best escape their cruell handes and therefore after a while seyng good opportunitie offered him Thomas Man fledde out of the monastery he fled the dioces and iurisdiction of Lincolne and secking abroad in other couÌ„tryes for worke thereby to susteine his poore lyfe he most commonly abode sometime in Essexe sometime in Suffolke where also he associated and ioyned himselfe vnto such godly professors of Christes Gospel as he there could heare of But within fewe yeares after such is the cruell rage of Sathan and hys wicked members whiche neuer suffer the godly long to continue vntroubled he was againe accursed of relapse Thomas Man the second time apprehended by the inquest of the inquisition of London and therupon was apprehended brought vnto Rich. Fitziames then Bish. of Lond. the 9. day of February an 1518. he was examined by D. Hed the Bishops vicar generall within his pallace at Lond. where the sayde Hed iudicially assisted with diuers of his complices declared first vnto man that for as much as he was since hys first abiuring againe detected and accused by certayne credible and honest persons of the same heresies which he had once before recanted and further contrary to the order of penaunce enioyned hym by the late Byshop of Lincolne he had departed the Priorie of Sainct Frideswide and the Dioces of Lincolne without leaue The cause of hys martyrdome eyther of the Byshop or Prior and was now also found within y e dioces of LoÌ„don and that without hys badge assigned hym by y e sayde bishops vicar generall he therefore as Chauncellour and vicar generall vnto the bish of Lond. deputed for that purpose did then meane to proceede agaynst hym as a relapse by order of Ecclesiasticall lawes in that behalfe prouided Wherfore he appoynted hym to appeare agayne in the coÌ„sistory of Pauls the 12. day of February next after there to answere vnto such articles as then should be propounded agaynst him At which day and place the Chauncellor first reciting the causes before mentioned why he did then proceede against him obiected vnto him these articles folowing Articles againe obiected against Thomas Man 1. First that he was of the Dioces of London 2. IteÌ„ that he was a Christen man professed Christes Fayth and the determinatioÌ„s of holy Church concernyng the seuen Sacramentes and other articles of the Catholicke fayth 3. Item that it was not lawfull for any man especially a lay man erroneously and obstinatly to hold teach or defend any opinion contrary vnto the determinations of the sayd church and that the person so doing is an hereticke 4. Item that within one of the 12. monthes of the yeare of our Lord. 1511. he had bene detected before the Bishop of Lincolne that then was Against the reall presence in the Sacrament of diuers poyntes of heresie as that he had affirmed that the very body and bloud of christ was not in the sacrament of the altar but materiall bread and wine and that he had receiued it at Easter as holye bread and likewise had affirmed that the crucifixe other Images in the Church were not to be worshipped and also that confession made vnto a priest was of none effect with diuers other like opinions and heresies 5. Item that for these and such like poyntes of heresie he had bene abiured in S. Mary church at Oxford before D. Wilcockes Chauncellour vnto the sayde Byshop of Lincolne in the month of October in the yeare last abouesayd and there dyd renounce them and all other promising no more to fal into the like 6. Item that there also he had taken a solemne oth to do such pennaunce as should be enioyned him by the authoritie of the sayd Bishop 7. Item that then he was enioyned to abide within the monastery of Osney by Oxforde and also there to beare a fagot before the first Crosse in the generall Procession 8. Item that after a certayn tyme that he had bene within the monastery of Osney the Byshop of Lincolne for certayne causes tooke him into his owne house and seruice respiting his pennaunce for a time 9. Item that afterwardes which was the 9. day of October anno 1512. the sayd Bishops Chauncellour iudicially sitting
Nicholas hys two sonnes went to Germany to study Returning agayne to theyr mother and sister and younger brother by dilligent instruction brought theÌ„ to the right knowledge of Gods Gospel whiche being not vnknown to the Person there of S. Catherine he called to him Doctour Rupert Tapert other Maisters and Fryers who takyng counsaile together with William Clericken the head Magistrate of the towne of Mechlen agreed that the mother with her foure Children shoulde be sent to prison separated one from an other where great labour was employed to reclayme them home vnto theyr Church that is from light to darcknes agayn The ij yonger to wit the daughter with the yonger brother beyng yet not setled neyther in yeares nor doctrine something inclined to them and were delyuered The mother which woulde not consent was condemned to perpetuall prison The other 2. Frances and Nicholas Fraunces Nicholas constant in Christ. standing firmely to theyr confession defended that the Catholicke Church was not y e Church of Rome that the Sacrament was to be mynistred in both kynds that auricular confession was to no purpose that Inuocation of Sayntes was to be left that there was no Purgatory The Fryers they called hypocrites and contemned theyr threatninges The Magistrates after disputations fell to torments to know of them who was theyr mayster and what fellowes they had Theyr mayster they sayd was Christ which bare hys crosse before Felowes they sayd they had innumerable dispersed in all places At last they were brought to the Iudges their Articles were read and they condemned to be burned Comming to the place of execution as they began to exhort the people gagges or balles of wood were thrust in their mouthes whiche they through vehemencye of speaking thrust out agayne desiring for y e Lord sake that they might haue leaue to speake And so singing with a loud voyce Credo in vnum Deum c. they went and were fastened to the stake praying for theyr persecutors and exhorting the one the other they did abide the fire paciently The one feeling the flame to come to hys beard Ah sayd he what a small payn is this to be compared to the glory to come Thus the pacient martyrs committyng theyr spirite to the hands of God to the great admiration of the lookers on through constancy atchieued the crowne of martyrdome Ex. Phil Melanct. The names of their accusers appeare not in the Authours Marion wyfe of Adrian Taylor At Dornic An. 1545. In the same persecution agaynst Brulius and his companye in Dornic Adrian and Marion his wyfe Martyrs was apprehended also one Adrian and Marion hys wyfe The cause of theyr trouble as also of the others was the Emperoures decree made in the Councell of Wormes agaynst y e Lutherians mentioned before pag. 841. Adrian not so strong as a man for feare gaue backe from y e truth and was but onely beheaded The wife stronger theÌ„ a woman did withstand their threates and abide the vttermost and beyng inclosed in an yron grate formed in shape of a pastie Marion buryed quicke was layd in the earth and buryed quicke after the vsuall punishment of that countrey for women When the aduersaryes fyrst tolde her that her husband had relented she beleeued them not and therefore as shee went to her death passing by the Tower where he was shee called to hym to take her leaue but he was gone before Et Pant. lib. 4. The Magistrates of Dornic or Tornay M. Peter Bruly Preacher At Dornic An. 1545. M. Peter Bruly was preacher in the Frenche Churche at Strausburgh Peter Bruly Martyr Who at the earnest request of faythful brethren came downe to visite the lower countryes about Artoys and Dornic in Flanders wher he most dilligeÌ„tly preached the word of God vnto the people in houses the dores standing open Wherupon wheÌ„ y e magistrates of Dornic had shut the gates of the towne and had made searche for hym three dayes he was priuelye let downe the wall in the night by a basket and as he was let downe to the ditch ready to take his way one of them whiche let him downe leaning ouer the wall to byd hym fare well caused vnawares a stone to slip out of y e wall which falling vpon hym brake hys legge by reason whereof he was heard of the watchmen complayning of hys wounde and so was taken geuing thankes to God by whose prouidence he was there stayed to serue the Lord in that place Gods secret working in disposing the wayes of his seruauntes So long as he remayned in prison hee ceased not to supply the part of a diligent preacher teaching and confirming all them that came to hym in y e word of grace Beyng in prison he wrote hys owne confession and examination sent it to the brethren He wrote also an other Epistle to them that were in persecution an other also to all the faithfull also an other letter to hys wife the same day that he was burned He remayned in prison 4. monethes His sentence was geuen by the Emperours Commissioners at Bruxels that he should be burneh to ashes and hys ashes to be throwne into the riuer Although the fryers and priestes made the fire but small The Martirdome of Brulius to multiply hys payne yet he the more cheerefully and constantly tooke hys martyrdome and suffered it The letters of Duke Fredericke and of the Lantgraue came to entreat for hym but hee was burned a little before the letters came Ex Lud. Rab. Lib. 6. The Senate of Dornic Doctour Hasardus a Gray Fryer Peter Miocius Bergiban At Dornic An. 1545. The comming of M. Peter Bruly into the countrey of Flaunders Pet. Mioce Martyr did exceeding much good among the brethren as appeared by diuers other good men and namely by thys Peter Mioce which was by hys occupation a silke weauer This Peter before he was called to y e Gospell led a wicked lyfe geuen to much vngraciousnes almost to all kyndes of vyce But after the taste of the Gospell began to worke in hym so cleane it altered hym from that former man that he excelled all other in godly zeale and vertue In his first examination he was asked whether he was one of the scholers of Peter Bruly He sayd he was and that hee had receiued muche fruite by his doctrine Wilt thou then defend hys doctrine sayd they Yea sayd he Crueltie shewed vpoÌ„ Châ—istes seruauntes for that it is consonant bothe to the old Testament and to the new and for thys he was let downe vnto a deepe dongeon vnder y e castle ditch ful of toades and filthy vermine Shortly after the Senate with certayne Friers came agayne to examine him to see whether they coulde conuert hym To whome he answered and sayd that when he before had liued such an vngodly lyfe they neuer spake word agaynst hym but now for sauouring and fauoring the worde of God they were so infeste agaynst hym
downe to the Citye Messina and there was martired Ibidē Pope Pius the fourth Diuers that suffered in the kingdome of Naples At Neaples An. 1560. After Pope Iulius the third came Marcellus the second After him succeded pope Paul the fourth This Paule being dead folowed Pope Pius the fourth Who being aduaunced to y e rowme began hoate persecution in all the territories of the Churche of Rome agaynste them whyche were suspected for Lutheranes Whereuppon ensued great trouble and persecution in the kingdome of Neaples in such cruell sorte that many noble men with their wiues others are reported there to be slaine Vide Pantali lib. 11. Pope Pius the fourth Lxxxviij Martyrs in one day with one butcherly knife slaine like sheepe 1600. other also condemned At Calabria An. 1560. In Calabria likewise the same tyme suffered a blessed nūber of Christes welbeloued saintes both old and yong put together in one house to the number of 88. persōs al which one after an other were taken out of the house and so being layd vpon the butchers stall like the shepe in the Shambles wyth one bloudy knife were all killed in order A Spectacle most tragicall for all posteritie to remember and almost incredible to beleeue Wherefore for the more credite of the matter least we shall seeme eyther light of creadite to beleeue that is not true or rashly to committe to penne thynges wythout due proofe and authoritie wee haue heere annexed a peece of an Epistle wrytten by mayster Symon Florillus preacher of Goddes woorde at the Citie Clauenna among the Rhetians vnto a certaine friende of his named Guliel Gratalorus an Italian and Doctoure of Phisicke in the Uniuersitie of Basill whyche Gratalorus translated the same into the Latine tounge and it is to be founde in the 11. booke of Pantal. pa. 337. the English wherof is thys as followeth * The ende of a certaine letter of master Symon Florellus wrytten in Italian concerning a lamentable slaughter of 88. Christian Saintes in the parties of Calabria AS concerning newes I haue nothing to wryte but onely that I sende you a Copie of certaine letters imprinted eyther at Rome Newes out of Italy anno 1560. or at Venice concerning the Martyrdome or persecution in two seuerall Townes of Calabria eyghte Italyan myles from the borders of Consentia the one called Sainte Sixtus wythin two miles of Montalte vnder the Seigniorie of the Duke of Montalte the other called Guardia situate vppon the Sea coaste and 12. miles from S. Sixtus the which two Townes are vtterly destroyed and eight hundred of the inhabitantes there or as some wryte from the Citie of Rome no lesse then a full thousande Hee that wrote the letter was seruaunt to Ascanius Caracciolus The countrey and people there I well knew to take the first Original of their good doctrine honest life frō the Valdēses For before my departure frō Geneua at their request I sent them two Schoolemaisters Ioan. Aloisius Paschalis Iames Bouell preachers and Martirs and two preachers The last yeare the two preachers were Martyred the one at Rome named Ioannes Aloisus Paschalis a Citizen of Cunium he other at Messina named Iames Bouel both of Piedmont This yeare the residue of that godly fellowshippe were Martyred in the same place I trust thys good seede sowen in Italie will bringe foorthe good and plentifull fruite Now foloweth the copie of the letters sent from Montalt a towne in Calabria 8. miles distant from Consentia bearing Date the 11. of Iune 1560. The wryter of the which letters as ye may perceiue was one of them which call themselues Catholickes and followers of the Pope The woordes of the letter bee these as heere vnder followeth * Heere foloweth the Copie of a letter sent from Montalte in Calabria by a Romanist to a certayne frend of his in Rome containing newes of the persecution of Christes people in Calabria by the newe Pope Pius the fourth HEtherto most noble Lord haue I certified you what here daily hath bene done about these hereticks Now commeth next to signifie vnto your Lordshippe Horrible persecution in Calabria an 1560. the horrible iudgement begon thys present day being the eleuenth of Iune to bee executed very earely in the mornyng againste the Lutheranes Whyche when I thynke vppon I verelye quake and tremble And truely the manner of theyr putting to deathe was to be compared to the slaughter of calues and sheepe For they being al thrust vp in one house together as in a sheepefolde the executioner commeth in and amongest them taketh one and blindfeldeth him wyth a muffler about his eyes so leadeth him forth to a larger place near adioyning where he commaundeth him to kneele downe whych being so done he cutteth his throte leauing him half dead and taking his butchers knife and muffler all of gore bloud which the Italians call Benda commeth againe to the rest The Christians killed like Calues so leading one after an other he dispatcheth them all which were to the number of 88. This spectacle to behold howe doleful and horrible it was I leaue to your Lordshippes iudgement for to wryte of it I my selfe cannot but weepe Neither was there any of the beholders there present whiche seeing one to die coulde abide to beholde the death of an other But certesse so humbly and paciently they went to death as is almost vncreadible to beleeue Some of them as they were in dyinge 88. Martirs affirmed that they beleeued euen as wee doe Notwithstanding as the most part of them died in the same theyr obstinate opinions All the aged persones wente to deathe more cheerfully the younger were more timerous I tremble and shake euen to remember how the executioner held his bloudie knife betweene his teethe with the bloudy muffler in his hande and his armes all in goare bloude vp to the elbowes going to the folde and taking euery one of them one after an other by the hande and so dispatching them all no otherwise then doeth a butcher kill his calues and sheepe It is moreouer appoynted and the cartes be come all readie that all those so put to death shoulde be quartered and so to bee conueied in the cartes to the hethermost parts of Calabria where they shal be hanged vppon poles in the high waies and other places euen to the confines of the same country Vnlesse the Popes holines the Lord Viceroy of Neaples shall geue in commandement to the Lord Marques of Buccianus gouernour of the sayde prouince to stay his hand and go no further he wil procede with the racke and torture examining al other and so encrease the nūber in such sorte that he will nie dispatch them all This day it is also determined that an hūdreth of the more ancient women should appeare to be examined and racked and after to be put to death that the mixture may be perfect for so many menne so manye women And thus haue you that I
ought to vanishe the sayde Waldoys which mainteined not the Popes religion alleging that he could not suffer such a people to dwell within his dominion without preiudice and dishonour to the Apostolique Sec. Also that they were a rebellious people against the holy ordinaunces and decrees of their holy mother the Churche And briefly that he might no longer suffer the said people being so disobedient stubbern against the holy father if he would in dede shew him selfe a louing and obedient sonne Such deuilishe instigations were the cause of these horrible and furious persecutions wherewith this poore people of the valleys and the Countrey of Piemont was so long vexed And because they foresawe the great calamities which they were like to suffer to find some remedy for the same if it were possible al the saide Churches of Piemont with one common consent wrote to the duke declaring in effect that the onely cause why they were so hated and for the which he was by their enemies so sore incensed against them was their religion which was no newe or light opinion but that wherein they and their auncitours had long cōtinued being wholy grounded vpon the infallible worde of God conteined in the olde and new Testament Notwithstanding if it might be prooued by the same worde that they held any false or erroneous doctrine they would submit them selues to be reformed with all obedience But it is not certaine whether thys aduertisemente was deliuered vnto the Duke or no for it was sayde that he woulde not heare of that Religion But howe so euer it was in the moneth of March following there was great persecution raised against the poore Christians which wer at Carignan Amongest whom there were certaine godly persones taken burnt within foure daies after that is to saye one named Mathurine and his wife Mathurin his wife Iohn de Carquignan Martyrs and Iohn de Carquignan dwelling in the valley of Luserne taken prisoner as he went to the market at Pignerol The woman died with great constancie The good man Iohn de Carquignan had ben in prison diuers times before for religion and was alwaies deliuered by Gods singulare grace and prouidence But seeing him selfe taken this last time incōtinēt he said he knew that God had now called him Both by the way as he went and in prison and also at his death he shewed an inuincible cōstancie and maruelous vertue aswel by the pure confession which hee made touching the doctrine of saluation as also in suffering with patience the horrible torments which he endured both in prison also at his death Many at that time fled away others being afraid of that great crueltie and fearing man also more then God looking rather to the earth then vnto heauē consented to returne to the obedience of the Church of Rome Within fewe daies after Persecution beginnerh in the Valleys these Churches of the sayde Waldoys that is to say Le Larch Meronne Meane and Suse were woonderfully assaulted To recite all the outrage crueltie and villany that was there cōmitted it were too long for breuities sake we will recite onely certaine of the principal and best knowen The Churches of Meane Suse suffered great afflictions Their minister was taken amongst other Many fled away and their houses and goodes were ransackt and spoiled The Minister of Meane Martyr The Minister was a good a faithfull seruaunt of God and endued with excellent giftes and graces who in the ende was put to moste shamefull and cruell death The great pacience which hee shewed in the middes of the fire greatly astonished the aduersaries Likewise the Churches of Larche and Meronne were marueilouslye tormented and afflicted For some were taken and sent to the galleis other some consented yelded to the aduersaries and a great number of them fled away It is certainly knowen Gods secret iudgements vpō them that shrinke from his truthe that those which yeelded to the aduersaries were more cruelly hādled then the others which cōtinued constant in the truth Wherby God declareth howe greatly he detesteth all such as play the Apostataes and shrinke from the truth But for the better vnderstanding of the beginning of this horrible persecution against the Waldoys heere note that first of all proclamations were made in euery place that none should resort to the Sermons of the Lutherans but should liue after the custome of the Churche of Rome vpon paine of forfaiture of their goods and to be condemned to the Galleyes for euer or loose their liues Three of the most cruel persons that could be founde Cruell persecutors Thomas Iacomell a cruell Apostata were appoynted to execute this cōmission The first was one Thomas Iacomel a Monke and Inquisitour of the Romish faith a man worthy for suche an office for hee was an Apostata and had renounced the knowen truth and persecuted mortally and malitiouslye the poore Christians againste his owne conscience and of set purpose as his bookes do sufficiently witnesse He was also a whoremonger and geuen ouer to al other villanies and filthy liuing and in the horrible sinne of Sodomitrie which he cōmonly vsed he passed all his fellowes Briefly The rigorous handling of the Waldoys he was nothing els but a mis-shapen monster both against God and nature Moreouer he so afflicted and tormented the poore captiues of the sayd Waldoys by spoiling robbery and extortion that he deserued not only to be hanged but to be broken vpon y e whele a hundred times and to suffer so many cruell deathes if it were possible so great so many and so horrible were the crimes that he had committed The seconde was the Collaterall Corbis who in the examination of the prisoners was very rigorous cruell for he only demaunded of them whether they would go to the masse or be burnt within three dayes and in very dede executed his sayings But it is certainly reported Martyrs that hee seeing the constancie and hearing the confession of the pore Martyrs feeling a remorse and tormented in conscience protested that he would neuer meddle any more The thirde was the Prouost de la Iustice a cruell and crafty wretch accustomed to apprehende the poore Christians either by night or early in the morning or in the high way going to the market and was commonly lodged in the valley of Luserne or there aboutes Thus the poore people were alwayes as the seely sheepe in the Woolues iawes or as the shepe which are ledde vnto the slaughter house At that season one named Charles de Comptes of the valley of Luserne and one of the Lordes of Angrongne wrote to the sayde Commissioners to vse some leuitie towardes them of the valley of Lusern By reason whereof they were a while more gently entreated then the rest At that season the monks of Pignerol theyr associates tormented greeuously the churches neare about them The cruell Monkes of Pigneroll They tooke the poore Christians as
