bring life or death if Christs body be not there Rid. When you heare Gods word truely preached if you doe beléeue you receiue life and if you beléeue not it bringeth vnto you death yet Christs body is not carnall in euery preachers mouth Pope How answere you this which shall be giuen for you was the figure of Christs body giuen for you Rid. No Sir but the very body it selfe whereof the Sacrament is a figure Tertullians exposition maketh it plaine For hee saith the body is a figure of the bodie now put too which shall be giuen for you and it agreeth excéeding well Maister Secretary You know well that Origen and Tertullian were not Catholick but erred Rid. There is none of the Doctors but are thought to haue erred in some things but I neuer heard that Tertullian or Origen were thought to haue erred in the Sacrament Feck Forty yeares agone all were of one opinion of this matter Rid. Forty yeares agoe all held that the Pope was supreme head of the vniuersall Church Maister Secretarie That was but a positiue Law Rid. It is in the Decrees that the Pope challengeth his supremacie not by any Councell nor any way else but by Christs own words saying to Peter thou art Peter And in another place thou art Cephas that is the head and his Decree is that we must be obedient to the Bishop of Rome vpon necessity of saluation Thomas Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer Bishop of VVorster were sent to Oxford to dispute with the Diuines of Oxford and Cambridge THere was thrée questions First whether the naturall body of Christ be really in the sacrament after consecration secondly whether any other substancâ— doth remaine after consecration then the substance of the body and bloud of Christ thirdly whâ—ther in the masse there be a sacrifice propitiatorie for the sinnes of the quick the dead Thirty thrée Commissioners being set in the Quire of S. Maries Church in Oxford before the Altar Cranmer Archb. was brought to them with a number of Bill-men When he had read ouer the Articles he said they were all false and against Gods holy word Then was Doctor Ridley brought in who hearing the Articles read answered they were all false and that they sprang out of a bitter root Then came in Latimer when he had denied the Articles he said he had read ouer the new Testament seuen times and yet could not find the maisâ— in it nor the mary-bones nor sinewes of the same All their arguments were of nothing but the reall presence in the Sacrament which point is already sufficiently argued in many places of this book and will 〈◊〉 more hereafter If thou desire to sée the disputations resort to the book at large for the Commissioners were so clamorous that they could not be suffered to speak as it appeareth by the report of Bishop Ridley Bishop RIDLEY his report NEuer did I see a thing done more vainly and contumeliously then the disputations with me in the Schooles in Oxford I thought it had not been possible to haue béen found amongst men of learning and knowledge any so brazen faced and shamelesse so disorderly and vainely to behaue themselues more like to Stage-players then Diuines The Sorbonicall clamours which in times past I haue séene in Paris when Poperie most raigned might be thought modestie in respect of them yea and the chiefest did as it were blow the Trumpe vnto the rest to rayle rore rage and crie out whereby it appeareth they neuer sought for the veritie but for their owne glorie and bragging victorie Much time appointed for Disputations was vainly consumed in opprobrious checks taunts hissings and clapping of hands Whensoeuer I would make an end of my probations they would euer crie out Blasphemies blasphemies I neuer heard or read the like but by Demetrius the Siluer-smith and them of his occupation crying but against Paule Great is Diana of the Ephesians and except it be a disputation of the Arrians against the Orthodoxes where it is said that such as the Presidents of the disputations were such were the rest all were in a hurly-burly and the Arrians cast out such great slanders that nothing could quietly be heard and he concludes thus ended this glorious disputation of the Sacrificers Doctors and Masters which fought manfully for their God and goods their faith and felicitie countrey and Kitchin and for their beautie and bellie with triumphant applauses and fauour of the whole Uniuersitie After seuerall disputations with euery one of them the Commissioners sate in Saint Maries Church and Doctor Weston vsed particular perswasions with euery one of them and would not suffer them to answere but peâ—emptorily to say whether they would subscribe or no Hee told the Bishop of Canterbury hee was ouercome in Arguments which he said was false for hee was not suffered to oppose as he would nor answere as he would vnlesse hee would haue brauled with them all denying to subscribe then sentence was read ouer them that they were no members of the Church and therefore condemned for hereticks Then the Archbishop Cranmer answered from this your sentence I appeale to the iust iudgement of God trusting to be present with him in heauen for whose presence in the Altar I am thus condemned Bishop Ridley answered though I be not of your company yet my name is written in another place whither this sentence will send mee sooner then wee should by nature haue come Bishop Latimer I thanke God most heartily that hee hath prolonged my life to this end that I may in this case glorifie GOD by that kinde of death After they were all three called to behold a solemne procession wherein Doctor Weston carried the Sacrament and foure Doctors carried the Canapie ouer him In the last yeere one thousand fiue hundred forty and three it is shewed how the Duke of Northumberland was apprehended by the Guard and brought to London by the Earle of Arundell and others these were committed to the Tower with the Duke the Earle of VVarwick the Earle of Huntington Lord Ambrose and Lord Henry Dudley Lord Hastings who was deliuered the same night Sir Iohn Gates Sir Henry Gates Sir Andrew Dudley Sir Thomas Palmer and Doctor Sands Chancelor of Cambridge many were committed to diuers prisons about the same time About this time Maister Bradford Maister Beacon and Maister Veron were committed vnto the Tower and Maister Sampson was sought for and because he could not be found the Bishop of Winchester fumed About this time Doctor Weston preached at Paules Crosse he willed the people to pray for the soules departed that be neither in heauen nor hell but in a place not yet sufficiently purged to come to heauen that they may be releeued by your deuout prayers he named the Lords Table an Oyster boord hee said the Catechisme lately set forth was abominable heresie and likeneth the setters forth of the same to Iulianus Apostata and the booke to
Pope the whole matter to whom the Pope writeth againe wee are not a little disquieted in our spirits for your sake being our most déere Brother remember that the Apostles departed away reioycing from the face of the Councell receiue consolation that wâ— may reioice with you in the Lord who hath preserued you in this distresse to the corroboration of the Catholick verity and God through his punishment of afflicâ—ions hath wiped away the blot of your offences that they might not be called to account in the day of Iudgement bee not greeued that you are appealed to the Apostolike Sea which to vs is gratefull and accepted draw not you backe spare not to follow the appeale for the authoritie of the Church of Rome tendreth your constancie our diligence shall bee to preserue the right and preheminence of your Church to you as one working for the Church a constant and valiant Champion I thought good especially to premonish you neither for aduersitie nor whatsoeuer happens renounce not the right and dignitie of your Church The Archbishop sitting with his Crosse in his hand as before was not abashed at al that was the King sent for him presently to render account for thirty thousand markes and fruits and reuenewes of the Realme in the time when he was Chancellor he answered the King knew how often hee had made reckonings of those things and that Henry his Sonne and heyre with all the Barrons and the Lord chiefe Iustice of England told him was frée and quit to god and holy Church from all receipts computations on the Kings behalfe and so taking his discharge entred into his office for other accounts he would make none when his answere was brought to the King he required the Barons to doe their office who adiudged him to be apprehended and laid in prison the King sent the Earl of Cornwall and Deuonshire and the Earle of Leicester to shew him his Iudgement to whom he said heare my Sonne and good Earle how much the soule is more precious then the body so much ought you to obey me rather then your terrene King no Law doth permit the child to condemne their Father wherefore to auoide all your iudgements before you all I appeale to the Sea Apostolicke and as for you my fellow Bishops which rather obey man then God you also I call and claime to the Iudgement of the Pope and I doe depart from you as from the enemies of the Catholick Church and of the authoritie of the Apostolicke Sea whilst they returned this answere to the King the Archbishop passed through the throng and tooke horse holding the bridle in one hand and his Crosse in the other the Courtiers followed saying tarrie Traytor and héere thy Iudgement the vtmost gate being locked one of his seruants found a bunch of Keyes trying them found the right and opened the gate he went to the house of the Cannons where hee did lie and calling to him the poore where they could be found after supper he caused a bed to be made him betwixt two Altars but whilst the King was at supper he changed his garments and named himselfe Derman and made an escape to the Sea and taking ship sayled into Flanders and thence iournied vnto France the King sent the Bishop of London and the Earle of Arundell vnto the King of France to require him not to receiue the Archbishop nor retaine him in his Dominion and that he would be a meanes to the Pope not to shew any familiaritie vnto him but the French King contrarie to the Kings Letters and request not only harboured and cherished him but writ to the Pope intreating him vpon all loues as euer he would haue his fauour to tender the cause of the Archbishop Becket The King sent another ambassage to Pope Alexander by the Archbishop of York the Bishops of London Winchester Chichester Exeter with other Doctors and Clarkes with the Earle of Arundel with certaine moe Lords and Barrons they were friendly accepted at the Popes Court the next day following the Pope sitting in the Consistorie with his Cardinals when the Ambassadours were called for the hearing of Beckets matter and the Bishops euery one in order had made his Oration the Pope did not accept some of their spéeches and disdained some wherefore the Earle of Arundell disdained in this manner spake Though I am vnlettered and cannot vnderstand what these Bishops haue said neither can vtter my minde in that tongue which they haue done yet I must declare the cause of my sending as well as I may which was not to contend with or iniury any man especially in presence of such a one at whose beck all the world doth stoope but our Legacie is to present in the presence of the whole Church of Rome the deuotion and loue of our King which hee euer had and still hath towards you and that it might the better appeare to your excellencie hee hath appointed for the furniture of this Legacy his greatest and cheefest subiects of such worthines and parentage that if hee could haue found greater in his Realme hee would haue sent them for the reuerence of your person and holy Church of Rome I might adde more which your Sainctitude hath already proued the harty fidelity of our King towards you who at the entrance to his Kingdome submitted himselfe and all his wholly to your will and pleasure and wee beleeue there is none more faithfull in Christ then he nor more deuout to God nor more moderate in kéeping the vnity of peace neither doe I deny touching the Archbishop of Canterbury a man not vnfurnished with gifts in his calling being both sage and discréete sauing that hee seemeth to some more quick and sharpe then needeth if this blot had not beene the King and he had not discented then both the temporaltie and spiritualty might haue flourished one with the other in much peace vnder so worthy a Prince and so vertuous a pastor therefore our message and supplication to your vigilant prudence is that through your fauour and wisedome the neck of this discention may be broken and reformation of vnitie and loue by some good meanes may be sought But the Pope would not condiscend to their sute which was to haue two Legates sent from his popish side into England to examine and take vp the controuersie betweene the King and the Archbishop but because Becket was absent hee willed them to tarry his comming vp for hee being absent hee would in no case procéede against him but they alledged there time appointed to be ended and hauing other lets they could not waite for the comming of Becket and so returned back there cause frustrated without the Popes blessing to the King Within foure dayes after Becket commeth to the Popes Court offered the pope a scroule of the custome and ordinances of the King the Pope condemned and cursed the most part of them and blamed Becket for so much yeelding to them at the beginning yet
by entring into any priuate Religion 10 That those that haue instituted priuate Religions or haue indâ—wed them with possessions or the begging Fryers that haue no possessions haue grieuously offended 11 That those of Priuate Religions are not of the Christian Religion 12 That Fryers are bound to get their liuings by labour and not by begging 13 That he is accursed that giueth Almes to begging Fryers When these Articles were condemned it was commanded that the condemnation should bee published through the whole vniuersitie the Chancellor hindred as much as hee could and when there must needs be Sermons made he committed the preaching to the fauourers of Wickliffe of which Repington was one who said in his Sermon hee that commends the Pope or Bishops aboue Temporall Lords doe against the Scripture and that Maister Wickliffe was a true Catholick Doctor that hee taught no otherwise of the Sacrament of the Altar then according to the intent of the Uniuersall Church his opinion therof most true and concluded he would kéep silence touching the Sacrament vntill God had better â—nlightned the Clergy The Archbishop hearing hereof sent for the Commissary and the Proctors of the Uniuersitie and one Maister Brightwell and accused them as fauourers of Wickliffe and forced them to confesse his Articles hereticall and erroneous the Commissarie fell on his knees and desired pardon which was granted vpon condition he should make inquirie and put to silence all that he found fauouring Wickliffe Harford Repington Ashton and Bedman and that hee should publish in the head Church of the Uniuersitie the condemnation of Wickliffes conclusâ—ons and that hee should put all his adherents he found to purgation or cause them to abiure he answered he durst not doe it for death what said the Bishop is Oxford a nestler of heresies that the Catholick truth cannot be published Oxford was the first Uniuersitie that maintained the truth that is now spread farrâ— and néere the next day the Bishop shewed the matter to the Kings Councell who sent commandement with all diligence to execute the Arch-bishops iniunction One Henry Crompe a Cistertian Monke which after was accused of Heresie now was suspended by the said Commissarie for calling the Heretickes Lolards he complained to the Archbishop who sent for the Commissarie and Proctors in the Kings and Councels name where he receiued a new commandement to punish the Wickliffes then Philip Repington and Nickolas Harford beeing priuily warned by the Uice-chancellor they fled to the Duke of Lancaster but they were apprehended and sent by him to the Archbishop Wickliffe was exiled and after returned againe to his parish of Lutterworth where he died the prouidence of God is to be noted in this man and many other whom the Lord prâ—serued in such rages of enemies from all their hands vntilll his old age whom the Lord will keepe nothing can hurt All his bookes were condemned and forbidden to be read by the Councell of Constance and by the Dâ—crée thereof forty yéeres after his death by the commandement of the Bishop his bones were digged vp and burned the ashes powred into the Riuer he had written diuers works which in the yéere 1410. were burned at Oxford the Abbot of Shrewsbury being Commissary sent to ouersée the matter his bookes were likewise burned in Boheme by the Archb of Prage he burned 200. of his books richly adorned with bosses of Gold and rich couerings In the yeare 1384. he wrot an Epistle to Pope Vrban the sixt that the Gospell of Christ was the whole body of the Law and that Christ was very God and very man and that the Pope Christs Uicar was bound most of all other vnto the Gospel for the greatnes of Christs Disciples consisteth not in worldly honour but in néere â—ollowing the life and manners of Christ Christ was a most poore man casting off all worldly rule and honour therefore none ought to follow the Pope nor other holy man but as they follow Christ for Peter and the sonnes of Zebedy in desiring worldly honours offended and therein they are not to be followed therefore the pope ought to leaue his temporall dominion to the seculer power and therevnto exhort his whole Clergy There was none so great enemies to him as the Clergy yet he had many good frends both of the meaner sort the Nobility amongst whom these men are numbred Iohn Clenton Lewis Clifford Richard Sturius Thomas Latimer William Neuil Iohn Mountegew who plucked downe all the Images in his Church the Earle of Salesbury when hee died refused the Sacrament of the Altar and confession and one Iohn of Northampton Mayor of London who vsed such seuere punishment against the fornicators and adulterers that they were ashamed of their offences others afeard to offend the Lord Cobham who confessed he neuer hated sinne with his heart before he was instructed by Wickliffe all these were Noble men and there was no want of the meaner sort of such as did with all their diligence defend his Doctrine especially Oxford men who were most shamefully forced to recantation and most cruelly iudged to the fire One Iohn Ashton Maister of Arte beeing examined confessed that the bread by the sacramentall words was the very same body of Christ in number which was borne of the Uâ—rgin Mary yet because hee did not answere simply according to the tradition of Rome as touching the subiect and accident of transmuting the substance of the bread he was committed to the secular powers and cast into prison where he died many other notable Clarkes some were burned some died in prison but all were afflicted as William Swinderby Iohn Puruey Henry Crompe Richard White William Thorpe Raynold Peacock Bishop of Saint Asaph and after of Chichester Lawrence Redman Dauid Sawtry Iohn Ashwarbie Uicar of S. Maries in Oxford William Iames Thomas Brightwell VVilliam Hawlam Raffe Greâ—hurst Iohn Scut Philip Noris which being excommunicated by the Pope appealed to a generall councell Peter Paine who flying from Oxford into Bohemia stoutly contended against the Sophisters about both â—indes of the Sacrament and was one of the fourteene that was sent to the Councell of Basil and disputed three daies touching the Ciuill Dominion of the Clergy Also the Lord Cobham thus much touching the adherents of Wickliffe The Uice-chancellor of Oxford with the whole congregation of the Maisters made a publike testimonie of the learning and good life of Iohn Wickliffe that his conditions throughout his whole life were sincere and commendable whose honest manners and conditions profoundnes of learning and most redolâ—nt renowne and fame we desire the more earnestly to be notified to all the faithfull for that wee vnderstand his maturitie and ripenes of conuersation his diligent labours to tend to the praise of God the help and safegard of others and the profit of the Church there was neuer note or spot of suspition raised of him in answering reading preaching and determining he behaued himselfe laudably and as a stout
of such a kindred that she might haue liued in great prosperity if she would rather haue followed the world then Christ at the day of her execution she was brought into Smithfield in a chaire because she could not goe on her feete by meanes of her torments she was tyed by the middle with a chaiâ—e that held vp her body then Doctor Shaxton began his Sermon Anne Askew hearing and answering againe vnto him where hee sayd well she confirmed the same where hee iaid amisse she said hee speaketh without booke There was at the same time three burned with her One Nicholas Belemy a Priest of Shropshire Iohn Adams a Taylor and Iohn Lacels Gentleman of the Court and Kings houshold Wrisley Lord Chancellor the old Duke of Norfolke the Earle of Bedford and the Lord Mayor Wrisle sent Anne Askew the Kings Pardon if shee would recant she said the came not thither to deny her Lord and master Then were the Letters likewise offered vnto the others who in like maner followed the constancie of the woman Wherevpon the Mayor commanded the fire to bee put vnto them Sir George Blage of the Priuy Chamber was imprisoned condemned and should haue been burned but that the King pardoned him For saying the Masse auailâ—th neither quick nor the dead being asked what then it was good for he said belike to keep a horse from stumbling The troubles of Katherine Parre Henry the eight his last Wife for the Gospel by the meanes of Gardiner and others A Yéere after the King came from Bullen he was informed that the Quéens Katherine Parre was much giuen to the reading and study of â—he Scriptures and that shee had retained diuers godly learned Preachers to instruct her therein with whom shee vsed priuately to conferre and in the afternoones one of them made collation to her her Ladies and Gentlewomen and others disposed to heare in which Sermons they oftentimes touched the abuses in the Church and often shee would debate with the King touching Religion and perswade him as hee had to the glory of GOD and his eternall fame bâ—gunne a godly worke in banâ—shing that monstrous Idoll of Rome so hee would purge his Church from the dregges thereof wherein was yet great superstition And though the King in the later end grew oppâ—nionate and would not bee taught nor contended withall by Argument yet towards her he refrained his accustomed manner for neuer handmaide sought more to please her Mistresse then she to please his humour and she was of such singular beauty fauâ—ur and comely personage wherein the King was greatly delighted but Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Wrisley Lord Chancelor and others of the Kings Priuy Chamber practised her death that they might the better stop the passage of the Gospell and hauing taken away the patronesse of the professors of the truth they might inuade the remainder with fire and sword but they duâ—st not speake to the King touching her because they saw the King loued her so well At length the King was â—â—cke of a sore legge which made him very froward and the Queene being with him did not faile to vse all occasions to mooâ—â— him zealâ—usly to proceed in the reformation of the Church The King shewed some tokens of mislike and broke off the matter and knit vp the Arguments with gentle words and after plâ—asant talke she tooke her leaue The Bishop of Winchester beeing there the King immediately vpon her departure vsed these words It is a good hearing when women become such Clarks and much to my comfort to come in mine old age to be taught by my Wife Then the Bishop shewed a mislike that the Queene would so much forget her selfe to stand in Argument with his Maiestie whose Iudgement and Diâ—initie hee extolled to his face aboue Princes of that and other ages and of Doctors professed in Diuinitie and that it wss vnseemely for any of his Subiects to argue with him so malapertly and that it was gréeuous to all his Councelors and Seruants to heare the same inferring how perilous it hath euer been for a Prince to suffer such insolent words of a Subiect who as they are bold against their Soueraignes words so they want not will but strength to ouerthwart them in deeds Then the Religion by the Queene so stiffely maintained did dissolue the politick gouernâ—ment and made the peoples opinions so odious and perillous vnto the Princes estate that they daâ—e affâ—â—me that the greatest Subiect in the Land defendeth those arguments which they doe yet he said he would not neither durst without good warranty from his Maiestie speake his knowledge in the Queenes cause though many apparant reasons made for him and such as his duety and zeale to his Maiesâ—ies preseruation would not licence him to conceale though the vttering thereof through her and her faction might be his dâ—struction and theres which tendred his Maiesties safety without his Maiestie would be his protector which if hee would doe hee with others of his faithfull Councelors could disclose such Treasons cloked with heresies that his Maiestie should casâ—ly perceiue how perilous a matter it is to cherish a Serpent within his owne bosome and he crept so farre into the King at that time that he and his fellowes filled the Kings mistrustfull minde with such feares that the King gaue them warrant to consult together about drawing of Articles against the Queene wherein her life might be touched Then they thought it best at first to begin with such Ladies as she most esteemed and werâ— priuy to all her doing as the Lady Harbert after Countesse of Pembroâ—ke the Queenes Sister and the Lady Iane and the Lady Tirwit all of her Priuy Chamber and to accuse them vpon six Articles and to search there Closets and Coffers that they might finde somewhat to charge the Queene and that being found the Queâ—ne should bee taken and carried in a Barge by night to the Tower of which aduice the King was made priuy by Gardiner and the Lord Chancelor to which they had the Kings consâ—nt and the time and place appointed This purpose was so finely handled that it grew within few daies of the time appointed and the poore Quâ—ene suspected nothing but after her accustomed manner visited the King stillâ—â—â— deale with him touching Religion as before After the King brake the whole practise to one Doctor Wendy one of his Physitions telling him that hee would no longer bee troubled with such a Doctresse as shee was but charged him vpon his life not to vtter it to any But it came to passe that the Bill of Articles drawne against the Queene and subscribed with the Kings owne hand falling from the bâ—some of one of the Councell was found of some godly person and brought to the Queene who seeing it fell into a great agony and Melancholy The King hearing what perill of life she was in sent his Phisition vnto her and the said Doctor Wendy perceiuing the matter by her words brake with
