constancy and so embracing the Fire she sweetly slept in the Lord. Thus near the space of three hundred years was the Church of Christ assaulted on every side had small rest no joy nor outward safety in this present World but in much bitterness of Heart in continual tears and mourning under the Cross passed over their days being spoiled imprisoned contemned reviled famished tormented and martyred every where by night assembling to sing Praises to God in all which their dreadful dangers and sorrowful afflictions notwithstanding the goodness of the Lord left them not desolate but the more their outward Tribulations did increase the more their inward Consolations did abound and the farther off they seemed from the joyes of this Life the more present was the Lord with them with Gracâ— and fortitude to confirm and rejoyce their Souls and though their possessions and riches in this World were lost and spoiled yet were they inriched with heavenly Gifts and Treasures from above an hundredfold then was true Religion truely felt in the Heart then was Christianity not in outward appearance shewed only but in inward affection received then was the Name and Fear of God true in Heart not in Lips alone dwelling Faith then was fervent Zeal ardent Prayer not swiming in the Lips but groaned out to God from the bottom of the Spirit then was no Pride in the Church nor leisure to seek riches nor time to keep them contention for Trifles was then so far from Christians that well were they when they could meet to pray together against the Devil the author of all dissention But after this the Christians coming to be in favour with the Emperours and riches and worldly wealth crept into the Clergy and the Devil poured his venom into the Church so that true humility began to decay and Pride to set in his Foot and after the Church through favour of the Emperours was indued with Lands Donations Possessions and Patrimonies and the Bishops feeling the smack of Wealth ease and prosperity began to swell in pomp and pride and the more they flourished in this World the more Gods holy Spirit forsook them till at last the Bishops who were for a long time kept low and persecuted as before is related now of persecuted People began to be Persecutors of others and through their pride and riches were wholy degenerated from the true Religion and became Adversaties to God and persecuted and destroyed his living Witnesses and Members as any were raised up from time to time to bear a Testimony against their Apostacy as in this following History will appear Part III Containing an Account of the grievous Sufferings Persecutions and Martyrdom of the Servants of the Lord inflicted on them by the Papists after the Apostacy from the antient Primitive Gospel of Truth preached by Christ and his Apostles IOhn saw there would be an Apostacy from the blessed Faith in his daies Rev. 13. for he saw a Beast rise out of the Sea and the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority and all the World wondered after the Beast and they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is aâ—le to make War with him And he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to Blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and it was given unto him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World After this great Darkness had spread over Nations and People for some years the Lord raised up some from time to time to bare Testimony according to their measures of light and knowledge they had received against the blindness and ignorance that the World was under as in the following instances the Reader may observe Robert Grosthead living in the year 1240 wrot sharply to the Pope especially for the evils he committed in England that he was opposite to Christ a Murderer of Souls and an Heretick and complained on his death-bed of the corruptions which were sprung up in the Church and inveighed bitterly against the manifold abominations of the Church and Court of Rome saying well may these verses be applied to them The whole World cannot suffice their greedy covetous mind Nor all their drabs and naughty pack their filthy lusting kind For his thundring against the Romish Church and for his publick reproving of the covetousness pride and manifold Tyrannies of the Pope he was excommunicated to the pit of Hell by Innocent the fourth and cited to come to his bloody Court but he appealed from the Popes Tyranny to the Eternal Tribunal of Jesus Christ and shortly after died Yea before this there were some found in England who testified against the corruptions of the Church of Rome and suffered for the same for in the year 884. John Patrick Erigena wrot a Book about the Lords Supper which was afterwards condemned by the Pope and he martyred for it In the year 960. some were braned in the Face at Oxford and banished for saying That the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babilon Monkery a stinking Carion their Vows nurses of sodomy Purgatory and Masses c. inventions of the Devil In the year 1126. there was one Arnold an English Preacher was cruelly butchered for preaching against Prelates pride and Priest wicked lives About the year 1160. about thirty Waldenses came into England one Gerrard being their Minister these People labouring to win Disciples to Christ were quickly smelt out by the Popish Clergy and great complaints were made against them to the King being Henry the Second who