haue found in scripture Then sayd the accuser thou hast preached sayd and openly taught diuers sundry other great errours and abhominable heresies against all the vij sacramentes which for shortnes of time I pretermit and ouerpasse Whether doest thou graunt thy foresayd Articles that thou art accused of or no and thou shalt heare them shortly and then repeated the accuser the three Articles aforesayd shortly ouer and asked him whether he graunted or denied them He aunswered that before he had said of his aunsweres and that he sayd nothing but agreeing to the holy word as he vnderstoode so God iudge him and his owne conscience accuse him and thereby would he abide vnto the time he were better instructed by scripture and the contrary proued The wordes of Adam Wallace to the L. Gouernour and the Lordes euen to the death and said to the Lord Gouernour and other Lords if you cōdemne me for holding by Gods word my innocent bloud shall be required at your hands when ye shall be brought before the iudgemente seate of Christ who is mightie to defend my innocent cause before whome ye shall not denie it nor yet be able to resiste hys wrath Heb. 10 to whome I referre the vengeaunce as it is written Vengeance is mine and I will reward Then gaue they forth sentence and condemned him by the lawes Sentence of condemnation geuen agaynst Adam Wallace and so lefte him to the secular power in the hands of Sir Iohn Campbell Iustice deputie who delyuered him to the Prouost of Edenbrough to be burnt on the Castle hill who incontinent made him to be put in the vppermost house in the towne with yrons about his legs and necke Syr Hugh Terry an impe of Sathan and gaue charge to Sir Hugh Terry to keepe the key of the sayd house an ignoraunt Minister and impe of Sathan and of the Bishops who by direction sente to the poore man two Gray Friers to instructe hym wyth whome he would enter into no communing Soone after that was sent in two blacke Friers an Englishe Frier and another subtile sophister Fryers sent to instructe Adam Wallace called Arbirtromy with the which English Frier he would haue reasoned and declared his faith by the scriptures Who aunswered he had no commission to enter in disputation with him and so departed and left him Then was sent to him a worldly wise man and not vngodly in the vnderstanding of the truth The Deane of Roscalridge sent to Adā Wallace the Deane of Roscalrige who gaue him Christian consolatiō amongst the which he exhorted him to beleue the realtie of the sacramēt after the cōsecration But he would cōsent to nothing that had not euidēce in the holy scripture so passed ouer that night in singing landing God to the eares of diuers hearers The bookes of the good man taken from him hauing learned the psalter of Dauid w tout booke to his consolation For before they had spoyled him of his Bible which alwaies til after he was cōdēned was w t him where euer he wēt After y t sir Hugh knew that he had certaine bookes to read cōfort his spirit who came in a rage tooke y e same frō him leauing him desolat to his power of all cōsolatiō and gaue diuers vngodly iniurious prouocatiōs by his diuelish venome to haue peruerted him a poore innocent frō the patience hope he had in Christ his sauiour but God suffered him not to be moued therwith as plainely appeared to the hearers and seers for the time So all the next morning abode this poore man in yrons and prouision was commaunded to be made for his burning against the next day Whiche daye the Lord Gouernour and all the principall both spirituall and temporall Lords departed from Edenbrough to their other busines After they were departed The Deane commeth agayne to Adā Wallace came y e Deane of Roscalrige to him againe reasoned with him after his wit Who answered as before he would say nothing cōcerning his faith but as the scripture testifieth yea though an Aungell came from heauen to perswade him to the same sauing that he confessed himselfe to haue receaued good consolation of the said Deane in other behalfes as becommeth a Christian. Then after came in the said Terry again examined him after his old manner and said Syr Hugh Terry commeth againe to Adam Wallace he would garre deuils to come forth of him ere euen To whome he aunswered you should be a godly man to geue me rather cōsolation in my case When I knewe you were come I prayed God I might resiste your temptations which I thanke hym he hath made me able to doe therfore I pray you let me alone in peace Then he asked of one of the Officers that stoode by is your fire making ready Who tolde hym it was He answered as it pleaseth God I am ready soone or late as it shall please him then he spake to one faithful in that company bad him cōmend him to all the faithfull being sure to meete together with thē in heauen From that time to his forth comming to the fire spake no man with hym At his foorth comming the Prouost with great manasing words forbad him to speake to any mā or any to him The Prouost of Edenbrough forbiddeth him to speake to any man The worde◠of Adam Wallace to the people as belike he had commandement of his superiours Comming from the towne to the Castell hill the commō people sayd God haue mercy vpon him And on you to sayd he Being beside y e fire he lifted vp his eyen to heauē twise or thrise and said to the people Let it not offend you that I suffer the death this day for the truthes sake for the Disciple is not aboue his maister Then was y e Prouost angry that he spake Then looked he to heauen againe and sayd They will not let me speake The corde being about hys necke the fire was lighted and so departed he to God constantly and with good countenance to our sightes Ex testimonijs literis è Scotia petitis an 1550. The burning of the blessed Martyr Adam Wallace ¶ The schisme that arose in Scotland for the Pater noster AFter that Richard Mershal Doctour of Diuinitie and Priour of the blacke Friers at the new Castle in England had declared in his preachings of S. Andrewes in Scotland that the Lordes Prayer commonly called the Pater noster should be done only to God not to Saints neither to any other creature the Doctours of the Uniuersitie of S. Andrewes together with the Gray Friers who had long ago taught the people to pray the Pater noster to Saints had great indignatiō that their old doctrine shuld be repugned stirred vp a Gray Frier called Frier Toittis to preach again to the people that they should might pray the Pater noster to Saintes Who finding no
Ministers the whiche do wish vnto you the grace of God and constancy in the truth Concerning the state of our Church it remayneth euen as it was when you departed from vs into your countrey God graunt we may be thankfull to him and that we doe not onely professe the faith with wordes but also expresse the same effectually with good workes to the praise of our Lord. The word of God increaseth dayly in that part of Italy that is neare vnto vs and in Fraunce In the meane while the godly sustaine greeuous persecutions and with great constancy and glory through tormentes they goe vnto the Lord. I and all my houshold with my sonnes in law and kinsmen are in good health in the Lord. They doe salute you and pray for your constancie being sorrowfull for you and the rest of the prisoners There came to vs Englishmen Studentes both godly and learned They be receaued of oure Magistrate Tenne of them dwell together the rest remayne here and there with good men Amongest the other Mayster Thomas Leuer is deare vnto me and familiar If there be anye thing wherein I may doe any pleasure to your wife and childreÌ„ M. Tho. Leuer they shall haue me wholly at commaundement whereof I will write also to your wife for I vnderstand shee abideth at Franckford Be strong and mery in Christ wayting for his deliraunce when and in what sort it shall seeme good vnto hym The Lorde Iesus shewe pittie vppon the Realme of Englande and illuminate the same with his holy Spirite to the glorye of his name and the saluation of soules The Lorde Iesus preserue and deliuer you from all euill with all them that call vpon hys name Farewell and farewell eternally The 10. of October 1554. From Zurich You know the hand H.B. The history of D. Rouland Taylour which suffered for the truth of Gods word vnder the tyranny of the Romayne Byshop .1555 the 9. day of February THe towne of Hadley was one of the first that receaued the worde of God in all Englande at the preachinge of M. Thomas Bilney Hadly towne commended Thomas Bilney By whose industrye the Gospell of Christ had such gracious successe and took such root there that a great number of that parishe became exceeding wel learned in the holye scriptures as well women as men so that a man might haue found among them many that had often read the whole Bible through and that coulde haue saytâ— a great part of S. Paules epistles by hart and very wel readily haue geuen a godly learned sentence in any matter of controuersie Their children and seruantes were also brought vp and trayned so dilligently in y e right knowledge of Gods worde that the whole towne seemed rather an Uniuersitie of y e learned then a town of Cloth-making or labouring people And that most is to be commended they were for the more part faythfull followers of Gods word in their liuing In this towne was D. Rouland Taylor Doctour in both the Ciuill and Canon lawes D. Taylour a Doctour in both lawes and a diuine and a right perfect Diuine parson Who at his first entring into his benefice did not as the common sort of beneficed meÌ„ do let out his benefice to a Farmar that should gather vp the profites and set in an ignoraunt vnlearned Priest to serue the Cure so they may haue the fleece litle or nothing care for feeding the flocke But contrarily he forsooke the Archbishop of Canterbury Tho. Cranmer Thomas Cranmer Archb. of Canterâ—ury with whome he before was in housholde and made hys personal abode and dwelling in Hadley among y e people coÌ„mitted to his charge Where he as a good shepheard abiding and dwelling among has sheepe A good shepheard and his conditions gaue himself wholly to the study of holy scriptures most faythfull endeuouring himselfe to fulfill that charge which the Lord gaue vnto Peter saying Peter louest thou me Iohn 2. Feede with worde Feede my Lambes Feede my sheepe Feede my sheepe This loue of Christ so wrought in him that no Sonday nor holy day passed nor other time when he might get the people together Anno 1555. February but he preached to them the worde of God the doctrine of their saluation Not onely was his worde a preaching vnto them but all his lyfe and conuersation was an example of vnfayned christian life and true holynes He was voyde of all pride humble Feede with example and meeke as any childe so that none were so poore but they might boldly as vnto their father resorte vnto him neither was his lowlines childish or fearefull but as occasion time and place required he would be stout in rebuking the sinfull and euill doers so that none was so rich but he would tell him playnely his fault with such earnest and graue rebukes as became a good Curate and Pastor He was a man very milde voyde of all rancour grudge or euill will ready to do good to all men readely forgeuing his enemies and neuer sought to do euil to any To the poore that were blinde lame sicke bedred or that had many childreÌ„ Feede with almes he was a very Father a carefull patrone and diligent prouider in so much that he caused the parishioners to make a generall prouision for theÌ„ and he himselfe beside the continuall reliefe that they alwayes found at his house gaue an honest portion yearely Commendation of Doct. Taylours wife and his children to the common almes boxe His wife also was an honest discrete and sober matrone and his children well nourtred brought vp in the feare of God and good learning To conclude he was a right and liuely image or paterne of all those vertuous qualities described by S. Paule in a true Byshop a good salt of the earth sauourly biting the corrupt maners of euill men a light in Gods house set vpoÌ„ a Candlesticke for all good men to imitate and folow Thus continued this good Shepeheard among hys flocke gouerning and leading them through this wildernes of the wicked world all the dayes of the most innocent and holy King of blessed memory Edward the vj. But after it pleased God to take King Edward from this vale of misery vnto his most blessed rest The Papistes and their naturall workes the Papistes who euer sembled and dissembled both with King Henry the eight and king Edward his sonne now seing the time conuenient for their purpose vttered their false hypocrisie openly refusing all good reformation made by the sayd two most godly Kings and contrary to that they had all these two Kings dayes preached taught written and sworne they violently ouerthrew the true doctrine of the Gospell and persecuted with sword and fire all those that would not agree to receaue againe the Romaine Byshop as supreme head of the vniuersall Church and allow all the errours superstitions and idolatries that before by Gods worde were disproued and iustly condemned as
in diuinitie and minding well vnto you and desiring the safegard of your soule and that you should folow and beleue the doctrine of the Catholicke church as afore concerning the sayd sacrament of the aultar and whether you did not at al times since your sayd comming to me vtterly refuse to follow and beleue the sayd doctrine concerning the sayd sacrament Whether can you nowe finde in your hart and conscience to conforme your selfe in all poyntes to the said fayth and catholicke church concerning the sayde Sacrament of the aultar faythfully truely and playnely without anye dissimulation beleeuing therein as our sayd soueraignes with the Nobilitie Clergie and Laytie of this Realme and other Christian realmes and other persons aforesaid and also the sayd Catholicke Church haue and do beleue in that behalfe In case you so caÌ„not what ground haue you to mayntaine your opinion and who is of the same opinion wyth you and what conference haue you had therein with any what comfort and what reliefe haue you had therein by any of them and what are their names and surnames and their dwelling place Their aunsweres to these articles were not much discrepant from Tomkins and other like Martirs aboue mentioned as here followeth to be seene ¶ The aunswere of Steuen Knight and William Pigot to the aforesayd Articles TO the first article they beleue that the contentes of this article is not agreable to scripture Answeres to the Articles aforesayd To the second they answere and beleue that their parentes and other expressed in the sayd article so beleuyng as is contayned in the same were deceiued To the thyrd they aunswere that they so beleued but they were deceiued therein as they now beleue To the fourth they say that they haue heretofore beleued as is conteined in the said article but now they do not so beleue To the fift they say that if they so beleue they are deceiued To the sixt they beleue the same to be true To the seuenth they answere and beleue the contents of the same to be true To the eight they aunswere that they can no whyt confourme themselues to the fayth and doctrine contayned and specified in this article vntill it be proued by Scripture To the ninth they say that they haue no grounde to mainteine their sayd opinions but y e truth which as they say hath bene perswaded by learned men as D. Taylour of Hadley and such other These aunsweres being made and exhibited they were commaunded to appeare agayne the next daye at eight of the clocke in the morning and in the meane while to bethinke themselues what they would do An other appearaunce of the sayd prisoners before Boner An other appearaunce THe next daye in the morning being the 9. daye of February before their open appearaunce the Bishop sent for William Pigot and Stephen Knight into his great chamber in his Pallace where he perswaded with them to recant and deny their former profession Who answered that they were not perswaded in their consciences to returne and abiure theyr opinions whereunto they had subscribed Within a while after they were all three with Thomas Tomkins and William Hunter afore named brought openly into the Consistorye the ix day of February aforesayd and there had the same articles propouÌ„ded vnto them which were before propouÌ„ded vnto the foresayde Thomas Tomkins as appeareth in the discourse of his historye and therto also subscribed these wordes I do so beleue Talke betweene Boner and Iohn Laurence Priest Iohn Laurence sometymes a Fryer The Bishop also vsed certayne talke vnto Iohn Laurence onely Whereunto he aunswered in this manner That hee was a Priest and was consecrated and made a Priest about eightene yeares past and that he was sometime a Blacke Fryer professed that also hee was assured vnto a mayd whome he intended to haue maryed And being agayne demaunded his opinion vppon the Sacrament he said that it was a remembraunce of Chrystes body and that many haue bene deceiued in the beleeuing the true body of Christ to be in the Sacrament of the Aultar and that all such as doe not beleue as he doth doe erre After this talke and other fayre wordes and threatninges they were all of theÌ„ commaunded to appeare again at after noone The third and last appearaunce AT the which houre they came thyther agayne there 〈◊〉 the accustomed manner were exhorted to recant and reuoke their doctrine and receiue the fayth To the whiche they constantly aunswered they woulde not but would sticke to that fayth that they had declared and subscribed vnto for that they did beleeue y t it was no errour whiche they beleued but that the contrary therof was very heresy When the Bishop sawe that neither his fayre flatteringes Steuen Knight William Pigot Iohn LaureÌ„ce condemned Iohn Laurence disgraded Steuen Knight burned at Mauldon W. Pigot at Braintree March 28. nor yet his cruell threatnings would preuayle he gaue them seuerally their iudgementes And because Ioh. Laurence had bene one of theyr annoynted priestes hee was by the bishop there according to their order solemnly disgraded the maner whereof you may see in the history of Maister Hooper afore passed pag. 1435. Their sentence of condemnation this degradation once ended they were committed vnto the custodye of the Sheriffes of London who sent theÌ„ vnto Newgate where they remayned with ioy together vntill they were caryed downe into Essex and there the 28. daye of March the sayd William Pigot was burned at Brayntree and Stephen Knight at Mauldon who at the stake kneeling vpon the ground sayd this prayer which here followeth The Prayer that Stephen Knight sayd at hys death vpon his knees being at the stake at Mauldon O Lord Iesu Christe for whose loue I leaue willingly this life and desire rather the bitter death of his Crosse with the losse of all earthly thinges A godly prayer of Ste. Knighâ— at his Marâ—tyrdome then to abide the blasphemye of thy moste holy name or to obey men in breaking thy holye Commaundement thou seest O Lorde that where I might liue in worldlye wealth to worship a false God and honour thine enemy I chose rather the torment of the body and the losse of this my lyfe and haue counted all thinges but vile duste and dounge that I might winne thee whiche death is dearer vnto me then thousandes of gold and siluer Such loue O Lord hast thou layd vp in my breast that I hunger for thee Psal. 42. as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soyle Send thy holy comforter O Lord to ayd comfort and strengthen this weake peece of earth whiche is emptye of all strength of it selfe Thou remembrest O Lorde that I am but dust and able to do nothing that is good Therfore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodnes and loue thou hast bidden mee to this banket and accompted mee worthye to drinke of thyne owne cup amongst thine elect euen so geue me strength
and the Archdeacon at Caunterbury the thirteenth daye of Iune The name of this Byshop was Richard Thorneton The Commissary was Robert Collins whome the Cardinall by his letters patent had substitute to his factor before his comming ouer to Englande The Archdeacon was Nicholas Harpsfield Under these a great sorte of innocent Lambes of Christ were cruelly entreated and slayne at Caunterbury amongest whome this foresayd Mayster Bland was one of the first â—he wordes â—f M. Bland 〈…〉 who as it is sayd being brought before the said Bishop and Colleagues whiche were Iohn Frankeshe Nicholas Sheterden Thomas Thacker Umfrey Middleton William Coker was examined of articles To whome it was obiected by the Commissarye whether hee beleue that Christ is really in the sacrament or no. c. To this he aunswered and sayd that hee beleeued that Christ is in the sacrament as he is in all other good bodies so that he iudged not Christ to be really in the sacrament Wherupon the day being Monday he was bid to appeare agayne vpon Wednesday nexte An other appearance and from thence he was deferred agayne to monday following being the xx Iune in the same Chapterhouse then to heare further what should be done in case he would not relent to theyr minde The whiche daye and place he appearing as before The last appearance of M. Bland before the Bishop of Douer and others was required to saye his minde playnely and fully to the foresayd articles being agayne repeated to him Whiche articles commonly and in course they vse to obiect to their Examinates which he wrought before them as here now followeth and need not much hereafter specially for that Countrey of Kent to be repeated ¶ Articles ministred by Richard Byshop of Douer to mayster Bland and likewise to the rest followyng after him 1. FIrste that thou arte of the Dioces of Caunterbury Articles oâ— Course ministred against M. Bland and so subiect to the iurisdiction of the Archbyshop there 2. Item that thou art a Christen man and doest professe the lawes of God and fayth of Christes Catholicke Church and the determination of the same 3. Item that all Parsons which teach preache beleeue affirme holde mayntayne or saye within the Dioces of Caunterburye otherwise then our holy mother y e church doth are excommunicate persons and heretickes and as excommunicate and heretickes ought to be named reputed and taken 4. Item that thou contrary to the Catholicke faith and determination of our mother holy Churche within the Dioces of Caunterbury hast openly spokeÌ„ mayntayned holden affirmed and beleued and yet doest hold maynteine affirme and beleeue that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar vnder the fourmes of bread and wyne there is not the very bodye and bloude of our Sauioure Iesus Christ in substaunce but onely a token signe and remembraunce thereof and that the very body and bloud of christ is onely in heauen and no where els 5. Item that thou contrary to the Catholicke fayth and determination of our mother holye Churche hast wythin this Dioces of Caunterbury openly spoken sayde maintayned holden affirmed and beleued and yet doest holde maynteine affirme and beleue that it is agaynst Gods word that the sacrament of Christes Churche shoulde be ministred in an vnknowne tongue and that no man safely and with a safe conscience or without perill of sinne receiueth any sacrament ministred in any tongue that he vnderstandeth not 6. Item that thou contrary to the Catholicke fayth of our mother holy Church hast and yet doest hold opinion and say that is against Gods word that the sacrament of the aultar shoulde be ministred in one kinde and that no man may with a safe conscience so receiue it 7 Item that the premisses be true and that there is a common fame vppon them within the Dyoces of Caunterbury The aunsweres of Mayster Bland to the foresayd Articles 1. TO these articles M. Bland aunswearing agayne in order as they were obiected to him Aunswere to the first article out of the Register The Catholicke Church of Christ. The Catholicke Church of Antichrist sayth to the first graunting the same that he was a priest and of the Dyoces of Caunterbury 2. To the second also he aunswered affirmatiuely 3. Item to thirde hee aunswereth that the Article is true meaning the Catholicke Churche to bee Chrystes Churche 4. Item in the fourth Article as touching the first parte of the Article he doth confesse that he hath preached and taught it as it is contayned in the same And as touching the seconde parte of the article he doth confesse that he doth nowe also hold and say as he preached and taught before 5. Item to the fift article he graunteth 6. To the sixt hee hath preached held and doth holde as it is conteyned in the article 7. Item to the last article he graunteth the same c. This done and his aunsweres and confession taken respite was geuen hym yet a few dayes to deliberate with himselfe So the xxv day of the sayde moneth of Iune hee making his appearing agayne in the sayd Chapterhouse there openly and boldly withstoode the authoritie of the Pope whereupon his sentence was read and so he condemned and committed to the secular power Touching the forme and tenor of the sentence M. Bland denyeth the Pope M. Bland condemned because all theyr sentences of course agree in one read before in y e historye of Maister Rogers ¶ The prayer of Maister Bland before his death THe Lorde Iesus for whose loue I doe willingly leaue thys life A prayer of M. Bland and desire rather the bitter death of this crosse wyth the losse of all earthly thinges then to abide the blasphemye of thy holye name or els to obey man in breaking thy Commaundements thou seest Oh Lord that where as I might liue in worldly wealth to worship false Gods and honoure thy enemye I chose rather the tormentes of this body and losse of this my life and haue counted al thinges but vile dust and dung that I might winne thee Which death is more deare vnto me then thousands of gold and siluer Such loue Oh Lorde hast thou layde vp in my brest that I hunger for thee as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soyle Send thy holy comfort O Lorde to ayd comfort and strengthen this weake peece of earth whiche is voyde of all strength of it selfe Thou remembrest O Lorde that I am but dust and not able to doe any thing that is good Therefore O Lorde as thou of thy accustomed goodnes hast bidden me to this banket and counted me worthy to drinke of thine owne cup amoÌ„gst thine elect geue me strength against this element that as it is to my sight most â—â—kesome and terrible so to my minde it may be at thy commaundement as an obedient seruaunt sweete and pleasaunt and through the strength of thy holye spirite I may passe through the strength of this fire into thy bosome according
