denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
heretofore duryng the raygne of the Queenes Maiestie aforesayd refused and so now doth refuse to come and heare Masse and to receiue the sacramente of the Aultar as they are now vsed and ministred in thys Churche of Englande because he saith that concerning the Masse he cannot bee perswaded in hys conscience that the sacrifice pretended to bee in the same is agreeable to Gods word or mayntaynable by the same or that wythout deadly offence he cannot worshyp the body and bloud of Chryst that is pretēded to be there And as concerning the sacrament of the Aultar this Examinate sayth that he heretofore duryng the sayd raygne hath refused and nowe doth refuse to receiue the same as is nowe vsed in thys Churche of Englande because it is not vsed accordynge to the institution of Chryste but bothe in a straunge tongue and also not ministred in bothe kyndes and besides that contrary to Gods worde it is there taughte that the thynge there minystred is to bee adored as the reall and true bodye of Chryste And furthermore this Examinate saythe that duryng the sayd raygne he hath not bene confessed to the Prieste nor receaued absolution at hys handes because hee is not bound by Gods word to make auricular confession Bartlet Greene. Many other sondrye conferences and publicke examinations they brought hym vnto But in the end seeyng hys steadfastnesse of faythe to bee suche as agaynst the whiche neither the threatninges nor yet their flattering promises could preuayle the xv day of Ianuary the Bishop caused him with the rest aboue named to be brought into the Consistory in Paules where being set in hys Iudgement seate accompanied with Fecknā then Deane of the same church and other his Chaplaines after he had condemned the other sixe he then called for Bartlet Grene began with these or the like wordes Honourable audience I thinke it best to open vnto you the conuersation of this man called Bartlet Greene. And because you shall not charge me that I go aboute to seeke any mans bloud here you shal heare the Councelles letters which they sēt with him vnto me The effect wherof is that where hee had bene of long time in the Tower of London for heresie they haue now sent him vnto me to be ordered according to the lawes therefore prouided And now to thee Bartlet Greene I propose these ix articles Then he read the Articles aboue mentioned whiche were generally obiected to all these seuen prisoners to wit Thomas Whittell Iohn Tudson Iohn Went Thomas Browne Isabell Foster Ioane Lashforde Bartlet Greene. But when M. Greene woulde haue aunswered them particularly he was putte to silence with promise that he should haue time to aunswere sufficiently and therfore the Byshoppe proceeding sayd that when Greene came first to his house he desired to haue thee bookes of the ancient Doctors of the Churche to read whiche hee sayd hee graunted him Whereunto Greene aunswered and sayde that if the Doctours were with indifferēt iudgement weighed they made more a greate deale wyth hym then they did with them Feck Upon which wordes Fecknam Deane of Paules stoode vp and marueiling why hee sayd so asked hym if he would be content to stand to the iudgemente of the Doctours Greene. Greene then sayd that he was content to stād to theyr Doctours iudgement Feck I will then propound vnto you quoth Feck the Doctours and interprete them your selfe So hee alledged a place of Chrisostome ad popul Antioch whiche was this Elias ascendens melotem suum post se reliquit Christus verò ascendens carnem suam assumpsit eandem post se reliquit and he demaunded Greene how he vnderstoode the place Greene. Then Greene prayed him that he would confer the Doctours saying together and therefore alledged the same Doctour agayne writing vpon the 1. Cor. 10. An non est panis quem nos benedicimus communicatio corporis Domini Non ne est Calix c. Whereby hee prooued that this Doctour called this sacrament but a signe of the Lordes body Many other wordes of brobation and denyal were betwixe them Feck At last Fecknam demaunded of hym how longe he had bene of his opinion For M. Greene said hee you confessed once to me that when you were at Oxforde at schoole you were called the rankest papist in that house being compelled to go to the lecture of Peter Martyr you were conuerted from your old doctrine Greene. And Greene confessed the same Feck Then agayne he sayd that Greene told him that the sayd Peter Martyr was a Papist in his first comming to Oxford Whereupon he made an exclamation and praied the people to consider howe vayne his doctrine that he professed was whiche was grounded vppon one man and that vpon so vnconstāt a man is Peter Martyr whiche perceiuing the wicked intent of the Counsel was content to please them and forsake the true and Catholicke fayth Greene. Greene sayd that hee grounded not his fayth vpō Martir nor any other nor did beleue so because martyr beleued the same but because that he hadde heard the Scriptures and the Doctours of the Church truely and wholesomely expounded by him neyther had he anye regard of the man but of the word which he spake And further he sayd that he heard the sayde M. Peter saye often that he had not as yet while he was a papiste read Chrysostome vpon the x. to the Corinthes nor many other places of the Doctours but when he had read them and wel considered them he was content to yelde to the Doctours hauing first humbled himselfe in prayer desiring God to illuminate hym and bring him to the true vnderstandyng of the scripture Whiche thinge sayde Greene if you my Lorde would doe I doe not doubt but God woulde open your eyes and shewe you his truthe no more then I doe doubt hys wordes be true that sayth Aske and it shall be geuen to you knocke and it shall be opened vnto you c. Feck Then Fecknam asked him what he thoughte of this article Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam Greene. And Greene aunswered that hee dyd beleeue one holye and vniuersall Churche throughoute all the worlde Feck Then Fecknam sayd that he woulde sayne haue a sure marke and token whereby hee might knowe thys Churche and therefore he prayed Greene to define vnto him this church Greene. Greene answered that his Church dyd agree in veritie of the true doctrine of Christ and was knowne by the true administration of hys sacramentes Feck Whereupon Fecknam sayd that he would proue the Church wherof he was to be neuer agreeyng in doctrine but alwayes to haue bene in controuersie in theyr religion For sayd he Luther and Zwinglius coulde neuer agree in theyr writinges or sayinges nor Oecolampadius with Carolostadius nor Caralostadius wyth eyther Zwinglius or Luther c. for Luther writing vppon the sacrament of the aultar said that in hoc pane vel
againe on the other side how great profit they should get if hee as the principall standerde bearer shoulde bee ouerthrowen By reason whereof the wily papistes flocked about hym wyth threatning flattering entreating promising and al other meanes especially Henry Sydal and frier Iohn a Spanyarde De Villa Garcina to the ende to driue him to the vttermoste of their possibilitye from hys former sentence to recantation First they set foorth how acceptable it would be bothe to the King and Queene and especially howe gainfull to hym and for his soules health the same shoulde be They added moreouer howe the Counsaile and the Noble men bare him good wil. They put him in hope that he shoulde not onely haue hys life but also be restored to hys ancient dignity saying it was but a small matter and so easie that they required him to do only that he would subscribe to a few woordes wyth his owne hande which if he dyd there should be nothing in the realme that the Queene woulde not easily graunt hym whether he would haue richesse or dignitye or els if hee had rather liue a priuate life in quyet rest in what soeuer place he listed wythoute all publicke ministery only that he would set hys name in two words to a litle leaf of paper but if he refused there was no hope of health and pardone for the Queene was so purposed that shee woulde haue Cranmer a Catholicke or els no Cranmer at all Therefore hee shoulde chuse whether hee thought it better to ende his life shortly in the flames and firebrands now ready to be kindled then wyth much honour to prolong hys life vntil the course of nature did cal him for there was no middle way Moreouer they exhorted hym that he woulde looke to his wealth his estimation and quietnesse saying that hee was not so olde but that many yeres yet remained in this his so lusty age and if he would not doe it in respect of the Queene yet he should do it for respecte of hys life and not suffer that other men shuld be more careful for his health then he was him self saying that this was agreeable to hys notable learning vertues which being adioyned wyth his life would be profitable both to himselfe and to many other but being extinct by death shoulde be frutefull to no man that hee shoulde take good heede that he went not too farre yet there was time enoughe to restore all thing safe and nothing wâ—nted if he wanted not to himself Therefore they would him to lay holde vpon the occasion of hys health while it was offered least if he woulde nowe refuse it while it was offered he mighte heereafter seeke it when he could not haue it Finally if the desire of life did nothing mooue him yet he should remember that to die is grieuous in all ages and especially in these his yeres and flower of dignitie it were more greuous but to die in the fire such torments as is most grieuous of all With these like prouocations these fair flatterers ceased not to solicite and vrge hym vsing all meanes they could to drawe him to their side whose force his manly constancie did a greate while resist But at last when they made no ende of calling and crying vpon him the Archb. being ouercome whether thorow their importunity or by his owne imbecillity or of what mind I can not tell but at length gaue hys hand It might be supposed that it was done for the hope of life and better dayes to come But as we maye since perceiue by a letter of hys sente to a Lawyer the moste cause why he desired his time to be delaied was that he woulde make an ende of Marcus Antonius which hee had alreadye begunne but howe soeuer it was playne it was to be against his conscience The fourme of whiche recantation made by the Friers and Doctours whereunto he subscribed was thys The copie and woordes of Cranmers recantation I Thomas Cranmer late Archbish. of Canterburie doe renounce abhorre and detest all maner of heresies and errors of Luther and Zwinglius and all other teachings which be contrarye to sounde and true doctrines And I beleeue most constantly in my heart and wyth my mouth I confesse one holy and Catholicke Church visible wythout the which there is no saluation and thereof I knowledge the Bishop of Rome to be supreame heade in earth whom I knowledge to be the highest Byshop and Pope Christes vicare vnto whome all Christen people ought to be subiect And as concerning the Sacramentes I beleeue and worship in the Sacrament of the altar the very body and bloude of Christe being contained most truely vnder the formes of bread and wine the bread through the mightye power of God being turned into the body of our sauioure Iesus Christ and the wine into his bloud And in the other 6. sacraments also like as in thys I beleeue and hold as the vniuersal church holdeth and the church of Rome iudgeth and determineth Furthermore I beleeue that there is a place of purgatorie where Soules departed be punished for a tyme for whome the church doth godly and wholsomely pray lyke as it doth honor Saints and make praiers to them Finally in all things I professe that I doe not otherwise beleeue then the catholicke Church the church of Rome holdeth teacheth I am sory that euer I held or thought otherwise And I beseech almighty God that of hys mercy he wil vouchsafe to forgeue me whatsoeuer I haue offended against God or his church and also I desire beseeche all Christian people to pray for me And all such as haue bene deceiued either by myne example or doctrine I require them by the bloude of Iesus Christ that they will returne to the vnitie of the churche that we may be all of one mind without schisme or diuision And to conclude I submit my selfe to the Catholicke church of Christ and to the supreme head therof so I submit my selfe vnto the moste excellent maiesties of Phillip and Mary King Queene of this Realme of England c. and to all their lawes and ordinances being ready alwaies as a faithfull subiecte euer to obey them And God is my witnes that I haue not done this for fauor or feare of any person but willingly and of mine owne minde as well to the discharge of mine owne conscience as to the struction of other This recantation of the Archb. was not so soone conceiued but the Doctors Prelates wythout delay caused the same to be imprinted and set abroad in all meÌ„s hands Whereunto for better credite first was added the name of Thom. Cranmer with a solemne subscription then folowed the witnesses of this recantation Henry Sydal and Frier Iohn De Villa Garcina All this while Cran. was in no certaine assuraunce of his life although the same was faithfully promised to him by the doctours but after that they had their
God and with the infallible testimonies of holy scripture For although Gods mercy is ouer all his woorkes yet it doth not extende but onely to them that holde fast the confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende not being weary in well doing but rather waxing euery day stronger and stronger in the inward man Therfore in the Reuelation of S. Iohn wher it is entreated of the Beast and his image it is also sayde Heere is the sufferance of Saintes and heere are they that keepe the commaundements and the faith of Iesus Christ. Where by almighty God doth shewe plainely that he doth vse those wicked men as instruments for a time to try the pacience and faith of his peculiar people wythout the performance whereof we can haue no part among the liuing but as it is sayd in the same Reuelation The fearfull shall haue theyr parte in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone whyche is the second death But peraduenture ye will obiect say vnto me what shall we do Shal we cast our selues headlong to death I say not so But thys I say that we are all bounde if euer we looke to receiue saluation at Gods hande in thys case wholy to be obedient to hys determinate counsell foreknowledge expressed by the gift of the spirit in holy scripture and then to cast all our care vpon him who worketh all in all for the best vnto them that loue him and thus he geueth commaundement saying Come awaye from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receue not of her plagues Nowe who hearing this terrible voyce of God which must needes be fulfilled will not wyth all speede and diligence applye him selfe to doe thereafter except such as will presumptuously tempt him And as touching such the Wise man sayeth Hee that loueth pearill and daunger shall pearish therein But they that be of the Faith of Abraham euen as he did so will they in all assayes and trials be obedient to the heauenly voyce how soeuer it semeth contrary to their owne naturall wil and carnal reason according to the sure worde of faith which saith Hope thou in the Lorde and keepe his way holde thee stil in the Lord and abide patiently vpon him Let not thy ielousie moue thee also to doe euill Come out from among them and ioyne not your selues to your vnlawfull assemblies yea do not once shew your selues with the least part of your body to fauour theyr wicked doinges but glorifye God as moste right is so well in your whole bodye outwardlye as inwardly in your spirite or els you can doe neither of both well for your body doth belong to God so well as youre spirite At the dreadfull day of iudgement we shall all receiue the workes of our bodies according to that we haue done whether it be good or bad Therefore what soeuer we doe we may not bryng the spirite in bondage to the body but contrariwise we must subdue the body and the will of the flesh to the spirit that the spirite maye freely accomplishe the will of God in all things for otherwise we shall neuer be partakers of hys promise with the true childrē of Abraham For as s. Paul sayeth They