testimony against this house Touching the disputations of Peter Martyr Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius because they are only touching the Sacrament which is so often handled in this book for breuitie I referre thee to the book at large The decease of King EDWARD ABout a yeare and a halfe after the death of the Duke of Sommerset King Edward died entring into the seuenteenth yeare of his age and in the seuenth yeare of his raigne As the time approached that it pleased Almighty God to call this yong King from vs which was on the sixth day of Iuly about thrée houres before his death his eyes being closed speaking to himselfe and thinking none had heard him he made this prayer as â—olloweth LOrd God deliuer me from this miserable and wretched life and take me amongst thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done for I commit my spirit vnto thee O Lord thou knowest how happie it were for me to be with thée yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serue thes O my Lord GOD blesse thy people and saue thine inheritance O Lord saue thy chosen people of England O my GOD defend this realme from Papistrie and maintain thy true religion that I and my people may prayse thy holy name for thy Sonne Iesu Christs sake Then he turned his face and séeing who was by him he said vnto them are you so nigh I thought you had beenâ— further off then smilingly he said I was praying to God The last words he spake were these I am faint Lord haue mercie vpon me and take my spirit And thus he yeelded vp the Ghâ—st leauing a wofull kingdome behinde vnto his sister THE TENTH BOOK WHEREIN is contained the most memorable things done in the Raigne of Queene MARY KIng Edward by his Testament did appoint Lady Iane daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose mother was Mary second sister of King Henry who was first wife to the French King and after to the said Duke to succeed him in his Kingdome all the Councell and chief Nobilitie the Mayor of London and all the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers sauing Iudg Hales subscribed therto who stood for Q. Mary The matter thus concluded King Edward died when he was sixteene yeares of age then the said Iane was proclaymed Queene at London and other Cities she was about the age of King Edward in learning and wit she might be compared with the Uniuersitie men which haue taken many degrees of the schooles Then Queen Mary wrote to the Councel that they should proclaime her Quéen and she would pardon them for that which was done they answered her that by the Diuorse betwixt King Henry and her mother she was made illegitimate and vnheritable to the Crowne Then she speeded her selfe farre from the Citie hoping vpon the Commons whereupon the Councell sent forth the Duke of Northumberland with other Lords and Gentlemen with an Armie the Guard assisting the Duke Mary withdrew her selfe into Northfolke and Suffolke where she knew the Duke was hated and there gathering such aide of the Commons as she might kept her selfe in Fremingham Castle to whom Suffolk-men resorted and promised her their aide if she would not alter the religion which her brother had established to which she agreed with such promises as no man could haue misdoubted her and thus being guarded with the power of the Gospellers she vanquished the Duke and all that came against her But after the Suffolk-men making supplication vnto her Grace for performance of her promise she answerd You shall one day well perceiue that members must obey their head and not looke to rule the same and one Dobbe a Gentleman for aduertising her of her promise by humble request was three times set in the pillorie to be a gasing-stock to all men others deliuered her books and supplications out of the Scripture to exhort her to continue the doctrine then established who were sent to prison The Councell at London vnderstanding that the Ladie Marie increased in puisance and the peoples hearts mightily bent vnto her they turned their song and proclaymed for Quéen the Lady Mary eldest daughter of K. Henry the eight and appointed by Parliament to succeed King Edward dying without issue the Duke of Northumberland with some of his sonnes were left destitute at Cambridge as also the Earle of Huntingdon who were arrested and brought to the Tower as Traytors Then the Quéen came to the Tower where the Lady Iane and the Lord Gilford her husband were imprisoned fiue months but the Duke within a moneth was beheaded with Sir Iohn Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer the Papists promised the Duke pardon if he would openly recant vpon the Scaffold which in hope of pardon he did and yet he was beheaded whose recantation the papists published not a little reioycing at his conuersion but Sir Thomas Palmer confessed his faith in the Gospell and was sorie that he had not liued more Gospell-like Steuen Gardner was released out of the Tower and made Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor and Poynets displaced and Bonner restored to his Bishoprick againe and Ridley displaced and Day made Bishop of Chichester and Storie put out and Heath made Bishop of Worcester and Hooper committed to the Fleet and Vesie to Exeter and Couerdale put out Doctor Ridley Bishop of London had preached against Quéen Mary in Queene Ianes time shortly after the Sermon Queen Mary was proclaymed then he went to the Queen to salute her who dispoyled him of his Dignities and sent him to the Tower vpon a halting horse Then Queen Mary directed forth an inhibition by proclamation that no man should preach or reade openly in Churches the word of God One Bourne who after was Bishop of â—ath preached at Paules Crosse so much in the praise of Bonner being there present and in dispraise of King Edward that his words sounded euill to the hearers which caused them to murmur and stirre insomuch that the Maror and others feared an vprore one hurled a dagger at the Preacher who for feare pulled in his head Master Bradford stood forth and appeased the people and after he and Rogers conducted the Preacher safe into the Grammer-schoole but shortly after they were both rewarded with burning The next Sonday the preacher at the Crosse was guarded with the Queenes Guard then men withdrew themselues from the Sermon and the Mayor took order that the ancients of al Companies should be present lest the Preacher should be discouraged with his small auditorie Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie assisted with Peter Martyr and a few others offered to defend the doctrine of the booke of Common Prayer by the Scriptures and Doctors but whilst they hoped to come to disputation the Archbishop and others were imprisâ—ned but Peter Martyr was suffered to return from whence he came The first day of October the Queen was crowned and the tenth day a Parliament began where Taylor Bishop of Lincolne
Harley Bishop of Herford after they saw the masse begin not abiding the sight thereof withdrew themselues from the company wherefore Taylor was commanded to attend but shortly after died and Harley because he was married was exâ—â—nded from the Parlament and his Bishoprick Then all statuts in K. Hen. the eight and K. Edwards time which were against papistrie were repealed Sir Iames Hales Iustice of the Common pleas notwithstanding he had ventured his life for Quéen Mary in not subscribing to King Edwards Will as before for giuing charge vpon the Statuts against Papistrie at the Assises he was committed to diuers prisons and so terrified that he wounded himselfe and meant to haue killed himselfe with a knife and after was contented to say as they willed him whereupon he was discharged but he neuer rested vntill he had drowned himselfe Then according to the Quéens commandement there begun a disputation in the Conuocation house about the Sacrament which continued six dayes wherein Doctor Weston was the chiefe on the Popes side who behaued himselfe outragiously in checking and â—aunting the matter of the disputation was onely of the Sacrament and the reasons no other then shall and haue beene set forth in this book wherefore for breuitie I omit them In conclusion the Quéen to take vp the matter sent her commandement to Bonner to dissolue the Conuocation and such as disputed on the contrary part were driuen some to flie some to denie and some to die though in most mens iudgements that heard the disputation they had the vpper hand In which Parliament also communication was moued of the Quéens marriage which was very euill taken of the people and of many of the Nobilitie who for this and for religion conspiring amongst themselues made a rebellion wherof Sir Thomas Wyat was chiefe News comming to London of this stirre in Kent the Quéen caused Wyat and the Duke of Suffolke who was fled to Warwickshire and Leister-shire there to gather a power and the two Carewes of Deuonshire to be proclaymed Traytors and Thomas Duke of Northfolke was sent into Kent against Wyat but about Rochester Bridge the Duke was forsaken of all his men and returned to London The Earle of Huntington was sent post to apprehend the Duke of Suffolke who entring the Citie of Couentrie before the Duke disappointed him and one Vnderwood his man betrayed and bewrayed him so that he was brought to the Tower of London In time Sir Peter Carew hearing what was done fled into France but the other were taken and the Quéen hearing of Wyats comming towards London she came into the Citie to Guild-hall where she made a vehement Oration against Wyat and to incourage them to stand with her Two dayes after the Lord Cobham was committed vnto the Tower and Wyat comming to Southwark being he could not enter that way into London he went with his Armie by Kingstone and came through the stréets to Ludgate but returning he was resisted at Temple-barre and there yeelded himselfe to Sir Clement Parson and was brought to the Court the residue of his armie were taken and a hundred killed for Sir George Harper and almost halfe his men ranne away from him at Kingstone Bridge and they which were taken were had to prison and many of them hanged and he himselfe executed at Tower-hill and quartered his head was set vpon Hay hill and after stolne away but there was great search made for the same Then the Lady Iane was beheaded two dayes before whose death Fecknam was sent to her by the Quéen to reduce her to papistrie The communication betwixt the Lady Iane and Fecknam Feck MAdam I lament your heauie case but I doubt not but you beare it constantly Iane. I litle lament my owne case but rather account it a token of Gods fauor vnto me more then euer he shewed to me before being a thing profitable for my soules health Feck I am com from the Quéen and Councel to instruct you in the faith though I trust I need not trauell ouer much in the performance thereof Iane. I heartily thanke the Queene that she is not vnmindfull of her humble subiect and I hope you will doe your dutie according to the message that you were sent on Feck What is then required of a Christian Iane. That he should beleeue in God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost three persons and one God Feck What is there nothing else to bee required of a Christian but to beleeue Iane. Yes we must also loue him with all our heart soule and mined and our neighbour as our selfe Feck Why then Faith instifieth not Iane. Yes verily Faith as Saint Paul saith onely iustifyeth Feck Why Saint Paul saith if I haue all Faith without loue it is nothing Iane. True it is for how can I loue him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whom I loue not Faith and Loue goeth both together yet loue is comprehended in Faith Feck How shall we loue our neighbour Iane. To feede the hungry cloth the naked and giue drinke to the thirsty and to doe to him as we would doe to our selues Feck Why then it is necessary to saluation to doe good workes and not sufficient onely to beleeue Iane I deny that and affirme Faith onely saueth but it is meet for a Christian to follow Christ in good workes yet we may not say that they profit to saluation for when we haue done all that we can we are vnprofitable seruants and faith onely in Christâ— bloud saueth vs. Feck How many Sacraments are there Iane. Two the one of Baptisme the other of the Lords Supper Feck No there are seauen but what are signified by your two Sacraments Iane. By Baptisme I am washed with Water and regenerated by the Spiâ—t and the washing is a token I am Gods Childe The Lords Supper offered vnto me is a sure seale that by the blood of Christ I am made partaker of the euerlasting Kingdome Feck Do you not receiue the very body and blood of Christ Iane. I neither receiued flesh nor blood but Bread and wine which putteth me in remembrance that for my sins his body was broken and his blood shed and with it I receiue the benefit of his Passion Feck Doth not Christ say plainly This is my body Iane. So he saith I am the Vine and the doore and Saint Paul saith Hee calleth things that are not as though they were God forbid I should say I eate the body and blood of Christ for then I should pluck away my Redemption else there were two Christs for if his Disciples eate his body it was not broken vpon the Crosse and if it were broken vpon the Crâ—sse his Disciples did not eate it except he had two bodies Feck Could not Christ as possibley make his body to be eaten and broken as to bee borne of a Woman without Man and as to walke on the Sea and doe other miracles Iane. If God would haue done a miracle at
Tower and to bee tâ—ssed from thence from prison to prison from post to piller at length also she was prisoner iâ— her owne house garded with a sort of cut-throates which euer gaped for the spoilâ— of her In the beginning of Quéene Maries Raigne the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtenay were charged with false suspition of Sir Thomas Wiats rising and the Lady Elizabeth being at her house at Ashredge Quéene Mary sent her two Lords and Sir Iohn Williams afterward Lord Tame with their retinue and troupes of horsemen to the number of two hundred and fifty who found her sore sick in her bed and very feeble and weake of body and at ten of the clock at night they rushed into her Chamber without leaue whereat her Grace beeing not a little amazed She said my Lords is your hast such that it might not haue pleased you to haue come to morrow in the morning They answered that they came from the Queene for her and that she must be at London the seuenth day of that month she answered that no Creature was more glad then shee to come vnto her Maiesty and that she was sorry she was not able to goe with them they answered That their Commission was such that we must needs bring you with vâ—â—liue or dead In conclusion they willed her to prepare against the morning at nine of the clocke to goe with them and on the next day morrow at the time prescribed they had her forth as she was very faint and féeble and in such case that she was ready to sound thrée or foure times betweene them From Ashridge all sicke in the Litter she came vnto Redborne where shee was garded all night from thence to Saint Albons to Sir Raphe Rowlets house where she tarriâ—d all night both feeble in body and comfortlesse in minde from thence shee came to Maister Dodds house at Mimmes where also they remained all night and from thence to Highgate where she being very sicke tarried all night and next day During which time of her abode there came many Purseuants and Messengers from the Court vnto the Lords but about what I cannot tell from thence shee was conuayed vnto the Coâ—rt where she was straitwaies shut vp and kept as close prisoner a fortnight The Friday before Palmesunday the Bishop of Winchester with nineteene others of the Priuy Councell came vnto her Grace and bâ—rdened her with Wiats Conspiracy which she vâ—terly deniâ—d then they charged her with the busines made by Sir Peter Carew and the rest of the Gentlemen of the West country which also shee vtterly denied Then they told her that it was the Queenes pleasure that shee should goe vnto the Tower vntill the matâ—â—r were further tryed Then shee desired them to bee a meane vnto the Queeâ—e that shee would be gracious vnto her declaring that sheee was innocent in all the matters wherein they had burdened her and that shee was a true woman vnto to the Queene in thought word and deede that shee might not be committed vnto so notorious and dolefull a place The Lords answered that there was no remedy for the Queene was determined that she should goe vnâ—o the Tower wherewith the Lords departed with their hats hanging ouer their eyes but about an houre after foure of the aforesaid Lords of the Councell with the Guard who warding the next chamber vnto her secluded all her Gentlemen Yeomen Ladies and Gentlewomen one Gentleman Usher thrée Gentlewomen and two Groomes of her Chamber were appointed in their roomes by the Quéene to giue attendance vpon her that none should haue accesse vnto her At which time there was 100. of Northen souldiers in white coats watching aboâ—t the Gardens all night and two Lords with their bands companies watched in the hall The next day two Lords of the Councell certified her Grace that forthwith she must goe vnto the Tower the Barge being prepared for her the tyde now readie which tarrieth for no body but she got leaue of the Earle of Sussex which was one of the two to tarrie till day to write to the Q. and he promised to deliuer it contrary to the will of the other the next day being Palm-sonday about nine of the clock she took her Barge with the said two Lords houering vpon the water an boure because they could not shoot the Bridge when they did shoot the bridge the stâ—rn of the 〈◊〉 strook vpon the ground the fall was so bigge the water so shallow then her Grace desired the Lords that she might not land at the staires where al traytors offendors vse to land whiâ—h they would not grant then she protested that here steppeth as true a subiect as euer was towards the Queens highnesse and before thee O God I speak it hauing none other friends but only thee when she came into the Tower she rested her selfe vpon a colde stone the Lieutenant said Madam you were best come out of the raine for you sit vnwholsomly she answered it was better to sit there then in a worse place for God knoweth I know not whether you will bring me then her Gentleman Usher wept and she asked him what his meaning was in that be vsed her so vncomfortably so she went into the prison and the doores were locked and boulted vpon her then she called to her Gentleman for her booke desiring God in no wise to suffer her to build her foundation vpon the sands but vpon the rocke whereby all blasts of blustering windes should not hurt her the Lords consulting about her straight keeping the Lord of Sussex said My Lords let vs take héed that we doe no more then our Commission will warrant vs whatsoeuer shall or may happen hereafter for shee was the King our Masters daughter whereunto they all agreed and departed It would make a strange storie to recite what examinations and rackings of poore men there were to finde out that knife which should cut her throate what gaping amongst the Lords of the Clergie to see the day wherein they might wash their white Rochets in her innocent bloud but most especially Steuen Gardner Bishop of Winchester then Lord Chancellor and then rulâ—r and gouernour of the rost who within few dayes after came vnto her with diuers of the Councell and very strictly examined her about a purpose that she had to remoue to her house at Donnington Castle and likewise they examined Sir Iames Acroft about the same matter She answered what is that to the purpose my Lords but that I may go vnto mine owne houses at all times but my Lords you doe examine euery meane prisoner concerning mee wherein you doe me excéeding great iniurie I beseech you ioyne not me in this sort with any of these offendors When they were departing Sir Iames Acroft knâ—eled downe and said hee was sorie to bee brought as a witnes against her Grace and that hee had beene meruâ—iâ—ously tossed and examined touching her Highnes but I take GOD to