these bookes which he wrote last men sayd he would iudge and esteeme him as the tree is knowen not by the blosome but by the fruit Here he added something of the noone deuil and of the spirite comming in the darcke Psal. 90. and of the flying arrow All his oration was exhortatory full of Rhetoricall places of honesty of vtility of lawes of the daungers of conscience and of the common particular wealth repeating ofre this sentence in the proheme midle and epilogue of his oratiō that this admonition was geuen him of a singulare good will and great clemency In the shutting vp of his oration he added manacinges saying that if he would abide in his purposed intent the Emperour woulde proceede further and banish him from the Empyre perswading hym deliberately to ponder and to aduise these and other thinges Martin Luther answered Most noble Princes and my most gracious Lordes M. Luther aunswereth to Veu◠I render most humble thankes for your benignityes and singuler good wils whence proceedeth this admonition For I knowe my selfe to be so base as by no meanes I canne deserue to bee admonished of so mighty estates The councell of Constance condemned the word of God Then he franckely pronounced that he had not reprooued all Councels but onely the councel of Constance and for this principall cause for that the same had condemned the word of GOD which appeared in the condemnation of this article proponed by Iohn Hus The Church of Christ is the Communion of the predestinate It is euident sayde he that the Councell of Constance abolished this Article and consequently the Article of our fayth I beleue the holy churche vniuersall and sayd that he was ready to spend life and bloud Scādale of faith and charitie so he were not cōpelled to reuoke the manifest word of God for in defence therof we ought rather to obey God then men And that in this he could not auoid the scandall or offence of fayth for there bee two maner of offences to wit of charity and of fayth The slaunder of charity consisteth in maners and in life The offences of fayth or doctrine rest in the word of God and as touching this last he could escape it no maner of wayes for it lay not in his power to make Christ not to be a stone of offence If Christes sheepe were fedde with pure pasture of the gospell if the fayth of Christ were sincerely preached and if there were good Ecclesiasticall magistrates who duely would execute theyr office we shoulde not neede sayth he to charge the Church with mens traditions Further that he knew wel wee ought to obey the Magistrates and higher powers how vniustly and peruersly so euer they liued We oughte also to be obedient to theyr lawes and iudgementes all which he had taught sayd he in all his works adding further that he was ready to obey them in all poyntes so that they enforced him not to deny the word of God These wordes finished Luther was bid stand aside the Princes consulted what answere they might geue him The Princes consulted about Martin Luther This done they called him into a parlor whereas the foresaid Doctour Voeus repeated his former matters admonishing Luther to submit his writinges to the Emperour to the Princes iudgement Luther answered humbly and modestly that he coulde not neither would permit that men shoulde say he woulde shunne the iudgement of the Emperour Princes and superiour powers of the Empyre So farre was it off that he woulde refuse to stand to theyr tryall that he was contented to suffer his writings to be discussed considered and iudged of the simplest so that it were done with y e authority of the worde of God and the holy Scripture and that the word of God made so muche for him The word of God only true and was so manifest vnto him that he could not geue place vnlesse they coulde confounde his doctrine by the worde of God This lesson sayd he he learned of S. Austē who writeth that he gaue his honour onely to those bookes which are called Canonicall that he beleued the same onely to be true As touching other Doctors albeit in holynesse and excellēcy of learning the passed yet he would not credit them further then they agreed with the touchstone of Gods word Further sayde he S. Paule geueth vs a lesson writing to the Thessalonians Proue all thinges folow that is good And to the Galathians Though an Aungell should descende from heauen 1 Thes. 5. Gal. 1. if hee preach any other doctrine let him be accursed and therefore not to be beleued Finally he meekely besought them not to vrge his cōscience captiued in the bands of the word of God and holy scripture to denye the same excellent worde And thus hee commended his cause and himselfe to them and specially to y e Emperours maiesty requyring they fauour y t he might not be compelled to doe anye thing in this matter against his conscience in all other causes he would submit himself with all kinde of obedience and due subiection As Luther had thus ended his talke Ioachimus Elector Marques of Brandeburge demaūded if his meaning was thus that he woulde not yelde vnlesse he were conuinced by the Scripture Yea truely right Noble Lorde quoth Luther or els by auncient and euident reasons And so the assemble brake and the Princes repayred to the Emperours Court. After theyr departure the Archbishoppe of Triers accompanyed with a fewe his familiars namely Iohn Eckius his Officiall and Cochleus commaunded Luther to repayre into his parlour With Luther was Hieronimus Scurffius and Nicholas Ambsdorff for his assistaunce Then the Officiall beganne to frame an argument like a a Sophist and Canonist defending the Popes cause that for the most part at all times holy Scriptures haue engendred errors as the error of Heluidius the heretique False argumentes for the Pope Math. 1. out of that place in the Gospell where is expressed Iosephe knewe not his wyfe tyll she was deliuered of her first childe Further he went about to ouerthrow this proposition that the Catholique Church is the Communion of Sayntes Martin Luther and Hierome Scurffe reprooued but modestly these follies and other vain and ridiculous matters which Eckius brought forth as thinges not seruinge to the purpose Sometime Cochleus would come in with his fiue egges and laboured to perswade Luther to desiste from his purpose vtterly to refraine thenceforth to write or teach and so they departed About euening the Archbishopp of Triers aduertised Luther by Ambsdorff that the Emperours promise made vnto him was prolonged two daies and in the mean season he would conferre with him the nexte day and for that cause he would send Peutinger and the Doctour of Bade which was Voeus the morow after to him and he himselfe would also talke with him The friday after whiche was S. Markes day Peutinger and the Doctour of Bade trauelled in the
the apple After long refusing wheÌ„ the wofull father could not otherwise choose by force constreined but must leauill at the apple as God would he mist the child and stroke the marke This Tell being thus compelled by the tirant to shoote at his sonne had brought with him two shaftes thinking that if he had stroke the child with the one the other he would haue let driue at the tyraunt Which being vnderstand he was apprehended and led to the rulers house but by the way escaping out of the boate betweene Urania and Brun and passing thorough the mountaines with as much speede as he might Pride and tyrannye well rewarded he lay in the way secretly as the ruler should passe where he discharged his arow at the tyraunt and slue him And thus were these cruell gouernours vtterly expelled out of these three valleyes or pages aforesayd and after that such order was taken by the Emperour Henricus 7. and also by the Emperours Ludouicus duke of Bauaria that henceforth no iudge should be set ouer them but only of their owne companie Ex Sebast. MuÌ„st Cosmog lib. 3. and towne dwellers Ex Seb. Munst. Cosmog lib. 3. It folowed after this in the yeare of our Lord 1315. that great contention and war fell betweene Fridericke Duke of Austria and Ludouicke Duke of Bauaria striuing and fighting the space of eight yeares together about the Empire With Ludouicus held the three pages aforesayd who had diuers conflicts with Lupoldus brother to the forenamed Fridericke Duke of Austria fighting in his brothers quarell As Lupoldus had reared a mighty army of twenty thousand footemen and horsemen and was come to Egree so to passe ouer the mountaines to subdue the pages he began to take aduise of his counsaile by what way or passage best he might direct his iourney toward the Suitzers Whereupon as they were busy in consulting there stoode a foole by named Kune de Stocken which hearing their aduise A fooles bolt somtimes hits the marke thought also to shoote his bolt withall and told them that their counsaile did not like him For all you quoth he consult how we should enter into yonder countrey but none of you geueth any counsaile how to come out againe after we be entred And in conclusion as the foole said so they found it true For when Lupoldus with his hoste had entred into the straites and valleys betweene the rockes and mountaines the Suitzers wyth their neighbours of Urania and Siluania lieng in priuie waite had theÌ„ at such aduantage with tumbling downe stones from the rockes and sodeine comming vpon theyr backes in blinde lanes did so encomber them that neither they had conuenient standing to fight nor roome almost to flie away By reason whereof a great part of Lupoldus army there being enclosed about y e place called MorgarteÌ„ lost their liues many in the flight were slaine Lupoldus with theÌ„ that remained retired and escaped to Thurgoia This battaile was fought anno 1315. Nouember 16. After this the burgers of these three villages being continually vexed by Fridericke Duke of Austria The first league betweene the 3. Pages for that they would not knowledge him for Emperour assembled them selues in the towne of Urania an 1316. and there entred a mutuall league and bond of perpetuall societie and coniunction ioining and swearing themselues as in one bodie of a common wealth and publike administration together After that came to them Lucernates then Tugiani after them the Tigurines next to them folowed Bernates the last almost of all were the Basilians then followed after the other seauen pages aboue recited And thus haue ye the names the freedome and confederatioÌ„ of these Suitzâ—rs or Cantons or pages of Heluetia with the occasions circumstaÌ„ces therof briefly expressed Now to the purpose of our story intended which is to declare the successe of Christes Gospel and true Religion receaued amoÌ„g these Heluetians also touching the life doctrine of Zuinglius order of his death as heere insueth ¶ The actes and life of Zuinglius and of receauing the Gospell in Zuitzerland IN the tractation of Luthers story mention was made before of Uldricus Zuinglius Vldricus Zuinglius who first abiding at Glarona in a place called then our Lords Ermitage from thence remoued to Zuricke about the yeare of our Lorde 1519. and there began to teach dwelling in the Minster among the Canons or Priestes of that close vsing with them the same rites and ceremonies during the space of ij or iij. yeares where he continued reading and explaining the Scriptures vnto the people with great trauaile Zuinglius reading the scriptures at Zurike Zuinglius against the Popes pardons and no lesse dexteritie And because Pope Leo the same yeare had renued his pardons againe through all countreys as is aboue declared Zuinglius zelously withstood the same detecting the abuses thereof by the Scriptures and of other corruptions reigning then in the Church and so continued by the space of two yeares and more till at length Hugo Bishop of Constance to whose iurisdiction Zuricke then also did belong hearing thereof Anno. 1521. wrote his letters to the Senate of the said Citie of Zuricke The Bishop of ConstaÌ„ce complayneth against Zuinglius complayning greeuously of Zuinglius who also wrote another letter to the colledge of Canons where Zuinglius was the same time dwelling complaining likewise of such new teachers which troubled the Churche and exhorted them earnestly to beware and to take diligent heede to themselues And forsomuch as both the Pope and the Emperours Maiestie had condemned all such new doctrine by their decrees and Edicts he willed them therefore to admit no such new innouations of doctrine without the coÌ„mon consent of them to whome the same did appertayne Zuinglius hearing therof referreth his cause to the iudgemeÌ„t and hearing of the Senate not refusing to render vnto them accompt of his faith And forsomuch as the Byshops letter was read openly in the colledge Zuinglius directeth another letter to the Bishop againe declaring that the sayd letter proceeded not froÌ„ the Bishop nor that he was ignoraunt who were the authors thereof desiring him not to follow their sinister counsailes for that truth said he is a thing inuincible and can not be resisted After the same tenour certaine other of the Citie likewise wrote vnto the Bishop desiring him that he would attempt nothing that should be preiudiciall to the libertie and free course of the Gospell requiring moreouer that he would forbeare no longer the filthie and infamous life of priests but that he woulde permit them to haue theyr lawfull wiues c. This was in the yeare of our Lord 1522. Besides this Zuinglius writeth to the Heluetians Zuinglius wrote also another letter to the whose nation of the Heluetians monishing them in no case to hinder the passage of sincere doctrine nor to inferre any molestation to Priests that were maried For
token of his death shortly to follow After y t he was examined with tormēts One of y e head presidents came to him shaking hym by the beard bad him tell what fellowes he had of his Religion To whō he answered saying that he had no other fellowes but suche as knew and did the will of God his father whether they were nobles marchantes husbandmen or of what degree so euer they were In these torments he endured ii or iij. houres beyng but of a weake body with these wordes comforting himselfe This body sayd hee once must dye but the spirit shal liue the kingdom of God abideth for euer Tormentes In the time of his tormenting he swoūded Afterward comming to himselfe agayne he sayd O Lord Lord why hast thou forsaken me To whome the president Nay wicked Lutheran said he Thou hast forsaken God Then sayd Aymondus Alas good maysters why do you thus miserably torment me O Lord I beseech thee forgeue them they know not what they do See sayd the President this Caytife how he prayeth for vs neuertheles so constant washe in his paynes y t they could not force hym to vtter one mans name saying vnto thē y t he thought to haue founde more mercy with men Wherefore he praied God that that he might find mercy with him On the next Saterday following sentence of condemnation was geuen agaynst hym Then certayne Fryers were appoynted to heare his confession Whō he refused chusing to him one of his owne order the parish priest of S. Christophers bidding the Friers depart from hym for he would confesse hys sinnes to y e Lord. Do you not see sayd he how I am troubled enough with men will ye yet trouble me more Other haue had my body will you also take from me my soule Away from me I pray you At last when he could not be suffered to haue the parish priest he then tooke a certayne Carmelite bidding y e rest to depart with whom he hauing long talke at last did conuert him vnto the truth Shortly after y t came vnto him the Iudges Cassagnes and Longa with other counsailers moe vnto whome the saide Aymondus began to preach and declare his minde touching the Lordes supper But Longa interrupting him demaunded of him thus The Iudge Purgrtory First declare vnto vs your minde what you thinke of Purgatory The Martyr In Scripture all these are one to purge to clense to wash Whereof wee reade in Esay in the Epistle of S. Paule Hebr. 9. 1. Pet. 1. and of S. Peter He hath washed you in hys bloud Ye are redeemed not with golde but with the bloud of Christ. c. And how often doe we read in the Epistles of S. Paule That we are clensed by the bloud of Christ from our sinnes c. The Iudge Those Epistles are knowne to euery child The Martyr To euery child Nay I feare you haue scarse read them your selfe A Fryer M. Aymond with one word you may satisfie them if you will say that there is place where the soules be purged after this life The Martyr That I leaue for you to saye if you please What would you haue me damne mine owne soule and to say that which I know not The Iudge Doest not thou think that when thou art dead thou shalt go to purgatory And he that dyeth in veniall sinne that he shall passe streight into Paradise The Martyr Such trust I haue in my God that the same daye when I shall dye I shall enter into Paradise An other Iudge Where is Paradise The Martyr There where the maiestie and glory of God is The Iudge The Canons doe make mention of Purgatory and you in your sermons haue vsed alwayes muche to pray for the poore This Fryer taketh praying for the poore which be aliue and those that be dead to be all one The Martyr I haue preached the word of God not the Canōs The Iudge Doest thou beleue in the Churche The Martyr I beleue as the Church regenerated by the bloud of Christ and founded in hys word hath appoynted The Church The Iudge What Church is that The Martyr The Church is a Greeke word signifiyng as muche as a congregation or assemble and so I say y t when so euer the faythfull doe congregate together to the honour of God and the amplifying of Christian religion the holy ghost is verily with them The Iudge By this it should follow that there be many Churches And where as any rusticall clownes do assemble together there must be a Church The Martyr It is no absurde thinge to say that there be manye Churches or congregations among the Christians And so speaketh S. Paule Galat. 1. To all the Churches whiche are in Gallatia c. And yet all these congregations make but one Churche The Iudge The Church wherein thou beleeuest is it not the same Churche whiche our Creede doth call the holy Church The Martyr I beleue the same The Iudge And who should be the head of that Churche The head of the Church The Martyr Iesus Christ. The Iudge And not the Pope The Martyr No. The Iudge And what is he then The Martyr A Minister if he be a good man as other Byshops be of whom S. Paule thus writeth 1. Cor. 4. Let a man so esteeme of vs as Ministers and dispensers of the secrets of God c. The Iudge What then doest not thou beleue the Pope The Martyr I know not what he is The Pope what he is The Iudge Doest thou not beleue that he is the successour of Peter The Martyr If he be like to Peter and be grounded with Peter vpon the true rocke Christ Iesus so I beleue his workes and ordinaunces to be good Then the Iudges leauing hym with y e Friers departed frō hym coūting as a daned creature Notw tstanding Aymundus putting his trust in God was full of comfort saying with Saint Paule Who shall separate me from the loue of God Shall the sword hunger or nakednes No nothing shall pluck me from hym But rather I haue pittie of you sayd he and so they departed Not lōg after he was brought to the place of execution singing by the waye the Psalme In exitu Israell de Aegipto c. Psalm 114. And as he passed by the place where he before had bene imprisoned he called to hys prison fellowes exhorting them to put theyr confidence in the Lorde and tolde them that he had spoken for them and declared theyr miseryes vnto the President He thanked moreouer the keeper Aymond speaketh for his pryson fellowes and desired hym to be good to hys pore prysoners And so taking his leaue of them and desiring them to praye for hym also geuyng thankes to the maistresse keeper for her gentlenes shewed to hym he proceeded forward toward hys execution As he came agaynst the Churche of Sainct Andrew they willed hym to aske mercy of God and of blessed S. Mary and