which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God If we shall liue according to the flesh we shall dye For to be carnally mineded is death but to be spiritually mineded is life and peace because that the fleshly mineded is enmitie to God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neyther canne be So then they that are in the flesh can not please God Nowe chuse you which way you will take either the narow way that leadeth vnto life which Christ hymself and hys faithfull followers haue gone throughe before or else the broad path way that leadeth to destruction which the wicked worldlinges take theyr pleasure in for a while I for my part haue now wryttē thys short admonition vnto you of good will as God be my witnesse to exhort you to that way which at length you your selues shuld prooue and finde to be best yea and reioyce thereof And I do not onely wryte thys but I will also wyth the assistaunce of Gods grace ratifie and confirme and Seale the same wyth the effusion of my bloude when the full tyme shall be expired that hee hath appoynted whych so farre soorth as I maye iudge must needes be within these few daies Therefore I nowe bidde you all moste heartely farewell in the Lorde whose grace bee wyth youre spirite Amen Watch and pray watch and pray pray pray So be it Iohn Hullier Besides these letters the said Iohn Hullier leaft also a godly prayer whiche if any be disposed to peruse it is extant in the old booke of Acts to be found pag. 1515. The death and Martyrdome of sixe constant professours of Christ burned at Colchester for the testimonie of the Gospell the 28. day of Aprill NOt long after the death of Robert Drakes William Tymmes and the other Essex Martyrs executed in Smithfielde as is aboue specified followed in the same order likewise of martyrdome at one like fire in the town of Colchester where the most parte of them did inhabite sixe other blessed Martyrs whose names be these Christopher Lyster of Dagneham Husbandman Iohn Mace of Colchester Apothecarie Iohn Spenser of Colchester Weauer Symon Ioyne Sawyer Richard Nichols of Colchester Weauer Iohn Hamond of Colchester Tanner With these sixe was also ioyned an other whose name was Roger Grasbroke but he afterwarde submitted him selfe These aboue named the Byshoppe because he as it semeth by the short processe recorded by his register waxed now weary made a very quicke dispatche For soone after that they were deliuered vnto one Iohn Kingstone Bacheler of Ciuil law and then Commissarye to the Bishop by the Earle of Oxford other Commissioners as appeareth by a bil endented made betwene the Commissioners and the said Commissary for the receit of the sayd prisoners dated the 28. day of Marche Anno regni regis Reginae Philippi Mariae secundo tertio which is the yere of our Lord 1556. and by him sent vp vnto hys Lord and Maister the Bishop caused them to be broughte vnto hys house at Fulham Where in the open Churche iudicially were ministred vnto them the same Articles that were propounded vnto Bartlet Grene and others mentioned before To the whych they made their seuerall answeres agreeing altogether in one truthe as by the summe and effect thereof heere ensuing more plainly appeareth 1 To the first article they al consented and agreed Iohn Spenser adding further thereto that the churche malignant which is the Church of Rome is no parte of Christes Catholike church and that he neither hath nor dothe beleeue the doctrine and religion taughte and set foorth in the sayd Romish and malignant
I am no hereticke Cooke Yes quoth he For M. Read told me that then wast the rankest hereticke of all them in the Kynge◠Benche Iackson I sayd I knew him not Cooke No quoth he Yes hee examined thee at the kinges Benche Iackson I aunswered him and sayd he examined fiue other but not me Cooke Then answer me what sayest thou to the blessed sacrament of the Aultar tell me Iackson I answered it is a diffuse question to aske me at the first dash you promising to deliuer me Cooke What an hereticke is this quoth he Iackson I sayd it is easier to call a man hereticke then to proue him one Cooke Then he sayd what Church art thou of Iackson What church quoth I I am of the same church that is builded on the foundation of the Prophetes the Apostles Iesus Christ being the head corner stone Cooke Thou art an hereticke quoth he Iackson Yea quoth I how can that be seeing that I am of that Church I am sure that you will not say that the Prophetes and Apostles were heretickes Cooke No quoth he But what sayst thou to the blessed sacrament of the Aultar agayne Tell me Iackson I aunswered hym and sayde I finde it not written Cooke No quoth he Keeper away with him Iackson Yet I taryed there longe and did talke wyth hym and I said Sir I can be content to be tractable and obedient to the word of God Cooke He aunswered and sayde to me that I knewe not what the word of God meant nor yet whether it wer true or not Iackson I aunswered and sayd to hym yes that I do Cooke Wherby quoth he Iackson Hereby sayde I. Our sauioure Christ sayth Searche the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall lyfe For they be they that testifie of me Cooke This is a wise proofe quoth hee Iackson It is so quoth I What say you then to these wordes that the Prophet Dauid sayd What soeuer hee be that feareth the Lord he will shewe him the way that hee hathe chosen his soule shall dwell at ease and his seede shall possesse the land The secretes of the Lorde are amonge them that feare hym and he sheweth them his couenaunt c. Cooke Well quoth he you shall bee ridde shortly one way or other Iackson Thē I said to him my life lyeth not in mans handes therefore no man shall do more vnto me then god will suffer him Cooke No quoth he Thou art a stubborne naughty fellow Iackson You cannot iudge of me quoth I excepte you did see some euill by me Cooke No quoth he Why may not I iudge thee as well as thou and thy fellowes iudge vs and call vs Papistes Iackson Why quoth I that is no iudgement but Christ sayth If you refuse me and receiue not my worde you haue one that iudgeth you The word that I haue spokē vnto you now shall iudge you in the last day Cooke I pray thee tell me who is the head of the congregation Iackson I aunswered and sayd Christ is the head Cooke But who is head in earth Iackson I sayd Christ had members here in yearth Cooke Who are they quoth he Iackson They quoth I that are ruled by the worde of God Cooke You are a good fellow quoth he Iackson I am that I am quoth I. Cooke Then he sayd to my keeper haue him to prison agayne Iackson I am contented with that quoth I and so we departed I aunswered no further in this matter because I thought he shoulde not haue my bloud in a corner But I hope in the liuing God that when the time shall come before the congregation I shall shake theyr building on an other maner of fashion For they build but vpon sande and their walles be daubed with vntempered morter and therefore they cannot stand long Therefore good brothers and sisters be of good cheare for I trust in my God I and my other prison fellowes shall goe ioyfully before you praysing God most hartily that we are coūted worthy to be witnesses of his truth I pray you accept my simple aunswere at this time commyttyng you vnto God Of this Iohn Iackson besides this his foresayde aunsweres and examination before Doctor Cooke one of the Commissioners no more as yet came vnto our handes ¶ The examination of Iohn Newman Martyr which is to be referred to his story before pag. 1683. IOhn Newman was first apprehended in Kente dwelling in the towne of Maydestone and there was examined before D. Thornton Suffragan and others at Tenterden From thence he was brought to Boner and there condemned with M. Denley and Pachyngham and burned at Saffron Walden as is before storyed But because his examinations and aunsweres before the Suffragan came not then to my handes I thought here in this place to bestow them rather then they shuld vtterly be suppressed And first what his aunswere was by writing to the sayd Suffragan after his apprehension you shall heare by the tenour of his owne wordes as follow IT may please you to vnderstande that for the space of all the time of king Edwardes raigne we were dilligently instructed with continuall sermons made by such men whose faythe wysedome learning and vertuous liuing was commended vnto all men vnder the kinges hande and seale and vnder the handes of the whole Counsell These men taught dilligently a long tyme perswading vs by the allegations of Gods word that there was no transubstantiation nor corporall presence in the sacrament Their doctrine was not beleued of vs sodainly but by their cōtinuall preaching and also by our continuall prayer vnto god that we might neuer be deceiued but if it were true that GOD would incline our hartes vnto it and if it were not true that wee might neuer beleue it We wayed that they laboured with Gods word and we asked the aduise of our frendes neyther could wee finde that they preached false doctrine We considered also as wee did learne that the kinges Grace and his Counsell and the most part of al the whole realme beleued as they taught because no man preached the contrary Also we knowe that the preachers were commaunded by the king and the lawes of the Realme to preach vnto vs such doctrine as was to the authoritie of Gods word agreable and no other And by their dilligent setting forthe of it by the kinges commaundemente and the whole consent of the whole Counsell and by the authoritie of the Parliament we embrased it and receiued it as a very infallible trueth taught vnto vs for the space of vii yeares Wherefore vntill such time as our consciences are otherwise taught and instructed by Gods word we cannot with safegard of our consciences take it as manye suppose at this time And we trust in God that the Queenes mercifull highnesse neither yet her most honourable Counsell will in a matter of fayth vse compulsion nor violence because faythe is the gift of God and commeth not of man
And as hee neuer ceaseth to be man so doth he neuer lose the similitude of man hys body there hath hys liniamentes hee leaueth them not so hath that body there hys highnesse and shrinketh not and hys manly shape he altereth not at any tyme. He is in that he tooke of the virgin Mary a naturall man in all conditions except sinne And what he tooke of hys blessed Mother by the workyng of the holye Ghost he tooke it for euer and will not exchaunge the same for anye other He tooke the shape of a man with the substaunce of hys manhoode in one sacred wombe There were they coupled together by the holy ghost neuer to be deuyded a sunder He retayneth the one with the other in seperablye As he will not altar the substaunce of hys fleshe into the substaunce of bread no more will hee altar the shape of hys bodye into the forme of bread There cannot be a greater absurditie agaynst the truth then to thinke that he would leaue the shape that he tooke in the virgins womb being an accident vnto hys manhoode and ioyne vnto the same a wafer cake baken in an ouen or betwene a payre of yrons As he is in heauen very man one onely mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Chryst Iesus hee it is that is the propitiation for our sinnes Be bolde therefore to confesse thys most pure and Apostolicall doctrine and also that all fauoure mercy and forgeuenesse commeth onely by him He onely of God the father was made for vs all wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption All these are the giftes of God the father freely geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus God and man through fayth in his bloud and not by the merites of men Giftes they are I say freely geuen vnto vs of fauoure wythout our deserte by beleeuing and not by deseruing To this doe the lawe and the Prophetes beare witnesse This doctrine haue all the blessed Martyrs of Christes church wytnessed wyth theyr bloude to bee true To thys trueth haue all the consciences of all true beleuers subscribed euer since the Ascension of Christ. This witnesse is not of man but of God What better quarrell can ye thē haue to geue your liues for then the trueth it selfe That man that geueth his lyfe for the truth taketh the rediest way to lyfe He that hath the Popes curse for the truth is sure of Christes blessing Well then my brethren what shall now lette but that ye goe forward as ye haue begon Nay rather runne wyth the runners that ye maye obtayne the appoynted glorye Holde on the right waye looke not back haue the eye of youre heart fixed vppon GOD and so runne that ye may get holde of it Cast awaye all your worldly pelfe and worldly respects as the fauour of friendes the feare of men sensuall affection respect of persons honour prayse shame rebuke wealth pouertie riches landes possessions carnall fathers and mothers wife and children with the loue of your own selues and in respect of that heauenly treasure ye loooke for let al these be denyed vtterly refused of you so that in no cōditiō they do abate your seale or quenche youre loue towardes God In this case make no acōpt of thē but rather repute thē as vile in comparison of euerlasting life Away with them as thornes that choke the heauenly seede of the Gospel where they be suffered to grow They are burdens of the fleshe which encomber the soule exchaunge them therefore for aduauntage Doth not he gayne that findeth heauenly and immortall treasure for earthly corruptible riches Loseth that man any thing whiche of his carnall father and mother is forsaken when therefore he is receaued of God the father to be his childe and eyre in Christ Heauenly for earthly for mortall immortall for transitory thinges permanēt is great gaynes to a Christian conscience Therefore as I beganne I exhort you in the Lorde not to be afrayd Shrinke not my brethren mistrust not God bee of good comforte reioyce in the Lord hold fast your fayth and continue to the end Deny the world and take vp your crosse and follow him whiche is your loadesman and is gone before If you suffer with him yea you shall raygne with him What way can you glorifie the name of your heauenly father better then by sufferyng death for his sonnes sake What a spectacle shal it be to the world to beholde so godly a fellowship as you seruauntes of God in so iust a quarrell as the Gospell of Christ is with so pure a conscience so strong a fayth and so liuely a hope to offer your selues to suffer most cruell tormentes at the handes of Gods enemyes and so to end your dayes in peace to receaue in the resurrection of the righteous life euerlasting Be strong therfore in your battayle The Lord God is on your side and his truth is your cause and against you be none but the enemies of the crosse of Christe as the serpent and his seede the Dragon with hys tayle the marked men of the Beast the ofspring of the Pharisees the congregation malignant the generation of Vipers murtherers as theyr father the deuill hath bene from the beginning To conclude such are they as the Lorde God hath alwayes abhorred and in all ages resisted and ouerthrowne God from whome nothing is hid knoweth what they are Hee that searcheth the heartes of men he hath found them out to be crafty subtill full of poyson proud disdainefull stiffenecked deuourers raueners and barkers against the truth filthy shamelesse and therefore doth the spirite of God by the mouthes of hys holy Prophetes and Apostles call them by the names of Foxes serpentes Cockatrices Lyons Leopardes Bulles Beares Wolues Dogs Swine Beasts teachyng vs therby to vnderstād that their natural inclinatiō is to deceaue poison and destroy as much as in them lyeth the faythfull and elect of God But the Lord with his right arme shal defend his little flocke agaynst the whole rabblement of these worldlings which haue conspired against him he hath numbred all the heares of his childrens heades so that not one of thē shal pearish without hys fatherly wil. He kepeth the sparrowes much more will he preserue them whom he hath purchased with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Hee will keepe them vnto the houre appointed wherein the name of God shal be glorified in his saynctes In the meane tyme let them woorke theyr willes let them enuy let them maligne let thē blaspheeme let them curse banne betray whippe scourge hang and burne for by these meanes God will try his elect as gold in the furnace and by these fruites shall they also bring themselues to be knowen what they be for all their sheepes skinnes For as he that in suffering paciently for the Gospell of God is thereby knowne to be of Christ euen so in likewise is
