God But that can no where be shewed And as for the Church I am not angry with it and I neuer refused to goe to it and to praye with the people to heare the word of God and to do all other things what soeuer may agree with the word of God S. Augustine speaking of the ceremonies of the Iewes I suppose in the Epistle ad Ianuarium although hee graunt they greeuously oppressed that people both for the number and bondage of the same yet he calleth them burdēs of the law which were deliuered vnto thē in the word of God not presumptions of men which notwithstanding if they were not contrary to gods word might alter a sorte be borne withall But now seeing they are contrarye to those thinges whiche are in the word of God written whether they ought to be borne of any Christian or no let hym iudge whiche is spirituall which feareth God more thē man and loueth euerlastinge life more then this short and transitory lyfe To that whiche was sayd that my fact lacketh example of the godly fathers that haue gone before the contrary is most euident in the historye of Toby Of whome it is sayd that when all other went to the golden calues whiche Hieroboam the king of Israel had made he himselfe alone fled al their companions and gotte hym to Ierusalem vnto the temple of the Lorde and there worshipped the Lorde God of Israel Did not the man of God threatē greeuous plages both vnto the Priestes of Bethell and to the aulter which Hieroboam had there made after his own fantasie Which plagues king Iosias the true Minister of God did execute at the time appoynted And where doe wee reade that the Prophetes or the Apostles did agree with the people in their Idolatry whē as the people went a whoring with their hill aulters for what cause I praye you did the Prophetes rebuke the people so muche as for theyr false worshipping of God after theyr owne mindes and not after Gods word For what was so much as that was Wherfore the false prophetes ceased not to maligne the true prophetes of God therefore they bet them they banished thē c. How els I pray you can you vnderstand that Sainct Paule alledgeth when he sayth What concord hath christ with Beliall Either what part hath the beleuer with the Infidel or how agreeth the temple of God with images For ye are the temple of the liuing God as God himselfe hath sayde I will dwell among them and will be theyr God and they shal be my people Wherfore come out from among them and seperate your selues from them saythe the Lorde and touch none vncleane thinge so will I receaue you and wil be a father vnto you and ye shal be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almighty Iudith that holy woman would not suffer herselfe to be defiled with the meates of the wicked All the Sayntes of God which truely feared God when they haue bene prouoked to do any which they knewe to be contrarye to Gods lawes haue chosen to dye rather then to forsake the lawes of their God Wherefore the Machabees put themselues in daunger of death for the defense of the lawe yea and at length died manfully in the defense of the same If we do prayse sayth S. Augustine the Machabees and that with great admiration because they did stoutly stand euen vnto death for the lawes of theyr countrey howe muche more ought wee to suffer all thinges for our Baptisme for the sacramēt of the body and bloud of Christ. c. But the supper of the Lord such a one I meane as Christ commaundeth vs to celebrate the Masse vtterly abolysheth and corrupteth most shamefully Who am I that I shuld adde any thing to this which you haue so well spoken Nay I rather thanke you that you haue vouchsafed to minister so plentifull armour to me being otherwise altogether vnarmed sauing that hee cannot be left destitute of helpe whiche rightly trusteth in the helpe of God I onely learne to dye in reading of the new testament and am euer nowe and then praying vnto my God that hee will bee an helper vnto me in tyme of neede Seeing you are so obstinately set agaynst the Masse that you affirme because it is done in a tongue not vnderstanded of the people and for other causes I cannot tell what therefore it is not the true sacrament ordayned of Christ I beginne to suspecte you that you thinke not catholickely of Baptisme also Is our Baptisme whiche we do vse in a tongue vnknowne to the people the true baptisme of Christ or no If it be then doth not the straunge tongue hurt the Masse If it be not the baptisme of Christ tell me howe were you baptised Or whether will yee as the Anabaptistes do that al which were baptised in latin should be baptised agayne in the English tongue Although I would wish baptisme to be geuen in the vulgar tongue for the peoples sake which are present that they may the better vnderstand their owne profession and also be more able to teache theyr children the same yet notwithstanding there is not like necessity of the vulgar tongue in baptisme and in the Lordes supper Baptisme is geuē to children who by reason of their age are not able to vnderstand what is spoken vnto them what tongue soeuer it be The Lordes supper is and ought to be geuen to thē that are waxen Moreouer in baptisme which is accustomed to be geuen to children in the latine tongue all the substanciall poyntes as a man would say whiche Chryst commaunded to be done are obserued And therefore I iudge that baptisme to be a perfect and true baptisme and that it is not onely not neeedefull but also not lawfull for anye man so christened to be Christened agayne But yet notwithstanding they ought to be taught the Catechisme of the christian fayth when they shall come to yeares of discretion Which Cathechisme whosoeuer despiseth or wyll not desirously embrace and willingly learne in my iudgement he playeth not the parte of a christian man But in the popish mass◠are wanting certayne substancialles that is to say things commaunded by the worde of God to be obserued in ministration of the Lordes supper of that which there is sufficient declaration made before Where you say I would wish surely I would wishe that you had spoken more vehemently and to haue sayd it is of necessitie that all thinges in the congregation should be done in the vulgar tongue for the edifying and comfort of them that are present notwithstanding that the childe it selfe is sufficiently baptised in the latin tongue For asmuche as I perceaue you are so stiffely I wyll not say obstinately bente and so wedded to your opinion that no gentle exhortations no holesome counsailes no other kinde of meanes can call you home to a better mynde there remayneth that
daunger of the plague Now the causes why we shoulde flye followeth in the same place of saynct Mathewes Gospell whiche I now passe ouer thou maist read them there And in the xviii chapter of the Reuelation the angell is sayd to haue cryed mightely with a loud voyce Flye my people out of Babilon least you be infected with her faultes so be made partners of her plagues for her offences and sinnes are â—rowne so great that they swel and are come vnto the heauens â—â—â—aynely the tyme doth approche and the Lordes day is at hand Heare I beseeche you also holy Paule that bessed Apostle He playnely forbiddeth vs ducere iugum cum incredulis that is to ioyne or couple our selues with the vnfaythfull for what fellowship can there be sayth hee of righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what companie hath lighte with darckenesse or what agreement hath Christ with Beliall or what part can the faythfull haue with the vnfaythfull or how doth the temple of God agree with Images or Idols for you are the temple of the liuing God as God hath sayd I will walke and dwell in them I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore depart from amongst them and get you from them sayth the Lord and touche no vncleane thing and I will receaue you bee to you in the stead of youre father and you shal be vnto me as my sonnes and daughters sayth the almighty Lord. This councell to depart the realme I doe not maruel if it do seeme to diuers euen of them I meane that beare fauour to Godward diuersly Many I trust that bee learned shall thinke the councell good Other there be peraduenture that will thinke it rather a thinge to be more tollerable and that it may be in deede by Gods worde lawfully done rather then to bee counsayled to bee done for they will peraduenture say we shoulde counsell a man alwayes to doe that whiche is best of all and of moste perfection but boldly in Christes cause to spend a mans lyfe is best of all and of moste perfection and to flye it maye seeme to smell of cowardnes In many thinges that whiche is best for one at some tymes is not best for all at all tymes and it is not most perfection nor meete for a childe to couet to run before he can goe I will not make here a discourse in this matter what might here be obiected and what might bee aunswered agayne I leaue that to the wittie and eloquent men of the world This is my minde whiche I woulde thou shouldest know O man of God as I woulde wishe and I do pray to almighty God it may be that euery true Christian either brother or sister after they be called and brought into the wrestling place to striue in Christes cause for the best game that is to confesse the truth of the Gospell and of the Christian fayth in hope of euerlasting life shoulde not shrink nor relent one inch or giue back what soeuer shal befall but stande to theyr tackle and sticke by it euen vnto death as they wil Christ shall sticke by them at the latter day so likewise I dare not wishe nor councell any either brother or sister of theyr owne swinge to starte vp into the stage or to cast themselues eyther before or farther in daunger then tyme and neede shall require for vndoubtedly when God seeth hys tyme and his pleasure is that his glory shall be set forth and his Churche edified by thy death and confession meanes shal be found by hys fatherly vniuersall prouidence that thou without thyne owne presumptuous prouocation shalt be lawfully called to do thy feate and to playe thy part The miserable ende that one Quintus came vnto may be a warning and a feareful example for all men to beware of presumption and rashnesse in suche thinges as Eusebius writeth in Eccle. historia for euermore But a thyrd sorte of men there be whiche also wyll be counted fauourers of Gods worde and are I feare in number farre moe and worse to be perswaded to that which is yâ— godly meane I meane of such as wil peraduenture say or thinke that my former councell which was to slye the infection of the Antichristian doctrine by departing out of the Realme is more then needeth and other waies and meanes may be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresayde plague If that coulde be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresaid plague If that could be found in deed truely agreable to Gods word I woulde be as glad to heare it God is my witnesse as who is the other Yes peraduenture will some say Thus it may be Thou mayst keep thy selfe thy fayth and thy religion close to thy selfe and inwardly and priuately worship God in spirite trueth and outwardly see thou be no open medler nor talker nor transgressour of common order so mayst thou be suffered in the common wealth and yet vse thy religioÌ„ without offence of thy conscience In other countryes somewhere this peraduenture might be vsed but in Englande what shall be God wot but it was neuer yet so farre as euer I haue knowne or heard And also how can it be but eyther thou must transgresse the common order and the Romishe lawes and customes whiche haue bene vsed in England in the times past of Popery and now it is certayne they retourne agayne I say thou mayst eyther be a breaker of these rites lawes and customes and so bewraye thy selfe or els if thou be in deede a man of GOD thou shalt offend thy conscience for in obseruing of them thou shalt be compelled to breake Gods law which is the rule of conscience to the man of God For how canst thou resort euery holy day to the Churche and beare a face to worship the creature for the creatour as thou must doe peraduenture confesse it too with thy mouth and to sprinckle thy selfe with thy coniured water Thou must bee contributour also to the charges of all their popery as of books of Antichristes seruice of lights of the roode lofte of the sepulchre for settyng vp paynting of Images nay in deede of Idolles and thou muste beare a face to worship them also or els thou must be had by the backe Thou must serue the turne to geue the holye loues as they call it whiche is nothinge els but a verye mockery of the Lordes holy table Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disgised apparell that the popishe sacrificing Priest like vnto Aaron must playe hys part in Yea when the pardoner goeth about or the flattering Fryer to begge for the mayntenaunce of superstition except thou doe as thy neighbours doe looke not long to liue in rest If anye of thy housholde dye if thou wilt not pay money for ringing and singing for Requiem Masses Dirige and commendations and
Gospellers would haue you to go to the Idoles temple with them say vnto them No for my maister christ sayth He that would saue his life shall loose it And in an other place to comfort vs he sayth There shall not one heare fal from your head without it be your heauenly fathers will And therfore say you that you will not be of that sorte that be neither hot nor cold least God should spue you out of hys mouth But make them this aunswere saying S. Paule sayth Beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers For what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what company hath light with darckenes what concord hathe Christe wyth Beliall either what part hath hee that beleueth with an Infidell How agreeth the temple of God with Images And yee are the temple of God as God sayth I will dwell among them walke among them and will be theyr God and they shall be my people Wherfore come out from among them and seperate your selues sayth the Lord and touche no vncleane thing so will I receaue you and will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord. Thus mine owne bowels in the Lord as I began so make I an end bidding you beware of your enemies and take vp your Crosse and follow your captayne Christe in at the narrow gate here by persecution and then you shal be sure to raigne and reioyce with him in his euerlastyng kingdome whiche hee himselfe hath purchased with hys owne most precious bloud to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour both nowe and for euer Amen By me William Tyms * An other letter of William Tyms with an exhortation to all Gods faythfull seruauntes to eschew the societie of Idolaters and Gods enemies GRace be with you and peace from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. I thanke my God with al remeÌ„braunce of you alwais in my prayers for you and pray with gladnes because of the fellowship which yâ—â—aue in the Gospell from the first day that I knew you vntill this day and I am surely certified of this that he whiche hath begon a good worke in you shall go forth with it vntill the day of Iesus Chryste as it becommeth me to iudge of you whom I haue in my heart and as companions of grace with me euen in my bondes And thus I praye that youre loue may increase more and more in knowledge Good brethreÌ„ I most hartely desire God that as you haue a willing minde to comfort my vile earthly body in this time of persecution so he will strengthen you with his holy spirite that my imprysonment do not discomfort but rather strengthen and coÌ„fort you to see the goodnes of God shewed vnto me in that being a man without learning brought before three such bishops concerning worldly wisedome hee gaue me both mouth and wisedome in somuch that the Byshop of London weÌ„t away in a great hast from me and after that he sent his man with a Bible turning to the 9. chapiter to the Heb. and the bishop of Bath looking on it sayd What meaneth my Lorde this maketh nothing for his purpose Then I looked on it and sayd my Lord seeth that I was weake and therefore he hath holpen me for here hee hath condemned the sacrifice of your masse for you say that you offer a dayly sacrifice in your Masse both for the quicke the dead and here S. Paule sayth Without bloudshedding there is no forgeuenes of sinnes therefore that is here condemned He aunswered Yea sayth he so So say all suche heretickes and so forth with many like argumentes whiche my neighbours that heard then can declare therefore I leaue them Thus haue I written that you shoulde not be afeard but call vpon God as he hath commaunded vs to aske and we shall haue Seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Also hee hath commaunded vs to call on him in the day of trouble and he hath promised to heare vs. Therfore if we haue not both mouthe and wisedome at his hand the faulte is in vs that eyther wee wil not repent vs of our wickednes and amend our liues or els we bee vnfaythfull and beleeue not the promises of God and so wee oure selues are the cause that this wisedome is lacking in vs. Therefore let vs repente and amend our liues and God is mercifull And iâ— any case as I haue alwayes sayd vnto you since I first knew you so say I now beware of Idolatry and of your good intents if not marke what hath followed vppon them that hathe left Gods commaundementes and done theyr owne good intentes Remember when the children of Israell hadde made them a golden calfe did not God say they hadde mard all and would haue destroyed them had not Moyses earnestly prayed for them I let manye other places alone that proueth the wrath of God to come vpon the people for Idolatry therfore as we will auoyd the wrathe of God let vs keepe vs vnstayned from it You haue examples out of the old Testament how loth the godly fathers were to be partakers with the wicked And yet to see how little we regarded it it would make any Christian mans hart to weepe God send vs more grace First looke in the 11. and 12. of Genesis Abraham because he would not bee partaker of their Idolatry fled from the people of Caldea being his natiue countrey Also in the 19. of Genesis Loâ— at the commandement of the aungels departed from Sodome least he tarying with the Sodomites shoulde haue bene consumed with them In the 21. of Genesis Sara would not suffer Ismaell whiche was geuen to mocking to keepe company with her sonne Isaac least hee shoulde also become a mocker Looke in Num. the 16. Moyses at Gods appoyntment commaunded the people to departe from the dwelling places of Chore Dathan and Abiron least they also should be all wrapped in their sinnes and to pearish among them So do I euen as Moyses commaÌ„ded them that they should not keepe company with those wicked people least the vengeance of god shuld light on theÌ„ so do I geue you warning that you should not keep company with the Idolaters in theyr idolatrous temples lest the wrath of God came vpon you to destroy you Looke what S. Paule sayth in his second Epistle and the 6. chap. to the Corinth Set your selues sayth he therefore at large and beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse what company hath light with darckenes what concord hath Chryste with Beliall eyther what part hath he that beleueth with an Infidell How agreeth the temple of God with Images And yee are the temple of God as sayth God I will dwell among them walke among them and will be theyr God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amonge them and
in prison WIfe you desired me that I would sende you some tokens that you might remember me As I did read in the newe Testament I thought it good to write vnto you certayne places of the Scripture for a remembraunce S. Peter sayth Derely beloued be not troubled with this heat that is nowe come among you to try you as though some strange thyng had happened vnto you but reioyce in so much as ye are partakers of Christes suffryngs that wheÌ„ hys glory appeareth ye may be mery glad If ye be rayled on for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and the spirit of God resteth vpon you It is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doyng then for euill doyng See that none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or an euill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian man let hym not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe for the tyme is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shal the end of them be that beleue not the gospel of God Wherfore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to hym in well doyng S Paule saieth All that will lyue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution S. Iohn saieth See that ye loue not the worlde neither the thyngs that are in the world If any man loue the worlde the loue of the father is not in him For all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of lyfe is not of the father but is of the world which vanisheth away and the lust therof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer S. Paule saith If ye bee risen againe with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hande of God Set your affection on things that are aboue and not on things which are on the earth Our Sauiour Christ sayeth Whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones that beleeue in me it were better for hym that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were cast into the sea The Prophet Dauid sayth Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all Feare the Lord ye his saintes for they that feare hym lacke nothyng When the righteous crye the Lorde heareth them and deliuereth them out of all theyr troubles But misfortune shall slaye the vngodlye and they that hate the righteous shall perish Heare oh my people I assure thee O Israel if thou wilt harken vnto me there shall no strange God be in thee neyther shalt thou worship any other God Oh that my people would obey me for if Israell would walke in my wayes I should soone put downe their enemies and turne my hande agaynst their aduersaries Our Sauior Christ sayth The Disciple is not aboue hys maister nor yet the seruant aboue his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his maister is and that the seruant be as his Lord is If they haue called the maister of the house Belzebub howe much more shall they call them of his houshold so feare not theÌ„ therefore S. Paule sayth Set your selues therefore at large and beare not a strangers yoke with the vnbeleuers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse what company hath light with darkenes either what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell c. Wherfore come out from among them separate your selues now saith the Lord and touch none vnclean thing so will I receiue you and I will be a father vnto you ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almighty For neither eye hath seen nor the eare hath heard neither can it enter into the hart of man what good thynges the Lord hath prepared for them that loue hym Ye are not bought neither with siluer nor gold but with the precious bloud of Christ. There is none other name geuen to men wherein wee must be saued So fare ye well wife and children and leaue worldly care and see that ye be diligent to pray Take no thought sayth Christ saying what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these thynges seeke the Gentiles for your heauenly father knoweth that ye haue need of all these thyngs but seeke ye first the kingdom of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof And all these things shall be ministred vnto you ¶ The Martyrdome and sufferyng of Cicelie Ormes burnt at Norwich for the testimonie and witnesse of Christes Gospell ABout the 23. day of the sayd moneth of September next after the other aboue mentioned suffered at Norwich Cicelie Ormes wyfe of Edmund Ormes Worstedweauer dwelling in S. Laurence parish in Norwich she beying of the age of xxxij yeares or more was taken at the death of Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper aboue meÌ„cioned in a place called Lolardes pit without Bishoppes gate at the sayd Norwich for that shee sayde shee would pledge them of the same cup that they dranke on For so saying one Maister Corbet of Sprowson by Norwich tooke her and sent her to the Chauncellor When shee came before him he asked her what she sayd to the Sacrament of Christes body And she sayd she did beleue that it was the Sacramente of the bodye of Christ. Yea saide the Chauncellor but what is that that the priest holdeth ouer his head Shee aunswered him and sayd it is bread and if you make it any better it is worse At which words the Chauncellor sent her to the bishops Prison to the keeper called Fellow with many threatning hoâ—e words as a man being in a great chaâ—e The xxiij day of Iuly shee was called before the ChauÌ„cellor againe who sat in iudgemeÌ„t with Master Bridges and others The Chauncellor offred her if she would goe to the Church and keepe her tongue shee should be at lybertie and beleue as shee would But she tolde him shee would not consent to his wicked desire therein doe wyth her what he would for if she should she sayde GOD woulde surelye plague her Then the Chauncellour tolde her he had shewed more fauour to her then euer he did to any and that he was loth to condeme her considering that shee was an ignoraunt vnlearned and foolysh woman But she not weying his words tolde him if he did he should not be so desirous of her sinfull flesh as she would by Gods grace be content to geue it in so good a quarell Then rose he and red the bloudy sentence of condemnation against her and so deliuered her to the secular power of the shiriffes of the Citie M. Thomas Sutherton and M. Leonard Sutherton brethren who immediately caried her to
1742. fell out of the pulpit and brake his legge 1743 Hudson Martyr his story and persecution 1970. Hudson Martyr his story 2035. Hugh Foxe Martyr his story and martyrdome 2033.2034 Hugo Bishop of Lincolâ—e redeemeth hys Byshoppricke for a 1000. markes 258. Hugo de sancto victore 201. Hugh Lauerocke martyr 1910 Hugh Pye Priest 660. Hugh Spencer hys sonne there exceeding and far surmounting pride .371 executed as they well deserued 373. Hugh Latimer martyr his actes doinges 1730. first a Papist conuerted by M. Bilney ibid. his exellente sermon in Cambridge of the Cardes .1731.1732.1734 his story in sauing a poore woman .1735 his reply to a certayne barking frier in Cambridge .1734 1735. cited 1736. his letter to the archbishop of Canterbury 1736.1737 Articles deuised by the bishop for him to subscribe vnto 1737. made Bishop of Worcester 1738. preacheth before K. Edw. 6. 1739. cast into the Tower .1740 his letter to M. Morice .1741 writ agaynst by Sherwoode .1743 hys aunswere .1744 his other godly letters to sondry persons .1746.1748.1750 1752.1755 his appearaunce before the Commissioners .1762 hys examination and answeres .1763.1766 hys martyrdome death in Oxford 1769.1770 Huggard meeter to eate a puddyng rather then to dispute of Scripture 1591. Hulderiche byshop of Ashborough his exile in defence of Priestes mariage 137. Hull seruaunt to Doctor Taylour 1520. Hullier his story and martyrdome .1907.1908.1909 a note of hym further 2004. Hullier martyr hys story 1906.1907 Humfrey Duke Lord protectour agaynst the Cardinall of Winchester 703. hys articles exhibited agaynst the sayde Cardinall 704. his story and death 704.705.706 Humfrey Middleton Martyr hys story and persecution .1673 hys martyrdome 1676 Humfrey Mummouth hys story 997. Humanitie of Christe cannot be in many places at once 1687.1951 Humilitie the porâ—er of Chrystes schoole 1788. Hunne martyr hys story 805. articles obiected agaynst him with hys aunsweres .806 murthered in prison .806.807 burned after hys death .808 hys defence agaynst Syr Thomas More and Ala. Copus 811. Hunter hys letter to hys mother 2150. Huniades gouernour of Hungary 720. Huniades hys victoryes agaynst the Turkes 740. Hunt confessor his story 2054. Hunter martyr hys excellent story 1536.1577 Hurst deliuered by Gods prouidence 2075.2076.2077 Hurst Martyr 1914.1915 Hurly burly betweene Popes 200 Hus his publique defence of Wickliffe 451.452.453 Hus hys excellent story cited by the pope and excommunicate .588 banished Prage .590 hys obiections agaynst the Doctours degrees .599.590 his safe conduct with hys letters certificatory of hys goyng vpp to the Councell .596 hys personall appearaunce before the Pope and Cardinals 599. falleth sicke in prison hathe articles obiected agaynst hym with his aunsweres 600. hys books writteÌ„ in prison .601 his protestation .604 hys false accusations .606 hys appeale from the Councell .611 his degradation .623 hys sentence definitiue of condemnation .622.624 hys deathe and martyrdome for the gospell of Iesus Christ .624 his letters 626.627.628 Hutt martyr her story and martyrdome 1910.1911 I A. IAcobus Latomus enemy to the gospel brought to madnes and desperation 2106 Iacobus Misnensis an olde auncient writer agaynst the Pope 420 Iacobus priest Martyr 98 Iackson his story 1950.1949 Iackson Martyr his story martyrdome 1914.1915 Iacke Cade 711 Iacke Straw his rebellion in england 434 Iacke Upland 261.264 Iames Abbes Martyr hys story 1683 Iames Ashley Martyr hys storye and martyrdome 2047 Iames Austoo Martyr his story and martyrdome 2013.2014.2016.2017.2018.2019 Iames Bainham Martyr .1027 articles ministred agaynst hym he submitteth hymselfe .1028 his abiuration and penance .1030 he returneth to the truth again and is condemned .1029 hys godly death and martyrdome 1030 Iames Brewster Martyr 818. Iames George his death in prison and buried in the fields 1482 Iames Gore his trouble for the gospell died in prison 1795 Iames Harris scourged 2062 Iames Morden martyr his story and martyrdome 774 Iames Morton martyr 1207 Iames Morris Martyr his story and martyrdome 1983.1984 Iames the apostle elected bishop of Ierusalem .32.33 cast downe from the pynacle of the Church and Martyred for the trueth of Iesus Christ. ibid. his accuser conuerted martyred with him ibid. Iames the apostle how it chanceth that he is thought of some to bee the setter vp of the masse 1401 Iames Pilkington his sermon at the restoring of Mar. Bucer Paulus Phagius again 1966.1967 Iames Tuttie Martyr 1708 Iames Tyrrell a bloudy murtherer 728 Iames Treuisam buried in the fieldes and summoned after hys death 1665 Iane daughter to Henrye Lorde Gray Duke of Suffolk proclaimed Queene .1406 beheaded immediatly after .1422 her Epitaph 1423. her godly letters 1420 Iane Lady her lamentable storye trouble and death 1419.1420.1422 Iane Lady wife to the Lord Gilford brought into displeasure with the Lady Mary for her Godlye zeale by Lady Anne Wharton 2128 Iane Queene maried to K. Henry the 8. 1083. her death in child-bed 1087 Ianizarie amongest the Turkes what they be 741.730 I D. Idle and vayne swearing pestiferous 538 Idolatry offensiue to Infidels 1001 Idoll and Image their difference 1588 I E. Iewes destroyed .235 one baptised and after reuolted agayne ibid. they slayne theyr houses burnt in London ibid. they crucifye a childe at Lincolne .327 at Norwich another 201 banished out of England and Fraunce 327 Iew through his owne superstitioÌ„ drowned in a Priuy 327 Theyr fayth 22 Iewes burnt at Northhampton 327 Iew martyred in Turky kept still his colour sauor lying 3. dayes in the streetes 972 Iewes destroyed by Titus Uaspasion .31 their second destruction .41 euer enemies to Christians 43 Ieffrey Hurst deliuered by Gods prouidence 2075.2076.2077 I G. Ignatius his martyrdome deuoured with wilde beastes His godly life and Christian zeale 40.41 Ignoraunce of the trueth will not excuse any man 1775 I L. I le of Wight last conuerted to the fayth of Christ. 124 Ile of Ely assaulted by Prince Edward 335 I M. Imber fast first ordeyned by whoÌ„ and where 58.197 Images in England abolished 1095.1096 Image of the Trinity an abhominable thing 508.534 Images with theyr false lying miracles reproued 534. Images not to be worshipped 470 563.564.1110 Images subuerted by Emperours and maynteined by the Pope 129 Images of God what be 1111 Images suppressed by kinge Edward the 6. 1300 Image maker burned in Spayne for the trueth of Christes Gosspell 930 Images are not to be worshipped adored ne to be placed in Churches or oratories 2128.2129.2130.2131.2132 Images good to roste a shoulder of mutton by but good for nothing els 2144 Images destroyed at Zuricke 869 Images of the Gentiles and of the Christians 868 Image of the Crucifix at ConstaÌ„tinople 742 Image worship who first decreed 130 Images in England abolished 1095.1096 Image of the Trinity an abhominable thing 508.534 Images defended to be laye mens bookes by Pope Adrian 130 Imprisonment perteyneth not to the Clergy 354 Images reproued by Thorpe 534 Image of Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God 784 Immunity of the Clergy 860 Images
denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
as it is as the holy Ghost calleth it the word of affliction that is it is seldom without hatred persecution peril danger of losse of lyfe and goods what so euer semeth pleasaunt in this world as experience teacheth you in this tyme call vpon God continually for his assistaunce alwayes as Christ teacheth castyng your accompts what it is like to cost you endeuoring your selfe thorough the helpe of the holy Ghost by continuaunce of prayer to lay your foundation so sure that no storme or tempest shal be able to ouerthrow or cast it down remembring always as Christ saith Lothes wyfe that is to beware of looking backe to that thyng that displeaseth God And because nothing displeaseth God so much as Idolatry that is false worshipping of God otherwise then hys word commandeth looke not backe I say nor turne not your face to their Idolatrous and blasphemous massing manifestly against the word practise example of Christ as it is most manifest to all that haue any taste of the true vnderstandyng of Gods word that there remayneth nothing in the church of England at this present profitable or edifieng to the church and congregation of the Lord all things beyng done in an vnknowen tong contrary to the expresse commandement of the holy Ghost They obiect that they be the church and therefore they must be beleued My aunswer was the Church of GOD knoweth and reknowledgeth no other head but Iesus Christ the sonne of God whome ye haue refused chosen the man of sinne the sonne of perdition enemy to Christ the deuils deputy and lieuetenant the Pope Christes church heareth teacheth and is ruled by hys word as he sayth My sheepe heare my voyce If you abyde in me and my word in you you be my Disciples Their Church repelleth Gods word and forceth all men to followe their traditions Christes Churche dare not adde or diminish alter or change his blessed Testament but they bee not afrayd to take away all that Christ instituted and go a whoryng as the Scripture saith with their owne inuentions Et laetari super operibus manuum suarum i. To glory and reioyce in the workes of their owne hands The Church of Christ is hath bene and shall be in all ages vnder the Crosse persecuted molested and afflicted the world euer hating thē because they be not o◠the worlde But these persecute murther slay and kil such as professe the true doctrine of Christ be they in learning liuing conuersation and other vertues neuer so excellent Christ his church reserued the triall of their doctrine to the worde of God and gaue the people leaue to iudge therof by the same worde Search the Scriptures But thys church taketh away the word from the people suffereth neither learned nor vnlearned to examine or prooue their doctrine by the word of God The true church of God laboureth by all means to resist withstand the lusts desires motions of the world the flesh and the deuil These for the most part geue themselues to all voluptuousnes secretly commit such things which as S. Paul sayth it is shame to speake of By these and such like manifest probations they do declare themselues to be none of the church of Christ but rather of the sinagoge of Sathan It shal be good for you oftentymes to conferre compare their procedings and doings with the practise of those whō the word of God doth reach to haue bene true members of the church of God it shal worke in you both knowledge erudition boldnes to withstand with suffering their doyngs I likened them therfore to Nemrod whom the scripture calleth a mighty hunter or a stout champion telling them that that which they could not haue by the worde they would haue by the sword be the church whether men will or no and called them with good conscience as Christ called their forefathers the children of the deuill and as their father the deuill is a lyer and murtherer so their kingdom and church as they call it standeth by lying and murtheryng Haue no fellowship with them therfore my dere wife nor with their doctrine and traditions lest you be partaker of their sinnes for whom is reserued a heauy damnation without speedy repentaunce Beware of such as shal aduertise you somethyng to beare with the world as they do for a season There is no dallying with gods matters It is a fearefull thing as S. Paule sayth to fall into the handes of God Remember the prophet Helias Why halt you on both sides Remember what Christ sayth Hee that putteth hys handes to the plough and looketh backe is not worthy of mee And seyng God hath hetherto allowed you as a good souldior in the forward play not the coward neither drawe backe to the rereward S. Iohn numbreth among them that shall dwell in the fiery lake such as be fearefull in Gods cause Set before your eyes alwayes the examples of such as haue behaued themselues boldly in gods cause as Steuen Peter Paul Daniel the three children the widowes sonnes and in your days Anne Askew Laurence Saunders Iohn Bradford with many other faythfull witnesses of Christ. Be not afrayd in nothyng sayth Saint Paule of the aduersaries of Christes doctrine the which is to them the cause of perdition but to you of euerlasting saluation Christ commandeth the same saying Feare them not Let vs not follow the example of him which asked tyme first to take leaue of hys friends If we so doe we shall finde fewe of them that wil encourage vs to go forward in our busines please it God neuer so much We read not that Iames and Iohn Andrew and Symon when they were called put of the tyme till they had knowen their fathers and friends pleasure But the Scripture sayth They forsooke all and by and by followed Christ. Christ likened the kingdom of God to a precious perle the which whosoeuer findeth selleth al that he hath for to buy it Yea whosoeuer hath but a little taste or glimmering how precious a treasure the kingdom of heauen is will gladly forgo both life goods for the obtainyng of it But the most part now a dayes bee lyke to Esopes cocke which when he had found a precious stone wished rather to haue found a barley corne So ignorant be they how precious a iewell the word of God is that they choose rather the thyngs of this world which beyng compared to it be lesse in value then a barley corne If I would haue geuen place to worldly reasons these might haue moued me First the forgoyng of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet tender of age and yong apt and inclinable to vertue learnyng and so hauyng the more neede of my assistance beyng not altogether destitute of gifts to helpe thē withall possessions aboue the common sort of men because