record before whom I stand in your honours sight I know not any thing of that crime that you haue laide vnto my charge and will take my death thereon if I be driuen to so strait a tryall When her officers had prouided her diet and brought it to the vtter gate of the Tower the common rascall souldiours receiued it Wherefore they complained vnto the Lord Chamberlain Constable of the Tower and desired that her dyet might be brought in by them which were apppointed therevnto Hee answered I assure you for that she is a prisoner shee shall be serued with the Lieutenants men as other â—he prisoners are and they seeming to be offended at this answere Hee sware that if they did either frowne or shrug at him he would set them where they should neither see Sunne nor Moone but after they obtained their request of the Councell with much adoe Then he would haue had his seruants to haue serued with them and he would haue had his meate rosted with her Graces meat that his Cooke should come thither to dresse it Her Graces Cooke would suffer no stâ—anger to come about her dyet but her own sworne men neither would they suffer any strangers to come into any other of their offices When she had lien a month in close prison and was ill at ease she requested the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord Shandoys to haue liberty to walk in some place they said they durst not grauâ—t it because they had commaundement to the contrary but the next day the Lord Sandoys obtained of the Councell but with very much adoe that she might walke in the Queenes lodging in the presence of the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord Shandoys the Windows being shut wherewith she contented her selfe and thanked him Afterward she had libertie for to walke in a little Garden and the Doores and Gates being close shut during which time there vsed a mans Childe in the Tower many times to bring her Grace Flowers but certaine suspitious heads thinking to make some great matter thereof called the Childe promising him Figges and Apples asked him when he was with the Earle of Deuonshire he answered he would goe by and by thither then they asked him when he was with the Lady Elizabeth he answered euery day then they asked him what the Lord of Deuonshire sent by him vnto her Grace he said I will go know what he will giue me to cary her This is a crafty boy quoth the L. Chamberlain I pray you quoth the boy giue me the figs you promised me no quoth he thou shalt be whipped if thou come any more vnto the Lady Elizabeth or the Lord Courney and the childs Father was commanded to suffer the Boy to come no more vnto their chambers the next day as her Grace walked in the Garden the Child péeping in at a little hole cryed vnto her Mistris I can bring you no more Flowers whereat she smiled perceiuing how the matter went The sixtéenth day of May she was remooued from the tower where Sir Henrie Benifield being appointed her Iayler did receiue her with a company of Rakeâ—s to guard her besiâ—es the Lord of Darbies Band to whom the Lord of Tame was ioyned in Commission the first day they conducted her to Richmond where she was sâ—clâ—ded from her Seruants and Souldiers were appointed in their roomes to giue attendance vpon her person whereby shee was in dispaire of her life and desired her Gentleman Usher and the rest of his company to pray for her Then the Genâ—leman Usher desired the Lord of Tame to tell him if there were any danger meant toward his Mistris this night saying certainely I and my fellowes will rather dye then she should secretly miscarry the Lord of Tame answered rather then it should be so I and my men are ready to die at her foote also The next day shee was carried to Windsor and by the way she saw certaine of her men then she bad one goe to them and say these wordes Tanquam Ouis She lay that night in the Deane of Windsors house The next night shee was brought to Maister Dormers house where many people presented vnto her gifts Wherefore Sir Henry troubled the poore people very sore for shewing their kindnes vnto her calling them Râ—bels and Traytors as shee passed the villages the townes-men rang the Bels for Ioy Sir Henry sent his Souldiers and put some of the â—â—â—gers into the stocks and otherwise misused othersome the next night they came to the Lord of Tames house where she was princely intreated of Noble men Ladies Gentlemen and Gentlewomen Sir Henry told them that they could not tell what they did and they were not able to answere their doings The Lord of Tame said hee was well aduised of his dooings and that her Grace might or should be merry at his house Then Sir Henry whereas there was appointed for her Grace a Chayre two Cushions and a foote Carpet very Prince-like wherein presumptuoâ—sâ—y hee sate whilst his Bootes were plucked off Wherefore the Ladies and Gentlewomen did laugh him to scorne The next day she was brought to Woodstock where she was inclosed as in the Tower threescore souldiers euery day warding within the walles and without and fortie euery night without the walles during the time of her imprisonment there when she went into the Garden to walke shee had fiue or six lockes locked vpon her betwixt her lodging and her walkes Sir Henry himselfe keeping the keyes Wherevpon shee called him her Goaler He desired her not to call him so but her Officer from such Officers quoth she good Lord deliuer me At the last by earnesâ— suite she was permitted to write vnto the Queene so that Sir Henry did stand by whilest shee wrote which hee straightly obserued when she was wearie he would carrie away the Letters and bring them againe when she called for them he would haue been the messenger to cartie the Letters but she would not giue him leaue but said one of her owne men should carry them he said â—e â—rowed none of them durst be so â—olde yes quoth shee I haue none so dishonest but wâ—ll as willingly serue me nâ—w as before but he would not permit her Letters to be carried foure or fiue dayes after the writing therof but in fine he sent for her Gentlâ—man demanding whether he durst enterprise the carrying of the Letters to the Queen he answered yes that he durst and would whereupon Sir Henrie halfe against his stomack gaue them him Doctor Owen and Doctor Wendiâ—e were sent for by the Queens Grace for that she was sickly who ministred vnto her and let her bloud tarrying with her 5. or 6. daies they reported to the Q. and Councell of her Graces behauior and humblenes towards the Q. which her Maiestie took very thankfully but the Bishops repâ—ned and told the Quéen that they maruelled that she submitted not her selfe vnto her Maiesties mercie About this time her grace was requested by a
after the burning of M George Wisard he was wretchedly slaine in hiâ— owne Castle as you may sée in the discourse of this Story Crescentius the Popes Legate and Uicegerent in the Councell of Trent he was sitting from morning vntill night writing Letters vnto the Pope at his rising there appeared vnto him a mighty blacke Dog his eyes flaming liâ—e fire and his eares hanging almost downe to the ground the Cardinall being amazed called his Seruants to bring in a Candle and seeke for the Dog and when the Dog could not be found the Cardinall was strucken with a concâ—it and fell into such a sicknesse as all his Phisitians could not cure and so he dyed By Iohannes Sleidaâ—â—s in his twelfth Booke he saith his purpose was to recouer againe the whole authority and doctrine of the Romish Sea and to set it vp for euer The Councell of Trident was dissolued by the death of this Cardinall Two adulterous Bishops belonging vnto the said Councell of Trident one haunting vnto an honest mans Wife was slaine with a Boare-speare the other Bishop whose haunt was to créepe through a window was hanged in a Ginne laid for him of purpose and so couayed that in the morning he was séene openly in the stréete hanging out of the window to the wondermâ—nt of all that passed by Ex protestatione conceonatorum Germa Iohn Eckius the most vehement impugner of Martine Luther as his life was full of all vngodlinesse vncleannes and blasphemy so was his end miserable hard and pittifull his last words were these In case the foure thousand Guilders were ready the matter were dispatched dreaming belike of some Cardinalship that he should haue bought Ex Iohn Carion fol 250. Iohn Vaueler Warfe the next in office to Magraue he was of Antwarpe hee was a sore persecutor of Christs flocke he had drowned diuers good Men and women for the which he was much commended of the bloody Generation being very rich he gaue vp his office intending to passe the rest of his life in pleasure and comming vnto a banquet at Antwarpe to be merry being well laden with Wine he rode home in his Wagon with his Wife a Gentlewoman and his Foole the Horses stood still vpon a bridge and would by no meanes goe foreward then he in a drunken rage cryed out Ride on in a thousand Diuels name by and by râ—se a mighty whirlewind and tossed the Wagon ouer the bridge into the Towne ditch where he was drowned and when he was taken vp his necke was broken his wife was taken vp aliue but died within thrée daies the Gentlewoman and the Foole were saued Bartholomeus Chassaneus a great Persecutor died suddenly Minerius the Bloudy Tormentor of Christes Saints dyed with bleeding in his lower parts the Iudge that accompanied him in his persecution as hee returned homeward was drowned and thrée more of the said company killed one another Iohannes de Roma that cruell Monke that deuised such hellish torments for the poore Christians at Augrowne the Lord paid him home againe with the like torments who rotted to death and could finde no euemie to kill him nor friend to bury him he could not abide his own stinking carrion nor any man else that came neere him could abide his stench The like persecutor was the Lord of Reuest and after his furious persecution he was striken with the like horrible sicknes and with such a fury and madnesse that none durst come neere him and so most wretchedly diâ—â— The like greeuous punishment happened vpon one Iohn Martine a persecutor as appeareth in the History before In the yeare 1565. in the towne of Gaunt in Flanders one VVilliam de VVeuer was imprisoned for religion by the Prouost of S. Peters In Gaunt the Prouost sent for one Giles Brackelman the principall Aduocate of the Councel of Flanders and Borough-master and Iudge of Saint Peters with others of the Rulers of the Towne to sit in Iudgement vpon him as the said Borough-master reasoned with the said VVilliam de VVeauer vpon diuers Articles of his Faith And being about to pronounce his condemnation the Borough-Master was suddenly striken with a Palsey that his mouth was drawne almost vnto his eare and so hee fell downe and died The Lords that stood by shadowed him that the people should not see him and commaunded the people to depart yet they burned the said William de Weauer within thrée houres after the same day The fift of March 1566. Sir Garret Trieste Knight hee had promised the Regent to bring downe the preaching wherefore the Regent promised him to make him a Graue which is an Earle when he had brought with him to Gaunt tidings of the death of the Preachers he receiued from the Regent a Commission to swear the Lords and Commons vnto the Romish Religion and being at supper he bad his Wife call him an houre the sooner in the morning for that he should haue much businesse to doe to sweare the Lords and people vnto the Romish Religion but going to bed in good health in the morning when he should be called he was found dead and as the Lords of Gaunt procéeded to giue the Oath the next day Master Martine de Pester the Secretary being appointed and about to giue the Oath as the first man should haue sworne the said Martin de Pester was stricken of GOD with present death and â—â—uer spake againe These Examples were contained in a Letter written vnto HENRY the second French King which is in the Booke more at large THE Lord Poucher Archbishoppe of Toâ—res who sued for the Court called Chambre Ardente there to condemne the Protestants to the fire who after was stricken with a disease called the fire of God which began at his lower parts and so ascended vpward that one member after another was cut off and so he died miserably Castellanus hauing inriched himselfe by the Gospell and returning from pure Doctrine vnto his old vomit againe became a Persecutor at Orliance but God strucke him with a sicknesse vnknowne vnto the Phisitians one halfe of his body burned as hot as fire and the other halfe was as could as Ice and so most miserably crying he dyed Du Prat was the first that opened vnto the Parliament the knowledge of Herisies and gaue out Commission to put the faithful vnto death he died swearing and horribly blaspheming God and his stomacke was found pierced and gnaune asunder with Wormes Iohn Ruse Councellor in the Parliament comming from the Court hauing made report of the Processe against the poore innocents was taken with a burning in the lower part of his belly before hee could be brought home the fire inuaded all his secret parts and so he died miserably Claude des Asses a Councellor in the said Court the same day that he gaue his consent to burne the faithfull After dinner he committed whoredome with one of his Seruants and in doing the act he was stricken with a disease that he died out of hand Peter
others in confessing the sicke cause them to leaue their goods vnto the Monasterie and depriue their wiues and children A Canâ—n of â—urney after his death left a Booke wherein hee had noted the Names and Houses of two hundred women of the chiefest of that Citie whome he had enioâ—ed at his pleasure A Fryer in Frisâ—land had put into the hâ—ads of foolish women this opinion That they must giue vnto the Church the tenth Night as they doe vnto their Husband A Fryer with a poysoned Host brought vnto his death Henrie the seuenth Emperour of that Name Thus much out of Pasquine in a â—rance wherein if thou be disposed thou shalt find euery thing that I haue set downe and much more which least I should be too tedious I haue omitted The Trayterous Practises of the Papists against Queene ELIZABETH during her Raigne and of Gods Preseruations towards her THe most iust and apparant Iudgements of God vpon persecuting Papists which haue shed the innocent bloud of poore Protestants hath beene declared Wherein not onely in other Countries God hath manifested his indignation against them but most especially in this Realme you haue seene the Uiall of Gods wrath powred vpon the most part of the Persecutors in Quéene Maries time especially vpon the Persecuting Clergie who all fell into the pit that they had digged for others As for Bonner whose Iudgement is not yet declared hee dyed in Prison and was buried in a Dunghill And as for Doctor Story as great a Persecutor as Bonner you may reade of his iust Iudgement in this Historie following how he was drawne from the Tower to Tyburne and there hanged and quartered for Treason Tyburne was long time after called Stories Cappe If wee doe but consider the vnhappinesse of Q. Maries Raigne together with the prosperous and long Raigne of Queene Elizabeth it is easie to see the louing countenance of God â—uer the Protestants and how God bendeth his browes against the Papists And as sure as God hath ouerthrowne them heere in this Realme beyond the expectation of any man so certainely will the Almightie God â—â—nfound the whole Pope-â—ome at his time appointed how vnlikely soeuer it seemeth vnto the carnall-eyed Papist that will not see the Prophesies of the Spirit of God which most plainely fore-shew the same But now touching the Historie of Queene Elizabeths Raigne In the yeare 1569 Pope Pius the fift sent Nicholas Morton Doctor of Diuinitie an Englishman into England to admonish certaine Noblemen that were Papists That Queene Elizabeth was an Heretike and therefore by Law hath lost all Dominion and Power and may freely be accounted as an Heathen and Publican and that her subiects are not from henceforth bound to obey her Lawes and Commandements Whereupon presently the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland rebelled against the Queene in the North but the Earle of Suffex was sent into the North being appointed the Queenes Lieutenant generall who proclaymed them Traytors and he sent out to all such Gentlemen as he knew to be her Maiesties louing subiects which came vnto him with such a number as he was able to make aboue 5000. horsemen and footmen and being accompanied with the Earle of Rutland his Lieutenant the Lord Hunsdon Generall of his Horsemen William Lord Eure leader of the Footmen and Sir Raph Sadler Treasurer Sir George Bowes was made Marshall of the Armie When the Armie was comming to Durham the Rebels fled to Exham The night before they came to Exham the Rebels were gone to Mawarth where they counselled with Edward Dacres concerning their owne weakenesse being they were pursued of the Earle of Sussex seuen thousand strong and moreouer the Earle of Warwicke the Lord Clinton Lord Admirall of England and Lord Uicount Herford with an Army of 12000. â—ut of the South being not farre behind them at Browne-bridge The next night the Garles of Northumberland and Westmerland with sundry principall Gentlemen fled vnto Hatlew in Scotland The other Rebels were shortly after taken by the Earle of Sussex and 66. of the name of Constables and others executed at Durham amongst whom was an Alderman of the Towne and a Priest called Parson Plomtree Then Sir George Bowes Marshall executed many in euery Market Towne and other places betwixt New-castle and Wetherby six myles in length and foure myles in breadth And Leonard Dacre hauing raysed a great number of people the Lord Hunsdon set vpon him and slew manie of his people and â—orcâ—d them to flye into Scotland Symon Digby Iohn Fulthroppe Esquire Robert Peniman and Thomas Bishop Gent. were drawne from the Castle of Yorke to Knauesâ—erâ— and there hanged and quartered Then they went with all their power into Scotland and burnt ouerthrew and spoyled all the Castles Townes and Uillages before them aboue fiâ—tie strong Castles and Piles and aboue three thousand Townes and Uillages and they tooke many Prisoners and returned saâ—ely Also a Conspiracie was made by certaine Gentlemen and other in the Countie of Norfolke whose purpose was vpon Midsummer day at Harlstone Faire with the sound of a Trumpet to haue raysed a number and then to proclayme their pretence This matter was vttered by Thomas Kete vnto Iohn Kensey who sent the said Kete vnto the next Instice before whom he opened the whole matter whereupon Drew Drewrie apprehended Iohn Throgmorton and many Gentlemen of the Citiâ— of Norwich and the Countrey of Norfolke at the next Sessions ten of them were indited of Treason and Iohn Throgmorton Thomas Brooke and George Dedman hanged drawne and quartered Doctor Sanders de visibili Monarchia lib. 7. pag. 730. sayth That the purposes and endeuours of these Noblemen were to be praysed which wanted not their certaine and happie successe for though they were not able to draw the Soules of their Brethren out of the pit of Schisme yet both they themselues nobly confessed the Catholike Faith and many of them gaue their liues for their Brâ—thren which is the highest degree of Charitie the rest of them rescued themselues from the Bondage both of Schisme and Sinne vnto the Freedome wherewith Christ hath made vâ— free And in his Booke of Motiues he calleth these Martyrs to wit the Earle of Northumberland Doctor Story Felton the Nortons M. Woodhouse M. Plumtree and so many hundreds of the Northerne men The said Nortons were Thomas Norton and Christopher Norton of Yorkeshire and they were hanged beheaded and quartered for Treason for the late Rebellion in the North. The said Felton was one Iohn Felton which this yeare was drawne from Newgate to Paules Churchyard and hanged before the Bishops Pallace Gate cut downe aliue bowelled and quartered for hanging a Bull from the Pope for the Excommunicating of the Queene at the Gate of the Bishop of Londons Pallace And the afore-mentioned Doctor Story was that cruell Story that burned so manie in Queene Maries time who the first of Iune this yeare 1571. was drawne from the Tower of London to Tyburne and there hanged and quartered
his own seruants with him Yet it pleased God after many strokes on all hands to giue his maiesties seruants the victory the said E. of Gowry being striken dead with a stroke through y â— hart which the said sir Io Ramsey gaue him without once crying vpoÌ„ God the rest of his seruants dung ouer the staires with many hurts as â—n like maner y â— said sir Tho Erskin 〈◊〉 Hugh Hereis sir Iohn Ramsey were all thrâ—â— very sore hurt and wouâ—ded But al the time of this â—ight the D. of Lâ—nnox the Earl of Mar the rest of his Maieâ—ties traine â—ere striking with great hammerâ— at the vtter doore whâ—rby his maiesty paâ—â—t vp to the chamber with the said M. Alexander which also he had lockt in his by-comming with his maiesty to the chamber but by reason of the strength of the said double doore â—he whole wall being likewise of boords and yéelding with the strokesâ— it did bide the◠〈◊〉 space of half an houre more before they could break it â— hauâ— entreâ—â—e who 〈…〉 with his maiesty found beyond their expectation his Maiesty deliuered from so imminent a perill the said late Earle the principall conspirator lying dead at his Maiesties â—éet Immediatly thereafter his maiesty knéeling down on his knées in the middest of his own seruants they all kneeling round about him his maiesty out of his own mouth thanked God of that miraculous deliuerance and victory assuring himselfe that God hath preserued him from so dispaiâ—ed a peril for the perfecting of some greater work behind to his glory and for procuring by him the weale of his people y â— God had committed to his charge In the first beginning of the Kings Maiesties raign ouer England William Watson William Clarke Seminary Priests and George Brooke brother vnto the Lo Cobham had most traiterously deuised a plot whereby the Kings person should haue bâ—en surprised and the whole kingdome ouerthrowne and they had entised to the imbracing their trayterous Machinations Anthony Copley Gentleman Sir Griffin Markam Knight the Lord Cobham the Lord Gray Sir Walter Rawleigh and others But before they had brought their Conspiracies vnto â—ffect the Lord of his accustâ—med goodnes and carefulnes ouer his Maiestie made all their Conspiracies apparant vnto the King and his Councell and about the middest of Iuly in the first yeare of his Highnes raigne proclamations were made out for the apprehension of them whereby they were taken and in Nouâ—mber after they were all condemned of High Treason and the nine and twenty day of Nouember the two Priests were executed and sir dayes after George Brooke was â—eheaded and the ninth of December Sir Griffin Markam and the Lord Cobham and the Lord Gray after they had been seuerally brought vpon the scaffold in the Castle of Winchester and had made their Confessions and prepared themselues likewise seuerally to die vpon the sudden the Kings warrant written with his own hand was there deliuered vnto Sir Beniamin Tichborne high Sheriffe of Hampshire commanding him to stay execution these three and Sir Water Rawleigh were returned priâ—oners vnto the Tower the fifteenth of December The Gunpowder Treason THomas Pearcy Robert Catesby Thomas Winter others in the last yeare of the raigne of Q. Elizabeth by the inâ—â—igation of certaine Iesuites practised with thâ— King of Spain to send a well â—urnished Army vpon England promising him great ayde to entertaine them at their arriuall at Milford Hauen and to that purpose the King promised to 〈◊〉 them fifâ—y thousand pound for leuying of horse and foote and preparation of Munition in England to second them but whilst this was in a manner concluded Q. Elizabeth dyed the King of Spaine vpon certaine knowledge that K. Iames was established dispatchâ—d his Ambassadors and Commissioners for England â—or coâ—firmation of a lasting Peace between them yet neuerthelesse the said Rob. Catesby sent Tho Winter againe to the King of Spaine to resolicite their former proiect but the King answered him your old Quéens is dead with whom I had wars and you haue a new King with whom I haue euer bin in good peace and amity and for continuance thereof I haue sent my speciall Commissioners and vntill I sée what will become thereof I will not hearken vnto any other course whatsoeuer When Winter returned and made this knowne vnto Catesby Pearcy and the rest then they began to cast about what they might doe of themselues to aduance the Romance Catholick Religion but first they would see the euent of the first Parliament if that would mittigate any former Lawes and try what good the Conclusion of Peace with Spaine would doe vnto them before they attempted any further but when they perceiued that neither Parliament nor publike Peace sorted in any part to their desire and that the Peace concluded was rather a more ready meanes for the Law to procéed against them then otherwise because the Peace concerned onely the Amitie of Christian Princes for the generall good of Christendome without any particular or priuat respect then Catesby told the rest he had a deuice in his head that should free them and the rest of the English Catholiques from their oppressions and when he had found out â—it Ministers for execution of his deuice after they had taken oath and Sacrament for secresie hee told them hee had deuised the meane to vndermine and blow vp the Parliament house at the instant when the King Queene Prince Peeres and Commons were all assembled which proiect they presently embraced and forthwith Pearcy hired certaine lodgings close to the Parliament house and then they appointed Miners who with great difficultie digged and vndermined a part of the wall but after a while they vnderstood that the Uaâ—t right vnder the Parliament house was to bee let to hyre then Guydo Fawkes went and hyred it this Fawkes was late a Souldiour in Flanders and for this purpose was sent for who by consent of the rest changed his namâ— and was called Iohn Iohnson Maister Pearcies man after they had hyred the Uaut theâ— secretly conuayed into it thirty and sir barrels of powder and couered them all ouer with Billets and Faggots â—bout ten daies before the Parliamâ—nt should begin an vnknowne party in the Euening met a seruant of the Lord Mounteagles in the streâ—t and deliuered him a Letter charging him speedily to giue it vnto his Lord which he did when his Lord had read it and obserued the dangerous câ—ntents with a speciall caueat not to appeare the first day of Parliament he was amazed and forthwith deliuered it to the Earle of Salisbury the Kings Principall Secretary a chiefe Counselor of Estate when the Earle had iudiciously obserued the strange Phrase and Tenor thereof with the terrible threats therein against the whole State he acquainted the Lord Chamberlain therewith and then they câ—nioined vnto them the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester and Northampton who instantly consulted what was