Wolsey being brought to the place of executioÌ„ and so bouÌ„d to the stake with a chain thither commeth one sir Richard Collinson a priest at that time desolate of any biding place or stay of benefice who sayd vnto Wolsey brother Wolsey the preacher hath openly reported in his Sermon this day that you are quite out of the Catholicke fayth deny baptisme and that you do erre in the holy Scripture Wherefore I beseech you for the certifying of my conscience wyth others here present that you declare in what place of the Scripture you do erre or finde fault Wolsey I take the eternall and euerlasting God to witnesse that I do erre in no part or poynt of Gods booke the holy Bible but hold beleue in the same to be most firme and sound doctrine in all poyntes most worthy for my saluation and for al other Christians to the end of the world Whatsoeuer mine aduersaries report by me God forgeue theÌ„ therfore With that coÌ„meth one to the fire with a great sheet knit ful of books to burne like as they had bene new ¶ The burning of William Wolsey and Robert Pygot Martyrs Testamentes O sayd Wolsey geue me one of theÌ„ Pigot desired an other both of them clapping them close to theyr brestes saying the 106. Psalme desiring all the people to say Amen and so receiued the fire most thankefully Witnesses and informers hereof Robert Scortred Robert Crane Edward Story Robert Kendall Richard Best c. Concerning the storye of William Wolsey I receiued moreouer from the vniuersity of Cambridge by a credible person and my faythfull frend William Fulke this relatioÌ„ which I thought in this place not vnmeete to be notified vnto the Reader in order and forme as foloweth There were burned at Ely two Godly Martyrs the one called Wolsey the other Pygot In these two appered diuers opinions of one spirit Pygot was mylde humble and modest promising that he would be coÌ„formable to his persecutors if they could perswade him by the Scripture The other Wolsey was stout strong and vehemeÌ„t as one hauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the spirite and detested all theyr doinges as of whom he was sure to receiue nothing but cruelty and tyranny He was wonderfull ielous ouer his coÌ„panion fearing lest his gentle nature would haue bene ouercome by the flattering inticementes of the worlde and therefore the same day that they were burned when they would haue talked with him alone he pulled him away front them almost by force He was so desirous to glorify God with his suffering that being wonderfull sore tormented in the prison with the toothe ake hee feared nothing more theÌ„ that he should depart before the day of executioÌ„ which he called his glad day were come This Wolsey being in prison at Elye was visited by Thomas Hodilo Berebruer in Ely To him he deliuered certayne mony to be distributed as he appoynted part to his wife and part to his kinsfolkes and frends and especially 6. shillinges 8. pence to be deliuered to one Richard Denton Smith dwelling at Welle in Cambridgeshyre wtin the iurisdiction of the I le of Ely with this commendation that he maruelled that he taryed so long behinde him seing he was the first that did deliuer him the book of scripture into his hand and told him that it was the truth desiring him to make hast after as fast as he could This Thomas Hodilo both to auoyde daunger of the time and to haue a witnes of his doings herein deliuered the sayd summe of money to one M. Laurence preacher in Essex which then resorted often to his house to be distributed as Wolsey had appoynted which thing they performed riding from place to place And when this 6. shilling 8. pence was deliuered to Richard Denton with the commendation aforesayd his aunswere was this I confesse it is true but alas I can not burne This was almoste one whole yeare after Wolsey was burned But he that coulde not burne in the cause of Christ was afterward burned agaynst his will wheÌ„ Christ had geuen peace to his church For in the yeare of our Lord. 1564. On Tuesday beyng the 18. day of Aprill his house was set on fire while he went in to saue his goodes he loste his life with two other that were in the same house Witnessed by Thomas Hodilo and William Fulke Not much vnlike to this was also the example of M. West Chapleine to Bishop Ridley who refusing to die in Christes cause with his Mayster sayd Masse agaynst hys conscience and soone after dyed ¶ Doctor Nicholas Ridley and M. Hugh Latimer both Byshops Preachers and Martyrs of Christ with theyr doinges conferences and sufferinges described THe same yeare moneth and day in whiche the foresayd 2. Martyrs William Wolsey Tho. Pygot suffered at Eley the which was an 1555 October 16. folowed also at Oxford the slaughter of two other speciall singuler Captaines principall pillers of Christes Churche Mayster Kidley Bishop of London Mayster Hugh Latimer Byshop sometimes of Worcester of whose famous doinges memorable learning incomparable ornaments giftes of grace ioyned with no lesse coÌ„mendable sincerity of lyfe as all the Realme caâ—â—e witnes sufficiently so it needeth not greatly that we should stand exactly at this time in setting forth a full description of the same but onely to coÌ„prehend briefly in a few words touching the order of theyr liues so much as necessarily serueth to the due instruction of the reader maketh to the vse of this present history in declaring first theyr beginning bringing vp theÌ„ theyr studyes and actes in the Uniuersitye theyr prefermentes also by theyr studyes to higher dignity at last theyr trouble trauell in setting forth Religion and in mainteining the same to the shedding of theyr bloud And first to begin with the life of Mayster Ridley whose story here ensueth AMong many other worthy and sundry historyes notable acts of such as of late daies haue bene turmoileâ— murthered martyred for the true Gospell of Christe in Queene Maries raigne the tragicall story and life of Doctour Ridley I thought good to commend to Chronycle and leaue to perpetuall memorye beseeching thee gentle Reader with care and studye well to peruse diligently to consider and deepely to print the same in thy brest seeing him to be a man beautified with such excellent qualities so ghostly inspired and godly learned now written doubtlesse in the booke of life with the blessed Sayntes of the almighty crowned and throned amongest the glorious coÌ„pany of Martyrs First descending of a stocke right worshipfull he was borne in NorthuÌ„berlandshire who being a childe learned his Grammer with greate dexteritye in Newcastle and was remoued from thence to the Uniuersity of Cambridge where he in shorte space became so famous that for his singular aptnes he was called to hyer functions and Offices of the Uniuersity
in no poynt that vsurped supremacy of Rome and therefore contemne and vtterly despise al authoritie comming from him In taking of my cap do as it shal please your Lordships and I shal be content Then the Bishop of Lincolne after the thyrd admonion commaunded one of the Bedles that is an officer of the vniuersitie to plucke his cappe from his head M. Ridley bowing his head to the Officer gently permitted him to take away his cap. After this the Bishop of Lincolne in a long Oration exhorted M. Ridley to recant and submitte himselfe to the vniuersall fayth of Christ in this maner Lincol. M. Ridley I am sure you haue sufficiently â—oÌ„dered with your selfe the effecte of this our commission with good aduisement considering both poyntes thereof how that authoritie is geuen to vs if you shall receaue the true doctrine of the Church which first was founded by Peter at Rome immediately after the deathe of Christe and from him by lineall succession hathe bene broughte to this our time if you will be content to renounce your former erroures recant your hereticall and seditious opinions content to yelde your selfe to the vndoubted fayth truthe of the Gospell receaued and alwayes taught of the catholicke and Apostolicke Churche the which the king and Queene all the Nobles of this Realme and commons of the same al Christen people haue do confesse you onely standing alone by your selfe You vnderstande and perceaue I am sure that authoritie is geuen vs to receiue you to reconcile you and vpon due penaunce to adioyne and associate you agayne into the number of the Catholickes and Christes Church from the whiche you haue so long straied without the which no man can be saued the which thing I and my Lords here yea and al as wel Nobles and commons of this realme most hartily desire and I for my part wherwith he put of his cap most earnestly exhort you to doe Remember mayster Ridley it is no straunge country whether I exhorte you to retourne You were once one of vs you haue taken degrees in the schoole You were made Prieste and became a Preacher settyng foorthe the same doctryne which we doe nowe You were made Byshoppe accordinge to our lawes and to be short it is not so longe agone sithe you seperated your selfe from vs and in the time of Heresye became a setter foorthe of that Deuillishe and seditious doctrine whiche in these laâ—ter dayes was preached amongest vs. For at what tyme the newe doctrine of onely faythe began to spryng the counsayle willyng to winne my Lord Chauncellour sent you to him I then being in my Lordes house vnknowne as I suppose to you and after you had talked with my Lorde secretly and were departed immediately my Lord declared certayne poyntes of your talke meanes of your perswasion and amoÌ„gst other this was one that you should say tush my Lorde this matter of iustification is but a trifle let vs not sticke to condescende herein to them but for Gods loue my Lord stand stoutly in the veritie of the Sacrament for I see they will assault that also If this be true as my Lorde is a man credible enough in suche a matter hereby it is declared of what minde you were then as touching the trueth of the moste blessed sacrament Also in a sermon of youres at Paules Crosse you as effectually and as Catholickely spake of that blessed sacrameÌ„t as any maÌ„ mighte haue done wherby it appeareth that it is no straunge thing nor vnknowne place wherevnto I exhort you I wishe you to retourne thether from whence you came That is together with vs to acknowledge the truth to acknowledge the church of God wherin no man may erre to acknowledge the supremacye of our moste reuerende father in God the Popes holynesse whiche as I sayde lineally taketh his dissent from Peter vppon whome Christ promised before his deathe to builde his churche the whiche supremacy or prerogatiue the moste auncient fathers in all ages in all tymes dyd acknowledge and here hee broughte a place or two out of the Doctours but especially stayed vppon a saying of Sainct Augustine whiche wryteth in this manner Totus orbis christianus intransmarinis longe remotis terris Romanae Ecclesiae subiectus est That is All the christian countryes beyonde the sea are subiecte to the Churche of Rome Here you see M. Ridley that all Christendome is subiect to the church of Rome What should stay you therfore to confesse the same with saynt Austen and the other Fathers Then M. Ridley desired his pacience to suffer him to speake somewhat of the premisses least the multitude of thinges might confound his memory and hauing graunt thereunto sayd in this maner Ridley My Lord I most hartily thanke your Lordshyp as well for your gentlenes as also for youre sobrietye in talke and for your good and fauourable zeale in this learned exhortation in the whiche I haue marked especiallye three poyntes whiche you vsed to perswade mee to leaue my doctrine and ReligioÌ„ which which I perfectly know am throughly perswaded to be grouÌ„ded not vpon mans imagination and decrees but vpon the infallible truth of Christes Gospell and not to looke backe and to returne to the Romish sea contrary to mine othe contrarye to the prerogatiue and crowne of this Realme and especiallye whiche moueth me most contrary to the expressed worde of God The first poynt is this that the sea of Rome takynge hys begynninge from Peter vpon whom you say Chryst hath builded hys Churche hath in all ages lineally from Bishop to Bishop bene brought to this time Secondly that euen the holye Fathers from time to time haue in their writinges confessed the same Thirdly that in that I was once of the same opinion and together with you I did acknowledge the same First as touching the saying of Christ from whence your Lordship gathereth the foundation of the Churche vpon Peter truely the place is not so to bee vnderstande as you take it as the circumstance of the place wil declare For after that Christe had asked his Discyples whome men iudged him to be and they had aunswered that some had sayd he was a Prophet some Helias some one thing some an other then he said whome say ye that I am TheÌ„ Peter said I say that thou art Christ the sonne of God To whome Christ answered I saye Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam i. Thou art Peter and vpon this stone I wil builde my Churche that is to say vpon this stone not meaning Peter himselfe as thoughe hee would haue constitute a mortall man so frayle and brickle a foundation of his stable and vnfallible Churche But vppon thys Rock stone that is this confession of thine that I am the sonne of GOD I wil build my Church For this is the foundation and beginning of all Christianitie with worde heart
you rehearsed the articles of your fayth but to what end I pray you els but to cloke that inwarde heresie rooted in you that you might blind the poore simple and vnlearned peoples eyes For what will they say or thinke if they do not thus say Good Lord what meaneth these men to say that he is an hereticke they are deceiued this is a good Christian he beleueth as we beleue But is this sufficient to escape the name of an hereticke To the simple and vnlearned it is sufficient but for you that haue professed a greater knowledge and hygher doctrine it is not enoughe to recite your beliefe For vnlesse as Origine sayth yee beleeue all thynges that the Churche hath decreed besides you are no Christian man In the whiche because you doe halte and wyll come to no conformitie from henceforthe yee are to bee taken for an hereticke with whome wee ought neither to dispute neyther to reason whom we ought rather to eschew and auoyd Neuerthelesse althoughe I doe not entende to reason with you but to geue you vp as an abiect and outcast froÌ„ Gods fauour yet because yee haue vttered to the annoying of the people such pestilent heresies as may do harme among some rude and vnlearned I thinke meete and not abs re somewhat to say herein not because I hope to haue any good at your handes which I would willingly wysh but that I may establish the simple people whiche be here present least they being seduced by youre diabolicall doctrine may pearish thereby And first as it behoueth euery man to purge himselfe first before he enter with anye other where you accuse me of an othe made agaynst the Byshop of Rome I confesse it and deny it not and therefore do say with the rest of this Realme good and catholicke men the saying of the Prophet Pec cauimus cum patribus nostris iniustè egimus iniquitatem fecimus i. Wee haue sinned with oure fathers wee haue done vniustly and wickedlye Delicta inuentutis meae ignorantias meas ne memineris Domine i. The sinnes of my youth and my ignoraunces O Lord doe not remember I was then a young man and as young a scholer here in the vniuersitie I knew not then what an othe did meane and yet to saye the truthe I did it compulsed compulsed I saye by you Mayster Cranmer and here were you the authoure and cause of my periury you are to be blamed herein and not I. Now where you say I made two othes the one contrary to the other it is not so for the othe I made to the Popes holinesse appertayneth onely to spirituall thinges The other othe that I made to the king pertayneth onely to Temporall thinges that is to saye that I doe acknowledge all my temporall liuinges to proceede onely from the kinge and from none els But all menne may see as you agree in this so ye agree in the rest of your opinions Now sir as concerning the Supremacye whiche is onely dew to the sea of Rome a worde or two Althoughe there