of late yeares past Let vs bee hartye and of good courage therefore and throughlye comforte our selues in the Lorde Bee in no wise afrayd of your aduersaries for that which is to them an occasion of perdition is to you a sure token of saluatiō and that of GOD. For vnto you it is geuen that not onely ye shoulde beleeue on hym but also suffer for hys sake And when ye are rayled vppon for the name of Christe remember that by the voyce of Peter yea and of Christe our Sauiour also ye are counted with the Prophetes with the Apostles and with the holy Martyrs of Christ happy and blessed therefore for the glory and spirit of God resteth vpon you On their part our Sauiour Christe is euill spoken of but on your part he is gloryfied For what can they els do vnto you by persecuting you and working al crueltie villanie agaynst you but make your crownes more glorious yea beautifie multiply the same heape vpon them selues the horrible plagues and heauy wrath of God and therfore good brethrē though they rage neuer so fiercely against vs yet let vs not wish euill vnto thē againe knowing that whiles for Christes cause they vexe and persecute vs they are lyke mad men most outragious and cruell agaynst them selues heaping hot burning coles vpon their owne heades but rather let vs wish well vnto thē knowing that we are thereunto called in Christe Iesu that we should be heyres of the blessing Let vs pray therefore vnto God that he would driue out of their harts this darkenes of errours make the light of his truth to shine vnto thē that they acknowledging their blindnes may with al humble repentance be conuerted vnto the Lord together with vs confesse hym to be the onely true God which is the father of light his onely sonne Iesus Christ worshipping him in spirit and veritie Amen The spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ comfort your hartes in the loue of God and pacience of Christ. Amen Your brother in the Lord whose name this bearer shall signifie vnto you ready alwayes by the grace of God to liue and die with you ¶ To the breathren which constantly cleaue vnto Christ in suffering affliction with him and for his sake GRace and peace from God the father and frō our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied vnto you Amen Although brethren we haue of late heard nothing from you neither haue at this present any newes to send you yet we thought good somthing to write vnto you wherby ye might vnderstand that we haue good remembraunce of you continually as we doubt not but ye haue of vs also When this messenger comming vnto vs from you of late had brought vs good tidinges of your great constancie fortitude and patience in the Lord we were filled with much ioy gladnes geuing thankes to God the father through our Lord Iesus Christe which hath caused his face so to shine vpon you and with the light of spirituall vnderstanding hath so lightened your hartes that now being in captiuitie bandes for Christes cause ye haue not ceased as much as in you lyeth by wordes but much more by deede and by your example to stablysh and confirme that thing which when ye were at libertie in the world ye laboured to publish and set abrode by the word and doctrine that is to say holding fast the worde of life ye shine as lightes in the worlde in the middest of a wicked and crooked nation and that with so much the greater glory of our Lord Iesus Christe and profite of your brethren by how muche Satan more cruelly now rageth and busily laboureth to darken the light of the Gospel And as for the darkenes that Satan nowe bringeth vpon the Church of England who needeth to doubt therof Of late tyme our Sauiour Christe his Apostles Prophetes and Teachers spake in the Temple to the people of England in the Englishe tongue so that they might be vnderstanded playnly and without any hardnesse of the godly and such as sought for heauenly knowledge in matters whiche of necessitie of saluation perteyned to the obteyning of eternall life but now those thinges which once were written of them for the edifiyng of the congregation are read in a strange tongue without interpretatiō manifestly agaynst saint Paules commaundement so that there is no man able to vnderstand them which hath not learned that strange and vnknowen tongue Of late dayes those heauenly mysteries whereby Christe hath ingrafted vs into his body and hath vnited vs one to another whereby also being regenerate borne anew vnto God he hath nourished encreased and strengthened vs whereby moreouer eyther he hath taught and set foorth an order amongest them which are whole or els to the sicke in soule or body hath geuen as it were wholesome medicines and remedies those I say were al plainlye set foorth to the people in their owne language so that what great and exceeding good things euery man had receiued of God what duetie euery one owed to an other by Gods ordinaunce what euery one had professed in his vocation and was bound to obserue where remedy was to be had for the wicked and feeble he to whom God had geuen a desire and willing hart to vnderstand those thinges might soone perceiue and vnderstand But now all these thinges are taught set forth in such sort that the people redeemed with Christes bloud and for whose sakes they were by Christe himselfe ordeined can haue no maner of vnderstanding thereof at all Of late for as much as we knowe not how to pray as we ought our Lorde Iesus Christe in his Prayer wherof he would haue no man ignoraūt and also the holy Ghost in the Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songes which are set foorth in the Bible did teache and instructe all the people of Englande in the Englyshe tongue that they might aske such thinges as are according to the will of the Father and might ioyne their hartes and lyppes in prayer together but nowe all these thynges are commaunded to be hid and shutte vp from them in a straunge tongue whereby it must needes followe that the people neyther can tell how to pray nor what to pray for and how can they ioyne their hartes and voyce together whē they vnderstande no more what the voyce signifieth than a bruite beast Finally I heare say that the Catechisme whiche was lately set foorth in the Englyshe tongue is now in euery Pulpite condemned O deuilishe malice and most spitefully iniurious to the saluation of mankinde purchased by Iesus Christe In deede Satan coulde not long suffer that so great light should be spread abrode in the world he sawe well enough that nothing was able to ouerthrow his kingdome so much as if childrē being godly instructed in Religion should learne to knowe Christe whilest they are yet young whereby not onely chyldren but the elder sort also
shrining of reliques from any kinde of wickednes if you will pay well for it cleare absolution a poena culpa with thousandes of yeares yea at euery poore Bishops hand and suffragan ye shall haue halowing of Churches Chappels aulters superaulters chalices and of all the whole housholde stuffe and adornamēt which shal be vsed in the church after the Romish guise for all these thinges must be estemed of such high price that they may not be done but by a consecrate bishop onely O Lorde all these thinges are suche as thy Apostles neuer knew As for coniuring they call it halowing but it is cōiuring in deede of water and salt of christening of belles and such like thinges what neede I to speake for euerye priest that can but read hath power they say not onely to do that but also hath suche power ouer Christes body as to make both God and man once at the least euery daye of a wafer cake After the rehearsall of the said abhominations and remembraunce of a number of many moe which the Lorde knoweth irketh me to thinke vpon and were to longe to describe when I consider on the other side the eternall word of God that abideth for euer and the vndefiled law of the Lord which turneth the soule from all wickednes and geueth wisedome vnto the innocent babes I meane that milk that is without all guile as Peter doth call it that good word of God that word of trueth whiche must be grauen within the hart and then is able to saue mens soules that wholesome seede not mortall but immortall of the eternal and euerliuing God wherby the man is borne a new and made the childe of God that seed of God wherby the man of God so being borne can not sinne as Iohn sayeth hee meaneth so long as that seede doth abide in him that holy scripture which hath not bene deuised by the wit of man but taught from heauen by the inspiratiō of the holy ghost which is profitable to teache to reprooue to correct to instruct and geue order in all righteousnesse that the man of God may be whole sound ready to performe euery good worke when I say I consider this holy and wholesome true word that teacheth vs truely our bounden duety towardes our Lorde God in euerye poynt what his blessed will and pleasure is what his infinite great goodnes and mercy is what he hath done for vs how he hath geuē hys owne onely dearely beloued sonne to death for our saluation and by him hath sent vs the Reuelation of his blessed will and pleasure what his eternall word willeth vs both to beleue and also to doe and hath for the same purpose inspired the holy Apostles with the holy ghost sent them abroad into all the world and also made them other disciples of Christ inspired by the same spirite to write leaue behinde them the same thinges that they taught which as they did proceed of the spirit of trueth so by the confession of all them that euer were endued with the spirite of God were sufficient to the obteining of eternall saluation and likewise when I consider that al that man doth professe in his regeneration when he is receiued into the holy catholicke church of Christ and is now to be accoūted for one of the liuely mēbers of Christes owne body all that is groūded vpon Gods holy word and standeth in the profession of that fayth obedience of those commaundements whiche are all conteined and comprised in Gods holy word furthermore when I consider whom our Sauiour Christ pronoūceth in his gospell to be blessed and to whom Moses geueth his benedictiōs in the law what wayes the law the Prophets the Psalmes and all holy Scriptures both newe and olde doth declare to be the wayes of the Lorde what is good for man to obteine and abide in Gods fauor which is that fayth that iustifieth before God and what is that charity that doth passe and excell all whiche be the properties of heauenly wisedome and whiche is that vndefiled religion that is allowed of GOD which thinges Christ himself called the weighty matters of the law what thing is that which is onely auayleable in Christ what knowledge is that that Paule esteemed so much that he counted himself onely to know what shall be the maner of the extreme iudgement of the latter day who shall iudge by what he shall iudge what shall be required at our handes at that fearefull day howe all thinges must be tried by the fire and that that onely shal stand for euer which Christes wordes shall allow which shal be the iudge of all flesh to geue sentēce vpon all flesh and euery liuing soule either of eternall damnation or of euerlasting saluation from which sentence there shall be no place to appeale no witte shal serue to delude nor no power to withstand or reuoke when I say I consider all these thinges and conferre to the same agayne and agayne all those wayes wherein standeth the substaunce of the romishe religion wherof I spake before it may be euident and easy to perceaue that these two wayes these two religions the one of Christ the other of the Romishe sea in these latter dayes be as farre distaunt the one from the other as light and darckenes good and euill righteousnes and vnrighteousnes Christ and Beliall He that is hard of beliefe let him note and weigh well with himselfe the places of holy Scriptures which be appoynted in the margent wherupon this talk is grounded by Gods grace he may receyue some light And vnto the contemner I haue nothing now to say but to rehearse the saying of the Prophet Esay which Paule spake to the Iewes in the end of the Actes of the Apostles After he hadde expounded vnto them the trueth of Gods word and declared vnto them Chryst out of the Lawe of Moses and the Prophetes from morning to night all the day long he sayd vnto them that would not beleue Well sayd he spake the holy Ghost vnto our fathers saying go vnto this people and tell them ye shall heare with your eares and not vnderstande and seeing you shall behold and not see the thing for the hart of this people is waxed grosse and dulle and wyth their eares they are hard of hearing and they haue shut together their eyes that they shoulde not see nor heare with theyr eares nor vnderstand with their hartes that they might returne and I should heale them sayth the Lord God All as Englande alas that this heauy plague of GOD shoulde fall vpon thee Alas my dearely beloued country what thing is it now that may doe thee good Undoubtedly thy plague is so great that it is vtterly vncurable but by the bottomlesse mercy and infinite power of almightye God Alas my deare country what hast thou done that thus hast prouoked the wrath of God and caused him to poure out his vengeaunce
case of his sonnes counsayle no although he were earnestly entreated to the contrary by sundry of the Lordes others of his highnes Counsayle saying he was a wylfull troublesome and hed strong man and not meete to be about his sonne or to haue any thing to do by his wil. Now amoÌ„gst other causes that moued the K. thus to suspect his fidelity towards his godly proceedinges in religion I find this to be one It pleased his Maiestie after his abolishing of the B. of Romes vsurped authoritie amongest other Embassages to forraine Princes to send the sayd B. of Winchester and Sir Henry Knyuet Knight as ioynt Embassadours to the Emperour being then at a dyet or counsayle at Ratisbone appoynting also S. Iohn Barkeley S. W. Blunt Knightes and M. Andrew Baynton Esquier his highnes seruauntes to geue their attendaunce vpon the sayde S. Henry Knyuet for the more honoring of his ambassage It happened also at that time that S. Henry Knyuet enterteyned into his seruice as Steward of his household one Wil. Wolfe who had in the same place rome before serued S. Thomas Wyat Knight the K. former Ambassadour there and by that meanes had good acquaintaunce in those partes aswell in the Emeperours Court as els where This Wolfe towardes the latter end of that dyet or counsell happened to walke as often he did towardes themperours Pallace to heare some newes where he met with one Ludouâ—co an Italian Merchaunt or banker one of his old acquaintaunce who supposing the sayd Wolfe to haue attended vpon the B. of Winchester not knowing of any other ioynt Ambassadour required Wolfe for olde acquaintaunce to do him a pleasure whereunto he wyllingly graunted Whereupon Ludouico shewed him that the Popes legate or Ambassadour to themperour which was Cardinal Contarene departing the day before towardes Rome and hauing no leasure to end his busines him selfe had put the sayd Ludouico in trust for the accomplishyng of them and amonges all other thinges he had especially charged hym that he should repayre to the Ambassadour of England and require of him an aunswere of the Popes letters which the Legat did of late sende vnto him addressed to him from Rome that vpon the recept thereof he should send theÌ„ after with all speede and therfore if his L. Ambassadour woulde write by that currour he prayed Wolfe to tell him that it was tyme to write for the currour went away within a day or two At this tale Wolfe being abashed yet partly gessing which Ambassadour he ment thought it not mete to tell him whose seruaunt he was but by other soothing talke perceiued that he ment the B. of Winchester and to th end that Ludouico shoulde suspect nothing he aunswered him that he beyng not the Ambassadours Secretary coulde say litle therein how beit he woulde not misse to put his Secretarie in remembraunce of it which thing Ludouicke also desired him to do for that he had no other acquaintauÌ„ce with thembassadours and so â—or that time they departed This matter seming to Wolfe of some importaunce dyd straight waies reueale it to sir H. Knyuet his M. Who weighing also the greatnes of the case and the disaduauntage it were vpon one mans so bare a report to attempt ought in a place and time whereby suche a person was to be touched charged Wolfe wel to aduise him self that no affect of hate displeasure or other passion did moue him to disclose this but truth only Wolfe replied that he weighed wel the weightines of the case meete as to his owne respect to be passed ouer in silence for auoyding of his priuate displeasure if duty of allegeaunce bound him not otherwyse But Sir quoth he if ye thinke not my hearing hereof one to one to be sufficient I warrent you to deuise meanes that some others of your seruauntes shall heare the like wordes at Ludouickes owne mouth as wel as I. Upon which talke sir H. Knyuet deuised which of his seruauntes he might vse to that purpose and at last rested vppon M. Thomas Chalenor his Secretary becaue he had the Italian tonge Not yet makyng him pryuie of any matter but wylled Wolfe to take him abroad with him as of his owne priuaâ— motion for they were very familiar friendes Whereupon the next morning being sonday Wolfe came to Chalenors chamber and prayed him familiarly to go walke with him abroad to the Piazza or marketstead which he gladly graunting so did not knowing of any speciall cause why When they came to the Piazza ouer against themperours pallace nere wherunto also the Popes legate had lodged had there walked a while together there came thyther the said Ludouicke and espying Wolfe saluted him very friendly entred into talke about thexchaunge sundry other matters Chalenor being still with them At last vpoÌ„ occasion they entred into like talk about the former letters that the Ambassadours of Englande had receiued from Rome by the Popes legate of which Ludouico had in charge to receiue an aunswere affirming that the Post did depart the next day therfore prayed Wolfe to put thembassadours secretarie in remembrance of them Wherunto Wolfe aunswered that he would willingly do it but he did not well know which Ambassadour he meant for that there were two one the B. of Winchester the other a Gentleman of the K. priuy chamber To whom Ludouicke replyed that he ment not the Gentleman of the priuy chamber but the Bishop By which talke and more such like as vpon the former day M. Chalenor being moued and not knowing yet of his Maisters Wolfes purpose after the departure of Ludouico from them sayd vnto Wolfe that Ludouico had had but homely talke with him to be passed ouer lightly therfore he would tel his M. of it To whom Wolfe aunswered do as you wyll if you thinke any matter therein And therefore at his returne home he told sir H. Knyuet what spech he had hard at Ludouickes mouth Sir H. Knyuet being thus farther accertayned of the matter opened the whole to sir I. Barkeley sir W. Blunt and to M. Baynton who all agreed yet to make a farther triall thereof And therfore deuised that Wolfe should procure Ludouicke to bring certaine Ueluet and other Silkes vnto sir H. Knyuets lodging aswell for himselfe as for thother Gentlemen which that after noone he did accomplysh and brought Ludouicke vnto sir Henry where also were thother gentlemen After they had a while viewed the silkes and had had some talke about the prices Wolfe toke occasion againe to aske Ludouicke if sir Henry were thembassadoure of whoÌ„ he was to demaunde an answere of the letters sent by the Popes legate to whom the Marchaunt aunswered no it was not his seignorie but it was a bishops tearming him Reuerendissimo whereby they easely perceiued whom he ment Sir H. Knyuet hereupon somewhat dissembling the matter entred into farther talke thereaboutes whereby Ludouicke opened asmuch in effect to them as he had don before to Wolfe
knowledge that your Lordship oughte to proceed agaynst me And here Mayster Doctour would say nothing Worcest Doe you not thinke to finde before my Lord here as good equity in your cause as before your owne Ordinary Phil. I canne not blame my Lorde of Londons equitye with whom I thanke his Lordship I haue found more gentlenes since I came then of mine owne Ordinary I speak it for no flattery this twelue moneth and this halfe before who neuer woulde call me to aunswere as his Lordship hath done now twise Sed nemo prohibetur vti iure suo but I ought not to bee forestalled of my right and therefore I challenge the same for diuers other considerations Boner Nowe you can not saye hereafter but that ye haue bene gently cōmuned withal of my Lordes here yet you be wilfull obstinate in your error and in your owne opinions will not shewe any cause why you will not come into the vnity of the Church with vs. Phil. My Lordes in that I doe not declare my minde according to your expectation is as I haue sayd because I can not speak without present daunger of my life But rather then you shoulde report me by this either ostinate or selfe willed without any iust ground wherupon I stand I will open vnto you somewhat of my minde or rather the whole desiring your lordships which seme to be pillers of the Church of Englande to satisfye me in the same and I will referre all other causes in the which I dissēt from you vnto one or two articles or rather to one which includeth them both in the which if I can by the scriptures be satisfied at your mouthes I shall as willingly agree to you as any other in all poyntes Boner These heretickes come alwayes with their ifs as this man doth now saying if he can be satisfied by the scriptures so that he will alwayes haue this exception I am not satisfied although the matter be neuer so playnly proued agaynst him But wil you promise to be satisfied if my Lordes take some paynes about you Phil. I say my Lord I will be satisfied by the Scriptures in that wherein I stand And I protest here before God his eternall sonne Iesus Christ my Sauiour and the holy ghost and his Angels and you here present that be iudges of that I speak that I do not stand in any opiniō of wylfulnes or singularity but onely vpon my conscience certainly informed by gods word from the which I dare not go for feare of damnatiō and this is the cause of mine earnestnes in this behalfe Boner I will trouble my Lords no longer seing that you will not declare your minde Phil. I am about so to doe if it please your Lordshippe to heare me speake Bathe Geue him leaue my Lord to speake that he hath to say Phil. My Lordes it is not vnknowne to you that the chiefe cause why you do count me and such as I am for hereticks is because we be not at vnity with your Churche You say you are of the true Church and we say we are of the true Church You say that who is out of your church is damned and we thinke verily on the other side that if we depart from the true church wheron we are graffed in Gods word we should stand in the state of dānatiō Wherfore if your Lordship can bring any better authorityes for your church then we can do for ours proue by the scriptures that the Churche of Rome nowe of the which you are is the true Catholick Church as in al your sermons writinges and argumentes you doe vpholde and that all christen persons ought to be ruled by the same vnder pain of damnation as you say and that the same Churche as you pretend hath authority to interprete the scriptures as it semeth her good and that all men are bound to folow such interpretations onely I shal be as conformable to the same Church as you may desire me the whiche otherwise I dare not therfore I require you for Gods sake to satisfy me in this Cole If you stand vpon this poynt onely you may soone be satisfied if you list Phil. It is the thing that I require to this I haue sayd I will stand and refer all other controuersies wherein I stand now agaynst you and will put my hād therto if you mistrust my word Boner I pray you mayster Philpot what faith were you of twenty yeares ago This man will haue euery yeare a new fayth Phil. My Lorde to tell you playne I thinke I was of no fayth for I was then a wicked liuer and knewe not God then as I ought to do God forgeue me Boner No were that is not so I am sure you were of some fayth Phil. My lord I haue declared to you on my cōsciēce what I then was and iudge of my selfe And what is that to the purpose of the thing I desire to be satisfied of you Boner Mayster Doctour Cole I pray you say your mind to him Cole What will you say if I can proue that it was decreed by an vniuersall coūcell in Athanasius time that all the christen church should folow the determinatiō of the church of Rome but I do not now remember were Phil. If you Mayster Doctour canne shewe me the same graunted to the Sea of Rome by the authority of the scripture I will gladly harken thereto But I thinke you be not able to shewe any suche thinge for Athanasius was President of Nicene councell and there was no such thing decreed I am sure Cole Though it were not then it might bee at an other time Phil. I desire to see the proofe thereof And vpon this M. Harpsfield Chauncellor to the Bishop of Londō brought in a booke of Ireneus with certaine leaues turned in and layd it before the Bishops to helpe them in theyr perplexity if it might be the which after the Bishops of Bath and Glocester had read together the Bishop of Glocester gaue me the booke Gloc. Take the booke M. Philpot and looke vppon that place and there may you see how the church of Rome is to be folowed of all men Phil. I tooke the Booke and read the place the which after I had read I sayd it made nothing agaynst me but agaynst the Arians and other Heretickes agaynst whome Ireneus wrote prouing that they were not to be credited because they did teach and folowe after straunge doctrine in Europa and that the chiefe Churche of the same was founded by Peter and Paule and had to this time continued by faythfull succession of the faythfull Bishoppes in preaching the true Gospell as they had receiued of the Apostles and nothing like to the late sprong Heretickes c. Whereby hee concludeth agaynste them that they were not to be heard neither to bee credited the whiche thing if you my Lordes be able to prooue nowe of the Churche of Rome then had
proued London What say you then to the second scripture howe couple you that by the word to the other Phil. The text it selfe declareth that notwithstanding Chryst did abase himself in our humayne nature yet he is stil one in Deitie with the Father And this S. Paule to the Hebrues doth more at large set foorth And as I haue by the scriptures ioyned these two scriptures together so am I able to do in all other Articles of fayth which we ought to beleue and by the manifest word of God to expound them London How can that be seing saynct Paule sayth that the letter killeth but it is the spirite that geueth life Philpot. S. Paul meaneth not the worde of God written in it selfe killeth which is the word of life and the faythfull testimonie of the Lord but that the worde is vnprofitable and killeth him that is void of the spirite of God although he be the wisest man of the world and therfore S. Paule sayd That the Gospell to some was a sauour of life vnto lyfe and to some other a sauour of death vnto death Also an example hereof we haue in the vi of Iohn of them who hearing the worde of God without the spirite were offended thereby wherefore Christ sayd The flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickeneth London What do you vnderstand that of S. Paule and of S. Iohn so Philpot. It is not mine owne interpretation it is agreable to the word in other places and I haue learned the same of auncient fathers interpreting it likewise And to the Corinthians as it is written Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt spiritus Dei spiritualis dijudicat omnia The natural man perceiueth not the thinges that bee of the spirite of God but the spirituall man whiche is indued with the spirite iudgeth all thinges London You see my Lordes that this man will haue but hys owne minde and will wilfully cast away himselfe I am sory for him Phil. The words that I haue spoken be none of mine but of the Gospell wheron I ought to stand And if you my lord of London can bring better authoritie for the faythe you would draw me vnto then that which I stand vpoÌ„ I wil gladly heare the same by you or by any other in this realm Wherfore I kneeling down besought the Lords to be good vnto me a poore Gentleman that would fayne lyue in the world if I might and to testifie as you haue heard me to say this day that if any man can approue that I ought to be of any other maner of faith then that of which I now am and can proue the same sufficiently I will be neyther wilâ—ull neither desperate as my Lorde of London woulde make you beleue me to be Rich. What countrey man be you are you of the Philpots of Hampshyre Phil. Yea my Lorde I was Sir Peter Philpots sonne of Hampshyre Rich. He is my neare kinsman wherefore I am the more sory for him Phil. I thanke your Lordship that it pleaseth you to chalenge kinred of a poore prisoner Rich. In faith I would go an hundreth miles on my bare feete to do you good Cham. He may do well enough if he liSt S. Iohn M. Philpot you are my countryman I woulde be glad you should do well Rich. You said euen now that you would desire to mayntaine your beliefe before ten of the best in the realme You did not well to compare with the Nobilitie of the Realme But what if you haue tenne of the best in the Realme to heare you will you be tryed by them Phil. My Lord your Lordshippe mistaketh me to thinke that I challenge tenne of the best of the Nobilitie in thys realme It was no part of my minde but I meant of the best learned on the contrary side Rich. Wel I take your meaning What if meanes be made to the Queenes maiestie that you shall haue your request will you be iudged by them Phil. My Lord it is not meete that a man shoulde be iudged by his aduersaries Rich. By whom then would you be iudged Phil. I will make your honours iudges that shal be hearers of vs. Rich. I dare be bolde to procure for you of the Queenes maiestie that you shall haue tenne learned men to reason with you and twenty or forty of the Nobility to heare so you wil promise to abide theyr iudgement How say you will you promise here afore my Lordes so to do Phil. I will be contented to be iudged by them Rich. Yea but wil you promise to agree to theyr iudgemeÌ„t Phil. There be causes why I may not so do vnlesse I wer sure they would iudge according to the word of God Rich. O I perceaue you wil haue no man iudge but your selfe and thinke your selfe wiser then all the learned men of this Realme Phil. My Lorde I seeke not to be myne owne iudge but am conteÌ„t to be iudged by other so that the order of iudgement in matters of religion be kept that was in the primatiue Church which is first that Gods wil by his word was sought and thereunto both the spiritualty and temporaltie was gathered together and gaue theyr consentes iudgement such kind of iudgement I will stand to London My Lordes he would make you beleeue that hee were profoundly seene in auncient writers of the iudgementes of the primatiue Church and there was neuer any such maner of iudgement vsed as he now talketh of Phil. In the Epistles of S. Ciprian I am able to shewe it you London A I tell you there is no such thing fet me Cyprian hether Phil. You shall finde it otherwise when the booke commeth And D. Chedsay his Chaplayne whom he appointed to fet his booke whispered the Bishop in his care and fet not the booke by likelihoode that he should haue susteined the reproche thereof if the booke had bene fet Well my Lord quoth I mayster Doctor knoweth it is so or els he would haue fet the booke ere this Rich. You woulde haue none other iudge I see but the worde Phil. Yes my Lord I will be tryed by the word by such as will iudge according to the word As for an example if there were a controuersy betweene your Lordship and an other vpon the words of a statute must not the words of the statute iudge and determine the controuersie Rich. No mary the Iudges of the law may determine the meaning therof Load He hath brought as good an example agaynst hym selfe as can be And here the B. thought he had good handfast against me and therefore enlarged it with many wordes to the iudgement of the Church The Lordes Hee hath ouerthrowne himselfe by his owne argument Phil. My Lords it seemeth to your honours that you haue great aduauntage of me by the example I brought in to expresse my cause but if it be pondered throughly it maketh wholy