trust not in his holynesse To this he aunswered take ye it as ye will I will take it well enough Item Almes whom and how farre it profiteth now seest thou what almes meaneth and wherfore it serueth He that seeketh with his almes more then to be mercifull to be a neighbour to succour his brothers need to do his duty to his brother to geue his brother that he ought him the same is blind seeth not Christes bloud Here he answereth God to be serued and worshipped onely as he commaundeth otherwise not that he findeth no fault throughout all the booke but all the booke is good and it hath geuen him great comfort and light to his conscience Item that ye do nothing to please God but that he cōmaunded To that he answereth and thinketh it good by his truth Item so God is honored on all sides in that we coūt him righteous in all his lawes and ordinaunces And to worship him otherwise then so it is Idolatry To that he answered that it pleaseth him well The examination of these Articles being done the Bishop of London did exhort the sayd Iohn Tewkesbery to recant his errors abouesayde and after some other cōmunication had by the Bishop with him the sayd Bishop did exhort him again to recant his errors and appoynted him to determine with himselfe against the next Session what he would do Iohn Tewkesbery submitteth himselfe IN this next Session he submitted himselfe and abiured his opinions and was enioyned penaunce as foloweth which was the 8. of May. In primis that he should keepe well his abiuration vnder payne of relaps Secondly that the next Sonday folowing in Paules Church in the open procession he should cary a Fagot and stand at Paules Crosse with the same That the Wednesday folowing he should cary the same Fagot about Newgate market and Chepeside That on Friday after he should take the same fagot agayne at S. Peters church in Cornehill and cary it about the market of Ledenhall That he should haue 2. signes of Fagots embrothered one on his left sleue the other on his right sleue which he should weare all his life time vnles he were otherwise dispensed withall That on Whitsonday euē he should enter into the Monastery of S. Bartholomew in Smithfield and there to abide and not to come out vnles he were released by the bishop of London That he should not depart out of y e city or dioces of London without the speciall licence of the B. or his successors Which penance he entred into the 8 day of May. an 1229. And thus much concerning his first examinatiō which was in the yeare .1529 at what time he was inforced thorow infirmitye as is before expressed to retract and abiure his doctrine Tewkesbery returned againe to the truth Notwithstāding the same Iohn Tewkesbery afterward cōfirmed by the grace of God and moued by y e example of Bayfild aforesayd that was burned in smithfield did returne and constantly abide in the testimonye of the truth and suffered for the same Who recouering more grace better strength at the hand of the Lord two yeares after being apprehended agayne was brought before Syr Thomas More and the Bishop of Londō where certaine Articles were obiected to him the chiefe wherof we intēd briefly to recite for the matter is prolixe In primis that he confesseth that he was baptised and intendeth to keepe the Catholicke fayth Articles agayne obiected to Tewkesbery Secondly that he affirmeth that the abiuration othe subscription that he made before Cutbert late Byshop of London was done by compulsion Thirdlye that he had the bookes of the obedience of a Christian man and of the wicked Mammon in his custody and hath read them since his abiuration Fourthly that he affirmeth that he suffered the two fagots that were embrothered vpon his sleue to be taken frō him for that he deserued not to weare them Fiftly he sayth that fayth onely iustifieth which lacketh not charity Sixtly he sayth that Christ is a sufficient Mediator for vs therfore no prayer is to be made vnto any Sayntes Wherupon they layd vnto him this verse of the Antheme Salue Regina aduocata nostra c. To the which he aunswered that he knew no other Aduocate but Christ alone Seuenthly he affirmeth that there is no Purgatory after this life Christ is our Purgatorye but that Christ our Sauior is a sufficient purgation for vs. Eightly he affirmeth that the soules of the faythful departing this life rest with Christ. Ninthly he affirmeth y t a priest by receiuing of orders receiueth more grace if his fayth be increased or els not Tenthly and last of all he beleueth that the sacrament of the flesh bloud of Christ is not the very body of Christ in flesh bloud as it was borne of y e virgin Mary Whervpon the Byshops Chauncellor asked the sayd Tewkesbery if he could shew any cause why he should not be takē for an hereticke falling into his heresy agayne and receiue the punishment of an hereticke Wherunto he aunswered that he had wrong before and if he be condemned now he reckoneth that he hath wrong agayne Then the Chaūcellor caused the articles to be read opēly with the aunsweres vnto the same the which the sayde Tewkesbery confessed therupon the Bishop pronounced sentence agaynst him deliuered him vnto the Shyriffes of Londō for y e time being who were Rich. Greshā Edward Altam who burned him in Smithfield vpō S. Thomas euen being the 20. of Decēber in the yeare aforesayd the tenor of whose sentence pronounced agaynst hym by the Bishop doth here ensue word for word IN the name of God Amen The deseruinges and circūstances of a certein cause of hereticall prauity falling again thereunto by thee Iohn Tewkesbery of the Parish of S. Michaels in the Querne of the City of Londō of our iurisdiction appearing before vs sitting in iudgement being heard seene vnderstand fully discussed by vs Iohn by the sufferance of God bishop of Londō because we do find by inquisitions manifestly enough that thou didst abiure freely voluntarily before Cutbert late Bishop of Londō thy ordinary diuers sundry heresies errors damnable opinions contrary to y e determination of our mother holy church as well speciall as generall that since and beside thy foresaid abiuration thou art agayne fallen into y e same damnable heresies opiniōs errors which is greatly to be lamēted the same doest hold affirme beleue we therfore Iohn the Bishop aforesayd the name of God first being called vpon the same only God set before our eyes with the coūsell of learned men assisting vs in this behalfe with whō in this cause we haue cōmunicated of our definitiue sentence finall decree in this behalfe to be done do intēd to proceed do proceed in this maner Because as it is aforesayd we do finde thee
whole world and doeth contrary to all that euer Christ ordained or commaunded What sayde they if he do all things after Gods ordinance and cōmandement should he then be his vicare Then saide he wold I beleue hym to be a good bishop at Rome ouer hys owne Diocesse and to haue no further power And if it pleased God I would euery bishop did this in their diocesse What inconuenience followeth that al Bishops should be ruled by man then should we liue a peaceable life in the Church of Christ and there should be no such seditions therein If euery Bishop would seke no further power then ouer his owne diocesse it were a goodly thing Nowe because all are subiecte to one all must doe and cōsent to al wickednes as he doth or be none of his This is the cause of greate Superstition in euerye kyngdome And what Bishoppe soeuer he be that preacheth the Gospel mainteyneth the truth is a true Bishop of y e church And doth not sayd they our holye father the pope mayntaine the Gospell Yes sayd he I thinke he doth read it peraduenture beleue it so do you also but neitheir he nor you do fixe the anker of your saluatiō therin Besides that ye beare such a good wil to it that ye keepe it close that no man may reade it but your selues when you preach god knoweth how you handle it in somuch that the people of Christ knoweth no Gospel wel neare but the popes Gospel so the blynd leade the blind both fall into y e pit In the true Gospell of Christ confidence is none but onely in your popish traditions and phantasticall inuentions Thē said a black Fryer to him God knoweth a blockhead doe we not preach the Gospell dayly The Popes gospell Benet weary of the Fryers talke Yes sayde he but what preaching of the Gospell is that when therwyth ye extoll superstitious thinges and make vs beleue y t we haue redemption through pardons and buls of Rome à poena culpa as ye terme it and by the merites of your orders ye make many brethren and sisters ye take yearly money of them ye bury them in your coates and in shrift ye beguile them yea and do a thousand superstitious thinges more a man may be weary to speake of them I see sayd the Fryer that thou art a damned wretche I will haue no more talke with thee Then stept to hym a gray fryer a doctor God knoweth of small intelligence layd before hym great and many daungers I take God to record sayd Benet my lyfe is not deare to me I am content to depart from it for I am weary of it seing your detestable doings to y e vtter destructiō of gods flock for my part I can no longer forbeare I had rather by death which I know is not far of depart this life y t I may no longer be partaker of your detestable idolatries superstitions or be subiect to Antichrist your pope Our pope said the Fryer is the vicar of God our waies are the wayes of God I pray you sayd Benet depart frō me tell not me of your wayes He is onely my way which saith I am the way the truth and the life In hys way will I walke his doinges shall be my example not yours nor your false popes His truth will I embrace not the lyes and falshood of you and your Pope His euerlasting life wil I seeke y e true reward of all faithful people Away frō me I pray you Uexe my soule no lōger ye shall not preuayle There is no good exāple in you no truth in you no lyfe to be hoped for at your hands Ye are all more vaine then vanitie it selfe If I should heare folowe you this day euerlasting death should hang ouer me a iust rewarde for all them that loue the life of thys worlde Away from me your company liketh me not Thus a whole weeke nighte and day was Benet applied of these and such other hypocrites It were an infinite matter to declare all things done saide to him in the time of his imprisonment and y e hate of the people y t time by meanes of ignorance Tho. Benet pacient cōstant was hote against him notwithstanding they could neuer mooue his patience He aunsweared to euery matter soberly and that more by the aid of Gods spirite then by any worldly studie I thinke he was at the least 50. yeres olde Being in prison his wife prouided sustenance for him when shee lamented he comforted her and gaue her many good and godly exhortatiōs and prayd her to mooue him nothing to apply vnto his aduersaries Thus when these godly Canons priestes wyth the monkes friers had done what they could and perceiued y t he would by no meanes relent Sentence read against Tho. Benet Tho. Benet deliuered to the secular power then they proceding vnto iudgement drewe out their bloudy sentence against hym condemning him as the maner is to be burned Whyche being done and the wryt which they had procured De comburendo being brought from London they deliuered hym the 15. of Ianuary 1531. vnto sir Tho. Denis Knyght then sherife of Deuonsh to be burned The milde martyr reioycing his ende to approche so neare as the sheepe before the shearer yelded himselfe w tall humblenes to abide and suffer the crosse of persecution And being brought to his execution in a place called Linerie dole without Exeter hee made his most humble confession and praier vnto almighty God and requested all the people to do the like for him whom he exhorted with such grauitie and sobriety wyth suche a pithie oration to seeke the true honouring of God Tho. Benet brought to the place of execution and y e true knowledge of him as also to leaue the deuises fantasies and imaginations of mans inuentions that all the hearers and beholders of him were astonied in great admiration In so much that the moste part of the people as also the Scribe who wrote the sentence of condemnation against him did pronounce and confesse that hee was Gods seruaunt and a good man The burning of Thomas Benet To whom the sayde Thomas Benet wyth an humble and a meeke spirite most patiently answeared Alas Syr trouble me not And holding vp his handes sayde Pater ignosce illis Whereuppon the Gentlemen caused the woode and furses to be set a fire The constāt ende and Martirdome of Tho. Benet and therewith this godly manne lifted vp his eyes and hands to heauen saying O Domine recipe spiritum meum and so continuing in his prayers did neuer stirre nor striue but most patiently abode the cruelty of the fire vntil his life was ended For the which the Lord God be praised and send vs his grace and blessing that at the latter day we may with hym enioy the blesse and ioye prouided and prepared for the elect children of
other good deedes and as for one of them whatsoeuer he haue of money in his purse he will distribute it for the loue of God to poore people Also he sayde that no man should geue laud nor prayse in no maner of wise to no creature nor to no Saint in heauen Tim. 1. but only to God Soli Deo honor gloria that is To God alone be all honour and glory Also he sayd ah good Sir Edmund ye be farre from the knowledge and vnderstanding of the Scripture for as yet ye be a Pharisey with many other of your company but I trust in God I shall make you and many other mo good and perfect Christen men ere I depart from the Citie The Godly courage of Rich Bayfilde for I purpose to reade a common lecture euery day at S. Fosters Church which lecture shall be to the edifyeng of your soules that be false Phariseys Also he sayde that Bilney preached nothing at Wilsedone but that was true Also he sayd that Bilney preached true at Wilsedone if he sayd that our Ladyes crowne of Wilsedone The peoples offringes bestowed bestowed vppon harlots her rings beades that were offered to her were bestowed amongest harlots by the Ministers of Christes Churche for that haue I seene my selfe he sayd heere in London and that will I abide by Also he sayde he did not feare to commen and argue in Arthur and Bilneys opinions and Articles and if it were with my Lord Cardinall Also he sayd that he would hold Arthur and Bilneys opinions and Articles and abyde by them that they were true opinions to suffer death therfore I know them said he for so noble and excellent men in learning Also he sayde if he were before my Lord Cardinall hee would not let to speake to him and to tell hym that he hath done nought in prisoning of Arthur and Bilney whyche were better disposed in their liuings to God then my Lord Cardinall or my Lord of London as holy as they make themselues Also he sayd my Lord Cardinall is no perfect nor good man to God for he keepeth not the Commaundements of God for Christ he said neuer taught him to folow riches nor to seeke for promotions nor dignities of this worlde nor Christ neuer taught him to weare shoes of siluer and gilt set with pearle and precious stones The Cardinals shooes nor Christ had neuer ij crosses of siluer ij axes nor piller of siluer gilt Also he sayde that euery Priest might preach the Gospell without licence of the Pope my Lord Cardinall my Lord of London or any other man And that would he abide by and thus he verified it as it is written Marke 16. Euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Christ commaunded euery Priest to go foorth thoroughout all the worlde and preache the word of God by the authoritie of this Gospel and not to runne to y e Pope nor to no other man for licence and that would hee abyde by he sayd Also he sayd Wel Sir Edmund say you what you will and euery man my Lord Cardinall also and yet will I say and abide by it my Lord Cardinall doth punishe Arthur Bilney vniustly for there be no truer Christen men in all the world liuing then they two be and that punishment that my Lord Cardinall doth to them he doth it by might and power as who say this maye I do and thys will I do who shall say nay but he doth it of no iustice Also about the xiiij day of October last past at iij. of the clocke at after noone Syr Richarde Bayfilde came to S. Edmunds in Lumbardstreete where he founde me Syr Edmund Peerson Sir Iames Smith and Syr Myles Garnet standing at the vttermost gate of the personage Syr Edmund sayd to Syr Richard Bayfilde how many Christen men haue yee made since yee came to the Citie Quoth Sir Richard Bayfilde I came euen now to make thee a Christen man and these two other Gentlemen with thee for well I know ye be all three Phariseis as yet Also he sayd to Syr Edmund that Arthur and Bilney were better Christen men then he was or any of them that did punish Arthur and Bilney Per me Edmundum Peerson And thus we haue as in a grosse summe coÌ„piled together the names and causes though not of al yet of a great and to great a number of good men good women whych in those sorowful daies from the yere of our Lord 1527. to this present yere 1533. that is til the comming in of Queene Anne were manifold wayes vexed and persecuted vnder the tiranny of the Bishop of Rome Ten Dutchmen Annabaptists put to death Segor Derycke Symon Runa Derycke Dominicke Dauid Cornelius Ellâ—en Milo Where again we haue to note that froÌ„ this present yeare of our Lord 1533. during the time of the sayd Quene Anne we read of no great persecution nor any abiuration to haue bene in the Church of Englande saue onely that the Registers of London make mention of certaine Dutchmen counted for Anabaptists of whom 10. were put to death in sondry places of the realme an 1535. other 10. repented and were saued Where note again that 2. also of the said company albeit the diffinitiue sentence was read yet notwithstaÌ„ding were pardoned by the king which was contrary to the Popes law Now to proceede forth in our matter after that the Byshops and heads of the clergy had thus a long time taken their pleasure Anno. 1533. exercising their cruell authoritie against the poore wasted flocke of the Lord Complaynt of the CoÌ„mons against the Clergy Ex Edw. Hallo A Parliament an 1534. and began furthermore to stretch foorth their rigour and austeritie to attach molest also other greater persons of the temporaltie so it fell that in y e beginning of the next or 2. yere following which was an 1534. a parlament was called by the king about the 15. day of Ian. In the which parlament the commons renuing their old griefes complained of the cruelty of the Prelates Ordinaries for calling men before them Ex Officio For suche was then the vsage of the Ordinaries and theyr Officials Crueltye of the Clergye against the temporaltie that they would send for men lay accusations to them of heresie onely declaring to them that they were accused and would minister Articles to them but no accuser should be brought forth wherby the coÌ„mons was greuously anoyed oppressed for the party so acited must eyther abiure or do worse for purgatioÌ„ he might none make As these matters were long debating in the Common house as last it was agreed that the temporall men should put their griefs in wryting and deliuer them to the King Whereuppon the 18. day of Marche the common speaker accompanied wyth certaine Knights and Burgeses of the common house came to the Kyngs presence and there declared how the temporal
the Priest of whom speaketh your demaund offendeth but mans law if he do that For in the Decrees it is written I weene it be in a glose and certainely I wote not whether it be in the text or no A priest fornicating is more to be punished then a priest maryyng by the Popes of â—â—e lawes To the 33. article I can lightly turn to it hauing a booke The sentence is thus Presbyter fornicans est plus puniend us quà m vxorem ducens That is to say a priest doing fornicatioÌ„ ought to be punished more theÌ„ one which hath married a wife Finally I thinke such a priest as before is named in your demaunde sinneth not deadly ¶ In the xxxiij where you aske whether a Latin Priest after he hath taken the order of Priesthode being sore and oft troubled and stirred with prickings of lust or lechery therfore marying a wife for a remedy of the same do sinne deadly I say that a Latin Priest and a Greeke Priest is al one before God if they folow both one rule of Christ left to vs in holy Scripture neither doth Christ put any such difference but the one hath by that rule the same libertye y t an other and no more nor lesse for there is the same God iâ— Greece Mariage of Priestes as well Latin aâ— Greeke permitted a 〈◊〉 in the Scripture that is here hath left one way for vs to liue after both here and there And therfore I can not see by his law but that a Latin Priest may mary as wel as they do And if the Greeks should not folow Christes law in beleuing the same and liuing thereafter you would call them heretickes But that will not the Pope haue done Wherfore seeing they do let Priests mary affirming it may so be done by the law of God and yet are not reputed heretiks why should other meÌ„ that say the same be called heretiks or be therfore burned Therfore folowing the law of God I make the same answere of a Latin Priest that I made before of all Priestes that a Priest not hauing the gift of chastitity is bound to mary for auoyding fornication ¶ In the xxxiiij where you do aske whether euer I praied for Iohn wickleffe The Greeke Churches 〈◊〉 priests to marry Iohn Hus. and for Hierome of Prage condemned of heresie in the Councell of Constance or for any one of them sith they died and whether I haue openly or secretly done any deedes of charitie for them affirming them to be in blisse and saued I say that I neuer prayed for any of them so farre foorth as I can remember And though I had it foloweth not that in so doing I shoulde be an hereticke To the 34. article For you note well that there is a mightie great countrie called Boheme which yet do follow as meÌ„ say that same doctrine which Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage taught their Auncetors whom as I trowe neyther the Pope nor you do recount heretikes and infidels ¶ In the 35. where you aske whether I haue recounted and sayd them or any of them to be Saintes and worshipped them as Saintes I say that in such secreâ—e and hidde thinges To the 35. article which I doe not perfectly knowe I followe the Councel of Paul which biddeth that we should not iudge ouer soone but to abide vnlesse the thinges whiche we should passe vpon be the more euident vntill the coÌ„ming of the Lord which shall illumine and shewe foorth clearely thinges that now lye hid in darcknes Therefore hetherto haue I neither iudged with them ne agaynst them but haue resigned suche sentence to the knowledge and determination of God whose iudgement I wotte is infallible And where as you say they were condemned of heresie in the Councel of Constance if so the counsell did right God shall allow it I doubt not and that shall suffice to haue commendation of him So that it is not neede to aske of me whether the acts of the same are coÌ„mendable or no Neither caÌ„ I geue any direct answere therto for I do not verily know theÌ„ And though I did yet am not I verily perswaded that I because the Councell hath condemned them must therefore beleue them to be damned for a CouÌ„cell as I weene may sometime slip beside the right truth but what that Councell did in condemning them Councels may sometyme slippe awrye I can not precisely say God worteth Yea and that one singular person may iudge more rightly then a great multitude assembled in a Counsel appeareth both by Gods law and by the law of man Experience hereof may you see by the Councell that is spoken of in the 11. of Iohn where is shewed that after our sauiour had restored Lazarus to life the bishops and Phariseis then were gathered in a CouÌ„cell saying what shall we doe Truth it is that this man Iesus doth many miracles and if wee suffer him thus all the world will beleue him whereupon the Romaines will come and put vs out of IerusaleÌ„ our dwelling place Iohn 11. and destroy our nation At which time Cayphas did arise shewing forth his sentence which the whole Councell did admitte In likewise is shewed Actes v. where in a Councell of the Bishops and Priestes assembled to know what punishment should be done vnto Christes Apostles Actes 5. for because they preached in the name of Christ contrary to the precept of them for they before had commauÌ„ded the Apostles no more to speake in Christes name there among a shrewde multitude of them gathered together did arise a certaine wise man called Gamaliel a pitifull thyng verely to see but one good man in such a great Conuocation or CouÌ„cell of Priests y t shuld be y e lightes of vertue to all the people which Gamaliel was a Doctour of the law had in good reputation among y e people Gamaliell and Doct. Collet compared togeather much like he was as seemed to me to Doct. Collet sometyme Deane of Paules in London while hee lyued I may come no neare for to name some other of our tyme least I should bee thought offensiue This Gamaliell did byd the Apostles go aside for a while out of the Councell or conuocation house so he spake vnto the other Priestes or Bishops in the Councell thus You men quoth he of Israell take heede to your selues what you shall do vpon these men the Apostles The councell of Gamaliel to the Phariseis For afore this tyme haue risen one called Teudas and after him an other named Iudas of Galilee which haue turned the people after them and in conclusion they perished and all they that followed after them vanished away And now quoth he I say vnto you refrayne from hurtyng these men the Apostles and let them alone or suffer theÌ„ For if this enterprise and worke that they haue made be of men vndoubtedly it shall perishe be fordone but if quoth