CHRISTS VICTORIE OVER SATHANS TYRANNIE WHERIN JS CONTAINED A CATALOGVE OF ALL CHRISTS FAITHFVLL SOVLDIERS THAT THE DIVELL either by his grand Captaines the EMPEROVRS or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the POPES haue most cruelly Martyred for the TRVTH WITH ALL THE POYSONED DOCTRINS WHEREWITH THAT GREAT REDDE DRAGON hath made drunken the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth with the confutations of them TOGETHER WITH ALL HIS TRAYTEROVS PRACTISES AND DESIGNES AGAINST ALL CHRISTIAN Princes to this day especially against our late Queen ELIZABETH of famous memorie and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of Martyrs and diuers other Books By Thomas Mason Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by George Eld and Ralph Blower 1615. To the most Reuerend Father in GOD the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his GRACE PRIMATE and METROPOLITAN of all England and one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Councell And to the Right Honourable SIR EDVVARD COKE Lord Cheefe Iustice of England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell THOMAS MASON wisheth all Happinesse in this Life and eternall Felicitie in the world to come MOST Reuerend and Right Honorable zealous Lords your daily and faithfull Orator being a professed Soldiour vnder Christs Banner in the behalfe of his spouse against Antichrist I could busie my selfe in no office so profitable for the Church and hurtfull vnto Antichrist as to gather together the bullets which haue been shot at him by Christs Souldiours in times past that now his children may shoote them at him againe with great facilitie And whereas venerable M r Fox of worthy memory hath gathered into one Booke the Acts and Monuments of the Church vnto his time one of the most profitablest Bookes that is for Gods Children except the Bible a Club able to beate downe the Popish Tower of Babell Yet what with the labour of reading so large a volume together with the deareness of the price thereof few that haue the Booke reade it ouer and the most part of men are not able to buy it whereby very little profit ariseth thereof vnto the Church I haue according to my power pared off the barke of this Club and made it tractable for all sorts of people they may buy it with little charge and peruse it with small paines and I dare promise them that they shall reape as much profit by reading this abridgement as by reading of the Booke at large I haue willingly omitted no matter of substance Here the Reader may see the cruelty of the Emperors vnto the Primitiue Church and whom they put to death and the manner of their deathes during the first ten Persecutions and how and when Christianitie began in this Realme And what successe it hath had at all times and when by what occasion and by whom most of the Monasteries and Cathedrall Churches of this Realme were builded and how when and by whom all points of Popery came into the Church and how the Pope hath exalted himself against Emperors Kings what iniuries he hath done to them With the Treasons Conspiracies that Papists haue practised against those that the Lord hath annointed vnto this day The Reader may also heere see the innumerable multitude of the Saints of God that the Papists haue from time to time murdered in all Countries for the testimonie of the Truth With all the points of Religion that the Martyrs did defend vnto death and all the reasons that the Papists vsed against their Arguments and how cruelly they handled them with many other most profitable things After I had done this Booke I was discouraged from putting of it to Print by reason I found another had abridged the Booke of Martyrs before me but when I perceiued it was done but superficially for all the points of Religion that the Martyrs defended or Papists obiected were omitted which disputations I chiefly labour to set forth therevpon I was resolued to goe forward When I had begun to quote all the Authors from whence M r Fox had his proofes for them that the Emperors put to death the Quotations were almost as large as the Story and made it very vnpleasant wherefore in most places for breuitie I haue omitted them leauing them that would see the proofes to the Book at large I haue herein abridged many bookes but especially the Booke of Martyrs as the Papists cannot abide the booke of Martyrs of all bookes so much more will they hate my booke which hath so truely and briefely discouered all their shame not onely out of that booke but out of diuers other bookes Wherefore most Reuerend and Right Honorable Lords your manifest dislike that you beare against the wickednes and falshood of Antichrist hath imboldned me to be an humble sutor vnto your Lordships to bee the Patrons of this my Booke and that you would vouchsafe to defend and further it by your Spirituall and Temporall Powers to the honour of Christ the great dishonour of Antichrist and the vnspeakeable benefit of Gods Children So with my hartie prayers I commit both your Honors your soules bodies and all that you haue vnto the safe preseruation of Christ Iesus and his holy Angels Your Lordships daily Oratour THOMAS MASON Preacher of Gods word in Odiham in the County of Southampton whose Father was Heire vnto S r IOHN MASON sometime a Priuy Councelor vnto Queene ELIZABETH THE EPISTLE VNTO THE RBADER EVen as the Reuelation and other places of Scriptures good Reader doâ— foretell Antichrist to come so this Historie declareth the fulfilling of those prophecies in all points all the Martyrs died in this faith that the Pope is Antichrist I could bethink my selfe of no instruction so profitable for the reading of this Booke as to giue thee a few rules to manifest vnto thee that the Popedome is that Antichrist which I will endeuor to declare vnto thee by these rules following first by his outward place of abode secondly by his inward and spirituall throne thirdly by his doctrine fourthly by his conditions fiftly by the height breadth length and ruine of his Kingdome I will but open the way vnto thee this Booke shall proue by experience my sayings to be true Touching his outward seate Reuel 17. 18. it is the Citie that then did raigne ouer the Kings of the earth which was Rome the place is also described in the ninth verse to be compassed about with seuen mountaines This Booke shall proue that Rome hath seuen mountaines about it In the same verse this Citie hath had fiue kings that were then falne another King did raign which was the Emperour when the Reuelation was made and another was to come afterward This book shall teach thee that the seuen Kings signifie seuen maner of Gouernments in Rome of which fiue was falne the Emperour then raigned and after the Pope should raigne there so the Holy Ghost hath pointed out Rome as plainly as can be the place of Antichrists Kingdome
Slaues He married his Cosens Neeces and kinswomen I will not say his Daughters vnto the best Barons and Earles yet his Grand-father was a poore plowman and his Father a Cow-heard and hauing thus tyrannously abused his office fearing examination fled with a few of his trusty seruants to Douer Castle to haue stolne beyond Sea and comming in a womans apparell with a peâ—ce of cloth vnder his arme and a mete rod in his hand being taken vpon suspâ—tion his Kercheefe plucked off his Balaams marke or shauen Crowne appeared the people wondred raiâ—ed and spit on him and drew him some by the armes some by the legges ouer the Sea sands vntill they brought him to a darke Seller with shame enough to be kept till the Councell â—ent for him to the Tower of London where he was â—xamined depriued and banished the Realme after restored by King Richard and sent to Rome but died by the way As King Richard returned from the Holy Land driuen by diâ—â—resse of weather about the parts of Austria he was taken in Synaca by Hubald Duke of the same countrey and sold to the Emperour for 60000. marke the Emperour writ of the matter to the King of France that hee might reioyce with 〈◊〉 at lenâ—th King Richard was ransomed for 140000. Crownes and as he was comming into England besieging a Castle in Pictauia tooke his deadly wound and being sick amongst others Fulco Archbishop of Roane came to him who said to the King O mighty King thou hast thrée Daughters very vicious prouide good Husbands for them least thou incurre great damage and thâ— vtter ruine the King called him lying and mocking hypocrite saying all the world knoweth I haue no daughters he answerd yes if it pâ—ease your Grace I meane greedy couetousnâ—sse mischieuous pride filthy â—uxury againe I say O King beware of them and get them marriages Wherevpon the King calling his Lords and Barrons â—â—â—laring the matter to them and said wherefore heere before you all I giue my Daughter swelling pride vnto the proud Templers to Wife and my Daughter gréedie Auaricâ— vnto the couetous and Cistertian Monkes and last of all tâ—y filthy Daughter Luxury to the ryotous Prelates of the Church whom I thinke vâ—ry meete for them The King not long after departed without issue and Iohn his Brother raigned after him the Arch-bishop putting his crowne vpon his head swearing him to deâ—end the Church and his good lawes and destroy the euill and except he thought in his minde to doe this he charged him not to presume to take vpon him this dignitie On Iohn Baptist day next after he went to Normandy where he was royalâ—y receiued and a truce made betwixt him and the French King and the Earle of Flanders and all the Lords of France that were in league with King Richard camâ— to him and were sworne vnto him Not long after the French King made Arthur Knight and tooke homage of him for Normandy Brittaine and all his possessions beyond the Sea and promised him help against King Iohn after the French King and King Iohn with their Nobles spake together an houre the French King asked him much land for himselfe and King Arthur whâ—ch he would not gâ—ant but departed in wâ—ath The same yeere a Legate came into France and commanded the King vpon paine of interdiction to deliuer one Peter out of prison which was elected to a Bishoprick who was deliuered the same Legate came into England and commanded King Iohn vpon paine of interdiction to deliuer the Arch-bishop whom hee had kept in prison two yeares which the King denied vntill he had payed him six thousand markes because hee had tooke him in harnesse in a field against him and he swore him hee should neuer beare harnesse against a Christian man This time King Iohn his wife were diuorced because they were in the third degrée of kindred and after by the Councell of the French King was married vnto the Daughter of the Earle of Anguilla and then Arthur of Brittan did homage for Brittaine and other his possessions to King Iohn This time was strife betwixt the King and the Archbishop of Yorke because he would not suffer the Sheriffe to do such affaires as he had to d ee in his Dioces for the King and excommunicated the Sheriffe and would not go with the King into Normandy to make the marriage betwixt the French Kinges Sonne and his Néece The King of France required King Iohn to depart with all his Landes in Normandy and Pictauia c. vnto Arthur his Nephew else hee would warre against him which he denying the next day the French King with Arthur set vpon certaine of his Towns and Castles in Normandy but he was so repulsed of the English who followed so néere and so inforced vpon them that they took Arthur and many other Prisoners and left none to beare tydings home This Arthur was the Sonne of Geffery the elder Brother of King Iohn Geffery was the third Son of Henry the second and Iohn was his fift Son Arthur being taken was brought to the King home he exhorted him with many gentle words to leaue thâ— King of France and incline to his Unclâ— hee stoutly required the kingdome of England with all things thereunto belonging to bee restored to him as lawfull heire of the Crowne Whereupon he was committed to the Tower of Roane wherâ— he finished his life No Story agréeth certainly how whether by leaping into the Ditch or no. The next yeare King Iohn lost all his possessions in Normandy by the force of the French King This yeare grew great dissention about chusing the Archbishop of Canterbury the younger sort of the Monkes there at midnight and before the old Arch-bishop was buried and without the Kings assent elected one Renald sending hâ—m to the Pope charging him vpon his oath to be secret but he reuealed the matter whereby the rest of the Monkes sent priuily to Rome and sent to the King for hâ—s assâ—nt to chuse an Archbishop the King granted their petition desiring them to shew â—auour to Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich which they did and elected him and the King sent to Rome at his owne charge to haue this election ratified â—he Suffragans of Canterbury sent likewise to Rome to haue both those elections frustrated because their assents were not to them The next yeare the Pope dâ—cided the matter betwiâ—t the Monkes and Suffrigans pronouncing with the Monks charging the Suffragans and Bishop to meddle no more with that election The next yeare the Pope decided the controuersie betwixt the younger Monkes and the elder Monkes and condemned both their elections commaâ—nding them to chuse Steuen Langton Cardinall of Saint Chrisogone for their Arch-bishop they said they durst not for feare of the King and that it was preiudiciall to their liberties He in a fury said We will you to know that we haue full power ouer the Church of Canterbury and
body of Christ really which was Sacramentally vâ—ed in the Church Hee was caâ—yed to the place of execution and included in â— Pipe or Tunne The Prince the eldest Sonne of King Henry was present hee endeauoured to saue him pâ—rswading him from his opinions adding often threatnings which might haue daunted any mans stomacke but this valliant Champion of Christ neglâ—cting the Princes faire words â—ather determined to suffer any torments then so great Idolatry Beeing inclosed in the Pipe hee was tormentâ—d by the raging of the fâ—re and miserably roaring in the middest thereof the Prince beeing moued came to him againe commaunded the fâ—re to bee taken away comforted him and promised him life and a yearely stypâ—nd during his life if â—ee would consent to his Councell But beeing more inflamed with the Spirit of God thâ—n with any earthly desire hee continued vnmoueably in his former minde The Prince commaunded him to bee put in againe and that after hee should looke for no grace So this Lay-man persâ—uered inuincible vnto the end not without a great and cruell battell but with so much the more tryumph and victorie As soone as King Henry the fift was Crowned at the same time the Lord Cobham was cast into the Towre the Bishoppes and Prelates came to the King complaining that they and the whole Clergie were despised and their censurâ—s and Sacraments not regarded and all iending to vtter ruine and decay and all by suffering of Heretickes which holde assemblyes in secret places aâ—d corners which if it were any longer suffered would ouerthrowe the Common-wealth Whereupon the King held a Parliament at Lecester and made an act that they that held Wicliffes opinion were Heretickes and Traytors and to bee hanged and burned The Bishops beeing armed herewith exercised wonderfull crueltie against many guiltlesse men amongst which besides the Lord Cobham whose Story is deferred was Sir Roger Acton Knight Iohn Browne Gentleman and Iohn Beuerley a Preacher who were condemned by the Lawe aforesaid and crowned with the double Martyrdome of hanging and burning at Saint Gyles iâ— the Field At that time there was 36. together all of Noble and gentle bloâ—ds condemmed by the Bishops for Heretickes whom this cruell Lawe draue vnto the 〈◊〉 Also one Iohn Claydon a Currier and Richard Turmine a Baker were burned in Smithfield I passe ouer such whom Iohn Mayor in his sixth Booke reporteth to be condemned for Heretickes in the yeare 1447. amoâ—st which such as were found most constant were burned About the same time a Fryer Minor an English-man being Ambassador of Pope Benedict 13. vnto Scotland if he had not escaped by flight had beene burned for certaine herisies that were laid against him About this time was a Sermon written whether by Wickliffe or Thorpe or any other it is vncertaine it is mentioned to be in the yeare 1388. Christ likeneth the Kingdome of Heauen to a Housholder that went in the morning to hyre Worke-men into his Uineyard so did he about the third houre the sixt houre and the ninth and the eluenth and as he found men standing idle Hee said to them Why stand you beere vn-occupyed goe into my Vineyard and that which is duty I shall giue you and when the day was ended he called his Steward and bad him giue euery man a penny This Housholder is Christ head of the Church on Earth which calleth in diuers ages as in the time of Nature he called by inspiration Abell Enoch Noah Abraham and diuers others In the time of the olde Law Moses Dauid Esau Ieremy with the Prophets In the time of Grace the Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Uirgines some in youth some in middle age some in the latter dayes it is to labour in his Uineyard which is his Church as there be diuers Officers in trimming of the maternall Uine no lesse néedfull in the Church be these thrée Officers Priest-hood Knight-hood and Laborers The Priests must cut away the branches of sinne with the Sword of Gods Word the Knights must maintaine Gods Word the Teachers thereof and the Land from wrongs and Enemies the Labourers must by their sore sweat get sustenance for themselues and others if Priests want the people for want of Gods Word all will grow wilde in vices and dye ghostly and were not men to rule people Théeues and Enemies would so increase that none could liue in peace and were it not for Labourers Priests and Knights must be Artificers Plough-men and Heard-men or else die for want of sustenance as the great Clarke Auicenna saith euery vnreasonable Beast if he haue that which belongs to Nature can liue of himselfe alone But if there were but one man in the World if he had all the goods in the World yet for default he would dye or his life worse then if he were not because that which is prepared for mans sustenance must be altered or else it accordeth not with him therefore he saith it is very needfull to haue men of diuers trades and callings This should be a great cause that euery calling should loue and not hate one another and this I dare say that they which doe not diligently labour in some one necessary calling or other when the day of reckoning shall come which is the end of this life as he liued without trauell so shall hee want the reward of the Penny the endlesse ioyes of Heauen and be cast into Hell Wherefore if thou be a labouring man doe it truelie if thou be a Seruant be subiect feare to displease thy Maister for Christs sake if thou be a Marchant deceiue not thy Brother in chaffering if a King defend the poore and needy if a Iudge goe not to the right hand for fauour nor to the left for hate If thou be a Priest instruct the ignorant praise the obedient and reprooue the disobedient to God for in the end of the world you shall euery one haue a reward a good or a bad then Christ wil say to euery of these three States Come giue a reckoning of thy Bayliwicke First Priests that haue cure of Soules shall bee called and they shall answer for themselues and others The second is Temporall Lords shall answere for themselues and others The third Baily shall account but for himselfe or at least haue lesse charge then the other and euery one shall answere three questions How entrest thou How rulest thou How liuest thou To the Priest how entrest thou by Truth or Symony God or the Deuill for that thou wouldst labour in thy calling or for that thou wouldst bee richly arrayed Answere in thy conscience to thine offence now or thou shalt ere it be long answere to GOD and I aske the question why men set their Children to schoole whether for their worldly aduancement or to make them the better to know GOD and serue him They set them to the Law not to be Ministers of Iustice to defend the poore but because it is a meanes to make them great men