constant martyr Who the xviii day of December in the middest of the fiery flames yelded his soule into the handes of the almighty God and full like a lambe gaue vp his breath his body being consumed into ashes Thus hast thou gentle reader the lyfe and doyngs of this learned and worthy souldiour of the Lord Iohn Philpot with all his examinations that came to our handes first penned and written with his owne hand beyng meruaylously reserued from the sight and hands of hys enemies who by all maner meanes sought not onely to stop hym from al writing but also to spoyle and depriue him of that which he had written For the which cause he was manye tymes stripped and searched in the prison of his keeper but yet so happily these his writinges were conueyed and hid in places about him or els hys keepers eies so blinded that notwithstanding all this malicious purpose of the Bishops they are yet remayning and come to light A prayer to be sayd at the stake of all them that God shall account worthy to suffer for his sake MErcifull God and father to whome oure sauiour Christ approched in his feare and neede by reason of death found comfort Gracious God and most bounteous Christe on whome Stephen called in his extreeme neede and receiued strength Most benigne holy spirite whiche in the middest of all Crosses and death diddest comfort the Apostle S. Paule with more consolations in Christ then he felt sorowes and terrors haue mercy ⧠The martirdome of maister Iohn Philpot Archdeacon with the manner of his kneeling and praying at the stake vpon me miserable vile and wretched sinner which now drawe neare the gates of death deserued both in soule and body eternally by reason of manifold horrible olde and new transgressions which to thyne eyes O Lorde are open and knowne Oh be mercifull vnto me for the bitter death and bloudshedding of thine owne onely sonne Iesus Christ. And though thy iustice do require in respecte of my sinnes that nowe thou shouldest not heare me measuring me with the same measure I haue measured thy Maiesty contemning thy dayly calles yet let thy mercy whiche is aboue all thy works and wherewith the earth is filled let thy mercy I say preuaile towardes me through and for the mediation of Christ our sauiour And for whose sake in that it hathe pleased thee to bring me forth now as one of his witnesses and a record bearer of thy veritye and trueth taught by him to geue my life therefore to which dignitie I do acknowledge dear God that ther was neuer any so vnworthy and so vnmeet no not the theef that hāged with him on the Crosse I most hūbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly ayde helpe assiste me with thy strength and heauenly grace that with Christe thy sonne I may finde comfort with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power with Paule and all others whiche for thy names sake haue suffered affliction and death I may finde so present with me thy gracious consolations that I may by my deathe glorifie thy holy name propagate and ratifie thy veritie comfort the hartes of the heauy confirme thy Church in thy veritie conuert some that are to be conuerted and so depart foorth of thys miserable world where I do nothing but daily heape sinne vpon sinne and so enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy wherof now geue and encrease in me a liuely truste sense and feelinge wherethrough the terrours of death the tormentes of fire the panges of sinne the dartes of Sathan and the dolours of hel may neuer depresse me but may be driuen away thorough the working of that most gracious spirite which now plenteously endue me withall that through the same spirite I may offer as I nowe desire to do in Christ by him my selfe wholy soule and body to be a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable in thy sight Deare Father whose I am and alwayes haue bene euen from my mothers wombe yea euen before the world was made to whome I commend my selfe soule and body family and frendes countrey and all the whole Churche yea euen my very enemies accordynge to thy good pleasure beseeching thee intirely to geue once more to this Realme of England the blessing of thy word agayn with godly peace to the teaching setting forth of the same Oh dear father now geue me grace to come vnto thee Purge and so purifie me by this fire in Christes death and Passion through thy spirite that I may be a burnt offering of sweete smell in thy sight which liuest and raignest with the sonne and the holy God nowe and euermore world without end Amen ¶ Letters of Mayster Philpot. ¶ A letter which he sent to the christian congregation exhorting them to refrayne from the Idolatrous seruice of the papists and to serue God after his word IT is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithles departing both of men women frō the true knowledge vse of Christes sincere religion which so plētifully they haue bene taught do know their own consciences bearing witnes to the veritie thereof If that earth be cursed of God which eftsoones receiuing moisture pleasant dewes from heauen doth not bring forth fruite accordingly how much more greuous iudgemēt shal such persons receiue which hauing receiued from the father of heauē the perfect knowledge of his word by the ministery therof do not shew forth Gods worship after the same If the Lord wil require in the day of iudgemēt a godly vsury of all maner of talentes which he sendeth vnto men women how muche more wil he require the same of his pure religion reuealed vnto vs which is of al other talents the chiefest most pertayning to our exercise in this life if we hide the same in a napkin and set it not forth to the vsurye of Gods glory and edifying of his church by true confessiō God hath kindled the bright light of his Gospel which in times past was suppressed hid vnder the vile ashes of mās traditiōs and hath caused the brightnes therof to shine in our harts to the end that the same might shine before men to the honor of his name It is not onely geuen vs to beleue but also to confesse declare what we beleue in our outwarde couersation For as S. Paule writeth to the Romaynes The beliefe of the hart iustifieth and toe acknowledge wyth the mouth maketh a man safe It is al one before God not to beleue at al not to shew forth the liuely works of our belief For Christe sayth Either make the tree good and his fruites good or ells make the tree euill and the fruites euill because a good tree bringeth forth good fruites So that the person which knoweth his maysters will and doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes And not all they
which say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that doth the will of the father And whosoeuer in the tyme of tryall is ashamed of me sayth Christ and of my wordes of him the sonne of man will be ashamed before his father After that wee haue built our selues into the true church of God it hath pleased him by geuing vs ouer into the hands of the wicked sinagoges to proue our building to haue it knowne as wel to the world as to our selues that we haue bene wise builders into the true church of God vpon the rock not on the sand therefore nowe the tempest is risen and the stormes doe mightily blow agaynst vs that wee might notwithstanding stand vpright and be firme in the Lord to his honor and glory and to our eternall felicitie There is no newe thing happened vnto vs for with such tāpests dangerous weathers the church of God hath continually bene exercised Nowe once agayne as the Prophet Aggeus telleth vs The Lord shaketh the earth that those might abide for euer which be not ouerthrowne Therefore my dearely beloued be stable and immoueble in the word of God and in the faythfull obseruation therof and let no man deceiue you with vayn words saying that you may keepe your faith to your selues and dissemble with Antichrist and so liue at rest and quietnes in the world as most men doe yelding to necessitie Thys is the wisedome of the fleshe but the wisedome of the fleshe is death and enmitie to God as our sauiour for ensāple aptly did declare in Peter who exhorted Christ not to goe to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passouer and there to be slayn but counselled him to looke better to himselfe Likewise the worlde woulde not haue vs to forsake it neither to associate our selues to the true churche which is the body of Christ whereof we are liuely members and to vse the sacramentes after Gods word with the danger of our liues But we must learne to answere the world as Christ did Peter and say Go behynd me Sathan thou fauourest not the thinges of God Shall I not drinke of the cup whiche the father geueth me For it is better to bee afflicted and to be slayne in the church of God then to be counted the sonne of the king and the sinagogue of false religion Death for righteousnes is not to be abhorred but rather to bee desired which assuredly bringeth with it the crowne of euerlasting glory These bloudy executioners do not persecute Christes martyrs but crowne them with euerlasting felicitie we were borne into this world to be witnesses vnto the truth both learned and vnlearned Now since the time is come that we must shew our fayth and declare whether we will be Gods seruauntes in righteousnes holines as we haue bene taught are boūd to follow or els with hipocrisie to serue vnrighteousnes let vs take good heed that we be found faithfull in the Lords couenaunt and true members of hys Churche in that which through knowledge we are engraffed from the whiche if we fall by transgression with the common sort of people it will more straightly be required of vs then many yet doe make accompt therof We cannot serue two maysters we may not halt on both sides and thinke to please God we must bee feruent in Gods cause or els hee will cast vs out from him For by the first commaundement wee are commanded to loue God with all our hart with all our mind with all our power and strength but they are manifest transgressours of this commaundement which with their heart mynde or bodely power doe communicate with a straunge religion contrary to the word of God in the papisticall Sinagogue which calleth it selfe the Church and is not As greatly do they offend God now which so doe as the Israelites did in tymes past by forsaking Ierusalē the true churche of God and by going to Bethell to serue God in a congregation of theyr owne setting vp and after theyr own imaginations and traditions for the which doyng God vtterly destroyed all Israell as all the Prophetes almost doe testifie This happened vnto them for our ensample that we might beware to haue any fellowship with any like congregation to our destruction God hath one Catholicke church dispersed throughout the world and therfore we are taught in our Creed to beleue one Catholicke Churche to haue communion therwith which catholicke churche is grounded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and of the Apostles and vpō none other as S. Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians Therfore whersoeuer we perceaue any people to worship God truly after the word there we may be certayne the churche of Christe to bee vnto the whiche we ought to associate oure selues to desire with the Prophet Dauid to prayse God in the middest of this churche But if we hehold through iniquitie of time segregations to be made with counterfayt religion otherwise then the word of God doth teach wee ought then if we be required to be companions therof to say agayne with Dauid I haue hated the Sinagogue of the malignant and will not sit with the wicked In the Apocalips the church of Ephesus is highly commended because she tried such as said they were Apostles and were not in deede therfore would not abide the company of them Further God commanded his people that they shuld not seek Bethel neither enter into Gilgal where idolatry was vsed by the mouth of his Prophet Amos. Also wee must consider that our bodyes be the tēple of God whosoeuer as S. Paule teacheth doth prophane the tēple of God him the Lord wil destroy May we thē take the tēple of Christ make it the mēber of an harlot All strange religion and Idolatry is counted whoredome with the Prophetes and that more detestable in the sight of God then the aduoutrous abuse of the bodye Therfore the Princes of the earthe in the reuelation of S. Iohn be sayd to go a whoring whē they are in loue with false religion and follow the same How then by any meanes may a christian man thinke it tollerable to be present at the popish priuate Masse which is the very prophanation of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and at other idolatrous worshippings and rites which be not after the word of God but rather to the derogation therof in setting mans traditions aboue Gods preceptes since God by his word iudgeth all straunge religion whiche is not according to his institutiō for whoredom aduoutry Some fondly think that the presence of the body is not materiall so that the hart doe not consent to theyr wicked doings But suche persons litle consider what S. Paule writeth to the Corinthians commaunding them to glorifie God as well in body as in soule Moreouer wee can doe no greater iniury to the true Church of Christ
be Pray I beseech you that I may be stil careles in my careful estate as you haue cause to be carelesse in your easier condition Be thaÌ„kful and put away all care and then I shall be ioyfull in my straite present care Commend me to all our brethren and desire them to praye for me that I may ouercome my teÌ„ptations for the deuil rageth against me I am putte in the stockes in a place alone because I would not answer to such articles as they would charge me wtall in a corner at the bishops appoyntment and because I did not come to Masse when the bish sent for me I will sic all the dayes of my life in the stockes by Gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Praise God be ioyfull that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somwhat for his names sake The deuil must rage for 10. daies Commend me to maister F. and thanke him for his lawe bookes but lawe neither equitie wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the parlament house if it might auaile God shorteÌ„ these euil daies I haue answered the bish meetely plaine already and I said to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I wil answer him as plainly as he will require otherwise I haue refused because I feare they will condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of God be with you my dear brother I canne wryte no more for lacke of light and that I haue wrytten I can not reade my selfe and God knoweth it is wrytten farre vneasily I pray God you may picke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Wrytten in a Colehouse of darkenesse oute of a paire of paynefull stockes by thine owne in Christ. Iohn Philpot. An other letter of M. Philpot to certaine godlye women forsaking their owne countrey for the Gospell full of frutefull precepts and lessons for all good women THe spirite of truthe reuealed vnto you my dearely beloued by the Gospell of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe be continually abiding with you and augmented into a perfect building of you into the liuely temple of God through the mighty operation of hys power Amen I reade in the Euangelistes of certaine Godly women that ministred vnto Christ folowing him in the daies of his Passion and neuer forsoke him but being dead in his graue brought oyl to annoynt him vntill that he had shewed himselfe vnto them after his resurrection and bidden them shewe vnto his Disciples which at his Passion were dispearsed and tell them that he was riâ—en and that they shoulde see him in Galile To whome I may iustly compare you my louinge Sisters in Christe who of late haue seene him suffer in his meÌ„bers and haue ministred to theyr necessity annoynting them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since yee haue seene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whome the tyrans haue 〈◊〉 he willeth you to go away vpon iust occasion offred you and to declare to our dispearsed brethren and sisters that he is 〈◊〉 and liueth in his electe members in Englande and by death doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see him in Galile which is by forsaking this world and by a faithful desire to passe out of this world by those waies which he with his holy Martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entire sisters directe your way as he did Abraham Tobias vnto a strange land God geue you health both of body and soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue and grow from strength to strength vntil yee may see face to face the God of Syon in his holy hil with the innumerable companye of hys blessed Martyrs and Saintes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heauen in your hearts Let there be no decrease of any vertue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iuste such as Salomon saith increaseth to the perfect day of the Lord. Let the strength of God be commended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faith and sobrietie to al that ye shal come in company with all Let your godly conuersation speake where your toung may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in praier and coÌ„tinual meditation with reuerent talking of the word of God wythout contention amongst the Saintes Lette your faith shine in a straunge countrey as it hath done in youre owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the ende This farewel I send you not as a thing nedefull which know already what your duety is be desirous to performe the same but as one that would haue you vnderstand that he is mindeful of your godly conuersation wherof he hath had good experieÌ„ce and therfore wryteth this to be as a perpetual memorial betwixt you and him vntil our meeting together before God where we shall ioy that we haue here louingly put one an other in memory of our duetie to performe it Farewell againe mine owne bowels in Christ and take me with you where soeuer you goe and leaue your selues wyth me that in spirite we may be present one with an other Commende me to the whole congregation of Christe willing them not to leaue their countrey without witnesse of the Gospell after that we al be slaine which already be stalled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the meane season to praye earnestly for our coÌ„stancie that Christ may be glorified in vs and in them bothe by life and death Farewel in the Lord. Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. An exhortation to his owne sister constantly to sticke to the truth which she had frutefully professed GOd the eternall Father who hath iustified you by the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ and called you to hallow his name through a good conuersation and profession of life he sanctifie you with daily encrease of vertue faith by his holy spirit that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the middest of this wicked peruerse generation to the laud and praise of the Gospel Amen I haue occasion mine owne deare sister to praise God in you for 2. causes the one that to your habilitie you are ready to shew your self a naturall louing sister to me your poore afflicted brother as by your geÌ„tle tokens you haue eftsoones testified being absent as also presently visiting me which wel declareth that you be a very naturall sister in dede and to be praised in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a sister to me in faith after Christes Gospell I am occasioned to thanke God so muche the more howe much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consanguinitie is more perdurable then that which is of flesh bloud
to put you in remembraunce therof to wil you with the wise man to prepare your selues to temptatioÌ„s to beware that ye which yet do stand by the goodnes of God may not fall from your liuely knowledge and hope It is an easie thing to begin to do wel but to coÌ„tinue out in well doing is the onely property of the children of God and such as assuredly shal be saued For so sayth our Sauiour in his Gospel Blessed are they that perseuere to the ende Let not therefore this certaintye of your saluation which is coÌ„tinuance in the sincerity of faith slide froÌ„ you Esteme it more then al the riches pleasures of this world for it is the most acceptable treasure of eternall life This is that precious stone for the which the wise marchant man after the Gospell doeth sell all that he hath bieth the same God in the 3. of the Apocal. doth signifye to the church that there shall come a time of temptation vpon the whole world to trye the dwellers on the earth FroÌ„ the danger of which temptation al such shal be deliuered as obserue his worde which worde there is called the worde of patience to geue vs to vnderstande that we must be ready to suffer all kinde of iniuries and sclaunders for the profession thereof Therfore God coÌ„mandeth vs there to hold it fast that no man might berefte vs of our crowne of glorye and S Peter telleth vs now we are afflicted with diuers assaies as it is need it should so be That the triall of our faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth and yet is tried by fire might redound to the laud glory and honour of Iesus Christ. S. Paule to the Hebrues sheweth vs that Christe our Sauiour was in his humanitie made perfect by afflictions that we being called to perfection in him might more willingly susteine the troubles of the worlde by the which God geueth all them that be exercised in the same for his sake his holinesse And in the 12. chap. of the said Epistle is wrytten My sonne refuse not the correction of the Lord nor shrinke not when thou art rebuked of him for the Lord doth chastice euery sonne whome he receiueth c. Christ in the Gospell of S. Iohn biddeth his disciples to looke after afflictions saying in the worlde yee shall haue trouble but in me yee shall haue ioy And therefore in the middest of their trouble in the 21. of S. Luke hee biddeth them looke vp and lift vp their heads for your redemption sayeth he is at hand And in the 22 he sayth to all suche as be afflicted for him You are those that haue abidden with me in my temptations and therefore I appoynt vnto you a kingdom as my father hath appoynted for me to eate and drinke vpon my table in my kingdome O howe glorious be the crosses of Christe which bring the bearers of them vnto so blessed an ende Shall we not be glad to be partakers of such shame as may bring vs to so high a dignitie God open their eyes to see al things as they be and to iudge vprightly Then doubtlesse we would thinke with Moises that it is better to be afflicted with the people of God then to be counted the king of Egypts sonne Then should we ioyfully say with Dauid in all our aduersities and troubles It is good O Lord thou hast brought me lowe to the ende I might learne thy righteousnesse Therefore S. Paule woulde not glory in any other thyng of the worlde but in the crosse of Christ in other his infirmities We haue the commaundement of Christe daily to take vppe his crosse and follow him We haue the godly ensamples of all his apostles and holy martyrs which with great ioy and exultation haue suffered the losse of landes goods and life for the hope of a better reward which is laide vp for all those in heauen that vnfainedly cleaue to the gospel and neuer be ashamed therof Great is the felicitye of the world to the outwarde man and very pleasant are the transitory delights therof but the rewarde of the rightuous after the word of God doth incomparably excell them all in so much that S. Paul to the Rom. doth plainly affirme that all the tribulations of this world can not deserue that glory which shall be shewed vpon vs. Let vs therfore good brethren and sisterne be mery glad in these troublesome daies the which be sent of God to declare our faith and to bring vs to the ende and fruition of that which we hope for If we woulde enter into the Lordes Sanctuarie and behold what is prepared for vs we could not but desire the Lord to hast the day of our death in the which we might set forth by true confession his glory Neither should we be afraide to meete our aduersaries which so earnestly seeke our spoile and death as Christ did Iudas and that wicked route which came to appreheÌ„d him saying I am he whom ye seeke It is commaunded vs by the Gospel not to feare them that canne kill the bodye but to feare God who can cast both body and soule into hel fire So muche wee are bounde to obserue this commaundement as anye other which God hath geuen vs. The Lorde encrease our faith that we feare God more then man The Lord geue vs such loue towards him his truth that we may be content to forsake all followe him Nowe wil it appeare what we loue best for to that we loue we will sticke There is none to be counted woorthy a Christian except he can finde in his heart for Christes sake if the confession of his truth doth require it to renounce al which he hath and followe him and in so doing he gaineth an hundreth folde more in this life as our Sauiour sayde to Peter and heere after is assured of eternal life Beholde I pray you what he loseth whâ—ch in this life receiueth a 100. for one with assuraÌ„ce of eternall 〈◊〉 O hapy exchaunge Perchaunce your outward man will say if I were sure of this great recompence here I could be glad to forsake all But where is this 100. folde in this life to be founde Yes truely for in stead of worldly richesse which thou doest forsake which be but temporall thou hast found the euerlasting richesse of heauen which be glory honour and praise both before God aungels and men and for an earthly habitation hast an eternall mansion with Christ in heauen for euen now thou art of the citie and housholde of the Saints with God as it is verified in the 4 to the Philippians For worldly peace which canne last but a while thou doest possesse the peace of God which passeth al vnderstanding and for the losse of a few frends thou art made a felowe of the innumerable companye of heauen and a perpetuall frend of all those
that haue died in the Lord from the beginning of the world Is not this more then an 100. fold Is not the peace of God which we in this world haue through faithfull imitation of Christ which the world can not take from vs x. M. fold more then those thinges that moste highly be esteemed in the worlde without the peace of God Al the peace of the world is no peace but mere anguish and a gnawing fury of hel As of late God hath set example before our eyes to teach vs how horrible an euill it is to forsake the peace of Christes truth which breedeth a worm in conscience that neuer shall rest O that we would way this with indifferent ballances Then shoulde we not be dismaied of this troublous time neyther sorrow after a worldly manner for the losse which we are now lyke to sustaine as the weake faithlesse persones do which loue theyr goods more then God and the things visible aboue those which be inuisible but rather would heartely reioyce and be thankful that it pleaseth God to call vs to be souldiours in his cause against the woorkes of hypocrisie and to make vs like vnto oure Sauiour Christ in suffering whereby we maye assure our selues of his eternall glory For blessed are they sayth Christ that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake And as S. Paule witnesseth to Timothe If we die with Christ we shall liue with Christ and if we deny him he will deny vs. O that wee woulde enter into the veile of Gods promises Then should we wyth S. Paule to the Phillippians reiect all and count all things but for drosse so that we may gaine Christ. God which is the lightener of all darkenesse and putter awaye of all blindnesse annoynte oure eyes with the true eyesalue that wee might beholde his glory and our eternall felicitie which is hidden with Christ and prepared for vs that doe abide in his Testament for blessed is that seruaunte that whome the maister when he commeth as Christ sayde doth finde faithfull Let vs therefore watch and pray one for an other that we yelde not in any poynt of our Religion to the Antichristian Synagogue and that we be not ouerthrowen of these temptations Stande therefore and be no cowardes in the cause of your saluation for his spirite that is in vs is stronger then he which in the worlde doth nowe rage against vs. Let vs not put out the spirit of God from vs by whose might we shall ouercome our ennemies and then death shall be as greate a gaine to vs as it was to the blessed Apostle S. Paule Why then doe ye mourne why do ye weepe why be ye so carefull as though God had forsaken you hee is neuer more present with vs then when we be in trouble if we doe not forsake hym We are in his handes and no bodye can doe vs anye iniurie or wrong without his good will and pleasure He hath commaunded hys aungels to kepe vs that we stomble not at a stone without his diuine prouidence The Deuill can not hurt anye of vs and muche lesse any of his ministers without the good will of our eternall father Therefore let vs be of good comfort and continuallye geue thankes vnto God for our estate what so euer it be for if we murmure against the same wee murmure against God who sendeth the same Which if we doe we kicke but against the pricke and prouoke more the wrath of God against vs which by pacient suffering otherwise would sooner be turned into our fauor through faithfull prayer I beseeche you with S. Paule to geue your bodies pure and holy sacrifices vnto God He hath geuen vs bodies to bestowe vnto his glory and not after our owne concupiscence If manye yeares God hathe suffered vs to vse oure bodies which bee his temples after the lust of the flesh in vaine delightes not according to his glory is it not our duetie in the latter end of our life the more willingly to yeelde vnto Gods glory our bodies with all that wee haue in demonstration of true repentaunce of that we haue euill spent before Cannot the ensample of the blessed man Iob horribly afflicted cause vs to say The Lord hathe geuen it the Lorde hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord Euen as it hath pleased the Lord so is it come to passe If we cast oure whole care likewise vpon God he will turne our misery into felity as well as he did to Iob. God tempteth vs now as he did our father Abraham commaunding him to slaye his sonne Isaac in sacrifice to him which Isaac by interpretation doth signifie mirth and ioy Who by his obedience preserued Isaac vnto long lyfe and offered in his stead a Ramme that was tied by the hornes in the brambles Semblably we all are commanded to sacrifice vnto God our Isaac which is our ioy and consolation the which if we be ready to do as Abraham was our ioy shall not pearish but liue and be encreased although our ramme be sacrificed for our Isaac which doth signifie that the pride and cōcupiscence of our flesh entangled thoroughe sinne with the cares of this stinginge world must be mortified for the preseruation and perfecte augmētation of our mirth ioy which is sealed vp for vs in Christ. And to withstande these present temptations wherewithall we are nowe encombred ye can not haue a better remedy then to set before our eyes howe our Sauiour Christ ouercame them in the desert and to follow his ensample that if the deuill hymselfe or any other by him willeth you to make stones bread that is to take suche a worldly wise way that yee may haue your faire houses landes and goodes to liue on still yee must say that man liueth not onely by bread but by euery woorde that procedeth out of the mouth of God Againe if the deuill counsailleth you to cast youre selues downe to the earth as to reuoke your sincere beliefe and Godly conuersation and to be conformable to the learned men of the world pretending that God will be wel enough content therewith yee must aunsweare that it is wrytten that a man shall not tempt his Lord God Further if the deuill offer you large promises of honoure dignitie and possessions so that yee will worshippe Idols in hys Synagogue ye must say goe behinde me Sathan for it is otherwise wrytten that a man must worship his Lorde God and serue him onely Finally if your mother brother sister wife childe kinsman or frend do seeke of you to do otherwaies then the word of God hath taught you ye must say with Christ that they are your mothers brothers sisters wiues children and kinsmen whiche doe the wil of God the father To the which wil the Lord for his mercy conforme vs all vnfainedly to the end Amen Your louing and faithful brother in Christ in captiuitie Iohn Philpot. An. 1555· To his friend and faithfull
Circumcision to be a seale of the couenaunt after that Abraham was circumcised But hee when he perceiued the infantes also to pertaine to the couenant and that Circumcision was the sealyng vp of the couenant did not only circumcise Ismael his sonne that was 13. yeres of age but all other infantes that were borne in his house among whom we recken Isaac Euen so faythfull people which were conuerted from Heathen Idolatry by the preaching of the gospel and coÌ„fessing the faith were baptised when they vnderstood their children to be counted among the people of God and that Baptisme was the token of the people of God they procured also their children to be baptised Therefore as it is written Abraham circumcised all the male children of hys house Semblably we read in the Actes and writyngs of the Apostles that after the Maister of the house was turned to the fayth all the whole house was baptised And as concernyng those which of olde tyme were compelled to confesse their fayth before they receyued baptisme whiche were called Cathecumeni they were such as with our forefathers came from the Gentiles to the Church who beyng yet rude of fayth they did instruct in the principles of their beliefe and afterward they did baptise them but the same auncient Fathers notwithstandyng dyd baptise the children of faythfull men as I haue already partly declared And because you doe require a hasty aunswer of your letter of one that is but a dull writer I am here enforced to cease particularly to go through your letter in aunswering thereto knowyng that I haue fully answered euery part thereof in that I haue already written although not in such order as it had bene meet and as I purposed But forasmuch as I vnderstand that you will be no contentious man neither in this matter neither in any other contrary to the iudgement of Christes Primatiue Churche which is the body and fulnesse of Christ. I desire you in the entire loue of hym or rather Christ desireth you by me that your ioy may be perfect whereto you are now called to submit your iudgement to that Church and to bee at peace and vnitie with the same that the coate of Christ which ought to be without seame but now alas most miserably is torne in pieces by many daungerous sectes and damnable opinions may appeare by you in no part to haue bene rented neither that any giddy head in these dog dayes myght take an example by you to dissent froÌ„ Christes true Church I beseech thee deare brother in the Gospell follow the steps of the faith of the glorious Martirs in the Primatiue Church and of such as at this day folow the same decline not from them neither to the right hand nor to the left Then shall death be it neuer so bitter bee more sweeter then this lyfe then shall Christ with al the heauenly Hierusalem triumphantly embrace your spirite with vnspeakeable gladnes and exaltation who in this earth was content to ioyne your spirit with their spirites accordyng as it is commaunded by the word that the spirite of Prophets should be subiect to the Prophetes One thyng aske with Dauid ere you depart and require the same that you may dwell with a full accorde in hys house for there is glory and worship and so with Simeon in the temple embracing Christ depart in peace to the whiche peace Christ bryng both you and me and all our louyng brethren that loue God in the vnity of fayth by such wais as shall please hym to his glory Let the bitter passion of Christ which he suffred for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ haue endured before vs and also the inestimable reward of your lyfe to come which is hidden yet a little whyle from you wyth Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Your yoke fellow in captiuitie for the veriâ—ie of Christes Gospell to lyue and dye with you in the vnitie of fayth Iohn Philpot. ⧠Diuers other letters were written by M. Philpot to diuers but these as most principall I haue excerpted and inserted Amongest which I thought here not much impertinent to the place to adioyne an other certayne letter of a godly zealous Gospeller whose name in her writyng doth not appeare who in defendyng and commendyng the quarell of this M. Iohn Philpot Christes most famous and worthy Martyr was therefore troubled and brought before B. Boner And therefore beyng appoynted by the sayd bishop to appeare vpon a certayne day to aunswer for her selfe In deede kept not her day with the Bishop but in stead of her appearance sent hym this letter here followyng ¶ Wo be vnto the Idolatrous Shepeherds of England that feede themselues Should not the Shepeherdes feede the flocke but ye haue eaten the fatte ye haue clothed you with the wooll the best fed haue ye slayne but the flocke haue ye not nourished the weake haue ye not holden vp the sicke haue ye not healed the broken haue ye not bound together the outcastes haue ye not brought agayne the lost haue ye not sought but churlishly and cruelly haue ye ruled them Ezech. 34. FOr as much my Lord as my busines is such that I can not come vnto your Lordshippe accordyng to my promise I haue bene so bold to write these few wordes vnto you partly to excuse myne absence and partly to answere your Lordships demaunds at my last most happy departure from you As touchyng the breache of my promise with you in not commyng agayne at the hower appoynted your Lordship shall vnderstand that I take the counsaile of the Angell which warned the wyse men not to come agayne to Herode accordyng to their promise but to turne home agayne another way Now my Lord I perceiuyng your Lordship to be a more cruell tyraunt then euer was Herode and more desirous to destroy Christ in hys poore members then euer was he which to destroy Christ killed hys owne sonne I thought good to take the Angels counsaile and to come no more at you for I see that you are set all in a rage lyke a rauenyng wolfe agaynst the poore lambs of Christ appoynted to the slaughter for the testimonye of the truth In deed you are called the common cut throte generall slaughter slaue to all the Bishops of Englande and therefore it is wisedome for me and all other simple sheepe of the Lord to keepe vs out of your butchers stalle as long as we can especially seyng that you haue suche store alredy that you are not able to drinke al their bloud least you should breake your belly and therefore let them lye still and dye for hunger Therefore my L. I thought it good to tary a tyme vntill your Lordships stomacke were come to you a little better for I do perceyue by your great fat cheekes that you lacke no lambes fleshe yet and belike