theyr father wine to drinke that night And the elder of them went and lay with her father Which thing had not happened vnto him if he had kept himselfe still in Segor where be might haue bene saued at the bidding of the Aungell as he himselfe required But because he forsooke that which was graunted to hym of the Aungell and presumed to that vpon his owne will contrary to the precept of the Angel which was not grauÌ„ted therfore he fell into great daunger of his soule committed the greuous sinne of incest No otherwise doth it happeÌ„ to many other who while either they forsake y e thing which is graunted theÌ„ of God or ambitiously clime after that which is to theÌ„ not graunted Euery maÌ„ ought to be contented with his owne gifte both they lose that which they had graunted vnto theÌ„ and fall into that which to them was not graunted For diuers there be which while they forsake eyther willyngly or agaynst theyr will the maryed life which is to them lawfully permitted and in which they might be saued and striue with a presuÌ„ptuous desire to lead a single life both they lose that health and safety whych they might haue had in one and incurre great daunger in the other so that whereby they suppose most to gayne by the same they lose fall into the pit of greater ruine Which thing S Paule y e Doctor of the Gentiles well considering and tenderly prouiding for the infirmity of the weake CorinthiaÌ„s writing to him for counsell touching this matter did write to theÌ„ agayne in this wise saying As concerning the thinges wherof ye wrote vnto me as it is good for a man not to touch a womaÌ„ 1. Cor â— Neuerthelesse to auoyd whoredome let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her husband Let the husband geue vnto his wife due beneuoleÌ„ce likewise also the wife vnto her husband And a litle after withdraw not sayth he your selues one from an other except it be with consent for a time that you may geue your selues vnto fasting and praier and afterward come together agayne leâ— to Sathan tempte you for your incontinencye â—om 9. For as the Poeâ— sayth we can not all do all thinges and as the Apostle sayth It is not in him that willeth not in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Also an other place For to euery one of vs is geuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. â—phe 4. And that euery one of vs ought to keepe and not to transgresse this measure he teacheth anone after saying I wish that all men were as I my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that 1. Cor. 7. And that we are to be kept within our compasse and measure and ought therewith to be content hee teacheth moreouer as followeth Let euery man abide in that vocation wherein he is called And shortly after for confirmatioÌ„ therof hee repeteth the same agayne and sayth Let euery man wherein he is called therein abide with the Lord And because he perceaued that the infirmitie of man was not able to susteine the burning motioÌ„s and heates of nature styrring in a man but onely by the grace of God neither to be able to conquere the fleshe fighting agaynst the spirite according to that whiche he sayth of himselfe in an other place For I see an other Lawe in my members rebelling agaynst the Lawe of my minde he therefore of mercy and compassion as condescending vnto their weakenes and not by rigour of law and force of commaundement thus sayde As also in an other place in his Epistles he speaketh in like woordes saying I speake thus grosly after the maner of men because of the infirmitie of your flesh And in this foresaid Epistle 〈◊〉 6. moreouer a litle before vsing the same maner of speach he saith Thus I say to you as of fauour and not of commaundement And adding moreouer he sheweth As touching virgines I haue no commaundement of the Lord 1. Cor 7. but onely do geue counsell as one that haue found mercy with God that I shoulde be faythfull That is after the same mercy wherwith the Lord hath informed and instructed me when he called me to the fayth and made me faythfull to hym so I likewyse doe geue counsell to other and shewe the same mercy to them And for asmuch as both are good to witte to haue a wife or not to haue to haue a husband or not to haue neither is there anye sinne in hauing wife or husband shortly after he inferreth saying I suppose therefore this to be good for the present necessitie I meane that it is good for a man so to be What meaneth this for present necessitie What is this necessitie present but present infirmitie or els instant necessitie compelling to doe as y e order of necessitie requireth Or els he meaneth by this present necessitie the distresse of that time which then was instant and compelled him to write and so to beare with them which was for the auoyding of the fornicatioÌ„ amongst them and many other kinds of filthines aboue touched which might haue happened For the which fornication he tooke occasion to write vnto the Corinthians and to answere to theyr letters and therfore he vehemently agaynst the sayd Corinthians in y e former part of the sayd Epistle vttereth these words What will you shall I come to you with a rod or in loue and in the spirite of meekenes There is heard among you to be fornication 1. 〈…〉 such fornication as is not named among the Gentiles that one should haue his own fathers wife c. And therfore for this necessity of auoyding such fornication he saith It is good for a man so to be that he which cannot coÌ„teine 1. 〈…〉 should mary take a wife which afterward he expouÌ„deth thus inferring art thou bouÌ„d to a wife seek not to be losed And if thou be losed froÌ„ a wife seek not a wife But if thou takest a wife thou sinnest not and if a virgine mary she sinneth not c. And that he spake not thys by way of commaunding but of sufferance and compassion he sheweth plainly in these words folowing But I spare you that is to say I beare with your infirmity therefore he leaueth it in the free power and will of euery man to chuse what he best liketh Neither doth he inforce any man he sayth violently nor charge them with any strait commaundement and therfore addeth these words folowing And this I speake for your owne commodity not to tangle you as in a snare but for that it is good and honest for you that you may serue the Lord without separation This he sayth to them whom before he exhorted to coÌ„tinency and whom he woulde not to be let or troubled by matrimoniall coniunction But to other he sayth thus If
y e realm and establishment of the kings succession to haue an English Queene and Prince that were meere English so that in conclusion the kings affection the more it was diminished from the late married Anne of Cleue the lesse fauour he bare vnto Cromwell Besides this Gardiner there lacked not other backe friends also and ilwillers in the court about the king which little made for Cromwell both for his religion which they maligned and for other priuate grudges also incident by the way Ouer and besides all which it is moreouer supposed that some part of displeasure might ryse agaynst hym by reason of a certaine talke which happened a little before at Lambeth at what tyme the king after the makyng of the vi Articles sent the sayd Lord Cromwell his Uicegerēt with the two Dukes of Northfolke Suffolke with all the Lordes of the Parliament to Lambeth to dyne with the Archbishop who mightily had disputed and alledged in the Parliament agaynst the said Articles to cheare and comfort his daunted spirits agayne There the said Cromwell with the other noble Lordes sitting with the Archbishop at his table in talke The talke betwene the L. Cromwel certeine of the Lordes at Lambeth as euerie lord brought forth his sentence in commendation of Cranmer to signifie what good will both the kyng they bare vnto him among the rest one of the company entring into a comparison betweene the sayd Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Wolsey late Cardinall of Yorke declared in his iudgement that Cranmer was much to bee preferred for his myld and gentle nature where as the Cardinall was a stubburne and a churlish prelate and one that could neuer abide any noble man and that sayd he knowe you well enough my Lord Cromwell for he was your Maister c. At these wordes the Lord Cromwell beyng somewhat touched to heare the Cardinals seruice cast in hys teeth inferred agayne saying that he could not deny but he was seruant sometyme to Cardinall Wolsey neyther did repent the same for he receiued of hym both fee meate and drinke and other commodities but yet he was neuer so farre in loue with hym as to haue wayted vpon him to Rome if he had bene chosen Pope as he vnderstoode that he would haue done if the case had so fallen out Whiche when the other had denied to be true Cromwell still persisted affirmyng the same and shewyng moreouer what number of Florens he should haue receyued to be his Admirall and to haue safe conducted hym to Rome in case he had bene elected Bishop of Rome The partie not a little mooued with these wordes told hym he lyed The other agayne affirmed it to be true Upon this great and hygh wordes rose betwene them Which contention although it was through intreatie of the Archbishop and other nobles somewhat pacified for the tyme yet it might be that some bitter roote of grudge remayned behynd which afterward grew vnto him to some displeasure And this was an 1540. in the moneth of Iuly Ex testimonio Secretarij Cantuar. After this the next yeare followyng which was 1541. in the month of Aprill was holden a Parliament Anno 1541. which after diuers prorogations was continued till the moneth of Iuly the sayd yeare A Parliament In the which month of Iuly the Lord Cromwell beyng in the counsaile chamber was sodenly apprehended and committed to the tower of London Whereat as many good men which knewe nothyng but truth by him did lament The Lord Cromwell apprehēded and prayed hartily for him so moe there were on the contrary side that reioyced especially of the religious sort and of the clergy such as had bene in some dignitie before in the Churche and nowe by hys meanes were put from it For in deed such was hys nature that in all his doyngs he could not abyde any kynde of Poperie nor of false religion creepyng vnder hypocrisie and lesse could abyde the ambitious pryde of Popishe Prelacie which professing all humilitie was so elated in pride that kinges coulde not rule in their owne Realmes for them These snuffing Prelates as he could neuer abide so they agayne hated him as much whiche was the cause of shortnyng his dayes and to bryng him to his ende So that the xix day of the moneth aforesaid he was attainted by Parliament In the which Atteinder diuers and sondry crimes surmises obiections and accusations were brought against hym but chiefly and aboue all other Crimes and accusatiōs brought agaynst the L. Cromwell he was charged and accused of heresie for that he was a supporter of them whō they recounted for heretikes as Barnes Clarke and many other whom he by his authoritie and letters written to Shiriffes and Iustices in diuers Shires rescued and discharged out of prison Also that he did euulgate disperse abroad amongst the Kings subiects great numbers of bookes conteming as they said manifest matter of much heresie diffidence and misbeliefe Item that he caused to be translated into our English tongue bookes comprising matter expresly against the Sacrament of the aulter that after the translation thereof he commended and mainteyned the same for good and christian doctrine· Ouer and besides all this they brought in certaine witnesses what they were the atteinder expresseth not which most especially pressed or rather oppressed him with heinous wordes spoken agaynst the king in the Church of s. Peter the poore in the moneth of March in the xxx yeare of the kings raigne Which wordes if they be true as the Atteinder doth purport three things I haue here much to meruaile at First if his aduersaries had so sure holde and matter against hym Witnesses agaynst Cromwell suspected then what would mooue thē to make such hastie speede in all post haste to haue him dispatched and rid out of the way and in no case could abyde hym to come to his purgation Which if he might haue done it is not otherwise to be thought but he would easily haue clered himselfe thereof Secondly this I maruell What mischiefe malicious make-bates make in a commō wealth that if the wordes had bene so hainous against the kyng as his enemies did pretend why then did those witnesses which heard those words in S. Peters Church in the xxx yeare of the kyngs raigne conceale the sayd wordes of such treason so long the space almost of ij yeares Examples of mē falsely accused wrongfully iudged and now vttered the same in the xxxij yeare of the kings reigne in the moneth of Iuly Thirdly here is agayne to be marueled if the king had known or beleued these words to be true and that Cromwell had bene in deede such a traytour to his person why then did the kyng so shortly after lamēt his death wishing to haue his Cromwell aliue agayne What Prince will wish the lyfe of hym whom he suspecteth vndoubtedly to be a traitor to his life and person wherby it may appeare what
hurteth no man loue fulfilleth all things If God haue sent thee plentie helpe thy neighbour that hathe neede Giue him good councell If ye lacke consider if thou were in necessitie thou wouldst gladly be refreshed And againe beare your crosse with Christ. Consider what reproofe sclaunder and reproch he suffered of his enemies and how paciently he suffered all thinges Consider that all that Christ did was of his meere goodnesse and not of our deseruing For if we could merite our owne saluation Christ woulde not haue dyed for vs. But for Adams breaking of Gods precept we had bene all lost if Christ had not redeemed vs againe And like as Adam broke the precepts and was driuen out of Paradise so wee if we breake Gods commaundements shall haue damnation if we do not repent and aske mercy Now therefore let all Christians put no trust nor confidence in their workes but in the bloud of Christ to whome I commit my soule to guide beseeching you all to pray to God for me and for my breethren here present with me that our soules leauing these wretched carcases may constantly depart in the true fayth of Christ. In much like sort Garret also protesting and exhorting the people after his confession made ended his protestation in maner as foloweth ¶ The death and burning of the most constant Martyrs in Christ D. Robert Barnes Tho. Garret and W. Hierome in Smithfield an 1541. And so after theyr prayer made wherin most effectually they desired the Lord Iesus to be their comfort and consolation in this their affliction and to stablishe them with perfect faith The pacient suffering of these three Martyrs constancy and pacience thorough the holy Ghost they taking themselues by the hands and kissing one another quietly and humbly offred themselues to the handes of the tormentors and so tooke theyr deathe both Christianly and constantly with suche patience as mighte well testifie the goodnes of theyr cause and quiet of theyr conscience Wherein is to be noted how mightely the Lord worketh with his grace and fortitude in the harts of his seruants especially in such which causelesse suffer with a giltles conscience for his religions sake aboue other whiche suffer otherwise for their deserts Difference betweene them that suffer for Gods truth and other that dye for their owne desertes For whereas they which suffer as malefactors commonly are wont to goe heauie and pensiue to their death so the other with heauenly alacritie and chearefulnes doe abide whatsoeuer it pleaseth the Lord to lay vpon them Example whereof we haue right well to note not only in these three godly Martirs aboue mentioned but also in the Lord Cromwell who suffered but two dayes before the same no lesse may appeare Who although he was brought to his death atteinted and condemned by the parliament The chearfull patience in the L. Cromwel at his death yet what a giltles conscience he bare to his death his Christian patience well declared Who first calling for his breakefast and cheerefully eating the same and after that passing out of his prison downe the hill within the Tower and meeting there by the waie the Lord Hungerford going likewise to his executioÌ„ who for other matter heere not to be spoken of was there also imprisoned and perceiuing him to be all heauie and dolefull The comfortable wordes of the L. CroÌ„well to the L. Hungerforde they both going to their death with cheerefull countenance and comfortable words asking why he was so heauie he willed him to plucke vp his heart and to be of good comfort For sayd he there is no cause for you to feare For if you repent and be hartely sory for that you haue done there is for you mercy enough with the Lord who for Christes sake wil forgeue you and therfore be not dismayde And though the breakefast which we are going to be sharpe yet trusting to the mercy of the Lord we shall haue a ioyfull dinner And so went they together to the place of execution and tooke their death patiently ¶ A note of three Papistes executed the same tyme with Barnes Hierome and Garret THe same tyme and day and in the same place where when these three aboue mentioned did suffer Three Papistes executed Powell Fetherstone and Abell three other also were executed though not for the same cause but rather the contrary for denying the kynges supremacie whose names were Powell Fetherstone and Abell The which spectacle so happenyng vpon one day in two so coÌ„trary partes or factioÌ„s brought the people into a marueilous admiration doubt of their Religion Anno 1541. which part to follow and take as might so well happen amongest ignoraunt and simple people seeing two contrarye parts so to suffer the one for Popery the other against Popery both at one time In so muche that a certaine straunger beeyng there present the same time and seing three on the one side and three on the other side to suffer said in these wordes Deus bone quomodo his viuunt gentes hic suspenduntur Papistae illic comburuntur Antipapistae But to remoue and take away all doubt hereafter from the posterity The wordes of a straunger seeing both Papists protestaÌ„ts to suffer whereby they shall the lesse maruel how this so hapned here is to be vnderstande howe the cause thereof did rise and proceede Which happened by reason of a certeine diuision and discord amongst the Kings Councell which were so diuided amongst themselues in equall parts that the one halfe seemed to hold with the one Religion the other halfe with the contrary The names of whome although it were not necessary to expresse yet being compelled for the setting foorth of the truth of the story we haue thought good heere to annexe as the certeintie thereof came to our hands Protestants Papistes Canterbury Wynchester The counsaile dâ—uided in religion Suffolke Duresme Vicount Beawcham Norfolke Southhampton Vicount Lisle Anthony Browne Russell Treasurer William Paulet Pagyt Iohn Baker Sadler Rich. Chaunc of the augmentation Audeley Wingfield Vic. Chaunc This diuision and separation of the CouÌ„sell amongest themselues caused both these partes aboue mentioned the one for one religion the other for an other to suffer together Two togeather laide vppon the hirdle the one a Papist the other a Protestant For as the one part of the Counsell called vpoÌ„ the execution of Barnes Garret Hierome so the other part likewise called vpoÌ„ the execution of the law vpoÌ„ Powell Fetherstone and Abell Which sixe beyng condemned and drawen to the place of execution two vpon an hyrdle one being a Papist the other a Protestant thus after a strauÌ„ge maner were brought into Smithfield where all the sayd sixe together for contrary doctrine suffered death three by the fire for the Gospell the other three by hangyng drawyng and quarteryng for Popery Allen Cope in his worshypfull Dialogues makyng mention of these three aforesaid Powell Fetherstone