resorted great number of people to Rome more then at any time before were seene there At which time as there were a great sort of people going to Mount Uaticane to behold the Image of our Sauiour which they had there to shew to Pilgrims a Mule of the Cardinals of Saint Marke comming that way the people for multitude being not able to voyde the way one or two falling vpon the Mule there was such a throng that two hundred men and thrée horses were strangled vpon the bridge and many fell ouer into the water and were drowued wherefore the Pope caused the small houses to bee plucked downe to make the Bridge broader In the yeare 1453. Constantinople was taken by the Turkes In the yeare one thousand foure hundred fifty fiue when the death of Pope Nicholas was published the Germaines bewayling their miserable estate perswaded the Emperour that he should be no longer vnder the Popes obedience except they first obtained certaine thinges touching the Charter of Apeales shewing that they were in worse case then eyther the French-men or Italians and as it were their Seruants and especially of the Italians that they alone had not the vse of their Lawes and that the French Nation had not made their sute in vaine vnto their King against the exactions of the Popes by whom they were defended which also prouided decrées for the liberty of his people The Emperour promised hee would prouide for them no lesse then the King of Fraunce had done for the French-men But Aeneas Siluius brake off the matter saying Though there bee variance amongst Princes in waighty matters yet peace may be made againe but betweene the Prince and the Common people there is alwaies mortall hatred and because he should be Successour vnto the Pope hee concluded he thought it better to accord to the Pope then to follow their desires whose minds are led with couetousnesse rather then by reason and the Emperour chose him Ambassadour to Pope Calixtus to sweare vnto him in his Name and to promise the absolute obedience of all Germany Thus twice Fridericke of Austrich contemned and derided the Germaines frustrating them of their natiue ordinances and brought them into subiection vnder the Pope which was the cause that seauen yeares before his death he caused his Sonne Maximillian to bee crowned King of the Romaines least after his death the Empire should be transported vnto another Familie as it afterwards came to passe Whereupon Germany being in this miserable pouerty and greeuous subiection of the Popes tyranny and polling with teares and sighes lamenting their estate continued so almost vnto Luthers time as those Histories hereafter doe testifie The Ambassadour of the Arch-bishop of Maydenburge Henry Token writeth that in the Councell of Basill the Arch-bishop of Lyons did declare that in Pope Martines time there came out of Fraunce to the Court of Rome nine millions of Gold which was gathered by the Byshops and Prelats besides the poore Clergy which daily without number runne vnto the Court of Rome carrying with them all their whole substance The Arch-byshoppe of Turonne said also at Basill that three Millions of Gold in his time came to Rome in foureteene yeares of the Prelates besides the poore Cleargy which daily runne to that Court. Let the man which feareth God iudge what a deuouring Gulfe this is a million containeth ten hundred thousand Sir Roger Ounley followed the Lord Cobham and Sir Roger Acton being a Knight of like Nobility and Order and pertaker of the like cause a man endewed with like valiantnesse and godlinesse whom we reade in certaine Annals to be hanged for the truth 1441. Although there haue beene many Women which haue followed their spouse Christ by torments banishment and death yet the first that commeth to our handes is Elinor Cobham a Woman nothing degenerating from her stocke kindred and name albeit wee can finde no other thing of her but for suspition of heresie that is to say for the loue and desire of the truth she was by the papists banished into the Iâ—e of Man whom a fewe yeares after there followed a woman who for her constancy and vertue was greatly to be praised being mother of the Lady Yong she perseuered vnto the fire with a stout and manly courage for the profession of the Gospel and was burned Hieronimus Sauonarola being singularly well learned and a Monke in Italy preached sore against the euill life of the spiritualtie especially of his owne order saying they were the springs of all mischiefes and by the help of certaine learned men began to seeke reformation in his owne order The Pope fearing him being in great reputation amongst all men least hee should diminish his authoritie hee ordained his Uicar to reforme this matter But the said Hierome withstood him alwaies wherefore hee was accursed yet he left not off preaching but threatned Italy with the indignation of GOD and prophesied that the Land should bee ouerthrowne for the pride and wickednesse of the people and for the vntruth and hypocrisie of the Clergy which came to passe when King Charles came to Rome and besieged Pope Alexander that hee was forced to make composition with him Because the said Hierome would not leaue preaching hee was commanded to appeare before the Pope to giue account of his new learning but hee went not Then was hee againe forbidden to preach and his learning condemned as false and seditions whereby he left off preaching But when the people â—ore hungred for Gods Word and were instant vpon him that hee would preach againe hee beganne againe to preach in Florence many exhorted him to the contrarie but he regarded it not but went forward freely When the Pope and his Shauellings heard thereof they were greatly inflamed against him and cursed him as an obstinate heretick yet hee proceeded in teaching the people saying men ought not to regard such curses which is against the true doctrine and the common Prophets for by preaching wée should be learned and amended Christs Kingdome inlarged and the Kingdome of the Diuell ouerthrowne He desired to teach no other thing then the pure word of God often protesting that all men should certifie him if they heard him teach any thing contrary therunto for in his conscience he knew nothing which he had taught but the pure word of God What his doctrine was may easily be iudged by his books he wrote After that he was taken with two Friers with him which fauoured his learning named Dominick and Siluester and carried to prison where he wrote a godly meditation vpon the most comfortable one and fiftieth Psalme wherein hée excellently described the strife betwixt the flesh and spirit The Popes Legats came to Florence and called forth these thrée good men threatning them maruellously but they continued still constant Then they gathered Articles against them whereuppon they were condemned and were first hanged vp openly in the market-place after burned to ashes and the ashes
also lampes tapers and such other things profit nothing 8 That no Images should be set vp to bee worshipped â—p the Scriptures and therefore they are to be taken downe in Churches 9 That Matrimony is prohibitâ—d to no kindâ— of men by the worde but euery whoremonger is by the word sequestred from the Communion of the Church 10 That single life vnchast filthy is most vnséemely for priesthood The Bishops would not come but sent their Diuines then the disputation was begun by Swinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Blaurer and diuers others defended the Conclusions Amongst others Conrado Treger an Austine Fryer of great fame impugned them who at last when hee sought for help besides the Scriptures the Masters of the Disputations would not suffer him so to doe Wherefore hee departed out of the place the disputations ended the foresaid conclusions were approued by the common consent of the most part and were ratified obserued in Berâ—e and proclaimed by the Magistrate in sundry places thereabouts and Masses Altars and Images abolished in all places and immediately after was the like reformation at Constance and after at Geneua Pope Clem 7. in this yéere conspired with the Uenetians raised a great army and proclaimed war against the Emperor about the possession of Italy the Empâ—â—ror sent his army to Millaine tooke the City Castle marching towards Rome took it spoiled it besieged Pope Clement with his Cardinals in mount Adrian and took the pope who could not be ransomed vnder 40000. Floreines This Pope bare great hatred against the Family of the Columni because it was imperiall and threatned the Cardinall thereof to take away his Cardinals hat who answered if he so did he would put on a helmet to ouerthrow the Popes triple Crowne Our Cardinall of England hearing of the captiuitie of his father the Pope stirred vp the King all he might fight with the Emperour and defend the Faith and he should receiue a great reward of God The King answered he was sorie for it but where you would haue me defend the Faith I assure you this warre is not for thâ— Faith but for temporall possessions I and my people can by no meanes rescue him but if any treasure may helpe him take that which seemeth to you conuenient Then the Cardinall made out of the Kings treasure twelue score thousand pounds which he carried ouer the Sea with him then the Cardinall sent his commission to all Bishops commanding fastings and solemne processions to be had wherein they did sing the Letany after this sort Sancta Maria ora pro Clemente Papa Sancte Petre ora pro Clemente Papa c. The Cardinall passing the Seas went out of Callice with the Bishop of London the Lord Sandes the Kings Chamberlaine the Earle of Derby Sir Henry Gilford Sir Thomas Moore with many other Knights and Esquires to the number of one thousand and two hundred horses hauing in his carriage foure score Wagons and threescore Mules and Sumpter Horses he bestowed great summes of money in hyring Souldiers and furnishing out the French Kings armie and appointed certain English Captains in the K. of Englands name to go against the Emperor to rescue the Pope hee caused Clarentius king at Armes to ioyne with the French Herald openly to defie the Emperor wherupon ensued great troubles in England Spain the low Countries of Flanders Brabant and Zeland all which his priuie policies and treasons were shortly after known to the King In this yeare a Iew in Constantinople was baptized and became Christian which thing vehemently exasperated the Turks against him and fearing it should be some detriment to their Mahumeticall law they sought to kill him which they did and cast his dead carkasse into the stréets commanding that none should burie it Wherin the glorie of Christ appeared for the dead corps lying there nine daies was as fresh coloured without corruption or smell as if it had bin aliue whereat the Turks being astonished took it vp and buried it The Cardinall hauing defied the Emperour as before and made him displeased with the King of England he further whispered in the Kings eare that the Emperour had euill intreated and imprisoned the Kings Embassadours in Spaine by which meanes the Emperours Embassadour in England was imprisoned and his goods seised vntill Letters came to the contrarie and then he was set at libertie When the Embassadour complained vnto the Cardinall hee layed all the fault vpon Clarentius and that Clarentius had defied the Emperour without the Kings knowledge by the request of the Herald of France and that at his returne he should lose his head at Callice Clarentius hearing hereof came priuily into England and was brought vnto the King before the Cardinall knew it to whom he shewed the Cardinalls commission and their gentle intreatie When the King heard hereof and had mused a while he said O Lord Iesus hee that I trusted most told me all these things contrary well Clarentius I will be no more so light of credence And from thence the King neuer put any more trust in the Cardinall Some write that the Cardinall did beare the Emperour such malice because when the Pope was imprisoned as before the Cardinall wrote vnto the Emperour to make him Pope and he sent him an answere that pleased him not whereupon he writ menacing Letters vnto him that if he would not make him Pope hee would make such a rufling betwixt Christian Princes as was not this hundred yéers before to make the Emperour repent yea though it cost the whole Realme of England the Emperour returned him answere bidding him looke well vnto it lest through his doings it should cost him the Realme of England indeede Thus King Henry came to the Title of Defender of the Faith When Luther had vtterd the abomination of the Pope and his Clergie and diuers books were com into England Our Cardinall to find a remedie for it sent to Rome for this title of Defender of the Faith After the Uicar of Croydon preached that the K. would not lose it for all London and twenty miles about it When this glorious title was come from Româ— the Cardinall brought it to the King at Gréenwich and although the King had read it yet in the morning were all the Lords and Gentlemen sent for that could be to come and receiue it with honor In the morning the Cardinall went thorough the backside to the Frier obseruants and som went round about and met him from Rome part met him halfe way and some at Court gate and the King met him in the Hall and brought him into a great chamber where was a seat prepared on high for the King and Cardinall Whilst the Bull was read with all pompe wise men laughed then the King went into his Chappâ—ll to heare masse the Cardinall being inuested to sing masse the Earle of Essex brought the bason of water the Duke of Suffolke gaue the asasy the Duke of Northfolk
that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would for a Dog whereat Frith smiling desired the Lord to forgiue him and so departed About this time High Latimer was inhiâ—ited by the Bishop of London to preach in his Dioces and yet after he preached in the Precinâ—t of the Fryers Augustines of London The Lady Anne of Bullen although she was not yet married to King Henry yet she was in great fauour and daily she inclined the Kings mind more more against the Papists so that the same yeare the King and certaine of his Lords came into the Parliament house and he complained of the Cleargy that they were but halfe his Subiects yea and scarse our Subiects for their oath to the Pope at their consecration is cleane contrary to that which they make to vs and he deliuâ—râ—d to the Parliament the coppies of both their oaths These Oaths being thus receiued and â—pened to the people were the occasion that the Pope lost al his iurisdiction in England shortly after The matter falling out more and more against the Pope Sir Thomas Moore a great maintainer of the Pope was driuen to resigne his Chancelorship â— deliuer vp the great seale into the Kings hands After whom succéeded Sir Thomas Audley kéeper of the great seale a great fauorer of Christs Religion Lady ANNE of Bullen WIthin short time after the King married the Lady Anne Bullen Mother to Quéene Elizabeth who was the secret ayder and comforter of al the Professors of the Gospell and her almes shewed her life was accordingly which was a hundred gownes wéekly and other apparell yearely before she was married both to men women she also gaue much priuate almes to the widdowes and poore hoâ—sholders continually vntill she was apprehended And she euer gaue thrée or foure pounds at a time to them to buy them Kine and sent her Sub-almner about to the Townes where she lay that the Parisheners should make a bâ—ll of all the poore housholders in thâ—ir parish and some parishes receiued 7. 8. or 10. pounds to buy Kine withall Also she maintained many lâ—arned men in Cambridge so did the Earle of Wiltshirâ— her Father and the Lord Roch her Brothâ—r and she brought them in fauour with â—ing Henry She caried alwaies about her a little purse out of which she was wont daily to scatter abroad some almes to the needy thinking no day well spent wherein none had fared the better for her She kept her Maids and such as were about her imployed in making shirts and smocks for the poore but the Lady Dowager beeing deuorced made the Pope to curse the King and interdict the realme In the meane time Queene Anne beinâ— great with child in the next yeare following was crowned with high solemnity at Westminster and not long after brought to â—ed at Greenewich of the faire Lady Elizabeth The Lord Maior of London and his Brethren with forty cheefe Cittizens were commanded to be present with all the Nobles and Gentlemen The Kings Palace and all the wals to the Fryers were hanged with Arras â—â—d the Friers Church The Font war of Siluer and stood in the midst of the Church thrée steps high which was couered with fine linnen and diuers Gentlemen with aprones and towels about their necks gaue attendance about it Ouer the Font hung a faire Canopy of Crimson Sattin fringed with Gold The holy Maid of Kent CErtaine Monkes put into the heads of many of the Kings Subiects that they had Râ—uelation of God and his Saints that he was highly displeased with king Henry for the diuorcement of the Lady Katherine and surmised that God had reuealed vnto a Nun called Elizabeth Barton whom they called the Holy Maid of Kent that if the King did diuorce her he should not be King of this Realme one month after and not one day nor houre in Gods fauour She would shew marueilous alteration of her visage and body as if she had béene wrapt in a trance and inspired of God She spoke against sinne and reprooued the Gospell which she called heresies and spoke diuers things to the reproach of the King and Quéene and to the establishing of Idolatry Pilgrimage and derogation of Gods glory The Archbishop the Lord Cromwell and Maister Hugh Latimer with great labour found out her naughtinesse and condemned her and put her to death with certaine of her councell VVILLIAM TRACY Esquire A Little before this time William Tracy of Todington in Gloster-shire made his Will that he would haue no funerall pomp at his burying nor Masse and said that he trusted in God only and hoped by him to be saued and not by any Saint His Executor brought the Will to the Bishop of Canterbury that then was to proue it which he shewed to the Conuocation and they iudged him to be taken vp and burned as an heretick and sent a commisson to Doctor Parker Chancelor of Worcester to execute their sentence who accomplished the same The King hearing thereof sent for the Chancelor who laid the fault on the Bishop yet it cost him three hundred pount erâ— he could haue a pardon The storie of twenty foure burned at Paris IN this yearâ— were diuers writings set vp in Paris vpon the Porches and gates against the Masse and other papisticall superstitions whereupon many were apprehended and cast into prison but twenty foure were executed in seuerall places of the Citie of Paris The bearer of the Popes curse and interdictment against King Henrie and the Realme durst not come into the Realme with it but set it vp in Dunkerk in Flanders the king hearing thereof took great displeasure against the said Princesse Dowager and so stomacked the matter that the next yeare he called a Parliament and caused it to be prouided by sufficient Acts that the Pope should be vtterly abolâ—sht and himselfe to be establisht supreme head of the Church at which thing Sir Thomas Moore the Bishop of Rochester grudged and would not consent vnto it but openly resisted the same wherefore they were condemned of treason and headed at Tower-hill Likewise three Charter-Monks were hanged drawne and quartred at Tyburne for speaking trayterous words against the Kings Maiestie This yere the King set forth a Proclamation for the abolishing of the vsurped power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome wherein is declared that not onely the secular men granted him this iurisdiction but all the spiritualty in the Conuocation house vnder their seales wherin also he signified that he had addressed Letters vn-the Bishops of the Diocesse straitly commanding them that forthwith the sincere word of God should be preached euery Sonday and Holy-day vnto the people and Our stile and iurisdiction of supreme head appertayning onely to our Crowne and Dignity royall to be publisht and that the Popes vsurped name should be put out of all prayers masses or other books except it be to his reproach The life and storie of M. William Tindall FIrst he
for to Cranmer and Steuen Gardiner and others before whome hee did so constantly defend the doctrine which he had taught that Cranmer being yet but a Lutheran maruelled excéedingly at it and said that the Scripture knew no such terme of transubstantiation Then the other Bishops threatned him to whom he promised the next day to deliuer them all in writing which he had formerly preached in Callice In the meane time he had secret intimation giuen him by Cranmer that if hee appeared the next day he should be sure to be committed whereupon he sent them his Faith with the arguments thereupon in writing and he went aside into the West countrey Then the King was certified that there were many diuersities of opinions in Calice tending to the danger thereof Whereupon Doctor Champion and M. Garnet who after was burned were sent ouer to preach to them where he preached the same true Doctrine which Adam Damlip had done After them one William Smith Curate of our Ladies Parish in Callice preaching earnestly inuaying against Papistry and wilfull ignorance exhorting them to imbrace the word and not to contemne it least Gods wrath fall vpon them which followeth the contempt of his holy word At length the said Lord Lisle which was Bastard to King Edward the fourth which maintained Damlip as before by the intising of his wicked wife the Lady Honora she being thereunto prouoked by Sir Thomas Palmer and Iohn Rockwood Esquire these with seauen others wrote very haynous Letters vnto the King and Councell against diuers of the Towne of Calice Whereupon diuers of them were often punished in Callice and many of them sent for ouer into England and were â—orely imprisoned and punished and had not escaped the fire but by the Kings pardon The aforesaid Adam Damlip taught Schoole about some two yeares in the West Country after he was apprehended and brought vnto Stephen Gardiner who committed him to the Marshalsie where he continued two yeares and for his honest behauiour hee was beloued of the whole house and especially of the kéeper and he did much amongst the common sort of the prisoners in reprouing vice Then being resolued rather to loose his life then not to suffer his talent to be vsed to Gods glory by being detained in prison Wherevpon he sent an Epistle to Gardiner And then by the Bishops commandement hee was had to Callice where first hee layed vnto his charge heresie but because all such offences before such a day were pardoned by an Act of Parliament then for the receiuing of the aforesaid French Crowne of Cardinall Poole as you heard before he was condemned of Treason in Callice cruelly put to death beeing hanged drawne and quartered At his death Sir Raph Ellerker Knight Marshall there would not suffer him to declare his Faith or cause he died for but bad the executioner dispatch the Knaue and said he would not away before he saw the Traytors heart out but shortly after in a skirmish with the Frenchmen at Bullen he was slaine and his enemies cut off his members and cut the heart out of his body and so left him a terrible example of the Iustice of God vpon all bloudy persecutors The said Lord Lisley with the others as before vniustly charging them of Callice with sedition and heresie were all shortly after either greatly out of the Kings fauour and committed vnto prison or else by desperate deathes died I will recite but Rockwood the chiefe stirrer of the afflictions aforesaid who at the last breath staring and raging cryed he was damned and being bid to aske God mercie he cried out All too late for I haue sought malitiously the deaths of a number of the Towne which in my heart I thought to be honest men which words he vsed when thirteene were carried in Irons into England when one told him he neuer saw men of such honesty so sharply corrected and taking it so ioyfully Rockwood then leaping scoffingly said All too late and the vnder Marshall suddenly fell downe in the Councell Chamber and neuer spake A labouring man hauing heard Damplip said Hee would neuer beleeue that Priests could make the Lords bodie at their pleasure whereupon hee was condemned by one Haruy a Commissary who said he was an heretick and should die a vile death The poore man answered he was no heretick but in the faith of Christ and said Whereas thou sayest I shall die a vile death thou shalt die a viler death shortly and so it came to passe for within halfe a yeare the said Haruy was hanged drawne and quartred in Callice for treason DODDE alias SCOT HEe was taken in Callice with certaine Germane bookes about him and being examined thereupon and standing constantly to the truth hee was condemned and burned there VVILLIAM BVTTON HEe being a souldier of Callice merrily asked a Papist Whether one that were suddenly taken might not occupie one of the Popes pardons in stead of a broken paper and another question Whether the world might better want Dogs then Popish Priests and answered it that if there were no Dogs we could make no more but if there lacked ignorant Priests we might soone make too many of them There came a black Frier to Callice with the Popes pardons who for 4. pence would deliuer a soule out of Purgatorie this Button asked him if the Pope could deliuer soules out of Purgatorie the Frier said there is no doubt of that then he said Why doth he not of charity deliuer all the sâ—ules thereout for which cauâ—e he was accused vnto the Commissary who chafing called him heretick then said Button If the Pope can deliuer soules out of Purgatorie and will not of charitiâ— doe it then would God the King would make me Pope for surely I would deliuer all out without money Whereupon the Commissary made him beare a Billet and procured his wages which was sixe pence a day to be taken from him then he went vnto the King and declared the whole matter who after gaue him eight pence a day In Nouember after the King had subdued the Scots and ioyning with the Emperour had inuaded France and had got the Towne of Bullen he summoned a Parliament in which was granted him besides subsidies of money all Colledges Chanteries Free Chappels Hospitals Fraternities Guilds and perpetuities of stipendary Priests to be disposed at his will and pleasure They being thus giuen to him by act of Parliament in December the next Lent Doctor Crome preached in the Mercers Chappell amongst other reasons to induce the people from the vaine reasons of Purgatorie he said It Trentalls and Masses could auaile the soules in Purgatorie then did not the Parliament well in giuing away Monasteries Colledges and Chanteries which serued principally to that purpose but if the Parliament did well as no man could denie then it is plaine that such Chanteries and priuate masses confer nothing to relieue them in Purgatorie This Dilemma was insoluble but at Easter next they brought him in