Christ our redemer brother and the blessed company of Aungels and all faithfull saued soules Of the incomparable good thinges and heauenlye treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by Christ Iesu. For the obteining wherof we ought to set light by all temporall griefes and transitorye afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythfull will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength that namely in the end of our life when the tree where it falleth lieth styll as the preacher sayth when euery one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the ende he suffereth his sometime to fall but not finally to peryshe as Peter sinked vpon the Sea but yet was not drowned and sinned grieuouslye vpon the land thorow infirmity denying his Mayster but yet found mercy for the righteous falleth oftentimes And Christes holye Apostles are taught to â—ay remitte nobis debita nostra Yea though the righteous fall sayth Dauid he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God towardes vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plant in my heart true repentaunce and fayth to the obteining of remission of all my sinnes in the mercies of God and merites of Christ his sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it grieueth me to see the spoyle hauocke that Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedy This is Gods will and ordinaunce that his people shall here both be punished in the fleshe and tryed in theyr fayth as it is written Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all for by a strayt path and narrowe doore must we enter Whether Into the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen therefore blessed are you and other that suffer persecution for Christes sake for the professing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fight a good fight that we may keepe the fayth and ende our course with ioyfull gladnesse for now the time of our deliueraunce is at hand The Lord guide defend and keep vs and you and al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a shorte death passe to that long lasting life Farewell my deare and louing brother and felowe souldiour in Christ farewell I say in him who receiue our soules in peace when they shall depart from these tabernacles and he graunte vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery meeting at the last day continuall dwelling together in his eternall heauenlye kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell Minister * To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ Mayster Filles and Cutbert I wish you all welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of sinne faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with all necessary thinges for this bodely life The soule of man is immortall and therefore ought to be well kept least immortality to ioy should turne to immortality of sorow As for the body be it neuer so well kept and much made of yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay But those that are engraffed incorporated into Christe by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of theyr election and inheritaunce exciting and styrring them not onely to seek heauenly thinges but also to hate vice and embrace vertue will not onely doe these thinges but also if need requyre will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine their king theyr Sauior Iesus Christ as his poore afflicted church of England now doth agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed specially that blasphemous Masse wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted abused contrarye to his institutioÌ„ to Paules procedinges so that that which they haue in theyr Masse is neither Sacrament of Christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the Priestes falsely pretend It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible sign of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicants according to Christes example and as it was of late yeres in this realm And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified Beware of false Religion and mens vayne traditioÌ„s and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed though of wicked men ye bee hated and accursed Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon which is full of abhominations Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud with the litle flock then to goe in the wide waye folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Like as Christ suffered in the flesh sayeth S. Peter so arme ye your selues with the same minde for Christ suffred for vs leauing vs example to folow his footsteps Blessed are they that suffer for his sake great is their reward in heauen He that ouercommeth sayth S. Iohn shall eat of the tree of life he shall haue a crowne of life not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white araye not be put out of the booke of life Yea I will confesse his name sayth Christ before my father and before his Aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sitte with me on my seat And thus I bidde you farewell myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you Amen This world I do forsake To Christ I me betake And for his Gospell sake Paciently death I take My body to the dust Now to returne it must My soule I know full well With my God it shal dwel Thomas Whittell ¶ An other Letter of M. Thomas Whittell written to a certayne Godly woman OH my deare and louing sister in Christe be not dismayde in this storme of persecution for Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the Crosse because it is neuer truely taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediately and necessarily doeth folow the same and therfore it is a manifest token of Gods truth and hath bene here and is still abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christe and his members which must bee corrected for theyr sinnes in this worlde theyr fayth must be tried that after triall and pacient suffering the faythfull may receiue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of God
not cease with continuall prayer to labour for you desiryng almighty GOD to encrease that which he hath long sith begonne in you of sober lyfe and earnest zeale towardes his Religion In fayth as sayth Sainct Paule she that is a true widowe and frendlesse putteth her trust in GOD continuyng day and night in Supplication and prayer but she that liueth in pleasure is dead euen yet aliue And verely a true widowe is she that hath maryed Christ forsakyng the vanities of the worlde and luste of the fleshe For as the maryed woman careth howe to loue please and serue her husband so ought the widowe to geue all her hart and soule thoughtes and wordes studies and labours faythfully to loue GOD vertuously to bryng vp her children and houshold and diligently to prouide for the poore and oppressed Therefore Sainct Paule first instructeth a widow how to behaue her selfe that is Not to liue in pleasure then to watche vnto prayer as the onely meanes to obtayne all our desires stedfastly laying vppe all our trust in GOD as Dauid right well sayeth First eschew euill then doe good Of Anna the prayse was written that shee neuer went out of the Temple but serued GOD with fastyng and prayer night and day so well had she espoused Christ. Iudith ware a smocke of heare continuyng in fastyng and had good report of all men The next care that belongeth to a widowe is that she bryng vppe her children and houshold godly in the nourture and information of the Lorde Whereof Saincte Paule sayeth If any haue Children or Nephewes lette them learne firste to rule their owne house Godly and to recompence their elders The incontinencie and coueteousnesse of Phinees and Ophny not corrected by Ely their Father prouoked GODS vengeaunce vppon him and all his kynred The ouer tender loue of Absolon expelled Dauid from his kyngdome The vnrebuked sinnes of Ammon encouraged Absolon to flea his brother most manifest examples agaynste the parentes for the offences of their Children Contrarywise how greatly might Hannah reioyce ouer Samuell her Sonne whome she had brought vppe in the house of the Lorde What thankes might Tobias wife giue for her Sonne Toby How happy was Salomō to be taught by the prophet Nathan But aboue all widowes thrise blessed was the happy mother of the vij Sonnes that so had instructed them by the feare of GOD that by no tormentes they would shrincke from the loue of his truth Of the last parte Saincte Paule sheweth that a widowe shoulde bee chosen If shee haue nourished her Children if shee haue been liberall to straungers if shee haue washed the Sainctes feete and if shee haue ministred to them in aduersitie Herein it is euident howe earnestly Saincte Paule would haue widowes bent towardes the poore for that as though they onely had been therefore meete hee appointed onely widowes to minister to the Sainctes and to gather for the poore Whiche vse also continued almost throughout the primitiue Churche that widowes had the charge and gatheryng for the poore men and straungers Of your neighboures I neede not to put you in remembraunce seeynge you dayly feede them with good Hospitalitie by whiche meanes also many foreners are of you relieued but of the poore Almes houses and miserable prisoners here in London many lacking their libertie wythout cause some vnder the colour of Religion some onely kept for fees and some on priuate mennes displeasure Alas that Christe so hungereth and no man will feede hym is so sore opprest with thyrst and no man will geue him to drinke destitute of all lodgyng and not relieued naked and not cloathed sicke and not visited imprisoned and not seene In tyme past menne could bestowe large summes of money on copes vestimentes and ornamentes of the Churche Why rather follow we not S. Ambroses example whiche solde the same to the reliefe of the poore or Chrysostomes commaundement which willeth first to decke and garnish the liuing temple of God But alas suche is the wickednesse of these our last dayes that nothing moueth vs neyther the pure doctrine the godlines of life nor good examples of the auncient Fathers If in any thing they erred if they haue written anye thynge that serueth for sectes and dissension that will their charitable children embrace publishe and mayntayne with sworde Fagot and fire But all in vayne they stryue agaynst the streame For though in despite of the truth by force of the oers of crafty perswasion they maye bringe themselues into the hauen of hell yet can they not make all menne bebeleue that the bankes moue whilest the shippe sayleth nor euer shall be able to turne the directe course of the streame of Gods truth Our Lord Iesus Christ strengthen you in al pure doctrine and vpright liuing and geue you grace vertuously to bring vp your children and family and carefully to prouide for the poore and oppressed Amen At Newgate the 20. of Ianuary Ann. 1556. Your assured Bartlet Greene. An other certayne writing of M. Bartlet Greene. BEtter is the day of death sayth Salomon then the daye of birth Man that is borne of woman liueth but a shorte tyme and is replenished with many miseries but happye are the dead that dye in the Lord. Man of woman is borne in trauell to liue in misery manne thorough Christe dothe dye in ioye and lyue in felicitie He is borne to dye and dyeth to liue Straight as he cōmeth into the world with cryes he vttereth his miserable estate straight as he departeth with songes hee prayseth God for euer Scarse yet in his cradle 3. deadly enemies assault him after death no aduersary may annoy him Whilest hee is here he displeaseth God when he is dead he fulfilleth his will In this lyfe here he dyeth through sinne in the life to come he liueth in righteousnesse Through many tribulations in earth he is still purged with ioye vnspeakeable in heauen is he made pure for euer Here he dyeth euery houre there hee liueth continuallye Here is sinne there is righteousnes Here is tyme there is eternitie Here is hatred there is loue Here is payne there is pleasure Here is miserye there is felicity Here is corruption there is immortalitie Here we see vanitie there shall we behold the maiestie of god with triumphant and vnspeakeable ioy in glory euerlasting Seeke therefore the thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God the father vnto whom with the sonne and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen Yours in Christ Bartlet Grene. Diuers other letters and matters there were beside which this seruaunt of God did write as namely certayn notes extractes in Latine out of the Doct. other authours for his memory wherby is declared how studious he was in the searching and knowledge of the law of God although his profession was the temporall lawe Where I would 〈◊〉 God
present doe testifie that they neuer sawe in any chylde more teares then brast oute from hym at that time all the Sermone while but specially when he recited hys Prayer before the people It is marueilous what commiseration and pitye mooued all mennes hearts that behelde so heauie a countenaunce and suche aboundance of teares in an olde man of so reuerende dignitie Cole after he had ended his Sermon called backe the people that were ready to departe to prayers Brethren sayde he least any man should doubt of thys mans earnest conuersion and repentaunce you shall heare hym speake before you and therefore I pray you master Cranmer that you will now perfourme that you promised not long agoe namely that you woulde openly expresse the true and vndoubted profession of your faith that you may take away all suspition from men and that all men may vnderstand that you are a Catholicke in deede I wil doe it sayde the Archbyshop and wyth a good will who by and by rising vppe and putting of hys cappe beganne to speake thus vnto the people I desire you well beloued brethren in the Lorde that you will praye to God for mee to forgeeue me my sinnes whyche aboue all menne both in noumber and greatnesse I haue committed But among all the rest there is one offence which of all at thys time doth vexe and trouble me wherof in processe of my talk you shall heare more in hys proper place and then putting hys hande into hys bosome hee drewe foorth his Prayer which hee recited to the people in thys sense The Prayer of Doctour Cranmer Archbyshop GOod Christen people my dearly beloued brethren and sisters in Christ I beseech you most hartely to pray for me to almighty God that he wil forgeue me al my sinnes and offences which be many without number and great aboue measure But yet one thing grieueth my conscience more then all the rest whereof God willing I entende to speake more heereafter But howe great and howe many soeuer my sinnes be I beseeche you to pray God of hys mercy to pardon and forgeue them all And heere kneling downe he sayd O Father of heauen O sonne of God redeemer of the worlde O holy Ghoste three persones and one God haue mercye vppon me moste wretched caitife and miserable sinner I haue offended both againste heauen and earth more then my tounge can expresse Whether then may I goe or whether should I flie To heauen I may be ashamed to lifte vp mine eyes and in earth I finde no place of refuge or succour To thee therefore O Lorde doe I runne to thee doe I humble my selfe saying O Lorde my God my sinnes be great but yet haue mercye vppon me for thy great mercy The great mysterie that God became man was not wrought for little or fewe offences Thou diddest not geue thy sonne O heauenly father vnto death for smal sinnes onely but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole heart as I do here at this present Wherefore haue mercye on mee O God whose propertie is alwayes to haue mercy haue mercy vpon me O Lord for thy great mercy I craue nothing for mine owne merites but for thy names sake that it maye be hallowed thereby and for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake And nowe therefore Our father of heauen halowed be thy name c. And then he rising sayde Euery man good people desireth at that time of their death to geue some good exhortation that other maye remember the same before theyr death be the better thereby so I beseche God graunt me grace that I may speake some thyng at thys my departing whereby God may be glorified and you edified First it is an heauy case to see that so many folke be so much doted vpon the loue of this false world and so carefull for it that of the loue of God or the world to come they seeme to care very little or nothing Therefore this shal be my first exhortation that you sette not your mindes ouer much vpon thys glosing world but vpon God and vpon the world to come and to learne to know what this lesson meaneth whych s. Iohn teacheth that the loue of this world is hatred against God The seconde exhortation is that next vnder God you obey your King and Queene willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for feare of them onely but much more for the feare of God knowing that they be Gods ministers appoynted by God to rule and gouerne you and therefore who soeuer resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God The third exhortatiō is that you loue altogether lyke brethren and sisters For alasse pitie it is to see what contention and hatred one Christen man beareth to an other not taking cache other as brother and sister but rather as strangers and mortall ennemies But I pray you learne and beare well away this one lesson to doe good vnto all men asmuch as in you lieth and to hurt no man no more then you would hurt your owne naturall louing brother or sister For thys you maye be sure off that who soeuer hateth any person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurte hym surely and wythout all doubte God is not wyth that man although he thinke himself neuer so much in Gods fauour The fourth exhortation shall be to them that haue great substance riches of this world that they will well consider and weigh three sayinges of the Scripture One is of our Sauiour Christ him selfe who sayeth It is harde for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen A sore saying and yet spoken of hym that knoweth the truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is thys Hee that hath the substaunce of this worlde and seeth hys brother in necessitie and shutteth vp his mercy from him howe can he saye that hee loueth God The third is of S Iames who speaketh to the couetous riche man after thys maner Weepe you and howle for the miserie that shall come vpon you your riches do rotte your clothes be mothe eaten your golde and siluer doeth canker and rust and their rust shall beare witnesse against you and consume you like fire you gather a hoarde or treasure of Gods indignation against the last day Let them that be riche ponder well these three sentences for if they had occasion to shew their charitie they haue it now at this present the poore people being so many and victuals so deare And now for as much as I am come to the last end of my life whereupon hangeth al my life past and all my life to come either to liue with my maister Christe for euer in ioy or els to be in paine for euer with wicked Deuilles in hell I see before mine eyes presently either heauen ready to receiue me or els hell ready to swallow me vppe I shall
and forgiuen your sinnes nowe cleaue vnto him and be at defiance with his enemyes the Papistes as they doe beare witnesse with their Father the Deuill by goinge to the Church and shedding of the innocent bloud of all those that will not goe with them euen so do you beare witnes with Christ by not comming there for all those that do go thither shal be partakers of their brethrens bloud that is shed for the testimonye of Christ except they repent amend which grace that they may so doe I beseech the eternall God for his Christes sake if it be his good will to geue them in his good tyme. And the same good God that hath bene so mercifull vnto you to call you to repentance him I beseech to keepe you in his feare loue that you may haue alwayes affiance in him and euermore seeke his honour glory to your euerlasting comfort in Christ Amen Thus fare you well from the kinges bench this 28. of August By me William Tyms ¶ An other letter of W. Tyms to certayne godly women of his parish folowers of the Gospell GRace mercy and peace from GOD the Father through our Lord Iesus Christ be with you both now and euermore Amen Deare sisters I haue me most hartely commended vnto you thanking you for the great kindnes shewed vnto me in this tyme of my imprisonment and not onely vnto me but also vnto my poore wife and children and also for the great kindnesse that you shew vnto all the liuing saints that be dispersed abroad and are fayne to hide their heades for feare of this cruell persecution Deare sisters when I do remember your constancy in christ I call to remembraunce the constancy of diuers godly women as Susanna Iudith Hester and the good wife of Nabal that thorow her godly conditions saued both her husbandes life and all her housholde when Dauid had thoughte to haue slayne him for his churlish aunswere that he sent him Also I do remember Rahab that lodged the Lordes Spyes howe God preserued her and her whole housholde for her faythfulnesse that she bare to Gods people So I doe beleue that when the Lord shall send his Aungell to destroy these Idolatrous Egyptians here in England and shall finde the bloud of the Lambe sprinkled on the dore postes of your harts he wil go by not hurt you but spare your whole housholdes for your sakes Also I do remember Mary Magdalen how faythfull she was for she was the first that preached the resurrection of Christ. Remember the blessed Martir Anne Askew in our time folow her example of constancy And for the loue of God take heede that in no case you doe consent to Idolatrye but stande fast to the Lorde as the good woman did that had her seuen sonnes put to death before her face and she alwayes comforting them yea and last of all suffered death her selfe for the testimony of her God which is the liuing God Thus I beseech God to send you grace and strength to stand fast to the Lorde as shee did and then you shall be sure of the same kingdome that she is sure of to the which kingdome I pray God bring both you and me Amen By me William Tyms prisoner in the Kinges Bench. ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms to his frend in Hockley THe grace of God the Father through the merites of his deare sonne Iesus our Lord and onely Sauiour with the continuall ayde of his holy and mighty spirit to the performance of his wil to our euerlasting comfort be with you my deare brethren both now and euermore Amen My dearely beloued I beseeche God to rewarde the greate goodnesse that you haue shewed vnto me seuen folde into your bosomes and as you haue alwayes had a moste godly loue vnto his word euen so I beseech him to geue you grace to loue your owne soule and then I trust that you will flee from al those thinges that shoulde displease our good and mercifull God and hate and abhorre all the companye of those that woulde haue you to worship God any otherwise then is conteined in his holy worde And beware of those maysters of Idolatrye that is these papisticall Priestes My deare brethren for the tender mercy of God remember well what I haue sayd vnto you and also written the which I am now ready to seale with my bloud I prayse God that euer I liue to see the daye and blessed bee my good and mercifull God that euer he gaue me a body to glorify his name And deare hartes I do now write vnto you for none other cause but to put you in remembraunce that I haue not forgotten you to the end that I woulde not haue you forgette me but to remember well what I haue simply by worde of mouth and writing taught you The which although it were moste simplye done yet truely as your owne conscience beareth me record and therefore in any case take good heed that you do not that thing which your own conscience doth condemne Therefore come out of Sodome and goe to heauen ward with the seruauntes and martyrs of God least you be pertakers of the vengeance of God that is comming vpō this wicked natiō from the which the Lord our God defend you and send vs a ioyfull meeting in the kingdome of heauen vnto the which God bring you all Amen Thus now I take my leaue of you for euer in this world except I be burned amongst you whiche thing is vncertayne vnto me as yet By me your poorest and most vnworthy brother in Christ W. Tyms in Newgate the 12. day of April condemned to dye for Christes verity ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms geuing thankes to his parishioners for theyr charity shewed to his wife being brought to bed of a childe in his captiuity THe euerlasting peace of our deare Lord and only sauiour Iesus Christ with the sweete comfort of his holy mighty spirite to the encrease of your fayth to the perfourmance of his will and to your eternall cōfort in the euerlasting kingdome of heauen be with you my deare brethren and sisterne both now and euer Amen My most deare brethren sisterne in our Lord and sauior Iesus Christ I haue me most hartely cōmended vnto you with harty thankes for all the great liberality that you haue shewed vnto me specially now in this time of my necessity whē that God hath sēt my poore wife a childe in my captiuity which is no litle care to me so to prouide that I might keepe both the child my wife from the Antichristian church the which thing I thanke my good god through his most gracious prouidence I haue yet done though it be as you know great charge not to me but to the congregation of God it greueth me that I haue bene so chargeable to thē as I haue bene specially you my deare brethrē I being so vnworthy a
the sayde moste wholesom preceptes geuen vs of oure maister Christe and of hys Apostles and nowe in thys troublesome time wherein the Gospell is persecuted shewe our selues fearefull souldiours as it is manifestly declared in the Reuelation of S. Iohn where it is wrytten That the fearefull shall haue theyr parte wyth the vnbeleeuing and abhominable in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the seconde death Agayne it is wrytten in the same Booke for our warnyng Because thou art betwixt both and neither colde nor hote I wil spew thee out of my mouth Now therefore good christians these true testimonies of Gods liuely woord deepely considered and weighed let vs chiefly stand in awe of his most terrible iudgementes and be not as they that presumptuously tempt hym Lette him alwayes be our feare and dread He nowe chasteneth he nowe nourtereth vs for oure profite deliting in vs euen as a louing Father in his beloued childe to make vs perfecte and to haue vs to be partakers of his holynesse Hee nowe iudgeth vs not vtterly taking away hys euerlasting loue and mercy from vs as he doth from the malignant wicked that we should not be condemned with the wicked world but if we now refuse his moste louyng chastising and folow the worlde we must nedes haue our portion with the worlde Wide is the gate and broade is the way whych leadeth to destruction and many there be whych goe in thereat But straite is the gate and narowe is the waye that leadeth vnto life and fewe there bee that finde it O howe muche better is it to goe thys narrowe waye with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time In consideration whereof let vs wythout any more slackinge and further delaies in thys greate warninge by Gods louing visitation submit our selues betime vnder hys mighty hand that he may exalte vs when the tyme is come And thus I wholely commit you to him and to the woorde of hys grace which is able to build further beseeching you most heartily to pray for me that I may be strong through the power of his might and stande perfect in all things being alwaies prepared and ready looking for the mercy of our Lorde vnto eternall rest and I will pray for you as I am most bounde So I trust he will graciously heare vs for hys promise sake made vnto all Faithfull in hys dearely beloued sonne Christe oure alone Sauioure whose grace be wyth your spirite most deare Christians for euer So be it By your Christian brother Iohn Hullier a prisoner of the Lorde Iohn Hullyer being of long time prisonner and nowe openly iudged to die for the testimony of the Lord Iesus wisheth hartely to the whole cōgregation of God the strength of his holy spirit to their euerlasting health both of body and soule I Nowe most deare Christians hauing the sweete comfort of Gods sauing health and being confirmed with hys free spirit be he only praised therefore am constrayned in my conscience thinkyng it my verye duetie to admonishe you as ye tender the saluation of your soules by al maner of meanes to separate youre selues from the companie of the Popes hirelings considering what is sayd in the Reuelation of S. Iohn by the Aungell of God touching all men The woordes be these If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke the wine of the wrathe of God whiche is powred into the cuppe of his wrathe and hee shall be punished with fire and brimstone before the holye Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore Marke well heere good Christians who is this beast and worshippers that shal be partakers of that vnspeakeable torment This beast is none other but the carnal fleshly kingdome of Antichrist the Pope with his rabble of false Prophets and Ministers as it is most manifest which to maintaine theyr high titles worldly promotions and dignities do with much cruelty daily more and more setforth and establish theyr owne traditions decrees decretalles contrary to Gods holy ordinaunces statutes lawes and commaundements and wholy repugnante to his sincere and pure religion and true woorshipping Nowe what doe they els but worshyp this Beast and his Image who after they had once already escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet agayne tangled therin and ouercome vsing dissimulation vnfaithfully for feare of theyr displeasure doing one thing outwardly and thinking inwardly an other so hauing them in reuerence vnder a cloke and colour to whō they ought not so much as to say God speede and adioyning themselues to the malignant congregation whych they oughte to abhorre as a den of theeues and murtherers and as the Brothel house of moste blasphemous fornicators whose voyces beynge contrary to Christes voyce if they were of his flocke they would not knowe but would flee from them as he hymselfe being the good shepeheard of our soules doth full wel in his holy gospel testify Againe what do they els I pray you but receiue the Beastes marke in theyr forheads and in theyr handes whych doe beare a faire face and countenaunce outwardly in supporting them as other do being ashamed onely to confesse Christe and hys holy Gospell But thys fainednesse and dissimulation Christe and hys Gospel will in no wise allowe Of whome it is sayd Who soeuer shall be ashamed of mee and of my woordes in thys adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shal come in the glory of his father with his holy Angels Therefore sayeth almighty God by hys Prophet Malachie Curssed be the dissemblers Yee were once lyghtened and tasted of the heauenlye gifte and were become partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the word of God and of the power of the worlde to come And oure Sauiour Christ sayth No man that putteth hys hande to the ploughe and looketh backe is apte for the kingdome of GOD. Therefor S. Iohn the Apostle vseth this for a manyfest token that the backsliding from the true preachers of Gods woord declareth euidently that they be not of the number of them For sayeth he They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs no doubt they woulde haue continued wyth vs. Surely so long as we vse dissimulation and to play on both hādes we are not in the light For what soeuer is manifest the same is light as the elect vessell of God S. Paule witnesseth Wherfore good Christians for Gods most dear loue deceiue not your selues through your own wisedom and through the wisedome of the worlde which is foolishnesse before God but certifye and stay your owne conscience with the sure truth and faithfull woord of
day Bernard was brought agayne before the B. who asked him if he did not remember himself since the day before that he was before hym Rog. Yes my L. I haue remembred my selfe very well for the same man I was yesterday I am this day I hope shal be all the dayes of my lyfe concerning the matter you talked with me of Then one of the Gard standing by sayd my Lord I pray you trouble not your selfe any more with him but let me haue the examining of hym I shall handle him after another sort I trow and make him a faire child or he goe you shall see So was he committed to him and brought by him to an Inne where were a great many of Priestes assembled together and there they fell all in flattering hym and perswading hym with gay intising wordes what they could but when therein they might not preuaile for that the lord assisted the good poore man then began they to threatē him with whippyng stockyng burnyng and such like that it was wonderfull the doe they made with him Unto whō Bernard sayd Friends I am not better then my maister Christ and the Prophets which your fathers serued after such sort and I for hys names sake am content to suffer the like at your hands if God shal so permit trusting that he will strengthen me in the same accordyng to hys promise in spite of the deuill and all his ministers So when they could not make hym to relent or yeld they sayd behold a right scholer of Iohn Fortune whom they had thē in prison Then caried they him to the B. who immediately condemned hym as an heretike and deliuered hym to the secular power This Roger Bernard was a single man and by hys vocation a Labourer dwellyng in Fransden in Suffolk who was taken in the night by M. Tamages mē because he would not go to church to heare their vnsauory seruice and so by them caried to prison ¶ Adam Foster ADam Foster of the age of 26. yeares husbandman beyng maried dwellyng in Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke was taken at home in his house a little before the sunne goyng downe by the Constables of the said town George Reuet Tho. Mouse at the commaundement of sir Ioh. Tyrrell of Gipping hall in Suffolke knight because he would not go to church and heare Masse and receiue at Easter except he might haue it after Christes holy ordinance When they came for hym they told hym hee must go with them vnto the Iustice. Unto whome Adam Foster sayd for Christes cause to saue hys conscience he was well contented so they led him to sir Iohn Tyrrell and he sent him to Aye dungeon in Suffolk from whence at length he was sent to Norwich and there condemned by B. Hopton Now after this taking the said Tho. Mouse George Reuet were striken with a great feare and sicknes wherby Mouse pined and consumed away euen vnto death although he was a man of a yong lusty age But George Reuet who was the said Mouses fellow and a great reader of the Scripture or as a man may terme it a talkatiue gospeller would not be premonished by the works of God but set his sonne to helpe the priest say Masse and to be clarke of the same towne of Mendleshā for lukers sake yet was there a faire warnyng geuen hym of GOD althogh he had not the grace so to consider it the which thing was this A yong man of the same parish newly maried called Robert Edgore beyng of a ripe wit and sound was clark in the sayd Church before the sayd Reuet set hys sonne in that rowme and executed the office a little yea alas too long against his owne conscience whereby at length the Lord so tooke away his wits that many yeares after hys poore and wofull wife good woman was cōpelled to keep him cheyned bound continually lest he should vnwares do himselfe or some other some mischiefe as many tymes the more piety he was ready enough to do This as I sayd woulde not admonishe Reuet but needs he must persist in his wicked purpose Notwithstāding at the length as many men were offended with hym in the Parish so honest women especially being mightely greued at his vngodly doings came to him said neighbour Reuet are ye not afrayde to let your sonne helpe the naughty Priest to say Masse and to serue that abhominable Idoll and he sayd no. Then said they we feare not to go to church and heare Masse seing you being a man that so much professe Christianity will let your sonne helpe the Priest say Masse c. At which wordes Reuet waxed angry and in his rage immediatly made his praier vnto god after this maner or with such like wordes saying O Lord if it be not thy will that my sonne should so doe then I beseech thee send some straūge token to let me vnderstand what thy good pleasure is therein c. So according to his petition within shorte space after his neighbors Bull came into his pasture and there he hauing a very proper gelding which was his felicity aboue any thing he had the Bull running vpon him did so wound gore him that immediately therof his gelding dyed and he therby nothing amended For although he knew and confessed that it was the Lordes hand vpon him for the sufferance of his sonne in that wicked vocatiō yet would he not take him frō it but permitted him still to vse and frequent the same agaynst his owne conscience At the last the Lord iustly sent vpon him a great swelling in his legges which did so grieuously vexe and trouble him by reason it swelled vpward that at length hauyng therby brought vpon him a very straūge sickenes he died most miserably in so impatient maner that it terrifyed all good hartes to heare therof The Lord graunt for Christes sake that we may obserue his iudgementes better to hys glory and our comfort Amen Ex testimonio quorundam Suffolcensium ¶ Robert Lawson RObert Lawsō was a single man of the age of 30. yeres and by vocation a linnen Weauer who was apprehēded in the night by one Robert Kereth at the commaundement of Syr Iohn Tyrrel of Gyppinghall in Suffolke Knight and so was immediately caried to Aye Dungeon in Suffolke where he remayned a certayne time and after was led to Bery The cause of his taking was for that he would not go to Church to heare Masse and receiue theyr popish Idoll When these three foresayd martyrs were caried to their deathes videl Roger Bernard Adam Foster and Robert Lawson at Bery after they had made theyr prayer beyng at the stake the tormentors attending the fire they most triumphantly ended theyr liues in such happy and blessed condition as did notably set forth theyr constancy and ioyfull end to the great praise of God and their commendatiō in him and