be a number of places whiche do confirme that christ appoynted Peter head of the Churche yet this is a moste euident place When Christe demaunded of his Apostles whom men called him they aunswered some Elias some a Prophet c. But Christe replyed to Peter and sayde Whome sayest thou Peter that I am Peter aunswered Tu es Christus silius Dei and Christ replyed Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo aecclesiam meam The Doctours enterpreting this place super hanc Petram expounded it id est non solum super fidem Petri sed super te Petre. And why did Christ chaunge his name from Simon to Peter whiche in latine is a stone but onely to declare that he was onely the foundation and head of the Churche Agayne where Christe demaunded of Peter beyng amongst the rest of his Apostles 3. tymes a rew Petre amas me he gaue him charge ouer his sheep Pasce oues meas pasce agnos meos Whiche place Chrysostome interpreting sayth Pasce hoc est loco mei esto praepositus caput fratrum tuoruÌ„ To conclude when they came that required Didrachina of Christ he commaunded Peter to cast his net into the sea and to take out of the fishes mouth that hee tooke staterem hoc est duplex Didrachma da inquit pro te me Petre Whiche wordes do signifie that when hee had payed for them two he had payd for all the rest For as in the old law there were appoynted two heades ouer the people of Israell Moyses and Aaron Moises as chiefe and Aaron nexte head vnder him so in the new law there were two heads of the church which were Christ and Peter Christ is head of all and Peter next vnder him S. Austine in 75. questione Veteris noui Testamenti Saluator inquit qùum pro se Petro dari iubebat Didrachma pro omnibus ipsum dari censuit ipsum enim constituit caput eorum i. Our Sauiour Christ sayth S. Austine commaunding the tribute to be geuen for hym and for Peter meant thereby the same to be geuen for all other for hee appoynted hym to be head of them What can be more plaine then this But I will not tary vpon this matter Nowe as touching the Popes lawes where you saye they be contrary because the seruice which should be as you say in English is in Latine I aunswere who soeuer wil take the paynes to peruse the chapter which is the xiiii of the first to the Corinthians shall finde that his meaning is concerning preaching and Obiter onely of praying Againe where you say that the Popes holinesse dothe take away one part of the sacrament from the lay men Christ would haue it vnder both ye can saye no more but this Bibite ex eo omnes Drinke ye all of thys And what followeth Et biberunt ex eo omnes i. And all drinke therof Now if a man would be so proâ—erâ—e with you he might say that Christ gaue it onely to his Apostles in whose places succeeded priestes and not lay men And admit that Christ commaunded it to bee receaued vnder both kindes yet the Churche hathe authoritie to chaunge that as well as other Ye read that Christ calling his Apostles together sayd vnto them Ite praedicate Euangelium omni nationi baptizantes in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti i. Go preach the Gospell to euery natioÌ„ baptising them in the name of the father of the sonne and the holy ghost But the Apostles being desirous to publish christes name euery where did baptise onely in Christes name Agayne Christ before his last Supper washed his Apostles feete saying Si ego laui pedes vestros dominus magister vos debetis alter alterius lauare pedes i. If I haue washed youre feet being your Lord and mayster
therefore declare vnto you my very faith how I beleeue wythout any colour or dissimulation for nowe is no time to dissemble whatsoeuer I haue sayd or wrytten in time past First I beleeue in God the Father almightye maker of heauen and earth c. And I beleue euery Article of the Catholicke faith euery woord and sentence taught by our Sauiour Iesus Christ his Apostles and Prophets in the newe and olde Testament And nowe I come to the great thinge that so muche troubleth my conscience more then any thing that euer I did or sayd in my whole life and that is the setting abroad of a wryting contrary to the truth which now here I renounce and refuse as things wrytten with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart and written for feare of death and to saue my life if it might be and that is all suche billes and papers which I haue wrytten or signed with my hand since my degradation wherein I haue wrytten many thinges vntrue And for asmuche as my hand offended wryting cōtrary to my heart my hand shall first be punished therfore for may I come to the fire it shal be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse hym as Christes ennemie and Antichrist with all his false doctrine And as for the sacrament I beleeue as I haue taught in my booke against the Bishop of Winchester the whych my booke teacheth so true a doctrine of the sacrament that it shall stand at the last day before the iudgement of God where the Papisticall doctrine contrary thereto shal be ashamed to shewe her face Here the standers by were all astonied maruailed were amased did looke one vpon an other whose expectation he had so notably deceiued Some began to admonish hym of hys recantation and to accuse him of falshoode Briefly it was a world to see the doctours beguiled of so great an hope I thinke there was neuer crueltie more notably or better in time deluded deceiued For it is not to be doubted but they looked for a glorious victorie and a perpetuall triumph by this mans retractation Who assoone as they heard these things began to lette downe their eares to rage frette and fume and so much the more because they coulde not reuenge their griefe for they coulde nowe no longer threaten or hurt him For the most miserable manne in the world can die but once and where as of necessity he must needes die that day though the papists had bene neuer so well pleased now being neuer so much offended with him yet coulde hee not be twise killed of them And so when they coulde doe nothing els vnto him yet least they shoulde say nothinge they ceassed not to obiect vnto him his falshoode and dissimulation Unto which accusation he answered Ah my maisters quoth he do not you take it so Alwayes since I liued hitherto I haue bene a hater of falshood and a louer of simplicitie and neuer before this time haue I dissembled and in saying this al the teares that remained in his body appeared in hys eyes And when he began to speake more of the sacrament and of the papacie some of them beganne to cry out yalpe and baule and specially Cole cried out vppon him stop the heretickes month and take him away And then Cranmer beinge pulled downe from the stage was ledde to the fire accompanied wyth those Friers vexing troubling and threatning him most cruelly What madnesse saye they hath brought thee againe into this error by which thou wilt draw innumerable soules with thee into hel To whom he answeared nothyng but directed all his talke to the people sauing that to one troubling hym in the way hee spake and exhorted him to gette hym home to hys studie and applye hys booke diligently saying if he did diligently cal vpon God by reading more he should get knowledge ⧠The description of Doctour Cranmer howe he was plucked downe from the stage by Friers and Papists for the true Confession of hys Faith ⧠The burnyng of the Archbishop of Caunterbury Doctor Thomas Cranmer in the Towneditch at Oxforde with his hand first thrust into the fire wherewith he subscribed before Then the Spanish Friers Iohn Richard of whom mention was made before began to exhort him and playe their partes with him a freshe but with vayne and lost labour Cranmer with stedfast purpose abidyng in the profession of his doctrine gaue his hand to certaine old men and other that stood by biddyng them farewell And when he had thought to haue done so likewyse to Ely the sayd Ely drewe backe his hande and refused saying it was not lawfull to salute heretickes and specially such a one as falsly returned vnto the opinions that he had forsworne And if he had knowen before that hee would haue done so he would neuer haue vsed his company so familiarly and chid those sergeants and Citizens whiche had not refused to geue hym their hands This Ely was a priest lately made and student in Diuinitie beyng thē one of the fellowes of Brasennose Then was an iron chaine tied about Cranmer whom when they perceyued to be more stedfast then that he could be mooued from hys sentence they commaunded the fire to be set vnto hym And when the woode was kindled and the fire began to burne neere hym stretching out his arme he put hys right hand into the flame which he held so stedfast immoueable sauing that once with the same hand he wiped his face that all men might see hys hande burned before his body was touched His body did so abide the burning of the flame with such constancy and stedfastnes that standyng alwayes in one place without moouyng of his body he seemed to mooue no more then the stake to which hee was bound his eyes were lifted vp into heauen and oftentymes he repeated hys vnworthy right hand so long as his voyce would suffer hym and vsing oftē the words of Steuen Lord Iesus receiue my spirite in the greatnesse of the flame he gaue vp the Ghost This fortitude of mynd which perchaunce is rare and not found among the Spaniards when Frier Ioh. saw thinkyng it came not of fortitude but of desperation although such maner of examples which are of the like constancy haue bene common here in England ranne to the L. Williams of Tame crying that the Archb. was vexed in mind and died in great desperation But he which was not ignorant of the Archbishoppes constancy beyng vnknowen to the Spaniards smiled only and as it were by silence rebuked the Friers folly And this was the ende of this learned Archb. whom least by euill subscribyng he should haue perished by well recantyng God preserued and least he should haue lyued longer with shame and reproofe it pleased God rather to take him away to the glory of his name and profit of his Church So good was the Lord both to hys
and tarieth as long in wicked men as in godly mē And what comfort can be herein to any christen man to receiue Christes vnshapen body and it to enter no further then the stomacke and to depart by by as soone as the bread is consumed It semeth to me a more sound comfortable doctrine that Christ hath but one body and that hath forme and fashion of a mās true body which body spiritually entreth into the whole man body and soule though the Sacrament be consumed yet whole Christ remayneth feedeth the receiuer vnto eternall lyfe if he continue in godlynes and neuer departeth vntill the receiuer forsake hym And as for the wicked they haue not Christ within them at all who cannot be where Beliall is And this is my faith and as me semeth a sound doctrine according to gods word sufficient for a christen to beleeue in that matter And if it can be shewed vnto me that the Popes authority is not preiudicial to the thyngs before mentioned or that my doctrine in the sacrament is erroneous which I thinke can not be shewed then I was neuer nor will be so peruerse to stand wilfully in myne owne opinion but I shall with all humilitie submit my selfe vnto the Pope not onely to kisse his feete but another part also Another cause why I refused to take the B. of Glocester for my iudge was the respect of his owne person beyng more then once periured First for that hee being diuers tymes sworne neuer to consent that the B. of Rome should haue any iurisdiction within this Realme but to take the kyng and his successors for supreme heds of this realme as by Gods lawes they be contrary to that lawfull othe the sayd B. sate then in iudgement by authoritie from Rome wherein he was periured and not worthy to sit as a Iudge The 2. periury was that he tooke his bishoprike both of the Queenes maiesty of the Pope making to eche of them a solemn oth which othes be so contrary that the one must needs be periured And furthermore in swearyng to the Pope to maintain his lawes decrees constitutions ordinances reseruatiōs and prouisions he declareth him selfe an enemy to the Imperiall crowne and to the lawes and state of this realme whereby he declared himselfe not worthy to sit as a iudge within this realme And for these considerations I refused to take him for my iudge ¶ This was written in another Letter to the Queene I Learned by Doctour Martin that at the day of your Maiesties Coronation you tooke an othe of obedience to the Pope of Rome and the same tyme you tooke an other othe to this realm to mayntayne the lawes liberties and customes of the same And if your Maiestie dyd make an othe to the Pope I thinke it was accordyng to the other othes which he vseth to minister to Princes which is to be obedient to hym to defend his person to maintayne his authoritie honor lawes lands and priuiledges And if it be so which I know not but by report then I beseeche your Maiesty to looke vpon your othe made to the crowne and Realme and to expend and weigh the two othes together to see howe they do agree and then do as your graces conscience shall geue you For I am surely perswaded that willingly your Maiestie will not offend nor do agaynst your conscience for nothyng But I feare me that there be contradictions in your othes that those which should haue informed your grace thoroughly did not their dueties therein And if your Maiesty ponder the two othes diligently I thinke you shall perceiue you were deceiued and then your highnesse may vse the matter as God shall put in your hart Furthermore I am kept here from company of learned men from bookes from counsaile from pen and inke sauing at this tyme to write vnto your Maiestie which all were necessary for a man beyng in my case Wherefore I beseech your Maiestie that I may haue such of these as may stand with your Maiesties pleasure And as for my appearāce at Rome if your Maiestie wil geue me leaue I will appeare there And I trust that God shal put in my mouth to defend his truth there as well as here But I referre it wholy to your Maiesties pleasure ¶ Another Letter of the Archbishop to D. Martin and D. Story I Haue me commended vnto you And as I promised I haue sent my letters vnto the Queenes Maiestie vnsigned praying you to signe them and deliuer them with all speede I might haue sent them by the Carier sooner but not surer But hearyng M. Bailiffe say that he would goe to the Court on Friday I thought hym a meete Messenger to send my letters by For better is later and surer thē sooner and neuer to bee deliuered Yet one thyng I haue written to the Queenes Maiestie inclosed sealed which I require you may be so deliuered without delay and not bee opened vntill it bee deliuered vnto her Graces owne handes I haue written all that I remember I sayd except that which I spake agaynst the Bishop of Gloucesters owne person which I thought not meete to wryte And in some places I haue written more then I sayde which I would haue answered to the Bish. if you would haue suffred me You promised I should see myne aunswere to the 16. Articles that I might correct amend and chaunge them where I thought good which your promise you kept not And myne aunswer was not made vpon my othe nor repeated nor made in Iudicio but Extra iudicium as I protested nor to the Bish. of Gloucester as Iudge but to you the Kyngs and Queenes Proctors I trust you deale sincerely with me without fraud or craft and vse me as you would wish to be vsed in lyke case yourselues Remember that Qua mensura mensi fueritis eadem remetietur vobis i. What measure you meate the same shall be measured to you agayne Thus fare you well and God send you his spirit to induce you into truth Ye heard before how the Archb. Doct. Cranmer in the month of Febr. was cited vp to Rome and in the moneth of March next followyng was degraded by the B. of Ely and B. Boner In tyme of which his degradation he put vp his Appellation In this his Appellation because he needed the helpe of some good and godly Lawier he writeth to a certain frend of his about the same The copy of which letter in Latin is before expressed in the old booke of Acts there to be red pag. 1492. The English of the same I thought here to insert as vnder ensueth ¶ A Letter of Doctour Cranmar Archbishop to a Lawyer for the drawyng out of hys Appeale THe law of nature requireth of all men that so farre forth as it may be done without offence to God euery one should seke to defend and preserue his owne lyfe Which thyng when I about