manner of their condemnations and howe they dyed Ann. 1544. WHen the time drewe nie that the kings maiestie who was newly maried to that good and vertuous Ladie Katherine Parre should make his progresse abroade The king maryed to the Lady Katherin Parre Stephen Gardiner great about the king Stephen Gardiners bow bent to shoote at the head Deare the foresayde Steuen Gardiner B. of Winchester had so compassed hys matters that no man bare so great a swinge about the king as he did Wherewith the Gospellers were so quailed that the best of them all looked euery houre to be clapt in the necke For the saying went abroad that the B. had bent his bowe to shoote at some of the head Deare but in the meane time 3. or 4. of the poore rascals were caught that is to saye Anthony Person Henry Filmer and Iohn Marbecke and sent to Wyndsore by the sheriffes men Parson Filmer and Mâ—â—becke 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 the Saterday before S. Iames day and laid fast in the towns Gaile and Testwood who had kept his bed brought out of his house vpoÌ„ crouches and laide with them But as for Bennet whych should haue bene the fift man hys chance was to be sicke of the Pestilence and hauing a greate sore vpon him was left behinde in the bish of Londons gaile whereby he escaped the fire Now these men being brought to Wyndsore there was a sessions speciall procured to be holdeÌ„ the Thursday after which was S. Annes day Against the which Sessions by the counsell of D. London and Symons were all the farmers belonging to the Colledge of Wyndesore warned to appeare because they coulde not pike oute Papistes enough in the towne to go vpon the iury The iudges that day were these Doctor Capon Bishop of Salisburie Syr William Essex Knight Syr Thomas Bridges Knight Syr Humfrey Foster Knight Maister Franklen Deane of Wyndsore And Fachel of Reading When these had taken theyr places and the prisonners brought forth before them then Robert Ockam occupying for that day the Clarke of peace his â—oume called Anthony Person according to the maner of the Courte and red hys Inditement which was this First that he should preach two yeares before in a place called Wyngfield and there should say that like as Christe was hanged betwene two theeues euen so wheÌ„ the priest is at masse and hath coÌ„secrated and lifted him vp ouer hys head then he hangeth betweene 2. theues except he preach the word of God truely as he hath taken vpon hym to do Also that he sayde to the people in the Pulpet yee shall not eate the body of Christ as it did hang vpon the Crosse gnawing it with your teeth that the bloude runne aboute your lippes but you shall eate him thys day as ye eat him to morow the next day and euery day for it refresheth not the body but the soule Also after he had preached and commended the Scripture calling it the word of God he sayd as foloweth This is the word this is the bread this is the body of Christ. Also hee sayde that Christ sittinge with hys Disciples tooke bread and blessed and brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying Take and eate it This is my body What is thys to vs but to take the Scripture of God and to breake it to the people To this Anthony answered sayde I wil be tryed by God and his holy word and by the true Church of Christ whether thys be heresie or no wherof ye haue Indited me this day So long as I preached the Bishop of Rome and his filthy traditions I was neuer troubled but since I haue taken vppon me to preach Christ and his Gospel yee haue alwaies sought my life But it maketh no matter for when you haue taken your pleasure of my body I trust it shal not lye in your powers to hurt my soule Thou callest vs theeues quoth the Byshop I say quoth Anthony yee are not only theeues but murtherers except ye preach and teach the worde of God purely and sincerely to the people whych ye do not nor neuer did but haue allured them to al Idolatry superstition and hypocrisie for your owne lucre glory sake through the which ye are become rather bitesheepes then true byshops biting and deuouring the poore sheepe of Christ like rauening wolues neuer satisfied with bloud which God wil require at your haÌ„ds one day dout it not Then spake Symons his accuser standing wythin the barre saying It is pitie this fellow had not bene burnt long agoe as he deserued In faith quoth Anthonie if you had as you haue deserued you were more worthy to stand in this place then I but I trust in the last daye when wee shall both appeare before the tribunall seate of Christ that then it wil be known which of vs 2. hath best deserued this place Shal I haue so long a day quoth Symons holding vp hys finger Nay then I care not and so the matter was iested out Robert Testwoode THen was Testwoode called and his Inditement read which was that he should say in the time that the priest was lifting vp the Sacrament what wilt thou lift hym so hie What yet hier Take heede let him not fall To thys Testwoode aunsweared sayinge it was but a thing maliciously forged of his enemies to bring him to his death Yes quoth the B. thou hast bene sene that wheÌ„ the Priest shoulde lift vp the Sacrament ouer hys heade then wouldest thou looke downe vpon thy booke or some other way because thou wouldest not abide to looke vpon y e blessed Sacrament I beseech you my Lord quoth Testwood whereon did he looke that marked me so wel Mary quoth Bucklayer the Kynges Atturney hee coulde not be better occupied theÌ„ to marke suche heretickes that so despised the blessed Sacrament Henry Filmer THen was Filmer called and his Inditement read that he should say that the Sacrament of the saultare is nothing els but a â—imilitude and a ceremony and also if God be in the Sacrament of the aultare I haue eaten twentie Gods in my dayes Here ye must vnderstand that these wordes were gathered of certaine communication which shuld be betwene Filmer and his brother The tale went thus This Henry Filmer comminge vpon a Sonday from Clewer his Parish churche in the company of one or two of his neighbors chaunced in the way to meete his brother whych was a verye poore labouring man and asked hym whether he went To the Church sayd he And what to do quoth Filmer To doe quoth hee as other men doe Nay quoth Filmer you go to heare masse and to see your God What if I do so quoth he If that be God should Filmer say I haue eaten 20. Gods in my dayes Tourne agayne foole and go home with me and I wil read thee a Chapter out of the Bible that shal be better then all that thou shalt heare
brought openly to the Cathedrall Church and so to the place of punishment where malefactours are executed and there should make open confession of their wickednes But euen at the same tyme chaunced a persecution against the Lutheranes which was the cause that this sentence albeit it was too gentle for so great offence was not put in execution For because the name of the Lutheranes was most odious they feared least the punishment of these men should not haue bene so much thought to be due for their offence The Fryers â—â—caped and 〈◊〉 Lutheâ—â—â—es puniâ—â—â—d as done in reproch of the order and many thought that whatsoeuer should be done to them it would be to the Lutheranes a pleasant spectacle and cause them much to reioice This order of the Franciscanes was esteemed of the common people very holy so that what tyme they were carried out of Paris certayne women mooued wyth pitie followed them vnto the gate of the Uniuersitie wyth many teares and sighes After they came to Orleance and were bestowed in seuerall prisons they began to boast agayne of their liberties and priuiledges and at length after long imprisonment they were discharged and set at libertie without anye further punishmente Had not these persecutions before mentioned letted the matter the King had determined as it was certaynely reported to plucke downe their house and make it euen with the ground Ex Io. Sleid. lib. 9. But to leaue the memorye of thys Idolatrous generation not worthy any further to be named let vs occupy the tyme with some better matter 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 M. 〈◊〉 tyme. in remembring the story of a good and constant Martir of the Lorde before ouerpast whiche suffered in Kent for the worde of God before Luthers time about the second yeare of this kings raigne as heere in story followeth Iohn Browne a blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus burned at Ashford by Archbishop Warrham and Doct. Fisher Bish. of Rochester about the 2. yeare of king Henry the 8. An. 1511. Persecuters Martir The cause W. Warrh Archb. of Cant. Fisher byshop of Rochester A chauÌ„try priest Walter More Gentleman William More hys brother Children of Wye Baily arraÌ„t Beare of Wilborough Two seruauntes of Wil. Warham I. Browne of Ashford At Asheford Ann. 1511. The first occasion of the trouble of this I. Brown the blessed seruaunt of God The story of Iohn Browne Martyr was by a certayne Prieste who passing downe to Graues end in the coÌ„mon Barge where the sayd Ioh. Brown was amongest diuers other passingers moe and disdayning y t hee so saucely shoulde sit so neare vnto him in the Barge who belyke seemed not muche to passe vppon the Priest began to swell in stomacke agaynst him At length bursting forth in his priestly voyce and disdaynefull countenaunce hee asked hym in this maner Doest y u know sayd he who I am thou sittest to neare me and fittest on my clothes No sir sayde the other I know not what you are I tell thee quoth hee I am a priest What sir are you a parson or vicar Talke betweeâ— Iohn Browne a proud Priest 〈◊〉 in Graues end 〈◊〉 Barge or some ladies chapleine No quoth he agayne I am a soule Priest I sing for a soule Doe you so sir quoth the other that is well done I pray you sir sayd he where find you the soule when you go to Masse I cannot tel thee sayd the Priest I pray you where doe you leaue it sir when the Masse is done I cannot tell thee sayde the priest Neither can you tell where to find it when you goe to Masse nor where you leaue it when the Masse is done howe can you then saue the soule sayd he Go thy wayes said the priest I perceiue thou art an hereticke and I will be euen with thee So at the landing Walter More William More Chilten and Beare persecuters the priest taking with him Walter More and W. More two Gentlemen and brethren rode straightwayes to the archbishop who theÌ„ was Wil. Warham Wherupon the sayd Iohn Browne within 3. dayes after was seÌ„t for by the archbishop His bringers vp were Chilten of Wye baily arraunt and one Beare of Wilseborough with two of the bishops seruantes Who with certayn other being appoynted for the same came sodenly into his house vppon him Iohn Browne sodeinly taken and caryed away the same day when his wife was churched as hee was bringing in a messe of pottage to the bourd seruing his gestes and so laying hands vpon hym set him vpon his owne horse and binding his feete vnder the horses belly caryed him away to Canterbury neither he nor his wife nor any of his friendes knowing whether he went nor whether he should and there continuing the space of 40. dayes froÌ„ LowsoÌ„day till Friday before Whitsonday through the cruell handling of the sayd Archb. and y e B. of Rochest D. Fisher hee was so piteously intreated His bare 〈◊〉 set vpon the hote coales to make him deny the truth that his bare feete were set vpon the hote burning coales to make him deny his fayth whiche notwithstanding hee would not doe but paciently abiding y e payne continued in the Lordes quarrell vnremoueable At length after al this crueltie susteined his wife yet not knowing where he was become on Friday before Whitsonday he was sent to Ashford where he dwelt the next day there to be burned In the meane time Brown brought to Ashford to be burned as he was brought to the town ouer night there to be set in the stockes it happened as God would that a young mayde of his house comming by and seeing her mayster ran home and told her mistres Then she comming to him and finding him in y e stocks appoynted to be burned the next morow Browne set in the stockes at Ashford sat by him all the night long To whome then he declared the whole story or rather tragedy how he was haÌ„dled and how his feet were burned to the bones that he could not set them vppon the ground by the two Bishops aforesayde he thanked God therfore and all to make me sayd hee to deny my Lorde which I will neuer doe for if I should deny him sayde he in this world he would deny me hereafter And therfore I pray thee sayd he good Elizabeth continue as y u hast begon bring vp thy childreÌ„ vertuously in the feare of God And so the next day which was on Whitson euen thys godly martyr was burned where he standing at the stake sayd this prayer holding vp his handes as followeth The prayer of Browne at his death O Lord I yeeld me to thy grace Graunt me mercy for my trespace Let neuer the fiend my soule chace The prayer of Iohn Browne at his death Lord I will bow and thou shalt beate Let neuer my soule come in hell heate Into thy handes I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord of truth And so
kings Maiesties primacie and I began to write on the side oâ— that had made an I onward as may appere by the articles they would not haue me do so but write onely my name after theyr articles which I did Whereat because they shewed themselues pleased and content Winchester subscribeth to the kinges articles I was bold to tel them merely that by this meane I hadde placed my subscription aboue them all therupon it pleased them to entertein me much to my comfort And I was bold to accoÌ„pt vnto them mery tales of my miserie in pryson which they seemed content to heare and then I tolde them also desiring them not to be miscontent with that I should say when I remember eache of them alone I could not thinke otherwise of them but they were my good Lords and yet when they meete together I feele no remedy at their hands I looked quoth I when my L. of Somerset was heere to goe out wythin two dayes and made my fare well feast in the Tower and all since whych time there is a moneth past or thereabout and I agree w t them Winchesters farewell feast lost in the tower and now agree with you and I may fortune be forgotten My Lorde Treasurer sayde nay I shoulde heare from them the next day and so by their special commandement came out of the chamber ofter them that they myght be seene depart as my good Lordes and so was done By which processe doth appeare how there was in me no contempt as is sayd in this article but such a subscriptioÌ„ made as they were content to suffer me to make whiche I tooke in my coÌ„science for a whole satisfaction of the kings maiesties letters whiche I desire may be deemed accordinglye And one thing was said vnto me further that other would haue put in many moe Articles but they woulde haue no more but those The 13. Article Item that you hauing eftsones certaine of the kings Maiesties honorable Counsaile sent vnto you the 12. of Iuly in the sayde 4. yere with the said submission and being on his Maiesties behalfe required and commaunded to consider again and better the sayd submission and to subscribe the same stoode in iustification of your self would in no wise subscribe thereunto Winchester To the 13. article he sayde The next day after the being in the Tower of the saide L. Treasurer the Earle of Warwike other came vnto me Syr W. Harbert M. Secretary Peter Winchester still standeth vpon reputation of his innocencye to deuise with me how to make some acknowledging of my fault as they saide because the other forme liked me not Wherunto I said I knew my selfe innocent and to enter with you to entreat of a deuise to empaire my innocency in any poynt by my wordes or wrytings it can haue no pollicie in it For although I did more esteeme liberty of body then the defamation of my self yet quoth I wheÌ„ I had so done with you I were not so assured by you to come out For when I were by my owne * Your putting to the penne in this matter would not haue made you naught but your naughtines would not put to your penne penne once made an naughtye man then were I not the more sure to come out but had locked my selfe the more surely in and a small pleasure were it to me to haue my body at libertie by your procurement and to haue my conscience in perpetual prison by mine owne act Many more wordes there were and perswasions on their parties which caused me to require of them for the passion of God that my matter might take an end by iustice and so departed theyr being no contempt or faction of disobedience shewed on my behalfe but onely allegation for my defence of mine innocency in y e best maner I could deuise as I trust they will testifie The 14. Article Item that after all this videlicet the 14. day of Iuly in the said 4. yeare the kings maiestie sent yet again vnto you certain of hys maiesties honorable Counsaile with an other submission and diuers other articles willinge and commaunding you to subscribe your name thereunto which to do you vtterly refused Winchester To the 14. Article he sayde that on the Monday in the morning following came the bishop of London Syr William Harbert maister Secretarie Peter an other whom I knowe not who brought with them a paper wyth certaine articles wrytten in it Other arâ—â—â—cles 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 which they required me to subscribe Whereupon I most instantly required that my matter might be tried by iustice whych although it were more greeuous yet it hathe a commoditie wyth it that it endeth certainely the matter And I coulde neuer yet come to my assured stay and therfore refused to meddle wyth any more Articles or to trouble my selfe with the readinge of them yet they desired me so instantly to read them that I was content and did reade and to shewe my perfecte obediente minde offered incontinently vpon my deliuerie out of prison to make aunswere vnto them all such as I woulde abide by and suffer paine for If I haue deserued it I would in deede gladly haue bene in hand with my Lorde of London but he saide hee came not to dispute The Bishâ—â— of Londoâ— wordeâ— of Winchestâ—â— and sayde it was the hand of God that I was thus in prison because I had so troubled other meÌ„ in my time Finally my request was that they should in this forme make my aunsweare to my Lordes of the Counsell as foloweth That I most humbly thanke them of theyr good will to deliuer me by the way of mercy but because in respecte of mine owne innocent conscience I had rather haue iustice I desired them Wynchestâ—â— refuseth to be deliueâ—red by 〈◊〉 of mercy seing both was in the kinges Maiesties hands that I might haue it whych if it happen to me more greeuous I will impute it to my selfe and euermore thanke them for their good will and so departed I with them as I trust they will testifie and no misbehauiour or demeanour to haue bene vsed on my behalfe The 15. Article Item that after all this viz. the 19. day of Iulye in the sayde 4. yeare you being personally called before the kings maiesties priuie counsaile and hauing the sayd submission and articles openly and distinctly read vnto you required to subscribe the same refused for vniuste considerations by you alledged to subscribe the same Winchester To the 15. article I graunte that vpon a Saterdaye at after noone euen at suche time of the daye as they were at Euensong in the Chappell at the Courte I was brought thether and at my comming the Lordes of the Counsaile sayde they were all my Iudges by special commission and entended to proceede thus wyth me That I shoulde subscribe certaine articles which were then read and I muste directly make aunswere whether I
as his death is present Ambros. de Sacram lib. 4. cap. 4. o. Ergo the precious bloud of Christ is not present really in the Sacrament The Minor of this argument is proued before by the wordes of Ambrose The second question Whether the body and bloud of Christ be in the bread and wine The second conclusion or vnder the formes of bread and wine carnally and corporally ¶ Argument Di The true natural body of Christ is placed in heauen sa The true naturall body of man can be but in one place at once where he is mis. Ergo the true naturall body of Christ can be in no place at once but in heauen where he is The Maior is playne by the Scriptures Iesus was taken vp to heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God Math. 26. Iohn 12. Math. 26 The poore ye haue alwayes with you but me you shall not alwayes haue Iohn 12. I leaue the world and go to my Father Ioh. 16. Many shal say in that day Loe here is Christ Iohn 16. Math. 24. and there is Christ beleue theÌ„ not Mat. 24. WhoÌ„ the heaueÌ„s must receiue for a time vntill the restitution of all Actes 3. Seeke those things that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God c. Col. 3. The Minor likewise is euident by S. Austen who speaking of the glorified body of Christ Actes 3. Col. 3. August ad Dardanum affirmeth the same to be in one certayne place Propter veri corporis modum that is for the maner of a true body ¶ Argument Da Euery true naturall body requireth one certaine place August ri Christes body is a true naturall body j. Ergo Christes body requireth one certayne place ¶ Argument Comparatio a Maiori Austen giueth not to the soule of Christ to be in mo places at once but one August ad Dardanum Ergo much lesse is it to be giuen to the body of Christ to be in mo places at once but in one ¶ Argument The nature of the Aungels is not to be in diuers places Comparison betweene Aungels and the body of Christ. but they are limited to occupy one certaine place at once Basilius de spirit sanct cap. 22. Ergo the body of Christ being the true naturall body of a man can not fill diuers places at one time ¶ Argument Ba Whatsoeuer is in many diuers places at once is God ro The body of Christ is not God but a creature co Ergo the body of Christ can not be in moe places together ¶ Argument Fes We must not so defende the Diuinitie of Christ that we destroy his humanitie August ti If we assigâ—e to the body of Christ pluralitie of places we destroy his humanitie no. Ergo we must not assigne to the body of Christ pluralitie of places ¶ Argument Fes Whatsoeuer thing is circumscribed that is to say conteined in the limits of any peculiar place can not be dispersed in mo places at once ti The body of Christ is a thing circumscribed no. Ergo the body of Christ is not dispersed in mo places at one time ¶ Argument Da Euery quantitie that is euery body hauing magnitude length and other dimensions is circumscribed in one peculiar place ri The bodye of Christe hathe his dimensions and is a quantitie j. Ergo the body of Christ is circumscribed Cyrillus The Maior is proued by Cyrillus Whatsoeuer is vnderstanded to be a body Cyrillus De crenit Lib 2. pag. â—â—5 the same is verely in a place and in magnitude and in quantitie And if it be in quantitie it can not auoyd circumscription that is to haue his place ¶ Argument Ba If Christ had giuen his body substantially and carnally in the Supper then was that body either passible or impassible ro But neither can you say that body to be passible or impassible which he gaue at Supper co Ergo he did not giue his body substancially and carnally at Supper August The Minor is proued thus For if ye say it was passible August in Psal. 98. Austen is against it which sayth Ye shall not eate thys body which you see nor drinke the same bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me c. And if ye say it was impassible that may not be admitted by the words of the Euangelist which sayth Eate this is my body which shall be geuen for you So that that body was passible and not impassible wherein Christ was geuen Vigilius One creature can not receaue in it selfe two contrary or diuers thynges together Vigilius contra Eutichen lib. 4. But these two thyngs be diuers and farre vnlike that is to say to be conteyned in a place and to be euery where For the word is euery where but the fleshe is not euery where ¶ Argument Fe Bodyes origanicall without quantitie be no bodies ri The Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be without quantitie o. Ergo the Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be no body ¶ Argument Da All things which may be deuided haue quantitie ri The body in the Popes Sacrament is deuided in iij. partes j. Ergo the body in the Popes Sacrament hath quantitie which is against their owne doctrine ¶ Argument Fe No naturall body can receaue in it selfe and at one time contrary or diuers qualities Vigilius ri To be in one place locall and in another place not locall in one place with quantitie in another place without quantitie in one place circumscript in another place incircumscript is for a naturall body to receyue contrary qualities o. Ergo the body of Christ can not be in one place locall and in another not locall in one place with quantitie and in another without quantitie as our aduersaries do affirme ¶ Argument Fe The wicked receaue not the body of Christ. ri The wicked do receaue the body of Christ if transubstantiation be graunted son Ergo transubstantiation is not to be graunted in the Sacrament ¶ Argument for probation of the Maior Ca To eate Christ is for a man to haue Christ dwellyng and abiding in him Augustine mes The wicked haue not Christ dwelling in them tres Ergo the wicked eate not the body of the Lord. Cyprian Cyprianus de Coena Domini The eating of Christ is our abyding in hym Cyprian De Coenâ— Domini ¶ Argument Bo The holy Ghost could not come if the body of Christ were really present car That the holy Ghost is come it is most certayne do Ergo it can not be that Christ himselfe should be heere really present For proofe of the Maior Iohn 16. Vnlesse I go from you the holy Ghost shall not come It is expedient for you that I go hence Iohn 16. ¶ Argument of Peter Martyr Ba If the wicked and infidels doe receaue the bodye of Christ they receaue him either with sense or reason or