be in a great choler some he beat and some things also of a smal value he caused to be restored but all the rest was kept backe and caryed away Two womeÌ„ the mother and the daughter Martyrs The same day two women the mother and the daughter were found in a caue in the mountaine wounded to death by the souldiers and died immediatly after So likewise a blinde man a hundreth yeares of age which was fled into a caue with his sonnes daughter being eighteene yeares olde whych fed him was slaine by the enemies The grandfather hys nyce dyed Martyrs and as they would haue forced the mayden she escaped from them and fell from the top of the mountaine and dyed At that tyme also a great company of women of Tailleret Uillars were taken as they fled with their goodes and brought to the campe and sent away emptye There was at the same tyme a certaine souldier whiche promised the Lord of Trinitie to find out the minister of Tailleret and to deliuer him into his owne hands And to bring his purpose to passe he neuer ceased vntill he had founde him and after that he pursued hym a long time But as he was pursuing and chasing him A wicked persecuter killed with stones certaine at vnwares comming out of the mountaine rescued the poore minister and killed the souldier with stones But this especially is to be noted that duryng these troubles diuers of the Papistes had sent their daughters into the mountaines vnto the Waldoys to be kept fearing least they should haue ben rauished by the souldiers being wholy geuen ouer as to all crueltie and rauine so to all villany and abhomination by whome they were before threatned to be so abused All this being done the sayd Lord of Trinitie caused the head officers and chiefest of y e people to assemble together and declared vnto them that the mainteining of the army was a greate charge vnto the Duke and that it was meete that they should beare the one halfe of the charges For this cause he demaunded of them twentie thousande crownes But by the meanes of his Secretarie Gastaut who was promised a hundreth crownes for hys wyne that is to say for a bribe foure thousand of those twenty were abated The poore Waldoys pressed at 16. thousaÌ„d crownes so that they graunted vnto him xvj thousand of the which summe the Duke released the one halfe Then the Lord of Trinitie pressed this poore people to deliuer the eight thousand out of hand to pay the souldyers their wages as he sayde and so to withdraw his armye The yeare before corne was exceeding deare for a sacke was commonly sold for sixe crownes yea and some for eight crownes and also they had very litle corne growing vpon their mountaines wherefore they were now verye bare of money But they being in this perplexitie and desiring nothing more then to liue in peace and quietnes went about to sell their cattell to pay this money But the Lord of Trinitie had geuen out a commandement y t none should buy any cattell of the Waldoys The Papists false of promise without his liceÌ„ce Then licence was geuen out to certaine to buy great store of cattell and that for a small price and the common brute was that he had part of the gaine When this money was payd yet the army notwithstanding retyred not After this the Lord of Trinitie commaunded the Waldoys to surrender vp al their armour to furnish y e Dukes fortes otherwise he threatned to sende his souldyers amongest them and in deede he constrained many so to do Then he demanded moreouer the eight thousand crownes whiche the Duke had remitted and constrayned them to promise the payment thereof After that he commaunded that the ministers should be sent awaye vntill the matter were determined before the Duke otherwise he woulde send his souldiers to dislodge them out of hand whereuppon with one common assent and accord they determined that their ministers shoulde withdrawe themselues for a space vntill the army were retired which was not done without marueilous sighes lamentation and teares At that season there fell such abundance of snowe that the like had not bene seene of a long time before so that the people were constrained to make a way with great trauaile and paine through the top of the mountayne of S. Martin for their ministers to passe Now thought the Lord of Trinitie so to haue enclosed them he keeping the plaine and the mountaynes beyng couered so thicke with snowe that by no meanes they shoulde haue escaped his handes But the people caused theÌ„ to passe the top of the mountayne and at their departure The care of the Waldois for their ministers there flocked out of euery quarter greate multitudes to the village of Boby and came together into a secrete place there called le Puis not withoute greate griefe and sorowe For they found theÌ„ altogether in teares and mourning that their ministers should so be taken froÌ„ them and they now leaft as lambes amongst wolues The armye was aduertised that the ministers were assembled together and incontinent a greate troupe of harquebushes were at hand whiche sought them euen to the very top of the mountaine in so much that if they had remained there but one houre longer they had bene all taken From that time for certaine dayes after they dyd nothing but raunge about in all places Gods prouidence for his ministers seeking for the ministers and there was no house chamber caue nor secrete corner into the whiche they dyd not enter vnder pretence to seeke the Ministers There was neither chest nor any thing else so strong but they brake it open saying that the ministers were hidden therein and by that meanes they tooke spoyled and caried away whatsoeuer they would The Lorde of Trinitie promised often tymes that although it were forbidden to all the Ministers to preache yet the Minister of Angrongne shoulde be excepted and furthermore sent the sayd Minister word that if he would demaunde any thyng of the Duke it shoulde be graunted hym Whereupon the sayde Minister made thys request that the poore people might liue peaceably in their religioÌ„ A while after he sent for the saide Minister to confer wyth him priuately vpoÌ„ certaine points of religion The minister went vnto him hauing therto the coÌ„sent of the people The Lord of Trinitie propounded vnto him three points Marke here the faire pretence trayterous meaning of the Lord of Trynitye which by by after seeâ—â—th the death of this good Minister The first concerning the supremacie of the Pope the other concerned transubstantiation Of the whyche two points the minister then immediatly declared his opinioÌ„ and he seemed to agree thereunto and required him to put the same in writing The last which was his whole drift was to perswade the minister to go to the Dukes Court and there to defend the cause of the people
Lorde 1515. of all such penaunce as was enioyned him and his wife at their abiuration except these three Articles following and were discharged of their badges or signes of their fagots c. Only this penaunce folowing the Byshop continued Sub poena relapsus First that neyther of them during their life should dwell out of the parish of Amersham It was happy that they were not put to taste bread and water Item that eyther of them during their life shoulde fast bread and ale euery Corpus Christi euen Item that eyther of them should during theyr liues vppon Corpus Christi day euery yeare go in pilgrimage to Asherige and there make theyr offerings as other people did but not to do open penaunce Also they were licenced by the sayd Byshop to do theyr pilgrimage at Asherige vpon Corpus Christi euen or Corpus Christi day or some other vpon any cause reasonable This penance being to them enioyned ann 1515. they obserued to the yeare 1522. saue only in the last yere the foresayd Alice his wife omitted her pilgrimage going to Asherige vpon Corpus Christi daye Also the sayd Tho. Harding being put to his othe to detect other because he contrary to his othe dissembled and did not disclose them was therefore enioyned in penaunce for his periury to beare vpō his right sleue both before and behinde a badge or patch of greene cloth or silke embrodered like a fagot during his whole life vnlesse he shoulde otherwise be dispensed withall And thus continued he from the yeare 1522. till the yeare 1532. At last the said Harding in the yeare abouesayd 1532. about Easter holydayes when the other people wēt to the church to commit their wonted idolatry toke his way into the woods there solitarily to worship the true liuing God in spirit and truth Where as he was occupied in a booke of English prayers The taking of Thomas Harding leaning or sitting vppon a style by the woods side it chanced that one did espie hym where he was and came in great haste to the officers of the towne declaryng that he had sene Harding in the woodes lookyng on a booke Wherupō immediatly a rude rable of them like mad mē ranne desperatly to his house to search for bookes in searching went so nigh that vnder the bordes of his flore they foūd certain English bookes of holy Scripture Whereupō this godly father with his bookes was brought before Iohn Longlād Bish. of Lincolne thē lying at Wooburne Who with his Chapleins calling father Harding to examination begā to reason with him proceedyng rather with checkes rebukes then with any sound arguments Thom. Hardyng seyng their folly and rude behauiour gaue thē but few wordes but fixing his trust and care in the Lord did let them say what they would Thus at last they sent him to the Bysh. prison called litle ease Tho. Harding put in little ease the Bishops prison where he did lye with hūger payne enough for a certaine space till at lēgth the Bish. sitting in his tribunall seat like a potestate cōdēned him for relapse to be burned to ashes cōmittyng the charge ouersight of his Martyrdome to Roulād Messenger vicare of great Wickhā Tho. Harding condemned Which Roulād the day appointed with a rable of other like to himselfe brought father Hardyng to Chesham agayne Where the next day after his returne the sayd Roulād made a Sermō in Cheshā Church causing Tho. Hardyng to stād before him all the preachyng tyme which Sermō was nothing els but the mainteinyng of y e iurisdiction of the Bysh. of Rome the state of his Apostolicall sea w t the idolatry fantasies traditions belōgyng to the same Whē the Sermō was ended Roulād tooke him vp to the high aulter asked whether he beleued that in y e bread after the consecratiō there remained any other substaūce then the substaunce of Christes naturall body borne of the virgin Mary To this Tho. Harding aūswered The faith and confession of Tho. Harding the Articles of our belief do teach vs that our Sauiour Christ was borne of the virgin Mary that he suffred death vnder Pilate and rose frō death the thyrd day that he then ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God in the glory of his father Then was he brought into a mans house in the towne where he remained all night in prayer and godly meditations So the next mornyng came the foresayd Roulād agayne about x. of the clocke with a company of bils and staues to lead this godly father to his burnyng Whom a great number both of men and womē did folow Of whom many bewayled his death cōtrary the wicked reioyced thereat He was brought forth hauyng thrust in his handes a little crosse of wood but no idoll vpon it Then he was cheyned to the stake The pacient death and martirdome of Tho. Harding desiring the people to pray for him and forgiuyng all his enemyes and persecuters he commended his spirite to God and tooke his death most paciently quietly liftyng vp his hands to heauen saying Iesus receaue my spirite Whē they had set fire on him there was one that threw a byllet at him dashed out his braynes Of what purpose he so did it is not knowen but as it was supposed that he might haue xl dayes of pardō as the proclamatiō was made at y e burnyng of Williā Tilseworth aboue mentioned pag. 774. whereas proclamation was made the same tyme 40. dayes of pardon for bringing fagots to burne good men that whosoeuer did bring a fagot or a stake to the burnyng of an hereticke should haue xl dayes of pardon Whereby many ignoraūt people caused their children to beare byllets and fagottes to their burnyng In fine when the sacrifice and burnt offeryng of this godly Martyr was finished and he brent to ashes in the Dell goyng to Botley at the North end of the Towne of Chesham Rouland their Ruler of the rost commaundyng silence and thinking to send the people away with an Ite missa est with aloude voyce sayd to the people these wordes not aduising belyke what his tongue dyd speake Good people whē ye come home do not say that you haue bene at the burnyng of an hereticke but of a good true Christian man and so they departed to dyner Rouland with y e rable of other Priestes much reioysing at the burnyng of this good man After dyner they went to Church to Euensong because it was Corpus Christi euen where they fell to singyng chauntyng with ryngyng and pypyng of the Organes Well was he that could reache the hyest note So much dyd they reioyce at this good mans burnyng He should haue bene burned on the Ascention euen but the matter was referred vnto the euen of Corpus Christi because they would honour their bready Messias with a bloudy sacrifice Thus Thomas Harding was consumed to ashes he being
foorth his fruite so did it appeare by thys man Antichristians are those which are against Christ. For he daily seeing the glorye of God to be so blasphemed idolatrous religion so embraced and maintained that most false vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome so extolled was so greeued in conscience and troubled in his spirite that he could not be quiet till he did vtter his minde therein Wherefore dealing priuately with certaine of his frendes he did plainely open and disclose howe blasphemously and abhominably God was dishonoured his worde contemned and hys people whom he so dearely bought were by blinde guides caried headlong to euerlasting damnation and therefore hee coulde no longer endure but muste needes and would vtter theyr abhominations and for his owne parte for the testimonie of his conscience and for the defence of Gods true religion The godly zeale of Tho. Benet would yeelde hymself moste patiently as neare as God woulde geue him grace to die and to shedde hys bloude therein alleaging that his death shoulde be more profitable to the Churche of God and for the edifying of his people then his life shuld be To whose perswasions when hys friendes had yeelded they promysed to pray to God for hym that hee myght be strong in the cause and continue a faithfull souldiour to the ende Which done he gaue order for the bestowing of such bookes as he had and very shortlye after in the moneth of October hee wrote his minde in certaine scrolles of Paper whyche in secreate maner he set vp vpon the doores of the Cathedrall churche of the Citie in which was wrytten The Pope is Antichrist and we ought to worshippe God onely The Pope is Antichrist and no Saintes These bils being found there was no smal adde and no litle search made for the inquiry of the heretike that should set vp these bils Benet setteth vp billes against the Pope and the Maior his officers were not so busie to make searches to find this heretike but the bishop and all his doctors were as hote as coales enkindled as though they had bene stong w t a sort of waspes Wherefore to kepe y e people in their former blindnes order was taken that the doctors should in hast vp to the pulpit euery day and confute this heresie Neuerthelesse this Thom. Benet keping his own doings in secret went the sonday folowing to the cathedral church to the Sermon and by chaunce sate downe by 2. men which were the busiest in al the city in seking searching for this heretike and they beholding this Benet sayd the one to the other Surely thys fellowe by all likelyhoode is the heretike that hath set vp the billes and it is good to examine him Benet almost tak◠in the church Neuertheles whē they had wel behelde him and saw the quiet and sober behauiour of the man his attentiuenes to the preacher his godlinesse in the Church being alwayes occupied in hys Booke which was a Testament in the Latine tongue were astonied and had no power to speake vnto him The storyes a little vary touching the taking of Benet but departed left hym reading in his booke As touching this poynte of Benets behauior in the Church I finde the reportes of some other a litle to vary and yet not much contrary one to the other For in receiuing the letters and wrytings of a certain minister whych at the same time was present at the doynge hereof in Exeter thus I finde moreouer added concerning the behauiour of this Thomas Benet in the Church At that time sayth he as I remember doct Moreman Crispin Caseley wyth suche other bare the swinge there Beside these were there also preachers there Doctors friers in Exeter one Doctour Bascauild an vnlerned doctor God knoweth and one D. Dauid as wel learned as he both Gray friers and doctor I know not who a Blacke frier not much inferiour vnto them Gregory Bassed Fryer of Exeter Moreouer there was one Bacheler of Diuinitie a Gray frier named Gregory Bassed in deede learned more then they all but as blinde and superstitious as he whych was most Whych Gregorie not long before was reuolted from the way of righteousnes to the way of Beliall for in Bristowe sayth the author he lay in prison long almost famished for hauing a booke of M. Luther called his questions which he a long time priuily had studied for teaching of youth a certaine Cathechisme To be shorte the braines of the Canons and Priests the officers and commons of that Citie were very earnestly busied howe or by what meanes suche an enormious heretique whyche had pricked vp those billes might be espied and knowen but it was long first At last the Priestes founde out a toye to curse him what soeuer he were with booke bel and candle which curse at that day seemed most fearefull and terrible The maner of the curse was after this sort One of the Priestes apparelled all in white ascended vp into the pulpit The priestes curse they cannot tell whom The other rabblement wyth certaine of the two orders of Friers and certaine superstitious Monks of S. Nicholas house standing round about and the Crosse as the custome was being holdē vp with holy candles of waxe fixed to the same he began his sermon w t this Theame of Iosue Est blasphemia in Castris There is blasphemie in the armie and so made a long protestation but not so long as tedious and superstitious and so concluded that that foule and abominable heretike which had put vp such blasphemous billes was for that his blasphemie damnably accursed and besought God our Lady S. Peter Patrone of that church with all the holy companie of martyrs confessors and virgines that it might be knowen what hereticke had put vp such blasphemous billes that Gods people might auoide the vengeance The maner of the cursing of the sayd Benet was maruelous to beholde for as muche as at that time there was fewe or none The manner of the popes blacke curse with booke bell and candle vnlesse a Sherman or two whose houses I well remember were searched for billes at that time and for bookes that knew any thing of Gods matters or how God doeth blesse theyr curses in such cases Then sayde the Prelate by the authoritie of God the father almighty and of the blessed virgin Mary of S. Peter and Paule and of the holy Saints we excommunicate we vtterly curse and banne commit and deliuer to the deuill of hell him or her what soeuer he or shee be that haue in spite of God and of S. Peter whose church this is in spite of all holy saintes and in spite of our most holy father the Pope Gods vicare heere in earth Here is colde charitye and in spite of the reuerend father in God Iohn our Diocesane and the worshipfull Canons Maisters and Priestes and Clarkes which serue God daily in this Cathedrall Church