Idole at the commandement of sir Iohn Tirrell knight of Gippyng hall in Suffolke and certaine other Iustices there who sent both hym and them to Eay dungeon in Suffolke till at length they were all three together broght before Dunnyng then Chauncellor of Norwich and M. Myngs the Register sittyng at the Towne of Beckles to be examined And there the sayd Chancellour perswading what he could to turne them from the truth could by no meanes preuaile of his purpose Whereby mynding in the ende to geue sentence on them he burst out in teares intreatyng them to remember themselues and to turne agayne to the holy mother church for that they were deceiued and out of the truth and that they should not wilfully cast away thēselues with such like wordes Now as he was thus labouryng them and semed very loth to read the sentence for they were the first that he condemned in that dioces the Register there sittyng by beyng weary belike of tarying or els perceiuyng the constant Martyrs to be at a point called vpon the Chauncellour in hast to ridde them out of the way and to make an ende At which wordes the Chauncellour read the condemnation ouer them with teares and deliuered them to the secular power ¶ Their Articles THe Articles obiected to these and commonly to all other condemned in that Diocesse by Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwich and by Dunnyng his Chauncellor were these 1. First was articulate agaynst them that they beleeued not the Pope of Rome to bee supreme head immediately vnder Christ in earth of the vniuersall Catholike Church 2. Item that they beleeued not holy bread and holy water ashes palmes and all other lyke ceremonies vsed in the Churche to be good and laudable for stirring vp the people to deuotion 3. Item that they beleeued not after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest the very naturall body of Christ and no other substance of bread and wine to be in the sacrament of the Altar 4. Item that they beleeued it to be Idolatry to worship Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar 5. Item that they tooke bread and wine in remembrance of Christes Passion 6. Item that they would not follow the Crosse in procession nor be confessed to a Priest 7. Item that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in himselfe free will to do good or euill For this doctrine and articles aboue prefixed these three as is aforesayd were condemned by Doctor Dunning committed to the secular power Syr Iohn Sylliard being the same tyme hyghe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke And the next day following vpon the same they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles Whereupon it is to be thought that the writte De comburendo was not yet come downe nor could not be the Lord Chaunlour Bish. Heath being the same time at London Which if it be true then it is playne that both they went beyond their Commission that were the executioners also the Clergy which were the instigatours thereof cannot make good that they now pretend saying that they did nothing but by a lawe But this let the Lord finde out when he seeth his tyme. In the meane tyme while these good men were at the stake had prayed they sayd there beliefe and when they came to the reciting of the Catholicke Church Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them That is well sayd Syrs quoth he I am glad to heare you say you do beleeue the Catholicke Church That is the best word I heard of you yet To which his sayinges Edmund Pole aunswered that though they beleeue the Catholicke Churche yet doe they not beleeue in their Popish Church which is no part of Christes Catholicke Churche and therefore no part of their beliefe When they rose from prayer they all went ioyfully to the stake and being bounde thereto and the fire burning about them they praysed God in such an audible voyce that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them Then one Robert Bacon dwelling in the sayd Beckles a very enemye to Gods truth and a persecutour of his people being there present within hearing thereof willed the tormentours to throw on fagots to stoppe the knaues breathes as he termed them so hotte was his burning charitye But these good men not regarding there malice confessed the truth and yelded their liues to the death for the testimony of the same very gloriously ioyfully The which their constancye in the lyke cause the Lord graunt we may imitate and follow vnto the ende Whether it be death or lyfe to glorifye the name of Christ Amen And forasmuch as we haue here entred into the persecution of Northfolke and Suffolke it commeth therefore to minde by occasion hereof brieflye to touche by the way some part for the whole matter cannot bee so exprest as it was done touching the troubles of the towns of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke raysed and stirred by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell other Iustices there of the lyke affinitye The summe and effecte of which briefly is thus signifyed to me by writing * The persecution in the Townes of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight and other of his Colleagues there were persecuted out of the Towne of Winson in Suffolke these persons hereafter following Anno. 1556. Maistresse Alice Twaites Gentlewoman of the age of three score yeres and more and two of her seruaunts Humfrey Smith and his wyfe William Katchpoole and his wyfe Iohn Maulyng and his wyfe Nicholas Burlingham and his wyfe And one Rought and his wyfe Such as were persecuted and driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke Symon Harlstone and Katherine his wife with his fiue children William Whitting and Katherin his wife Thomas Dobson and his wife Thomas Hubbard and his wife Iohn Doncon and his wife his maide William Doncon Thomas Woodward the elder One Konnoldes wife A poore widow One mother Semons maide Besides those that were constrained to do against their conscience by the helpe of the parishe Priest whose name was sir Iohn Brodish ¶ These be the chiefest causes why those aboue named were persecuted FIrst they did hold and beleeue the holy word of God to be the sufficient doctrine vnto their saluation Secondly they denied the Popes vsurped authoritie and did hold all that church of Antichrist to be Christs aduersaries And further refused the abused sacraments defied the masse and all popish seruice and ceremonies saying they robbed God of his honour Christ of his death and glory and would not come at the Church without it were to the defacyng of that they did there Thirdly they did hold that the ministers of the church by Gods word might lawfully marry Fourthly they helde the Queene to be as chiefe head and wicked rulers to bee a great plague sent of God for sinne c. Fiftly
the which I truste will be shortly O hasten it good Lorde and shorten these sorrowfull and sinfull dayes for thy great mercies sake Farewell my deare and faithfull louing brother The Lorde defende keepe and preserue you from the power of youre enemies visible and inuisible and sende vs a most ioyfull and merry meeting here or elswhere as it shall please his goodnes to appoynt vs. In the meane space I shall most earnestly desire you to pray for me for I neuer had more neede in my life and doubtles you shall neuer want my poore prayer if it shall please God to accept the prayer of so sinnefull a wretch as I am The Lord impute not my sinnes to me for Iesus Christes sake vnto whose most mercifull defence I do most hartily commit you The blessing of God be with you now and euer Amen I pray you doe my most hartye commendations vnto M. Iohn Glouer I doe not forget him in my dayly prayers and I trust he doth remember me Your poore brother alwayes mindefull of you in my prayer Iohn Careles prysoner abiding Gods pleasure ¶ To my deare brother Harry Adlington prisoner in the Lolardes Tower THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christe the continuall ayde strength ioy and comforte of his moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the increase of faythe and liuely feelyng of hys mercies be most effectuously wrought in your hart my deare and faythfull louing brother Adlington and in the hartes of all your other godly prison fellowes to the full finishing of that good worke which the Lorde hath most graciously begonne in you that the same may bee to the settyng foorth of his glorye the commoditie of his poore afflicted Churche and to your owne eternall ioy and comfort in in him Amen My most deare and faythfull louing brother in oure Lorde I withall the reste of my louing brethren here with me doe moste humbly and hartily commend vs vnto you with al faithfull remembraunce of you in our dayly prayers geuing GOD earnest thankes on your moste happy behalfe for that hee hath geuen you suche hartye boldnes and Christian constancie in the faythfull confession of his euerlasting veritie Blessed bee GOD for thee my dearely beloued brother whiche hathe vouched thee worthy of so great dignitie as to suffer for his sake and settyng foorth of his glory Oh glad in hart mayest thou bee to whom it is geuen not onely to beleue in thy Lord and Christ most liuely but also to suffer for his sake as one of his seely sheepe appointed to the slaughter Bee of good comfort therefore my good brother for your callyng vnto the Crosse of Christ was after a marueilous sorte Surely it was onely the Lordes appointement and therefore hee will well performe his owne worke in and vpon you to the great magnifying of his glory and comfort of your brethren whose hartes are mightely refreshed to heare how hartely you haue behaued your selfe hetherto This present day I receaued a Letter from you at the readyng whereof my brethren and I were not a little comforted to see your conscience so quieted in Christ and your continuaunce so stedfast in him whiche thynges be the speciall giftes of GOD not geuen vnto euery man but to you his deare dearelyng electe and chosen in Christ and such as you bee And where as you doe require to knowe my simple mynde concernyng your aunswere vnto Doctour Story and the Chauncelour truely I say you did aunswere them very well for there are but two Sacramentes in deede that is to say the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ as you haue full well aunswered them praysed be GOD for his good giftes who chuseth the weake to confounde the strong and the foolishe to confounde the worldly wise If when you come before them agayne they doe aske you what a Sacrament is say you that a Sacrament beyng ministred accordyng to Christes institution is a visible signe of an inuisible grace and hath the promise of GODS mercy annexed vnto it auaylable to all such as doe worthely receaue it and not vnworthely worshyppe it as they would haue vs to doe contrary to GODS commaundement And these properties belongyng to Christes true Sacramentes can not bee applyed vnto any one of those fiue Sacramentes whiche they haue inuented of their owne brayne since Antechrist began to reigne to blinde the people withall I perceiue deare hart that vppon Friday they doe entend to condemne you and to geue you your iudgement Therefore I thinke they will haue no great reasonyng with you but bidde you aunswere them directly either yea or nay to all such thynges as they haue to charge you withall whiche they haue gathered of you since you came into their cruell handes But if they will needes make many wordes with you because you are but a simple man and therefore perchaunce they will be the busier with you to trouble you with many questions to comber your knowledge and then seeme to triumph ouer you and that truth that you do hold if I say they do this as perhappes for some euill purpose they will then bee you so playne and as short as you cā saying roundly vnto them these or such like wordes as nigh as you can Be it knowen vnto you that I in all pointes doe beleeue as it becommeth a true Christian and as I haue bene truely taught in the dayes of that good Kyng Edwarde of such godly Preachers and Prophetes sent of GOD as haue sealed their doctrine with their bloud from whom I will dissent in no poynt for I am a poore man without learnyng but am commaunded of GOD to folow the counsell of his constant Preachers and so doe I entend to doe GOD geuyng me grace and assistaunce thereto As for you I knowe you to bee none of Christes shepeheardes but rauenyng Wolues whiche come to kill and scatter the flocke of Christ as the Lorde sayd you should and doth will vs to beware of you and your poysoned doctrine biddyng vs to iudge you accordyng to your fruites whereby all men may see and knowe what you be that will not be wilfully blind But the good shepeheardes haue geuen their liues for the defence of Christes flocke and I am commaunded to folowe their faythfull and Godly example and to confesse with them one trueth euen to the fire if GOD shall see it good and this as a true Christian I haue hetherto done and hence foorth by GODS grace entend for to doe And if for the same GOD shall suffer you to take awaye my lyfe as you haue done theirs I am contented therewith his will be done for that onely is good But of this bee you sure the Lord will shortly call you to accompt for all the innocent bloud that is shedde within this Realme whiche you haue brought into a most woefull case and made many a heauie hart in the same and moe I perceaue you
gently But when the Frier offered hym hys hand he castyng his eye aside as though he had not seene it found matter of talke to another standyng by and so auoyded it which thyng was well marked of some not without great grudge of stomacke After they were set and had well eaten the Frier with a pleasaunt looke offeryng hym the cup sayd Propino tibi inuenis erudite i. I drinke to you learned yong man Palmer at that word blushyng as red as scarlet aunswered Non agnosco nomen domine i. I knowledge no such name O sir. And therewith takyng the cup at his hand he set it downe by hym as though he would haue pledged him anone after but in the end it was also well marked that he did it not When diner was done beyng sharply rebuked of the sayd Bursar hys friend for hys so vnwise vnciuile and vnseemely behauiour as he termed it he made aunswer for hymselfe and sayd Oleum eorum non demulcet sed frangit caput meum i. The oyle of these men doth not supply but breaketh my hed Another tyme which was also the last tyme of his beyng at Oxforde not long before hys death one Barwike an old acquaintaunce of hys beyng sometyme Clarke of Magdalenes and then fellow of Trinitie colledge a rank papist began to reason with hym in his friendes chamber aforesayd and perceiuyng hym to be zealous and earnest in the defence of the veritie he sayd vnto hym in the hearing of M. Thomas Parry and others there present Wel Palmer well now thou art stoute and hardie in thine opinion but if thou were once brought to the stake I beleeue thou wouldest tell me another tale I aduise thee beware of the fire it is a shrewd matter to burne Truely sayth Palmer I haue bene in daunger of burning once or twise and hitherto I thanke GOD I haue escaped it But I iudge verily it will be my end at the last welcome be it by the grace of God In deed it is a hard matter for them to burne that haue the mynd and soule linked to the body as a thiefes foote is tied in a payre of fetters but if a man be once able through the helpe of Gods spirite to seperate and deuide the soule from the body for him it is no more masterie to burne then for me to eate this piece of bread Thus much by the way concerning his plainnes with out dissimulation and how he feared not openly to shewe hymselfe more grieued in hart to heare the worde of God blasphemed then to suffer any worldly paynes Now let vs proceed in our story and faithfully declare both the occasion and maner of his death Within short space after hee had yelded vp his fellowship in Oxford he was through Gods prouidence who neuer fayleth them that first seeke his glory placed scholemaister by Patent in the Grammer schoole of Readyng where he was well accepted of all those that feared God and fauoured his word as well for his good learning and knowledge as also for his earnest zeale and profession of the truth But Sathan the enemie of all godly attemptes enuying his good proceedyngs and