he doth communicate to vs hys owne nature Ex exâ—â—â—plari 〈◊〉 Cranmer descriptoâ— and so is Christ made one with vs carnally and corporally because he tooke our nature of the Uirgine Mary And Hillary doth not onely say that Christ is naturally in vs but that we also are naturally in him and in the father that is that we are partakers of their nature which is eternitie or euerlastingnes For as the worde receiuing our nature did ioyne it vnto himselfe in vnitie of person and did coÌ„municate vnto that our nature the nature of his eternitie Naturallâ— expoundâ—â— that is 〈◊〉 bodyes to participatâ— the naturâ— propertâ— of Christ holy iâ—â—mortall bâ—â—dy that like as he being the euerlasting word of the Father had euerlasting life of the Father euen so he gaue the same nature to hys flesh Likewise also did he communicate with vs the same nature of eternitie which he and the father haue and that we should be one with them not onely in wil loue but that we should be also partakers of y e nature of euerlasting life West Hilary where he saith Christ coÌ„municated to vs his nature he meaneth y t not by his natiuity but by y e sacrament Cranmer He hath communicated to vs his flesh by hys natiuitie West We haue communicated to him * Then 〈◊〉 Christ a sinfull flesh our flesh when he was borne Cran. Nay he communicated to vs his flesh wheÌ„ he was borne and that I will shew you out of Cyrill vppon this place Et homo factus est West Ergo Christ being borne gaue vs his flesh Cran. In his natiuity he made vs * That is made vs partakers the propeâ—â—ties life iâ—â—nocencye resurrectioâ— of his bodâ— D Chadâ—â— agayne dâ—â—â—puteth Hillar 8. 〈◊〉 Trinitate partakers of his flesh West Write Sirs Cran. Yea write Ched This place of Hilary is so dark that you were compelled to falsifie it in your booke because you coulde not draw it to confirme your purpose If Christ haue taken verily the flesh of our body and the man that was verely borne of the Virgin Mary is Christ and also wee receaue vnder the true mistery the fleshe of his body by meanes wherof we shal be one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shall that be called the vnitie of will when the naturall propertie brought to passe by the Sacrament is the Sacrament of vnitie we must not speake in the sence of man or of the worlde in matters concerning God neither must wee peruersly wrast anye straunge or wicked sence out of the wholesome meaning of the holy scripture through impudent and vile contentioÌ„ Let vs read those thinges that are written and let vs vnderstand those thinges that wee read and then wee shall performe the duetie of perfect fayth For as touching that naturall and true being of Christ in vs except wee learne of him wee speake foolishly and vngodly that thing that we doe speake For he sayth My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him As touching the veritie of his fleshe and bloud there is left no place of doubt for now both by the testimonie of the Lord and also by our fayth it is verily flesh and verily bloud Here you haue falsified Hillary Thus 〈◊〉 was their talke in Englishe Seing M Cranmeâ— had twyâ—â— veré 〈◊〉 once verâ— they had cause to 〈◊〉 greeued 〈◊〉 that they were 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 a knot in rushe for you haue set verò sub mysterio for verè sub mysterio we receiue truly vnder a mystery Hillary thrise reporteth verè sub mysterio and you interprete it twise verè sub mysterio but the third tyme you haue verò for verè Cran. Assuredly I am not guilty of any deceite herein It may be that the copy which I followed had Sub vero mysterio i. vnder a true mysterye although touching y e sense it differeth little God I call to witnesse I haue alway hated falsifieng and if you had laisure and lust to heare false citations I could recite vnto you vj. hundred West Here shall be shewed you two copies of Hilary the one printed at Basill the other at Paris Cran. I suppose that D. Smiths bookes hath vero Weston Here is Doctour Smith let him aunswere for hymselfe M. Smith M. Doctor what say you for your selfe speake if you know it ¶ Here Doctor Smith eyther for the truth in hys booke alledged or els astonied with Doctor Westons hasty calling stayd to answer For he onely put of his cappe and kept silence West But your owne booke printed by Wolfe your owne Printer hath vero Cran. That Booke is taken from me which easily myght haue ended this controuersie I am sure the booke of Decrees hath vero Cole Now you admit the booke of Decrees when it maketh for you Cran. Touching the sence of the matter there is little difference The chaunge of one letter for an other is but a small matter West Noâ—s Pastor as you know signifieth a Byshop and Pistor signifieth a Baker But Pastor shal be Pistor a Bishop shall be a Baker by this your chaunge of one letter If verè and vero doe nothing chaunge the sence Cran. Let it be so that in Pistor and Pastor one letter maketh some difference Yet let Pistor be either a Baker or maker of bread ye see here the change of a letter and yet no great difference to be in the sence Young This disputation is taken in hand that the truth myght appeare I perceiue that I must goe an other waye to worke then I had thought It is a common saying againste hym that denyeth principles we must not dispute Therfore that we may agree of the principles I demaund whether there be any other body of Christ then his instrumentall body Cran. There is no naturall body of Christe but his organicall body Young Againe I demande whether sence reason ought to geue place to faith Cran. They ought Yong. Thirdly whether Christ be true in all his wordes Cran. Yea he is most true and trueth it selfe Yong. Fourthly whether Christ at his supper mineded to doe that which he spake or no Cran. Dicendo dixit non fecit dicendo sed fecit Discipulis Sacramentum That is In saying he spake but in sayinge hee made not but made the sacrament to his disciples Yong. Answer according to the truthe whether did Christ that as God and man 〈◊〉 Yonges â—â—ophisticall 〈◊〉 whych he spake when he sayde This is my body Cran. This is a sophistical cauillation go plainly to work There is some deceite in these questions You seeke subtlenesse leaue your craftie fetches Young I demaunde whether Christe by these woordes wrought any thing or no Cran. He did institute the Sacrament Yong. But answere whether did he worke any thing Cran. He did worke in instituting the
si gens inimica volet Pontifices fati quasi Cayphas omina dantes Nolebant at grex cacolucos voluit Elegere pij connubia talia nolle Velle quidem demens haeresis illa fuit Consilium multo praestantius octo mariti Quinque cathenatis ob malefacta dabant Noluit hos iungi thalamos Northumbrius heros O consultores qui voluere malos Noluit haud aequo confligens marte Viatus Solaque quae voluit turba Papalis erat Nolebat Graius neque terra Britanna volebat Nos quoniam Dominus sic voluit tulimus Sed tulimus pariter fata infoelicia quando Infoelix Maria est nupta Philippe tibi * Other verses aunswering likewise NVbat vt Hispano Regina Maria Philippo Dic age Whyte mihi quos voluisse vides Noluit aut voluit quid inanis turba refert nil Velle nolle Dei est quid volet ille refert Hoc quoniam voluit inquis Dominus voluistis Quid voluit quoniam nescis inepte scias Scilicet hoc voluit vates vt vanus augur Et mendax Whitus pseudopropheta foret Regi non regi nupsit non nupserat Angla est NoÌ„ Angla est grauida est noÌ„ grauida est grauius est Parturit atque parit sic vos voluistis ouantes Nil tamen illa parit hoc voluit Dominus Duxerat ad paucos menses mox deserit idem Sponsa est mox vidua est hoc voluit Dominus Irrita frustrentur semper sic vota malorum Perniciem patriae qui voluere suae Sit nomen Domini benedictum â— Phillip â—â—mmeth to â—indsore The Armed 〈◊〉 England 〈◊〉 down 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of After the consummation of which mariage they both remoued froÌ„ Winchester to sondry other places and by easy iourneyes came to Windsore Castle where he was stalled in the order of the Garter vppon Sonday being the xij of August At which tyme an Herald tooke downe the armes of England at Windsore and in the place of them woulde haue set the armes of Spaine but he was commaunded to set them vp againe by certayne Lordes From thence they both remoued to Richmond Spayne set vp K. Phillip commeth to London and froÌ„ thence by water came to London and landed at y e Bishop of Winchesters house through which they passed both into Southwark parke so to Southwarke house called Suffolk place where they lay that night being the 18. of August And y e next day being Saterday and the xix of August the king and Queenes maiesties rode from Suffolk place accompanied with a great number August 19. as wel of noble men as gentlemen through the City of London to White Hall and at LondoÌ„ bridge as he entred at the draw bridge was a vayne great spectacle set vp Vayne pageants of London two Images representyng 2. Gyantes one named Corineus and the other Gogmagoge holding betweene them certain Latin verses which for the vayne ostentation of flattery I ouerpasse And as they passed ouer the bridge there was a number of ordinaunce shot at the Tower such as by old mens report the like hath not bene heard or seene these hundreth yeares From London Bridge they passed to the Conduit in Gracious streete whiche was finely painted and among other thinges the ix worthies whereof king Henry the 8. was one He was paynted in harnesse hauing in one hand a sworde and in the other hand a booke wherupon was written Verbum Dei Winchester cannot abide the booke called Verbum Dei deliuering the same booke as it were to his sonne 〈◊〉 Edward who was paynted in a corner by him But hereupon was no small matter made for the Bishop of winchester Lord Chauncellour seÌ„t for the painter and not onely called him knaue for paynting a booke in K. Henries hand and specially for writing therupon Verbum Dei but also rancke Traytour and Uillaine saying to hym that he should rather haue put the book into the Queenes hand who was also paynted there for that she had reformed the church and religion The paynter sent for to the B. of Winchester with other things according to the pure and sincere word of God in deede The Paynter answered and sayd that if he had knoweÌ„ that that had bene the matter wherfore his Lordship sent for him he coulde haue remedied it and not haue troubled his Lordship The paynters aunswere The bishop answered said that it was the Queenes maiesties will and commaundement that he shoulde send for him and so commaunding him to wype out the booke and Verbum Dei too he sent him home So the Paynter departed but fearing least he should leaue some parte eyther of the booke or of Verbum Dei in king Henries hand hee wiped away a piece of his fingers withall Here I passe ouer and cut of other gaudes Pageantes of pastime shewed vnto him in passing through London with the flattering verses set vp in Latine wherein were blased out in one place the fiue philips as the fiue worthies of the worlde Philip of Macedonia Philip y e Emperor Philippus Audax Philippus Bonus Philip Prince of Spayne and king of England In an other Poetry K. Philip was resembled by an Image representing Orpheus V. Phillips and all Englishe people resembled to brute sauage beastes following after Orpheus harpe and daunsing after king Philips pipe Not that I reprehend the arte of the Latine verses which was fine and cunning but that I passe ouer y e matter hauing other grauer thinges in hand and therefore passe ouer also the sight at Paules church side of him that came downe vpon a rope tyed to the batilmentes with his head before neyther staying himselfe with hand or foote which shortly after cost him his life But one thing by the way I cannot let passe touchyng the young florishing Roode newly set vp agaynst this present tim◠〈◊〉 welcome king Phillip into Paules Churche The setting vp of which Roode was this and may make as good a Pageant as the best An 2. Mariae Boner in his royaltie and all his Prebendaries about him in Paules Quiere the Roode layde a long vpon the pauement The erecting vp of the Roode at Paules and also all the doores of Paules being shut the Bishop with other sayde and song diuers prayers by the Rood that being done they annoynted the Roode with oyle in diuers places and after the annoynting crept vnto it and kissed it After that they tooke the sayd Roode and weyed hym vppe and set him in his olde accustomed place B. Boners God the Roode of Paules set vp with â—e Deum and all the while they were doing thereof the whole Quiere sang Te Deum and when that was ended they rang the Belles not only for ioy but also for the notable and great fact they had done therein Not long after this a mery fellow came into Paules and spyed the Roode with Mary and Iohn new set vppe whereto among a
iustice nor vnwoonted to thy mercy It is well knowen vnto vs how maruelously thou diddest worke in Sara of the age of xc yeares and in Elizabeth the barren and also far striken in age for thy counsel is not in the power of men Thou Lord that art y e searcher of harts thoughts thou knowest that thy seruaÌ„t neuer lusted after man neuer gaue her selfe to wanton coÌ„pany nor made her selfe pertaker w t them that walk in lightnes but she consented to take an husband with thy feare not with her lust Thou knowest that thy seruaunt tooke an husband not for carnal pleasure but only for the desire loue of posteritie wherein thy name might be blessed for euer and euer Geue therfore vnto thy seruaunts Phillip our king and Mary our Queene a male issue which may sit in the seat of thy kingdome Geue vnto our Queene thy seruant a little infant in fashion and body comely beautifull in pregnant wit notable and excellent Graunt the same to be in obedience like * It is not best such one to be graunted vnto you 〈◊〉 being lyke Abrahamâ— Ioseph Moses and Salomon hâ— may chauÌ„â—â— to smel oâ— your corrupt doctrine and detest yoâ— bloudy tyranny c. Abraham in hospitalitie like Loth in chastitie and brotherly loue lyke Ioseph in meekenes myldnes like Moses in strength valiantnes like Sampson Let him be found faythful as Dauid after thy hart Let him be wise among kings as the most wise Salomon Let him be like Iob a simple and an vpright man fearing God eschewyng euill Let hym finally be garnished with the comelynes of all vertuous coÌ„ditions and in the same let him waxe old and lyue that he may see his childrens children to the third fourth generation And geue vnto our soueraigne Lord and Lady K. Phillip and Queene Mary thy blessing and long life vpoÌ„ earth And graunt that of theÌ„ may come kings Queenes which may stedfastly continue in faith loue and holynesse And blessed be their seed of our God that all nations may know thou art only God in all the earth which art blessed for euer and euer Amen ¶ Another prayer for Queene Mary and her conceiued chyld O Almighty father which diddest sanctifie the blessed Virgine and mother of Mary in her conception and in the byrth of Christ our sauiour thy onely sonne also by thy omnipotent power didst safely deliuer the prophet Ionas out of the Whales belly Defend O Lord we beseech thee An other prayer for the same thy seruaunt Mary our Queene with child conceyued and so visite her in and with thy godly gift of health that not onely the child thy creature within her conteined may ioyfully come from her into this worlde and receyue the blessed Sacraments of Baptisme and Confirmation enioying therwith dayly encrease of all princely and gracious gifts both of body soule but that also she the mother thorowe thy speciall grace and mercy may in tyme of her trauaile auoyde all excessiue dolour and payne and abide perfect and sure from all perill and danger of death with long and prosperous life thorough Christ our Lord Amen It followeth now further in processe of the story that vpon the Tuesday being the x. of Ianuary xix of the lower house of the Parliament with the Speaker Ianuary 1â— came to the White Hall to the kyng and there offred him the gouernment of the realme and of the Issue if the Queene should faile which was confirmed by act of Parliament within ten dayes after Upon Wednesday folowing Ianuary â—â— beyng the xxvi of Ianuary the Parliament was cleane dissolued In this Parliament among other things the bishop of Rome was established and all such lawes as were made against hym since the xx yeare of K. Henry the 8. were repealed also cardinall Poole bish Pates The Pope supremacy establisheâ— by Parlament Matters coÌ„â—cluded in the Parlaâ—ment Lilly other were restored to their bloud Also there was an acte made for speakyng of words that whosoeuer should speake any thyng agaynst the king or Queene or that might mooue any sedition or rebellion at the first tyme to haue one of his eares cut of or to forfeit an C. markes and at the second tyme to haue both his eares cut off or els to forfeit an C. pounds who so euer should write cipher or print any of the premisses to haue their right hand cut off Three statutes agaynst heretickes reâ—uiued Also in this Parliament three statutes were reuiued for triall of heresie one made in the fift yere of Richard the 2. an other in the 2. yeare of Henry the 4. and the third in the 2. yeare of Henry the 5. Also the doyng of M. Rose and the other that were with him was communed of in this Parliament and vpon that occasion an acte was made that certaine euill prayers should be treason agaynst the Queenes highnes The prayers of these men were thus God turne the hart of Queene Mary from Idolatrie or els shorten her dayes Wherof read the statute Ann. 1. 2. Reg. Phil. Mariae Cap. 9. As touching the taking of M. Rose his felows word was brought therof to M. Hooper being theÌ„ in the Fleete Whereupon the said M. Hooper sendeth aunswer againe with a letter also of consolation sent to the sayd prisoners the copie wherof I thought here not to ouerpasse ¶ The aunswer of M. Hooper to a letter sent vnto him concerning certaine prisoners taken in Bowe churchyard 〈◊〉 aunâ—â—re to a 〈…〉 sent 〈◊〉 him THe grace of God be with you Amen I perceiue by your letter how that vpon Newyeres day at night there were taken a godly company of Christians whilest they were praying I doe reioyce in that men can be so well occupied in this perilous time and flee vnto God for remedy by prayer as well for theyr owne lackes and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the worde of God commaund all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to reuile any Magistrate with wordes or to meane him euill by force or violence They also may reioyce that in well doyng they were taken to the prison Wherfore I haue thought it good to send them this little writing of consolation praying God to send them pacience charitie constancie in the truth of his most holy word Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true word into this Realme againe amongest vs which the vngodly Bishops haue now banished Ianua 4. ann 1555. ¶ A letter of consolation sent from M. Hooper to the godly brethren taken in Bow churchyard in prayer and layd in the Counter in Breadstreat THe grace fauor consolation and ayd of the holy ghost be with you now and euer So be it Dearely beloued in the Lord euer sithens your imprisonment A letter of 〈◊〉 Hooper 〈◊〉 of most â—eauenly â—onsolatioÌ„ I haue
did succour it wil do the like to the child of you or any other fearing him and putting your trust in him And if we lacke fayth as we do in deede many times let vs call for it and we shall haue the encrease both of it and also of any other good grace needefull for vs and be mery in GOD in who also I am very mery and ioyfull O Lord what great cause of reioycing haue we to thinke vpoÌ„ that kingdome which he voucheth safe for his Christes sake freely to geue vs forsaking our selues and folowing him Deare wife this is truely to follow him What it 〈◊〉 to follow Christ. euen to take vp our crosse and followe him and then as we suffer with him so shall we raigne with him euerlastingly Amen Shortly Shortly Amen * An other letter to his wife to Mayster Robert Harrington M Hurland c. GRace and comfort c. Deare wife reioyce in our gracious God and his our Christ An other letter of M Saunders his wyfe 〈◊〉 other frendes and geue thankes moste humbly and hartely to him for this dayes worke that in any part I most vnworthy wretch should be made worthy to beare witnes vnto his euerlasting verity which Antichrist with his by mayne force I perceyue and by moste impudeÌ„t pride and boasting wil go about to suppres Remember God alway my deare wife and so shal gods blessing light vpon you and our Samuel O remeÌ„ber alwaye my wordes for Christes sake be mery and grudge not agaynst God and pray pray We be al mery here thanks be vnto God who in his Christ hath geueÌ„ vs great cause to be mery by whoÌ„ he hath prepared for vs such a kingdom and doth and will geue vnto vs some litle taste therof eueÌ„ in this life and to all such as are desirous to take it Math. 26. Blessed sayth our Christ be they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for such shall be satisfied Let vs goe yea let vs run to seeke such treasure and that with whole purpose of hart to cleaue vnto the Lord to finde suche Riches in his heauenly word through his spirite obteyned by prayer Luke 5. Psal. 119. My deare Frendes and Brethren Mayster Harryngton and Mayster Hurland pray pray Spiritus quidem promptus est caro autem infirma That is The spirite is ready but the fleshe is weake When I looke vpon my selfe quid ego stupidus attonitus habeo quod dicam nisi illud Petri exi a me Domine quia homo peccator sum i. Being astonished and confouÌ„ded what haue I els to say but those wordes of Peter Lorde goe from me for I am a sinnefull man Iohn 6. But then feele I that sweete comforte Lucerna pedibus meis verbum Domini lumen semitis meis haec mea est consolatio in humilitate mea i. The word of the Lorde is a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes and this is my comfort in my trouble Then waxe I bolde with the same Peter to say Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes i. Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of euerlasting life This comfort haue I when the geuer thereof doth geue it But I looke for battels with the roote of vnfaythfulnes the which I feele in me will most egerly geue vnto my conscience when wee come once to the combate We be I wene within the souÌ„d of the triumpe of our enemies Play ye that be abroade the part of Moyses Tim 1. Orantes in omni loco sustollentes puras manus i. Praying in all places lifting vp pure hands Gods people shal preuayle 〈◊〉 5. yea our bloud shal be theyr perditioÌ„ who do most triumphantly spill it we then being in the handes of our God shall shine in his kingdome and shal staÌ„d in great stedfastnes agaynst theÌ„ which haue dealt extremely with vs And wheÌ„ these our enemies shall thus see vs they shal be vexed with horrible feare and shall wonder at the hastines of the sodaine health and shall say with themselues hauing inward sorow and mourning for very anguish of minde These are they whom we sometime had in derision and iested vpon we fooles thought their liues to be verye madnes and their end to be without honor but loe how they are accounted among the childreÌ„ of God The blessing of God be with you all c. Laurence Saunders ¶ To his wife a litle before his burning GRace and comfort in Christ Amen Deare wife be mery in the mercies of our Christ A letter of 〈…〉 to â—is wyfe ye also my deare frendes Pray pray for vs euery body We be shortly to be dispatched heÌ„ce vnto our good Christ. Amen Amen Wife I would you sent me my shyrte which you know wherunto it is coÌ„secrated Let it be sowed down on both the sides and not open Oh my heauenly father look vpon me in the face of thy Christ 〈◊〉 writeth 〈◊〉 his â—â—irte â—herein he â—hould be 〈◊〉 or els I shall not be able to abide thy countenaunce such is my filthines He will do so and therefore I will not be afrayd what sinne death hell and damnation caÌ„ do agaynst me O Wyfe alwayes remember the Lord. God blesse you yea he will blesse thee good wyfe thy poore boy also onely cleaue thou vnto him and he will geue thee all thinges Pray pray pray ¶ An other letter to M. Robert and Iohn Glouer written the same morning that he was burnt GRace and consolatioÌ„ in our sweet Sauiour Christ Oh my deare brethren whom I loue in the Lord being loued of you also in the Lord be mery reioyce for me now ready to go vp to that mine inheritance which I my selfe in deed am most vnworthy of but my deare Christ is worthye who hath purchased the same for me with so deare a price Make haste my deare brethreÌ„ to come vnto me that we may be mery eo gaudio quod nemo tollet a nobis i. with that ioy which no man shall take from vs. Oh wretched sinner that I am not thankefull vnto this my Father who hath vouched me worthy to be a vessell vnto his honor But O Lorde nowe accept my thankes though they proceed out of a not enough circumcised hart Salute my good Sisters your wiues good sisters feare the Lord. Salute all other that loue vs in the trueth Gods blessing be with you alwayes Amen Euen now towards the offering of a burnt sacrifice O my Christ helpe or els I perish Laurence Saunders ¶ After these godly letters of M. SauÌ„ders diuersly dispersed and sent abroad to diuers of the faythfull coÌ„gregation of Christ as is afore to be seene now in the latter end we will adioyne two other letters writteÌ„ not by Mayster Saunders the martyr but by M. Ed. Saunders the Iustice his brother sent to this our Saunders in prison although conteining no
