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A33335 The marrow of ecclesiastical history contained in the lives of one hundred forty eight fathers, schoolmen, first reformers and modern divines which have flourished in the Church since Christ's time to this present age : faithfully collected and orderly disposed according to the centuries wherein they lived, together with the lively effigies of most of the eminentest of them cut in copper / by Samuel Clark. Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. 1654 (1654) Wing C4544; ESTC R27842 679,638 932

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saying Let him alone if he die it were a good riddance of him c. Concerning his base usage himself thus writes I paid alwaies saith he to the Warden of the Fleet as a Baron paid as well in Fees as for my board viz. 20 s. per week till I was wrongfully deprived of my Bishoprick and after that time I paide as the best Gentleman in the house yet he alwaies used me worse and more vilely then a very slave Thus I suffered inprisonment almost eighteen monthes my goods living friends and comforts taken from me ●he Queen owing me above 80 pound yet hath she cast me into pr●so● al●owes me nothing neither are any suffered to come at me whereby I may be relieved I am under a wicked man and woman and see no remedy but in Gods help But I commit my just cause to him whose will be done whether it be by life or death When he was brought to examination before Winchester and the other Commissioners there was such a tumult whensoever he began to speak that he was forced to keep silence Yet did they proceed to Degrade and condemne him and so delivered him over to the secular Power As they were leading him from the Counter in Southwark to Newgate one of the Sheriffe said to him I wonder that you was so hasty and quick with my Lord Chancellor and used no more patience to him To which he answered Mr. Sheriffe I was nothing at all impatient though I was earnest in my Masters cause and it stands me in hand so to be for it goeth upon life and death not in this World onely but in the World to come Sixe daies he lay close prisoner in Newgate none being suffered to come to him during which time Bonner Harpsfield and diverse others came to him leaving no meanes untried to reduce him to their Antichristian Church sometimes making many great profers and promises to him of worldly riches and promotion other sometimes using grievous threatnings to affright him But they found him alwaies the same man steadfast and unmoveable February the 4 th at night his Keeper gave him some inkling that he should be sent to Gloucester to be burned which he rejoiced very much at lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven and praising God for sending him amongst his people over whom he had been Pastor there to confirme with his blood the truth that before he had taught unto them not doubting but the Lord would give him strength to perform it to his glory And immediately he sent for his boots spurrs and cloke that he might be ready to ride when they should call for him The day following he was delivered to some of the Queens Guard who conveied him to Glocester and when he came neer the City much people met him who cryed and bewailed his condition exceedingly The night before his heath he did eat● his meat quietly and slept soundly After his first sleepe ●ee spent the rest of the night in praier The next day Sr Anthonie Kingston coming to him told him that life was sw●ete and death bitter to which he answered The death to come is more bitter and the life to come more sweet I am come hi●her to end this life and suffer death because I will not gainesay the former Truth that I have here taught unto you Also a blinde boie coming to him after he had examined him in the Grounds of Religion he said Ah poor boy God h●th taken from thee thy outward sight but hath given thee anot●er sight much more pretious having endued thy soul with the eie of knowledge and faith God give thee grace continually to pray u●to him that thou lose not that sight for then shouldest thou ●e blind both in body and soul. Being delivered to the Sheriffe he said to him My request to you Master Sheriffe is onely that there may be a quick fire shortly to make an end of me and in the mean time I will be as obedient to you as you can desire if you think I doe amisse in any thing hold up your finger and I have done I might have had my life with much worldly gaine but I am willing to offer up my life for the Truth and trust to die a faithfull servant to God and a true subject to the Queen When he saw the Sheriff's men with so many weapons he said This is more then needs if you had willed me I would have gone alone to the stake and have troubled none of you all As hee went to the stake he was forbid to speak to the people Hee looked chearfully and with a more ruddy countenance then ordinary Being come to the place of Execution hee prayed about halfe an hour whereof this was a part Lord said he I am Hell but thou art Heaven I am swill and a sinke of sinne but thou art a gracious and mercifull Redeemer Have mercy therfore upon me most miserable wretched offender after thy great mercy and according to thine inestimable goodnesse Thou art ascended into Heaven receive me Hell to be partaker of thy joyes where thou sittest in equall glory with thy Father For will knowest thou Lord wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked doe persecute thy poor servant Not for my sins and transgressions committed against thee but because I will not allow their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the deniall of the knowledge of thy truth wherewith it did please thee by thy holy spirit to instruct me with as much diligence as a poor wretch might being thereto called I have set forth thy glory Thou well seest O Lord my God what terrible torments and cruell paines are prepared for thy poor creature Even such Lord as without thy strength none is able to beare or patiently to passe But that which is impossible with man is possible with thee therefore strengthen me of thy goodnes that in the fire I break not the rules of patience Or else asswage the terror of the paines as shall seeme fittest to thy glory Having a box with a pardon set before him he cried If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it Three Irons being prepared to fasten him to the stake he onely put on an Iron-hoop about his middle bidding them take away the rest saying I doubt not but God will give me strength to abide the extremity of the fire without binding When reedes were cast to him he embraced and kissed them putting them under his arme where he had bags of gun-powder also When fire was first put to him the fagots being green and the winde blowing away the flame he was but scorched more faggots being laied to him the fire was so supprest that his nether-parts were burn'd his upper being scarce touched He praied mildly as one that felt no paine O Jesus the Sonne of