our eternal comfort dissolue the same and seperate vs asunder againe for a time Wherfore I thought it good yea and my bouÌ„den duety by this simple letter to prouoke styrre admonish you to behaue your selfe in all your doinges sayinges and thoughtes most thankfully vnto our good God for the same And therefore my deare wife as you haue hartily reioyced in the Lord and oftentimes geuen God thanks for his goodnes in bringing vs together in his holy ordinauÌ„ce eueÌ„ so now I desire you when this time of our seperation shal come to reioyce with me in the Lord and to geue him most harty thanks that he hath to his glory and our endles commodity separated vs againe for a little time hath mercifully taken me vnto himselfe forth of this miserable world into his celestiall kingdom beleuing and hoping also assuredly that God of hys goodnesse for his sonne Christes sake will shortlye bring you and your deare children thither to me that we maye moste ioyfully together sing prayses vnto his glorious name for euer And yet once agayne I desire you for the loue of God and as euer you loued me to reioyce with me and to geue God continuall thankes for doing his most mercifull wil vpon me I heare say that you do oftentimes vse to repeate this godly saying The Lordes wil be fulfilled Doubtlesse it reioyceth my poore hart to heare that report of you for the lordes sake vse that godly praier continually and teach your children and family to say the same day and night and not onely say it with your toungs but also with your hart and mind and ioyfully to submit your will to Gods will in very deed knowing beleuing assuredly that nothing shall come to you or any of yours otherwise then it shall be hys almightie and fatherly good wil and pleasure and for your eternall comfort and commodity Which thing to be moste true and certayne Christ testifyeth in his holy gospell saying Are not two litle Sparowes sold for a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the wil of your heauenly father And he concludeth saying Feare not yee therefore for yee are better then many sparowes As though he shoulde haue sayd If God haue such a respecte and care for a poore sparowe which is not worth one farthing that it shall not be taken in the lime twig net or pitfall vntill it be his good will pleasure you may be wel assured that not one of you whoÌ„ he so dearly loueth that he hath geueÌ„ his only deare sonne for you shall perishe or depart forth of this miserable life without his almighty good will and pleasure Therefore deare wife put your truste and confidence wholly onely in him and euer pray that his will be fulfilled and not yours except it be agreeing to his will the which I pray GOD it may euer be Amen And as for worldly thinges take you no care but be you well assured the Lorde your deare God and father will not see you nor yours lacke if you continue in his loue and childely feare and keepe a cleare conscience from all kinde of Idolatry superstition and wickednes as my trust is that you wyll doe although it be with the losse and daunger of this temporall life And good Margaret feare not them that canne but kill the body and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaâ—e but feare to displease him that can kyll both body and soule and cast them into hell fire Let not the remembraunce of your children keep you from God The Lord himselfe will be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe wil do all thinges necessary for them yea as much as rock the Cradle if need be He hath geuen his holy Angels charge ouer them therefore committ them vnto him But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for elles I woulde not haue you to liue and see the bringing vp of your children your selfe looke that you nurture them in the feare of God and keepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kinde of wickednesse and for Gods sake helpe them to some learning if it be possible that they may increase in vertue and godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to marry them withall then any worldlye substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare God and loue his holy worde I charge you take heede that you match them with no Papistes and if you liue and marry agayne your selfe whiche thing I woulde wishe you to doe if neede require or els not good wife take heede how you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednesse But if you shall be able well to liue Gods true widow I would counsell you so to liue still for the more quietnesse of your selfe and your poore children Take heede Margaret and play the wise womans part You haue warning by other if you will take an example And thus I commit you and my sweet children vnto Gods most merciful defence The blessing of God be with you and God seÌ„d vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewell mine owne deare hartes all Pray pray * To my good Brother Mayster Iohn Bradford THe peace of God in Iesus Christ the eternall comforte of his sweete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternal saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towardes the celestiall Hierusalem my deare frend and most faythfull brother Maister Bradford to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since that good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the Lord I haue coÌ„tinued in great heauines and perplexity not for any hurt or discommodity that I can perceiue comming towardes you vnto whoÌ„ doubtlesse death is made life and great felicity but for the great losse that Gods Churche here in Englande shall sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the Lorde hath made you to be Oh that my life and a thousand such wretched liues mo might go for yours Oh why doth God suffer me and such other Caterpillers to liue that can doe nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workman laborer in the Lordes vineyard But wo be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes whiche is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instrumeÌ„tes of God as shoulde set forth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thaÌ„kfull vnto God for the good ministers of his word we had not bene so soone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude sinnes and geue vs true repentaunce and fayth hold his hand of mercy ouer vs for his deare sonne Christes sake Take
not awaye all thy true preachers forth of this realme O Lord but leaue vs a seede least England be made like vnto Sodome and Gomorre when thy true Lothes be gone But what goe I aboute to mingle your myrthe wyth my mourning and your iust ioy with my deserued sorow If I loued you in deede as I haue pretended I shoulde surely reioyce with you most hartily praise god on your behalfe from the very bottome of my hart I should prayse God day and night for your excellēt election in through his great mercy and should geue him most humble thākes for your vocation by his Gospell your true knowledge in the same I should earnestly prayse him for your sweete iustification wherof you are most certayne by Gods grace and spirite should instantly pray vnto him for your glorification which shall shortly ensue I should reioyce and be glad to see you so dignifyed by the crowne of Martyrdome and to be appoynted to that honour to testify hys truth and to seale it with your bloud I should highly extoll the Lord who hath geuen you a glorious victory euer al your enemies visible and inuisible and hath geuen you grace and strength to finish the Tower that you haue begunne to build Finally if I loued you I should most hartily reioice and be glad to see you deliuered from this body of sinne and vile prison of the fleshe and brought into that heauenly tabernacle where you shal be safely kept and neuer offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good hart towardes God or you his deare childe But alas I am an hypocrite do seeke nothing but mine owne commodity I would haue gods euerlasting prouidēce geue place to my peeuish will purpose although it were to the hinderance of his glory and your sweet commodity God forgeue me my horrible ingratitude sinnes offēces agaynst him and good brother do you forgeue me my great negligence and vnthankfulnes towards you and henceforth I promise you I will put my will to Gods wil pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so long as you be on this earth and when you are taken hence I will most hartely prayse the Lord for you so lōg as I haue my being in this world Ah my deare hart nowe I muste take my leaue of you and as I thinke my Vltimum vale in this lyfe but in the life to come I am righte well assured we shall merilye meete together that shortly I trust And in taking of my leue of you my deare hart in the Lord I shall desire you faythfully to remēber all the sweet messages that the Lord our good God most deare louing father hath sent you by me his most vnworthy seruaunt which as they are moste true so shall they be most truly accōplished vpon you eternally and for the more assurance and certificate thereof to your godly cōscience he hath cōmaunded me to repeat the same vnto you agayne in his owne name and word Therfore now geue eare and faithfull credence Harken O ye heauens and thou earth geue eare and beare me witnes at the great day that I do here faythfully and truly the lordes message vnto his dear seruant his singularly beloued and elect childe Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloued of God I pronoūce testify vnto thee in the word name of the Lord Iehoua that all thy sinnes whatsoeuer they be be they neuer so many so grieuous or so great be fully freely pardoned released forgeuen thee by the mercy of God in Iesus Christ thyne onely Lord sweet sauiour in whom thou doest vndoubtedly beleue Christ hath cleansed thee with his bloud and clothed thee with his righteousnes and hath made thee in the sight of God his father without spotte or wrinckle so that when the fire doth his appoynted office thou shalt be receyued as a sweete burnt sacrifice into heauen where thou shalt ioyfully remayn in Gods presence for euer as the true inheritor of his euerlasting kingdome vnto that whiche that wast vndoubtedly predestinate ordeined by the Lords vnfallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the worlde was layde And that this is most true that I haue sayd I call the whole Trinity the almighty and eternall maiesty of God the father the sonne and the holy ghost to my record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirme and stablish in thee the true and liuelye feeling of the same Amen Selah Now with a mery hart and a ioyfull spirit something mixed with lawful teares I take my farewel of you mine owne deare brother in the Lorde who sende vs shortly a merye meeting in his kingdome that we maye both sing prayses together vnto him with hys holy Aungelles and blessed spirites for euer euer Farewel thou blessed of the Lord farewell in Christ depart vnto thy rest in the Lorde and pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an ende of this simple Letter I hearde some comfort both of good Maister Philpots seruant and yours but alas I doe scarcely beleue them Well I wyll hope in God pray all night that God will send me some comfort to morrowe and if the Lorde geue you sparing to morow let me heare foure words of comfort from you for Gods sake The blessing of God be with you now and for euer Amen Yours for euer in the Lord Iesus Iohn Careles liuing in hope agaynst hope In reading this letter of Iohn Careles to M. Bradford aboue prefixed wherein he maketh so much mētion of a certayne letter of his sent to him and of the great exceeding consolation he receiued of the same thou wilt wishe peraduenture good louing Reader in thy mynd to haue some sight also of the sayd Letter of M. Bradford Wherein to satisfy thy desire or rather to preuent thy petition I haue hereunto annexed the same to the entent thou mayest not onely vnderstand the contentes therof but also receiue fruit therof to thy cōsolation likewise The purport of the letter here foloweth ¶ Mayster Bradford to Careles ALmighty God our deare father through and for the merits of his dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christ be mercifull vnto vs pardon vs our offences vnder the winges of his mercy he protect vs from all euill from henceforth and for euer Amen Deare brother Careles I hartely pray you to pray to GOD for me for the pardon of my manifold sinnes and most grieuous offences whiche neede none other demonstration vnto you then this namely that I haue behaued my selfe so negligently in aunswering your godly triple letters whiche are three witnesses agaynst me God lay not them nor none other thing to my charge to condemnation though to correction not my will but his wil be done Concerning your request of absolution my dearest brother what shall I saye but euen as trueth is that the
Lorde of all mercy and Father of all comfort through the merites and mediation of his deare sonne thy onely Lord and Sauiour hath clearely remitted and pardoned all thy offences whatsoeuer they bee that euer hitherto thou hast committed agaynst his maiesty and therefore he hath geuen to thee as to his childe deare Brother Iohn Careles in token that thy sinnes are pardoned he I say hath geuen vnto thee a penitent and beleuing hart that is a hart which desireth to repent and beleue For suche a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleuing hart in deed Wherefore my good Brother be mery gladde and of good cheare for the Lorde hath taken away thy sinnes thou shalt not dye Goe thy wayes the Lord hath put away thy sinnes The East is not so farre from the West as the Lord now hath put thy sinnes from thee Looke how the heauēs be in comparison of the earth so far hath his mercy preuayled towardes thee his deare chylde Iohn Careles through Christ the beloued Say therfore with Dauid prayse the Lord oh my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name for he hath forgeuen thee all thy sinnes as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a witnesse God make me worthy to heare from you the like true message for my selfe Myne owne dearly beloued you haue great cause to thanke God moste hartily that he hath geuen you such repētance and fayth the lord encrease the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose hart is harder then the Adamant stone or elles I coulde not thus long haue stayed from writing vnto you If I liue and may I purpose and promise you to make amendes Praye for me my moste deare brother I hartely beseech you and forgeue me my long silence God our father be with vs for euer Amen Yours in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To my most deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to dye for the testimony of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength and comfort of his most pure holy mighty spirite with the increase of fayth liuely feeling of his eternall mercy be with you my most deare faythfull louing brother Tyms with all the rest of my deare hartes in the Lord your faithfull felow souldiers most constant cōpanions in bonds yea of men condēned most cruelly for the sincere testimony of Gods euerlasting truth to the full finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begon in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most sweet and louing brethrē and dearest hartes in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write vnto you in the least poynt or part to vtter the great ioy that my poore hart hath cōceiued in God through the most godly example of your christian constancy and sincere confession of Christes verity Truely my tongue can not declare nor my pen expresse the aboūdance of spirituall myrth and gladnes that my minde and inward man hath felte euer since I heard of your harty boldnes and modest behauior before that bloudy butcher in the time of al your crafty examinations especially at your cruell condēnation in theyr cursed Consistory place Blessed be God the Father of all mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciously performed vpon you his deare darlinges his most sweete and comfortable promises in not onely geuing you the cōtinuall aide strength and comfort of his holye and mighty spirite to the faythfull confession of his Christ for whose cause O most happy mē ye are condemned to dye but also in geuing you such a mouth wisedom as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were fayne to cry Peace peace not suffer you to speake As truely as God liueth my deare brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euident probation that God is on our side and a sure certainty of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather gods cursed enemies a plaine demōstration of their iust eternall woe damnatiō which they shal be full sure shortly to feele whē ye shal ful sweetly possesse the place of felicity pleasure prepared for you frō the beginning Therefore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to prayse the Lord with a lusty courage for that of his great mercy and infinite goodnesse he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the losse of goodes wife and childrē long imprisonment cruell oppressiō c. but also the very depriuation of this mortall life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire The which is the greatest promotion that GOD can bring you or any other vnto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue yet hath the Lord for his dere sonne Christs sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many other which haue both long looked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the handes of the Lorde in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the sweete saying of Salomon or rather of the holye ghost shall be full well verified vpon thee yea and all thy faythfull fellowes Better is the day of death sayth hee then the day of byrth This saying cannot be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and suche as thou art whose death is most precious before God full deare shal your bloud be in his sight Blessed be God for thee my deare brother Tymmes and blessed be God agayn that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came first into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God will once vouch me worthye of that great dignitie whereunto he hath now brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth now nigh vnto God of whom you haue receiued the same ful glad may you be that euer God gaue you a life to leaue for his sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wife Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I beseeche you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my sins of that great dignitie whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly brethren whome I beseech you to comfort in the Lorde as you can full well praysed be God for his giftes which you haue hartily applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the commoditie of his
will make so long as the Lord for our sinnes will suffer you to prosper and vntill the tyme that your own iniquitie be full ripe But then be you sure the Lord will sit in iudgement vpoÌ„ you as well as you do now vpon his Saints and will reward you according to your deseruings to whoÌ„ with my whole hart I coÌ„mit my cause and he will make auÌ„swere for me when the full time of my refreshing coÌ„meth In the meane space I will keepe silence with this that I haue sayd trusting that I haue sufficiently discharged my conscience in coÌ„fessing my faith and Religion to you declaring of what Churche I am euen of the Catholicke Church of Iesus Christ which was well knowne to be here in Englande in oure late good kinges dayes by two speciall tokens whiche cannot deceiue me nor suffer me to be deceiued that is to say the pure preaching of his holy worde and the due administration of the holy sacramentes whiche is not to be seene in your Romysh Churche and therefore it cannot iustly bee called the Churche and spouse of Christ. I beleeue in the holy Trinitie and all the other Articles of the Christian faythe contayned in the three Creedes and finally all the Canonicall scripture to be true in euery sentence And I detest all sectes bothe of the Arrians and Anabaptistes or anye other that deuide themselues from the true Churche of Christe whiche is his misticall bodye the grounde and piller of trueth and the very house of the liuing God And if for these thinges you take away my life make your selues gilty of my bloud you may for I am in your handes as the sheep brought to the shambles abiding the grace of the Butcher And bee you sure youre iudgement sleepeth not but when you cry peace peace and all is safe then shall your plagues begin like the sorrow of a woman traueling with childe according to Christes infallible promise This kynde of aunswere my deare heart it shall bee beste for you to make and by Gods grace I doe entend to take the same order my selfe in time to come when the Lorde shall vouche me worthy of that great dignitie whereunto hee hath called you And if they shall laugh you to scorne as I know they will saying thou art a foole and an vnlearned assehead and art able to make aunswere to nothing c. care you not for it but stil committe your cause vnto God who will make aunswere for you and tell them that they haue bene aunswered agayne and agayn of diuers godly and learned men but all will not helpe for you haue one solution of all manner of questions euen a fayre fire fagots this will be the ende of your disputations Therefore I pray you to trouble me no more but doe that whiche you are appoynted when God shall permit the time I am no better then Christe his Apostles and other of my good brethren that are gone before me This kinde of aunswere will cut their combes moste and edifie the people that stand by so that the same bee done coldly with sobrietie meekenes and patience as I hearde say oure sweete brethren Thomas Harland and Iohn Oswalde did at Lewes in Sussex to the great reioycing of the children of God that were in those parties and I heare saye that they were dissolued from this earthly Tabernacle at Lewes on saterday last and were condemned but the Wednesday before so that wee may perceaue the papistes haue quicke worke in hande that they make suche haste to haue vs home to our heauenly father Therefore let vs make our selues ready to ride in the fiery chariot leauing these sory mantels and old clokes behinde vs for a little time whiche God shall restore vnto vs agayne in a more glorious wise My good brother Harry you shall vnderstande that bragging Iohn T. hath begiled hys keepers who trusted hym to well and is runne awaye from them and hathe broughte the poore men into gaeat daunger by the same The one of them is cast by the Counselles commaundemente into the gatehouse at Westminster the other is fled foorth of the Countrey for feare Thus you may see the fruites of our free will men that made so much boast of their owne strength But that house whiche is not builded surely vppon the vnmoueable rocke will not longe stand agaynst the boystrous windes and stormes that blowe so strongly in these dayes of trouble But my dearely beloued brother blessed be God for you such as you be whiche haue played the partes of wise builders You haue digged downe past the sande of youre owne naturall strengthe and beneath the earth of your owne worldly wisedome are now come to the hard stone and vnmoueable Rock Christ who is your onely keeper and vpon him alone haue you builded your fayth most firmely without doubting mistruste or wauering Therefore neither the stormes nor tempestes wyndes nor weathers that Sathan and all his wily workemen canne bring agaynst you with the verye gates of hell to helpe them shall euer be able once to moue your house much lesse to ouerthrow it for the Lorde God hymselfe and no man is the builder thereof and hath promised to preserue and keepe the same safe for euer Vnto his moste mercifull defence therefore I doe hartily committe you and all your good company desiring him for his sweete sonne Iesus Christes sake to confirme and strengthen you all that you may be constant vnto the verye ende that after the finall victory is once gotten you may receiue the immeâ—cessible crowne of glorye of Gods free gifte through hys great mercye in Iesus Christe our onely Sauiour To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory praise thankes power rule and dominion for euer and euermore Amen The blessing of God be with you all Iohn Careles ¶ To my most deare and faythfull brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of GOD in Iesus Chryste the continuall ioye and comfort of hys most pure holy and mighty spirit wyth the increase of fayth and liuely feeling of hys mercy bee with you my deare hart in the Lorde and faythfull louing brother T. V. to the full accomplishing of that good work which he hath so graciously begonne in you that the same by all meanes may be to the setting forth of his glory to the coÌ„moditie of his poore afflicted congregation and to the sweete comfort and quietnes of your conscience in him now and euermore Amen With suche due honour loue and reuerence as it becommeth me to beare vnto the sweete sayntes and dearely beloued children of God I haue me most hartily commended vnto you my deare brother V. with all earnest and faythfull remembrance of you in my dayly prayers thanking God right hartily that you doe likewise remember me in yours assuring you that my poore hart doth dayly feele great consolation thereby GOD onely haue the prayse for the same and
all other his benefites Ah my deare heart in the Lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of his great mercy and infinite goodnes hath vsed me most miserable wretche at any tyme as his instrument to minister any thing vnto you eyther by wordes or writing that might bee an occasion of your ioy and comfort in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to prayse and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your moste louing and godly letter seemeth to importe Oh happy am I that the Lorde hath appoynted me vnto so good a ground to sowe his seede vppon but muche more happie are you whose heart the Lorde hath prepared made so meete to receiue the same so effectuously geuing therto the sweete showers and heauenly dewes of his grace and holy spirit that it may bring forth fruite in due season accordingly the increase whereof we shall shortly reape together with perfect ioye and gladnes and that continually Therefore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her deare cosin Mary Happy are you and happy shall you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most sweet and faythfull promises of your redeemer Iesus Christ you haue surely layd vp in the treasury of your hart His comfortable callinges you haue faythfully heard his faythfull admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therefore you shall neuer come into iudgement your sinnes shall neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them from you as farre as is the East from the West and hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification holynesse so that now no creature neyther in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly king Sathan is nowe iudged he is nowe cast out from you hee hath no part in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ whyche wil not loose you your stedfast fayth in him hathe ouercome that sturdy and braggyng Prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the finall victory ouer hym and al hys army that they shall neuer hurt you What woulde you haue more Oh my deare heart howe great treasures are layde vp in store for you and how gloryous a Crowne is alreadye made and prepared for you And albeit the holy Ghost doth beare wytnesse of all these thinges in your heart and maketh you more sure and certain thereof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I being certaynly perswaded and fully assured by the testimony of Gods spirite in my conscience of youre eternall and sure saluation in our sweete Sauioure Iesus Christe haue thought it good yea and my bounden duety not onely at thys tyme to wryte vnto you and to shew my ioyfull hart in that behalfe but also by the word and commaundement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of his sweete sonne Iesus chryst oure Lorde to whom all knees shall bow whom all creatures shall worshippe and also by the impulsion of the holy Ghost by whose power and strength all the faythfull bee regenerate I doe I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a Citizen of heauen The Lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for his deare sonnes sake in whom thou doest also vndoubtedly beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy sinnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and full pardoned all thine offences bee they neuer so many so grieuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As truely as he liueth he will not haue thee dye the death but hath vtterly determined purposed and eternally decreed that thou shalte lyue with him for euer Thy sore shall bee healed and thy woundes bounde vpp euen of himselfe for his owne names sake He doth not nor will not looke vpon thy sinnes in thee but he respecteth and beholdeth thee in Christ in whome thou art lyuely graffed by faith in his bloud and in whome thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a sweete vessell of his mercy and saluation and wast thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was laid In testimony and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which woorketh in thee faith loue and vnfained repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commanded me this day although a most vnwoorthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministery of hys holy woord grounded vpon the truth of his most faithfull promisses the which thou beleeuing shalt liue for euer Beleeuest thou this my deare heart I knowe well thou doest beleeue The Lorde increase thy faith and geue thee a liuely feeling of all hys mercies wherof thou art warranted and assured by the testimony of the holy Ghost who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtfull dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true children of God all that I haue sayde and by Gods grace I will as a witnesse thereof confirme and seale the same with my bloud for a most certaine truthe Wherefore my good brother praise the Lord with a ioyful heart and geue him thankes for this his exceeding great mercy casting away all dubitation and wauering yea all sorow of heart and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and most deare and louing father commandeth you to doe by me nay rather by his owne mouth woord pronounced by me But now my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I coulde finde in my heart to wryte 2. or 3. sheetes of paper declaring the ioy I beare in my heart for you mine owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so short as you do well know I am heere constrained to make an ende desiring you to pardone my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my prayer shal supply that my pen doth wāt as knoweth the almighty God to whose most merciful defence I doe heartely commit you and all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most heartely to remember me in their hearty and dailye prayers as I know right well they doe for I feele the daily comfort and commodity therof therfore I neither wil nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you al. Amē Yours for euer vnfainedly Iohn Careles A letter of thankes to a faithfull frend of his by whom he had receiued much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the father of all mercye for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred vnto
sake we suffer whose cause we defend and what glorious reward we shall haue at the day of our victory then doubtles the consolation of these things will make sweete all our suffringes soone swallowe vp all the sorrowes that we are sowâ—ed in for Gods sake I coulde recite diuers textes of the Scriptures to confirme this pointe But I neede not for I am well assured that you do knowe them most perfectly alreadye The Lorde geue you strength and assist you with his holy spirite that you may continually walke in all pointes according to your godly knowledge And then shall you not doe as the moste parte of our Gospellers doe nowe adaies the more is the pitie There are a greate manye in Englande that doe perfectlye knowe that the Idolatrous Masse is abhominable Deuelishe and detestable in the sight of God And yet alasse they be not afrayde to pollute and defile theyr bodyes whych oughte to be the temples of the holy Ghoste with being present at it so sinning against God and theyr owne conscience But dere sister K. do you flie from it both in body soule as you would flie from the very Deuill himselfe Drinke not of the whore of Babylons cuppe by no meanes for it will infecte the body and poyson the soule Be not partakers of her sinnes sayth the Aungell least you be partakers of the plagues that shortly shall be powred vppon her O what an aray is this that so many that know Gods truth wil nowe tourne againe and defile them selues in the filthy puddle of antichristes stinking religion They goe about to saue theyr liues wyth their dowble dissimulation but doubtlesse they shall loose euerlastinge life by it if they doe not repent in time and tourne vnto the Lorde But deare sister my trust is that you doe vtterly abhorre the comming to anye such thyng I hope that you wil not by any meanes turne backe into Egypt nowe but that you will boldly venter throughe the wildernesse of trouble and persecution that you may come into the lande that floweth with all kinde of heauenly pleasures and ioyfull delectations and possesse the same for euer Lette vs consider howe that euery one of vs doeth owe vnto God a death by nature and howe soone the Lord wil require it of vs we knowe not O howe happye are we then if God of hys goodnesse appoynt vs to pay natures dette wyth sufferyng for hys trueth and Gospels sake and so making vs his faithfull witnesses wyth the Prophetes Apostles Martyrs and Confessours yea wyth his dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christe to whome he doeth heere begin to fashion vs lyke in suffering that we myght be like hym also in glory Thus my dearely beloued sister I haue ben bold to trouble you a little with my rude simple letter being made in hast as it doth appeare Yet I desire you to take it in good woorthe as a token of my poore zeale vnto you and to accept my good will And if it please God to spaâ—e me life and libertye I trust heereafter to wryte vnto you more largely Fare yee well deare sister E.K. the Lorde blesse you and all yours and powre vpon you the heauenly dewe of his grace The Lorde endue you wyth plentifull knowledge of hys verity and fill you with hys holy and mighty spirite that you may continuallye reioyce in the comfortes of the same nowe and euer Amen Pray pray pray with stedfast faith Your daily Oratour Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lord. ¶ In the letters of William Tymmes ye heard before page 1897. much mention made of Agnes Glascock Thys Agnes Glascocke through infirmity and her husbandes perswasion was allured to goe to Masse For whyche cause shee falling in great sorrow and repentance was raised vppe againe by the comfortable Letters of William Tymmes and Iohn Careles as before you maye reade and after that was constante in the syncere profession of the verity and in danger for the same of persecution vnto whome Iohn Careles wryteth therefore thys letter as followeth A letter of Careles to Agnes Glascocke THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continuall aide strengthe and comfortes of his moste pure holye and mighty spirite be with you my deare faithfull sister Glascock to the good performance of that good woorke which God hath so graciously begun in you to his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflâ—cted Churche and to your owne eternall comfort in hym Amen In our Lorde I haue my most humble and hearty commendations vnto you my deare sister most faithfull mother Glascocke with all remembrance of you in my daily prayers geuing God most hearty laude praise and thankes for you and on your behalfe in that he of his great mercye hath hetherto so mightely strengthened you constantly to cleaue vnto youre Captayne Christ notwithstanding the great assaultes and manifold temptations that you haue had to the contrary Doubtles deare heart it can not be expressed what ioy and comfort it is vnto my very soule to see howe mightely the Lorde hathe magnified hym selfe in you and other his deare electe darlings whome hee will shortly glorify with himselfe as he hath done other of his sweete Sainctes that are gone before you Reioyce therefore be glad for verilye you haue good cause if you diligentlye consider the great dignitie that God hath called you vnto euen now in your olde age to be one of his woorthy witnesses vnto the worlde and I thinke you shall wyth mee and other youre brethren in bonds seale the Lords verity with the testimony of your bloud Surely sweete sister this is the greatest promotion that God caÌ„ bring you or any other vnto in this life and an honour that the highest aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue Therefore happye are you Oh faithfull daughter of Abraham that the Lorde will nowe preferre you before many other yea or any other of your age that I doe know in Englande Oh faithfull and vertuous matrone which wilt not be moued from the sure rocke Christe vppon whome you haue so firmely built your house that neither stormes nor tempestes neither yet bell gates or any other temptations shall euer be able once to preuaile against it Full wel doeth it appeare by your constant continuance that you haue played the parte of a wise builder in counting the cost afore hand belonging to the finishing of your tower And I doubt not but through Gods gift you haue sufficient to the performaunce thereof that the hypocrites of theyr parte shall haue no iuste cause to triumphe againste you or to mocke you saying loe thys woman beganne to builde but is not able to make an ende Therefore goe on boldlye and feare not for God is faithfull as S. Paule sayeth which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but eyther will hee geue you grace and strength to stande vnto the death whych is the gate and entraunce into