question for it and so handled him that they made him to recant or else they would haue dissolued him and his argument in the fire ANNE ASKEW AFter she had bin many times examined and she had answered so wisely that though she had affirmed the truth of the Sacrament yet none could touch her for her arguments by the law Then she wrote her minde of the Sacament as followeth I perceiuâ— deare friends in the Lord that you are not yet perswaded of the truth in the Lords Supper because Christ sayth Take eate this is my bodie but he giuing the bread as an outward signe to be receiued with the mouth hee meant in perfect beléefe they should receiue his body which should die for the people and to thinke his death the onely saluation of their soules The â—read and Wine were left vs for a Sacramentall communion of the benefite of his death and that we should be thankefull for the grace of redemption And in the closing thereof he sayth This doe in remembrance of me so often as you eate and drinke or else we should haue béene forgetfull of that we ought to haue in daily remembrance and also been vnthankefull therefore we ought to pray to GOD for the true meaning of the Holy Ghost touching this communion for the letter slayeth and the spirit giueth life In the sixth of Iohn all is applied vnto â—aith and in 1. Cor. 4. The things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are euerlasting and in the third of the Hebrewes Christ ruleth ouer his house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and reioycing of hope vnto the end and the dead Temple is not his house Wherefore to day if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts Her confession in Newgate CHrist took the bread saying to his Disciples Take eate this is my body which shall be broken for you meaning his body the bread but a signe and Sacrament and so he said He would break downe the Temple and in three dayes build it vp againe signifying his body by the Temple although there be many that cannot perceiue the true meaning thereof for the vayle that Moses put euer his face before the children of Israell remayneth to this day but when God shall take it away then shall these blinde men see For it is plainly expressed in the Historie of Bell O King saith Daniell be not deceiued for God will be worshipped in nothing that is made with hands of men O what stiffe-necked people are these that will alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as their fathers haue done Truth is layde in prison Luk. 21. The law is turned to wormwood Amos 6. and there can no right iudgement goe forth Esay 59. Her condemnation THey said I was an heretick and condemned by the law if I would stand to my opinion I said touching my Faith I said and wrote to the Councell I would not deny because I knew it true then they would knowe whether I would denie the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud I answered yea for the same Sonne of GOD that was borne of the blessed Uirgin Mary is now glorious in the heauens and will come againe at the last day as he went vp and that which you call your God is a peece of bread and for more proofe thereof let it lie in a boxe but thrée monthes and it will be mouldy and turne to nothing that is good therefore I am perswaded it is no God Then they willed me to haue a Priest and then I smiled then they asked mee if it were not good I sayd I would confesse my faults vnto God for I was sure hee would heare me with fauour and so we were condemned by the quest This was my beléefe which I wrote to the Councell that the Sacramentall bread was left vs to bee receaued with thanksegiuing in the remembrance of his death the onely remedy of our soâ—les recouery and thereby we also receaue the whole benefit of his passion then they would needs know whether the bread in the boxe were God or no I sayd God is a spirit and will bee worshipped in spirit and truth then they sayd will you plainely deny Christ to bee in the Sacrament I answered I beléeue the eternall sonne of God not to dwell there in witnes whereof I recited againe the history of Bell and the 7. and 17. of the Acts and the 24 of Mathew concluding I neither wish death nor feare it God haue the praise thereof with thankes then she wrâ—te to the Lord Chancelour and the King but it preuayled not After she was sent from Newgate to the Tower then Maister Rich and one of the Councell charged me vppon mine obedience to shew vnto them if I knew any of my Sect I answered I knew none they asked me of my Lady Suffolke my Lady Sussex my Lady Hereford my Lady Denny and my Lady Fitzrallins I sayd if I should pronounce any thing against them I am not able to proue it they said the King was informed I could name if I would a great number of my sect I sayd the King was as well deceaued in that behalfe as dissembled with in other matters Then they commanded mee to shewe how I was maintayned in the Counter and who willed me to stick to mine opinion I sayd there was none did strengthen me therein and I was maintayned in the Counter by the meanes of my Mayde for she made mone vnto the Prentises and they by her did send mee money but who they were I know not Then they sayd diuers Gentlewomen gaue me money but I know not their names then they said many Ladies sent me money I answered there was a man in a blew cote deliuered me ten shillings and said my Lady of Hereford sent it me and another in a Uiolet cote gaue me eyght shillings and sayd my Lady Denny sent it mee but I am not sure who sent it me then they said there were of the Councell which did maintaine mee and I said no. Then they put mee vpon the Racke and kept me there a long time because I would not confesse any Gentlewomen or Ladies on my opinion and because I did not cry my Lord Chancelor and Sir Iohn Baker tooke paines to racke me with their owne hands vntill I was nie dead Then the Liefetennant caused mee to be loosed from the racke and incontinently I swounded and they recouered me againe after I sat two houres reasoning with my Lord Chancâ—llor vppon the bare floure where with flattering words hee perswaded me to leaue my opinions but God gaue mee grace to perseuere and will doe I hope then I was brought to bed with as painefull bones as euer pacient Iob then my Lord Chancellor sent me word if I would leaue mine opinions I should lacke nothing if I would not I should to Newgate and be burned I sent him word againe I would die rather then breake my faith She was borne
complaintes vnderstood hee wrote spéedily to all the Bishope of the Realme for the spéedy redresse thereof and because Bonner was one of the backwardest hee was peremtorâ—ly admonished vnder paine of depriuation to preach the next Sunday three weekes after the date there of at Paules Crosse none but such Doctrine as was appoynted him in the said Iniuntion and should preach the same Doctrines euery quarter of a yeare yearely â—f sicknesse or some reasonable cause did not let Secondly you your selfe in person shall from henceforth celebrate the Communion at the high Altar in Paules euery such dayes as your Predecessors were wont to sing Masse The Popish Priests grudging and mourning to see their old Popâ—sh Church of Rome to decay ceased not by all subtile and sinister meanes first vnder Gods name and the Kings and vnder colour of religion to perswade the people to rebellion This first burst out in Cornwell and Deuonshire of whom the chiefe Gentlemen Captaines were Humfrey Arundell Esquire Iames Rosogan Iohn Rosogan Iohn Walkock Iohn Payne Thomas Vnderhill Iohn Soleman and William Segar There were eâ—ght Priests gouernours of the Campes and principall stirrers besideâ—â— multitude of other Popish Priests there was ten thousand stout traytors in this rebellion Commotions likewise beganne to broyle in Oxford-shire Yorke-shire and especially in Northfolke and Suffolke these aforesaid hearing thereof tooke courage hoping they should well â—aue fortiâ—ied the same quarrell their intent was to inuade the Citty of Exeter and twise they burned the gates thereof but gayned thing but shotte beeing put from Exeter they fell on spoyling and robbing where or howsoeuer they might catche then laying their heads together they consulted of certaine Articles to be sent vp to the King as followeth First they would haue that their Curats should minister the Sacrament of baptisme at all times of néede as well in the weeke dayes as on the holydayes and their Children confirmed of the Bishop whensoeuer wee resort to him Secondly because they did constantly beléeue that in the Sacrament after consecration there is the very body and blood of Christ and no substance of bread and wine remaineth therefore we will haue the Masse celebrated as in times past without any man communicating with the Priests because many presuming vnworthâ—â—y to receiue the same put no difference betwixt the Lords body and other bread and wée will haue the consecrated body of our Lord reserued in our Churches Thirdly wée will haue holy bread and holy water in remembrance of Christs body and blood Fourthly we will that our Priests shall sing and say with an audible voyce Gods seruice in the Quire of the Parish Churches and not to haue it set forth as a Christmas play Fiftly because Priests be men dedicated to God to celebrate the blessed sacraments and preaching of Gods word wee will that they shall liâ—e chast without marriage Sixtly we will the sixe Articles shall stand in force To which Articles the King did particularly answer and set forth reasons against them in writing and shewed that he would spend his life and all that hee had to maintaine the Godly reformation which was begun yet hee offred them pardon if they would desist from the deceitfull counsell of the séekers of dissention who sought for nothing els but to vndâ—e them their wiues and children and if they would not be moued to repentance with his fatherly kindnes shewed vnto them hee would procéed against them as against the Heathen with force and Armes Aâ—d because they would not accept mercy Sir Iohn Russell Knight Lord priuy seale was sent by the King and councell against them and next to him were ioyned Sir William Harbert Sir Iohn Paulet Sir Hugh Paulet Sir Thomas Speck with the Lord Gray and others Thus the Lord Priuy seale accompanied with the Lord Gray aduancing his power against the rebells yet by Gods prouidence they gaue them the repulse who recouering themselues againe encountred the second time the Lord priuy seale but by Gods helpe they with their whole cause of false religion were vtterly vanquished the popish rebells not onely lost the field but a great part of them lost their liues lying slaine the compasse of two miles diuers were taken as Humphry Arundell Berry Thomas Vnderhill Iohn Soleman William Seger and two Priests Tempson and Barret and two Mayors Henry Bray and Henry Lee with diuers mo all which afterward were executed These rebells to make their part more sure by the presence of their consecrated God brought with them vnto the Battaile the pixe vnder his Canopy riding and in a Cart neither was there lacking Masses Crosses Banners Candlestickes with Holy-bread and Holy-water plenty to defend them from Diuells and all enemies which could not saue them from their enemies but both the consecrated God and all the trumpery about him was taken in the Cart leaâ—ing a Lesson of better experience how to put their confidence in such vaine Idolls Like vnto this was the field of Musclebrough fought in Scotland the yeare before this when the Scots incamping theÌ„selues against the Lord Protector the Kings power sent into Scotland they likwise brought into the field the Gods of their Altars with Masses Crosses Banners and all their popish stuffe hauing great affiance therein to haue a great day against the English army as to mans indgement might seeme not vnlike The number of the Scots armie farre excéeded ours but the arme of the Lord so turned the viâ—tory that the Scots in the end with all their Masses and Trinkets were put to the worsâ— of whom were slaine betweene thirtéene and fourtéene thousands and not passing a hundred English men The cause of this warre was because the Scots had promised King Henry the eight that the yong Scottish Queeâ—e should marry with King Edward which promise they afterward brake and payed therefore and this victory was the same day and houre when the Images were burned openly in London There was the like commotion in Oxford and Buckingham but that was soon appeased by the Lord Gray of whom two hundred were taken and twelue of them ringleaders deliuered to him where of certaine were executed In Norfolk the parts thereabouts the Marquesse of Northampton was sent to represse the rebellion who was appointed to kéep the field and passages to stop them from victuals whereby they might the sooner be brought to acknowledge their fault and séeke pardon who pined himselfe within the Citie of Norwich but the Rebels pressed vpon the Citie and at length obtained it yet there was but a hundred on both sides slaine and the Lord Shefield then the Earle of Warwick was sent against them by whom the confused rabble was ouerthrown to the number of foure thousand and both the Kets chiefe stirrers of that Commotion were put to death and one of them hanged in chains In this yeare likewise the like commotion began at Semer in the North-riding of Yorke shire and continued in the East-riding of
death as fruitfull seede hath taken such fruit in some that it is yet a linely and diligent preaching vnto some against superstition and Idolatry vsed in their Churches The tragicall History of the worthy Duke of Sommerset KIng Edward had three vnckles by his mothers side Edward Thomas Henry Semer Edward was made protector of the Realme and Thomas was made high Admirall of the same so long as they were ioined together in amitie they preserued themselues and the King and the Common-wealth Sir Thomas Semer high Admirall married Queene Katherine late wife of King Henry as you haue heard betwixt the said Queene and the Dutchesse of Somerset there fell great displeasure And therevpon in the behalfe of their wiues grudge began betweene the brethren after it was laid vnto the Lord Admirals charge that hee purposed to destroy the yong Kingâ— and transâ—ate the Crowne vnto himselfe and for the same he was attainted and condemned and did suffer at Tower Hill the twentith of March one thousand fiue hundred forty and nine many reported that the Duchesse of Sommerset had wrought his death whereby it came to passe whether by Gods iust iudgement or no In October after that there was great consultation amongst the Lords in the house of Maister Yorke and at Baynards Castle and in the Lord Mayor of Londons house against the Lord Protector remaining then with the King at Hampton Court The King with his Councell hearing thereof first Secretary Peter with the Kings message was sent vnto them whom the Lords retained still with them making no answer wherevpon the Lord Protector writ vnto them that the King was informed of your assembly wherefore we sent Maister Secretary Peter vnto you His Maiestie and wee of his Councell héere doe not a little maruell that you stay héere â—he said M. Peter and haue not answered his Maiesty and we are sory to sée your doings bent with violence to bring the King and vs to these extremities which if you will take no other way we intend with violence to defend with death and to put it in Gods hand who giueth victory as it pleaseth him as touching priuate matters â—o auoide the effusion of Christian bloud and to preserue the Kings Maiesties person his Realme and Subiects you shall finde vs agréeable to any reasonable conditions that you will require for wee esteemâ— the Kings wealth and tranquilitie of the Realme more then other worldly things yea then our life praying them to send their determinate answere by Maister Peter or some other Notwithstanding this Letter the Lords persisted still in their purpose and took aduice to kéep themselues in the Citie of London as strong as they might and willed the Mayor and Aldermen to prouide a substantiall watch by night and by day for the safegard of the Citie and gates Then they demanded fiue hundred men to ayde them to fetch the Lord Protector out of Windsor from the King and they published a Proclamation against the said Protector to this effect First that the Protector by his euill gouernment was the cause of all the sedition that of late happened within the Realme and of the losses of the Kings ordinance in France and that it appeared by the building of his sumptuous houses in the time of the Kings warre that he sought his owne glory that he esteemed nothing the graue counsell of the Councellors that he had sowed diuisions betwéen the Nobles Gentlemen and Commons That the Nobles assembled themselues only to cause the protector to haue liued within limits to haue put such order for the surety of the King as was fit That the protector slandered the Councell vnto the King and that hee was a great traytor and therefore the Lords defired the Citie Commons to ayde them to take him from the King Then the King sent a Letter vnto the Mayor and Citizens commanding them to ayde him with a thousand men out of their Citie well armed and to send them with all speed vnto the Castle of Windsor These contrary commandements comming both at one instant vnto the Mayor Citizens of London it séemed very doubtfull to them which way to take at the last stepped vp a Citizen George Studlaw and said I remember in the time of Henry the third the Barons as the Lords doe now demanded ayde of the Mayor and Citizens of London and the Citie ayded them against the King and it came to an open battell and the Lords preuailed against the King and took the King and his son prisoners and vpon certaine conditions the King his Son were restored againe and the King openly granted his pardon to the Lords and Citizens it was ratified by Act of Parliament but it was neuer forgotten during the Kings life the Liberties of the Citie were taken away and strangers appointed to be our gouernors and the Citizens giuen away body and goods and from one persecution vnto another were most miserably afflicted such it is to enter into the wrath of a Prince for Salomon saith the wrath of a Prince is death Therefore I would councell the Lords with vs to make sute to the King that he would please to heare the complaints that may be iustly proued against the L. Protector and I doubt not but this matter will be pacified and that the King nor yet the Lords haue cause to seeke for further ayde neither we to offend any of them both Then the Lords sent Sir Philip Hobby with their Letter of credence vnto the King beséeching him to giue credit to that which he should say who so handled the matter that the Lord Protector was commanded from the Kings presence and shortly committed to warde in the Castle of Windsor The same day the Lords of the Councell resorted vnto the King and the next day they brought the Lord Protector vnto the Tower Shortly after the Lords resorted vnto the Tower and there charged the Lord Protector with sundry Articles the effect of them is contained in the proclamation aforesaid and although these purposes of man intended the spilling of his life and the Lord so ordered the matter by the meanes of the Kings so laboring for his vnkle that in short while he was let out of the Tower and continued at liberty two yeares and two daies After he was againe apprehended committed againe to the Tower after hee was brought to Westminister Hall to be arraigned and there was charged with felony treason he put himselfe to be tried by his Péeres who discharged him of treason but they accounted him guilty of Felony for purposing the death of the Duke of Northumberland and others and was returned vnto the Tower againe When he was brought to his execution vpon tower Hill he came with the same gesture which he vsed changing neither voice nor countenance and knéeling down he commended himselfe to God and his prayers ended he turned toward the people as it were with a certaine fatherly loue to children and said Dearely
Saâ—nts departed and we beléeue as a Man departeth this life he is either blessed or damned for euer by reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala Caeli Trentals and such suffrages as the popish Church doth obtrude as necessary to be the Doctrine of Antichrist And wee beleeue two Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lordes Supper and that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ and that they bée no longer Sacraments then they were in vse and vsed to the end for which they were instituted and the mutilation of the one kind from the Lords Supper from the Lay people is Antichristian and so is the transubstantiation and so is the adoration of the Sacrament and the reseruation and carrying about of the â—ame and so is the Doctrine of the Masse it to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead or a worke that pleaseth God and so of the inhibition of marriage in any state as vnlawfull we doubt not but we shall be able to proue all these our verities by Gods word and the Church which hath followed Gods word and Spirit and we hartily desire all men to be obedient with vs vnto all that bee in authority and not to cease to pray to God for them that he would gouerne them with his Spirit of wisedome and not to consent in any kind of rebellion against the Quéens Highnesse but where they cannot obey but they must disobey God there to suffer with all patience the pleasures of the higher powers as we are ready to do rather then we will consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse wee shall be iustly conuinced thereof The Lord indue vs with his Spirit of truth and grace of perseuerance Upon the twentith day of Iuly the Prince of Spaine landed at Southampton He was the first that landed and presently he drew his Sword and carryed it naked in his hand a prettie way the Mayor of the Towne met him and deliuered him the Keyes which he receiued in his right hand and put his sword into his left then met him the Earle of Arundell and Lord Williams and brought him to his lodging The twenty fiue day He and Quéene Mary were married at Winchester by the Bishop there then they came to Windsor and from thence to Southwarke and from thence through the Citty of London to White-hall by the way many Pageants and glorious sights were made Upon the Cunduit in Gracious-stréet was painted King Henry the eight â—n harnesse with a Sword in one hand and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei deliuering the Booke to his Sonne Edward painted by him Whereupon the Bishoppe of Winchester sent for the Painter and called him â—naue ranke Traytor and villaine for painting a Booke in King Henries hand and writing Verbum Dei thereon he should rather to haue put the Booke in Quéene Maries hand that was there also pictured for that she had reformed the Church and Religion Against this time Bonner in his Royalty and all his Prebendaries about him the doores of Pauls being shut a new Roode being laid vpon the Pauemâ—â—ts they sung diuers Prayers by the Roode then they annointed it with Oyle in diuers places After they crept vnto it and kissed it after they wayed it vppe into his accustomed place and the while the whole Quire sang Te Dâ—um and then the Bels rang for ioy From White-hall they went to Richmond then all the Lords had leaue to depart and there remained no English Lord at the Court but the Bishop of Winchester from thence to Hampton-Court where the Hall doore was continually kept shut that no man might enter vnlesse his arrand were first knowne which séemed strange to English-men Upon the fourth day of Nouember â—â—ue Priests did peâ—â—ance at Paules Crosse which were content to put away their Wiues and take vpon them againe to minister euery one of them had a taper in his hand and a rod wherewith the Preacher did disple them The twenty seauen day of Nouember Cardinall Poole being but a littlâ— before come into the Realme came to the Parliament-House the King and Quéene sitting vnder the Cloath of Estate and the Cardinall sitting on the right hand The Cardinall made a long Oration shewing first how this Realme had euer béene forward to receiue Religion first in the time of the Brittaines and then in the time of the Saxons and that the meanes came from Rome in the Faith of which Church we haue euer since continued and shewed what deuotion this Iland hath had to Rome that King Offa and Adulphus thought their obedience to the Sea not sufficient but in their owne persons went to the place where they receiued so great grace And when Carolus Magnus founded Paris hee sent into England for Alcuiâ—us which first brought learning to that Uniuersity I will not rehearse the benefits this Realme hath receiued from Rome nor the miseries this Realm hath suffered by swaruing from that Unity so all Countries that haue refused the Unity of the Catholike Faith hath had the like plagues as Asia and the Empire of Gréece by swarâ—ing from Rome are brought into the subiection of the Turke And Germany by swaruing from this vnity are afflicted with diuers Sects and factions then hee praâ—â—ed the King for his greatnésse and riches and the Quéen as one in whose hart God had preserued the Catholike truth when all light of the truth séemed vtterly to be extinct whom GOD had most miraculously brought vnto the Crowne being a helplesse Uirgin naked and vnarmed had the victory of all pollicies and armed powers prepared to destroy her and God hath appointed her to raigne ouer you for the restitution of true Religion and exterpation of errors and Sects God hath deuided his power vnto two parts heare in Earth that is into thâ— Imperiall and Ecclesiasticall power the Seculer Princes and Ministers of God to execute vengeance vpon transgressors and to preserue well doers which is represented in these two most excellent Princes the King and Quéene The other power is the power of the Keyes which belongeth by prerogatiuâ— to the Sea Apostlike of Rome from which Sea I am deputed Legate hauing the Keyes committed to my hands I confesse I haue the Keyes not as mine owne Keyes but as the keyes of him that sent mee but certaine impediments in you to receiue it must be taken away before my Commission can take place I came to reconcile and not to condemne and not to compell but to call againe My Commission is of Grace and clemency to all such as will receiue it touching the matterâ— past they shall be as things cast into the Sea of forgetfulnesse the meanes wherby you shall receiue this benefit is by reuoking the lawes wherby you haue disseuered yourselues from the vnity of Christs Church therefore you as prouident men for the weale of your soules and bodies pouder what is to be done