Gardiner said to him How happened it that notwithstanding the Queens Proclamation you dared to preach Saunders Seing the perilous time now at hand I did but according to my duty exhort my flock to persevere and stand stedfast in the Doctrine that they had learned I also remembred those words of the Apostle That its better to obey God then man and what I did I was moved thereto by my conscience Gardiner A goodly conscience surely This your conscience could make our Queen a Bastard would it not Saunders We declare no such matter But for that let them care whose writings are yet abroad to testify the same not without the great shame and reproach of the author This he said because Gardiner to curry favor with King Henry the eighth had published a book wherin he had openly declared Queene Mary to be a Bastard And so going forward he said We onely professe and teach the sincerity and purity of Gods Word which albeit it be now forbidden us to publish with our mouths yet I doubt not but it shall be sealed with our blood The Bishop being vexed at this free speech said Carry away this frensie foole to prison To whom he said I thanke God that at last he hath given me a place of rest where I may pray for your conversion Hee continued in prison one year and three months In a letter to his wife he thus writes I am merry and I trust I shall be merry maugre the teeth of all the Divels in hells Riches I have none to endow you with but that treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I doe feel part that I bequeath unto you and to the rest of my beloved in Christ c. He was so zealous in the defence of the truth that he forbad his wife to sue for his delivery and when other of his friends had by suit almost obtained it he so discouraged them that they ceased from following their suit Being at last brought againe to examination and life being promised if he would recant he answered I love my life and liberty if I could enjoy them without the hurt of my own conscience but by God's grace I will abide the most extretremity that man can do against mee rather then do any thing against my conscience and when Gardiner threatned him with death he said Welcome be it whatsoever the will of the Lord be either life or death and I tell you truly I have learned to dye But I exhort you to beware of shedding innocent blood Truly it will cry aloud against you Being excommunicated degraded and condemned he was sent to Coventry to be burned When he came near the place of execution he went cheerfully to the stake kissing it and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ Welcome everlasting life The fire by his cruell enemies was made of green wood and other smothering matter which would not burne whereby he was put to grievous torments but the grace and plentifull consolation of Christ which never forsakes his servants gave him admirable strength and patience so that in all he stood quietly and at last sweetly slept in the Lord. During his imprisonment he wrote many excellent Letters and after his condemnation in a Letter to his wife and friends he thus writes Oh what worthy thanks can be given to our gracious God for his unmeasurable mercies plentifully 〈◊〉 upon us And I most unworthy wretch cannot but bewail my great ingratitude towards so gracious a God and loving Father I beseech you all as for my other many sins so especially for my sin of unthankfulness crave pardon for me is your earnest prayers To number Gods mercies in particular were to number the drops of water in the Sea the sands on the sh●re or the stars in Heaven O my dear Wife and Friends rejoyce with me I say rejoyce with thanksgiving for this my present promotion in that I am made worthy to magnifie my God not onely in my life by my slow mouth and uncircumcised lips bearing witness to his truth but also by my blood to seal the same to the glory of my God and confirming of his true Church I profess to you that as yet the comfort of my sweet Christ doth drive from me the fear of death But if my dear Husband Christ doe for my tryall leave me a little to my selfe Alas I know in what case I shall then be but if he doe yet I know that he will not be long nor far absent from me though he stand behind the wall yet he will peep in at a cr●vise He is a tender-hearted Joseph though he speak roughly to his brethren and threaten bondage to his best beloved Benjamin yet can be not containe himself from weeping upon us and with us with falling on our necks and sweetly kissing us Such such a brother is our Christ unto all his wherefore hasten to goe unto him as Jacob did with his sons and family leaving their Countrey and Acquaintance Yea this our Joseph hath obtained for us that Pharaoh the Infidel shall provide us Chariots whereby with ease we may be carried to him Our very adversaries do help us to our everlasting blisse by their speedy dispatch blessed be our God Fear not bugbears which lye in the way fear rather the everlasting fire c. My dear Wife and fellow Heirs of the everlasting Kingdom always remember the Lord Rejoyce in hope be patient in tribulation continue instant in prayer and pray for us appointed for the slaughter that we may be unto our heavenly Father a fat offering and an acceptable sacrifice c. Farowel all in Christ in hope to be joyned with you in everlasting joy Amen Amen Amen Pray Pray Doctor Pendleton and this Mr Saunders meeting together in the beginning of Queen Maries reign and speaking of the Persecution that was like to ensue about which Master Saunders shewed much weaknes and many fears Pendleton said to him What man there is much more cause for me to fear than for you forasmuch as I have a bigge and fat body yet will I see the utmost drop of this grease of mine molten away and the last gobbet of this flesh of mins consumed to ashes before I will forsake Iesus Christ and his Truth which I have professed Yet not long after upon trial poor feeble saint-hearted Saunders by the power and goodness of God sealed the Truth with his blood whereas proud Pendleton played the Apostate and turned Papist The Life of John Hooper who died Anno Christi 1555. JOhn Hooper was a Student and Graduate in the University of Oxford where having abundantly profited in the study of other Sciences he was stirred up with a fervent desire to the love and knowledge of the Scriptures in which study he joyned earnest prayers to his diligence for the better understanding of the same