benefites not only for your election creation redemption and preseruation but also for his other temporal gifts wherwith he hathe indued you amongst the which the chiefe and moste excellent is as testifieth the holy Ghost your good godlye and faithfull louynge husbande For as the wise man sayeth Goods and possessions may come to a man by the death of his frendes but a good wife is the gift of God which the Lord will geue for a good portion to suche as feare him And the like is of a good husband as the Lord hathe nowe geuen you praised be his name therfore He hath not geuen you an ignorant froward churlish brawling wastfull rioting dronken husband wherwith he hath plagued many other as he myght also haue done you but he hath geuen you a moste godlye learned gentle louing quiet patient thriâ—tye diligent sober husband by whom he wil nourish cherish kepe and defend you instructe and teach you yea care and prouide for you and your childreÌ„ the which he wil also by him geue you such things as be necessary for you He hath not dealt so with euery body and yet he hath done this and much more for you my deare sister wil therto increase ioy and loue betwene you For as he delighteth in the loue godly agreement of man and wife together so is it he only that maketh them and all the whole houshold to be of one mind Vnto the which his gracious work he requireth your diligence and will vse you as his instrument and meane the more effectuously to accomplish the same And therefore I nowe require you to obserue this my simple counsel the which I haue here wrytten as a testimonial of my good will towardes you because I thinke in this life I shall neuer more see you Nowe as I haue shewed you how you shoulde be thankefull vnto God for his good giftes so I exhort you and as much as in me lieth charge you to be euermore thankfull vnto your deare louing husband who hath geuen him selfe vnto you whych is a more precious iewel in the Church of God then perchance you are yet aware of Thincke your selfe vnwoorthy to be matched with suche an instrument of God and also reuerence euermore the gifts of God in him and seeke with true obedience and loue to serue him in recompence of his true painful hart towards you Be lothe in any wise to offend him yea rather be carefull diligent to please him that his soule maye blesse you If at anye time you shall chaunce to anger him or to doe or speake anye thing that shall grieue him see that you neuer rest vntill you haue pacified him and made him merry againe If at any time he shall chance to blame you without a cause or for that you can not doe therewith whiche thyng happeneth sometimes of the best men liuing see that you beare it paciently and geue hym no vncomely or vnkinde woorde for it but euer more looke vppon him wyth a louing and chearefull countenaunce and rather take the fault vppon you then seeme to be displeased Be alwaies mery and chereful in his company but not with too muche lightnesse Beware in any wise of swelling powting or lowring for that is a token of a cruel and vnlouing heart except it be in respect of sinne or in the time of sickenesse Be not sorowful for any aduersity that God sendeth but beware that nothing be spilte or goe to waste through your negligence In any wise see that you be quicke and cleanly about his meat and drinke and prepare him the same according to his diet in due season Goe cleanely and wel fauouredly in your apparel but beware of pride in any wise Finally in woord and deede shewe your selfe wise humble merry and louing towardes him and also towardes suche as he doeth loue and then shall you leade a blessed life I could speake of many things the whiche I haue learned and prooued true by experience but I knowe that you will doe in all thyngs muche better then I can teache you because you haue that annoynting that teacheth you all thyngs who hath also geuen you an heart to obey and serue hym Yet I trust you will not be offended for this whych I haue wrytten but rather accept my good will towardes you whom I loue in the Lord as well as I do my daughter Iudith Thus as mine owne soule I commende you bothe to God desiring him to blesse you with all maner of spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges and also wyth the dewe of heauen and fatnesse of the earth that in all thynges you maye be made ryche in Iesus Christe our Lorde and onely Sauiour The Lorde increase and blesse the fruite of your bodyes that your children maye stande rounde about your table thicke fresh and lustie lyke the Oliue braunches God geue you both a long life that you maye see and blesse your childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation and teach them the true feare and loue of God and that faith for the which they shal be accepted in his sight God lette you see the prosperitie of Syon for whose lying in the dust let your hearts mourne The Lorde make perfecte your loue together in hym and alwaies encrease the same and bryng you bothe in peace to your graues at a good age And nowe I bid you bothe moste heartely farewell and I thinke I shall now take my leaue of you for euer in this life I beseeche you both to aide me with your continuall prayers as I wil not forgette you in mine that I may haue a ioyfull victorie through Iesus Christ To whose most mercifull defence I doe moste heartely for euer commende you to be kepte vnblameable vntill hys comming The which I beseeche him to hasten for his mercies sake Your owne vnfainedly Iohn Careles prisonner of the Lord. Heere endeth the Letters of Iohn Careles The hystorie and Martyrdome of a learned and vertuous yonge man called Iulins Palmer sometime fellow of Magdalene Colledge in Oxford with two other Martyrs to wit I. Gwin and Thomas Askine burned together in Newberie at a place there called the Sande pittes THe same moneth of Iuly in which Careles as before is declared was released out of prison by death in short time after about the 16. day of the sayd moneth of Iuly suffered these 3. godly and constante Martyrs aboue mentioned at Newbery in which number was Iulins Palmer sometime student and fellowe of Magdalene Colledge in Oxford and afterwardes Schoolemaister in the towne of Reading Concerning whose storie and Martyrdome here foloweth although not so much as he deserueth to be sayde yet so much as sufficiently may set foorth the great woorking of God in this yong man Iulins Palmer AS all Gods woorkes are wonderous in calling of all sorts of men to confirme hys truth and to beare witnesse vnto his assured and infallible woord which the aduersaries
he And thus Doctour Dunning with his blostering wordes interrupting Moones examination went downe agayne as the deuill had driuen him to keepe his styrre among them to take order what should be done with them The Bishop beginning to bewaile the state of the coūtrey in that it was so infected with such a number of heretickes and rehearsing partlye theyr opinions to these that were at that time in the chāber Moones wife had a young childe whiche shee her selfe nursed and the childe beyng brought into the yeard vnder the Bishops chamber cried so that she heard it and then sayde My Lorde I trust ye haue done with me My childe cryeth beneath I must goe geue my childe sucke with such like wordes And the Byshop being as it were out of minde to talke with them any more sayd goe your way I will talke with you in the morning looke ye be here agayn in the morning with this they both departed And beneath in the stone Hall of the same house the Chauncellour Dunning being very busy about his bloudy busines espyed Moone and his wife comming must needes passe by the place where he stood and sayde Nay soft I must talke with you both for ye are as euill as any that are here to day To whom Moones wife aunswered My Lorde hath had vs in examination and therefore yee shall haue nought to doe with vs. Nay quoth he ye shall not so escape I must talk with you also Unto whō Moon answered In the presence of the more the lesse hath no power My Lord hath taken order with vs and therfore we are as his Lordship hath appoynted and must repayre before him agayne to morow At the which he let them go although he was earnestly procured by the party aboue specified to haue shewed his quality which was nothing els but tyranny So departed Moone and his wife without hurt of body but afterward when they with Peter the Apostle beheld the face of Christ they were sore wounded in consciences ashamed of theyr doings and also at the doore of desperation In so muche that when the sayde Moone came home to his house entring into a parlour alone by himselfe considering his estate and saw where a sword of hys did hang agaynst a wall was earnestlye allured by the enemy Sathan to haue taken it downe and therewith to haue slayne himselfe but God who casteth not away the penitent sinner repenting his fall with hart defended hys vnworthy seruaunt from that temptation and hath I trust left him to the amendement of life by the assistaunce of his holy spirit and to make him one amōg the elect that shal be saued The morow they both remayned and kept house with no small griefe of conscience wayting and looking wyth feare when to be sent for to the Bishop rather then offering theyr diligence to keepe the Bishops appoyntment but God so wrought that when the time drew neare that they feared calling forth the bels rong for the bishops departure out of the towne For the which they were not only glad but also many a good hart in Ipswich reioised and gaue thankes to God God for his mercy graunt that our sinne neuer deserue to prouoke Gods ire that the lyke dayes come agayne And if it so do God make them with all other weakelinges stronge and worthy souldiours to incounter with the ghostly enemyes the world the fleshe and the Deuill And boldely to stande to the confession of Christ and of his Gospel saying with the Apostles Whether it be right in the sight of god that we should obey you more then God iudge ye ¶ A tragicall lamentable and pitifull Hystory full of most cruell and tyranicall Murther done by the pretensed Catholiques vpon three women and an Infant to wit the mother her two daughters and the childe in the Isle of Garnesey for Christes true Religion the yeare of our Lord. 1556. Iuly 18. AMong all and singular Historyes touched in this Booke before as there be many pitifull diuers lamentable some Horrible and Tragicall so is there none almost either in cruelty to be compared or so farre of from all compassion and sense of humanity as this merciles fact of the Papistes done in the Isle of Garnsey vpon three women and an infant whose names be these as folow Katherine Cawches the Mother Guillemine Gilbert the daughter Perotine Massey the other daugther An Infant the sonne of Perotine But before I come to the purpose of this story it shall be necessary for the better explayning of the matter to begin first with the circumstances whereupon the first Originall and occasion did rise of this tragicall cruelty The case was this The xxvij day of May. an 1556. in the Isle of Garnsey which is a member of England in a towne there called S. Peters port was a noughty woman named Uincent Gosset who being euill disposed went the day aforesaid to the house of one Nicholas le Conronney dwelling in the towne of the sayd S. Peters Porte about ten of the clocke at night and there taking the key of the house lying vnder the doore entred into a Chamber towarde the streete where she espying a Cup of Siluer within a Cupbord tooke it away and so conueied her selfe out of the house agayne Who immediately after this fact done whether by counsell or by what occasiō els I haue not to say brought the sayd Cup to one Perotine Massey an honest woman dwelling in the sayd towne desiring her to lend her vj.d. vpon the same Perotine seing the cup or goblet suspecting as truth was the same to be stollen answered that she woulde not take it yet neuerthelesse hauing knowledge of the owner theerof tooke it to restore it agayne to whom it did apperteyn and to the end she should not cary it to another gaue her thē presently vj. d. Where moreouer is to be noted that Thomas Effart sayth and testifieth that knowledge was geuen by the sayde Perotine to Conronney touching the stealing of his piece who eftsoones vpō the misliking therof attached the sayd Uincent Gosset of the trespasse Who being apprehended and examined vpon the same immediatly confessed the fact desiring to haue one sent wyth her which was Collas de Loutre with vj. d. to fetch agayne the goblet where it was And so did The next day folowing the kinges officers being informed of the premises by one Nicolas Cary of the sayde towne Constable assembled the Iustices there to inquire and examine further as well vpon that facte of Uincent Gosset as vpon other griefes and things there amisse So that after declaration made by the officers and Constable before the Iustice for that the sayd Constable did report to haue founde certayne vessell of Pewter in the house of the foresayd Perotine Massey who then dwelt with her mother Katherine Cauches her Sister Guillemine Guilbert the which vessell did beare no marke and especially
for that there was a Peuter dishe whereof the name was scraped out theyr bodyes vpon the same were attached put in prison theyr moueable goodes taken by inuētory Within a few daies after these things this done past these 3. sely women abiding thus in durance in the castle made theyr supplication to the Iustices to haue iustice ministred vnto them videlicet If they had offended the law then to let them haue the law if not beseeching to graunt them the benefite of Subiects c. Which supplication put vp thereupon were they appoynted to come to theyr answere the fift day of Iune in the yeare aforesayd Uppon which day after straight examining of the matter and the honest aunswering of the cause by the sayde good woman at the last they submitted them to the report of their neighbours that they were no theeues nor euill disposed persons but liued truely and honestly as became Christian women to do the false and vntrue report of theyr accusers notwithstanding So the cause being thus debated after the inquirye made by the kinges Officers they were founde by theyr said neighbors not guilty of that they were charged wyth but had liued alwayes as honest women among them sauing onely that to the commaundementes of holy church they had not bene obedient c. Upon this triall verdit of the neighbours it was in fine adiudged firste that the sayd Uincent Gosset being atteinted of fellonye and condemned for the same should be whipped and after her eare being nailed to the pillory should so be banished out of the Isle without further punishment And as touching the other three women the Mother with her two daughters for theyr not comming to the Church they were returned prisoners agayn into the Castle the first of Iuly And thus farre concerning the true discourse of this matter with all the circumstaunces and appurtenaunce of the same in euery poynt as the case stoode according to the faythfull tenour and testimony of the Garnesey menne written with theyr owne handes both in Frenche and English tongue Wherein you see what false surmised matter was pretended agaynst these women and nothing proued and howe by the attestation of theyr neighbours they were fully clered of that facte and should by the temporall Courte haue bene dismissed had not the spirituall Clergy men picking matter of religion agaynst them exercised such extremitye in persecuting these miserable prisoners that in no case they could escape theyr bloudye handes till at length they had brought them as you shall heare to theyr finall ende For after the time of this declaration aboue mentioned made by the neighbours whereby they were purged of al other thinges being then known of theyr not comming to the Church the Bailiefes Lieutenaunt and the Iustice thinking the matter not to perteyne to them but to the Clergy forthwith wrote theyr letters or Mandate vnder theyr signes to the deane whose name was Iaques Amy and Curates of the sayd Isle The contentes wherof here foloweth ¶ A Letter sent from the Bailieffes Lieutenaunt and Iurates of Saynt Peters Port to the Deane and Curates of the Isle of Garnesey MAyster Deane and Iustices in your Court and iurisdiction after all amiable recommendations pleaseth you to know that we are informed by the deposition of certayn honest men past before vs in maner of an inquiry in the which inquiry Katherine Cawches and her two daughters haue submitted themselues in a certayne matter criminall Wherein we be informed that they haue bene disobedient to the commaundementes and ordinances of the Church in contēning and forsaking the masse and the ordinances of the same agaynst the will and commaundement of our souereigne Lord the king and the Queene Wherof we send you the sayd matter for as much as the matter is spirituall to the end you may proceed therein after your good discretions and as brieflye as you can possible and also that it perteined to your office recommēding you to God the which geue you grace to do that perteineth to right and iustice Written the first day of the moneth of Iuly the yeare of our Lord. 1556. After these letters and information thus addressed to Iaques Amy Deane and to other of the Clergy the sayde women were agayne commensed before the Iustice aforesaid with his assistances In the presence of whom they being examined of theyr fayth concerning the ordinances of the Romish church made their aunswere that they would obey and keepe the ordinaunces of the king Queene the cōmaundementes of the church notwithstanding that they had sayd and done the contrary in the time of K. Edward the 6. in shewing obedience to his ordinaunces and commaundementes before After which aunswere taken they were returned againe to prison vntill the other had an answere of their letter frō the deane his cōplices During which time the Deane curates gaue their information touching the sayd women and deliuered the same to the Bailiefe and Iurates cōdemning and reputing them for hereticks the women neither hearing of any information neither yet being euer examined at any time before of theyr fayth and religion Wherupon when the said Bailife Iurates vnderstood that the sayd Deane Curates had not examined the women of theyr fayth would not fitte in iudgement on that day but ordeined the women to come first before the Deane and Curates to be examined of their fayth And so the Officers at the commaundement of the Iustices did fetch and present them before the sayd Deane and Curates The which being accomplished and done they were examined a parte seuerally one from an other After which examination they incontinently were returned agayne into prison Then the xiiij day of the sayd moneth of Iuly in the yeare aforesayd after the examination aboue specified before Elyer Gosselin Bailiffe in the presence of Thomas Deuicke Pierres Martine Nicolas Cary Iohn Blondel Nicolas de Lisle Iohn Lauerchaunt Iohn le Feuer Pierres Bonnamy Nicolas Martin Iohn de la March Iurates Syr Iaques Amy Deane and the Curates dyd deliuer before the Iustice vnder the seale of the Deane vnder the signes of the Curates a certayne Act and Sentence the summe whereof was that Katherine Cawches and her two daughters were found heretickes and suche they reputed them and haue deliuered them to Iustice to do execution according to the Sentence of the which the tenour foloweth ¶ The Sentence AN. dom millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo sexto die verò .xiij. mensis Iulij apud Ecclesiam diui Petri in portu maris insula promotor per nos Dominum Decanum inquisitio facta fuit de fide Catholica super Sacramenta Ecclesiastica videlicet super Sacramentum Baptismi confirmationis poenitentiae ordinis Matrimonij Eucharistiae extremae vnctionis nec non super ceremonias Ecclesiae ac de veneratione honoratione beatae Mariae sanctorum de Missa eius efficacia
that Iudas receiued bread which is no heresy vnlesse you tell what more then bread Wood. Is it heresy to say that Iudas receiued more then bread I sayd he receaued more then bare bread for he receiued the Sacrament that was prepared to shewe foorth the Lordes death and because he presumed to eat without sayth he eat the deuill withall as the wordes of Christ declare after he eate the soppe the Deuill entred into hym as you cannot deny Winc. Hold him a booke I will haue you aunswere dyrectly whether Iudas did eate the body of Christ or no. Wood. I will answere no more for I am not of your Dioces wherfore I will haue nothing to do with you Winc. No you be in my Dioces and you be of my Dioces because you haue offended in my Dioces Wood. I am not of your Dioces although I am in your Dioces and I was brought into your Dioces against my will and I haue not offended in your Dioces if I haue tell me wherein Winchester Here is your owne hand writing the whiche is heresie These be the wordes I cannot find say you that it is the body of christ to any before it be receiued in faith How say you is not this your owne hand writing Wood. Yea I do not deny but it is mine owne hand wryting but when or where was it written or where wer the woâ—des spoken Before the Commissioners and here is one of them Maister Roper the words were spoken before you Were they not Roper Yes in deed that they were Woodman I am sure you will not deny them for you haue written the wordes euen as you spake them Wood. No sir in deed I will not deny but that I spake theÌ„ and I am glad that you haue seene it For you may see by that whether I lye or not Roper In deede the wordes be written word by word as we spake them Winchest Well here you affirme that it is your owne deede How say you now Will you be sorie for it and become an honest man Wood. My Lord I trust no man can say but that I am an honest manne and as for that I maruell that you wil lay it to my charge knowing that my Lorde of London dyscharged me of all matters that were layde agaynst me when I was released of him Winc. You were released and it might fortune it was not layd to your charge then therfore we lay it to your charge now because you be suspected to be an hereticke and wee may call you before vs and examine you vpon your faith vpon suspicion Wood. In deede S. Peter willeth me to render account of my hope that I haue in God and I am contented so to do if it please my Bishop to heare me Chichester Yes I pray you let vs heare it Wood. I do beleue in God the father almighty maker of heaueÌ„ of earth and of al things visible inuisible and in one Lord Iesus christ my sauiour very God and man I beleue in God the holy Ghost the comforter of al Gods elect people and that he is equall with the father and the sonne I beleue the true Catholicke church and all the sacraments that belongeth thereto Thus I haue rendered accompt of my hope that I haue of my saluation Winch. And how beleue you in the blessed sacrament of the aulter And with that word they all put of their cappes to that abhominable Idoll Wood. I pray you be contented for I will not aunswere to any mo questions for I perceaue you go about to shed my bloud Winch. No hold him a booke If he refuse to sweare he is an Anabaptist and shall be excommunicated Wood. I will not sweare for you excommunicate me if you will For you be not meete to take an oth for you laid heresies to my charge in yonder pulpite the whiche you are not able to proue wherfore you bee not meete to take an othe of any man And as for me I am not of your Dyoces nor will haue any thing to doe with you Winchester I will haue to do with thee and I saye thou art a strong hereticke Wood. Yea all trueth is heresie with you but I am content to shew you my minde how I beleue on the sacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of Iesus Christe without flattering For that you looke for I am sure But I will meddle no â—urther But what I holde my selfe of it I will not meddle of any other mans beliefe on it N Harp Why I am sure al mens fayth ought to be alike Wood Yea I graunt you so that all true Christians faith ought to be alike But I will aunswere for my selfe N. Harp Well let vs heare what you say to it Wood. I do beleue that when I come to receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ if it be truly ministred according to Christes institutioÌ„ I comming in fayth as I truste in God I will whensoeuer I come to receiue it I beleuing that Christ was borne for me that he suffered death for the remission of my sinnes and that I shal be saued by his death and bloud shedding and so receaue the Sacramente of bread and wine in that remembraunce that then I doe receiue whole Christ God and man mistically by fayth This is my beliefe on the sacrament Then they spake all at once saying mistically by faythe The fat prieste What a foole art thou mistically by faythe thou canst not tell what mistically is Wood If I be a foole so take me But God hathe chosen such fooles of this world to confound such wife things as you are The fat priest I pray thee what is mistically Wood. I take mistically to be the fayth that is in vs that the world seeth not but God onely Winch. He cannot tell what he sayth Aunswere to the Sacrament of the aulter whether it be not the body of Christ before it bee receaued and whether it be not the bodye of Christ to whom soeuer receaueth it Tell me or els I will excommunicate thee Wood. I haue sayd as much as I will say excommunicate me if you will I am none of your Dioces The Bishop of Chichester is mine Ordinary Let him do it if you will needs haue my bloud that it may be required at his haÌ„ds Chichest I am not consecrated yet I tolde you when you were with me Wood. No in deede your kine bringe foorth nothing but Cow calues as it chaunceth now Meaning thereby that he had not his Bulles from Rome Then they were al in a great rage with me and called me al to nought and sayd I was out of my wâ—t because I spake feruently to euery mans question all the whiche I cannot remember but I sayd So Festus sayd to Paule when he spake the words of sobernes and truth out of the spirite of God as I do But as ye haue iudged me
great deale better welcome then lyfe But this tooke not effect at that time as she thought it would and therfore as I sayd was she not a little troubled Beyng in this great perplexitie of mynde a friend of hers came to her and required to knowe whether Abrahams obedience was accepted before God for that hee did sacrifice his sonne Isaac or in that he would haue offered hym Unto which she answered thus I know quoth she that Abrahams will before God was allowed for the deede in that he would haue done it if the Aungell of the Lorde had not stayed him but I said she am vnhappy the Lorde thinketh me not worthye of this dignitie and therfore Abrahams case and mine is not alyke Why quoth her friend would ye not willingly haue gone with your company if God should so haue suffered it Yes said she with all my hart and because I did not it is now my chiefe and greatest griefe Then said her friend My deare sister I pray thee consider Abraham and thy self well thou shalt see thou doest nothing differ with him in will at all Alas quoth she there is a farre greater matter in Abraham then in me for Abraham was tried with the offering of his owne childe but so am not I and therefore our cases are not lyke Good sister quoth her friend way the matter but indifferently Abraham I graunt sayd he would haue offered his sonne and haue not you done the lyke in your little suckyng babe But consider further then this my good sister sayd he where Abraham was commanded but to offer his sonne you are heuy and grieued because you offer not your selfe which goeth somewhat more neere you then Abrahams obedience did therefore before God assuredly is no lesse accepted allowed in his holy presence which further the preparing of your shroud also doth argue full well c. After which talke betweene them she began a little to stay her selfe and gaue her whole exercise to readyng and prayer wherein she found no little comfort In the tyme that these foresayd ij good women were prisoners one in the Castle the other in Motehall God by a secret meane called the sayd Margaret Thurston vnto his truth agayne who hauyng her eyes opened by the workyng of his spirit did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before and promised faithfully to the Lord in hope of his mercies neuer more while she liued to doe the like agayne but that she would constantly stand to the cōfession of the same against all the aduersaries of the crosse of Christ. After which promise made came in short tyme a writ from London for the burning of them which accordyng to the effect thereof was executed the 17. day of September in the yeare aforesayd * The burning of Margaret Thurston and Agnes Bongeor at Colchester to Laxfield to bee burned and on the next day mornyng was brought to the stake where was ready agaynst hys commyng the foresayd Iustice M. Thurstō one M. Waller then beyng vnder shiriffe and M. Tho. Louell beyng high Constable as is before expressed the which commanded men to make redy all things meete for that sinful purpose Nowe the fire in most places of the streete was put out sauyng a smoke was espied by the said Tho. Louell proceeding out from the top of a chimney to which house the shiriffe and Grannow his man went and brake open the dore and thereby got fire and brought the same to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place where he should be burned he kneeled downe and sayde the 50. Psalme with other prayers and then they making haste bound hym to the stake and beyng bounde the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd Feare not them that can kill the body but feare hym that can kill both bodye and soule and cast it into euerlastyng fire When he saw his sister weeping and making mone for him he bade her that she should not weepe for hym but weepe for her sinnes Then one Nich. Cadman beyng Hastler a valiaunt champion in the Popes affaires brought a fagotte and set agaynst him and the said Ioh. Noyes tooke vp the fagot and kissed it and sayd Blessed bee the tyme that euer I was borne to come to this Then he deliuered his Psalter to the vndershirife desiring him to be good to his wyfe and children to deliuer to her that same booke and the shiriffe promised hym that he would notwithstāding he neuer as yet performed his promise Then the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd to the people They say they can make God of a piece of bread beleeue them not Then sayd he good people beare witnes that I do beleeue to be saued by the merites passion of Iesus Christ and not by myne owne deedes and so the fire was kindled and burned about him and thē he sayd Lord haue mercy vpon me Christ haue mercy vppon me Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me ¶ The burnyng of Iohn Noyes Martyr And so he yelded vp his lyfe and when his body was burned they made a pit to bury the coales and ashes and amongst the same they found one of his feet that was vnburned whole vp to the anckle with the hose on and that they buried with the rest Now while he was a burnyng there stoode one Iohn Iaruis by a mans seruant of the same towne a plaine fellow which sayd Good Lorde how the sinewes of hys armes shrinke vp And there stood behynd hym one Gran now and Benet beyng the shiriffes men and they sayd to their maister that Iohn Iaruis said what villeine wretches are these And their maister bade lay hand on hym then they tooke hym and piniond hym and caried hym before the Iustice that same day and the Iustice did examine hym of the words aforesayd but he denied them and aunswered that he sayd nothing but this Good Lorde howe the sinews of his armes shrinke vp But for all this the Iustice did bynd his father and his maister in v. poundes a piece that he should be forth commyng at all tymes And on the Wednesday next hee was broughte agayne before these Iustices M. Thurston and M. Kene they sittyng at Fresingfield in Hoxton hundred and there they did appoint and commaund that the sayd Iohn Iaruis shoulde be set in the stockes the next market day and whipt about the market naked But his Maister one William Iaruis did after craue friendship of the Constables and they dyd not set him in the stockes till Sonday morning and in the after noone they did whip hym about the market wyth a dog whip hauyng three cords and so they let hym go Some doe geue that Iohn Iaruis was whipped for saying that Nich. Cadman was Noyes Hastler that is such one as maketh and hasteth the fire The copy of a certaine letter that he sent to comforte his Wyfe at such tyme as he lay
taught What can I do more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for the confirmation of Gods trueth Pray that I may continue vnto the end The greatest part of the assault is paste I prayse my God I haue in all my assaultes felt the present ayde of my God I geue him most harty thankes therefore Looke not backe nor be ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bonds I haue suffered for the same thereby ye may be assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no time for the losse of one man in the battell for the campe to turne backe Vp with mennes hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresies Let one take the Banner and the other the Trumpette I meane not to make corporall resistaunce but pray and ye shall haue Elias defence and Elizeus company to fight for you The cause is the Lordes Nowe my brethren I can write no more time will not suffer and my harte with panges of death is assaulted but I am at home with my God yet aliue Pray for me salute one another with the holy kisse The peace of god rest with you all Amen From Newgate prison in haste the day of my condemnation Iohn Rough. An other letter of Iohn Rough written vnto the Congregation two dayes before he suffered THe spirite of all consolation be with you ayde you and make you strong to runne to the fight that is layde before you wherewithall God in all ages hath tryed hys elect and hath found them worthy of himselfe by copling to theyr head Iesus Christ in whome who so desireth to liue Godly the same must needes suffer persecution For it is geuen vnto them not onely to beleeue but also to suffer And the Seruaunt or Scholer can not be greater then his Lord or Mayster but by the same way the head is entered the members must folow no life is in the members which are cutte from the body likewise we haue no life but in Christ for by him we liue moue and haue our being My deare sonne now departing this life to my great aduauntage I make chaūge of mortality with immortality of corruption to put on incorruption to make my body like to the corne cast into the ground which except it die first it can bring forth no good fruite Wherefore death is to my great vauntage for therby the body ceaseth from sinne and after turneth into the first originall but after shall be chaunged and made brighter then the Sonne or Moone What shall I write of this corporall death seeing it is decreed of God that all men shall once die happy are they that die in the Lord which is to dye in the fayth of Christ professing and confessing the same before many witnesses I prayse my God I haue passed the same iourney by manye temptations the deuill is very busye to perswade the world to entise with promises and fayre wordes which I omitte to write least some might thinke I did hunt after vayne glorye whiche is farthest from my hart Lastly the daunger of some false brethren who before the Byshop of London purposed to confesse an vntrueth to my face yet the God that ruled Balaam moued theyr hartes where they thought to speake to my accusation hee made them speake to my purgation What a iourney by Gods power I haue made these eight dayes before this date it is aboue flesh and bloud to beare but as Paule sayth I may do all thinges in hym which worketh in me Iesus Christ. My course brethrē haue I run I haue fought a good fight the crowne of righteousnes is layd vp for me my daye to receiue it is not long too Praye Brethren for the enemye doth yet assaulte Stande constaunt vnto the ende then shall you possesse your Soules Walke worthely in that vocation wherein you are called Comfort the Bretheren Salute one another in my name Be not ashamed of the Gospell of the Crosse by me preached nor yet of my suffering for with my bloud I affirme the same I go before I suffer first the bayting of the Butchers Dogges yet I haue not done what I should haue done but my weaknes I doubt not is supplied in the strēgth of Iesus christ and your wisedomes learning will accept that small talent which I haue distributed vnto you as I trust as a faythfull stewarde and if what was vndone impute that to my frayltye and ignoraunce and with your loue couer that which is and was naked in me God knoweth ye all are tender vnto me my hart bursteth for the loue of you Ye are not without your great pastor of your soule who so loueth you that if men were not to bee sought out as God be praysed there is no want of men he would cause stones to minister vnto you Cast your care on that Rock the wind of temptation shall not preuayle fast and praye for the dayes are euill Looke vp with your eyes of hope for the redemption is not farre off but my wickednesse hath deserued that I shall not see it And also that which is behind of the bloud of our brethren which shall also be layd vnder the aulter shall crye for your reliefe Time wil not now suffer me to write longer Letters The spirite of God guid you in and out rising sitting couer you with the shadow of his winges defend you agaynst the tyrannye of the wicked and bring you happely vnto the Porte of eternall felicitye where all teares shall be wyped from your eyes and you shall alwayes abyde wyth the Lambe Iohn Rough. ¶ Margaret Mearing Martyr IT is declared that in the companye of Iohn Roughe was burned one Margaret Mearyng who as the Register maketh mention was at one time and day brought wyth the sayde Rough foorth to examination where the Byshop hauynge no priuate matters to charge her withall did the eightenth daye of December obiecte agaynste her those common and accustomable Articles mentioned before pag 1585. To which she aunswered as followeth FIrst that there is here in earth a catholicke Churche and that there is the true fayth of Christ obserued and kept in the same Church 2 Item that there were onely two sacramentes in the Church namely the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ and the sacrament of Baptisme 3 Item that she was baptised in the fayth beliefe of the sayd Church renouncing there by her Godfathers and Godmothers the Deuill and all his workes c. 4 Item that when she came to the age of fouretene yeares shee did not knowe what her true beliefe was because shee was not then of discretion to vnderstande the same neyther yet was taught it 5 Item that she had not gone from the catholicke fayth at any time but she sayde that the Masse was abhominable before the sight of God and before the sight of all true Christian people and that it is the