tell more of this then I can write Therfore deare mother receiue some admonition of one of thy poore children nowe goyng to be burned for the testimonye of Iesus Come agayne to Gods truth come out of Babilon confesse Christ and his true doctrine repent that whiche is past make amendes by declaryng thy repentaunce by the fruites Remember the readings and preachinges of Gods Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer Call to minde the threatninges of God nowe something seene by the children Leauer and others Let the exile of Leauer Pilkinton Grindall Haddon Horne Scorye Ponet c. something awake thee Let the imprisonmēt of thy deare sonnes Cranmer Ridley and Latimer moue thee Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens Rogers Saunders Taylor And nowe cast not awaye the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also and to receiue the like crowne of glorye with my fellowes Take to harte Gods calling by vs. Be not as Pharao was for then will it happen vnto thee as it did vnto hym What is that hardnes of hart And what then destructiō eternally both of body and soule Ah therefore good mother awake awake repent repent buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for thee Oh harden not your hartes Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce though it be by me a most vnworthy messenger Oh feare the Lord for his anger is begon to kindle Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree You know I prophecied truely to you before the Sweate came what would come if you repēted not your carnall Gospelling And now I tel you before I depart hence that the eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaunce of God that will fall vpon you all both Towne and Vniuersitie if you repent not if you leaue not your Idolatrie if you turne not speedely to the Lord if you still be ashamed of Christes truth which you know Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repent Oh you Doctors Bachelers Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen Towne dwellers repent repent repent that you may escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your hartes come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs all say Peccauimus we haue all sinned we haue done wickedly we haue not hearkned to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes but be mercifull to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon our offenses In thine anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes for the glory of thy names sake Spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say where is now their God Oh for thine owne sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in this sort my dearely beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto our father prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shall finde mercie Then shall the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercy sake in Christ then shall we heare him speake peace vnto his people God◠mercy 〈◊〉 to Cambridge if it repent For he is gracious mercifull of great pitie compassion he can not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we weepe in the morning yet at night we shall haue our sorow to cease For he is exorable and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather would our conuersion and turning Oh turne you now and conuert yet once agayne I humbly besech you and then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nigh The eye hath not seane the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent amende our liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if we repent not but be as you were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will leade you on with wicked doers you shall perish in your wickednes your bloud will be vpon your owne heades your part shal be with hypocrites where shal be weepyng gnashyng of teeth ye shal be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow wo and miserie shal be both in body and soule to you world without end Oh therefore right deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amende amende your liues depart from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out from Babilon cast of the workes of darkenesse put on Christ confesse his truth be not ashamed of his Gospell prepare your selues to the Crosse drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the day of Iudgement which is at hand and therefore prepare your selues thereto I hartely beseche you And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercie be with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kyngdome Amen Amen Out of prison the 11. of Februarie Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To Lankeshire and Cheshire TO all those that professe his name and true Religion of our sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre An other letter of M. Bradford to Lankeshire Cheshire and specially to Manchester and specially abiding in Manchester and therabout Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not onely in boundes but also condemned for y e same true religion wisheth mercy and grace peace and increase of all godlines from God the father of all pitty through y e desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I heard it reported credibly my dearely beloued in the Lord that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by worde so I shall testifie confirme the same by deede That is I shall with you leaue my life whiche by hys prouidence I first receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you so so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ whiche exercise this crueltie vpon me I speake in respect of myne offence which is none to themwardes thinke by killing of me amongest you to affray you and others least they shoulde attempt to teach Christ truely or beleue his doctrine hereafter But I doubt not but my heauenly father will be my death more confirme you in his truth for euer And therefore I greatly reioyce to see sathan and his souldiours supplanted
the Lordes wrath waxed hoat so doth it vnto vs. So that there is no remedye but that for it is better late to turne then neuer to turne wee confesse our faultes euen from the bottome of our hartes with harty repentaunce which God worke in vs all for his mercyes sake we runne vnto the Lord our God which is exorable mercifull sory for the euil poured out vpon vs and crie out vnto him with Daniel saying we haue sinned we haue sinned grieuously oh lord God agaynst thy maiesty He exhorteth to repentaunce and prayer and to bewayle our sinnes before the Lord our God we haue heaped iniquitye vpon iniquity the measure of our transgressions floweth ouer so that iust is thy vengeaunce and wrath fallen vpon vs. For wee are very miserable we haue contemned thy longe suffering wee haue not harkened to thy voyce When thou hast called vs by Preachers we hardened our hartes and therefore now deserue that they send thy curse hereupon to harden our hartes also that we should henceforth haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hartes and vnderstand not leaste wee shoulde conuert and be saued Oh be mercifull vnto vs spare vs good Lord and all thy people whom thou hast dearely bought Let not thine enemies triumph altogether and alwayes agaynst thee for then will they be puft vppe Looke downe and beholde the pittyfull complayntes of the poore let the sorowefull sighing of the simple come in thy fighte and bee not angry with vs for euer Turne vs oh Lorde GOD of hostes vnto thee and turne thee vnto vs that thou mayest be iustified in thy sweete sentences and ouercome whē thou are iudged as now thou art of our aduersaryes For they say where is theyr God Can God deliuer them now Canne theyr Gospell serue them Oh Lord howe long for the glorye of thy name and for thy honors sake in the bowels and bloud of Iesus Christ we humbly beseech thee come and help vs for we are very miserable On this sort I say dearely beloued let vs publickely and priuately bewayle our sinnes but so that hereto we ioyne ceasing from wilfulnesse sinne of purpose for els the Lord heareth not our prayers as Deuid sayth And in S. Iohn it is written The prayers o◠sinners be not hearde The impenitent sinners God heareth not Nowe impenitent are they which purpose not to amend theyr liues As for example not only such which folow still theyr pleasures vncleannes carnality but those also which for feare or fauor of men doe agaynst theyr conscience to consent to the Romish ragges and resort to the rotten Religion Romish rages rotten religion communicating in Seruice ceremonies wyth the Papistes thereby declaring themselues to loue more the worlde then God to feare man more then Christ to dread more the losse of temporall things then of spirituall in whom it is euident the loue of God abideth not For he that loueth the world hath not Gods loue abiding in him sayth Saynt Iohn therefore my deare hartes and deare agayne in the Lord remember what you haue professed Christes Religion and name and the renouncyng of the Deuill Sinne and the world Remember that before yee learned A. B. C. your lesson was Christes crosse Forgette not that Christ will haue no Disciples but such as will promise to deny thēselues take vp their crosse marke The A. B. C. of the Christians beginneth with Christes Crosse. take it vppe and folowe him and not the multitude custome c. Consider for Gods sake that if wee gather not with Christe wee scatter abroade What should it profite a man to winne the whole worlde and loose his owne soule We must not forget that this life is a wildernesse and not a Paradise here is not our home we are now in warrefare we must needes fight or els be taken prisoners Of all thinges we haue in this life we shall cary nothing with vs. If Christ be our Captayne we must follow him as souldiours If we keepe company with him in affliction we shal be sure of his society in glory If we forsake not him he will neuer forsake vs. If we confesse him he will confesse vs but if we deny him he will deny vs. If we be ashamed of him he will bee ashamed of vs. Wherefore as he forsooke his father and heauen all thinges to come to vs They neuer lose that follow Christ. so let vs forsake all thinges and come to him being sure and most certayne that we shall not lose thereby Your children shall finde and feele it double yea treble whatsoeuer you loose for the Lordes sake and you shall finde and feele peace of conscience and frēdship with God which is more worth then all the goodes of the world My dearely be loued therefore for the Lordes sake consider these thinges which now I write vnto you of loue for my Vale last farewell for euer in this present life Turne to the Lord repent you your euill and vnthankefull life declare repentaunce by the fruites take time while you haue it come to the Lord whiles he calleth you run into his lappe whiles his armes be open to embrace you seeke him whiles he may be found call vpon him whiles time is conuenient forsake and flie from all euill both in religion He exhorteth to amendement in religion and conuuersation and in the rest of your life and conuersation Let your light so shine before men that they maye see your woorkes and prayse God in the day of his visitation Oh come agayne come agayne you straunge children and I will receiue you sayeth the Lorde Conuert and turne to me and I will turne vnto you Why wyll ye needes perish As sure as I liue sweareth the Lorde I will not your death turne therefore vnto me Can a woman forgette the childe of her wombe If she should yet will I not forget you saith the Lod your God I am he I am he which put away your sinnes for mine owne sake The Lord watcheth to performe his worde doublewise O then deare frendes turne I saye vnto your dearest father Cast not these his sweete and louing wordes to the grounde and at your tayle for the Lord watcheth on his word to performe it which is in two sortes to them that lay it vp in theyr hartes and beleue it will he pay all and eternall ioy and comfort But to thē that cast it at theyr backes and will forget it to them I say will he poure out indignation and eternall shame Wherefore I hartely yet once more beseech and pray you and euery of you not to contemne this poore and simple exhortation which nowe out of prison I make vnto you or rather the Lord by me Loth would I be a witnesse agaynst you in the last day Bradford must be a witnes in the last day to them that reiect his coūsaile as of truth I must be if ye repent not
before hys mercifull harte laye open your infirmities and euilles with desire of pardon and helpe after hys good will and pleasure but in hys time and not when you will and by what meanes he will not by that waye you woulde in the meane season hange on hope of his fatherly goodnes and surely you shall neuer be ashamed For if a woman that is naturall cannot finally forget the Childe of her wombe be â—ure God whiche is a father supernaturall Esay â—9 cannot nor will not forget you Yea if a woman coulde be so forgetfull yet God hymselfe sayth he will not be so This opinion yea rather certayne perswasion of God our father through Christe see that you cherishe and by all meanes as well by dilligent consideration of his benefites as of his louing corrections whether they be inward or outwarde see that you nourishe knowyng for certayne that as the deuill goeth about nothing so muche as to bring you in a doubte whether yee be Gods childe or no so what soeuer shall moue you to admitte that dubitation be assured the same to come from the Deuill If you feele in your selfe not onely the want of good thinges but also plentye of euill do not therefore doubte whether you be Gods childe in Christ or no. For if for your goodnes or ilnesse sake which you feel or feele not ye should beleue or doubte then shoulde you make Christe Iesus for whose sake onely God is your father either nothyng or els but halfe Christ. But rather take occasion of your wants in good and of your plenty in euill to goe to God as to your father and to praye to him that in asmuch as he commaundeth you to beleue that he is your God and father so he would geue you his good spirite that you might feele the same and liue as hys childe to hys glorye and cease not vpon such prayers to look for comfort Gods good tyme still hoping the best and reiecting all dubitation and so all euill workes words and cogitations as the Lord shal enable you by hys good spirite and grace which I beseeche hym to geue vnto you my good sister for euer And further I pray you that as hee hath made you to be an helper vnto your husband so you would endeuour your selfe therein to shewe the same as well in soule as body and begge grace of God that your indeuour may be effectual to both your comfortes in Christ. Amen Iohn Bradford To my welbeloued in the Lord VV. P. GRace and peace from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Chryste Amen Deare brother God most iustly hath cast me downe into a dungeon but much better then I deserue wherein I see no man but my keeper nor can see any except they borne to me Soâ—ething in the earth my lodgyng is which as an example and memoriall of my earthly affections which God I trust will mortifie and of my sepulchre whereunto I trust my Lord God will bryng me in peace in hys good time In the meane season hee geue me pacience liuely hope and his good spirite I pray you praye for me for the prayer of the godly if it be effectuall This disease was a rewme with a feblenes of stomacke wherewith he was much troubled whiles he was at libertye worketh muche with God I thanke God my common disease doth lesse trouble me then when I was abroad which doth teache me the merciful prouidence of God towardes me Vse true and harty prayer and you shall perceiue GOD at length will declare himselfe to see where now many thinke he sleepeth Out of the Tower by the Lordes prisoner Iohn Bradford A letter whiche he wrote to a faythfull woman in her heauines and trouble most comfortable for all those to read that are afflicted and broken harted for their sinnes GOd oure good father for hys mercies sake in Christe with his eternall consolation so comforte you A letter of M. Bradford to a faythfull womaÌ„ inwardly afflicted as I desire to be comforted of him in my moste neede Yea he will comfort you my deare sister onely caste your care vppon hym and he neuer can nor will forsake you For his calling and giftes be suche that he can neuer repente hym of them Whome he loueth he loueth to the end none of his chosen can perishe Romans 11. Of whiche number I knowe you are my dearely beloued sister God increase the fayth thereof dayly more and more in you hee geue vnto you to hange wholy on hym and on his prouidence and protection For who so dwelleth vnder * * Gods prouidence and protection Psalm 31.90 Gene. 19. that secret thing and help of the Lord he shall be cocke sure for euermore He that dwelleth I say for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loth a flitter from Segor where God promised hym protection if hee had dwelled there still wee shall remoue to oure losse as he did into the mountaynes Dwell therefore that is truste and that finally vnto the ende in the Lorde my deare sister and you shal be as Mount Syon As Mountaynes compasse Ierusalem so dooth the Lorde all hys people How then can hee forget you whiche are as y e apple of hys eye for his dear sonnes sake Ah deare heart that I were now but one half houre with you to be a Symon to helpe to cary your crosse with you God sende you some good Symon to bee with you and helpe you You complayne in your letters of the blyndenesse of your minde and the troubles you feele My dearely beloued God make you thankefull for that whiche God hathe geuen vnto you he open your eyes to see what and howe great benefites you haue receiued that you may be lesse couetous or rather impacient for so I feare me it should be called and more thankefull Haue not you receiued at his handes sight to see your blindnesse and thereto a desirous and seeking heart to see where he lyeth in the mydday as his deare Spouse speaketh of her selfe in the Canticles Oh Ioyce my good Ioyce what a gifte is thys Many haue some sight but none this sobbing and sighing none this seeking whiche you haue I knowe but such as he hath marryed vnto hym in his mercies You are not content to kisse hys feete w t the Magdalen but you would be kissed euen with the kisse of his mouthe Cant. 1. You would see his face with Moses forgetting how he biddeth vs seeke hys face Psalme 27. yea and that for euer psalm 105. which signifieth no such sight as you desire to bee in this present life which would see God nowe face to face where as he cannot be seene but couered vnder something yea sometyme in that whiche is as you would say cleane contrary to God as to see his mercye in hys anger In bringing vs to hell fayth seethe hym bryng vs to heauen in darkenesse it beholdeth brightnesse God cannot be seene