Bayfild Bainham Teukesbery falsely belying their articles doctrine M. More a persecutour as God graunting me life I haue sufficient matter to proue against him Briefly as he was a sore persecuter of them that stoode in defence of the Gospel so againe on the other side such a blynd deuotion he bare to the Pope holy See of Rome so wilfully stoode in the Popes quarell against his owne prince that he woulde not giue ouer tyll he had brought y e Scaffolde of the Towre hyll with the axe and all vppon his owne necke Edwarde Hall in his Chronicle writing of the death and manners of this Syr Thomas More seemeth to stand in doubt whether to call him a foolishe wise man or a wise foolishe man For as hy nature he was indued with a great witte so the same againe was so mingled sayth he with taunting and mocking that it seemed to them that best knewe him that he thought nothing to be wel spoken except he had ministred some mock in the communication in so much as at his comming to the Tower one of the officers demaunding his vpper garment for his fee meaning his gowne he answered that he should haue it and tooke him his cappe saying it was the vppermoste garment that he had Likewise euen going to his death at the Tower gate a poore woman called vnto him besought him to declare that he had certain euidences of hers in the time that he was in office which after he was apprehended M. More a scoffer vnto his death she could not come by and that he woulde intreat that she might haue them againe or els she was 〈◊〉 He answered Good woman haue patience a little 〈◊〉 for the king is good vnto me that euen within this halfe houre he will discharge me of all businesses and help thee him selfe Also when he went vppe the stayre on the Scaffold he desired one of the Sheriffes officers to giue hym hys hand to helpe him vp and sayde when I come downe againe let me shyft for my selfe so well as I can Also the hangman kneeled downe to him asking him forgiuenes of his death as the manner is To whom he said I forgiue thee but I promise thee that thou shalt neuer haue honestie of y e striking of my head my neck is so short Also euen when he should lay downe his head on the block he hauing a great gray beard striked out his beard and said to the hangman I pray you let me lay my beard ouer the block least you should cut it Thus with a mocke he ended his life There is no doubt but that the Popes holines hath halowed and dignified these two persons long since for Catholike martirs Neither is it to be doubted but after an hundred yeres expired they shal also be shrined portissed dying as they did in that quarrel of the church of Rome y t is in taking the bishop of Romes part against their own ordinary natural prince Wherunto because y e matter asketh a long discourse a peculiar tractation I haue not in this place much to contend with Cope my friend This briefly for a memorandum may suffice that if the causes of true martyrdome ought to be pondred not to be nuÌ„bred if the end of martyrs is to be weyed by iudgement noâ— by affection then the cause and quarrell of these men standing as it doth being tried by Gods word perhaps in y e Popes kingdome they may go for martirs in whoâ—e cause they dyed but certes in Christes kingdome their cause wil not stand how so euer they stand them selues The like also is to be said of the three monkes of Charterhouse Exmewe Middlemore and Nudigate Rochester More Exmew Myddlemore Nudigate executed for treasoÌ„ who the same yeare in the moneth of Iune were likewise attached and arrained at Westminster for speaking certaine trayterous words against the kings crown and dignitie for the which they were hanged drawen and quartered at Tyborne whoÌ„ also because Cope my good freÌ„d doth repute accept in the number of holy Catholique Martyrs here would be asked of him a question What Martyrs be they which standing before the iudge denye their owne words and sayings and plead not guiltie so as these Carthusians dyd whereby it appeareth that they would neither haue stand nor haue died in that cause as they did if they might otherwise haue escaped by denying Wherefore if my friend Cope had bene so well aduised in setting out his martyrs as God might haue made him he woulde first haue seene the true recordes ben sure of the ground of such matters wherupon he so confidently pronounceth and so censoriously controlleth others In the same cause quarrell of treason also the same yeare a little before these aforesaide in the moneth of May Ex actiâ— in termino 〈◊〉 Anno. 2â— Reg. Hen. 8. were executed with the like punishmeÌ„t Iohn Houghton Priour of the Charterhouse in London Robert LaureÌ„ce Prior of the Charterhouse of Beluaile Austen Websteâ— Prior of the Charterhouse of Exham Beside and with these three Priors suffered likewise the same time two other Priestes one called Reignolde brother of Syon the other named Iohn Haile vicare of Thistleworth 9. Carthusians dyed in prison refusing the kinges supremacy Diuers other Charterhouse monks also oâ— LondoÌ„ were then put in prison to the number of nine or tenne and in the same prison dyed for whom we will the Lorde wyllyng reserue an other place hereafter to intreate of more at large In y e meane time M. Copes 9. worthyes for so much as y e foresaide Cope in his doughty Dialogues speaking of these nine worthies doth commend them so highly and especially the three priors aboue recited here by the way I would desire maister Cope simply and directly to answere me to a thing or two that I would put to him and first of this Iohn HoughtoÌ„ that angelical Prior of the Charterhouse his olde companion acquaintance of whoÌ„ thus he writet◠〈◊〉 qui cum Ioannem illum Houghtonum cogito non tam homiâ—◠〈◊〉 quà m angelum in humana forma intueri mihi videor Copus in Dialog 9. pap 995. cuius eminentes virtutes diuinas dotes heroicam animi magnitudinem nemo vnquam poterit satis pro dignitate explicare c. By these his owne wordes it must needes be confessed that the authour of these Dialogues who so euer he was had well seene and considered the fourme and personable stature proportion and shape of his excellent bodye with such admiration of his personage that as he sayth as oft as he calleth the said Iohn Hughton to mind it seemeth to him euen as though he saw an angel in the shape and forme of a man Whose eminent vertues moreouer whose diuine gifts and heroical celsitude of mind no man saith he may sufficiently expresse c. And how old was this M. Cope then I would know
Phil. 3. for great is your reward in heauen For we suffer with him that wee may also be glorified with him who shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subiect al things vnto him Dearely beloued be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this hye reward and beare the image of Christ in your mortall body Boldnes of spirite that it may at his comming be made like to his immortall and followe the example of all youre other deare breethren which choose to suffer in hope of a better resurrection Keepe your conscience pure and vndefiled and say against that nothing Sticke at necessary things and remember the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ Woâ—nde not Conscience Standing â—pon things necessarye saieng they finde none but that wil abiure rather then suffer the extremitie Moreouer the death of them that come againe after they haue once denied though it bee accepted wyth God and all that beleeue yet is it not glorious for the hypocrites say he must needes dye denyeng helpeth not But might it haue holpen they would haue denied fiue hundreth times Death after denying euil spoken of by the aduersaryes but seeing it would not helpe them therefore of pure pride and meere malice together they spake with their mouthes that their conscience knoweth false If you geue your selfe cast your selfe yeeld your selfe commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louing father then shall his power be in you and make you stroÌ„g and that so strong that you shall feele no payne which should be to another present death and his spirite shall speake in you and teach you what to aunswere Obedience to God according to his promise He shall set out his truth by you wonderfully and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine Yea and you are not yet dead though the hypocrites all To looke for no mans helpe bringeth Gods helpe Conâ—tancye in standing Patience in suffering with all they can make haue sworne your death Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem To looke for no mans helpe bringeth the helpe of God to them that seeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hypocrites Yea it shall make God to carry you through thicke and thinne for his truthes sake in spite of all the enemies of hys truth There falleth not an heare till his houre be come and when his houre is come necessitie carieth vs hence though we be not willing But if we be willing then haue we a reward and thanke Feare not threatening therefore neyther be ouercome of sweet words Bilney with which twayne the hypocrites shall assayle you Neyther let the persuasions of worldly wisedome beare rule in your hart PerseueraÌ„ce to the ende no though they be your friends that counsayle you Let Bilney be a warning to you Let not their visure beguile your eyes Let not your body faynt He that endureth to the end shall be saued If the payne be aboue your strength Math. 22. remember Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name I will geue it you And pray to youre father in that name and he shall cease your payne or shorten it The Lord of peace of hope and of fayth be with you Amen William Tyndall TWo haue suffred in Antwerpe In die sanctae Crucis vnto the great glory of the Gospell Two Martirs at Antwerpe Foure Martyrs in FlauÌ„ders one at S. Luke Persecution at Roane Fiue Doctors at Paris taken for the Gospel four at Rysels in Flanders and at Luke hath there one at the least suffered and all the same day At Roane in Fraunce they persecute And at Paris are fiue Doctors taken for the Gospell See you are not alone Be cheerefull and remember that among the hard harted in England there is a number reserued by grace for whose sakes if neede be you must be ready to suffer Sir if you may write how short soeuer it be forget it not that we may knowe howe it goeth with you for oure harts ease The Lord be yet againe with you with all his plenteousnes and fill you that you flowe ouer Amen If when you haue read this you may send it to Adrian do I pray you that he may knowe howe that our harte is with you George Ioy at Candlemas being at Barrow printed ij leaues of Genes in a great forme and sent one copy to the King and another to the new Quene with a letter to N. for to deliuer them and to purchase licence that he might so go through all the Bible Out of this is sprong the noise of the new Bible and out of that is the great seeking for English bookes at all printers and bookebinders in Antwerpe and for an English Priest that should print This chaunced the 9. day of May. Sir your wyfe is well content with the will of God and would not for her sake haue the glory of God hindred William Tyndall Another notable and woorthy letter of Maister William Tyndall sent to the sayd Iohn Frith vnder the name of Iacob ¶ The grace of our Sauiour Iesus his pacience meekenesse humblenesse circumspection and wisedome be with your hart Amen DErely beloued brother Iacob mine harts desire in our Sauiour Iesus is An other letter of W. Tindal that you arme your selfe with pacience and bee cold sober wyse and circumspect and that you keepe you alowe by the ground auoiding hie questions that passe the common capacitie But expound the law truly and open the vayle of Moses to condemne all flesh High questions to be auoyded proue all men sinners all deedes vnder the law before mercy haue taken away the coÌ„demnatioÌ„ therof to be sinne and damnable and then as a faythfull minister set abroche the mercy of our Lord Iesus All deedes before they be iustified by faith are sinne Preaching the lawe of God mercy of Christ. Sacraments without significations to be refused and let the wounded coÌ„sciences drinke of the water of him And then shall your preaching be with power not as the doctrine of the hypocrites and the spirite of God shall worke with you and all coÌ„scieÌ„ces shall beare record vnto you and feele that it is so And all doctrine that casteth a miste on those two to shadow and hide them I meane the law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you withall your power Sacramentes without signification refuse If they put significations to them receiue them if you see it may helpe though it be not necessary Of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament meddle as little as you can M. Tindall here beareth with tyme. that there appeare no diuision among vs. Barnes will be whote agaynst you The Saxons be sore on the affirmatiue whether constant or obstinate I omitte it to God Phillip Melancthon is sayd to be with the
attain them which I beseech him to graunt vs. Amen ¶ In the xxxvij where you do aske whether I beleeue that the same thing To the 37. artycle which the Councell of Constance representing the vniuersal Church hath approued and doeth approue for the maintenance of faith and soules health is to be approued Touching the authority of the couÌ„cell of Constance and holden of all Christen people and that which the same Councell hath condemned and doth condemne to be contrary to faith and good maners ought of y e same christen people to be beleued and affirmed for a thing condemned I say that whatsoeuer the same Councell or any other haue aproued being approbation or allowance worthy is of al Christen people to be likewise approued holden allowed And again whatsoeuer the same or any other hath condemned being reprofe condeÌ„nation worthy for because it is hurtful to faith or good liuing I say the same ought of al ChristeÌ„ people to be condemned reproued But this surmounteth my knowledge to discerne in what wise their iudgement passed whether with right or vnright for because I neuer looked vpon their Acts neither do I greatly coueâ— for to do wherefore I referre the determinatioÌ„ to them y t haue better aduised their doings and thereby haue some more skill in them then I. In the xxxviij you demaund whether the condemnations of Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus To the 38. article and of Hierome of Prage done vpon their persons bookes and documentes by the holy generall Councel of Constance were duly and rightfully done and so for such of euery Catholike person whether they are to be holden and surely to be affirmed I aunswer that it passeth my knowledge and I can not tel thinking surely y t though I am ignoraunt of the same so y t I cannot discusse the thing determinately yet my Christendom shal be therefore neuerthelesse and that I and all Christen men may well suspend our sentence being thereof ignorant affirming neither the one ne the other neither yea nor nay In the xxxix you ask whether I beleeue hold affirm that Iohn Wickleffe of England Iohn Hus of Boheme To the 39. article and Hierome of Prage were heretickes and for hereticks to be named and their books and doctrines to haue ben now be peruerse for the which books pertinacitie of their persons they are condemned by the holy Councel of Constance for heretikes I say that I know not determinately whether they be heretikes or no ne whether their books be erroneous or no ne whether they ought to be called heretickes or no. ¶ In the xl where you aske whether I beleeue and affirme that it is not lawful in any case to sweare I say To the 40. article y t I neither so do beleue ne affirme ne neuer did ¶ In the xlj where you aske whether I beleue that it is lawful at the commandement of a iudge to make an oth to say the truth or any other othe in a case conuenient and that also for purgation of infamy To the 41. article An othe before a iudge in a cause conuenient is lawfull I answere that I neuer saide the contrary but that I thinke and haue thought it lawful to giue an oth afore a iudge to say the truth if the iudge so require and that by request lawful and conuenieÌ„t As when a thing is in controuersie betwixt two persons and therupon they sue vnto a iudge for sentence when the iudge can none otherwise boult out the truth he may require an oth As when the two women which contended before Salomon to auoyde the cryme of murther which the one had comitted in oppressing her child to death and would haue put the same vpon the other How an oth ought to be required of a iudge and how it may be geueÌ„ before a iudge Ouer much vse of othes in Courtes repreheÌ„ded Iudges must be spare and warye in requiring othes Where many othes be there is some periâ—rye The vse and maner of Germaines in causes iudiciall if Salomon could not by his wisdome otherwise haue inuestigated the truth he might I suppose for to come by the more certaine information of the thing haue caused one of them or both seing it expedient for him to sweare wherin the women had bene bound to obey him But Iudges haue neede to be spare in requiring of othes For in customable or oft Iuries creepeth in alway betwixt times some periury as sheweth Chrisostome in wordes semblable to these and thinges precious through oft haunt or occupying loseth their estimation And so reuerent othes vnaduisedly required for euery trifle vsually do cause men to regard little for making of them yea and I feare to breake them Therfore in Almaine they haue made of late as I haue hard say by credible persoÌ„s which haue come from thence many notable ordinances for the coÌ„mon wealth within a while amongest other this is one If a man be set for to enter plea against another in any town the Peeres therof afore whom al actions are vsed to be debated hearing such a plea entred shal cal the parties priuately together before they come into any open Court. And the matter examined they shal exhort them to let the plea ceasse without further processe shewing them y e great dammage both godly and worldly comming of waging the law and the great cast and commoditie that is in agreement and concord Fruit of the Gospell in Germanye Which exhortation they vse to shew with so great grauity and fatherly loue such wonders are wrought where the Gospell hath free passage that very few will commence plea. In Germany few controuersies come to the open courâ—â— but commoÌ„ly are compounded â— home And though any plea be commeÌ„ced through such sage admonition it falleth lightly to sequestration and arbitrement of neighbours who do set the suters at vnitie ere the matter do came to discussion in open Court Notwithstanding if some be so weiwardly minded as in a multitude al are not one mans children therfore vnlike of intent that they will needes proceede and follow y e law they shal be heard to speak their matters in opeÌ„ court and taught as the matter is most like to succeede counsailed with new exhortation to stoppe their processe If they will not be perswaded then the Iudges seeing the matter so ambiguous y t they cannot giue perfect sentence therin Câ—stome aâ—â—ng the â—â—maines of â—aking 〈◊〉 except by vertue of an othe made by one of the parties they be first better certified Then wil they shew the same before the suters declaring what a chargeful thing it is to giue a soleÌ„ne oth for loue of winning some worldly profit how vnlesse such as shal make it ne y e better ware to eschew the same they shal beside an euil ensaÌ„ple giuing to a multitude work theÌ„selues happily shame or dishonesty Upon this they
cause Fishers wife of Harnesey D. Cockes Bishop Stokesley Holland his Sumner M. Garter king of Armes Thomas Frebarne and his Wife A story of one Frebarnes wyfe longing for a peece of meate in Lent IN the yeare of our Lord. 1538. Syr William FormaÌ„ being Maior of the citye of London three weekes before Easter the wyfe of one Tho. Frebarn dwelling in Pater noster row being w t childe loÌ„ged after a morsell of a pigge and told her minde vnto a Mayde dwelling in Abchurch lane desiring her if it were possible to helpe her vnto a piece The mayd perceiuing her earnest desire shewed vnto her husbaÌ„d what his wife had sayd vnto her telling him that it might chaunce to cost her her life and the childe 's too whiche she went withall if she had it not Uppon this Thomas Frebarne her husbande spake to a butter wife which he knew y t dwelled at Harnsey named goodwife Fisher to helpe him vnto a pigge for his wife for she was with childe longed sore to eate of a pigge Unto whome the sayde goodwife Fisher promised that she would bring him one the Friday folowing and so she did being ready dressed and scalded before But when she had deliuered him the pigge A crafty part of a â—alse 〈◊〉 she craftily conueyed one of the piggeâ— feete caried it vnto Doctor Cockes at that time being Deane of Caunterbury dwelling in Iâ—y lane who at that time of his dinner before certain gestes which he had bidden shewed his pigs foot declaring who had the body therof and after that they had talked theyr pleasure dinner was done one of his gestes being landlord vnto Frebarne aforesayd called M. Garter by his office king of Armes sent his man vnto the sayd Frebarne demaunding if there were no body sicke in his house Unto whom he aunswered that they were all in good health he gaue God thankes Then sayde he agayne it was tolde hys Mayster that some body was sicke or els they would not eate flesh in Lent Unto whom Frebarne made aunswere that his wife was with childe and longed for a piece of a pigge and if he could get some for her he would Then departed his Landlordes man home agayne And shortly after his Landlord sent for him But before that he sent for him he had sent for the bishop of Londons Sumner whose name was HolloÌ„d wheÌ„ this Frebarne was come he demaunded of him if he had not a pig in his house which he denyed not Then commaunded Mayster Garter the sayde Sumner called Hollond to take him and goe home to hys house and to take the Pygge and carry both him and the Pigge vnto Doctour Stokesley his Mayster being then Bishop of London so he did Then the Bishop being in his chamber with diuers other of the Clergy called this Frebarne before him and had him in examination for his pigge laying also vnto his charge that he had eaten in his house that lent poudred beefe and Calues heades Unto whom Frebarne answered My Lord if the heades were eaten in my house in whose houses were the bodyes eaten Also if there be eyther man or woman that can proue that either I or any in my house hath done as your Lordship sayth let me suffer death therfore You speake sayd he agaynst pilgrimages and will not take holy bread holy water nor yet goe on Procession on Palme Sonday Thou art no Christian man My Lord sayd Frebarne I trust I am a true Christen man haue done nothing neither agaynst Gods law nor my princes In the time of this his examination which was during the space of two hours diuers came vnto the bishop some to haue theyr childreÌ„ confirmed some for other causes Unto whom as they came hauing the pig before hym couered he would lift vp the cloth and shew it them saying How thinke you of such a felow as this is is not this good meate I pray you to be eaten in this blessed time of Lent yea and also poudred Beefe and Calues heades too beside this After this the Bishoppe called his Sumner vnto him and commaunded him to go and carry this Thomas Frebarne and the pig openly thorow the streâ—tes into the olde Bayly vnto Syr Roger Chomley for the Bishop sayd he had nothing to do to punish him for that belonged vnto y e ciuill magistrates and so was Frebarne caryed w t the pyg before him to sir Roger Chomleis house in the old Baily he being not at home at that time Frebarne was broght likewise back agayne vnto the bishops place with the pig and there lay in the porters lodge till it was 9. a clocke at night Then the bishop sent him vnto the Counter in the Poultry by the Sumner and other of his seruauntes The next day being Saterday he was brought before the Maior of London his brethren vnto Guild hall but before his comming they had the pig deliuered vnto them by the Bishops officer Then the Maior and the Benche layd vnto his charge as they were informed from the Bishop that he had eaten poudred beefe and Calues heades in his house the same Lent but no man was able to come in that would iustify it neither could any thing be found saue onely the Pig which as is before sayd was for the preseruation of his wiues life and that she went withall Notwithstanding the Maior of London sayde that the Monday next folowing he should stand on the Pillary in Cheapeside with the one halfe of the pig on the one shoulder and the other halfe on the other Then spake the Wyfe of the sayd Frebarne vnto the Maior and the Benche desiring that she myght stand there and not he for it was long of her and not of him After this they tooke a satten list tide it fast about the pigs neck and made Frebarne to cary it hanging on his shoulder vntill he came vnto the Counter of the Poultry from whence he came After this was done the Wyfe of this Prisoner tooke with her an honest woman the Wyfe of one Michaell Lobley whiche was well acquaynted with diuers in the Lord Cromwelles house vnto whom the sayde woman resorted for some helpe for this prisoner desiring them to speake vnto theyr Lord and Mayster for his deliueraunce out of trouble It happened that the same time came in Doctour Barnes and Mayster Barlowe 〈◊〉 Barlow sue 〈…〉 Cromwell 〈◊〉 Thomas 〈◊〉 Lord 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 who vnderstandyng the matter by Lobleys wife went vp to the Lord Cromwell and certified him thereof who vpon their request sent for the Maior of the City of London but what was sayd vnto the Lord Maior is vnknowne sauing that in the after noone of the same day â—he wife of the person aforesayd resorted agayne vnto the Lord Maior suyng to get her husband deliuered out of prison declaring how that she had 2. small children and had nothing to helpe