theirs God is my father God is my mother God is my Sister my Brother my Kinsman God is my frend moste faythfull ¶ The cruell burning of a woman at Exeter Touching the name of this woman as I haue nowe learned she was the wife of one called Prest dwelling in the Dioces of Exeter not farre from Launceston ¶ The Persecution and Martyrdome of three godly men burnt at Bristow about the latter yeares of Queene Maries reigne IN writing of the blessed Sayntes which suffered in the bloudy dayes of queene Mary I had almost ouerpassed the names and story of three godly Martyrs whiche with theyr bloud gaue testimony likewise to the gospell of Christ being condemned and burnt in the town of Bristow The names of whom were these Richard Sharpe Thomas Benion Thomas Hale First Richarde Sharpe Weauer of Bristowe was brought the 9. day of Marche an 1556. before M. Dalbye Chauncellour of the Towne or City of Bristow and after examination concerning the sacrament of the aultar was perswaded by the sayde Dalbye and others to recant and the 29. of the same moneth was enioyned to make his recantation before the Parishioners in his parish Churche Which whē he had done he felt in his cōscience such a tormenting hell that he was not able quietly to worke in his occupation but decayed and chaunged both in colour and liking of his body Who shortly after vpon a sonday came into his parish Church called Temple after high masse came to the queere doore sayd with a loud voyce Neighbors beare me recorde that yonder Idoll and poynted to the aultar is the greatest and most abhominable that euer was and I am sory that euer I denied my Lord GOD. Then the Constables were commaunded to apprehende him but none stepped forth but suffered him to goe out of the Church After by night he was apprehended and caried to Newgate shortly after he was brought before the sayd Chauncellor denying the sacrament of the aultar to be the body bloud of Christ sayd it was an Idoll and therfore was cōdemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby He was burnt the 7. of May. 1557. and dyed godly paciently and constantly confessing the articles of our fayth ¶ Thomas Hale Martyr THe Thursday in the night before Easter .1557 came one M. Dauid Herris Alderman Iohn Stone to the house of one Thomas Hale a Shoomaker of Bristowe caused him to rise out of his bedde brought hym foorth of his dore To whō the said Tho. Hale said You haue sought my bloud these two yeares now much good do it you with it Who being committed to the watchmen was caried to Newgate the 24. of April the yere aforesaid was brought before M. Dalby the Chancelor committed by him to prison after by him condemned to be burnt for saying the sacrament of the altar to be an Idoll He was burned the 7. of May with the foresayd Rich. Sharpe godly paciently and constantly embracing the fire with his armes Two Godly Martyrs burned at Bristow Richard Sharpe Thomas Hale were burned both together in one fire and bound backe to backe Thomas Benion THomas Benion a Weauer at the commaundement of the Commissioners was brought by a Constable the thirtenth daye of August 1557. before Mayster Dalbye Chauncellour of Bristow who committed him to pryson for saying there was nothing but bread in the Sacrament as they vsed it Wherefore the twenty day of the sayd August he was condemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby for denying fiue of theyr Sacramentes and affirming two that is the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and the Sacrament of Baptisme He was burnt the seuen and twenty of the sayd moneth and yeare and dyed godly Thomas Benion burned at Bristow constantly and patiently with confessing the articles of our christian fayth ¶ The Martyrdome of fiue constant Christians which suffered the last of all other in the time of Queene Mary THe last that suffred in Queene Maries time were fiue at Caunterburye burned about sixe dayes before the death of Queene Mary whose names follow here vnder written Iohn Corneford of Wortham Christopher Browne of Maydstone Iohn Herst of Ashford Alice Snoth Katherine Knight otherwise called Katherine Tynley an aged woman These fiue to close vp the finall rage of queene Maries persecution for the testimony of that word for whiche so many had died before gaue vp theyr liues meekly and paciently suffering the violent malice of the Papistes Which Papists although they then might haue either well spared them or els deferred theyr death knowing of the sicknesse of Queene Mary yet such was the implacable despite of that generation that some there be that say the Archdeacō of Canterbury the same time being at London vnderstanding the daunger of the Queene incontinently made al post hast home to dispatch these whom before he had thē in his cruell custody The matter why they were iudged to the fire was for beleuing the body not to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnlesse it be receiued saying moreouer that we receiue an other thing also beside Christes body which we see and is a temporall thing according to S. Paule The thinges that be sene be temporall c. Item for confessing that an euill man doth not receiue Christes body Because no man hath the sonne except it be geuen him of the father Item that it is Idolatry to creepe to the crosse and S. Iohn forbidding it sayth Beware of Images Itē for confessing that we should not pray to our Lady and other Sayntes because they be not omnipotent For these and such other articles of Christian doctrine were these fiue committed to the fire Agaynst whom whē the sentence shoulde be read and they excommunicate after the maner of the papistes one of them Iohn Cornford by name styrred with a vehemēt spirit of the zeale of god proceeding in a more true excōmunication agaynst the papistes in the name of them all pronounced sentēce against them in these wordes as folow In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of the most mighty God and by the power of his holy spirite the authority of his holy catholick Apostolick church we do geue here into th◠handes of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers hereticks that do mainteine any error agaynst his most holy word or do cōdemne his most holy truth for heresy to the mainteinaunce of any false Churche or fayned Religion so that by this thy iuste iudgement O most mighty God against thy aduersaries thy true religion may be knowne to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of al our natiō Good Lord so be it Amen This sentence of excommunication beyng the same time openly pronounced and registred proceeding so as it seemeth from an inwarde fayth and hartye zeale to Gods trueth and
watch euery man declaring his opinion in that behalfe agreeing straightly and circumspectly to keepe her Then one of them whiche was the Lorde of Sussex swearing sayd my Lordes let vs take heede and doe no more then our commission will beare vs what soeuer shal happeÌ„ hereafter And further let vs consider that she was the king our Maistres daughter and therfore let vs vse such dealing that we may aunswere vnto it hereafter if it shall so happen for iust dealing quoth he is alwayes answerable Whereunto the other Lords agreed that it was well sayde of him and thereupon departed Being in the Tower within two daies commaundement was that she should haue Masse within her house One M. Yong was then her Chapleyne and because there was none of her men so well learned to helpe the priest to say masse the masse stayed for that day The next day two of her Yeomen who had gone long to schoole before and were learned had two Abcies prouided and deliuered them so that vppon the Abcies they should helpe the Priest One of the sayd Yeomen holdyng the Abcie in his hand pretending ignoraunce at Kirie â—leyson set the priest making as though he could aunswere that no farther It would make a pittiful and and a strange story here by the way to touche and recite what examinations and rackinges of poore men there were to finde out that knife that should cut her throat what gaping among my Lords of the clergy to see the day wherein they might wash their goodly white rochetes in her innocent bloud but especially the Bysh. of Winchester Steuen Gardiner then L. Chauncellour ruler of the rost who then within fiue days after came vnto her with diuers other of the counsell and examined her of the talke that was at Ashridge betwixt her and sir Iames Acroft concerning her remouing from thence to Dunnington Castle requiring her to declare what she ment thereby At the first she being so sodainly asked did not wel remember any such house but within a while well aduising her selfe she sayde In deede quoth she I doe now remember that I haue such a place but I neuer laye in it in all my lyfe And as for any that hath mooued me thereunto I do not remember Then to enforce the matter they broght forth sir Iames Acroft The B. of Winchester demaunded of her what she said to that man She answered that shee had little to say to hym or to the rest that were then prisoners in the tower But my Lordes quoth she you do examine euery mean prisoner of me wherein me thinkes you doe me great iniury If they haue done euill and offended the Queenes Maiesty let them answer to it accordingly I beseech you my Lords ioyne not me in this sort with any of these offenders And as concerning my goyng vnto Dunnington Castle I do remember that M. Hobby and mine officers and you sir Iames Acroft had such talk but what is that to the purpose my Lordes but that I may goe to myne owne houses at all tymes The L. of Arundell kneeling downe said your grace sayth true and certainly we are very sory that we haue so troubled you about so vayne matters She then sayd my Lordes you do sift me very narowly But well I am assured you shall not do more to me then God hath appointed and so God forgeue you all At their departure sir Iames Acroft kneeled downe declaring that he was sory to see the day in which he shuld be brought as a witnesse against her grace But I assure your grace sayd he I haue bene maruelously tossed and examined touching your highnesse which the Lord knoweth is very strange to me For I take God to record before all your honours I do not know any thing of that crime that you haue layd to my charge and will thereupon take my death if I should be driuen to so strait a triall That day or thereabouts diuers of her owne officers who had made prouision for her diet brought the same to the vtter gate of the Tower the common rascall souldiors receiuing it which was no small griefe vnto the Gentlemâ—n the bringers therof Wherfore they required to speak with the Lord Chamberlaine being then Constable of the Tower Who commyng before his presence declared vnto his Lordship that they were much afrayd to bryng her graces diete and to deliuer it vnto such common and desperate persons as they were which did receiue it beseeching his honor to consider her grace and to geue such order that her viands might at all tymes bee brought in by them which were appointed thereunto Yea Sirs said he who appointed you this office They answered her graces counsaile Counsaile quoth he There is none of them which hath to do either in that case or any thing els within this place and I assure you for that she is a prisoner she shall be serued with the Lieuetenaunts men as other the prisoners are Whereat the Gentlemen sayd that they trusted for more fauour at his hands considering her personage saying that they mistrusted not but that the Queene and her Counsaile would be better to her grace then so therewith shewed themselues to be offended at the vngratefull words of the L. Chamberlaine towards their Ladye and maistresse At this he sware by God strikyng hymselfe vpon the brest that if they did either fronne or shrug at him he wold set them where they should see neither sunne nor Moone Thus takyng their leaue they desired God to bryng hym into a better mynde toward her grace and departed from hym Upon the occasion wherof her graces Officers made great sute vnto the Queenes Counsaile that some might be appointed to bring her dyet vnto her and that it might no more be deliuered into the common Souldiours of the Tower Which beyng reasonably considered was by theÌ„ granted And thereupon were appointed one of her Gentlemen her clarke of her kitchin her two Purueiers to bring in her prouision once a day All which was done the Warders euer waiting vpon the bringers thereof The Lord Chamberlaine himselfe being always with them circumspectly and narowly watched and searched what they brought and gaue heede that they should haue no talke with any of her graces waiting seruauntes and so warded them both in and out At the said sute of her officers were sent by the commandement of the Counsaile to waite vppon her grace two Yeomen of her chamber one of her Robes two of her Pantry Ewry one of her Buttry another of her Seller two of her Kitchin one of her Larder all which continued with her the tyme of her trouble Here the Constable beyng at the first not very well pleased with the commyng in of such a company agaynst his will would haue had his men still to haue serued with her Graces men Which her seruaunts at no hand would suffer desiring his Lordship to be
that is to stande in feare and doubt of hys iustification and to worke his saluation by merites and deedes of the lawe he began more and more to growe in doubtfull despaire and discomfort of mynd as the nature of that doctrine is vtterly to pluck away a mans mynd from all certaintie and true liberty of spirit to a seruile doubtfulnes full of discomfort and bondage of soule Thus the yong man seduced and peruerted thorough this blynd doctrine of ignoraunce and dubitation fell into a great agonie of mynde wandryng and wrestlyng in him selfe a long space till at length beyng ouercome with despaire and not hauyng in the popish doctrine wherewith to rayse vp his soule he went out of the citie on a tyme to walke accompanied with three other Studentes of the same Uniuersitie his speciall familiars Who after their walke as they returned home agayne Arnoldus for wearinesse as it seemed sate down by a spring side to rest him a while The other supposing none other but that hee for wearines there rested to refresh hymselfe went forward a little past hym In the meane tyme what doth Arnoldus but sodainly taketh out his dagger and stroke himself into the body His fellowes seeyng him shrinking downe and the fountaine to be all coloured with the bloude which issued out of the wound came runnyng to him to take hym vp and so searching his body where the wound should be at length found what he had done and how hee had striken hymselfe with hys dagger into the brest Whereupon they tooke hym and brought hym into an house next at hande and there exhorted hym as well as they could to repente hys fact who then by outwarde gesture seemed to geue some shew of repentance Notwithstanding the sayd Arnoldus espiyng one of hys friendes there busie aboute hym to haue a knyfe hangyng at hys girdle violentlye plucked out the knife and with mayne force stabbed hymselfe to the hart By these Louanian examples as we haue all to learn no man to be sure of his life but that he alwayes needeth to craue and cal vnto the Lord to blesse him with his truth and grace so especially would I wish our English Louanians which nowe make fortes in that Uniuersitie against the open truth of Christs gospel to be wise in time and not to spurne so against the pricke Ne forte c. Or if they thinke yet these examples not enough for sufficient admonition let them ioyne hereto the remembraunce also of Iacobus Latomus a chiefe and principall captayne of the same Uniuersitie of Louane Who after he had bene at Bruxels and there thinkyng to do a great acte agaynst Luther and his fellowes made an Oration before the Emperour so foolishly and ridiculously that hee was laughed to scorne almost of the whole Courte Then returnyng from thence to Louan agayne in his publike Lecture he fell in an open fury and madnesse vttring such words of desperation and blasphemous impietie that the other Diuines which were there and namely Ruardus Anchusianus were fayne to cary him away as he was rauyng and so shut him into a close chamber From that tyme vnto his last breath Latomus had neuer any thyng els in hys mouth but that he was damned and reiected of God and that there was no hope of saluation for hym because that wittingly and against his knowledge he withstoode the manifest truth of his word Ex Epist. Senarclaei ante hist. de morte Diazij Item ex Oratione Pauli Eberi in comitijs Wittembergae habita Thus almighty God not onely by his worde but by examples also diuers and sundry wise doth warne vs first to seeke to knowe the perfect will and decree of the Lord our God appoynted in his worde The perfect will and full testament of the Lord in his word is this that he hath sent and geuen his onely sonne vnto vs beyng fully contented to accept our fayth onely vpon him for our perfect iustification and full satisfaction for all our transgressions and this is called in Scripture Iusticia Dei To this will and righteousnesse of God they that humbly submit themselues finde place and rest in their soules that no maÌ„ is able to expresse and haue strength enough agaynst all the inuasions and temptations of Sathan Contrarywise they that will not yeld their obedience vnto the wyll and ordinaunce of GOD â—xpressed in hys worde but will seeke their owne righteousnesse which is of man labouryng by their merites and satisfactions to serue and please God these not onely do finde with God no righteousnesse at all but in stead of hys fauour procure to themselues his horrible indignation in steade of comfort heape to themselues desperation and in the end what inconuenience they come to by these aboue recited examples of Guarlacus Bomelius and Latomus it is euident to see And out of this fountayne springeth not onely the punishmentes of these men but also all other inconueniences whiche happen amongest men where so euer this pernicious and erroneous doctrine of the Papistes taketh place A Dominike Frier of Mounster as he was inueighyng in the Pulpitte agaynst the Doctrine of the Gospell then springyng vp was striken with a sodayne flashe of lightnyng and so ended his lyfe Ex Pantal. in 2. parte Rerum memor Manlius in his booke De dictis Philippi Melancth maketh mention of a certaine Tailors seruaunte in Lypsia who receiuing first the Sacrament in both kyndes wyth the Gospellers and afterward beyng perswaded by the papists receiued with them vnder one kynd Whereupon beyng admonished of his maister to come to the Communion againe in the Church of the Gospellers hee stoode a great while and made no answer At last crying out vpon a sodaine he ran to the window thereby and so cast hymselfe out and brake his necke In the same Manlius mention is also made of a certayne Gentleman of name and authoritie but he nameth hym not who hearyng these wordes in a song Ein feste burg ist vnser Gott that is Our onely holde or fortresse is our God Psalme 46. aunswered and sayd Ich will helffeÌ„ die burg zerschiessé oder ich wil nit leben that is I wil help to shoote agaynst thy staye or forte or els I will not liue And so within three dayes after hee dyed without repentaunce or confessing his fayth Ex Manlio De dictis Philip. Melancth Of Sadoletus the learned Cardinall likewise it is reported of some that he dyed not without great tormentes of conscience and desperation The Commendator of S. Anthony who sate as spirituall Iudge ouer that godly learned man Wolfgangus burned in Lotharing in Germany and gaue sentence of his condemnation fell sodenly dead shortly after Read before pag. 884. Also his fellow the Abbot of Clarilocus and Suffragan to the bishop of Metz at the cracke of gunnes sodenly fell downe and dyed pag.
leaue it to the reporte of them which in this matter know more then I here will vtter But notwithstanding al these cracks and threatnings of the king to see what the Lord can doe in making hygh kinges to stoupe euen the same day when the king was in his most rage agaynst these good men almightye God taking the cause in hand to fight for his Church so turned the matter that he made the great enemy of hys both with his mouth and with his hand to worke his own destruction with his mouth in commaunding with his hanâ— in geuing him the Lance into hys hand which the same day gaue him his deathes wound as by the sequele hereof in reading ye may vnderstand ¶ The stroke of Gods hand vpon Henry .2 French king KIng Henry being in the ParliameÌ„t house which was kept at the Fryer Augustines at Paris because the Pallace was in preparing agaynst the mariage of hys daughter and his sister and hauing heard the opinion in religioÌ„ of Anne du Bourg Counsaylour in the lawe a man eloquent and learned he caused the sayd Anne du Bourg and Loys du Faur Counsaylours to be taken prisoners by the Constable of Fraunce who apprehended them and delyuered them into the handes of the Countye of Mongommery the which caryed them to prison Agaynst whom the king being wrathfull and angry among other talke sayd to the sayd Anne du Bourg These eyes of mine shall see thee burnt And so on the 19. of Iune Commission was geuen to the Iudges to make his Proces During this meane while great feastes and banquets were preparing in the Courte for ioy and gladnes of the mariage that should be of the kinges daughter and sister agaynst the last day of Iune saue one So when the day tyme aboue prefixed was come the king employed all the morning in examining as wel the Presidentes as Counsaylours of the sayde Parliament agaynst these prisoners and other theyr companions that were charged with the same doctrine which being done they went to dinner The king after he had dyned for that he was one of the defendauntes at the Tourney which was solemnly made in S. Anthonies Streate neare to the prison where the foresayde Prisoners were committed hee entred into the Lystes and there in iusting as the manner is had broken many Staues right valiauntly as could be runnyng as well agaynste the Countye of Montgommery as other moe Whereupon he was highly commended of the lookers on And because he had done so valiauntly and was thought nowe to haue done enough hee was desired to cease with praise But he being the more inflamed with hearing of hys prayse woulde needes runne an other course wyth Montgommery who then refusing to runne agaynst the king and kneling vpon his knees for pardon not to run the king being egerly set commanded him vpon his allegeance to runne and as some affirme did also him selfe put the staffe in his hand vnto whose handes he had committed the foresayd prisoners a little before Montgommery thus being enforced whether he would or no to run agaynst the king addressed hymselfe after the best wyse to obey the kinges commaundement Whereupon he and the king met together so stoutly that in breaking theyr Speares the king was striken with the counter blowe so right in one of hys eyes by reasonne that the visour of his Helmet so sodenly fell downe at the same instaunt that the shiuers entred into hys head so that the braynes was peryshed thereupon so festred that no remedy could bee founde although Phisitions and Surgeons were sent for from all places in the Realme as also froÌ„ Brabant by king Philip but nothing auayled so that the xj day after that is the x. of Iuly 1559. he ended his life in great dolour hauing raigned xij yeares three monethes and ten dayes Some report that among other wordes he said that he feared he was strickeÌ„ for casting the poore christians wrongfully in prisoÌ„ but the Cardinal of Loraine standing by as he was alwayes at haÌ„d sayd vnto him that it was the enemy that tempted him that he should be stedfast in the fayth By this meanes the Hall which was prepared for a place of ioy and gladnes did now serue for a Chappel to keep the corps being dressed with blacke mourning cloth night and day tâ—ere was nothing heard but mournyng and lamenting for the space of xl dayes About two yeares after this which was the yeare of our Lord .1561 there were certayne Gentlemen put to death at Amboise for taking armes agaynst the house of Guise Touching which Gentlemen this is to be noted that as one of theÌ„ should be brought to the place of executioÌ„ where the other lay dead before him he thrust his handes into the bloud of two of his companions which were there beheaded and then lifting them vp to heauen cryed with a loud voyce Lord behold the bloud of thy childreÌ„ thou wilt in time and place reuenge it Not long after the same the Chancellor Oliuier who was condemner of theÌ„ at the instigatioÌ„ and pursuit of the Cardinall of Loraine through great remorse of coÌ„science fell sicke and in a frensy casting out sighes vncessauntly afflicting himselfe after a fearefull and strauÌ„ge fashion for his vnrighteous sentence and more then barbarous cruelty shriked vpon a sodeyne with an horrible cry sayd O Cardinall thou wilt make vs all to be damned And within a very few dayes after he dyed Fraunces the second of that name king of Fraunce at the perswasion of the Cardinall of Loraine of certeyne others caused an asseÌ„bly of the Estates of the realm in the towne of Orleans among other things to mainteine the Papall See to the ouerthrow of those which would lyue after the sincerity of the gospel but being fallen sick shortly after in the foresayd place of a feuer through an Impostume in his left eare he dyed the fourth of Decemb. 1561. hauing raigned but one yeare and about fiue monethes It was sayd of this king Fraunces as the authour aboue mentioned reporteth that when he was drawyng toward his end the Cardinal of Loraine made him to say and pronounce these words which folow Lord forgeue me my trespasses and impute not vnto me the faultes which my ministers haue done vnder my name and authority Neither is it vnworthy of obseruation that after the father happened in much like sort by gods mighty iudgement vpon Carol. 9. his second sonne brother to Frances aboue mentioned in these our latter dayes who after the horrible and bloudy murder of the Admyrall other true professors of Christes Gospell both men womeÌ„ and children to the nuÌ„ber of many thousandes of diuers Cityes in so much that the prisoÌ„s streetes are said to be coloured with bloud smoking after such a cruell sort as in our time or country the like hath not hitherto bene sene by the terrible
rauening extortioning or with vsury oppressing the poore and nedy but stedfast vnmoueable liuing in the feare of Gods iudgementes and trust vpon his mercy mortifying our brutish and carnall lustes being mercifull and helpeful to the poore and nedy wayting for the blessed time when Christ shall call vs to be ready accepted before him Our merciful Lord good Father graunt vs grace so to doe for the loue of his deare sonne Iesus Christ our certayne and most deare Sauior to whom with the father the holy ghost be all honor for euer and euer Amen Psalme Cxv. Precious in the sighte of the Lord is the death of his sayntes Apocalips vi These are they which are come out of great troubles and haue washed theyr clothes and made them white in the bloude of the lambe ¶ Certayne Cautions of the Authour to the Reader of thinges to be considered in reading this story AMongst other escapes and ouersightes in the Edition of this story committed part of them we leaue to thine owne gentle castigation gentle reader certaine other specialities there be whereof wee thought it good and expedient to geue thee warning as hereafter followeth First when mention is made pag. 34. of Peters being at Rome and suffering at Rome following certayne Authors yet forsomuch as other writers there be reasons to proue that he was not at Rome I desire thee therfore that this my affirmation may not preiudice other mens iudgementes if anye see or can say further in that matter Touching the story of the Turkes where as I in following our Christian Authours writing of the Turkes haue noted in the pag. 747. Solymannus to be the 12. Turke after Ortomannus as they do all record I haue found since by the computation of the Turkes set forth in the Table of theyr owne discent the sayde Solymannus to be but the 6. emperor of the Turks this Solimannus his sonne which now reygneth to be but the twelfe Which I thought here to signifie vnto thee because of theyr own turkish prophecie noted in the pag. 771. lest in construing of that Prophecie being in the same place expounded thou be deceiued Item 1245. where mayster George Blag is named to be one of the priuie chamber here is to be noted also that although he were not admitted as one of the priuy chamber yet his ordinary resort thither and to the kinges presence there was such as although hee were not one of them yet was he so commonly taken Item pag. 1367. in the story of the Duke of Somerset where it is sayde that at the returne of the Earle of Warwicke out of Norfolke there was a consultation amongst the Lordes assembling themselues together in the house of M. Yorke c. agaynst the Duke of Somerset here is to be noted that the comming of the Lordes to the said house of M. Yorke was not immediately vpon the Duke of Northumberlandes returne but first hee went to Warwicke and from thence after a space came to the house aforesayd Item here is also to be noted touching the sayd Duke of Somerset that albeit at his death relation is made of a sodeine falling of the people as was at the taking of christ this is not to be expounded as though I compared in any part the Duke of Somerset with Christ. And though I do something more attribute to the coÌ„mendation of the sayd Duke of Somerset which dyed so constantly in his religion yet I desire thee gentle reader so to take it not that I did euer meane to derogate or empeyre the martiall prayse or â—actes of other men which also are to be commended in suche thinges where they well deserued Item touching the same Duke of Somerset where the story sayth pag. 1367. he was attaynted read indited Item pag. 1418. where mention is made of one Nicolas Underwood to be the betrayer of the Duke of Suffolke ioyne with the sayd Underwood also Nicolas Laurence alias Nicolas Ethell keeper of Asteley Parke who taking vpon him and promising to keepe the Duke for 2. or three dayes vntill hee might finde some meanes to escape conueyed him into an hollowe tree and after moste trayterously bewrayed him Item fol. 1419. in the Storye of Syr Thomas Wyat there is also to be corrected that where the story sayth that he was taken by Syr Clement Parson which was not so nor he no such knight amend it thus that he first came to Clarentius being sent vnto him and afterward yealded him to Syr Mortis Bartly Briefly and in generall besides these castigations aboue noted if thou finde any other committed in the printing hereof gently I desire thee gentle reader to bestowe a little paynes with thine owne hand to amend them * Notes omitted of them that were burnt at Bristowe THe viij daye of August 1953. was brought Wil. Sarton weauer of Bristow before one Dalbie Chauncellour of Bristow aforesaid and by him committed to prison and also condemned for holding that the sacrament was a signe of an holy thing also he denyed that the flesh and bloud of Christ is there after their words of consecration he was burned the xviij of september 1556. and as he weÌ„t to the fire he sang the Psalmes The Sheriffe Ioh. Griffith had prepared greene wood to burne him but one mayster Iohn Pikes pitieng the man caused diuers to goe wyth him to Ridland halfe a myle of who brought good store of helme sheaues which in deede made good dispatch with little payne in comparison to that he should haue suffered with the greene woode In the meane space whilest they went for the sheues the sayde Sarton made many good exhortations to the people and after dyed constantly and patiently with great ioyfulnes * A note of Prestes wyfe of Exceter IN Cornewall not farre from Launceston within the Dioces of Exceter in Queene Maryes dayes dwelled a poore man whose name was Prest his wife beyng an honest woman very simple but of good zeale and vpright life being taught by God in hearing of his worde albeit it was in those dayes very seldome preached anye where and feeling a sweete taste thereof framed her lyfe a new after the rule of the same And banished quite from her all the popishe dregges of superstition and hipocrisie gaue her selfe wholly to prayer and inuocating the name of God both for the afflicted Church of Christ in those dayes very dangerously rost and tormoyled as also for her own inward contentation and spirituall consolation whiche she no little felt to her vnspeakeable ioy and incomparable comfort And when some who before had known her sawe that marueilous chaunge in her and as the cruell serpent enueying her felicitie went vpoÌ„ the same immediately and accused her to certayn Iustices of the shire being extreme enemies to the truth and very persecutors of the same who taking the matter in hande as very glad of such occasion sent for her to the place where she was and