prosperous successe in the same would not suffer hym there long to be in quiet Wherfore he stirred vp against hym certayne double faced hypocrites which by dissimulation crafty insinuatiō had crept in to vnderstand hys secrets vnder the pretence of a zeale to the gospell Which men he suspecting no deceit right ioyfully imbraced making them priuy of al his doyngs For as he hymselfe was then feruently enflamed with the loue of heauenly doctrine so had hee an incredible desire by all means possible to allure and encourage others to the profession of the same These faithful and trustie brethren so soone as they had found good oportunitie spared not in his absence to rifle his study of certayne godly bookes and writyngs amongest the which was his replication to Morwines verses touching Winchesters epitaph and other arguments both in Latin and English written by him against the popish procedings and specially against their vnnaturall brutish tyranny executed toward the Martyrs of God When they had thus done they were not ashamed to threaten hym that they would exhibite the same to the Counsayle vnles he would without delay depart out of their coastes and geue ouer the schole to a friend of theirs The truth of this story appeareth in part by a letter written with hys owne hand out of pryson eight dayes before he was burned which because it is of certaine credite and came to our handes therefore we are the bolder to auouche it for a truth Thus then was this sillie yong man for the sauegard of his lyfe forced to depart vppon the sodayne from Readyng leauyng behynd hym in the handes of his enemies his stuffe and one quarters stipende and so he tooke hys iourney toward Esham where hys mother then dwelt hopyng to obtaine at her hands certaine Legacies due to hym by his fathers last will which he should haue receyued certaine yeares before and taking his iourney by Oxford he requested certain of his friends to accompany him thither His mother vnderstandyng his state and errande by M. Shipper and his brother whom he had sent before to entreat for him as soone as she beheld him on his knees askyng her blessing as he had bene accustomed to do thou shalt sayd she haue Christes curse and myne wheresoeuer thou go He pausing a little as one amased at so heauy a greetyng at length sayde O mother your owne curse you may geue me which God knoweth I neuer deserued but Gods curse you cannot geue me for hee hath already blessed me Nay sayth she thou wentest from Gods blessing into the warme sunne when thou wast banished for an heretike out of that worshipfull house in Oxforde and now for the lyke knauery art driuen out of Readyng too Alas mother sayth he you haue bene misse informed I was not expelled nor driuen away but freely resigned of myne accorde And hereticke I am none for I stande not stubbornly agaynst any true doctrine but defend it to my power And you may be sure they vse not to expel nor banish but to burne heretikes as they terme them Well quoth she I am sure thou doest not beleeue as thy father and I and all our forefathers haue done But as we were taught by the new lawe in K. Edwards dayes which is damnable heresie In deed I confesse sayd he that I beleeue that doctrine which was taught in K. Edwards tyme which is not heresie but truth neither is it newe but as olde as Christ and his Apostles If thou be at that poynte sayth she I require thee to departe from my house and out of my sight and neuer take me for thy mother hereafter As for money and goodes I haue none of thyne thy father bequeathed nought for heretickes Fagots I haue to burne thee
contented for frendshippe and curtesye sake not to fayle them in this theyr businesse Hauyng made this Preface he entered into the pith of the matter wherein he blamed greatly the barbarous crueltye of the Court of Rome so fiercely extended agaynst the dead He sayd it was a more heynous matter then was to be borne with to haue shewed such extreme cruelnesse to them that were aliue but for any manne to misbehaue himselfe in such wise towarde the deade was such a thing as hadde not lightly bene heard of Sauing that he affirmed this custome of excommunicating and curssing of deade folke to haue come first from Rome For Euagrius reporteth in his wrytinges that Eutichius was of the same opinion induced by the example of Iosias who slew the Priestes of Baall and burnt vppe the boanes of them that were deade euen vppon the Aultars Whereas before the time of Eutichius this kinde of punishment was welneare vnknowne neither afterwarde vsurped of any manne that euer he heard of vntill a nine hundreth yeares after Christ. In the latter times the whiche howe muche the further they were from that golden age of the Apostles so much the more they were corrupted this kinde of cruelnesse beganne to creepe further For it is manifestlye knowne that Stephen the sixt Pope of Rome digged vp Formosus his last Predecssour in that Sea and spoyling him of hys Popes apparell buryed him agayne in lay mans apparell as the call it hauing first cut off and throwne into Tyber his two fingers with which according to theyr accustomed maner he was woont to blesse and consecrate The whiche his vnspeakeably tyrannye vsed against Formosus within sixe yeares after Sergius the third encreased also agaynst the same Formosus For taking vp his dead body and setting it in a Popes chayre hee caused his heade to be smitten of and his other three fingers to be cut from his hand and his body to be cast into the ryuer of Tyber abrogating and disanulling all his decrees which thinge was neuer done by any man before that daye The cause why so great crueltye was exercised by the reporte of Nauclerus was this because that Formosus had beene an aduersarye to Stephen and Sergius when they sued to be made Bishops This kinde of crueltye vnharde of before the Popes a while exercised one agaynst an other But nowe or euer they had sufficiently felte the smarte thereof themselues they had turned the same vpon our neckes Wherefore it was to be wished that seeing it began among thē it might haue remayned still with the Authors thereof not haue bene spread ouer thence vnto vs. But such was the nature of all euill that it quickely passeth into example for others to do the like For about the yeare of our Lord 1400. Iohn Wicklyfe was in lyke maner digged vp and burnte into ashes throwen into a brooke that runneth by the towne where he was buryed Of the which selfe same sauce tasted also William Tracye of Gloucester a man of a worshipfull house because he had written in his laste will that he shoulde be saued onely by fayth in Iesus Christe and that there needed not the helpe of any manne thereto whether he were in heauen or in earth and therefore bequethed no legacye to that purpose as all other men were accustomed to doe This deede was done sithens we may remember aboute the 22. yeare of the raigne of Henry the 8. in the yeare of our Lord. 1530. Now seeing they extended suche crueltye to the dead he sayde it was an easye matter to coniecture what they would doe to the liuing Whereof we had sufficient tryall by the examples of our owne men these fewe yeares past And if we woulde take the paynes to peruse thinges done somewhat lenger ago we might find notable matters out of our owne Chronicles Howbeit it was sufficient for the manifest demonstration of that matter to declare the beastly butchery of the Frenche King executed vppon the Waldenses at Cabryer and the places nere thereabout by his captayne Miner aboute the yeare of our Lorde 1545. then the which there was neuer thing read of more cruelty done no not euen of the barbarous Paganes And yet for all that when diuers had shewed theyr vttermost cruelty both agaynste these and many others they were so farre from theyr purpose in extinguishing the light of the Gospell which they endeuoured to suppresse that it increased dayly more and more The which thing Charles the 5. then whom all christendome had not a more prudēt Prince nor the Church of Christ almost a sorer enemy easily perceiued and therefore when he had in his hand Luther dead and Melancthon and Pomeran with certayne other Preachers of the Gospell aliue he not onely determined not any thing extreamely agaynst them nor violated theyr graues but also entreating them gently sent thē away not so much as once forbidding them to publish openly the doctrine that they professed For it is the nature of Christes Church that the more that Tyrauntes spurne agaynst it the more it encreaseth and florisheth A notable proofe assuredly of the prouidence and pleasure of God in sowing the Gospell was that comming of the Bohemians vnto vs to the intent to heare Wickliffe of whom we spake before who at that time read openly at Oxford and also the goyng of our men to the sayde Bohemians when persecution was raysed agaynste vs. But muche more notable was it that we had seene come to passe in these our dayes that the Spanyardes sent for into thys Realme of purpose to suppresse the Gospell as soone as they were returned home replenished many partes of theyr Countrey with the same trueth of Religion to the which before they were vtter enemyes By the which examples it might euidently be perceiued that the Princes of this world labour in vayne to ouerthrowe it considering how the mercy of GOD hath sowne it abroad not onely in those Countryes that wee spake of but also in Fraunce Poole Scotland and almoste all the rest of Europe For it is sayd that some partes of Italy although it be vnder the Popes nose yet do they of late encline to the knowledge of the heauenly trueth Wherefore sufficient argument and proofe mighte be taken by the successe and encreasement therof to make vs beleue that this doctrine is sent vs from heauen vnlesse we will wilfully be blinded And if there were any that desired to be perswaded more at large in the matter hee might aduisedlye consider the voyage that the Emperor and the Pope with both theyr powers together made ioyntly agaynste the Bohemians In the which the Emperour tooke suche an vnworthy repulse of so small a handfull of his enemyes that he neuer almost in all his life tooke the like dishonour in any place Hereof also might bee an especiall example that death of Henry Kyng of Fraunce who the same day that he had purposed to persecute the Churche of Christe and to
in me and I in him Arch Then he faced out the matter with Sophistrie and sayde I did eate Christe as that Church was in his eye with many such like mockes but woulde not let me aunswere one woorde Commis Then the Commissarie did aske mee if I did not remember S. Paule which did rebuke the Corinthes for theyr euill behauior and because they made no difference of the Lordes body and brought in to prooue hys matter howe he called him selfe bread in the 6. of Iohn So Paul sayth So oft as ye eate of this breade meaning Christes body vnwoorthely ye eate and drinke your owne damnation because ye make no difference of the Lordes body For thus sayeth Christ The bread that I will geue you is my flesh Now it is no bread but it is his flesh And thus he alledged euery Scripture false to make vp the matter Auns Then I sayde I did beleeue the woordes of Paule very wel euen as he had spoken them For thus he sayeth He that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthely eateth and drynketh hys owne damnation because hee maketh no difference of the Lordes body Commis What is the cause that he eateth his owne damnation Auns I sayd Saint Paule declareth it plainly wyth these woordes If ye had iudged your selues ye should not haue bene iudged of the Lord. Arch. Then the Archdeacon sayde he marueiled whye I would not say that he called the breade hys bodye seeing Cranmer Ridley and Latimer with many other sayd he called it his bodye Auns I saide you haue condemned them as heretickes and you wold haue me say with them because you wold kill me Arch. Then he saide In that they said it was his bodye they did say the truth Auns I asked wherefore they were killed seeing they sayd the truth Bishop Then sayde the Byshop that he had all theyr aunsweres and that they did not beleue as they said For they sayd Christ called it his body but it was not his naturall body but thou shall answere me by and by whether it be his body or not or els I will anger thee Auns Then I sayd I had answeared him by the word already and did beleeue it also therefore if he did condemne me for that my life was not deare vnto me I was sure he should not scape vnpunished for God wil be reuenged vpon such murtherers Arch. Then the Archdeacon intreated mee to be ruled by him take mercy while it was offered for if I were condemned I must needes be burned Yet he would not say but my soule might be saued with many moe wordes and desired me that I would beleue hym for he would speake the truth beginning how Christ fed fiue thousande wyth foure loaues and how he turned the water into wine euen so Christ tooke breade and blest it and when he had done he brake it and sayd This is my body and then he commāded them to eat it and therfore it must nedes be his body Auns Then I desired him to speake the text right or els I would not beleeue him Arch. Then he stoode vp and put off his cap and thanked me for teaching of him and sayde I was a stubberne fellow and tooke scorne to be taught Auns I sayd I ought to holde him accursed if he taught doctrine contrary to Christ and his Apostles Arch. Then he asked me whether I did beleue that Christ did geue that he tooke or not Auns I said I do beleue as much as can be proued by the Scripture and more I will not beleeue Arch. Then he began with Moyses rod howe God commanded him to lay it down and it was turned into a serpent Seing that this was by Moyses being but a man how much more Christ being both God man tooke one thing and gaue to his Disciples an other Ans. I said his comparison was nothing like for Moyses rod when it was laid downe he saw that it was tourned into a verye Serpent in deede but in this Sacrament no mā can see neither qualitie nor yet quantitie to be chāged Bish. Then sayd the Bishop that mine opinion and Faith was like vnto the Capernaites Ans. I sayd theirs was more like theyr opiniō then mine Arch. The Archdeacon asked me whether Christe tooke not one thing and gaue an other Auns I sayde Looke what he brake hee gaue vnto them and had them eate and other answere I will make none contrary to the woorde Arch. Then he sayd he marueiled why I woulde not beleue them seeing this learning had continued this fiftene hundred yeares neither yet did saye as other had before howe Christ did call it his bodye Auns Then I sayde when Cranmer whyche was heere Byshop was in authoritie he sayde that he did holde the truth and commaunded vs to beleeue him and hee hathe geuen his life for his opinion and would you haue me to beleeue you because you say that you holde the truth and that which makes me beleeue chiefly is the scripture which I am sure is the truth in deede Bish. The Bishop sayd he hath spoken the truthe that I would not beleeue him Auns I sayde if he did not nowe speake the truthe I was sure he had spoken the truthe for hee had preached before doctrine cleane contrary vnto this Then were the rest of my articles read which I aunswered and in euery article we had vp this breaden god And they sent for a candle light I thought they woulde haue condemned me but God would not suffer their cruel hearts to haue theyr pleasure at that time blessed he hys name for euermore Amen Arch. Then the Archdeacon was angry began to chide with me because I woulde not desire a day of the byshop and said I was a noughty stubberne felowe and sayde it had bene my duety to haue desired him to haue bene good to me that I might haue a day Auns Then I sayde I haue spoken the truth and therefore I would aske him no day except he would geue me a day of his owne minde Commis Then sayde the Commissarie Doest thou not thinke that thou maiest be deceiued seeing hee may be deceiued that hath gone to study all the daies of his life Auns I saide Yes I mighte be deceiued in that I was a man but I was sure Gods woord could not be deceiued Com. Then hee praied me to be content and confesse that I might learne and said they would be glad to teach me Auns And I sayde I would be as glad to learne as any man And thus they roase vp and went away saying nothing What became of this Mathewe Plaise after whether he died in prison or was executed or deliuered I haue as yet no certaine knowledge The hystorie of ten true godly Disciples and Martyrs of Christ burnt together in one fire at Lewes An. 1557. Iune 22. IN the towne of Lewes were ten faithfull seruauntes of God put in one fire the xxij day of Iune whose names