brought openly to the Cathedrall Church and so to the place of punishment where malefactours are executed and there should make open confession of their wickednes But euen at the same tyme chaunced a persecution against the Lutheranes which was the cause that this sentence albeit it was too gentle for so great offence was not put in execution For because the name of the Lutheranes was most odious they feared least the punishment of these men should not haue bene so much thought to be due for their offence The Fryers â—â—caped and 〈◊〉 Lutheâ—â—â—es puniâ—â—â—d as done in reproch of the order and many thought that whatsoeuer should be done to them it would be to the Lutheranes a pleasant spectacle and cause them much to reioice This order of the Franciscanes was esteemed of the common people very holy so that what tyme they were carried out of Paris certayne women mooued wyth pitie followed them vnto the gate of the Uniuersitie wyth many teares and sighes After they came to Orleance and were bestowed in seuerall prisons they began to boast agayne of their liberties and priuiledges and at length after long imprisonment they were discharged and set at libertie without anye further punishmente Had not these persecutions before mentioned letted the matter the King had determined as it was certaynely reported to plucke downe their house and make it euen with the ground Ex Io. Sleid. lib. 9. But to leaue the memorye of thys Idolatrous generation not worthy any further to be named let vs occupy the tyme with some better matter 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 M. 〈◊〉 tyme. in remembring the story of a good and constant Martir of the Lorde before ouerpast whiche suffered in Kent for the worde of God before Luthers time about the second yeare of this kings raigne as heere in story followeth Iohn Browne a blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus burned at Ashford by Archbishop Warrham and Doct. Fisher Bish. of Rochester about the 2. yeare of king Henry the 8. An. 1511. Persecuters Martir The cause W. Warrh Archb. of Cant. Fisher byshop of Rochester A chauÌ„try priest Walter More Gentleman William More hys brother Children of Wye Baily arraÌ„t Beare of Wilborough Two seruauntes of Wil. Warham I. Browne of Ashford At Asheford Ann. 1511. The first occasion of the trouble of this I. Brown the blessed seruaunt of God The story of Iohn Browne Martyr was by a certayne Prieste who passing downe to Graues end in the coÌ„mon Barge where the sayd Ioh. Brown was amongest diuers other passingers moe and disdayning y t hee so saucely shoulde sit so neare vnto him in the Barge who belyke seemed not muche to passe vppon the Priest began to swell in stomacke agaynst him At length bursting forth in his priestly voyce and disdaynefull countenaunce hee asked hym in this maner Doest y u know sayd he who I am thou sittest to neare me and fittest on my clothes No sir sayde the other I know not what you are I tell thee quoth hee I am a priest What sir are you a parson or vicar Talke betweeâ— Iohn Browne a proud Priest 〈◊〉 in Graues end 〈◊〉 Barge or some ladies chapleine No quoth he agayne I am a soule Priest I sing for a soule Doe you so sir quoth the other that is well done I pray you sir sayd he where find you the soule when you go to Masse I cannot tel thee sayd the Priest I pray you where doe you leaue it sir when the Masse is done I cannot tell thee sayde the priest Neither can you tell where to find it when you goe to Masse nor where you leaue it when the Masse is done howe can you then saue the soule sayd he Go thy wayes said the priest I perceiue thou art an hereticke and I will be euen with thee So at the landing Walter More William More Chilten and Beare persecuters the priest taking with him Walter More and W. More two Gentlemen and brethren rode straightwayes to the archbishop who theÌ„ was Wil. Warham Wherupon the sayd Iohn Browne within 3. dayes after was seÌ„t for by the archbishop His bringers vp were Chilten of Wye baily arraunt and one Beare of Wilseborough with two of the bishops seruantes Who with certayn other being appoynted for the same came sodenly into his house vppon him Iohn Browne sodeinly taken and caryed away the same day when his wife was churched as hee was bringing in a messe of pottage to the bourd seruing his gestes and so laying hands vpon hym set him vpon his owne horse and binding his feete vnder the horses belly caryed him away to Canterbury neither he nor his wife nor any of his friendes knowing whether he went nor whether he should and there continuing the space of 40. dayes froÌ„ LowsoÌ„day till Friday before Whitsonday through the cruell handling of the sayd Archb. and y e B. of Rochest D. Fisher hee was so piteously intreated His bare 〈◊〉 set vpon the hote coales to make him deny the truth that his bare feete were set vpon the hote burning coales to make him deny his fayth whiche notwithstanding hee would not doe but paciently abiding y e payne continued in the Lordes quarrell vnremoueable At length after al this crueltie susteined his wife yet not knowing where he was become on Friday before Whitsonday he was sent to Ashford where he dwelt the next day there to be burned In the meane time Brown brought to Ashford to be burned as he was brought to the town ouer night there to be set in the stockes it happened as God would that a young mayde of his house comming by and seeing her mayster ran home and told her mistres Then she comming to him and finding him in y e stocks appoynted to be burned the next morow Browne set in the stockes at Ashford sat by him all the night long To whome then he declared the whole story or rather tragedy how he was haÌ„dled and how his feet were burned to the bones that he could not set them vppon the ground by the two Bishops aforesayde he thanked God therfore and all to make me sayd hee to deny my Lorde which I will neuer doe for if I should deny him sayde he in this world he would deny me hereafter And therfore I pray thee sayd he good Elizabeth continue as y u hast begon bring vp thy childreÌ„ vertuously in the feare of God And so the next day which was on Whitson euen thys godly martyr was burned where he standing at the stake sayd this prayer holding vp his handes as followeth The prayer of Browne at his death O Lord I yeeld me to thy grace Graunt me mercy for my trespace Let neuer the fiend my soule chace The prayer of Iohn Browne at his death Lord I will bow and thou shalt beate Let neuer my soule come in hell heate Into thy handes I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord of truth And so
be greatly weake bring your selfe in dauÌ„ger of one part when parties be therwith one to scourge the other Wheras in coÌ„cord they â—e both yours in an honest reuereÌ„t louely feare to do theyr duty which I doubt not your wisedoÌ„e can consider And coÌ„sider also how noisome any other outward encoÌ„ber might be in the time of y e minority of our soueraign Lord. I told y e Emperors couÌ„sell that our late souereign Lord did much for the Emperor to enter war with him put his realme in his old dayes in y e adueÌ„ture of fortune whether he should enioy it or no for y t is the nature of war And sometime the coÌ„teÌ„ned abiect haue had y e vpper hand And wheÌ„ ye administer y e realme for another it were a maruelous question of him y t shall enioy y e realme to say what ment you in the time of administratioÌ„ to adueÌ„ture my realme why tooke ye not rather for the time of my minoritye any peace whatsoeuer it were which is better theÌ„ y e best waâ— as some meÌ„ haue writteÌ„ I know you haue authority sufficient wisdome pleÌ„ty yet being entred to write I forget for y e time what ye be coÌ„men 〈◊〉 you as I were talking at Brusels with you Wynchester agaynst the expedition into Scotland deuising of the worlde at large And if I were sworne to say what I thinke in the state of the world I would for a time let scots be scots with dispayre to haue theÌ„ vnlesse it were by coÌ„quest which shall be a godly enterprise for our yong maister wheÌ„ he coÌ„meth to age And in y e meane time prepare him mony for it see y e realme in an order which hath need of it And for a stay if the Emperor would offer the king of Romains daughter as he did do w t him in our maisters minority Winchester here meaneth a fetch if he could haue brought it about as he dyd w t vs in his Wherby all this hath chauÌ„ced vnto him And by this allians your estimation shal encrease our souereign Lordes surety not a little increase be augmented For of Fraunce it must be takeÌ„ for a rule They be so wantoÌ„ they cannot do well leÌ„ger theÌ„ they see how they may be scourged if they do not Here is all the wit that I haue which I offer vnto you vpon this occasion of writing shall pray God to put in your mind y t shal be for the best as I trust he will in y e meane time to extinct this barbarous coÌ„teÌ„tion at home which can serue onely to do hurt no good I had fashioned a letter to master Ridley which I seÌ„d vnto your grace and encomber you with these malencoly writinges engendred of this fondnes which be not worth y e reading And so it may like you to vse theÌ„ for hauing heard that ye haue sayd vnto me and otherwise heard and seene what you do I shall go occupy my wit in other matters now such as haue fonde enterprises shall see that I letted not theyr follyes which they called Gods worde Winchesters letters against Ridley Gods word is folly to Winchester but to them that be wise in the Lord it is the Wisedome of the Lord to saluation ¶ This place here eyther seemeth to lacke something or eâ—s Winchester to lackesome of his wits But for hys time the king our souereigne Lord that dead is and after his time you much to your honor and reputation * Winchester wrangleth agaynst Dales bookes howsoeuer any shal be here not contented which miscontentation hath bene so fond in some as they haue burst out and wished that they might without breach of his lawes kill me which is to me a tokeÌ„ of a maruelous fury which hath bene cause why I am glad both to depart hence and to depart the sooner pray to God to order all thinges for the best With preseruatioÌ„ of our soueraigne L. and encrease of your graces honor At my house in Sothworke the last of February Your Graces humble beadman S. W. An other letter of S.W. AFter my humble commeÌ„dations to your grace it may like the same to vnderstand I haue sene of late 2. books set forth in english by Bale very pernitious seditious and slaunderous And albeit that your grace needeth not mine aduertisement in y e matter yet I am so bolde to trouble your Grace with my letters for mine owne commodity wherwith to satisfy mine own conscience to write say as becommeth me in such matters which I desire your grace to take in good part For it greueth me not a little to see so soone after my late soueraigne Lord and maisters death a booke spread abroad more to his dishonor if a princes honor may be by vile inferior subiectes impeached then professed enemies haue imagined to note a womaÌ„ to haue suffered vnder him as a martyr the woman therewith to be by Bales owne elucidation as he calleth it so set foorth painted as she appeareth to be is boasted to be a sacrameÌ„tary by the lawes worthy as she suffered the paynes of death such like things haue by stealth in our late soueraign Lords dayes gone abroad as they do now And as I am woÌ„t in such cases to speak I keep my woÌ„t to write to your grace now in whose hands I know the estate of y e realme to be foretime in gouernment to whoÌ„ for respectes of old acquayntaunce I wish al felicity In these matters of religion I haue bene long exercised and haue thankes be to God liued so long as I haue sene them throughly tryed and besides that I haue learned in written bookes of Authority I haue perceiued by bookes written without authority as by M. Bale Ioye and other and specially as Bale vseth nowe that Scripture doth by abuse seruice to the right hand and the left at once in so much as at one time Bale prayseth Luther * Luther and Anne Askew why not as well Saintes both in heauen though they varied in one small poynt here as well as you Smith both the Popes friendes though ye vary as ye sayde your selfe in diuers and setteth his death forth in English with commendation as of a Saynt whych Luther whatsoeuer he was otherwise stoutly affirmed the presence really of Christes naturall body in the Sacrament of the aultar And yet Bale the noble clerk would haue Anne Askew blasphemously denying the presence of Christes naturall bodye to be taken for a Saynte also So as Bales Saynctes may vary in heauen if they chaunce not by the way which might suffice to disproue the mans creditte if thwarting talke were not more desired of many then the trueth in deede which trueth was supposed to haue bene both in writing and exercise well established long before our late Lordes death And Bale his adherentes in their madnes playnely reproued condemned I
at large In whome I wyshe thee to continue in health and to perseuere in the trueth Anno 1549. ⧠The first entring of Queene Mary to the Crowne with the alteration of Religion and other perturbations happening the same time in this Realme of England Anno 1553. WHat time King Edward by long sickenesse beganne to appeare more feble and weake in the meane while during the time of this his sickenesse The reigne of Queene Mary a certayne mariage was prouided concluded and shortly also vpon the same solempnised in the moneth of May betwene the Lord Gilford sonne to the Duke of Northumberland 〈◊〉 â—â—tweene the Lorâ— Gilfoâ—d and the Lady â—ane and the Lady Iane the Duke of Suffolkes daughter whose mother being then aliue was daughter to Mary King Henryes second sister who first was maried to the French king and afterward to Charles Duke of Suffolke But to make no long tariance hereupon the mariage being ended and the king waxing euery day more sicke then other where as in deede there seemed in him no hope of recouerye it was brought to passe by the consent not onely of the Nobility but also of all the chiefe Lawyers of the Realme that the king by his Testament did appoynt the foresayde Ladye Iane daughter to the Duke of Suffolke to be inheretrice vnto the crowne of England passing ouer his two sisters Mary and Elizabeth To this order subscribed all the kinges Counsell and chiefe of the Nobility Syr Iames Hales standeth with Queene Mary the Maior and city of London and almoste all the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers of this Realme sauing onely Iustice Hales of Kent a man both fauoring true Religion and also an vpright iudge as any hath bene noted in this Realme who geuing his consent vnto Lady Mary would in no case subscribe to Lady Iane. Of this man God willing you shall perceiue more in the sequele of this story The causes layd agaynst Lady Marye were as well for that it was feared she would mary with a Straunger and thereby entangle the crowne as also that she would cleane alter Religion vsed both in king Henry her father and also in king Edwarde her brothers dayes so bring in the pope to the vtter destruction of the Realme which indeed afterward came to passe as by the course and sequele of this story may well appeare Two things feared in Queene Mary Much probable matter they had thus to coniecture of her by reason of her great stubbernnes shewed and declared in her brothers dayes as in the letters before mentioned passing betwene her and king Edward the Counsell may appeare The matter being thus concluded and after confirmed by euery mans hand King Edwarde an Impe of so great hope not long after this departed by the vehemency of his sickenes when he was sixtene yeares of age with whom also decaid in maner the whole florishing estate and honor of the English nation Queene Iane proclaâ—med at â—ondon ComparisoÌ„â—â—tweene 〈◊〉 king â—dward â—oung Lady 〈◊〉 This 〈◊〉 of the Lady Iane was M. Elmer When king Edwarde was deade this Iane was established in the kingdome by the Nobles consent and was forthwith published Queene by proclamation at London and in other Cityes where was any great resort and was there so taken and named Betweene this young Damosell and kyng Edwarde there was litle difference in age though in learning knowledge of the tongues she was not onely equall but also superior vnto him being instructed of a Mayster right notablye learned If her fortune had bene as good as was her bringing vppe ioyned wyth â—inenesse of wit vndoubtedly she might haue semed comparable not onelye to the house of the Uaspasians Sempâ—onians and mother of the Grachies yea to anye other women beside that deserued high prayse for theyr sigulart learning but also to the vniuersity men which haue taken many degrees of the Schooles In the meane time while these thinges were a working at London Mary which had knowledge of her Brothers death writeth to the Lords of the Councell in forme as foloweth ¶ A Letter of the Lady Mary sent to the Lordes of the Counsell wherein shee claymeth the Crowne after the decease of king Edwarde Lady Maryes letter sent to the Counâ—ayle wherein shee 〈◊〉 the Crowne MY Lordes we greete you well and haue receiued sure aduertisement that our dearest Brother the king our late soueraigne Lord is departed to Gods mercye whiche newes howe they be woefull vnto our hart he onely knoweth to whose will and pleasure we must and do humbly submitte vs and our willes But in this so lamentable a case that is to witte now after hys Maiesties departure and death concerning the Crowne and gouernaunce of thys Realme of England with the title of Fraunce and all thinges thereto belonging what hath bene prouided by Act of Parliament and the Testament and last will of our dearest Father besides other circumstaunces aduauncing our right you know the Realme and the whole world knoweth the Rolles and Recordes appeare by the authority of the kyng our sayde Father and the king our sayde brother and the subiectes of thys Realme so that we verily trust that there is no good true subiect that is can or would pretend to be ignoraunt therof and of our parte wee haue of our selues caused and as God shall ayde and strength vs shall cause our right and title in this behalfe to be published and proclaymed accordingly And albeit this so weighty a matter seemeth straunge that the dying of oure sayde brother vpon Thursday at night last past we hytherto hadde no knowledge from you thereof yet we consider your wisedomes and prudence to be such that hauing eftsoones amongest you debated pondered and well wayed this present case with our estate with your own estate the common wealth and all our honours wee shall and may conceiue greate hope and trust with much assuraunce in your loyaltye and seruice and therefore for the tyme interprete and take thinges not to the worst and that ye yet will like Noble men woorke the best Neuerthelesse wee are not ignoraunt of your consultations to vndoe the prouisions made for our preferment nor of the great bandes and prouisions forceable wherewith yee bee assembled and prepared by whom and to what ende God and you know and nature can but feare some euill But be it that some consideration politicke or whatsoeuer thing else hath mooued you thereto yet doubte you not my Lordes but we can take all these your doynges in gracious part being also right ready to remit fullye pardon the same with that freely to eschewe bloudshed and vengeance agaynst all those that canne or will intend the same trusting also assuredly you will take and accept this grace and vertue in good part as appeateyneth and that wee shall not be enforced to vse the seruice of other our true subiectes and frendes which in thys our iust and right cause