open our eyes to see his hiâ— Manna heauenly Ierusalem the congregation of the first borne the melodie of the Saintes the tabernacle of God dwelling with men then shuld we runne and become violent men and so take the kingdome oâ— heauen as it were by force God our father geue vs for hys Christes sake to see a litle what and howe great ioy he hath prepared for vs he hath called vs vnto most assuredly geueth vs for his owne goodnes and truthes sake Amen My dearely beloued repent be sober and watche in prayer be obedient and after your vocations shewe your obedience to the higher powers in all thinges that are not against Gods word therein acknowledging y e soueraigne power of the Lorde howbeit so that ye be no rebels or rebellers for no cause but because wyth good conscience you can not obey be pacient sufferers and the glorye and good spirit of God shall dwel vppon vs. I pray you remember vs your afflicted brethren being in the Lordes bondes for the testimonie of Christ and abiding the gracious houre of our deare and most merciful father The Lord for Christes sake geue vs merry hearts to drinke lustely of his sweete cuppe which daily we grone and sigh for lamenting that the tyme is thus prolonged The Lorde Iesus geue vs grace to be thankeful and to abide paciently the prouident houre of his most gracious good will Amen Amen From the Counter in the Poultrie Yours in Christ Iohn Bradford To my good brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the kings Benche THe father of mercie and God of all comfort visite vs with his eternall consolation according to his great mercies in Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen A lette◠〈◊〉 M. Bradâ—â—â—â— to I. Caâ—â—â—les My very deare brother if I shall reporte the truthe vnto you I can not but signifie that sithen I came into prisone I neuer receaued so much consolation as I did by your last letter the name of God be most heartely praised therefore But if I shall reporte the trueth vnto you and as I haue begonne speake still the veritie I must confesse that for mine vnthankefulnes to you wardes and to God especially I haue more neede of Gods mercifull tidinges then I hadde euer heeretofore Ah that Sathan enuieth vs so greatly Ah that our Lorde woulde treade his head vnder our feete shortly Ah that I mighte for euer both my selfe beware and be a godly example to you and others to beware of vnthankefulnesse Good brother Careles After a lightniâ—â— take 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 we hadde more neede to take heede after a lightening of a foile then before God therefore is to be praised euen when he hideth and that not of long a chearefull countenaunce from vs least we being not expert howe to vse it as we shoulde doe doe hurt more oure selues thereby so great is our ignoraunce and corruption This my good brother ryght deare to my very heart I wryte vnto you as to one whom in the Lorde I embrace and I thanke God that you doe me in like manner God our father more and more geue vs both his good spirit that as by faith we may fele our selues vnited vnto him in Christ so by loue we may feele our selues linked in the same Christ one to an other I to you and you to me we to al the children of God and all the children of God to vs Amen Amen Commende me to our good brother Skelthrop for whome I heartely praise my God which hath geuen him to see hys trueth at the length and to geue place to it I doubt not but that he will be so heedie in all his conuersation that hys olde acquaintaunce may euer thereby thinke them selues astray Woe and woe againe shoulde be vnto vs if we by our example should make menne to stumble at the trueth Forgette not salutations in Christe as you shall thinke good to Trewe and hys fellowes The Lorde hath his time I hope for them also although we perchance thinke otherwise A drop maketh the stone hollowe not with once but wyth often dropping so if with hearty praier for them and good example you stil and drop vppon them as you can you shall see Gods worke at the length I beseeche God to make perfect all the good he hath begun in vs all Amen I desire you all to pray for me the most vnworthy prisoner of the Lorde Your brother Iohn Bradford To M. Iohn Hall and his wife prisoners in Newgate for the testimonie of the Gospell ALmightye God oure heauenly Father through Iesus Christ be w t you both my dearely beloued as with hys deare children for euer so he blesse you with his holy spirite that you may in thys your crosse for his cause doubtles reioyce and gladly take it vp to beare it so long as hee shall thinke good I haue heard my good brother sister how that god hath brought you both into his scholehouse whereas you were bothe purposed by his leaue to haue plaâ—ed the trewands that thereby you might see his carefulnes loue towarde you For if it be a token of a louing and careful father for his children to preuent the purpose and disappoynt the intent of his children purposing to depart a while from the schoole for feare of beating whych thing they woulde not doe if they did as much consider the commodity of learning which there they might get how should you take this worke of the Lorde preuenting your purpose but as an euident signe of loue and fatherly carefulnes that he beareth towardes you If he shoulde haue winked at your willes then would you haue escaped beating I meane the crosse but then should you haue lost the commoditie of learning which your father will now haue you to learne and feele and therfore hath he sent to you his crosse Hee I say hath brought you where you be and though your reason and wit wil tell you it is by chance or fortune or otherwise yet my dearely beloued knowe for certaine that what so euer was the meane God your father was the worker heereof and that for your weale although otherwise your old Adam doth tel you you fele yet I say of truth that your duty is to thinke of this crosse that as it is of Gods sending and commeth from him so although your deserts be otherwise it is of loue fatherly affection for your weale and commodities sake What commodity is hereby you wil perchance obiect You are now kept in close prison you wil say your family and children be without good ouerseers your substance diminisheth by these meanes pouertie will approche and perchance more peariâ—s also yea and losse of life too These are no commodities but discommodities and that no smal ones so that iustly you would be glad to know what commoditie can come to you by this crosse whereby commeth so great discommodities To these things I answer that in deede it is true you
religion set vp amongest vs agayne but come away come away as the Angell crieth from amongst them in their idolatrous seruice Apoca. 18. lest you be partakers of their iniquitie Harken to your preachers as the Thessalonians did to Paule that is conferre their sayings with the scriptures if they sound not thereafter the morning light shall not shyne vpon them Esay 8. Vse much and hearty prayer for the spirite of wisedome knowledge humblenes meekenes sobrietie and repentaunce which we haue great need of because our sinnes haue thus prouoked the Lordes anger against vs but let vs beare his anger and acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowfull sighes and doubtles he will be mercifull to vs after his wonted mercy The which thyng he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse and euerlastyng thankes from this tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lord to commaund Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter to M. George Eaton ALmighty God our heauenly Father recompence aboundantly into your bosome my dearely beloued here and eternally A letter aâ— M. Bradford to M. George Eaton the good which froÌ„ him by you I haue continually receiued sithen my comming into prison Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after this lyfe by witnessing your fayth declared to me by your fruits wheÌ„ we shall come and appeare together before the throne of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thanke God I am euen now a goyng euer looking when officers wyll come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I can not complayne because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth thousand deaths at gods hands by reason of my sinnes yet I may and must reioyce because the Prâ—lates do not persecute in me myne iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ. And because they can do hym no hurt for he sitteth in heauen The Prelates persecute and hate the Martirs not for their iniquities but for hatred of Christ of his veritye in them and laugheth them and their deuises to scorne as one day they shall feele therfore they turne their rage vpoÌ„ his poore sheepe as Herode their father did vpon the infants Math. 2. Great cause therefore haue I to reioyce that my dere Sauiour Christ wil vouchsafe amongst many to chuse me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shall be a vessell of honour in whom he will be glorified Therfore my right deare brother in the Lord reioice with me geue thankes for me and cease not to pray that God for his mercies sake would make perfect the good he hath begun in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed and preached I do confesse vnto you in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering Iohn Bradford geueth testimony of his doctrine that it is the very true doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Church of his Prophets Apostles and all good men so that if an Angell should come from heauen and preach otherwise the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but be confirmed in it and as your vocation requireth wheÌ„ God so will confesse it though it be perillous so to do The end shall euidently shew an other maner of pleasure for so doyng then tong can tell Bee diligent in prayer and watch therein Use reuerent readyng of Gods worde Set the shortnesse of this tyme before your eyes and let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memory Practise in doing that you learne by reading and hearing Decline from euill and pursue good Remember them that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellow heires of grace Forget not the afflictions of Syon and the oppression of Ierusalem and God our Father shall geue you hys continuall blessyng thorough Christ our Lorde who guide vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you deare brother for euer in this present lyfe till wee shall meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and Father bryng vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Out of pryson this viij of February Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford ¶ An other Letter to Maistresse Anne Warcuppe ALmighty God our heauenly father for his Christes sake encrease in vs fayth An 〈◊〉 letter Mistreâ— Anne 〈◊〉 by which we may more more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all theÌ„ that beleeue with the hart and confesse Christ his truth wyth the mouth Amen My dearely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I write my farewel to you in this lyfe in deed vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the shiriffe to come for me and I thanke God I am ready for him Now goe I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hill it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is steepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feeble pray therfore to the Lord for me that as I haue now thorough his goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by his grace be strengthened not to rest till I come where I should bee Oh louing Lord put out thy hand and drawe me vnto thee for no man commeth but he whoÌ„ the father draweth See my derely beloued Gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath great weakenes As he sent for Helias in a firy chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my drosse must be purified that I may bee fine gold in his sight Oh vnthankfull wretch that I am Lord do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In deed I confesse right deare to me in the Lord that my sinnes haue deserued hell fire much more then this fire But loe so louyng is my Lord God 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—serued 〈◊〉 death of his to a gloâ—â—â—ous testiâ—â—â—niall of his truth that he conuerteth the remedy for my sins the punishment for my transgressions into a testimoniall of his truth and a testification of his veritie which the Prelates do persecute in me not my sinnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubt not will take my part vnto the very end Amen Oh that I had so open an hart as could so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakeable dignitie which God my father offreth to me Now
pray for me my dearely beloued pray for me that I neuer shrinke I shall neuer shrinke I hope I trust in the Lord I shall neuer shrinke for he that alwayes hath taken my part I am assured will not leaue me when I haue most neede for his truth and mercies sake Oh Lord help me Into thy handes I commend me wholy In the Lord is my trust I care not what maÌ„ can do vnto me Amen My dearely beloued say you Amen also and come after if so God call you Bee not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ but keepe company with him still He wyll neuer leaue you but in the midst of temptation will geue you an outscape to make you able to beare the brunt Vse hearty prayer reuerently read and heare Gods word put it in practise looke for the crosse lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nye know that the death of Gods saints is precious in his sight Bee mery in the Lord pray for the mitigation of Gods heauy displeasure vppon our countrey God keepe vs for euer God blesse vs with his spirituall blessings in Christ. And thus I bid you farewel for euer in this present lyfe Pray for me pray for me for Gods sake pray for me God make perfect his good worke begun in me Amen Out of prison this vij of February Yours in the Lord. Iohn Bradford In the story of M. Bradford it was aboue rehearsed how a certaine Gentlewoman beyng in trouble by her father and mother for not comming to Masse sent her seruant to visite M. Bradford in prison Who tenderyng the wofull case of the Gentlewoman to the entent partly to confirme her with counsaile partly to relieue her oppressed mynd with some comfort directed this letter vnto her the contents whereof are these ¶ To a certaine godly Gentlewoman troubled and afflicted by her friends for not comming to the Masse I Wish vnto you right worshipfull and my dearely beloued sister in the Lord as to my selfe An other letter of M. Bradford a godly â—â—â—â—tlewoman Rom. 1. the continual grace and comfort of Christ and of his holy word through the operation of the holy spirit who strengthen your inward man with the strength of God that you may continue to the end in the faithful obedience of Gods gospel whereto you are called Amen I perceiued by your selfe the last day when you were with me how that you are in the Scholehouse and triall parlour of the Lord 1. Cor. 1. which to me is as the least it should be a great comfort to see the number of gods elect by you encreased which is in that state wherof God hath not called many as Paule saith And as it is a comfort to mee 1. Cor. 1. and 10. so should it be a confirmation vnto me that the Lord for his faithfulnes sake will make perfect and finish the good hee hath begun in you to the end If then your crosse be to me a comfort or token of your election and a confirmation of Gods continuall fauour my â—earely beloued how much more ought it to bee so vnto you Unto whom he hath not onely geuen to beleue but also to come into the trace of suffering for his sake and that not commonly of common enemies but euen of your owne father mother and all your frâ—ends I meane kinsfolks as you told me By which I see Christes wordes to be true How that he came to geue his childreÌ„ such a peace with him as the Deuill might not nor may abide therfore stirreth vp father and mother sister and brother rather then it should continue But my deare sister if you cry with Dauid to the Lord and complaine to him how that for conscience to him your father and mother haue forsaken you you shal heare him speake in your heart that he hath receiued you and by this would haue you to see how that he maketh you here lyke to Christ that elswhere in heauen you might be like vnto him whereof you ought to be most assured knowing that in time euen wheÌ„ Christ shall appeare you shal be lyke vnto hym For he wil make your body which now you defile not with Idolatrical seruice in goyng to Masse Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 10. 〈…〉 â— Tim. 2 lyke vnto his owne glorious and immortall body accordyng to the power whereby he is able to do all thyngs He wil confesse you before his father which doe not deny his veritie in worde nor deede before your father he wil make you to raign with him that now suffer for him and with him he wil not leaue you comfortles that seeke no comfort but at his hand though for a little tyme you be afflicted yet therein will hee comfort and strength you and at the length make you to be mery with hym in such ioy as is infinite and endlesse He wil wipe al the teares from your eyes he will embrace you as your deare husband he will after he hath prooued you crowne you with a crowne of glory and immortalitie such as the hart of man shall neuer be able to conceiue in such sorte as the thyng is He now beholdeth your stedfastnes and stâ—iuyng to doe his good will and shortly will hee shew you how stedfast he is and will be ready to do your will after that you haue fully resigned it to his will Pledge him in his cup of the crosse you shall pledge him in the cuppe of his glory Desire to drinke it before it come to the dregs whereof the wicked shall drinke and all those that for feare of the crosse and pledging the Lord doe walke with the wicked in betraying in fact and deed that which their hart embraceth for veritie The which thyng if you should do which God forbid then my deare Mistres and Sister in the Lord you should not onely loose all that I haue before spoken and much more infinitely of eternall ioy and glory but also be a cast away and partaker of gods most heauy displeasure in hell fire eternally and so for a little ease â—â—ke 11. which you cannot tell how long it wyll last to lâ—ose for euer and euer all ease and comfort For hee that gathereth not with me sayth Christ Cor ◠〈◊〉 12. Cor 10. as no Masse Gospelâ—er doth scattereâ—h abroad Accordyng to that we do in this body we shall receyue be it good or badde If of our words we shall be iudged to condemnation or saluation 〈…〉 Cor. 6. much more then of our factes and deedes You cannot be partaker of Gods religion and Antichrists seruice wherof the Masse is most principall You cannot be a member of Christes Church and a member of the Popes Church You must glorifie God not onely in soule and hart but also in body and deede You may not thinke that God requireth lesse of you his wyfe now then your husband dyd of you Iâ— both hart and body your husband would haue shall
I was troubled at my being with you but now through my licentious obeying that affect I am fallen so that a whole legion of spirituum malorum possesseth me The Lord whom I only with mouth my hart stil abiding both in hardnes wilfulnes call vpon deliuer me and helpe me And for Gods sake geue you hartie thanks for the great benefite of restitution Pray to the Lord that at the length I may once returne to the obedience of his good will Amen I thanke you for your cheese so doth father Latymer as vnknowen for I did geue it him he saith he did neuer eate better cheese and so I dare lay he did not I thanke him I am as familier with him as with you yea God so mooueth hym against me that his desire is to haue me come dwel with him when so euer I will and welcome This doe I write yet ones more to occasion you to be thankfull for mee to y t Lord which by all meanes sheweth nothyng but most high loue to me And I againe a very obstinate rebellion Pray therfore for me in hast The sinnefull I. Bradford ¶ William Minge William Minge dyed in prison THe next day after M. Bradford I. Leafe did suffer in Smithfield Wil. Minge priest died in prison at Maid stone being there in bonds for religion like to haue suffered also if he had continued the fury of his aduersaries whose nature was to spare fauor none that fauored christes pure gospel which W. Minge with as great constaÌ„cy boldnes yelded vp his life in prison as if it had pleased God to haue called him to suffer by the fire as the other good and godly men had done at the stake and as hee himselfe was ready also so to doe if it had pleased God to haue called him thereunto ¶ Iames Treuisam buried in the fields VPon the 3. of Iuly 1555. died one Iames Treuisam in the parish of s. Margaret in Lothbury The story of Iames Treuisam buryed in the fieldes and summoned after his death vpon a sonday who being impotent lame kept his bed for he could not rise out of it a long time This Treuisam had a seruaÌ„t one I. Smal which red on the Bible as he was in reading Berd the Promooter came to the house would needs go vp the staires where he found 4 persons besides him and his wife to wit the yong maÌ„ that red two men a woman All which folkes the said Berd the Promooter there being apprehended caried to the Counter where they remained about a fortnight for all the frends they coulde make Moreouer the said Berd would haue had also Ia. the lame man himself to Newgate in a cart brought the cart to the dore but for neighbors Neuertheles the poore man was faine to put in two sureties for his forth coÌ„ming for he could not go out of his bed being not only impoteÌ„t but also very sick the same time So within a few dais the said Iames lying in extremes the person of the church named M. Farthing came to him had communicatioÌ„ with him M. Farthing person of Saint Margarets in Lothbery accuser of Iames. agreed wel so departed It hapned after y e priest was come down into the street there met him one Toller a Founder Yea saith he be ye agreed I wil accuse you for he denieth the sacrament of the altar Upon that the person went to him againe then the priest he could not agree And so the parson went to the B. of London tolde hym The B. answered that he should be burnt and if he were dead he should be buried in a ditch And so when he dyed the parson was against his wife as much as he could neither would let her haue the coffine to put him in nor any thing els but was faine to beare him vpoÌ„ a table to More field there was he buried The same night the body was cast vp aboue the ground his sheet taken from hym and he left naked After this the owner of the field seyng hym buried him agayne a fortnight after the Sumner came to his graue and summoned hym to appeare at Paules before his Ordinary to answer to such things as shold be layd against hym But what more befel vpon him I haue not certainly to say ⧠The history of M. Iohn Bland Preacher and Martyr constantly suffering for the Gospell of Iesus Christ. THe 12. of Iuly I. Bland I. Frankesh Nich. Sheterden Humfry Middleton were al 4. burned at Cant. together Iuly 12. Iohn Bland Iohn Frankesh Martyrs for one cause of the which number Frankesh Bland were ministers preachers of the word of God The one beyng parson of Adesham the other the vicar of Roluindon This M. Bland was a man so little borne for his owne commoditie that no part of his life was separated from the common publike vtilitie of all meÌ„ For his first doyngs were there imployed to the bringing vp of childreÌ„ in learnyng vertue Under whom were trayned diuers towardly yong men which euen at this present do handsomly florish M. Bland scholemaster to D. Sandes somtymes B. of Worceter now Archb. of Yorke In the number of whoÌ„ is D. Sands a man of singuler learning worthines as may well beseeme a scholer meet for such a scholemaister whom I here gladly name for his singuler gifts of vertue and erudition After this he comming to the ministery in the church of god or rather being called thereto was inflamed w t incredible desire to profit the congregation which may appere by this that where as he was cast into Cant. prison for y e preaching of the gospel deliuered once or twise froÌ„ theÌ„ce at the sute of his frends yet would he needs preach the gospel againe as soone as he was deliuered Whereupon hee being the third time appreheÌ„ded M. Blaâ—â— offered his 〈◊〉 to be deâ—â—â—uered 〈◊〉 when his frends yet once again would haue found the means to haue deliuered him if he would haue promised to abstaine from preachyng he stood in it earnestly that he would admit no such conditioÌ„ notably wel expressing vnto vs the maner exaÌ„ple which we read in the apostle Paule Who shal separate vs from the loue of Christ tribulation or anguish or hunger or nakednes oâ— daunger or persecution or the sword c. But to expresse the whole life doings of this godly Martyr seeing we haue his own testimony concerning the same it shal be best to refer the reader to his own report writing to his father of the whole discourse of his troubles froÌ„ the beginnyng almost to the latter ende in order maner as ye shal heare ¶ A discourse of the whole processe and doyngs of M. Bland written and reported by himselfe to his father in his owne letter as followeth DErely beloued father in Christ Iesu I thank