you be your selues You will go to hell all the sorte of you if you condemne me if you repent iâ— not with speede Wood. Then my keeper and the Sheriffes deputie Fuller rebuked me because I spake so sharpely to them And I sayde I praye you let me alone I aunswere for my life Then there was muche adoe that I shoulde keepe silence and so I held my peace Then spake the Bishop of Winchester and the Archdeacon of Caunterbury saying we go not about to condemne thee but goe aboute to saue thy soule if thou wilt be ruled ane doe as we would haue thee Wood. To saue my soule nay you can not saue my soule My soule is saued already I praise God therefore There can no man saue my soule but Iesus Christ and hee it is that hath saued my soule before the foundation of that would was layd The fat Priest What an heresie is that my Lorde here is an heresie He sayth hys soule was saued before the foundations weâ—e layd Thou canst not tell what thou saiest Was thy soule saued before it was Wood. Yes I prayse God I can tell what I say I say the truth Looke in the first of the Ephesians and there you shall finde it where Paule sayth Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whiche hath blessâ—d vs with all maner of spirituall blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christ according as hee hathe chosen vs in himselfe before the foundation of the earth was layd that we shuld be holy and without blame before him through loue and thereto were wee predâ—stinated These be the wordes of Paule and I beleue they be moste true And therefore it is my fayth in and by Iesus Christe that saueth and not you or any man els The fat priest What fayth without workes Saint Iames sayth faythe without workes is dead and wee haue free will to do good workes Wood. I would not that any of you should think that I do disallow good workes For a good fayth cannot be wtout good works Yet not of our selues but it is the gift of God as sayth S. Paule to the Phillippians the 2. Chapt. It is God that worketh in vs both the wil and also the deed euen of good will Winchester Make an ende aunswere to me Here is your Ordinary the Archdeacon of Caunterbury hee is made your Ordinary by my Lord Cardinall and he hath authoritie to examine you of your fayth vppon a booke to aunswere to such Articles as he will laye to you And I praye you refuse it not for the daunger is great if you do Wherfore we desire you shew your selfe a subiect in this matter Then they spake al and said loe my Lord desireth you gently to aunswere to him and so we do all For if you refuse to take an othe hee may excommunicate you For my Lord Cardinall may put whom he wil in the Bishops office vntill he is consecrated Wood. I know not so much If you will geue me time to learne the trueth of it if I can proue it be as you saye I will tell you my mind in any thing that he shall demauÌ„d of me without any flattering Priest My Lord and all we tell thee it is true therefore aunswere to him Wood. I will beleue none of you all for you be turne coates chaungelinges be wauering minded as sayth S. Iames you be neither hoate nor colde as sayth S. Iohn therfore God will spue you out of his mouth Wherfore I can beleue none of you all I tell you truth Winchest What be we turne coates and chaungelinges what meanest thou by that Wood. I meane that in king Edwardes time you taught the doctrine that was set forth then euery one of you and now you teach the contrary and therfore I call you turne coates and chaungelinges as I may well enough Which wordes made the most part of them to quake Winc. Nay not all as it chaunced Wood No I pray you where were you then Winch. I was in the Tower as the Lieutenaunt wyll beare me record Wood. If you were in the Tower it was not therefore I dare say it was for some other matter TheÌ„ they tooke all hart of grace and sayd my Lord he coÌ„meth to examine you we think if he will not answere to the Articles you were best to excommunicate him Winch. He is the naughtiest verlet hereticke that euer I knew I will read the sentence agaynst him Wood. Then they spake all at once and I aunswered then as fast as I could But I can not remember it all the wordes came out so thicke that I spared them not I prayse God therfore for I spake freely Then they that stood by rebuked me sayd you caÌ„ not tell to whom you speake I thinke Wood. No thinke you so they be but men I am sure I haue spoken to as good as they bee and better then they will euer be for any thing that I can see if they repent not with speed Winc. Geue eare for I will read sentence agaynst you Wood. Will you so wherefore will you you haue no iuste cause to excommunicate me and therefore if you doe condemne me you wil be condemned in hell if you repent not and I prayse God I am not afrayd to dye for Gods sake if I had a hundred liues Winch. For Gods sake nay for the Deuilles sake Thou sayest thou art not afrayde to dye No more was Iudas that hanged himselfe as thou wilt kill thy selfe wilfully because thou wilt not be ruled Wood. Nay I defye the deuill Iudas and all their members And Iudas flesh was not afrayd but his spirite and conscience was afrayde and therefore despayred and hong himselfe But I prayse God I feele no lothsomnes in my flesh to dye but a ioyfull conscience and a willing mynde thereto Wherfore my flesh is subdued to it I prayse God and therfore I am not afrayd of death Chichester Woodman for Gods sake be ruled You know what you sayd to me at my house I coulde say more if I would Wood. Say what you can the most fault that you founde in me was because I praysed the liuing God and because I sayd I prayse God and the Lorde which you ought to be ashamed of if you haue any grace for I told you where the wordes were written Winc. Well how say you will you confesse that Iudas receiued the body of Christ vnworthely tell me playnely Wood. My Lord if you or any of you all can proue before all this audience in all the bible that any man euer eat the body of Christ vnworthely then I will be with you in all thinges that you will demaund of me of the which matter I desire all this people to be witnes Priest Will you so then we shall agree well enough S. Paule sayth so Woodman I pray you where sayeth he so rehearse the wordes Priest In
the very same Christ that was borne of the virgine Mary that was hanged on the Crosse and that suffered for our sinnes and at these words they al put of their cappes and bowed theyr bodyes White My Lord what is a Sacrament Brookes It is the thing it selfe the which it representeth White My Lord that can not be for he that representeth a Prince can not be the Prince himselfe Brookes How many sacraments findest thou in the scriptures called by the name of Sacramentes White I finde 2. Sacraments in the Scriptures but not called by the names of the sacramentes But I thinke S. Augustine gaue them the first name of Sacramentes Brookes Then thou findest not that word sacrameÌ„t in the Scriptures White No my Lord. Brokes Did not Christ say This is my body and are not his words true White I am sure the wordes are true but you play by me as the deuill did by Christ for he sayd If thou be Mat. 4. For it is c. Psal. 91. But the words that folowed after he clean left out which are these Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and Aspe c. These woordes the Deuill lefte out because they were spoken agaynst hymselfe and euen so doe you recite the Scriptures Brokes Declare thy fayth vpon the Sacrament White Christ and his Sacramentes are like because of the natures for in Christ are 2. natures a diuine and a humane nature so likewise in the Sacrament of Cristes body and bloud there be two natures the which I deuide into 2. partes that is externall and internal The external part is the element of bread and wine according to the saying of S. Austine The internal part is the inuisible grace which by the same is represented So is there an externall receiuing of the same Sacrament an internall The externall is with the hande the eye the mouth and the eare The internall is the holy ghost in the hart which worketh in me fayth Wherby I apprehend all the merits of Christ applying the same wholly vnto my saluation If this bee truth beleue it and if it be not reproue it Doct. Hoskins This is Oecolampadius doctrine Hooper taught it to the people Brokes Doest thou not beleue that after the wordes of coÌ„secration there is the naturall presence of Christes body White My Lord I will aunswere you if you wyll aunswere me to one question Is not this article of our beliefe true He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty if he be come from thence to iudgement say so Brokes No. But if thou wilt beleue the Scriptures I will proue to thee that Christe was both in heauen and in earth at one time White As he is God he is in all places but as for hys manhood he is but in one place Brokes S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 15. Last of all he was seene of me c. Here S. Paule sayth he sawe Christ and S. Paule was not in heauen White S. Pauls chief purpose was by this place to proue the resurrection But how do you proue that Christ when he appered to S. Paule was not still in heauen like as he was sene of Stephen sitting at the right hand of God S. Augustine sayth the head that was in heauen dyd crye for the body and members which were on the earth said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And was not Paule taken vp into the thyrd heauen where hee might see Christ as he witnesseth Cor. 15. For there he doth but onely saye that he saw Christ but concerning the place hee speaketh nothing Wherfore this place of scripture proueth not that Christ was both in heauen and earth at one tyme. Brokes I told you before he woulde not beleeue Here be three opinions the Lutherans the Oecolampadians and we the Catholickes If you the Oecolampadians haue the truth then the Lutherians we the catholickes be out of the way If the Lutherians haue the truth then you the Oecolampadians and we the Catholickes be out of the way But if we the catholicks haue the truth as we haue in deede then the Lutherians and you the Oecolampadians are out of the way as ye are in deede for the Lutherians do call you heretickes White My Lorde ye haue troubled me greatly wyth the Scriptures Brokes Did I not tell you it was not possible to remoue him from his errour Away with him to the Lollardes Tower and dispatch him as soone as ye can This was the effect of my first examination More examinations I had after this which I haue no tyme now to write out Amongest many other examinatioÌ„s of the foresaid Richard White at diuers and sondry times susteined it happened one time that Doctour Blackston Chancellour of Exeter saâ—e vpon him with diuers other who alledging certayne Doctors as Chrysostom Cyprian Tertullian agaynst the sayd Richard and being reproued by hym for his false patching of the Doctors fell in such a quaking shaking his conscience belike remorsing him that he was fayne â—lowping downe to laye both his handes vpon his knees to stay his body from trembling Then the sayd Iohn Hunt and Richard White after many examinatioÌ„s and long captiuity at length were called for and brought before Doctour Geffrey the Byshops Chancellor there to be condemned and so they were The high Sheriffe at that present was one named Syr Anthony Hungerford who being theÌ„ at the Sessions was there charged with these two condeÌ„ned persoÌ„s with other malefactours there condemned likewise the same time to see the execution of death ministred vnto them In the meane tyme M. Clifforde of Boscon in Wiltshyre sonne in law to the sayd Syr Anthony Hungerford the Shiriffe commeth to his father exhorting him counselling him earnestly in no case to medle with the death of these two innocent persons and if the Chauncellour and Priestes would needes be instant vpon him yet he should first require the writ to be sent downe De comburendo for his discharge Syr Anthony Hungerford hearing this and vnderstanding Iustice Browne to be in the town the same time went to him to aske his aduise couÌ„sel in the matter who told him that without the writ sent downe from the superiour powers he could not be discharged and if the writte were sent then he must by the law do his charge The Sheriffe vnderstanding by Iustice Browne how farre he might go by the lawe and hauing at that time no writ for his warrant let them alone and the next daye after taking his horse departed The Chauncellor all this while maruelling what the Sheriffe ment and yet disdayning to go vnto him but looking rather the other should haue come first to him at last hearing that he was ridden taketh his horse and rideth after him who at length ouertaking the said Sheriffe declareth vnto him how he had committed certaine condemned prisoners to his hand whose duty had bene to haue sene
wordes and reioysing in the same began to speake vnto hym saying that he was sory to heare these newes For sayd he if Crome should say otherwise then he hath sayd then is it contrary to the truth of Gods worde and contrary to his owne conscience which shall before God accuse hym Lewes aunswered and sayd that he had Preached taught heresy and therefore it was meete that he should in such a place reuoke it Wilmot tolde him that he would not so say neyther did he heare hym Preach any doctrine contrary to Gods worde written but that he proued his doctrine and that sufficiently by the Scriptures Lewes then asked him how he knew that Wilmot Aunswered by the Scripture of God wherein he shall find GODS will and pleasure what he willeth all men to do and what not to do and also by them he should prooue and trye all doctrines and the false doctrine from the true Lewes sayde it was neuer mery since the Bible was in Englishe and that he was doth an hereticke and a traitour that caused it to be translated into Englishe meaning Cromwell and therefore was rewarded according to his desertes Wilmot aunswered agayne what his desertes and offences were to his Prince a great many do not knowe neyneyther doth it force whether they do or no once he was sure that he lost his lyfe for offending his Prince and the law did put it in execution Adding moreouer concerning that man that he thought it pleased GOD to rayse hym vp from a low estate and to place him in hyghe authority partly vnto this that he should do that as all the Bishops in the Realme yet neuer dyd in restoring agayne Gods holy worde which being hyd long before from the people in a straunge tongue now comming abroad amongest vs will bring our Byshops Priestes sayde he in lesse estimation among the people Lewes asked why so Wilmot sayde because their doctrine and liuing was not according to his word Then sayde Lewes I neuer heard but that all men shoulde learne of the Byshops and Priests because they are learned men and haue bene brought vp in learning all the dayes of their liues Wherefore they must needes know the truth and our fathers did beleue their doctrine and learning and I thinke they did well for the worlde was farre better then then it is now Wilmot aunswered I will not say so For wee muste not beleue them beause they are Bishops neyther because they are learned neither because our forefathers did follow theyr doctrine For I haue read in Gods booke how that Byshoqpes and learned men haue taught the people false doctrine and likewise the Priestes from time to time and in deede those people our forefathers beleued as they taught and as they did thinke so did the people thinke But for al this Christ calleth thē false Prophetes theeues and murtherers blinde leaders of the blinde willing the people to take heede of them least they should both fal into the ditche Moreouer we read that the Byshoppes Priests and learned men haue bene commonly resisters of the trueth from time to time and haue alwayes persecuted the Prophetes in the old lawe as theyr successours did persecute our Sauiour Christ and hys Disciples in the newe lawe We must take heed therefore that we credite them no further then God will haue vs neyther to followe them nor our forefathers otherwise then he commaundeth vs. For almighty