a Popish Iustice. The trouble and escape of Henry Browne out of his enemyes handes Glaues wyfe maintayner of Popery and a persecutour Iustice Lelond writeth to the Constables to apprehende Henry Browne Henry Browne troubled for burning of Beades in Queene Elizabethes tyme. Like Maister lyke men A lamentable thing when such Iustices beare rule ouer Christian congregations Henry Browne vnder suertyes dismissed for a tyme. The punishment of Gods stroke vpon an obstinate persecutor Examination of William Wood. W. Wood charged for not comming to church .3 causes why William Wood durst not receiue the Sacrament of the Aultar Ezech. 5. William Woods question propounded to the Doctours The naturall quantitye of Chriâ—t not in the Sacrament The Papistes could not agree in their owne doctrine W Wood deliuered as was S. Paule by the contention of the Phariseys and Saduces The Story of Simon Grineus Ex Commentariis Phil. Melanct in cap. 10. Daniell Iohn Faber Bishop of Vienna persecutour Obsequium amicos Veritas odium parit Faber gently admonished of Grinaeus for his Sermon Godly warning seÌ„t by an old man to Grinaeus Grinaeus accused and pursued Grinaeus warned to flye escapeth Gods mercyfull prouidence in defeating the cruell purpose of persecutors The olde hatred of Stephen Gardiner Byshop of Winchester agaynst the Duchesse of Suffolke M. â—ich Bertie husband to the Dâ—chesse attached by the Byshop of Wynchester M. Bertâ—e appeareth before B. Gardiner Talke betweene B. Gardiner and M. Bertie The deuotion of B. Gardiner to good Friday M. Bertie attached for debt of 4000. poundes due to the Queene Kette Captaynâ— of the rebells in Northfolke in K. Edwardes tyme. A Dogge clothed in a Rochet vnder the name of B. Gardiner It is mery with Lambeâ— when wolues be tyed vp Purgation of the Lady Duchesse for not comming to Masse Religion goeth not by age but by truth M. Bertye released from his band of appearing Wayes practised how to conuey the Duchesse ouer the Seas with the Quâ—enes licence M. Bertye deuiseth cause to passe ouer into Flaunders M Bertye licensed by the Queene to passe the Seas Preparation made how to 〈◊〉 the Duâ—hesse ouer the â—eas M. Cranwell a 〈◊〉 friend to Maâ—ster Bertye The Duchesse with her company departeth the realme The maâ—er of the Duchesse â—â—â—ing out of her house The Duchesse with her company taketh Barge Pursute after the Duchesse The Duchesse retayned in M. Goslings house by Leigh vnder the name of his daughter The hard aduenture of the Duchesse vpon the Seas The Duchesse landed in Brabant M. Bertye with the Duchesse his wyfe ariued at Santon The free towne of Wesell in Cleueland A proteâ—tion procured for the Duchesse of the Magistrates of Wesell M. Bertye and the Duchesse in daunger of taking by the B. of Arras at Santon An other escape of the Duchesse and her husband The hard distresse of the Duchesse by euill wether The hard intertainment of M. Bertye and the Duchesse of their entring into Wesell Gods prouidence in tyme of 〈◊〉 The meeting of W. Perusell the Duchâ—sse of Wesell The Citizens of wesell admonished by their Preacher of their hardnes toward straungers A friendly part of Syr Iohn Mason towardes the Duchesse A trayne layd for the Duchesse by the Lord Paget and the Duke of Brunswicke M. Bertye and the Duchesse remoue to Wineheim vnder the Palsgraueâ— The helping hand of the Lord agayne in their necessitye Ioann Alasco a meanes to the king of Poole for the Duchesse of Suffolke The Duchesse inuited into Pooleland by the kinges letters M. Barlow a messenger from the Duchesse to the king of Poole The Pallatine of Vilua a great friend to the Duchesse The Duchesse taketh her iourney toward Pooleland The troubles happening to the Duchesse in her iourny to Pooleland M. Bertye with the Duchesse honourably intertayned of the king of Poole A story of Thomas Horton Minister The story of Thomas Sprat William Porrege M. Brent Iustice in Kent a persecutour The two Blachendens in Kent persecutours Thomas Sprat almost taken in the way by the Iustice. Thomas Sprat called of the Iustice but would not come God alwayes stronger then the deuill Thomas Sprat gotteth ouer the hedge from his persecutoâ—â— William Porrege escapeth The Lord disposing the way of his seruauntes Thomas Sprat deliuered by Gods helpe from his aduersaryes The troubles of Iohn Cornet how he was deliuered Yackesley Parson of Roughhedge persecutour The mother agaynst her own sonne Cornet whipped out of the towne and so banished Thomas Bryce preserued God blynded the eyes of them which â—â—ught for Thomas Bryce that they could not see him An other 〈◊〉 of Thomas 〈◊〉 and his brother Thomas Iohn Bryce 〈◊〉 by Gods good 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 The trouble and deliueraunce of Gertrude Crokchay This Doct. Mallet is now Deane oâ— Lincolne An other trouble of the sayde Gertrude in Dutchland Cruelty in â—â—aunder 〈◊〉 secretly agaynst the Christians Gertrude returneth into England A story of William Mauldon W. Mauldon accused and scourged for true religion The Prophesis of M. Mauldon in K. Henryes tyme for the fall of Masse and Sacrament of the Aultar Robert Horneby through Gods working preserued Mistres Sandes now Lady Bartlet preserued from persecution The story of Thomas Rose yet liuing Three offered to haue their liues saued to accuse Tho. Rose but would not Thomas Rose arested by a Sergeant at Armes The cruel handling of Thomas Rose by the Papistes Thomas Rose set at libertye by Doctour Cranmers meanes Tho. Rose Chaplaine to the Lord Cromwell The mighty prouidence of God in preseruing Tho. Rose from his enemyes Tho. Rose agayne deliuered Tho. Rose apprehended The 1. examination of Tho. Rose Tho. Rose 〈◊〉 of Winchester Tho. Rose 〈…〉 Winchesters sclaunder Tho Rose committed to the Tower The 2. examination of Tho. Rose before the B. of Winchester How Thomas Rose submitteth himselfe The 3. examination of Thomas Rose Auricular confession Nothing but scripture to be admitted for the regiment of the soule Transubstantiation and Reall presence agaynst the Scriptures the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church The Papistes affirme the reall body of Christ to be in the Sacrament but they know not how The last appearaunce of Thomas Rose before the Bishop Actes 2. How Christ is present in the Sacrament Pâ—pistâ—â—â—râ—estes 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 abroad lyes The blessed prâ—tection of almighty God in preseruing the Lady Elizabeth in her manifold daungers and troubles The troubles of Lady â—lizabeth in Queene Maryeâ— tyme. The history of the Lady Elizabeth Syr Richard Sâ—â—thwell Syr Edward Hastinges and Syr Thomas Cornwalles sent to fetch vp Lady Elizabeth with whom also afterward was sent the Lord Williâ—m Haward c. The 〈◊〉 of the knights A straye Commission from the Queene to bring the Lady Elizabeth either quicke or dead The gentlenes of Q. Mary to send her horselitter to bring her sister to trouble Lady Elizabeth taketh her iourney toward the Queene Lady Elizabeth brought vp to London Syr
iudgement of God vpon a burning persecutour Gods fearefull hand vpon Castellanus persecutour Legate Du Prat the first beginner of persecution agaynst the faythfull horribly plagued Iohn Ruse comming from accusing the faythfull was terribly stricken with Gods hand The wicked end of Claude de Asses a wicked persecutour Peter Lyset author of the burning chamber plagued The mighty hand of God vpon Iohn Morin a greeuous persecutor Iohn Andrew Booke bynder plagued The terrible vengeance of God vpoÌ„ Iohn de Roma a terrible persecutor Iohn Minerius a cruell persecutour plagued of God The French king by sundry sortes of troubles warned of God Riches and Pride of the Clergy the fountayne of all euills The purenes of the primatiue church how long it continued and whereby The false Donation of Constantine Exhortation to the king to seise vpon the temporalityeâ— of the Clergye The ryches of the Popes Clergye how they ought to bâ— employed The malicious and lying slaunders of the Papists to bring the true Gospellers in hatred with Princes Constantine confirmed in his kingdome the more by receauing the Gospel Examples of England and Germany how Princes lose no honour by the gospell The Popes religion more noysome to the state of Princes then the doctrine of the Lutherans Wholesome remedy shewed agaynst the Popes pryde A blynde shift of the Papistes to stop Princes from calling generall Councels The contrarietyes in the Popes Councells enough for their disproofe Prophesie agaynst the French king The story and end of Henry 2. the French king that would not be warned What commeth to kinges that refuâ—e good counsell Henry â— French king wholy set to persecute the Church oâ— Christ. Gods mighty power agaynst his enemyes Henry 2. the French king forâ— set agaynst the poore Protestantes Henry 2. the French king in his triumph iusteth agaynst Montgommery Montgommery agaynst his will commaunded to iuste agaynst the king Henry 2. the French king stricken and killed in his owne iusting The deuelishe perswasion of the Cardinall of Loraine at the death of the French king Certayne gentlemen executed at Amboyse for standing against the house of Guyse The Lordes punishment vpon the Chauncellour Oliuier for his sentence geuen agaynst certayne gentlemen Protestantes The death of Fraunces 2. french king after he began to withstande the course of the Gospell How the Lord worketh for his Gospell The wordes of king Fraunces at his death The terrible stroke of Gods reuenge vpon Carol. 9. the French king The death of Charles the Emperour An Epitaphe vpon Charles Emperour Henry .2 French king and Fraunces his sonne The sodaine death of President Minard The punishment of God vpon the king of Nauarre after he had reuolted from the Gospell to Popery The Duke of Guyse slâ—ine before Orleance The Constable before Paris The Marshall of S. Andrew before Dreux The story of one Drayner otherwise called Iustice nine holes A malitious practise to intrappe a good man Drayner conuict of falsehood A lamentable history of Iohn Whiteman snowmaker Iohn Whitman coulde not suffer the abhominable Idolatry of the Papists Iohn Whitman apprehended Iohn WhitmaÌ„ brought â—efore the â—udges Sentence geuen agaynst Iohn Whitman The Martyrdome and death of Iohn Whitman Iohn 16. 3. Argumentes agaynst the Papistes Gods worde Bloud of Martyrs Gods punishment The plagues of God set against pretensed antiquitye Henry .2 the French king and king FrauÌ„ces his sonne stricken the one in the eyes the other with an impostume in the eare Stephen Gardiner Queene Mary Constable of Fraunce King of Nauar. Henry Smith D. Shaxton The end of Gardiner Iohn de Roma Twyford Bayliffe of Crowland Suffragan of Douer D. Dunning D. Geffray Berrye Poacher Archbishop Crescentius Cardinall Rockwood Latomus Guarlacus Eckius Thornton Pattyer Longe Bomelius all professours of Popery Esay 50. Page 199. A secrete note of Papisteâ— which haue beene great cryers out of Priestes maryage and themselues after taken in open adultery Comparison betweene the ende of Popishe persecutours the Gospellers The godly ende of the Gospellers to be noted The blessed end of King Edward .6 The patient end of the Duke of Somerset the kings vncle The quiet and ioyfull end of the Martyrs Two speciall notes of the â—iue Church of Christ. Outward affliction peace of conscience 2. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 1. The wretched end of Papistes geue testimony agaynst their owne doctrine Admonition to persecutours which yet remayne aliue The end and death of Edmund Boner God maketh the persecutors of his people commonly to be their owne persecutours Saul murderer of himselfe Achitophel murderer of himselfe Iudas murderer of himselfe Senacherib murdered of his owne sonnes Herode and Antiochus murdered by lyce Pilate murderer of himselfe Nero murderer of himselfe Dioclesianus and Maximinianus Emperours deposed them selues Maximinus eaten vp with lyce Maxentius and king Pharao both drowned in their owne harnesse Achaz Achab. Iesabell Manasses Ioachim Sedechias punished of God for theâ—r persecutions The murdering mother church with her bloudy children admonished Esay 1. Esay 1. What the lawes of this Realme could say agaynst the persecutours in Queene Maâ—les tyme. The nature of the Church is not to persecute with bloud In that the persecutours of the Church be suffered of the Church to liue it is to their confusion Syr Henry Bonifield forgiuen Nouember 18. Doctor Weston Great benefites and treasures do nothing profit where the vse of them cannot be inioyed Felicitye not in hauing but in vsing Wicked practises of most cruell Tyrantes Cruelty of late dayes farre exceeding al crueltyes committed by the auncyent and famous tyrauntes in tyme past Tyrantes euill gouernours be the plague of God God worketh all thinges to his owne glory Affliction tryeth men whether they be good or euill God plenteously poureth his benefites vpon vs not for our sakes but of his infinite mercy and for his gloryes sake Wonderfull is the mercy of God in deliuering this Realme from the tyranny of the Papistes The Papistes buildings stand so long onely as they be propt vp with rope sword fagot Burgesses vnlawfully disorderly and violently thrust out of the Parliament house in Queene Maryes dayes The third Parliament in Quueene Maryes dayes not orderly and formally called and therefore of none effecte A ioyfull day God preserueth the innocent maketh frustrate the malicious purposes of the wicked An apt similitude Three thinges which preserue the good estate of a Realme or câ—mmon wealth Charges not to be weyed where Gods glory is to be furthered The 1. proposition Two partes of the proposition The first part of the proposition The Argument or probation The Maior proued An other argument oâ— probation An other argument The fourth argument or probation Ambros. Per hos enim impletur confirmatio precis qui respondent Amen The fyfte argument The sixte argument Obiection dissolued The 7. reason The 8. reason The 9. reason The 10. reason The 11. reason or probation The 12. reasâ—n or probation The second part of the
God To holde you in hys hand Fare well my children from the world Where ye must yet remayne The Lorde of hostes be your defence Till we do meete againe Fare well my loue and louing wife My Children and my frendes I hope to God to haue you all When all thinges haue their endes And if you doe abide in God As ye haue now begonne Your course I warrant will be short Ye haue not farre to runne God graunt you so to end your yeares As he shall thinke it best That ye may enter into heauen Where I do hope to rest Written at the request of a Lady in her booke IF you will walke the way That Christ hath you assignde Then learne this little verse Which I haue left behinde Be feruent in the truth Although it beare the blame And eke apply your youth To sticke vnto the same That when the age is come And death beginneth to call The truth may be your staffe To stay you vp withall And though it bryng rebuke And cause you kisse the crosse Yet is it a reward To all that suffer losse For here we doe lay out The thinges that be but vayne But we are sure to reape The thinges that doe remayne For all that ye do lose Is but a sinnefull slime And lyke vnto a Rose That taryeth but a tyme. But if ye carry Christ And walke the perfect way Ye shall possesse the gold That neuer shall decay And all your fathers goodes Shal be your recompense If ye confesse the worde With double diligence Not onely for to heare His pure and perfite word But also to embrace The fire and eke the sword And if ye keepe this path And do not runne a croke Then shall ye meete the man That write this in your booke In that eternall Ioye That alwayes shall remayne Thus fare well faythfull frend Till we do meete agayne Legem pone TEache me O Lorde to walke thy waies My liuing to amend And I shall keepe it all my dayes Euen to my liues end Geue me a minde to vnderstand So shall I neuer starte But I shall keepe all thy preceptes Euen wholly with mine hart Make me to go a perfect pace In that I haue begonne For all my loue and my delight Is in thy wayes to runne Encline my hart vnto thy wayes Set thou thereon my thought And let me not consume my dayes To couet that is naught O quicken me in all thy wayes The world for to despise And from all fond and foolish toyes Turne thou away mine eyes O plant in me thy perfect word Which is to me so deare Lay vp thy lawes within my hart To keepe me still in feare And robbe me of that great rebuke Which I do feare full sore For all thy iudgementes and thy law Endure for euermore Behold O Lord in thy preceptes Is all my whole delight O quicken me in all my wayes That I may walke aright To hys brother AS nature doth me binde Because thou art my bloud According to my kinde To geue thee of my good That thou mayest haue in minde How I haue runne my race Although thou bide behynde But for a little space I yeaue thee here a pearle The price of all my good For whiche I leaue my life To buy it with my bloud More worth then all the world Or ought that I can note Although it be yclad In such a simple cote For when I had obtayned This pearle of such a price Then was I sure I gayned The way for to be wise It taught me for to fight My flesh for to despise To sticke vnto the light And for to leaue the lyes In sending out my seede With bondes and bitter teares That I might reape with Ioye In euerlasting yeares And haue for all my losse My trauayle and my payne A thousand tymes and more Of better goodes agayne And for because the good That hath bene gotte and gayned And that the Lordes elect Hath euermore obtayned Is closed in this booke Which I do geue to thee Wherein I haue my parte As thou thy selfe mayest see In which I hope thou hast A stocke also in store And wilt not cease to sayle Till God haue made it more I will thee to beware Be sure thou keepe it well For if thou do it lose Thy part shal be in hell And here I testifie Before the liuing God That I detest to doe The thinges that are forbod And as in iudgemente is My body to be brent My hart is surely sette Therewith to be content And sith it is his will To put in me his power Vpon his holy hill To fight agaynst this whore Full well I am content If he allowe it so To stand with all my might The whore to ouerthrow Euen with a willing minde The death I will outface And as I am assured The battayle to embrace That they which heare the truth How I haue past the pike May set aside theyr youth And learne to do the like And though it be my lotte to let her suck my bloud Yet am I well assured it shall do her no good For she is set to kill The thinges she thinkes accurst And shall not haue her fill of bloud vntill she burst And when that thou shalt see or heare of my disease Pray to the liuing God that I may passe in peace And when I am at rest and rid out of my paine Then will I do the like for thee to God agayne And to my woefull wyfe and widow desolate Whome I doe leaue behynd In such a simple state And compassed with teares and morninges many one Be thou her staying staffe when I am dead and gone My mouth may not expresse the dolours of my minde Nor yet my heauines to leaue her here behinde But as thou art my bone my brother and my bloud So let her haue thy hart if it may do her good I tooke her from the world and made her like the crosse But if she hold her owne she shall not suffer losse For where she had before a man vnto her make That by the force of fire was stranged at a stake Now shall she haue a king to be her helpyng hand To whom pertayne all thinge that are within the land And eke my daughter deare whome I bequeath to thee To be brought vp in feare and learne the A.B.C. That she may grow in grace and ruled by the rod To learne and lead her lyfe within the feare of God And alwayes haue in minde thy brother beyng dead That thou art lefte behynde a father in my stead And thou my brother deare and eke my mothers sonne Come forth out of all feare and do as I haue done And God shall be thy guide and geue thee such encrease That in the flames of fire thou shalt haue perfect peace Into eternall ioy and passe out of all payne Where we shall meete with mirth and neuer part agayne If thou wilt do my daughter good Be mindfull
of thy brothers bloud * To All whiche loue God vnfaynedly and entend to lead a godly life according to his Gospell and to perseuer in his trueth vnto the ende grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen BE not afrayd most dearely beloued in our Sauior Iesus Christ at these most perillous dayes wherein by the sufferaunce of God the Prince of darkenes is broken lose and rageth in hys members agaynst the electe of God wyth all crueltie to set vp agayne the kingdome of Antichrist agaynst whome see that ye be strong in fayth to resist his most deuilishe doctrine with the pure Gospell of God armyng your selues with pacience to abide what soeuer shal be layd to your charge for the truthes sake knowyng that thereunto ye be called not onely to beleeue in hym but also to suffer for hym Oh howe happy are ye that in the sight of God are counted worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ Quiet therefore your selues Oh my louing brethren and reioyce in hym for whome ye suffer for vnto you do remain the vnspeakable ioyes which neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard neither the hart of man is able to comprehende in anye wyse Be not afrayd of the bodily death for youre names are written in the booke of lyfe And the Prophetes doth recorde that in the sight of the Lorde precious is the death of hys Saynctes Watch therefore and praye that yee be not preuented in the daye of temptation Now commeth the day of your tryall wherein the waters rage and the stormy windes blowe Now shall it appeare whether ye haue builded vppon the fleeing sande or vppon the vnmoueable rocke Christe whiche is the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes whereon euery house that is builded groweth into an holy temple of the Lord by the mighty workyng of the holy Ghost Now approcheth the daye of your batttayle wherein it is required that ye shewe your selues the valiaunte souldiours of Iesus Christ wyth the armour of God that yee may be able to stand fast agaynst all the craftye assaultes of the Deuill Christ is your Captayne and yee be his souldiours whose cognisaunce is the Crosse to the whiche hee wyllingly humbled hymselfe euen vnto the death and therby spoyled hys enemies and now triumpheth hee ouer them in the glorye of hys father makyng intercession for them that here doe remayne to suffer the afflictions that are to be fulfilled in his misticall bodye It behoueth therefore euery one that will be counted his scholler to take vp his owne crosse and follow hym as ye haue hym for ensample and I assure you that hee being on your side nothing shal be able to preuayle agaynst you And that he will be with you euen to the worldes ende yee haue hys promise in the 28. of Mathew He will goe foorth wyth hys host as a conquerour to make a conquest He is the man that sitteth on the white horse crowned with immortalitie and yee brethren are his fellowship whereof he is the head He hath your hart in hys hand as a bow bent after hys godly will he shall dyrect the same accordyng to the riches of hys glory into all spirituall and heauenly cogitations He is faythfull and will not suffer you to be further assaulted then he will geue you strength to ouercome and in the most daunger he will make a waye that ye may be able to beare it Shrynke not therefore deare heartes when ye shal be called to aunswere for the hope that is in you for we haue the comforter euen the spirite of trueth whiche was sent from the heauens to teache vs. He shall speake in vs hee shall strengthen vs what is he then that shal be able to confound vs Naye what Tiranne is he that now boasteth hymselfe of hys strength to doe mischiefe whome the Lord shall not with the same spirite by the mouth of his seruauntes strike downe to hell fire Yea sodaynly will the Lord bryng downe the glory of the proud Philistians by the handes of hys seruaunt Dauid Theyr strength is in speare shield but our helpe is in the name of the Lord which made both heauen and earth He is our buckler and our wall a strong Tower of defence He is our God and we are his people Hee shall bryng the counsels of the vngodly to nought He shall take them in theyr owne nette He shall destroy them in theyr own inuentions The right hand of the Lorde shall worke this wonder His power is knowne among the children of men Theyr fathers haue felt it and are confounded In lyke maner shall they knowe that there is no counsell agaynst the Lorde when their secrets are opened to the whole worlde and are found to be agaynst the lyuing God Worke they neuer so craftily builde they neuer so strongly yet downe shall theyr rabble fall and the builders them selues shall then be scattered vpon the face of the earth as accursed of God The iust shall see this and be glad prayse the name of the Lord that so meruellously hath delte with hys seruauntes as to bryng theyr enemies vnder theyr feet Thē shall the fearfull seed of Cayne trēble and quake Thē shall the mockyng Ismaelites be cast out of the doore Then shall the proud Nembroth see hys labour lost Then shal the beast of Babilon be troden vnder foot Then shall the scribes and Pharisees for madnes fret and rage Then sha theyr paynted wisedome be knowne for extreme folly Then shall bloudy Dragon be voyd of hys pray Then shall the whore of Babilon receaue double vengeaunce Then shall they scratch theyr crownes for the fall of their Maistres harlot whom they now serue for filthy lucre whē no man will buy their wares any more Then shall the Popishe Priesthoode crye weale away with care euen when the Lord shall helpe his seruauntes which day is not farre of the daye wherein the kingdome of Antichrist shall haue an ende and neuer aryse anye more In the meane tyme abide in certayne and sure hope cleauing vnto the promises of God whiche in theyr owne tyme shal be fulfilled Acquite youre selues lyke men agaynst the enemies of GOD in all humblenes of minde strong in spirite to acknowledge one God one holy Sauioure Iesus Christ one onely euerlastyng and sufficient sacrifice for the remission of sinnes euen the precious bodye of the Lorde Iesus once offered for all and for euer Whiche now sitteth on the right hand of God and from thence shall hee come to iudge both the quicke and the dead at the last day vntil that tyme occupyeth that blessed body none other place to dwell in to be kepte in to be closed in but onelye in the heauens euen in the glorious maiestye of God personally abidyng there in the fleshe not commyng downe from thence till the last houre
error for the key that openeth the locke to Gods mysteries and to saluation is the key of faith and repentāce And as I haue heard learned men reason S. Austine and Origen with others are of this opinion Then they reuiled him and laide hym in the stockes all the night Wherewith certaine that were better minded being offended with such extremity willed Allin to keepe his cōscience to him selfe and to folow Baruckes counsel in the 6. chap. Wherfore when ye see the multitude of people worshipping thē behinde and before say ye in your harts O Lord it is thou that ought only to be worshipped Wherewith he was perswaded to goe to heare Masse the next day and sodenly before the sacring went out and considered in the Churchyard with him selfe that suche a litle cake betwene the priests fingers could not be Christ nor a materiall body neither to haue soule life sinnewes bones flesh legs head armes nor brest and lamēted that he was seduced by the place of Barucke which his conscience gaue him to be no Scripture or els to haue an other meaning and after this he was brought againe before syr Iohn Baker who asked why he did refuse to worship the blessed Sacrament of the aultar Allin It is an Idol Collins It is Gods body Allin It is not Collins By the Masse it is Allin It is bread Collins How proouest thou that Allin When Christ sate at his last supper and gaue them bread to eate Col. Bread knaue Allin Yea bread which you cal Christes body Sate he stil at the table or was he both in their mouthes at the table If he were both in their mouthes at the table then had he two bodies or els had a fantasticall body which is an absurditie to say it Sir Iohn Baker Christes body was glorified and might be in mo places then one Allin Then had he more bodies thē one by your own placing of him Collins Thou ignorāt Asse the schoole men say that a glorified body may be euery where Allin If his body was not glorified til it rose againe then was it not glorified at his last supper and therefore was not at the table and in their mouthes by your owne reason Collins A glorified body occupieth no place Allin That which occupieth no place is neither God nor any thing els but Christes body say you occupieth no place therefore it is neither God nor any thing els If it be nothing then is your religion nothing If it be God then haue we iiij in one Trinitie which is the persone of the father the person of the sonne the person of the holy ghost the humane nature of Christ. If Christ be nothing which you must needes confesse if he occupie no place then is our study in vaine our faith prostrate and our hope without reward Collins This rebel wil beleue nothing but scripture How knowest thou that it is the scripture but by the church and so sayeth S. Austin Allin I cannot tell what Austine sayth but I am perswaded that it is Scripture by diuers arguments First that the law worketh in me my condemnation The law telleth me that of my selfe I am dāned and this damnatiō M. Collins you must find in your self or els you shal neuer come to repētance For as this grief sorow of cōscience wtout faith is desperation so is a glorious Romish faith wtout the lamentatiōs of a mās sins presūption The second is the gospel which is the power spirit of God This spirite sayth S. Paule certifieth my spirite that I am the sonne of God and that these are the Scriptures The thirde are the wonderfull woorkes of God which cause me to beleue that there is a God though we glorifie him not as God Rom. 1. The sunne the moone the starres and other his workes as Dauid discourseth in the xix Psalme declareth that there is a God and that these are the scriptures because that they teach nothing els but God and his power maiestie and might and because the scripture teacheth nothing dissonant from this prescription of nature And fourthly because that the woord of God gaue authoritye to the church in paradise saying that the seede of the woman should brast down the Serpents head This sede is the gospel this is al the scriptures and by this we are assured of eternall life and these words The seede of the woman shall braste the serpentes heade gaue authoritie to the church and not the church to the worde Baker I hearde say that you spake against priests and bishops Allin I spake for thē for now they haue so much liuing especially bishops archdeacons and deanes that they neyther can nor wil teach Gods woord If they had a 100. pounds a peece then would they apply their studie now they can not for other affaires Col. Who wil then set his children to schoole Allin Where there is now one set to schoole for that end there would be 40. because that one Bishops liuing deuided into 30. or 40. partes would finde so manye as wel learned men as the bishops be now who haue all this liuing neither had Peter or Paul any such reuenew Baker Let vs dispatch him he wil mar all Collins If euery man had a 100. pounds as he saith it wold make mo learned men Baker But our bishops would be angrye if that they knew it Allin It were for a common wealth to haue such bishoppricks deuided for the further increase of learning Baker What sayest thou to the Sacrament Allin As I sayde before Baker Away with him And thus was he caried to prison and afterward burned And thus much touching the particular storie of Edm. Allin and his wife Who with the v. other martyrs aboue named being vij to wit v. women and ij men were altogether burned at Maidstone the yere and moneth afore mentioned and the 18. day of the same moneth An other storie of like crueltie shewed vpon other 7. Martyrs burnt at Cant. 3. men and 4. women AMong suche infinite seas of troubles in these most dāgerous daies who can withhold himselfe from bitter teares to see the madding rage of these presented Catholickes who being neuer satisfied with bloud to maintaine their carnall kingdome presume so highly to violate the precise law of Gods commandements in slaying the simple pore Lambes of the glorious congregation of Iesus Christ and that for the true testimonie of a good cōscience in confessing the immulate gospell of their saluatiō What heart wil not lamēt the murdering mischief of these men who for wāt of worke do so wreke their tine on seely pore women whose weake imbecillitie the more strēgth it lacketh by natural imperfection the more it ought to be helped or at least pitied and not oppressed of men that be stronger and especially of Priests that should be charitable But blessed be the Lord omnipotent who supernaturally hath indued from aboue such
weake creatures with such manly stomacke and fortitude so constantly to withstaÌ„d the vttermost extremitie of these pitilesse persecutors as he did before strengthen the mother of the 7. sonnes in the Machabees as he hath done since with diuers sondry other godly womeÌ„ in these our later daies partly before mentioned partly to be meÌ„tioned hereafter heere presently may appeare by the martyrdome of these 7. here vnder folowing of the which were 4. women and 3. men burnt together at Canterb. the 31. day of the sayde moneth of Iune in the yere aforesaid whose names are these Iohn Fishcocke Nicolas White Nicolas Pardue Barbara Final Widow Bradbreges widow Wilsons Wife Bendens Wife As it were too tedious exactly and particularly to prosecute the seuerall storie of euery one of these godly Martyrs so I can not passe ouer vntouched the cruel and vnchristian handling of Alice Benden during her imprisonment according as I haue receiued by the faithfull relation of them which best were acquainted with her partly also some doers in the matter beinge her owne naturall brethren The storie is thus ¶ The order of the imprisonment and tragicall handling of Alice Benden wife of Edw. Benden of the parish of Stapleherst in the Countie of Kent for the testimonye of Christes Gospell FIrst Alice BeÌ„den was broght before one M. Roberts of CraÌ„broke in the said Countie the 14. day of Oct. in the yere of our lord 1556. of whom she was demaÌ„ded why she wold not go to the church And she answered that she could not so do with a good and cleare coÌ„science because there was much idolatrie committed against the glory of God For the which with many mocks and tauÌ„ts she was sent to prison where she lay 14. daies For on the 20. day of October her husband required his neighbors the welthy meÌ„ of Stapleherst to wryte to the Bishop of Douer who had the chiefe gouernment of the tyrannical sword in Kent for those daies which they did desiring him to seÌ„d her home Wherfore the B. called her before him asked her if she would go home go to the church Wherunto she answered If I would haue so done I nede not to haue come hither Then wilt thou go home and be shriuen of the parish Priest And she sayd no that would she not Well said he go thy waies home and go to the Church when thou wilt Wherunto she answered nothing But a Priest that stoode by sayd shee sayeth shee will my Lord. Wherefore he let her goe and shee came foorthwith home On the Saterday following her husbande willed her to goe to the Churche which she both then and else when refused to do Wherefore on the Sonday 14. daies after he going to the church came into the companie of diuers inhabitaunts of the same parish among whome thoroughe his fonde talke and behauior he procured her to be sent to Syr Iohn Gilforde who commaunded her to prisone againe yea and the more to vtter his owne shame thâ— said her husband tooke money of the Constable to carry her to prisone the pâ—ice of his wiues bloud meaning in deede to carry her to prison him selfe But she hauing muche more care of his honest and good report then he had regard as it is easie to see of his owne infamie and no lesse ashamed of his so rude and vnnatural doings chose rather to commit her selfe willingly into the hands of her enemies then that the world shoulde witnesse against her husband of so facinorous a fact Wherfore she went to the Constable desiring him to go with her But he answered that he could not so doe but graunted her his boy to go with her with whom she went to prison namely the castle of Canterburie according to the commaundement geuen Where this one thing is woorthy to be noted yâ— while she was in this prison she practised with a prison fellowe of hers the wife of one Potkin to liue bothe of them with ij pence halfpenie a day to trie therby how well they coulde sustaine penurie hunger before they were put to it For they had heard that when they should be remooued from thence to the Bishops prison their liuings should be but iij. farthings a peece a day and did in dede both so liue for xiiij daies ere shee were from thence remooued The 22. day of Ianuarie folowing her husband went againe to the bishop desiring hym to deliuer his wife out of prison but he saide shee was an obstinate hereticke and would not be reformed and therefore sayde that he could not deliuer her Then said he my Lord she hath a brother whose name is Roger Hal that resorteth vnto her If your Lordship could keepe him from her she would turne for he comforteth her geueth her money and perswadeth her not to returne or relent This occasion was not so soone geuen but it was as quickly taken and as cruelly put in execution For the Bishop commaunding her vppon the same to a prison called Mondaies hole there also he gaue strait charge that if at any time her brother came he should be taken apprehended This prison was wtin a Court where the Prebendes chambers were being a valt beneath the ground being before the window inclosed with a pale of height by estimation 4. foote a halfe and distant from the same 3. foote so that she looking from beneath might only see such as stood at the pale After this her Brother sought often for her with no les danger of life then diligence But for the vnknown situation of the place it being also but rarely vsed for a prison and the matter as closely kept as it was secretly dou he could neuer come to vnderstaÌ„d of her being there vntil through Gods merciful wil and vnsearchable prouideÌ„ce he coÌ„ming thether very rathe in a morning her keper being then gone to the church to ring for he was a bell ringer chaunced to heare her voyce as she powred out vnto God her sorowful complaints saying the Psalmes of Dauid and there could he none otherwise relieue her but by putting money in a loaf of bread and sticking the same on a pole and so reached it vnto her for neither with meate nor drinke he could sustaine her And this was 5. wekes after her comming thether Al the which time no creature was knowen to come at her more then her keeper Their lying in that prison was onely vpon a litle short straw betwene a paire of stockes a stone wall being allowed iij. farthings a day that is a halfe penye bread and a farthing drinke neither could she gette any more for her mony Wherefore she desired to haue her whole alowance in bread and vsed water for her drinke Thus did shee lye 9. weekes During all which time she neuer changed her apparel wherby she became at the last a most pitious and lothsome creature to beholde At