cast into the fields and buried by night of the faithfull when none durst doe it in the day Ioane Lashford the Daughter of Iohn Warne and Elizabeth Warne Martyrs was repréeued to a longer day her martirdome was next yeare William Andrew HE was sent out of Horsie in Essex by the Lord Rich and Sir Richard Southwell and being twice examined before Boner he stood manfullie in the defence of his Religion at length through straight handling in the Prison in Newgate he died and after the Popish manner hee was cast into the fields and in the night secretly buried by the faithfull Robert Samuell IUstice Foster of Cobdocke in Suffolke a deadly hater of the Professors of the truth amongst many others that were also troubled by him this Robert Samuell a godly Preacher in King Edwards daies was one Hee was Minister of Barford in Suffolke and beeing put from the Ministry as others were he taught priuilie and when that the order came vp that Priests should put away their Wiues and bee compelled to single life Samuell would not agrée thereto Maister Foster sent out espials to apprehend him and carry him to Prison if hée were found to come vnto his Wife whereby he was taken and put into Ipswich Iayle from thence he was carried to Norwich where Doctor Hopton the Bishop and Doctor Donnings his Chancellor exercised great crueltie against him They kept in him strait prison where he was chained bolt vpright vnto a great post that hee was â—aine to beare all his bodie on tip-toe and kept him without meat and drinke onelie he had euery day two or thrée mouthfuls of Bread and thrée spoonefuls of Water He would often haue drunken his owne Water but his bodie was so dried vp that he was not able to make water When he was brought forth to be burned he reported that after he had béen famished with hunger two or thrée daies together he fell into a slumber at which time one clad all in white seemed to stand before him which said Samuell Samuell be of good cheere for after this day thou shalt neuer be hungry or thirstie which was performed for spéedily after he was burned and from that time vntill he suffered he felt neither hunger nor thirst and he said he declared this that all might sée the wonderfull workes of God He said he could vtter many such comforts as he had of Christ in his afflictions which modesty would not suffer him to vtter As he was going vnto the fire a Maid named Rose Notingham took him about necke and kissed him who being marked the next day was sought for to bee had to Prison and burned yet by Gods goodnesse the escaped yet two honest Women fell into the rage of that time the one a Brewers wife the other a Shoe-makers Wife who were burned the next day after Samuell the one was called Anne Potten the other Ioane Trunchfield The report of them which saw Samuell burned is that his body in burning did â—hine as bright and white as new tryed Siluer in the eies of them that stood by In the booke at large thou maist sée a godly Letter of his and a godly confession of his Faith William Allen. HE was a labouring man sometimes Seruant to Iohn Houghton of Somerset he was burned at Walsingham he was imprisoned for saying he would neuer follow the crosse on procession The Bishop bad him returne vnto the Catholique Church he answered he would turne vnto the Catholike Church but not to the Romish Church and said if he saw the King and Quéene and all other follow the Crosse and knéele downe to the Crosse he would not Roger Coo. HE was of Melford in Suffolke a Sheare-man an aged Father after his sundry conflicts with his Aduersaries he was burned at Yexford in Suffolke for denying the Sacrament of the Altar and when the Bishop said he must obey the King whether his command agrée with the word of God or no. He answered If Sidrach Misaach and Abednago had done so Nabuchadnezzer had not confessed the liuing Lord and when the Bishop said he had charge of his Soule he answered if you go to the Diuell for your sinnes where shall I become Thomas Cobbe LIkewise Thomas Cobbe of Hauehill Butcher was burned by the said Bishop of Norwich for denying the reall presence in the Sacrament and for saying he would be obedient to the King and Quéenes commaundement as the Law of God would suffer and no further George Catmer and Robert Streater of Hyth Anthony Burward of Calete George Brodbridge of Bromfield James Tutty of Breachley THese were brought before Thorton Bishop of Douer where they being examined they did all affirme the Sacrament of the Altar to be an abhominable Idoll and George Brodbridge said he would not be confessed of a Priest because he could not forgiue his owne sinnes And moreouer as for holy Bread and holy Water and the Masse I do quoth he vtterly defie them therefore they were all fiue burned as Heretickes at Canterbury Thomas Heyward and Iohn Gorway VVE finde they were condemned and burned at Lichfield in the Dioces of Lichfield and Couentry Robert Glouer and Iohn Glouer his Brother and William Glouer another Brother IOhn was the eldest brother a Gentleman of the Towne of Mancetor he was endued with faire possessions and worldly goods but much more enriched with heauenly grace He with his two brethren not only embraced the light of the Gospell but most zealously professed the same In King Henries daies this Iohn fell into a dispaire of himselfe vpon the occasion of these words in the 7. to the Hebrewes For it cannot be that they which were once illuminated and haue tasted the heauenly gift c. The Bishop sending a warrant for this Iohn the Mayor of Couentry sent him a priuy watch-word who with his Brother William conuayed himselfe away but the Sheriffe found Robert lying sicke in bed and although the Sheriffe would faine haue dismissed him saying Hee was not the man for whom they were sent yet fearing the stout words of the Officer he put him in Prison vntill the Bishops comming Robert Being brought before the Bishop of Couentry he asked me wherefore I wouâ—d not come to Church I said I would not come thither as long as Masse was vsed in their Churches though I had 500. liues and might saue them all by going and I asked if they could finde any thing in the Scriptures whereby they could defend the Masse Bish. He asked who should be iudge of the holy word I said Christ. Robert He refused not to giue his doctriâ—e to be examined of the people by searching of the Scriptures and so did Paule and if that would not suffice I said I would stand to the iudgement of the Primitiue Church which was next after the Apostles time and that should be iudge betwixt them He answered he was mine Ordinary and therefore it was my part to beléeue as hee did I said what if
where with great ioy and glorious triumph gaue vp their soules vnto the handes of the Lord. Iohn Noyes of Lexfield in the County of Suffolke Shoemaker THe twenty two of September he was taken by the Constables and brought before Maister Thurstone Sir Iohn Tyrell Maister Kene Iustices and Sir Iohn Silyerde high Sheriffe who cast him into Eye-dongeon hee was carried from thence to Norwich and so came before the Bishop who condemned him because he answered that he thought the naturall body of Christ to bee onely in Heauen and not in the Sacrament as hee remained Prisoner in the Guild-hall of Norwich one Nicholas Fiske his Brother in Law came to him to comfort him he asked if he did not feare death when the Bishop condemned him he said hee thanked God he feared not death no more at that time then when he was at libertie When he was bound vnto the stake he said feare not them that â—ill the body but feare him that can kill both bodie and soule and cast it into euerlasting fire When he saw his Sister wéeping he said Wéepâ— not for mee but wéepe for your sinnes when the Faggots were set vnto him he said Blessed bee the time that euer I was borne to come vnto this and kissed the Faggot Then he said to the people they say that they can make God of a péece of Bread but beléeue them not Then said he Good people beare witnesse that I doe beléeue to bee saued by the merits and passion of Christ and not by mine owne déedes so the fire was kindled about him then he said Lord haue mercy vpon me Christ haue mercy vpon me Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me In the Dioces of Chichester diuers were martyred for the testimony of righteousnesse in Quéene Maries raigne in the number of whom were these Iohn Forman of East-Grinsted Iohn Warner of Berne Christian Grouer of the Arch-deacoâ—â—y of Lewis Thomas Athoch Priest Thomas Auington of Erdingly Denis Burgs of Burstéed Thomas Rauensdale of Riâ— Iohn Milles of Hellinglegh Nicholas Holden of Withiam Iohn Hart of Withiam Margery Moris of Hethfielde Anne Try of East-Grinstéed Iohn Osward of Woodmancote Thomas Harland of Woodmancote Iames Moris of Heathfield Thomas Dowgate of East-Grinstéed Iohn Ashdon of Retherfield Thomas Spurdance Queene Maries Seruant HE was examined before the Chancellor of Norwich who asked him if hee had confessed his sinnes vnto a Priest I said I had confessed my sinnes vnto God who saith Whensoeuer a Sinner repenteth and is sorry for his sinnes and asketh him forgiuenesse willing no more so to doe he will no more reckon his sin vnto him and that is sufficient for me I deny that I should shew my sinnes vnto the Priest Chancel Haue you receiued the blessed Sacrament of the Altar at Easter he answered I dare not meddle with it as you vse it for the holy Supper of the Lord serueth for the Christian Congregation and you are none of Christs Members I dare not meddle with you least I be like vnto you for you teach Lawes contrary to Gods Lawes then he said Doe you not beleeue that after the Sacrament is consecrated it is the very same body that was borne of the Uirgine Mary and I said no that was a bloody sacrifice and this is a dry sacrifice And I said Is the Masse a Sacrifice a Doctor answered it is a Sacrifice both for the quicke and the dead I said it is no sacrifice for S. Paule saith That Christ made one sacrifice once for all I beleeue in no other sacrifice Chancel He is an Hereticke he denâ—â—th the Sacrament of the Altar I said I beleeue that if I câ—me rightly and worthily as God hath commaunded me vnto the Supper of the Lord I receiue him by Faith but the Bread being receiued is not GOD nor the Bread that is yonder in the Pixe is not God God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither will be worshipped with the workes of mens hands therefore you do very euill to cause the people to kneele downe and worship the bread for God did neuer bid you to hold it vp aboue your heads neyther had the Apostles such vse Chanc. Write that Article then said I The Seruant is not greater then the Maister your Predecâ—ssors killed my Maister Christ the Prophets and Apostles and holy vertuous men and now you also kill the Seruants of Christ so all the righteous blood that hath beene shed from righteous Abell to this day shall be required at your hands then the Chancellor bad haue me away Another Examination before the Bishop Bishop SIrre dost thou not beleeue that the Pope is supreme head of the Catholike Church I said I do not beleeue that he is aboue the Apostles they disputing which of them should bee greatest when their M. Christ was gone Christ answered their thouâ—hts saying The Kings of the earth beare dominion aboue others but you shall not doe so for he that is greatest amongst you shall be Seruant vnto you all How is it then that the Pope will climbe so high aboue his fellowes you cannot proue by the Scriptureâ— that he is head of the Church Bishop As the Bell-wether is head of the shâ—epe so is the Pope head of the Chuâ—ch and as the Bees haue a master Bee to â—ring them home to the Hiue when they be abroad so the Pope is ordained by succession of Peter to bring vs home againe vnto the â—rue Church when we are gone astray as thou good Fellow hast wandred long out of the way â—liâ—e a scattered Sheepe heare therefore the Bell-wether and now come home with vs vnto thy Mother the Church againe I answered all this is but naturall reason and no Scripture he said you are stout and will not â—e answered you shall bee compelled by Law whether you will or no. Spurdance So your forefathers intreated Christ and his Apostles they had a Law and by that Law they put him vnto death so you haue a Law which is tyranny whereby you would inforce me to beleeue as you doe but I trust the Lord will assist mee against all your beggerly Ceremonies and make your foolishnesse knowne to the world oâ—e day He told the Bishop he neuer vsed the Ceremonies of the Church since he was borne at the last he interpreted it since hee was new borne as Christ said to Nichodemus Except you bee new borne you cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Then a Doctor said I was an Anabaptist for that was their opinion I said I was no Anabaptist for they deny Children to bee baptized and so doe not I. Bishop Why doe not you goe vnto the Church and Cerâ—monies I said Because they are contrary to Gods word as you your selfe haue taught but now you say it is goâ—d againe and I thinke if there were a returne to morrow you would say it were false againe which you hold now therefore I may well say there is no truth in you Then he said I
said that the Sacrament of the Altar as it is now vsed is no Sacrament at all These thrée blessed witnesses of Iesus Christ Simpson Fox and Deuenish as they were all together apprehended at Islington so they suffered together in Smithfield WILLIAM NICOLE HEe was an honest simple poore man apprehended the ninth of Aprill by the Popes Champions for speaking certaine words against the cruell kingdome of Antichrist he was butcherly burned and tormented at Hereford west in Wales where he ended his life in a blessed estate and gloriously gaue his soule into the handes of the Lord. Willam Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson WIlliam Seaman was a husbandman dwelling in Mendlesam in the County of Suffolk he was taken the ninteenth of May by one Robert Balden his neighbour whom he greatly trusted as they were leading him by night to Sir Iohn Tyrill there fell a light out of the Element betwixt them and parted them albeit this Balden was then in his best age yet after that time â—e neuer enioyed good day but pined away euen vnto death Sir Iohn Tyril asâ—ed him why hee would not goe vnto Masse and receiue and worship the Sacrament He said it was an Idol and therefore would not receiue it Whervpon he was sent to the Bishop of Norwich who condemned him He had a wife and three children who because shee would not goe vnto Masse all her corne and goods were taken away from her by Christopher Cole being Lord of the towne of Mendlesham Thomas Carman was apprehended for pledging Richard Crashford at his burning he was brought before the Bishop of Norwich and answered no lesse in his maisters quarrell thâ—n th' other and he had the like reward Thomas Hudson was of Aylesham in Norffolke a Glouer hee bore so good will vnto the Gospell that in the daies of King Edward the sixt that when hée was thirty yeareo old he learned to reade wherein he so greatly profited that in Queene Maries raigne auoiding all their beggerly ceremonies of superstition he absented himselfe and trauelled from place vnto place and returning home vnto his owne house to comfort his Wife and Children When hee perceiued that his continuance there would be very dangerous hee and his wife deuised to make him a place in his Faggots to hide himselfe in where hee remained all the day reading and praying for halfe a yeare In the meane time came thither one Berry Uicar of the Towne and inquired of his Wife for him Shee said shee â—new not where hee was Then hee threatned to burne her because shee would not bewray her husband After this Hudson waxed euery day more zealous then other and the people often resorted vnto him to heare his Sermons at last hee walked abroad for certaine daies into the towne crying out against the Masse and all their trumpery at the length one Iohn Crouch his next neighbour went with speed to the Constables to certifie them that hee was at home who went about to catch him in the breake of the day Whâ—n Hudson saw them hee said now mine houre is come welcome friends you bee they that shall leade mee vnto life euerlasting I thanke GOD therefore and the Lord inable mee for his mercy sake Then they ledde him vnto Berry their Uicar being Commissarâ—e as before who asked him where hee kept his Church foure yeares before Hee answered wheresoeuer hee was there was the Church Then hee asked him whether hee beleeued in the Sacrament of the Altar He answered that was but wormes meate my beliefe is in Christ crucified Then he asked him whether hee did not beléeue that the Masse taketh away sinnes Hudson It is a patched monster and a disguised puppit more longer a peecing then euer was Salomons Temple Then Berry seemed as a mad man and said wel I will write vnto my Lord and thou shalt be handled according vnto thy deserts Oh Sir said Hudson there is no Lord but God though there bee many Lords and Gods With that Berry thrust him back with his hand and bound Richard Clifford to the good behauiour for saying I pray bee good vnto the poore man Then the said Berry writ vnto the Bishop and sent Hudson bound like a Theefe vnto him who went thither with ioy and singing as merry as euer hee was where he was condemned These thrée were burned without the Bishops gaâ—e in Norwich in a place called Lolords pit aftor they had made their prayers they went vnto the stake and standing with their chaines about them Iohn Hudson being troubled in minde went from them and prayed his fellowes exhorted him in the bowels of Christ to be of good chéere At last the Lord according vnto his old mercies sent him comfort and then rose â—e with great ioy as a man new changed from death vnto life and said now I thanke God I am strong and passe not what man can doe vnto mee at the length they all suffered most ioyfully together to the terrour of the wicked the comfort of Gods children and the magnifying of the Lords Name After this Berry caused two hundred of the towne of Cylesham to creepe to the crosse at Penticost besides other punishments which they suffered This Betry vpon a time strooke a poore man of his parish with the swingell of a â—laile for speaking words that hee presently dyed And after hee méeting one Alice Oxes going into his Hall hee as before moued he smote her with his fist and the next day shee was found dead in his Chamber to write how many Concubines and whoores hee had none would beleeue but such as knew him where be dwelt He was rich of great authoritie a great swearer altogether giuen vnto women and persecuting the Gospell and compelling men vnto Idolatry he troubled sundry good men burned all good books that he could get and deuorced many men and women for religion When hee heard Queene Mary was dead and the glory of his triumph quailed On a Sunday hee made a great Feast and had one of his Concubines there with whom he was in his Chamber from dinner vntill euening song then hee went to the Church and after euening song in going from Church homeward hee fell downe dead made an heauy grone and neuer stirred and those that had his riches so consumed with them that they be poorer now then when they had his goods which iudgement the Lord executed in the eyes of all men At that time Dâ—nning the cruell Chancellor of Norwich died in Lincolneshire as sodainely as the said Berry died Ioane Seaman Mother of the said William Seaman SHe was threescore and six yeares old She was persecuted from her house by the said Sir Iohn Tyrill because she would not goe vnto the Masse nor receiue against her conscience sometimes shee was glad to lye in the bushes Groues and Fields but her husband beeing fourescore yeares old and falling sick she returned vnto her house to shew her duety vnto her husband vntill hee dyed then she fell