Require you any plainer words doeth he not say it is his body Iane. I graunt hee sayeth so and so he sayth I am the vine I am the doore Rom. 4. but hee is neuer the more for that the dore not the vine Doth not S. Paul say He calleth things that are not as though they were God forbid that I should say that I eat the very naturall body and bloud of Christ for then eyther I should plucke away my redeÌ„ption either els there were two bodies or two Christes One body was tormeÌ„ted on the Crosse. And if they did eate an other body then had hee two bodies either els if his body were eaten than was it not broken vpon the Crosse or if it were broken vpon the Crosse it was not eaten of his Disciples Feck Why is it not possible that Christe by hys power coulde make his body both to be eaten and broken as to be borne of a woman wythout seede of man and as to walke vppon the sea hauing a body and other suche like myracles as he wrought by his power onely Iane. Yes verely Christ 〈◊〉 power to turne the bread into his body no argument to proue that he 〈◊〉 so if God would haue done at his Supper any myracle he myght haue done so but I say that then he minded no worke nor myracle but onely to breake his body and shed his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes But I pray you to answere me to thys one question where was Christ when he sayd Take eate this is my body Was hee not at the table when he sayde so Hee was at that time alyue and suffered not till the next day What tooke he but bread What brake he but breade and what gaue hee but breade Looke what he tooke he brake and looke what hee brake he gaue and looke what he gaue they did eate and yet all this while he himselfe was aliue and at Supper before his disciples or else they were deceiued Feck You ground your faith vppon such authours as say and vnsay both with a breath and not vpon the Church Fecknaâ— goeth from the word 〈◊〉 the churcâ— to whom ye ought to geue credite Iane. No I grounde my faith on Gods woorde and not vpon the Churche For if the Churche be a good Churche Fayth to groundeâ— vppon the word and not vpon the church the faith of the Churche must be tried by Gods worde and not Goddes woorde by the Churche either yet my Faithe Shall I beleeue the Churche because of antiquitye or shal I geue credite to the Churche that taketh away from mee the halfe parte of the Lordes Supper and will not lette any man receiue it in both kindes A note 〈◊〉 the false 〈◊〉 Church Whych thing if they denie to vs then denie they to vs part of our saluation And I saye that it is an euill Churche and not the Spouse of Christ but the Spouse of the Deuill that altereth the Lordes Supper and both taketh from it and addeth to it To that Church say I God will adde plagues and from that Church will he take their parte out of the booke of life Doe they learne that of S. Paule when he ministred to the Corinthians in both kindes Shall I beleeue this Churche God forbid Feck That was done for a good intent of the Churche to auoide an heresie that sprong on it Gods 〈◊〉 not to be altered 〈◊〉 good â—â—tentes Iane. Why shal the church alter Gods wil ordinance for a good inteÌ„t How did king Saul The Lord God defend With these and such like persuasions he would haue had her leaue to the Church but it woulde not be There were many more things whereof they reasoned but these were the chiefest After this Fecknam tooke his leaue saying that he was sory for her For I am sure quoth he that we two shall neuer meete Iane. True it is sayd she that we shall neuer meete except God turne your hart The wordes 〈◊〉 spoken 〈◊〉 For I am assured vnlesse you repent and turne to God you are in an euill case and I pray God in the bowels of his mercy to send you his holy spirite for he hath geuen you his great gift of vtterance if it pleased him also to open the eyes of your hart ¶ A letter of the Lady Iane sent vnto her father FAther although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whome my life should rather haue bene lengthened yet can I so patiently take it 〈◊〉 Ianes 〈◊〉 sent to her father as I yeeld God more harty thankes for shortening my wofull dayes then if all the world had bene geuen into my possession with life lengthened at my owne will And albeit I am well assured of your impacient dolours redoubled manyfold wayes both in bewayling your owne woe and especially as I heare my vnfortunate state yet my deare father if I may without offence reioyce in my owne mishaps me seemes in this I may accompt my selfe blessed that washing my handes with the innocencie of my fact my giltles bloud may cry before the Lord mercy to the innocent And yet though I must needes acknowledge that being constrayned and as you wot well inough continually assayed in taking vpon me I seemed to consent and therein greeuously offended the Queene and her lawes yet do I assuredly trust that this mine offence towards God is so much the lesse in that being in so royall estate as I was mine enforced honour being neuer with mine innocent hart And thus good father I haue opened vnto you the state wherein I presently stand Whose death at hand although to you perhaps it may seme right wofull to me there is nothing that can be more welcome then from this vale of miserie to aspire to that heauenly throne of all ioy and pleasure with Christ our Sauiour This Parenthesis includeth with a praier a priuy admonition to her father that he fall not from his religion In whose stedfast fayth if it may be lawfull for the daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hetherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at the last we may meete in heauen with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost At what time her father was florishing in freedome and prosperitie in the time of King Edward there belonged vnto him a certayne learned man student and Graduate of the Uniuersitie of Oxford Who then being Chaplayne to the sayd Duke and a sincere Preacher as he appeared of the Gospell according to the doctrine of that time set foorth and receiued shortly after that the state of Religion began to alter by Queene Mary altered also in his profession with the time and of a Protestant became a friend and defender of the Popes proceedings At whose sodayne mutation and inconstant mutabilitie February this Christian Lady being not a little agreeued and most of all lamenting the daungerous state of his soule in sliding
al and wilt thou offer him vp agayne dayly at thy pleasure Good intenâ— But thou wilt say thou doest it for a good inteÌ„t O sinck of sinne Oh child of perdition doest y u dreame therein of a good intent where thy conscience beareth thee witnes of Gods threatned wrath against thee How did Saule who for that hee disobeyed the worde of the Lorde for a good intent was throwne from his worldlye and temporall kingdome Shalt thou then that doest deface Gods honour and rob him of his right inherite the eternall and heauenly kingdome Wilt thou for a good intent dishonour God offend thy brother and daunger thy soule wherefore Christ hath shed his most precious bloud Wilt thou for a good intent plucke Christ out of heauen and make his death voyde and deface the triumph of his crosse by offering him vp dayly Wilt thou either for feare of death or hope of life denie and refuse thy God who enriched thy pouertie healed thy infirmitie and yeelded to thee his victory if thou couldest haue kept it Doest y u not consider that the threed of thy life hangeth vpon him that made thee who can as hys will is eyther twine it harder to last the longer or vntwine it againe to breake it the sooner Doest thou not then remember the saying of Dauid a notable King to teach thee a miserable wretch in his 104. Psalme where he sayth thus When thou takest away thy spirit oh Lord from men they die and are turned agayne to their dust Psal. 104. but when thou lettest thy breath go foorth they shall be made and thou shalt renue the face of the earth Remember the saying of Christ in hys Gospell Whosoeuer seeketh to saue his life shall lose it but whosoeuer will lose his life for my sake shall finde it And in the same place Whosoeuer loueth father or mother aboue me is not meete for me Math. 10. He that will follow me let him forsake hymselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me What crosse the crosse of infamy and shame Math. 16. of misery and pouerty of affliction and persecution for his names sake Let the oft falling of those heauenly showers pearce thy stony hart Let the two edged sword of Gods holy word there asunder the sinowes of worldly respects The crosse for Christes sake euen to the very marrow of thy carnall hart that thou mayest once againe forsake thy selfe and embrace Christ. And like as good subiects will not refuse to hazard all in the defence of their earthly and temporal Gouernour so flie not like a white liuered milkesop from the standing wherein thy chiefe captaine Christ hath set thee in array of this life Viriliter age confortetur cor tuum Psal. 26. sustine dominum Fight manfully come life come death the quarell is Gods and vndoubtedly the victory is ours But thou wilt say I will not breake vnitie What not the vnitie of Sathan and his members not the vnitie of darkenes Antichrist also hath his vnitie which is not to be kept the agreement of Antichrist and his adherents Nay thou deceauest thy selfe with the â—ond imagination of such an vnitie as is among the enemies of Christ. Were not the false Prophetes in an vnitie Were not Iosephes breâ—thren and Iacobs sonnes in an vnitie Were not the Heathen as the Amelechites the Phâ—resites and Iebusites in an vnitie Were not the Scribes and Phariseis in an vnitie Doth not King Dauid testifie Conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum Yea theeues murtherers conspiratours haue their vnitie But what vnitie Tully sayeth of amitie Amicitia non est nisi inter bonos But marke my friend yea friend if thou be not Gods enemie there is no vnitie but where Christ knitteth the knot among such as be his Yea be well assured that where his truth is resident there it is verified that he himselfe sayeth Non veni mittere pacem in terram sed gladium c. but to set one against another the sonne against the father and the daughter against the mother in lawe Deceaue not thy selfe therefore with the glittering and glorious name of vnitie The agreements of euill men is no vnitie but a conspiracie for Antichrist hath this vnity not yet in deede but in name The agreement of ill men is not an vnitie but a conspiracie Thou hast heard some threatnings some curses and some admonitions out of the scripture to those that loue themselues aboue Christ. Thou hast heard also the sharpe and biting words to those that denie him for loue of lyfe Math. 10. Sayth he not He that denieth me before men I will denie him before my father in heauen And to the same effect writeth Paule Heb. 6. Heb. 6. It is impossible sayth he that they which were once lightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gifte and were partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God if they fall and slide away crucifyeng to themselues the sonne of God afresh and making of him a mockingstocke should be renued againe by repentance Rom. 10. And againe saith he if wee shall willingly sinne after we haue receiued the knowledge of his truth there is no oblation left for sinne but the terrible expectation of iudgement and fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Thus S. Paule writeth and this thou readest and doest thou not quake and tremble Well if these terrible and thundring threatnings can not sturre thee to cleaue vnto Christ and forsake the world yet let the sweete consolations and promises of the scriptures let the example of Christ and his Apostles holy Martyrs and Confessours encourage thee to take faster holde by Christ. Math. 5. Harken what he sayth Blessed are you when men reuile you Esa. 51. and persecute you for my sake reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so persecuted they the Prophetes that were before you Heare what Esay the Prophet sayth Feare not the cursse of men be not afrayde of theyr blasphemies for woormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and wooll but my righteousnes shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation What art thou then sayth he that fearest a mortall man the child of man which vadeth away like the flower and forgettest the Lord that made thee that spread out the heauens and laid the foundation of the earth I am thy Lorde thy God that make the sea to rage and be still Math. 10. whose name is the Lorde of hostes I shall put my word in thy mouth and defend thee with the turning of an hand And our Sauiour Christ saith to his Disciples They shall accuse you and bring you before Princes and Rulers for my names sake Luke 12. and some of you they shall persecute and kill but feare you not saith he nor care you not what you shall say Math. 10. for it is the spirit of your
father that speaketh within you Euen the very heaâ—es of your head are all numbred Lay vp treasure for your selues sayth he where no theefe commeth nor moth corrupteth Feare not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but feare hym that hath power to destroy both soule and body If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne Iohn 15. but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Let these and suche like consolations taken out of the Scriptures strengthen you to godward Let not the examples of holy men and women go out of your minde as Daniel and the rest of the prophets of the three children of Eleazarus that constaÌ„t father of the vij of the Machabies children of Peter Paule Steuen and other Apostles and holy Martyrs in the beginning of the Church As of good Symeon Archbishop of Seloma and Zetrophone with infinite other vnder Sapores the King of the Persians and Indians who contemned all torments deuised by the tyraunts for their sauiours sake Returne returne agayne into Christes warre Ephes. 6. and as becommeth a faithfull warriour put on that armour that S. Paule teacheth to be most necessary for a Christian man And aboue all things take to you the shield of fayth and be you prouoked by Christes own example to withstand the diuell to forsake the world and to become a true and faythfull member of his mysticall body who spared not his owne body for our sinnes Throw downe your selfe with the feare of his threatned vengeaunce for this so great and haynous an offence of Apostasie and comfort your selfe on the other part wyth the mercy bloud and promise of him that is ready to turne vnto you whensoeuer you turne vnto him Disdayne not to come agayne with the lost sonne seing you haue so waÌ„dred with him Be not ashamed to turne againe with hym from the swill of straungers to the delicates of your most benigne and louing father acknowledging that you haue sinned against heauen and earth Against heauen by stayning the glorious name of God and causing his most sincere and pure word to be euill spoken of through you Against earth by offending so many of your weake brethren to whom you haue bene a stumbling blocke through your sodaine sliding Be not abashed to come home againe with Mary and weepe bitterly with Peter not only with sheding the teares of your bodily eyes but also powring out the streames of your hart to wash away out of the sight of God the filth and mire of your offensiue fall Be not abashed to say with the Publicane Luke 1â— Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner Remember the horrible hystory of Iulian of olde and the lamentable case of Spyra of late whose case me thinke should be yet so greene in your remembrance that being a thing of our time you should feare the like inconuenience seeing you are falne into the like offence Last of all let the liuely remembrance of the last day be alwayes afore your eyes remembring the terrour that suche shall bee in at that time with the runnagates and fugitiues from Christ which setting more by the worlde then by heauen more by theyr lyfe then by him that gaue them lyfe dyd shrinke yea did cleane fall away from him that forsooke not them and contrarywise the inestimable ioyes prepared for them that fearing no perill nor dreading death haue manfully fought and victoriously triumphed ouer all power of darkenesse ouer hell deathe and damnation thorough theyr most redoubted Captaine Christ who nowe stretcheth out his armes to receaue you ready to fall vppon your necke and kysse you and last of all to feast you with the deynties and delicates of his owne precious bloud which vndoubtedly if it might stand with his determinate purpose he woulde not set to shed againe rather then you should be lost To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour prayse and glory euerlasting Amen Be constant be constant feare not for no payne Christ hath redeemed thee and heauen is thy gayne ¶ A Letter written by the Lady Iane in the ende of the new Testament in Greeke the which she sent vnto her sister Lady Katherine the night before she suffered I Haue heere sent you good Sister Katherine a booke which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold 〈…〉 of the â—â—dy Iane the â—ady 〈…〉 yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Sister of the law of the Lord. It is his Testament and last will which he bequeathed vnto vs wretches which shall leade you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good minde reade it and with an earnest mind do purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortall and euerlasting life It shall teache you to liue and learne you to die It shall winne you more then you should haue gained by the possession of your wofull fathers landes For as if God had prospered him you should haue inherited his landes so if you apply diligently this booke seeking to direct your lyfe after it you shall be an inheritour of such riches as neither the couetous shall withdrawe from you neither theefe shall steale neyther yet the mothes corrupt Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstande the lawe of the Lorde your God Liue still to dye that you by death may purchase eternall life 〈◊〉 liue to 〈◊〉 that by 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 liue And trust not that the tendernesse of your age shall lengthen your life For as soone if God call goeth the yong as the olde and labour alwayes to learne to dye Defye the world denie the deuill and despise the fleshe and delite your selfe onely in the Lorde Be penitent for your sinnes and yet despayre not be strong in fayth and yet presume not and desire with S. Paule to be dissolued and to be wyth Christ with whome euen in death there is lyfe Be like the good seruaunt and euen at midnight be waking least when death commeth and stealeth vpon you like a theefe in the night you be wyth the euill seruaunt found sleeping and least for lacke of oyle you be found like the fyue foolish women and lyke hym that had not on the wedding garment and then yee be cast out from the marriage Reioyce in Christ as I do Follow the steps of your mayster Christ and take vp your Crosse lay your sinnes on hys backe and alwayes embrace hym And as touching my death reioyce as I do good Sister that I shall be deliuered of this corruption and put on incorruption For I am assured that I shall for losing of a mortall life winne an immortall life the which I pray God graunt you and send you of his grace to liue in hys feare and to dye in the true Christian fayth from the which in Gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarue
well remember not except it be against the Epistles of Petilian Who so euer saith he teacheth any thyng necessarily to be beleued which is not contayned in the olde or new Testament the same is accursed Oh beware of this curse if you be wise I am much deceyued if Basilius haue not such like words 〈◊〉 What so euer saith he is besides the holy scripture if the same be taught as necessarily to be beleeued that is sinne Oh therefore take heede of this sinne There be some that speake many false things more probable and more like to the truth then to the truth it selfe Therefore Paule geueth a watch word Let no man saith he deceiue you with probabilitie and perswasions of woordes But what meane you saith one by this talke so far from the matter Well I hope good maisters you will suffer an old man a little to play the child and to speake one thyng twise Oh Lord God you haue chaunged the most holy Communion into a priuate action and you deny to the Laitie the Lordes cup contrary to Christes commaundement The 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 the â—ords Supâ—er and you do blemish the annuntiation of the Lordes death till he come for you haue chaunged the Common prayer called the diuine seruice with the administration of the sacramentes from the vulgar and knowen language into a strange tongue contrary to the wyll of the Lord reuealed in his word God open the dore of your hart to see the things you should see herein I would as fayne obey my soueraigne as any in this realme but in these things I can neuer do it with an vpright conscieÌ„ce God be mercifull vnto vs. Amen Weston Then refuse you to dispute Will you here then subscribe Lat. No good maister I pray you be good to an olde man You may if it please God be once old as I am ye may come to this age and to this debilitie West But God saw it good that WestoÌ„ 〈◊〉 câ—me to his age Ye said vpon saterday last that ye could not find the masse nor the marybones thereof in your booke but wee will finde a masse in that booke Lat. No good M. Doctor ye cannot West What find you then there Lat. Forsooth a Communion I find there West Which Communion * By this first and second coâ—â—union he â—eaneth the two 〈◊〉 of â—â—blicke 〈◊〉 set forth in 〈◊〉 Edwards daies 〈◊〉 one in 〈◊〉 beginâ—â—ng the 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 end of 〈◊〉 reigne 〈◊〉 Weston 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of the â—ords Supper 〈…〉 Doâ—â—nica â—hrisost in Cor. cap. the first or the last Lat. I find no great diuersitie in them they are one supper of the Lord but I like the last very well West Then the first was nought belike Lat. I do not wel remember wherin they differ West Then cake bread loafe bread are all one with you Ye call it the Supper of the Lord but you are deceyued in that for they had done the supper before and therfore the Scripture sayth Postquam coenatum est that is After they had supped For ye know that S. Paul findeth fault wyth the Corrinthians for that some of them were drunken at this supper and ye know no man can be dronken at your Communion Lat. The first was called Coena Iudaica that is The Iewish Supper when they did eate the Paschall Lambe together the other was called Coena dominica that is The Lordes supper West That is false for Chrysostome denieth that And S. Ambrose in cap. 19. prioris ad Corinthios saith that Mysterium Eucharistiae inter coenandum datum non est coena dominica that is The mysterie of the sacrament geuen as they were at supper is not the supper of the Lord. And Gregory Nazianzene sayth the same Rursus Pasche sacra cum discipulis in coenaculo ac post coenam dieque vnica ante passionem celebrat Nos verò ea in orationis domibus ante coenam post resurrectionem peragimus that is Agayne he kept he holy feast of Passeouer with his Disciples in the dinyng chamber after the supper â—reg Naâ—â—â—zenus and one day before his passion But we keepe it both in the Churches and houses of prayer both before the supper and also after the resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈…〉 â—eastes 〈◊〉 wont 〈◊〉 be geuen the 〈…〉 in his 〈◊〉 And that first Supper was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can you tell what that is Lat. I vnderstande no Greeke Yet I thinke it meaneth charitie West Will you haue all thing done that Christ did then Why then must the Priest be hanged on the morrow And where find you I pray you that a woman should receyue the sacrament Lat. Will you geue me leaue to turne my booke I finde it in the xi chapter to the Corinthians I trow these be hys wordes Probetautem seipsum homo c. I pray you good maister what Gender is homo West Marrie the common gender Cole It is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. Har. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vir Lat. It is in my booke of Erasmus translation Probet seipsum homo Feck It is Probet seipsum in deed and therfore it importeth the Masculine gender Latimer What then I trowe when the woman touched Christ he said Quis tetigit me Scio quod aliquis me tetigit that is Who touched me I know that some man touched me Weston I will be at host with you anone When Christ was at his supper none were with hym Argument but his Apostles onely Ergo he ment no woman if you will haue this institution kept Lati. In the twelue Apostles was represented the whole Church The Apostles represented the whole Church in which you will graunt both men and women to bee West So thorough the whole hereticall translated Bible ye neuer make mention of Priest Weston scorneth the name of Minister tyll ye come to the putting of Christ to death Where find you then that a priest or minster a minstrel I may cal him wel enough should do it of necessitie Lat. A minister is a more fit name for that office The name of Minister more fit theÌ„ the name of Priest for y e name of a priest importeth a sacrifice West Well remember that ye cannot finde that a woman may receiue by scripture M. Opponent fall to it Smith Because I perceiue that this charge is layd vppon my necke to dispute with you to the ende that the same may go forward after a right maner and order I wil propose three questions so as they are put forth vnto me And first I aske this question of you although the same in deed ought not to be called in question but such is the condition of the Church that it is alwayes vexed of the wycked sort I aske I say whether Christes body be really in the sacrament Lat.