God hath geuen to all people as well to kings and Princes as Byshoppes Priests learned and vnlearned men a commaundement and law vnto the which he willeth all men to be obedient Therfore if any Bishop or Prieste preache or teache or Prince or Magistrate commaunde any thing contrary to his commaundement we must take heede how we obey them For it is better for vs to obey God then man Mary sir quoth Lewes you are a holy Doctoure in deede By Gods bloud if you were my man I woulde set you about your busines a little better and not to look vpon bookes and so woulde your Mayster if hee were wise And with that in came his mayster and young man wyth hym which was seruaunt with M. Daubny in Watling streete His mayster asked what the matter was Lewes sayd that he had a knauish boy here to his seruaunt and how that if he were his he would rather hang him then keepe him in his house Then his Mayster being somewhat moued asked his fellowes what the matter was They sayde they began to talke about Doct. Crome Then hys Mayster asked hym what hee hadde sayde swearyng a great othe that he would make hym to tell hym He sayd that he trusted he had sayd nothing whereby either he or M. Lewes may iustly be offended I pray you quoth Wilmot aske him what I sayd Mary sir sayd Lewes thys he sayd that Doct. Crome did preach and teach nothing but the truth and howe that if he recant on Sonday next he would be sory to heare it that if he do he is made to doe it agaynst his conscience And more he sayth that we must not follow our Bishops doctrine and preaching For sayth he they be hinderers of Gods word and persecutors of that and how Cromwell dyd more good that traytour in setting foorth the Bible then all our Byshops haue done these hundreth yeares thus reporting the matter worse then he had sayd Then sayde Wilmot that in many thinges hee made his tale worse then it was His Maister hearyng of thys was in a great fury and rated him saying that eyther he would be hanged or burned swearing that he would take away all his bookes and burne them The younge man Mayster Dawbnies seruant standing by hearing this beganne to speake on his part vnto Lewes and his talke confirmed all the sayinges of other to be true This young man was learned his name was Tho. Fayrefaxe Lewes hearing this young mans talk as wel as the others went his way in a rage vnto the Court. On the morowe they heard newes so that the sayde Wilmot and Tho. Fayrefaxe were sent for to come to the Lord Maior The messenger was M. Smart Sword-bearer of London They came before dinner to the Mayors house and were commaunded to sit downe at dinner in the Hall and when the dinner was done they were both called into a Parlour where the Mayor and Syr Roger Cholmley was who examined them seuerally that one not hearing the other The effect of their talke with them was this Syr Roger Cholmley sayd vnto the foresayd Wilmot that my Lorde Mayor and hee had receiued a commaundement from the Counsell to send for hym and his companion and to examine them of certayne thinges which were layde vnto theyr charge Then sayd Mayster Cholmley to hym Syrra what Countreyman art thou He aunswered that he was born in Cambridgeshyre and in such a towne Then he asked him how long he had bene in
you haue founde Wel quoth he you hope and you hope but your hope shal be a slope For though the Queene faile shee that you hope for shall neuer come at it For there is my lord Cardinals grace and many more betweene her and it Then quoth I my hope is in none but God Then saide Clunye Come with me and so went I to the Lollardes Tower On the next daye Darbishire sent for me againe and enquired againe of those Citizens that he enquired of before I answeared I knewe them not Where were you quoth he at the communion on sonday was fortnight And I sayd in no place Then the Constable of S. Brides beinge there made sute for me And Darbishyre demaunded of him if hee woulde be bounde for me He answeared yea And so he was bounde for my appearance betwixt that and Christmasse Then Darbishire sayd you be Constable and should geue her good counsell So do I quoth he For I bid her goe to Masse and to say as you say For by the Masse if you say the Crowe is white I will say so too And thus much concerning the examination of William Liuing and his wife whom although thou seest heere deliuered through the request of women hys sureties yet it was no doubt but that the deadly sicknesse of Queene Marie abated and brideled then the crueltie of those Papists which otherwise would neuer haue let them goe The trouble and deliueraunce of Iohn Lithall AT the taking of William Liuing it happened that certaine of his Bookes were in the custodie of one Iohn Lithall whyche knowen the Constable of the Warde of Southwarke with other of the Queenes seruauntes were sent to his house who breaking open his doores and chests tooke away not onely the bookes of the sayde William Liuing but also all his owne bookes wrytings and billes of debtes which he neuer had againe All this while Lithall was not at home The next Saterdaye after as hee was returned and knowen to be at home Iohn Auales and certaine of the Queenes seruauntes besette his house all the night wyth such carefull watch that as he in the morning issued out of his doores thinking to escape their handes Iohn Auales sodenly brusting out vpon him cried stop the traitor stop the traitor Whereat Lithall being amased looked backe And so Iohn Auales came running to him wyth other that were with him saying ha syrra you are a prety traitorly fellow in deede we haue had somewhat to do to get you To whom he answeared that he was a truer man to the Queenes maiestie then he For you sayd he are commaunded by God to kepe holy the Sabboth day and you seeke to shed your neighbours bloud on the Saboth day Remember that you must answere therfore to God But he said come on you villaine you must goe before the counsell So was Lithal brought into Paules Churchyard to the bishops Chauncellour by Iohn Auales saying that he had there caught the Captaine of these fellowes and so caused him to be called to examination before D. Darbishire who entred with him talke in this wise Chaunc What countrey man are you Lithall I am an Englishman borne in Staffordshire Chaunc Where were you brought vp Lith In this our countrey of England Chaunc In what Uniuersitie Lith In no Uniuersitie but in a free schoole Chaunc We haue had certaine bookes from your house wrytings wherein is both treason and heresie Lith Syr there is neither treason nor heresie in them Chaunc Thē he asked for certain other men that I knew Lith If you haue ought to lay to my charge I will aunswer it but I wil haue no other mans bloud vpō my hed Chaunc Why come you not to the Churche Of what Churche be you that you come not to your owne Parish Church Lithall I am of the Church of Christ the fountaine of all goodnesse Chanc. Haue you no ministers of your church but Christ. Lith We haue others Chanc. Where be they Lith In the whole world disparsed preaching and professing the Gospell and faith onely in our Sauior Iesus as he commaunded them Chauncellour You boast muche euery one of you of your faith and beliefe Lette me heare therefore the effecte howe you beleeue Lith I beleue to be iustified freely by Christe Iesu according to the saying of S. Paule to the Ephesians without either deedes or workes or any thing that may be inuented by man Chaunc Faith can not saue without woorkes Lith That is contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles Chaunc Iohn Auales you and the Keeper haue this fellow to prisone Clunie and Iohn Auales Then Iohn Auales and Clunie the Keeper had me into Paules and would haue had me to haue seene the apostles masse Lithall I knowe none the Apostles had and therefore I will see none Clunie and Iohn Auales Come kneele downe before the roode and say a Pater noster and an Aue in the woorship of the fiue woundes Lith I am forbidden by Gods owne mouthe to kneele to any Idoll or Image therefore I will not Then they pulled me with great extremitie the one hauing me by one arme and the other by the other but God gaue me at that present time more strēgth then both these his name be praised for it Then when they coulde not make me to kneele before the roode neither to see their Masse there gathered a great company about vs and all against me Some spit on me and sayd Fie on thee hereticke and other said it was pitie I was not burned already Then they caried me to Lollardes Tower and hanged me in a great paire of stockes in the which I lay three daies and three nightes till I was so lame that I coulde neither sturre nor mooue Then I offered the Keeper certaine money and gold that I had about me to release me out of the stockes and he sayde I would not be ruled by him neither to see masse nor to kneele before the Roode and therefore I should lye there still But I sayde I would neuer doe the thyng that shoulde be againste my conscience and thoughe you haue lamed my body yet my conscience is whole I praise God for it So shortly after he lette me out of the stockes more for the loue of my money as it maye be thought then for any other affection and within four or fiue daies my wife gotte leaue of maister Chauncelloure to come to mee to bring me suche things as were needefull for me and there I lay fiue weekes and odde dayes In the which time diuers of my neighboures and friendes made sute to the Chauncellor for my deliuerance the Bishop as they sayd at that time being at Fulham sicke So my neighbors being there aboute twentie of them the Chauncellour sent for me out of the Lollardes Tower to his own house and sayde as followeth Chauncellour Lithall heere be of thy neighbours whych haue bene with me
and he cast into the sea then to offend one of the 〈◊〉 ones that beleeue in Christ. And where obiection may bee made that such offence may be taken away by sincere doctrine and preaching it is to be aunswered that that is not sufficient as hereafter more at large shall appeare And though it should be admitted as true yet shoulde it followe that sincere doctrine and preaching shoulde alwayes and in all places continue as well as Images so that whersoeuer an Image to offend were erected there should also of reason a godly and sincere preacher be continually mayntayned for it is reason that the remedye 〈◊〉 as large as the offence the medicine as generall as the poison but that is not possible in the realme of England that Images should be generally allowed as reason and experience may teach As good magistrates which inteÌ„d to banish al whoredome doe driue away all naughty persons specially out of such places as be suspected euen so Images being Meretrices id est Whores for that the worshipping of them is called in the prophetes fornication and adultery ought to be banished and especially out of churches which is the most suspected place and where the spirituall fornication hath bene most omitted It is not expedient to allowe and admitte the thinge which is hurtfull to the greatest number but in all Churches and common wealths the ignoraunt and weake are the greatest number to whome Images are hurtfull and not profitable And where it is commonly alledged that Images in Churches do stirre vp the minde to deuotion it may be aunswered that contrariwise they doe rather distracte the minde from prayer hearing of Gods word other godly meditations as we read that in the Counsell Chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture or Image was suffered least in consultation of wayghty matters of the common weale their mindes by the sight of the outward Image might be occasioned to be withdrawne or to wander from the matter The experience of this present time doth declare that those partes of the realme whiche thinke and are perswaded that God is not offended by doing outward reuereÌ„ce to an image do most desire the restitution of Images and haue bene most dilligent to set them vp agayne Restitution therfore of them by common authoritie shall confirme them more in theyr error to the daunger of theyr soules then euer they were before for as one man writeth Nihil magis est certum quam quod ex dubâ—o factum est certum that is to say nothing is more certayne or sure then that which of doubtfull is made certayne The profit of Images is vncertayne the perill by experience of all ages and states of the Churche as afore is most certayne The benefite to be taken of them if ther be any is very smale the daunger in seeyng of them which is the danger of Idolatry is the greatest of all other Nowe to allowe a moste certayne perill for an vncertayne profite and the greatest daunger for the smallest benefite in matters of fayth and Religion is a tempting of God and a grieuous offence ¶ Probations out of the Fathers Councels and histories FIrst it is manifest that in the primitiue church images were not commonly vsed in Churches Oratories and places of assembly for religion but they were generally detested and abhorred in so much that the want of imagerie was obiected to the christians for a crime Origen reporteth that Celsus obiected the lacke of Images lib. 4. contra Celsum Arnobius saith also that the Ethnikes accused the christians that they had neither altars nor images Zephirus in his Commentarie vpon the Apologie of Tertullian gathereth thus of Tertullians wordes Qui locus persuadendi frigeret penitus nisi perpetuò illud teneamus Christianos tunc temporis odisse maximè statuas cum suis ornamentis c. That is to say Which place of persuasion were very cold and to no purpose at all except we hold this alwayes that Christians in those dayes did hate most of all Images with their trimme decking and ornaments Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. reprooueth the heretikes called Gnostici for that they caried about the image of Christ made in Pilates tyme after his owne proportion whiche were much more to be estemed then any that can be made now vsing also for declaration of their affection towardes it to set garlands vpon the head of it Lactantius affirmeth plainly Non est dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicunque symulachrum est lib. Diuin instit 2. cap. 19. That is to say It is not to be doubted that there is no religion wheresoeuer is any Image If Christians theÌ„ had vsed images he would not haue made his proposition so large S. Augustine De ciuitate Dei lib. 4. cap. 31. commendeth Uarro the Romaine in these wordes Quum Varro existimauerit castius sine symulachris obseruari religionem quis non videt quantum appropinquauerit veritati That is to say when as Uarro thought religion might bee kepte more purely without Images who doth not see how neare he came to the truth So that not onelye by M. Uarroes iudgement but also by S. Augustines approbation the most pure and chast obseruation of religion and nerest the truth is to be without Images The same S. Augustine in Psal. 113. hath these words Plus valent symulachra ad curuandam infoelicem animam quaÌ„ ad docendam That is to say Images haue more force to bowe downe and crooke the sillie soule then to teach it And vpon the same Psalme he mooueth this question Quiuis puer imò quis bestia scit non esse Deum quod vident cur ergo spiritus sanctus toties mouet cauendum quod omnes sciunt That is to say Euery child yea euery beast knoweth that it is not God which they see why then doth the holy ghost so oft geue warnyng to beware of that thyng which all do know S. Augustines answer Quoniam quum ponuntur in templis semel incipiunt adorari a multitudine statim nascitur sordidissimus affectus erroris That is to say For when they are set in Churches begin once to be worshipped of the multitude or common people straightway springeth vp a most filthy affection of errour This place of S. Augustine doth wel open how weak a reason it is to say Images are a thyng indifferent in chambers and in churches For the alteration of the place maner and other circumstances doth alter oftentimes the nature of the thyng It is lawfull to buy and sell in the market but not so in churches It is lawfull to eate and drinke but not so in Churches And therfore sayth Saint Paule Annon habetis domos ad edendum ac bibendum An ecclesiam Dei contemnitis That is to say Haue you not houses to eat and drinke in Do you contemne the church of God Many other actions there bee which are lawfull and honest in priuate place which are neither comely nor honest