secret friend to submit her selfe vnto the Quéen which would be to her great commoditie she answered she would not submit her selfe vnto them which she had not offended if I haue offended I craue no mercy but law I would I were as cléere out of the perrill of mine eâ—emies as I know my selfe out of the danger of the law About this time there was great consulting amongst the Bishops and Gentlemen touching a marriage for her Grace which some of the Spaniards wished to be with some stranger that she might goe out of the Realme with her portion then a Lord said that the King should neuer haue quiet Common-wealth in England except her head were striken from her shoulders the Spaniards answered God forbid that their King and Master should consent to such a mischiefe From that day the Spaniards neuer left good perswasions vnto the King that he should neuer obtaine the like honour as he should in deliuering the Lady Elizabeth out of prison whereby at length she was happily released of the same Shortly after she was sent for to Hampton Court Sir Henry Benifield and his souldiers with the Lord of Tame and Sir Ralph Chamberlaine guarding of her the first night she came to Ricot the next to M. Dormers house and so to Colbrook where she lay at the George all night as she came thither thréescore of her Gentlemen and Yeomen met her which had not séene her Grace a long season before but they were commanded in the Quéens name to depart the towne and shée was not suffred to speak with them that night al her men were taken from her but her Gentleman vsher thrée Gentlewomen and two Grooms one of her Wardrop the next day her Grace entred Hampton Court where she lay a fortnightere euer any had recourse vnto her at length came the Lord William Howard to â—er who vsed her Grace maruellous hanourably she requested him to be a meane that shée might speak with some of the Councell Not long after came to her Gardner Bishop of Winchester the Lord Arundel the Lord of Shrewsbury and Secretary Peter who with great humility humbled themselues vnto her Grace My Lords quoth she I am glad to sée you for me thinks I haue bin kept a great while from you desolatly alone wherefore I would desire you to be a meane to the King and Quéens Maiesties that I may be deliuered from prison wherein I haue bin kept a long space Then Gardner knéeled down and requested her to submit her selfe to the Quéen and then he doubted not but her Maiestie would be good vnto her she answerd rather then she would do so she would lie in prison all the dayes of her life adding that she craued no mercy but the law if euer she did offend her Maiesty in thought word or déed and in yeelding I should confesse my selfe to be an offendor which I neuer was towards her Maiesty by occasion wherof the King and Quéen might euer hereafter conceiue an ill opinion therefore it were better for me to lie in prison for the trâ—th then to be abroad and suspected of my Prince So they departed promising to declare her message to the Quéâ—n The next day Gardner came again vnto her Grace and knéeling down declared that the Quéen maruailed that she would so stoutly vse her selfe not confessing â—o haue offended so that it should séeme the Quéens Maiesty wrongfully to haue imprisoned her Grace Nay quoth she the Quéen may punish me as it pleasâ—th her Nay quoth Gardner her Maiesty willed me to certifie you that you must tell her another tale ere that you be at liberty her Grace answered that she had as liue be in prison with honesty and truth as to be abroad suspected of hâ—r Maiesty this I will stand vnto for I will neuer bely my selfe Then he knéeled down and said then your Grace hath aduantage of me and other the Lords for your long imprisonment I take God to record quoth she I séeke no vantage at your hands for your so dealing with me then the other kneeled downe and desired her Gracâ— that all might be forgotten and so they departed A seuen-night after the Queenâ— sent for her at ten of the clocke at night then she desired her Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to pray for her for that she coâ—ld not tell whether she should euer seâ— them againe When she came vnto the Queâ—ne she kneeled downe and desired God to preserue her Maiestie not in any wise doubting but that she should proue her selfe as true and faithfull a subiect towards her Maiestie as euer did any and therefore she desired her Maiestie so to iudge of her and said she should not â—nd other of her whatsoeuer report had gone of her the Queen answered you will not confesse your offence bâ—t stand stoatly in your truth I pray God it may so fall out It it do not quoth she I desire no fauour nor pardon at your Maiesties hands Wel said the Queene you stiffely still perseâ—ere in the truth belike you will not confesse but that you haue bâ—ene wrongfully punished I must not say so if it please your Grace to you why then said the Queene belike you will vnto others no quoth she I haue borne the burden and must beare it I humbly beseech your Maiestie to haue a good opinion of me and to thinke me to be your true subiect not only hitherto but as long as life lasteth and so they parted with a few comfortable words in English but what she said in Spanish God knoweth It is thought that King Philip was there behinde a cloth and not seene and that he shewed himselfâ— a very friend vnto that matter Thus her Grace went vnto her lodging againe aâ—d the seuen-night after she was released of Sir Henry Benifield and was set at libertie from imprisonment she went into the Countrey and had appointed to goe with her Sir Thomas Pope one of the Queens Councellors M. Gage one of her Gentlemen Ushers And thus straightly was she looked vnto all the time of Q. Maries raigne Then there came vnto her house Maister Ierningham and Norris Gentleman Usher Quéene Maries Men who tooke from her Grace Mistris Ashly to the Fléet and thrée other of her Gentlewomen vnto the Tower which was no little trouble vnto her Grace saying That shee thought that they would fetch all away in the end but God be praysed shortly after was fetched away Gardiner whereby the life of this so excellent a Princesse the wealth of all England was preserued for the said wicked Gardner had long laboured his wits and bent all his deuises to bring this our deere Soueraâ—gne out of the way as by his words and doings did well appeare After the death of this Gardner followed the death also and dropping away of other her enemies whereby by little and little her iâ—opardy decreased and more gentle entertainmant did daily grow vnto her vntill in the moneth of Nouember the seauenteenth day
letters betwâ—ene Sir Francis Englefield and my selfe and I acquainted Sir Iohn Throgmorton my father with my trayterous practises who disswaded me from any further medling with these practises but by my fathers aduice I made a Catalogue of all the Noblemen and Gentlemen that were Catholiks and did discribe the hauens of this Realme for landing of forces He confessed that he was acquainted by his brother Thomas Throgmorton with a resolute determination for inuading of the Realme and that the Duke of Guise should be the principall executor of that inuasion to the intent to prepare by force the Quéens tolleration in religion for the Catholiks and if her Maiesty should refuse so to doe to remoue her from her crowne and state and that the Duke of Guise had prepared the forces but there wanted money and assistance of the Catholiques in England to ioyne with forreigne forces for money messengers were sent both to Rome and Spaine and the Spanish Ambassadour gaue out that the King his Master would not only make some notable attempt against England but would beare halfe the charge thereof and an especiall messenger was sent into England vnder a counterfeit name from the confederats in France to signifie here the plot and preparation that was there whereupon I tooke vpon me to be a follower and meanes for the effecting thereof amongst the confederats in England with the helpe of the Spanish Ambassador knowing that he being a publique person might deale therein without perill and that the Duke of Guise made speciall choice to land in Sussex about Arundell for the néere cut from Fraunce and for the assured persons to giue assistance and I shewed the whole plot of the hauens for landing to the Spanish Ambassadour who did incourage me therein also there was sent ouer from the confederates beyond Sea into â—ussex Charles Pager vnder the name of Mope alias Spring and that the Spanish Ambassador was made priuie vnto his comming and it was to view the hauens and countrey for landing such forreigne forces about Arundell and to conferre with certain principal persons for assistance and he confessed that there was a deuice betwéene the Spanish Ambassador and him how such principall Recusants within the Realme as were in Commission for the peace in sundry countries might vpon the bruit of landing the forreigne forces vnder colour of defence of her Maiestie leuie mâ—n to ioyne vnto the forren forces whereupon he was iustly condemned The Earle of Northumberland HEe had a hand in the rebellion in the North as well as his brother and behaued himselfe diligently in the managing of those treasons yet the Quéen was content to remit all and accept him againe both in honour and fauour yet he after entred into a new plot for the inuading of the Realme and ouerthrow of the gouernment of religion and to endanger her Maiesties person and put her from her Kingdome being a conspirator in Throgmortons treasons it was concluded by the Pope that the state of Christendome stood vpon the stoute assayling of England and that it should be inuaded with twenty thousand men at the charge of the Pope and other Princes and that her Maiestie should be deposed and some English Catholike elected King and that many Priests should come into the Realme to win a number vnto the Catholike faith to ioyne if opportunity serued either with forrain inuasion or with tumults at home The head Preacher at Narbon in Prouence told an English-man that England should be inuaded by a forrain King and the Popish Religion restored and that Priests dispersed themselues in England for the better strengthening of the parties One Paine executed for treason confessed that this Realme could not continue in the State wherein it was because the Pope had a speciall care therof and would in short time eyther by forren Princes or by some other meanes worke a change of things here The Duke of Guise two yeares did solicite the Pope and other Princes to supply him with forces to inuade this Realme There was found about a Iesuite that was taken vpon the Sea a discourse that the Earle of Northumberland and all the Catholike Lords and Gentlemen in the North parts will assuredly ioyne with forren forces and therein it is also affirmed that the Priests dispersed within the Realme can dispose of the Catholikes of the Realme as they shall be ordered and that the Popes excommunication should be renued and pronounced against her Maiesty and all those which shall take her part and that all such should be holden as traytors which did not ioyne with the Army by a day It was proued that the Earle had conference with the foresaid Charles Pager comming ouer about the practise and prosecuting of the said enterprise and that the â—arle secretly receiued him into the Gallery at Petworth where the Earle conferred with him an houre from whence Paget was conueyed backe into the towne where he lodged all night and the next night he was conueyed secretly vnto a Lodge in the â—arls Park at Peâ—worth where he was kept with all secrecie eight dayes and the seruant which conueyed him was enioyned by the Earle in no wise to discouer him and Charles Paget returning from Petworth took shipping again to goe beyond Sea Paget tolde William Shelley of Michelgroue in Essex Esquire that forreigne Princes would seeke reuenge against her Maiestie of wrongs by her done against them and would take such opportunitie as might 〈◊〉 serue them and that the Duke of Guise would be a dealer herein and that the Earle of Northumberland would be an assistant vnto them willing Shelley whatsoeuer should happeâ— to follow the Earle of Northumberland and that the Duke of Guise had forces in readinesse for the altering of religion here in England and that the Catholikes would all ioyne for so good a purpose for that it would be a meanes to reform religion he said the stirre would be in the North parts because Sussex was not conuenient in regard there was no safe landing there and that it was so 〈◊〉 Londâ—n and that when any stirre should be the Earle of Northumberland would goe into the North parts and when the Earle perceiued that all this was come to light he killed himselfe in the Tower with a Pistoll charged with thrée Bullets Anthony Babington with thirteene young Gentlemen more THese conspired the death of Quéene Elizabeth they swore they would set the Pope in hâ—s former state in England or else die the death and they combined and confederated themselues by vow and oath in a most horrible enterprise by murther to take away the life of her Maiesty wherefore they were iustly condemned and executed The story of the Spanish Fleet Ann. 1588. THe said Fléet was a preparing thrée or foure years and being in full perfection came into our seas with such mighty strength as no nauy of England or Christendom could abide their â—orce And to make the intended conquest of this realme sure to the
same should also haue ioyned the mighty armie which the Duke of Parma had made ready in the Low-countries which Army should land in this realme and so both by sea land this realme should be inuaded and a speedy conquest made thereof whereupon it was gathered that neither by sea nor by land there could be much resistance made that there would be a strong party in this realme of papists to ioine with the forrein forces but within eight or nine daies of the appearance of the popish so great a nauie vpon the coast of England it was forced to flée from the coast of Flanders neer Callice towards the vnknown parts of the cold North and all their hope of an imagined conquest was quite ouerthrowne It could procéed of no reason of man nor of any earthlâ— power but onely of God that such a worke so long time a framing to be so suddenly ouerthrown Before this Army of Spaine was ready to come forth vnto the seas there were sundry things printed and sent into this realme to notâ—fie vnto the people that the realme should be conquered the Quéene destroyed and all the Noble men wealthy that did obey her would withstand the inuasion should be with all their families â—ooted out and their liuings bestowed vpon the Conqueâ—ors and a new Bull was published at Rome by the Pope whereby the Quéen was accursed and pronounced to be depriued of her Crowne and the inuasion and conquest of the Realme committed by the Pope to the King Catholick which was the King of Spaine to execute the sam with his armies both by Sea and Land and to take the crowne vnto himselfe and there was a large explanation of this bâ—ll written by Cardinall Allen calling himselfe therein the Cardinall of England and a number of them were sent ouer ready printed into England most bitterly written against the Queene and her Father King Henry the eight and her Nobiâ—itie and Councell In the Fleet were aboundance of Princes Marquesses Condez and Doâ—s which came to haue possessed the roomes of all the Noble men in England and Scotland Don Brnardin Mendoza in an open assembly did say in a brauerie that the young King of Scots whom hee called a boy had deceived the King of Spaine but if the Kings Nauy might prosper against England The King of Scots should loose his Crowne when the brute was brought of the Spanish Fléet and of the Armie of the Sea coast of Flanders with their shippings Charles Lord Howard Lord High Admirall of England who is of the most Noble house of the Duke of Norffolke had the charge of the greatest company of the Quéenes Ships an other company were appointed to remaine with the Lord Henry Seymer second Sonne to the Duke of Somerset and brother to the Earle of Hertford these continued in the narrow Seas betwixt England and Flanders to attend the Duke of Parmas actions A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spain vnder the conduct of Sir Francis Drake but after it was vnderstood that the great Nauy of Spaine was ready to come out of Liâ—bâ—ne my Lord Admirall was commaunded to saile with the greatest ships to the west parts of England to ioyn with Drake whom he made Uice-admirall and the Lord Thomas Howard second Son vnto the Duke of Norffolke and the Lord Sheffield with a great number of Knights went with the Lord Admirall When the Popish Army came vnto the Coasts of England it séemed so great that the Englishmen were astonied at the sight of them yet the Lord Admiral and Drake hauing but fifty of the English ships out of the hauen of Plimouth they â—uriously pursued the whole Nauy of Spaine being about 160. ships so that with the continuall shot of the English one whole day the whole Nauy fled without returning and after the English Nauy being increased to an hundred ships renued the fight with terrible great shot all the whole day gaining alwaies the winde of the Spanish Nauy and for nine daies together forced them to flye and destroyed suâ—ke and tooke in thrée daies fight diuers of the greatest shippes out of which great numbers were brought to London besides many that were killed and drowned and many were brought vnto other parts of the realme to the great disshâ—nour of Spaine in which fight the Spaniards did neuer take nor sinke any English ship or boate or breake any mast or tooke any one man prisoner so that some of the Spaniards let not to say That in all these â—ghts Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran The King of Scots gaue straight commaundement vpon all his Sea coasts that no Spaniards should be sufferd to land in any part bâ—t that the English might be relieued of any wants The Popish Fleet was by tempest driuen beyond the Isâ—es of Orkâ—ay in an vnaccustomed place for the young Gentlemen of Spain which had neuer felt storms and colde weather about those northerne Islands their Marriners and Souldiers died daily by multitudes as by their bodies cast vpon the land did appeare And after twentie daies and more hauing spent their time in miserie then as they returned homeward the Lord ordained the windes to be so violently contrarious that the Nauy was disseâ—ered vpon the high Seas west vpon Ireland and a great number of them driuen vpon sands dangerous bayes and rockes all along vpon the north and west parts of Ireland in places distant aboue an hundred miles asunder whereby we may see how God fauoured the iust cause of Q. Elizabeth in shewing his anger against those proud boasting enemies of Christs peace and she and her Realme professing the Gospell of Christ are kept and deâ—ended according to the Psalme vnder the shadow of his wings from the face of the wicked that sought to afflict her and compasse her round about to take away her soule Iohn Weldon William Hartley and Robert Sutton IOhn Weldon Priest was borne at Tollerton in Yorkshire he was indicted of â—reason in Middlesex first he took exception to the indictment that it was false then to the Iurie that they were vnfit men to try him because they were Lay men and vnto the whole Bench as vnworthy to bee his Iudges because hee did know them to be resolued before hand to condemne all Catholikes brought before them He acknowledged himselfe to bee a Priest and therefore not triable by the Common Lawes Whereupon persisting in that hee would make no answere and his Treasons manifest he was condemned to be hanged drawne and quartered William Hartly Priest was condemned for the same treasons that Welden was it was proued that he sent a Letter to Paris to Seminary Priests importing the full resolution of the said Hartly and some other of his confederats immediatly vppon the landing of the Spaniards to haue surprised the Tower of London and to haue fired the Citie he affirmed that if the Pope doe depriue the Quéene and discharge her subiects of their obedience and
fittest to be done omitting neither time diligence or industry all which noâ—withstanding they could not as yet finde out the depth of this mysterie and were therefore much troubled in minde bâ—cause the appointed day of parliament drew neare which was Tuesday the 5. of Nouember vpon the Saturday before the King being returned from hunting the said Lords acquainted his Highnesse with what had past and when his Maiesty had well noted the strange contents of the Letter which purported the sodaine ruine of the State the King said notwithstanding the small respect and slight regard which might bee giuen to Libels scattered abroad yet thâ—s was more quicke and pithy then was vsuall in Libels and willed them to search in all places as well not dayly frequented as of vsuall repayre and concerning any forraine disturbance or inuasion hee well knâ—w the present force and preparation of all Christian Princes and that whatsoeuer practise of treaâ—on was now in hand it must be perâ—ormed in some vnsuspected place and by some homâ—-bred traytors therevpon new search was made in all places about the Court and the Parliament house but could not as yet finde any thing worthy their labours all which â—earchâ—s were performed with such silence and discretion as there rose no manner of suspition eyther in Court or City the Lord Chamberlaine whose office it most concerned neuer rested day nor night and the night before the Parliament as Sir Thomas Kneuet with others scowted about the parliament house espied a fellow standing in a corner very suspitiouâ—ly and asked him his name what hee was and what he did there so late who answered very bluntly hiâ— name was Iohn Iohnson Master Pearcies man and keeper of his lodgâ—ings Sir â—homas Kneuet continued still his search in all places thereabouts and returning thither againe found him lingring there still searched him and found vnder his cloke a close Lanthorne and a burning Candle in it and about him other signes of suspition that hee stood not there for any good then the Knight entered the Uaâ—â— where they found the powder couered with Billets and Fagots as afore-said and then the Lord Chamberlaine caused the Traytor to be bound and being now about three a clocke in the morning â—ee went vnto the King and with exceeding gladnesse told his Maiestie the Treason was discouered and preuented and the Traytor in hold the King desired to see Fawkes who when hee came before the King vsâ—d like trayterous and audacious speeches as hee did at his first apprehension affirming himselfe was the onely man to performe the Treason saying it sore vexed him that the deed was not done and for that time would not confesse any thing touching the rest of the Conspirators but that himselfe onely and alone was the contriuer and practiser of this Treason Betweene fiue and six a clocke in the morning the Councell gaue order to the Lord Mayor of London to looke to the City and in very calme manner to set ciuill watch at the Citie gates signifying therewithall that there was a plot of Treason discouered and that the King would not goe to Parliament that day and the same day in thâ— afternoone the manner of the Treason was by Proclamation made known vnto the people for ioy wherof there was that night as many bonsires in and about London as the stréetes could permit and the people gaue humble and hearty thankes vnto almighty God for their King Countries right blessed escape Within thrée dayes after two other proclamations were made signifying vnto the people who were the chiefe conspirators with commandement to apprehend Pearcy and Catesby to take them aliue if it were possible which said Pearcy and Catsby were gone to Holbach in Warwickshire to méet Winter Gaunt and others where vnder pretence of a great hunting they meant to raise the country and surprise the Lady Elizabeth from the L. Harington whom they meant to proclaime Queens and in whose name they meant to enter into Armes being perswaded that the King the Prince and Duke of Yorke were by that time blowne vp in the Parliament house but when they knew their treason was known and preuented and saw the Kings forces round about the house so as they could not escape Pearcy and Catesby very desperately issued forth and fighting back to back were both slain with one Musket shot Saturday the ninth of Nouember the King went to Parliament where in the presence of the Queene the Prince the Duke of Yorke the Ambassadors of the King of Spaine and the Arch-duke and all the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons of the same hee made a very solemne oration manifesting the whole complot of this Treason The 27. of Ianuary at Westminster were arraigned Thomas Winter Guydo Fawkes Robert Keyes and Thomas Bates for plotting to blow vp the Parliament house digging in the mine taking oath and Sacrament for secresie c. and Robert Winter Iohn Graunt Ambrose Rookewood for being acquainted with the treason afterward giuing their full consent thereunto and taking oath and Sacrament for secresie and sir Euerâ—â—d Digby for being made acquainted with the said Treason yeelding assent and taking his corporall oath for secresie all which inditements were prooued against them and by themselues confessed and therevpon had iudgement giuen them to bee drawne hanged and quartered their limbes to bee set vpon the Citie gates and their heads vpon the Bridge according to which sentence the thirtieth of Ianuary Sir Euerard Digby Robert Winter Iohn Graunt and Bates were executed at the West end of Paules Church and the next day after the other foure were executed in the Parliament yard six of the eight acknowledged their guiltinesse in this horrible treason and dyed very penitently but Graunt and Keyes did not so Out of these and many other destructions the Lord of his aboundant mercie hath deliuered his most faithfull Seruant and our dread Soueraigne King Iames and still will preserue him according to his promise so long as he putteth his trust in him and it is not to be doubted but God hauing giuen him the Spirit of confidence in him and also fortified and builded vp this his hope and trust by the experience of ennumerable preseruations of his person and Statâ—e and such ones as could be attributed to no meanes but onely to Gods handy workes Nay I will conclude by the warrant of Gods word that it is impossible for the Diuell by any temptation in the world to steale this heauenly treasure out of his Royall heart no more then he could steale it out of Iob his heart for although from them that haue not the true grace of God that which they haue shall be taken from them yet according to Christs promise which is truth it self he that hath truly Gods Spirit be it in neuer so little manner more shall be giuen him and that which he hath shall neuer be taken from him And touching these blessed Realmes of Great Brittaine and Ireland ouer