the Christian Preachers Vnorderly proceeding of the aduersaryes aâ—gainst Goâ—â— people their goodes and bookes taken from them and they slandered to be most hainous heretikes their enemies themselues being both witnesses accusers and Iudges belying slandering and misreportyng your said subiectes at their pleasure whereas your sayd subiectes beyng straightly kept in prison cannot yet be suffred to come forth and make aunswer accordingly In consideration whereof it may please your most excellent Maiesties and this your high court of Parliament graciously to tender the present calamitie of your sayd poore subiects and to call them before your presence graunting them liberty either by mouth or writing in the playne English tong to aunswer before you or before indifferent Arbiters to be appointed by your Maiesties vnto such articles of controuersie in religion as their sayd aduersaries haue already condemned them of Request of the Preachers to stand to thâ— triall of their doctrine befoâ—â— indifferenâ— Iudges as of hainous heresies Prouided that all things may be done with such moderation quiet behauior as becommeth subiectes and children of peace that your said subiects may haue the free vse of all their owne bookes and conference together among themselues Which thing beyng granted your said subiects doubt not but it shall plainly appeare that your sayd subiects are true and faithful christians neither heretikes neither teachers of heresie nor cut of from the true catholike vniuersal church of Christ Yea that rather their aduersaries themselues be vnto your Maiesties as were the charmers of Egypt vnto Pharao Sedechias his adherents vnto the king of Israel Actes 1â— and Bariesu to the Proconsul Sergius Paulus And if your said subiects be not able by the testimonie of Christ his prophets Apostles godly fathers of his church to prooue that the doctrine of the church homilies and seruice taught and set forth in the tyme of our late most godly prince and king Edward the 6. is the true doctrine of Christes Catholicke church and most agreeable to the articles of the christian fayth your sayd subiects offer themselues then to the most heauy punishment that it shall please your maiesties to appoynt Wherfore for the tender mercy of God in Christ which you looke for at the day of iudgement your sayd poore subiectes in bonds most humbly beseech your most excellent maiesties and this your high court of Parliament beningly and graciously to heare and graunt this their petition tendyng so greatly to the glory of God to the edifiyng of his church to the honor of your maiesties to the commendation and maintenaÌ„ce of iustice right and equitie both before God and man And your sayd subiectes according to their bounden duety shall not cease to pray vnto almighty God for the gracious preseruation of your most excellent maiesties long to endure ⧠The ende of the tenth Booke Anâ—â— 1554. â—â—bruaâ—◠¶ Here beginneth the eleuenth Booke wherein is discoursed the bloudy murthering of Gods Saintes with the particular Processes and Names of such good Martyrs both Men and Women as in this tyme of Queene Mary were put to death ⧠The Story Life and Martyrdome of Maister IOHN ROGERS THE fourth daye of February suffered the constant Martyr of God M. Iohn Rogers concernynge whose life examinations and suffring here followeth in order set forth And first touching his lyfe and bringing vp Iohn Rogers brought vp in the Uniuersitie of Cambridge where hee profitably trauelled in good learning â— Rogers â—haplayne 〈◊〉 the â—archaunt 〈…〉 Rogers brought to the03 Goâ—pell 〈◊〉 M. W. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 at the length was chosen and called by the Merchants Aduenturers to be their Chaplaine at Antwerpe in Brabant whome he serued to their good contentation many yeares It chaunced him there to fal in company with that worthy seruant and Martyr of God William Tindall and with Miles Couerdale which both for the hatred they bare to popish superstition and idolatry and loue to true religion had forsaken their natiue country In conferring with them the scriptures he came to great knowledge in the Gospell of God in so much that he cast of the heauy yoke of Popery perceiuyng it to be impure and filthy Idolatry and ioyned himselfe with them two in that paynefull most profitable labour of translating the Bible into the Englishe tongue which is intituled The Translation of Thomas Mathew He knowing by the scriptures that vnlawful vows may lawfully be broken and that Matrimony is both honest and honourable amongest all men ioyned hymselfe in lawfull matrimonye and so went to Wittemberge in Saxony where he with much sobernes of liuyng did not onely greatly encrease in all good and godly learnyng but also so much profited in the knowledge of the Dutch tong that the charge of a congregation was orderly committed to his cure In which ministery he diligently and faithfully serued many yeares vntil such tyme as it pleased God by y e faithfull trauell of his chosen and deare seruant king Edward the sixt vtterly to banish all Popery forth of England to receiue in true Religion settyng Gods Gospell at liberty He then beyng orderly called hauyng both a conscience and a ready good will to helpe forward the worke of the Lord in his natiue country left such honest and certaine conditions as he had in Saxony and came into England to preach the Gospel without certaintie of any condition In which office after he had a space diligently and faithfully trauailed Nicholas Ridley then bishop of London gaue him a Prebende in the Cathedrall Churche of Paules and the Deane and the Chapter chose hym to be the Reader of the Diuinitie lesson there wherein he diligently trauailed vntill such tyme as Queene Mary obtaining the crowne banished the Gospell and true religion and brought in the Antichrist of Rome with his Idolatry and superstition After the Queene was come to the Tower of LondoÌ„ he beyng orderly called thereunto made a godly and vehement Sermon at Paules Crosse confirmyng such true doctrine as he and other had there taught in K. Edwards dayes exhortyng the people constantly to remayne in the same and to beware of all pestilent Popery Idolatry and superstition The Councel beyng then ouermatched with popish and bloudy bishops M. Rogers called to accompt for his Sermon at Paules Crosse. called hym to accompt for his Sermon To whom he made a stout wittie godly answer and yet in such sort handled himself that at that time he was clearely dismissed But after that Proclamation was set foorth by the Queene to prohibite true preachyng he was called agayne before the Counsel for the bishops thirsted after his bloud The Counsell quarelled wyth hym concerning his doctrine and in conclusion commanded hym as prisoner to keepe his owne house and so hee did although by flying he might easily haue escaped their cruell hands and many thyngs there were M. Rogers agaâ—ne called before the Counsell and commaunded
day Then the B. of Winchester would haue made that text to haue serued nothing for his purpose he said he might be in heauen and in the sacrament also M. Hooper would haue sayd more to haue opened the text but all men that stood next about the Bishop allowed so his saying with clamours and cryes that M. Hooper was not permitted to say any more agaynst the Byshop Whereuppon they bade the Notaries write that hee was married and sayd that he would not goe from hys wyfe Articles taken agaynst M. Hooper and that he beleeued not the corporall presence in the Sacrament wherfore he was worthy to be depriued from his bishoprike This is the truth of the matter as far as I can truely remember of the confuse and troublesome talke that was betweene them and except it were hasty and vncharitable words this is the whole matter of their talk at that time Atque haec ille hactenus ¶ The true report of M. Hoopers entertainment in the Fleete written with his owne hand the seuenth of Ianuary 1554. THe first of September 1553. M. Hoopers report of his imprisonment in the fleete I was committed vnto the Fleete from Richmount to haue the liberty of the prison and within sixe dayes after I payd for my liberty v. pounds sterling to the Warden for fees who immediately vpon the payment therof complayned vnto Steuen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester This good gentlewoman is thought to be Mistres Wilkinson and so was I committed to close prison one quarter of a yeare in the Tower chamber of the Fleete vsed very extremely Then by the meanes of a good Gentlewoman I had liberty to come downe to dinner and supper not suffered to speake wyth any of my friends but as soone as dinner supper was done to repaire to my chamber agayne NotwithstaÌ„dyng whilest I came downe thus to dinner and supper the Warden and his wyfe picked quarels with me and complayned vntruely of me to their great friend the bishop of Winchester After one quarter of a yeare and somewhat more Babington Warden of the fleet a wicked Tyrant to Gods people Babington the Warden and his wife fell out with me for the wicked Masse and thereupon the Warden resorted to the B. of Wint. obteyned to put me into the wardes where I haue continued a long tyme hauing nothing appointed to me for my bed but a little pad of straw and a rotten couering with a tike and a few fethers therein the chamber being vile and stinking vntill by gods meanes good people sent me bedding to lye in Of the one side of which prison is the sinke and filth of the house and on the other side the towne ditch so that the stinch of the house hath infected me with sundry diseases During which tyme I haue bene sicke the doores The barbarous cruelty of the Warden of the Fleete barres haspes and chaines being all closed and made fast vpon me I haue mourned called and cried for helpe But the Warden when he hath knowen me many tymes redy to dye and when the poore men of the wardes haue called to helpe me hath commanded the dores to be kept fast and charged that none of his men should come at me saying let him alone it were a good riddance of hym And among many other tymes he did thus the 18. of October 1553. as many can witnes I payed alwayes like a Baron to the sayd Warden as well in fees as for my boord which was xx s. a weeke besides my mans table vntill I was wrongfully depryued of my bishoprike and since that tyme I haue payed hym as the best gentleman doth in his house yet hath he vsed me worse and more vilely then the veriest slaue that euer came to the hall Commons The said Warden hath also imprisoned my man William Downton W. DowntoÌ„ M. Hoopers man stripped him out of his cloths to search for letters could find none but only a little remembrance of good peoples names that gaue me their almes to relieue me in prison and to vndoe them also the Warden deliuered the same bill vnto the said St. Gardiner Gods enemy and myne I haue suffered imprisonment almost eighteene monethes my goods liuyng friends M. Hooper 18. monethes in prâ—son Queene Maâ—y indâ—bted to M. Hooper and comfort taken from me the Queene owing me by iust account 80. poundes or more She hath put me in prison and geueth nothyng to finde me neither is there suffred any to come at me wherby I might haue reliefe I am with a wicked man and woman so that I see no remedy sauing gods helpe but I shall be cast away in prison before I come to iudgement But I commit my iust cause to God whose will be done whether it be by life or death Thus much wrote he hymselfe of this matter ¶ Another examination of M. Hooper THe xxij of Ianuary followyng 1555. Babington the Warden of the Fleete was commaunded to bryng M. Hooper before the Bishop of Winchester M Hooper againe conuented before the bishop of Winchester with other Bishops and Commissioners at the sayd Winchesters house at S. Mary Oueries where as in effect thus much was done The Bishop of Winchester in the name of hymselfe and the rest mooued Maister Hooper earnestly to forsake the euill and corrupt doctrine as he termed it preached in the dayes of K. Edward the sixt Gardiner exhorteth M. Hooper to returne to the Popes church and to returne to the vnitie of the Catholique Church and to acknowledge the Popes holynesse to bee head of the same Churche accordyng to the determination of the whole Parliament promising that as he hymselfe with other his brethren had receyued the Popes blessyng and the Queenes mercye euen so mercy was ready to be shewed to him and others if he would arise with them and condescend to the Popes holynesse M. Hooper aunswered that for as much as the Pope taught doctrine altogether contrarye to the doctrine of Christ The Pope not worthy to be a member of Christs church he was not worthy to be accounted as a member of Christes Church much lesse to be head thereof wherefore he would in no wyse condescend to any such vsurped iurisdiction neither esteemed he the Church whereof they call hym head to be the Catholicke Church of Christ for the Church onely heareth the voyce of her spouse Christ flieth the straungers Howbeit saith he if in any point to me vnknowen I haue offended the Queenes maiestie I shall most humbly submit my selfe to her mercy if mercye may be had with safetie of conscience and without the displeasure of God Aunswer was made that the Queene would shew no mercy to the Popes enemies Queene Mary will shew no mercy but to the Popes friendes Whereuppon Babington was commanded to bring him to the Fleete againe who did so and shifted him from his former chamber into another nere vnto
escape those troubles that were to come and be able to stande before the sonne of man When ye finde your selfe too much oppressed as euery man shal be sometime wyth the feare of Gods iudgement vse the 77. Psalme that beginneth I will crie vnto God with my voyce Psal. 27. Read also M. Hoopers exposition vpon thys Psalme most comfortable for all broken and afflicted hartes and he shall hearken vnto me In which Psalme is both godly doctrine and great consolation vnto the man or woman that is in anguish of minde Use also in suche trouble the 88. Psalme wherein is conteined the praier of a man that was brought into extreme anguish misery and being vexed with aduersaries persecutions saw nothing but death hel And although hee fealt in hym selfe that hee had not onely man but also God angry towards him yet he by praier humbly resorted vnto God as the only port of consolation and in the midst of his desperate state of trouble put the hope of his saluation in him whome he fealt his enemie Howbeit no man of him selfe can doe this Rom. 8. but the spirite of God that stryketh the mans heart with feare prayeth for the man striken and feared with vnspeakeable gronings And when you feele your selfe or know any other oppressed after suche sorte be glad for after that God hath made you to know what you be of your selfe he wil doubtles shew you comfort and declare vnto you what you be in Christ his onely sonne What Psalmes are to be vsed in distresse and tribulation and vse praier often for that is the meanes whereby God will be soughte vnto for hys giftes These Psalmes be for the purpose when the minde can take no vnderstandinge nor the hart any ioy of gods promises and therfore were these Psalmes also made .6.22.30.31.38.69 from the whiche you shall learne buthe pacience and consolation Remember that although your life as all Christian mens be be hid and appeareth not what it is yet it is safe as S. Paule sayth with God in Christ Read also the fourth chapter of Eccle. Coloss. 3. and when Christ shall appeare then shall our liues be made open with him in glorie But in the meane time wyth seeking and setting our affections vpon the things that be aboue we must paciently suffer whatsoeuer God shal send vnto vs in this mortal life Notwithstanding it might fortune some woulde say Who is so perfect that can lette all things passe as they come haue no care of thē suffer all things and feele nothing be attempted of the Deuill the worlde and the flesh and be not troubled Uerely no man liuing But this I say that in the strength of Iesus Christ things that come Note this well to thy comfort that art afflicted maye passe with care for we be worldly and yet are we not caried with them from Christ for we be in him godly We may suffer things and fele them as mortall men yet beare them and ouercome them as Christian men We may be attempted of the deuill the flesh and the worlde but yet although those things pinche they doe not pierce and although they worke sinne in vs yet in Christe no damnation to those that be grafted in him Rom. 8. Hereof may the christian man learne both consolation patience Consolation in that he is compelled both in his body goodes to feele paine and losse and in the soule heauinesse and anguish of minde howebeit none of them both shall separate him from the loue that God beareth him in Christ. Consolation He may learne patience for as much as his enemies both of the body and soule and the paines also they vexe vs wythall for the time Patience if they tarie with vs as long as we liue yet when death commeth they shall auoide and geue place to suche ioyes as be prepared for vs in Christ for no paines of the world be perpetuall and whether they shall afflicte vs for all the time of our mortal life we know not for they be the seruauntes of God to goe and to come as he commandeth them Afflictions be the messengers and seruauntes of God But we must take heede we meddle not forceablye nor seditiously to put away the persecution appoynted vnto vs by God but remember Christes saying Possesse you your liues by your patience And in thys commādement God requireth in euery man and woman this pacient obediēce Luke 2. Hee sayeth not it is sufficient that other holy Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles Euangelists and Martyrs continued their liues in pacience and pacient suffering the troubles of this world but Christ saith to euery one of his people By your owne pacience ye shall continue your life not that man hath pacience of him selfe Pacience the gift onely of God but that he must haue it for him selfe of God the onely geuer of it if he purpose to be a godly man Nowe therefore as our profession and religion requireth pacience outwardly wythout resistaunce and force so requireth it pacience of the mind and not to be angry with God althoughe he vse vs that be as hys owne creatures as him listeth We may not also murmure against God but say alwaies his iudgements be right iust and reioyce that it pleaseth him by troubles to vse vs as he vsed heeretofore such as he most loued in this worlde and haue a singular care to this commandemēt Gaudete exultate Be glad reioyce for he sheweth great cause why Your rewarde sayth he is great in heauen Math. 3. These promises of him that is y e truth it selfe shal by Gods grace worke both cōsolation and pacience in the afflicted christian person And when our sauior Christ hath willed menne in trouble to be content and pacient because God in the ende of trouble in Christ hath ordained eternall consolation he vseth also to take from vs all shame and rebuke as though it were not an honor to suffer for christ because y e wicked world doth cursse abhorre such poore troubled Christians To suffer for Christ is honorable Math. 24. Heb. 11. Wherfore Christe placeth all his honourably and sayeth Euen so persecuted they the Prophetes that were before you Wee may also see with whome the afflicted for Christes sake be esteemed by S. Paul to the Hebrews where as the number of the blessed and glorious company of Saintes appeare nowe to our faith in heauen in ioy yet in the letter for the time of this life in such paines and contempt as was neuer more Let vs therefore consider both them and all other thinges of the worlde sithens the fall of man and we shall perceiue nothing to come to perfection but wyth such confusion and disorder to the eye of y e world as though things wer rather lost for euer then like to come to any perfection at all For of godly men who euer came to heauen no not Christ
shoulde shortly dye feed wormes in his graue which meditation if all our Bishops spirituall men had vsed they had not for a litle worldly glory forsaken the word of God truth which they in king Edwardes dayes had preached and set forth nor yet to mayntaine the Bishop of Romes authority haue committed so many to the fire as they did But let vs returne to Doctor Taylour who at Chelmesford was deliuered to the Shiriffe of Suffolke and by him conducted to Hadley where he suffered When they were come to Lanham the Shiriffe staid there two daies and thither came to him a great number of GentlemeÌ„ and Iustices vpon great horses which all were appointed to ayde the Shiriffe These Gentlemen labored Doctor Tailor very sore to reduce him to the Romish religioÌ„ promising him his pardoÌ„ which said they we haue here for you They promised him great promotions yea a Bishopricke if he would take it but all theyr labor flattering wordes were in vayne For he had not built his house vppon the sand in perill of falling at euery puffe of wynde but vpon the sure and vnmoueable rocke Christ. Wherfore he abode constant and vnmoueable vnto the end After two dayes the Shiriffe his company led Doctor Taylour towardes Hadley D. Taylour 〈…〉 and comming within a two mile of hadley he desired to light of his horse to make water which done he lept and set a friske or twain as meÌ„ commonly do in daunsing Why Maister Doctour quoth the Shiriffe how do you now An other 〈…〉 of Dâ—â—tour Taylour He aunswered Well God be praysed good Mayster Shiriffe Neuer better for now I know I am almost at home I lacke not past two stiles to go ouer and I am euen at my fathers house But mayster Shiriff sayd he shall not we go through Hadley Yes sayd the Shiriffe you shall go through Hadley The sayd he D Taylour 〈…〉 O good Lord I thanke thee I shall yet once ere I dye see my flocke whom thou Lord knowest I haue most hartely loued and truly taught Good Lord blesse them keep them stedfast in thy word and truth WheÌ„ they were now come to Hadley and came riding ouer the bridge 〈…〉 confâ—rted D. Taylour at the bridgefoote waited a poore man with fiue small children who when he saw D. Taylour he and his children fell down vpon theyr knees and held vp their handes and cryed with a loud voice and sayd O deare father and good shepheard Doctour Taylour God helpe succour thee as thou hast many a time succoured me and my poore children Such witnes had the seruant of God of his vertuous charitable almes geueÌ„ in his life time For God would now the poore should testify of his good deeds to his singuler comfort to the example of others and confusion of his persecutors and tyrannous aduersaryes For the Shiriffe and other that lead him to death were wonderfully astonied at this and the Shiriffe sore rebuked the poore man for so crying The streets of Hadley were beset on both sides the way with men and women of the towne and countrey who wayted to see him whome when they beheld so led to death w t weeping eyes and lameÌ„table voyces they cryed saying one to another ah good Lord there goeth our good shepheard from vs The people lament D. Taylour that so faythfullye hath taught vs so fatherly hath cared for vs so godly hath gouerned vs. O mercifull God what shal we poore scattered Lambes do What shall come of this most wicked world Good Lord strengthen him and comfort him with such other most lamemtable and pitious voyces Wherefore the people were sore rebuked by the Shiriffe and the Catchpoles his men that led him And Doct. Taylour euermore sayde to the people I haue preached to you Gods word truth and am come this day to seale it with my bloud Comming agaynst the Almes houses which hee well knew he cast to the poore people money which remayned of that good people had geuen him in time of his imprisonment As for his liuing they tooke it from him at his fyrst going to prison so that he was susteined all the time of his imprisonment by the charitable almes of good people that visited him D. Taylour liued 〈…〉 and gaâ—e â—lmes Therfore the money that now remayned he putte in a gloue ready for the same purpose as is sayd gaue it to the poore AlmesmeÌ„ standing at theyr dores to see him And comming to the last of the almes houses and not seing the poore that there dwelt readye in theyr dores as the other were he asked is the blinde man and blinde woman that dwelt here aliue It was aunswered yea they are there within Then threw he gloue and all in at the window so rode forth Thus this good father and prouider for the poore now tooke his leaue of those for whom all his life he had a singuler care and study For this was his custome once in a fourtnight at the least to call vpoÌ„ Syr Henry Doyll and others the rich Clothmakers to go with him to the almes-houses and there to see howe the poore liued what they lacked in meat drinke clothing bedding or any other necessaries The like did he also to other poore men that had many children or were sicke Then would he exhort coÌ„fort them and where he found cause rebuke the vnruely and what they lacked that gaue he after his power and what he was not able he caused the rich and wealthy men to minister vnto them Thus shewed he hymselfe in all thinges an example to his flocke worthy to be folowed taught by his deede what a great treasure almes is to all such as cherefully for Christes sake do it At the last comming to Aldam Common the place assigned where he should suffer Aldam Common and seing a great multitude of people gathered thither hee asked what place is this what meaneth it that so much people are gathered hyther It was answered It is Aldham CoÌ„mon D. Taylour is come home the place where you must suffer and the people are come to looke vpoÌ„ you Then sayd he thanked be God I am euen at home and so light from his horse and with both his handes rent the hood from his head Now was his head notted euilfauoredly and clypped much like as a man would clippe a fooles head which cost the good Bishop Boner had bestowed vpon him B. Boners cost and liberalitye vpon D. Taylour when he disgraded him But wheÌ„ the people saw his reuerend and auÌ„cient face with a long white beard they burst out with weeping teares and cryed saying God saue thee good D. Taylor Iesus Christ strengthen thee and helpe thee The holy Ghost comfort thee with such other like Godly wishes Then would he haue spoken to y e people The people wisheth God to helpe him but the yeomen of
theÌ„ within the said Deanry whom he shall lyke best to be instructed and appeased in that behalfe And also I haue appoynted that iâ— this beyng done there shall yet remayne any scruple in the parties conscience and himselfe not satisfied then the said partie to repaire vnto one of myne Archdeacons or chaplens vnto whom his mynd shal be most inclined vnto or els to repaire vnto myne owne selfe to bee resolued in his saide scruple or doubt and to receiue and take such order therin as to one of the sayd Archdeacons or vnto me shall therin appeare to be most expedient Further certifieng and declaring vnto you that I haue geuen commaundement herein to all my Archdeacons that they monish and commaund euery pastor Curate within their Archdeaconries that they hauing knowlege hereof doe in the first holiday next then followyng at the masse tyme when the multitude of people is present declare all these thyngs vnto their parishioners and exhort them that they esteeme this grace accordingly and reconcile themselues to the church before the first Sonday after Easter next ensuyng which thyng I also do commaunde by the tenour hereof with intimation that the sayd tyme beyng once past and they not so reconciled euery one of them shall haue processe made agaynst hym accordyng to the Canons as the cause shall require for which purpose the pastours and Curates of euery parish shall be coÌ„manded by their Archdeacon to certifie me in writyng of euery man and womans name that is not so reconciled Further herewith I do signify and declare vnto you that our holy father the Pope Iulius the 3. of that name lyke a most tender and naturall father hearyng of the returne and recouery of his prodigall child this Realme of England hath hymselfe made much ioy and gladnes here at and also all other true christen Realmes haue done the lyke Exhorting you therefore in our Lord not to bee vnthankfull your selues or negligent in this behalfe but diligently to seeke for it ioyfully to embrace it and fruitfully to vse it remembryng with all the monition and charge which came from me the last yeare concernyng your commyng to confession in Lent and receiuyng the sacrament at Easter which monition to all effects and purposes I haue now here repeated and renewed chargyng you and also al your Curates therwith And because al our dueties is earnestly and deuoutly to pray for the prosperous estate of our soueraignes the King and Queene of this Realm I do finally require and pray you as hartily as I can to pray for their maiesties accordingly and specially that it may please almighty God to send vnto her grace a good tyme and to make her a glad mother which cannot be but vnto vs all great ioy much comfort and inestimable profite Geuen at London the 19 day of the moneth of Febr in the yere of our Lord God after the computation of the church of England 1554. and of my translation the 16. * The forme of absolution to be kept by the Pastors and Curates in priuate confessions concernyng this reconciliation OVr Lord Iesus Christ absolue you and by the Apostolike authoritie to me graunted and committed I absolue you from the sentences of excommunication and from all other censures and paynes into the which you be fallen by reason of heresie or schisme or any other wayes and I restore you vnto the vnity of our holy mother the Churche and the Communion of all Sacramentes dispensing with you for all manner of irregularitie and by the same authoritie I absolue you from all your sinnes In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen ¶ The lamentable history of Maister Iames Hales Iudge IN the history of M. Hooper mention was touched a little before of Iudge Hales The history of Iuâ—ge 〈◊〉 wherefore somethyng would be sayd more in this place touching that matter But because the story of that man and of his ende is sufficiently comprehended in our first booke of Acts and MonumeÌ„ts we shall not greatly need to stand vpon rehersall of euery perticular matter touching the whole but only taking the chiefest and leauyng the rest we will report somewhat of the communication betwene the B. of Winchester hym declaring withal how false and vntrue the excuse is of our aduersaries which so precisely by the law defend theÌ„selues and say that in all their doyngs they did nothing but by y e Law to beare them out Which if it be so how did they theÌ„ to Anne Askew What law had they when they had condemned her first for a dead woman then afterward to rack her The Catholickes proued to doe agaynst the law in Q Maryes tyme. By what law did they cal vp M. Hooper prison him for the Queenes debt when the Queene in very deede did owe hym foure score pounds and kept hym a yeare and a halfe in prison and gaue hym neuer a penny pag. 1577. By what law did B. Boner condemn and burne Richard Mekins a lad of xv yeares when the first Iurie had quit hym and at the stake reuoked all heresies and praised the sayd Boner to be a good man and also hauing him in prison would not suffer his father and mother to come to hym to comfort their owne chylde pag. 1168. What lawe had they to put Maister Rogers in prison when hee dyd neyther preache nor reade Lecture after the tyme of the Queenes inhibition and when they had kept hym in his owne house halfe a yeare beyng not depriued of anye liuyng yet would not let hym haue a halfe peny of his owne liuyngs to relieue hym his wyfe and xi childreÌ„ pag. 1574. By what law was Thomas Tomkins hand burnt and afterward his body consumed to ashes What good law or honestie was there to burne the 3. poore womeÌ„ at Garnsey with the infant chyld fallyng out of the mothers woÌ„be when as they all before theyr death recanted their wordes and opinions and were neuer abiured before So here likewyse in this case what order or right of law did Steuen Gardiner follow in troublyng imprisoning Iudge Hales when he had done nothyng neither agaynst Gods law nor mans law in proceeding by order of law against certayne presumptuous persones which both before the law and agaynst the law then in force tooke vppon them to say their Masse as ye shall heare in these his answers and communication had with Steuen Gardiner here vnder ensuyng ¶ The communication betwene the Lord Chauncellour and Iudge Hales beyng there among other Iudges to take his oth in Westminster hall An. 1553. October 6. Lord Chauncellour I. Hales MAister Hales ye shall vnderstand that lyke as the Queenes highnes hath heretofore conceiued good opinion of you especially for that ye stood both faithfully lawfully in her cause of iust succession refusing to set your hand to the booke among others y t were against her grace in that behalfe Communication
Hunter led to the place of Matirdome The Shriffes sonne geueth comfortable wordes to W. Hunter and embraced him in his right arme saying William be not afraid of these men which are here present with bowes bils weapons ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shall be burned To whom William aunswered I thanke God I am not afraide for I haue cast my coumpt what it wil cost me already Then the sheriffes sonne could speake no more to him for weeping Then William Hunter plucked vp his gowne stepped ouer the Parlour grounsel and went forward chearefully the sheriffes seruaunt taking him by the arme and I his brother by an other and thus going in the way met w t his father according to his dreame he spake to his sonne W. Hunters dreame verefied weeping and saying God be with thee sonne William and William sayd God be with you father be of a good comfort for I hope we shall meete againe when we shal be mery His father said I hope so William and so departed His wordes to his father So W. went to the place where the stake stoode euen according to hys dreame whereas all thinges were very vnready Then William tooke a wet broome fagot kneeled downe thereon and red the 51. Psalme till he came to these words the sacrifice of God is a contrite spirite a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Then sayd M. Tirrel of the Beaches called W. Tirel thou lyest sayd he thou readest false M. William Tyrell of the Beaches carpeth where he hath no cause for the wordes are an humble spirit But W. said the translation sayth a contrite heart Yea quoth M. Tirel the translation is fals ye translate bokes as ye list your selues like hereticks Wel quoth William there is no great difference in those words Then sayd the sheriffe heere is a letter from the Queene If thou wilt recant thou shalt liue if not thou shalt be burned No W. Hunter refuseth the Quenes pardon quoth W. I will not recante God willing Then W. roase and went to the stake and stoode vpright to it Then came one Richard Ponde a Bailiffe and made fast the chaine about William The burning of William Hunter Martyr Then sayde M. Browne here is not woode enough to burne a legge of him Then said William good people pray for me and make speede and dispatch quickly and pray for me while ye see me aliue good people and I praye for you likewise Now quoth M. Browne pray for thee A dogged saying of M. Browne I will pray no more for thee then I wil pray for a dogge To whom William aunsweared M. Browne now you haue that whych you sought for I pray God it be not laid to your charge in the last day howbeit I forgeue you Then sayde maister Browne I aske no forgeuenes of thee Wel sayd William if God forgeue you not I shall require my bloude at your handes Then sayd William Sonne of God shine vppon mee and immediately the sunne in the element shone oute of a darke cloude so full in his face that he was constrayned to looke an other way whereat the people mused because it was so darke a little time afore An externall shew of Chriâ—â—s â—auour vpon W. Hunter Williamâ— dreamâ— verified Then William tooke vppe a fagot of broome and embraced it in his armes Then this Priest which William dreamed of came to his brother Robert with a popish booke to carye to William that he might recant which booke his brother woulde not meddle withall Then William seeing the priest and perceiuing how he woulde haue shewed hym the booke sayd away Hunters wordes to a Popish Priest thou false prophet Beware of them good people come awaye from their abominatioÌ„s lest y t you be partakers of their plagues Then quoth the Priest looke howe thou burnest heere so shalt thou burne in hel William answered thou liest thou false prophet away thou false prophet away Then was there a Gentleman whiche sayde I praye God haue mercy vpon his soule The people sayd Amen Amen Immediatly fire was made Then William cast his Psalter right into his brothers hande Hunter comforted by his brother Robert who sayde William thinke on the holy Passion of Christ and be not afraid of death And William aunsweared I am not afraid Then lifte he vp his handes to heauen and sayd Lorde Lorde Lord receiue my spirit and casting downe hys head againe into the smothering smoke he yeelded vp his life for the truthe sealing it with hys bloud to the praise of God Nowe by and by after M. Browne commaunded one old Hunt to take his brother Robert Hunter lay him in the stockes till he returned from the burning of Higbed at Hornden on the hill Rob. Hunter set â—n â—he stocks Rob. Hunter had before M. Browne the same day Which thing olde Hunt did Then maister Browne when Robert Hunter came before him asked if he would doe as his brother had done But Robert Hunter answered if I do as my brother hath done I shall haue as he hath had Mary quoth M. Browne thou mayest be sure of it Then M. Browne sayde I maruell that thy brother stoode so to hys tackling and moreouer asked Robert if Williams Maister of London were not at hys burnynge Rob. Hunter by Gods prouideÌ„ce deliuered But Roberte sayde that hee was not there but Mayster Browne bare hym in hande that his master was there and howe that he did see him there but Robert denied it Then master Browne commaunded the Constable and Robert Hunter to goe theyr wayes home and so had no further talke wyth them Here followeth the hystorie of master Higbed and master Causton two worthy Gentlemen of Essex which for the syncere confession of theyr faith vnder Boner B. of London were Martyred and burned in Essex An. 1555. Marche 26. ALthough the coÌ„demnation of maister Higbed and master Causton followed after the condemning of those other Martyrs Marke 26. The story of M. Higbed and M. Causton Martirs which were condemned with Tomkyns and Hunter aboue mentioned yet because the time of their execution was before the burning of the foresaid four martyrs for so muche as they suffered the same day that William Hunter did which was the 26. of Marche I thoughte therefore next after the storie of the sayde William Hunter folowing the order of time here to place the same This maister Higbed and maister Causton two worshipfull Gentlemen in the Countie of Essex the one at Hornden of the hill the other of the parishe of Thunderst being zealous and religious in the true seruice of God as they could not dissemble with the Lord their God nor flatter with the world so in time of blind superstition wretched idolatrie they could not long lie hidde and obscure in such a number of malignant aduersaries accusers and seruaunts of thys worlde
xxiij of May did aunswere to the same confessing and graunting the articles and the contentes thereof to bee true accordyng as they were obiected in euery part subscribing also the same with hys hand Such strength and fortitude gods holy spirit wrought in hym to stand stoutly and confidently to the defence of the sincere doctrine of hys sonne Whereupon the B. exhorting him with many wordes to leaue his heresies as he called them and to returne to the bosom of his mother the holy church commanded him to appeare agayne the next day being the xxiiij of the same moneth Who so doyng and aunswering as he did before was willed to come thither agayne at after noone so hee dyd The 〈◊〉 Session agaynst 〈◊〉 Warne where and at what tyme he was earnestly exhorted by the sayd Bish. to recant his opinions To whom he aunswered that he would not depart from his receyued profession vnlesse he were therunto throughly perswaded by the holy scriptures Upon which aunswer he was willed to come agayne the next day beyng the 25. day of the same moneth The thirâ— session May. 25. at one of the clocke in the after noone At which day and houre the B. examined him agayne vpon all his former articles before obiected to the which he most constantly did sticke with his further aunswer thereunto added I am persuaded quoth he to be in the right opinion and that I see no cause to repent for all filthines Idolatry is in the church of Rome The B. then seyng that notwithstandyng all his faire promises terrible threatnyngs whereof he vsed store he could not any thing preuaile Iohn Warne â—â—nstant agaynst the Bishops persuasioâ— Sentence geuen agaynst Iohn Warne May. 30. Cardmakâ—â— and Iohn Warne brought 〈◊〉 execution Iohn Warne tyed to thâ— stake finished this examination with the definitiue sentence of condemnation pronounced against the said Iohn Warne and so charged the Shiriffs of London with him vnder whose custody he remained in the prison of Newgate vntil the 30. day of the same month of May. Upon the which 30. of May being the day appoynted for their execution Iohn Cardmaker with the sayd Iohn Warne were brought by the shiriffes to the place where they should suffer Who beyng come to the stake first the Shiriffes called Cardmaker aside and talked with hym secretly so long that in the meane tyme Warne had made hys prayers was chayned to the stake and had wood and reede set about hym so that nothyng wanted but the firyng but styll aboade Cardmaker talkyng with the shiriffes The people whiche before had heard that Cardmaker would recant and beholding this maner of doing The peopâ—â— afrayd at Cardmakâ—â— recanting were in a meruailous dumpe and sadnes thinkyng in deede that Cardmaker should now recant at the burning of Warne At length Cardmaker departed from the Shiriffes and came towards the stake and in his garments as he was kneeled downe made a long prayer in silence to himself yet the people coÌ„firmed themselues in their fantasie of his recanting seyng him in his garments praying secretly no semblance of any burning ⧠The Martyrdome of Iohn Cardmaker and Iohn Warne Vpholster An. 1555. May. 30. ¶ The confession of the fayth of Iohn Warne Citizen of London which he wrote the day before he was burned the 30. day of May. 1555. I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth A Father because hee is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 who is the euerlasting word whome before all worldes he hath begotten of himselfe which worde was made flesh and therein also manifested to be his sonne in whom he hath adopted vs to be his children the inheriters of his kyngdom and therfore he is our father An almighty God because he hath of nothing created all things visible and inuisible both in heauen and in earth euen all creatures conteyned therin and gouerneth them And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. The eternall word perfect God with his father of equal power in all things of the same substance of like glory by whom all things were made and haue life without whom nothing liueth he was made also perfect maÌ„ and so being very God and very man in one person is the onely Sauiour Redeemer and Ransomer of them which were lost in Adam our forefather He is the onely meane of our deliuerance the hope of our health the suretie of our saluation Which was conceyued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary According to the Fathers most mercifull promise this eternal sonne of God forsaking the heauenly glory humbled himselfe to take flesh of a virgin according to y e scriptures vniting the substance of the Godhed to the substaÌ„ce of the manhoode which he tooke of the substaunce of that blessed virgin Mary in one person to become therein the very Massiah the annointed king and priest for euer appointed to pacifie the fathers wrath which was iustlye gone out agaynst vs all for our sinne Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell He was arraigned before Pontius Pilate the ruler of Iewrie and so vniustly accused of many crimes that the Ruler iudged him innocent and sought meanes to deliuer him but contrary to knowen iustice he did let go Barrabas which had deserued death and deliuered Christ to bee crucified who deserued no death which doth declare vnto vs manifestly that he suffred for our sinnes was buffeted for our offences as the prophets do witnes thereby to haue it manifested to all men that he is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Therefore sufferyng for our sinnes he receiued and did beare our deserued condemnation the paines of death the tast of abiection the very terror of hell yelding his spirit to his father his body to be buried in earth The third day he rose againe from death to lyfe To make full and perfect the whole worke of our redemption and iustification the same crucified body which was layd in the graue was raised vp againe the third day from death by the power of hys Father and glory of hys Godhead he became the first fruits of the resurrection got the victory of death that all by him might be raised vp from death Thorough whome all true penitent sinners may now boldly come vnto the father and haue remission of their sinnes He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty After that in his death and resurrectioÌ„ he had conquered sinne death and the deuil and had bene conuersant 40. days in the earth being seene of the Apostles more then v. hundred brethren at once in the same body in which he wrought the worke of our saluation he ascended into heauen with eternal triumph for the victory ouer death sinne and hel leauing the passage open by which all true beleeuers may and shal enter
little before he went out of the Counter hee made a notable prayer of his farewell Bradford maketh his prayer taking his farewell at the Counter with such plenty of teares and aboundant spirit of praier that it rauished the mynds of the hearers Also when he shifted himself with a cleane shirt that was made for his burning by one M. Walter Marlars wyfe who was a good nurse vnto him his very good friend he made such a prayer of the wedding garment that some of those that were present were in suche great admiration that their eyes were as throughly occupied in looking on hym as their eares gaue place to heare his prayer Bradfordes going from the Counter At his departing out of the chamber he made likewyse a prayer and gaue money to euery seruaunt and officer of the house with exhortation to them to feare and serue God continually labouring to eschew all maner of euill That done he turned him to the wall and praied vehemently that his words might not be spoken in vayne but that the Lord would worke the same in them effectually The prisoners take their leaue of Bradford with teares for his Christes sake Then beyng beneath in the Court all the prisoners cried out to him and bid him farewell as the rest of the house had done before with weping teares The time they caried him to Newgate was about xj or xij a clocke in the night when it was thought none would be stirring abroad and yet contrary to their expectation in that behalfe Bradford was caryed to Newgate at midnight The people in Cheapside bad Bradford farewell was there in Chepeside other places betweene the Counter and Newgate a great multitude of people that came to see him which most gently bade him farewell praying for him with most lamentable and pitifull teares and he againe as gently bade them fare wel praying most hartily for them their welfare Now whether it were a commandement from the Queene and her counsaile or from Boner and his adherentes or whether it were merily deuised of the Lord Mayor Aldermen Shiriffes of London or no I cannot tell but a great noyse there was ouer night about the city by diuers that Bradford should be burnt the next day in Smithfield by 4. of the clocke in the mornyng A noyse of Bradfords early burning before it should be greatly knowen to any In which rumor many heads had diuers myndes some thinking the feare of the people to bee the cause thereof Other thought nay that it was rather because the Papists iudged his death would conuert many to the truth and geue a great ouerthrowe to their kingdoÌ„ So some thought one thyng and some another that no iust coniecture of the cause could bee knowen that euer I heard yet But this was certayne the people preuented the deuise suspected for the next day at the said hower of 4. a clocke in the mornyng there was in Smithfield such a multitude of men and women A multitude in Smithfield by â— a clocke that many beyng in admiration thereof thought it was not possible that they could haue warning of his death being so great a number in so short tyme vnlesse it were by the singular prouidence of almighty God Well this tooke not effect as the people thought for that mornyng it was ix a clocke of the day before Maister Bradford was brought into Smithfield Bradford going to Smithfield which in goyng thorow Newgate thitherward spied a friend of his whoÌ„ he loued standyng on the one side the way to the Keepers houseward vnto whom he reached his hand ouer the people and pluckt him to hym 〈◊〉 gaue 〈◊〉 night 〈◊〉 away and deliuered to him from his hed his veluet night cap and also his handkerchief with other things besides Which after a little secret talke with hym and ech of them parting froÌ„ other immediately came to him a brother in lawe of hys called Roger Beswike which as soone as he had taken the sayde Bradford by the hand one of the Shiriffes of London called Woodroft came with his staffe and brake the sayd Rogers head 〈◊〉 break 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Bradfâ—â—â— brothâ—â— lawe that the bloud ran about his shoulders Which sight Bradford beholdyng with griefe bade his brother farewell willyng to commend hym to his mother and the rest of his frends and to get hym to some Surgeon betymes and so they departing had little or no talke at all together Then was he led forth to Smithfield with a great company of weaponed men to conduct hym thither as the lyke was not seene at no mans burning for in euery corner of Smithfield there were some besides those which stood about the stake Bradford then beyng come to the place fell flatte to the ground secretly making his prayers to almighty god Then rising agayne and putting of his clothes vnto hys shirt he went to the stake and there suffered with a young man of xx yeares of age ioyfully and constantly whose name was Iohn Leafe Touchyng the order and maner of whose burnyng more shal be sayd God willyng hereafter In the meane tyme we will now shewe foorth the sundry examinations conflicts and conferences betwene hym and other hys aduersaries M. 〈◊〉 2. yearâ— lacking monetâ— a halfe prison duryng the tyme of his imprisonment which was in all two yeares lacking one moneth and a halfe Which examinations here follow to be declared It was before a little aboue declared that Ioh. Bradford within three dayes after the Sermon of M. Bourne was by the Counsaile committed to the Tower where he remayned from the moneth of August an 1553. to the 22. day of Ianuary an 1555. vpon which day he was called out to examination before Ste. Winchester and other of the Commissioners The effect of which examination and communication which passed betwene him them proceded in maner as followeth ¶ The effect of the communication betweene Iohn Bradford and the Lord Chauncellour and other in Commission with him the xxij of Ianuary Anno. 1555. AFter the L. Chancellor and the residue of the Queens Counsaile in Commission with him Talke bâ—â—tweene Bradforâ— Steuen 〈◊〉 had ended there talke with M. Farrer late Bish. of S. Dauids the vnder marshall of the kings Bench was commaunded to bring in Iohn Bradford who beyng come into the presence of the counsaile sittyng at a table kneeled down on his knee but immediately by the L. Chancellor was bidden to staÌ„d vp and so he did When he was risen the L. Chauncellor earnestly looked vpon him to haue belike ouerfaced him but he gaue no place that is he ceased not in like maner to looke on the L. Chauncellor still continually saue that once he cast vp his eyes to heauenward sighing for gods grace Wincheâ—â—â—â— ouerfaâ—â—â— and so ouerfaced hym L. Chauncellor Then the L. Chauncellor as it were amased and something troubled spake thus to him in effect The 〈◊〉
this binedeth hym as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth Our Fathers hoped in thee and thou deliueredst them c. Psal. 22. yet by coÌ„iectures I coulde not but suppose thoughe not so certainely the time of your suffering and probation to be at hande For now is the power of darknes fully come vpon this realme most iustly for oâ—r sinnes and abusing the light lent vs of the Lorde to the setting foorthe of oure selues more then of Gods glory y t as wel we might be brought into the better knowledge of our euils and so heartily repeÌ„t which God graunt vs to doe as also we might haue more feeling and sense of our sweete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs thereby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweet and pleasant vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensibly in all oure hearts for Gods holy names sake For this cause I thoughte it my duetie beynge nowe where I haue some libertye to write the Lord be praised and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had heard nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lord although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to goe on forewardes in the way of God whereinto you are entred considering that the same cannot but so much more and more waxe strait to the outward man by howe muche you drawe nearer to the ende of it Euen as in the trauaile of a woman The nearer we come to our iourneyes end trauayling to heauen the strayter is the way the nearer shee draweth to her deliuerie the more her paines encrease so it goeth with vs in y e Lordes way the nearer we drawe to our deliueraunce by death to eternall felicitie Example whereof we haue I will not say in the holy Prophetes and Apostles of God which when they were young girded them selues and went in manner whether they would Example of the trauell of a woman Iohn 21. but when they waxed olde they went girded of others whither they would not concerning y e outward man but rather and moste liuely in our Sauiour Iesus Christ whose life way was much more painfull to hym towardes the ende then it was at the beginning And no marueyle Example of Christ and his Apostles for Satan cane something abide a man to begin wel set forewards but rather then he should go on to the ende he wil vomite his gorge and cast flouds to ouerflow him before he wil suffer that to come to passe Therefore as we should not be dismaide nowe at thys world The malice of the deuill no new thing as though some strange thyng were happened vnto vs in that it is but as it was wont to be to the godly in that the Deuill declareth him selfe after his olde woont in that we haue professed no lesse but to forsake the world and the deuil as Gods very enemie in that we learned no lesse at the first when we came to Gods schole then to deny our selues and take vp our crosse and folow our master which leadeth vs none other way then he him selfe hath gone before vs as I say we should not be dismaid so we should with patience and ioy go forewards if we set before vs as present the time to come like as the wife in her trauaile doeth the deliuerance of her child and as the saints of God did but especially our sauiour and paterne Iesus Christe for the Apostle sayeth Heb. 12. He set before him the ioye and glorye to come and therfore contemned the shame sorow of the crosse so if we did we shoulde finde at the length as they founde For whome would it greeue which hath a long iourney to go to go through a peece of foule way if he knewe that after that the way should be moste pleasaunt yea the iourney shoulde be ended Godly counsell stirring vs to the contempt of this transitory lyfe and he at his resting place most happie Who wiil be afeard or lothe to leaue a litle pelfe for a little time if he knewe he should shortly after receiue most plentifull riches Who will be vnwilling for a little while to forsake his wife children or frends c. when he knoweth he shall shortly after be associated vnto them inseparably euen after his owne hearts desire Who wil be sory to forsake this life which can not but be moste certaine of eternall life Who loueth the shadowe better then the bodye Who can loue this life but they that regarde not the life to come Who can desire the drosse of this worlde but such as be ignoraunt of the treasures of the euerlasting ioy in heauen Mathew 19. I meane who is afeard to die but suche as hope not to liue eternally Christ hath promised pleasures richesse ioye 1. Peter 2. felicitie and all good things to them that for hys sake lose any thing or suffer any sorrowe And is he not true Howe can hee but be true for guile was neuer founde in his mouth Alas then why are we so slacke and slow yea harde of heart to beleue him promising vs thus plentifully eternal blisfulnes and are so ready to beleue the worlde promising vs many things and paying vs nothing If we will currie fauour nowe and halâ—e on bothe partes then it promiseth vs peace The flatteâ—ing promises of this world ill fauoâ—â—â—ly performed quietnesse and many thinges els But howe doeth it pay this geare or if it pay it with what quietnesse of conscience Or if so howe long I pray you Doe not we see before our eyes men to die shamefully I meane as Rebelles and other malefactours which refuse to dye for Gods cause What way is so sure a way to heauen as to suffer in Christes cause If there be anye waye on horsebacke to heauen surely this is the way By manye troubles sayeth the Apostle wee must enter into heauen Actes 14. All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution For the world can not loue them that are of God 2. Timothy 3. the deuill can not loue hys ennemies the worlde will loue none but hys owne you are Christes therefore looke for no loue heere Should we looke for fire to quenche our thirste And as soone shall Gods true seruants finde peace and fauour in Antichrists regiment Therfore my dearly beloued be stout in the Lorde and in the power of his might Put on you his armour stande in the libertie of Christe which you haue learned reioyce that you may be counted woorthy to suffer any thyng for Gods cause to all men thys is not geuen Your rewarde is great in heauen though in earth you find nothing The iourney is almost past you are almost in the hauen halt on a pace I beseeche you and merily hoâ—se vp your sailes To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉
omnipotency of Christ doth not proue him to be really in the Sacrament he may doe all thyngs and there is nothyng 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 himself nor he cannot restore virginity once violated defiled Thornt What is that to your purpose God doth not defile virginity we speake but of thyngs that God doth New Why Absurdity in the Popes doctrine will ye haue the humanity of Christ in all places as the deitie is Thornt Yea he is in all places as the deitie is if it please hym New I wil promise you that semeth to me a very great heresie for heauen and earth are not able to containe the diuine power of God for it is in all places as here and in euery place yet ye wil say that wheresoeuer the deitie is there is also the humanitie and so ye wil make him no body but a fantasticall body and not a body in deed Thornt Nay we do not say he is in all places as the deitie is but if it please him he may be in all places w t the deitie New I promise you that it semeth to me as great an heresie as euer I heard in my life and I dare not grant it lest I should deny Christ to bee a very man and that were agaynst all the scriptures Thornt The humanitye of Christ may not be in all places Tush what shall we stand reasoning with him I dare say he doth not beleue that Christ came out of his mother not openyng the matrice Do you beleue that Christ rose from death and came through the stone New I doe beleue that Christ rose from beath but I doe not beleue that he came through the stone neither doth the Scripture so say Thornt Loe how say you hee doth not beleue that Christ came through the stone if he doth not beleue this howe shall he beleue the other If he could beleeue this it were easie for hym to beleeue the other New Note the grosse ignoraunce of this Suffragane The scripture doth not say he went through y e stone but it sayth the angels of God came downe and rolled away the stone for feare of him the keepers be came euen as dead men Thornt A foole foole that was because that women should see that he was risen agayne from death New Well the scripture maketh as much for me as it doth for you and more too Thornt Well let vs not stād any longer about him Back agayne to the reall presence How say ye is the bodye of Christ really in the sacrament or no New I haue answered you already Thornt Wel do ye not beleue that he is there really New No I beleeue it not Thornt Well will ye stand to it New I must deeds stand to it til I be perswaded by a further truth Thornt Nay ye will not be perswaded but stande to your owne opinion New Nay I stand not to myne owne opinion GOD I take to witnes but only to the Scriptures of God that can all those that stand here witnes with me and nothing but the Scriptures and I take God to witnes that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is only my cōscience if there be a further trutht hen I see except it appeare a truth to me I cannot receiue it as a truth And seing faith is the gift of God commeth not of man for it is not you that can geue me faith nor no man els therefore I trust ye wil beare the more w t me seing it must be wroght by God when it shal please God to open a further truth to me I shal receiue it with all my hart and embrace it ¶ Thornton had many other questions which I did not beare away but as I do vnderstand these are the chiefest as for taunts foolish vnlearned he lacked none Prayse God for his gifts and God increase in vs strength The Arguments of Iohn Newman Arg in the 2. figure If the body of Christ were really and bodily in the sacrament then whosoeuer receiued the Sacrament receiued also the body The wicked receiuyng the Sacrament receiue not the body of Christ. Ergo the body of Christ is not really in the sacrament Argument Ca They which eate the flesh and drinke the bloude of Christ dwell in hym and he in them mes The wicked dwell not in Christ nor he in them tres Ergo the wicked eate not the flesh nor drinke y e bloud of Christ. Argument Ca They that haue Christ dwelling in them bring forth much fruit Iohn 15. He that dwelleth in me and I in hym bringeth forth much fruit c. mes The wicked bryng forth no fruit of goodnes tres Ergo they haue not Christes body dwelling in them Argument Da Where remembrance is of a thing there is imported the absence thereof Arg in the 3. figure ti Remembrance of Christes body is in the sacrament Do this in remembraunce of me c. si Ergo Christes body there is imported to be absent Mary they wil say we see hym not with our outward eies but he is commended vnder the forme of bread and wyne and that that we see is nothing but a qualitie or an accidence But let them shew me a qualitie or an accidence without a substance I wil beleue them And thus much concernyng Newmans examinations and arguments * The fayth of Iohn Newman dwelling at Maydstone in Kent who was by occupation a Peuterer The Lord is the protector of my lyfe The iust shall lyue by fayth and if he withdrawe hymselfe Abac 1. Hebru ◠my soule shall haue no pleasure in hym MY fayth is that there is one God which is wythout beginnyng and without endyng Gen. 1.1 This God created al things visible and inuisible And after that he had made both heauen and earth with all other creatures hee made man set him in the place which he had prepared for him which place he called Eden he gaue to Adam hys commandements precepts and sayd when so euer thou doest the thyng which I forbid thou shalt surely die y e death yet did man for all this disobey God his creator after his sinne he fled from God hid hymselfe was in a miserable desperate case But God seeing mā in this miserable estate Gen. 3◠because he all his posteritie should not continue in deth promised Adā that the womans seed shold breake the serpents head wherby is ment y t the son of God shold become man destroy the deuil Which by his subtill perswasions had deceiued Adam Then did Adā by faith take hold of gods promise and became the seruāt of righteousnes through the faith which he had in the promise of y e womans seed So did Abel Seth Henoch Noe with faithful Abraham Isaac
afterwarde was byd hym selfe to kneele down to haue his head cut off no cause nor coÌ„demnation further beyng layd agaynst him but onely of meere hatred agaynst the Gospell Ex Ioan. Gastia The name of the Persecutor appeareth not in the story George Scherrer At Rastat by Saltzeburge An. 1528. Ater that this George had instructed the people in knowledge of the Gospell in Rastat .x. miles distant froÌ„ Saltzeburge George Scherâ—er Martyr he was accused of his aduersaries and put in prison where he wrote a confession of his faith whiche Mathias Illiricus hath set out wyth his whole storye Ex Mat Flat Illyrica Hee was condemned to be burned a liue but meanes was made that first his head shoulde be cut of and his body afterward be cast into the fire Going toward his death he sayd crying aloude That you may knowe sayde he that I die a true Christian A straunge myracle of God in manifesting hys Gospel I will geue you a manifest signe and so he did by the power of the Lord For when his head was taken of froÌ„ his shoulders the body falling vpon his belly so coÌ„tinued the space while one might well eat an egge After that softly it turned it selfe vpon the backe and crossed the righte foote ouer the lefte and the right hand ouer the left At the sight wherof they which sawe it were in a great maruell The Magistrates which before had appoynted to haue burned the body after his beheading seeing this myracle would not burne it but buryed it with other Christian mens bodyes and many by the same examplr were moued to beleue the Gospell Thus God is able to manifest the truth of his Gospell in the midst of persecution who is to be blessed for euer Amen Balthasar Officiall Henry Flemmyng At Dornick 1225. This Henry a Fryer sometyme of Flaunders forsooke hys habite maryed a wyfe Who beyng offered lyfe of Balthasar if he woulde confesse hys wyfe to be an harlot denyed so to do and so was burnt at Dornic A Popishe priest and a wicked murderer A good priest dwelling not farre from Basill 1539. A good Priest martyred in hys own house There was a certaine wicked Priest a notorious adulterer a dycer and a vile dronkard geuen to all wickednes and vngratiousnesse without all feare regarding nothing what mischiefe he did moreouer a maÌ„ fit and readye to serue the affection of the papistes at all turnes It chaunced y t this Priest was receiued and lodged in the house of an other Priest dwellyng not farre from Basill whiche was a good man and a sincere fauourer of the Gospell This dronken priest sitting at supper was so dronke that he coulde not tell what he did or els feyned himselfe so dronke of purpose the better to accomplishe hys intended mischiefe So it followed that this wretch after hys first sleep rose out of his bed and brake all the glasse windowes in his chamber threwe downe the stone and rent all his hostes bookes that he founde The host awaking wyth y e noyse therof came to hym asking howe he dyd whether there were any theeues or enemies that he was in feare of desiring him to shew what he ayled But assoon as the good host had opened his chamber doore the wicked cutthroate ranne at him with his sworde and slew hym The host after the wounde receaued fell downe and dyed Upon this a clamour was made through all the street and the neighbours came in the murderer was taken and bound and yet all the frendes and kinsfolkes that the good priest had could not make that miserable caitiffe that was the murderer to be executed the superiour power did so take hys part saying that he shoulde be sent to hys byshop The townes men did grieuously cry out and complayne at the boulstering out of so manifest vilany So did also the noble man that was the Lord of the Page saying that so many good men and maried priests were drowned and beheaded for such small trifles without any regard had to the Byshop but a murtherer might escape vnpunished It was aunswered to them agayne that what the superiour powers wold do thei had nothing to do withal The tyme was otherwise now then it was in the commotion of the rusticall people The superiour power had authoritie to gouerne as they would sayd they it was their parts onely to obey Ex Ioan Gastij And so was he sent bound to the byshop and shortly after dismissed hauing also a greater benefice geuen him for hys worthy acre for he so auaunted him selfe that he had slain a Lutheran Priest Ex tom 2. Conuiualium Sermonum Ioan. Gastij ex Pantal. Charles the Emperours Procurator Doctour Anchusanus Inquisitour Latomus At Louane An. 1543. XXviij ChristeÌ„ men and weomen of Louane Paule a preist Two aged women Antonia Two men At Louane 1543. When certayne of the Cittie of Louane were suspected of Lutheranisme the Emperors Procurator came from Bruselles thether to make Inquisition After which Inquisition made certaine bandes of armed men came beset their houses in the nighte where many were taken in theyr beddes pluckt froÌ„ their wiues and children and deuided into dyuers prysons Through the terrour wherof many citizens reuolted from y e doctrine of the gospel and returned agayne to Idolatrye But 28. there were whiche remayned constant in y e persecutioÌ„ Unto whoÌ„ the Doctors of Louan Anchusanus especially the Inquisitour Latomus sometymes w t other came and disputed thinking no lesse but either to confound them or to conuert theÌ„ But so strongly y e spirite of y e Lord wrought with hys Saints that the other went rather confounded awaye theÌ„ selues When no disputation coulde serue that whiche lacked in cunning they supplyed w t tormentes by enforcing and afflicting theÌ„ seuerally euery one by him selfe Among the rest there was one Paulus a Priest vpon the age of 60. yeres whom the Rectors of the Uniuersitie wyth theyr Collegues accompanyed with a great number of billes and gleues brought out of prison to y e Austen Friers where after many foule wordes of the Rector he was degraded But at length for feare of death he began to stagger in some poynts of his confession and so was had out of Louane and condemned to perpetuall prison whiche was a darke and stincking dongeon where he was suffered neither to read nor write Paulus a priest condemned to perpetuall prison or anye man to come at him commaunded onely to be fed with bread and water After that other two there were whiche because they had reuoked before were put to the fire and burnt 2. Martyrs burnt at Louane constantly taking their martyrdome Then was there an old man and 2. aged women brought forth An aged man Martyr of whom the one was called Antonia borne of an auncient stocke in that Citie These also were condeÌ„ned the man to be headed the 2. women to be buryed quicke Antonia
Martyre buryed quicke which death they receiued lykewise very chearfully Certain of the other prisoners which were not codemned to death were depriued of theyr goodes commaunded in a white sheete to come to the church An aged woman Martyr buryed quicke and there kneling with a Taper in their hand to aske forgeuenes and they which refused so to doe and to abiure the doctrine of Luther were put to the fire Ex Francis Encenate The name of the persecutor appeareth not in the story M. Perseuall Martyr M. Perseuall At Louane An. 1544. Not long after this was one M. Perseual in the same Uniuersitie of Louane singularly well learned Who for reprehending certayne popishe superstitions and some thing speaking in commendation of the Gospell was throwne into prison Then beyng accused of Lutheranisme because he stood to y e same and woulde not condesende to the popes erroneous faction he was adiudged to perpetuall pryson there to be fedde onely with bread and water which punishment he tooke pacyentlye for Christes sake Neuerthelesse certayne Cittizens taking compassiō of him sent him wyne and beare But hys keepers beeing charged vnder a great penaltie durst let nothing come vnto hym At last what became of him no man coulde learne nor vnderstand Some iudge that hee was eyther famished for hunger or els that he was secretly drowned Et Franc. Encenate Dorsardus◠a Potestate in that coūtrey Franciscus Encenas prisoner and a great persecutor Iustice Imbsberger At Brusels An. 1544. Iustus of Louane Martyr Iustus a skinner of Louane being suspected of Lutheranisme was foūd in his house to haue the new testament and certayne sermons of Luther For the which he was committed and hys Iaylour commanded that he should speake wyth none There were the same tyme in the lower prison vnder them Egidius and Franciscus Encenas a Spanyard who secretly hauing the doores left open came to him and confirmed hym in the cause of righteousnes Thus is the prouidēce of the Lord neuer lacking to hys Saintes in time of necessity Shortly after came the Doctours and maysters of Louane to examine hym of certayne Articles touching religion as of y e popes supremacy Sacrifice of y e masse Purgatory and of the sacrament Iustus 〈◊〉 de terra Whereunto when hee had aunswered playnely and boldly after the Scriptures and woulde in no wise be remooued he was condemned to the fire but through y e intercessiō made to the Queene his burnyng was pardoned and he onely beheaded Ex Franc. Encenate The person of Brusels Giles of Brusels An. 1544. This Gyles was borne in Brusels Gyles Martyr of honest parentes By hys occupatiō he was brought vpp from hys youth to be a Cutler In the which occupation he was so expert and cunning that hee waxed thereby riche wealthy Comming to the yeares of 30. he beganne to receaue the light of the Gospell thorough the readyng of the holy Scripture and encreased therein exceedingly And as in zeale he was feruent so was he of nature humane milde and pittyfull passing al other in those partes Whatsoeuer he had that necessitie coulde spare he gaue it awaye to the poore and onely liued by hys science Some he refreshed with hys meate Good works going with a lyuelye fayth some with clothing to some he gaue hys shoes some he helped wyth housholde stuffe to other some he ministred holesome exhortatiō of good doctrine One poore woman there was brought to bed and had no bed to lye in to whom he brought hys owne bed hymselfe contented to lye in the straw The sayd Egidius being detected by a Priest or person of Brusels was taken at Louane for that religion whiche the Pope doth call heresie Where hys aduersaryes extended great care and dilligence to reduce hym to theyr doctrine and to make hym abiure But as he was a man well reasoned and singularly witted they went away many tymes wyth shame Thus beyng deteyned 8. monthes in prison he was sent to Brusels to be iudged The humble heart of Gyles where he comforted dyuers whych were there in prison amōg whom was also Fraunciscus Encenas exhorting them to constancie of the truth vnto the crowne which was prepared for them At the table he ministred to them al beyng contented hymselfe wyth the fewe scrappes which they left Feruency of prayer In thys hys prayers he was so ardent kneelyng by hymselfe in some secret place that he seemed to forget hym selfe Beyng called many tymes to meate he neyther heard nor sawe them that stood by hym till he was lift vp by the armes then gently he woulde speake vnto them as one waked out of a sweet sleep Certayne of the Gray Friers sometymes were sent vnto hym by two and two to reduce hym but he would alwaies desire them to depart frō him Blasphemy of Papistes for he was at a poynt when the Fryers at anye tyme did miscall hym he euer helde his peace at such pryuate iniuries in somuche that those blasphemers would say abroad that he had a dum deuill in hym But when they talked of any religion there he spared not but answered them fully by euidences of the Scripture in such sort that diuers times they would depart maruelyng At sundry times he might haue escaped the doores being let open but he woulde not for bringing his keeper in perill At length about the moneth of Ianuary he was brought to an other prison to be constrayned with tormentes to confesse Purgatory and to vtter mo of hys fellowes But no forcement would serue Wherfore vppon the 22. of Ianuary he was condemned to the fire but priuily contrary to the vse of y e Country for openly they durst not condemne hym for feare of the people so wel was he beloued When tidinges of the sentence came vnto him he gaue harty thankes to GOD that the houre was come when he might glorifie the Lord. As he was brought to the place of burning where he saw a great heape of wood pyled hee required the greater part therof to be taken awaye and geuen to y e poore a litle sayd he wold suffice him Also seyng a poore man comming by as he wēt that lacked shoes he gaue hys shoes vnto him Better sayd he so to do then to haue his shoes burnt and the poore to perish for cold Standing at the stake the hangman was ready to strangle hym before but he woulde not saying that there was no such need that hys payn shuld be mittigated for I feare not sayd he the fire doe therfore as thou art commanded And thus the blessed Martyr lifting vp his eyes to heauen in the middle of the flame was extincted to the great lamentation of all that stood by The zeale of people against the bloudy Fryers After that tyme when the friers of that Cittie would goe about for theyr almes the people would say it was not meet for them to receaue almes with bloudy handes This history