caused them to be brought before an Assembly of Bishops at Oxford where Gerrard speaking for them said to this effect we are Christians holding the Doctrine of the Apostles in their Examinations they would not admit of Salt Spittle and Exorcisms in Baptism and the Eucharist nor of binding with the stool in Marriage and being admonished to repent and return to the unity of the Church they despised that counsel and scorned threats saying Blessed are they which Suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Then did the Bishops excomunicate them and so delivered them over to be corporally Punished by the King who caused them to be burnt as Hereticks in the forehead and to be whipt through Oxford they singing all the while Blessed are ye when men hate you and dispitefully use you and the King further commanded that none should persume to receive them to house nor to cherish them with any comfort whereby they miserably perished with hunger and cold none affording any comfort to them These Wâ—ldenses are repâ—ted the first Reformers after the darkness of Popery had overspread the
took them Wives of all that they chose this displeased the Lord so that he said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that he also is Flesh and his dayes were shortned to one Hundred and Twenty Years who before lived many Hundred Years The Spirit of he Lord grieved with the corrupt among men And God saw that the Wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man and it grieved him at his Heart and the Earth was corrupt and filled with violence and God looked upon the Earth and behold it was corrupt for all Flesh had corrupted his Way upon the Earth He raised up Noah to testify against them and commanded him to build an Ark. And God said unto Noah The end of all Flesh is come up before me for the Earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will Destroy them with the Earth and he commanded Noah to make an Ark and behold I bring a Flood upon the Earth to Destroy all Flesh wherein is the Breath of Life and every thing that is in the Earth shall die but with thee will I establish my Covenant and thou shalt come into the Ark thou and thy Sons and thy Wife and thy Sons Wives for thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation But before the Lord brought the deluge of Waters upon the World of the Wicked year of the world 1536 he sent this just man Noah a Preacher of Righteousness unto them giving them one Hundred and Twenty Years space to repent them of their evil wayes The long suffering of God before he brought the deluge upon man and Noah having provided an Ark at the Commandment of God he was appointed when he should enter into the Ark whilst the World in the mean time void of all fear sate eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage in the six hundredth Year of the life of Noah upon the seventh day of the second Moneth when he with his Children were entered into the Ark God sent a Rain upon the Earth forty dayes and forty nights and the Waters continued upon the Earth a hundred and fifty dayes the Waters abating upon the seventeenth day of the seventh Moneth the Ark rested upon one of the Mountains of Ararat the Waters still falling upon the first day of the tenth Moneth the top of the Mountains appeared above the waters and after forty dayes Noah opened the Window of the Ark and sent forth a Raven and seven dayes after sent forth a Dove and she returning after seven dayes more he sent her forth again and about the Evening she returned bringing the Leaf of an Olive-Tree in her Mouth and then staying yet seven dayes more sent the same Dove out again which returned no more unto him In the six hundred and first Year of the life of Noah when the surface of the Earth was now all dry year of the world 1657 Noah took off the Covering of the Ark Noah goes forth of the Ark and offers unto the Lord for his Preservation and went forth with all that were with him in the Ark being gone forth he offered unto God for his Preservation an Offering and the Lord smelled a sweet-Savour and the Lord said in his Heart I will not again Curse the Ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of his Heart is evil from his Youth And God spake unto Noah and to his Sons saying I will establish my Covenant with you and with your Seed after you neither shall all Flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood to destroy the Earth and gave the Rain-bow-for a sign of the Covenant which he then made with man And now Noah made a division of Land among his Grand-Children and that done year of the world 1757 that they went from those Eastern-parts whither they first repaired from the Mountains of Ararat unto the Valley of Shinar where the People impiously laid their heads together to hinder the dispersion of them commanded by God and begun by Noah they went in hand to build the City and Tower of Babylon The beginning of the confusion of Babel whose top might reach to Heaven least they should be scattered abroad upon the Face of the Earth which purpose of theirs being frustrated by the confusion of Languages sent among them from whence they took the name of Babel the dispersion of Nations followed and now one Language was lost which the whole Earth was of until this Attempt And now the next of the righteous Stock that succeeded was Abram the second Son of Terah year of the world 2008 he was born in the year 2008. and ten years after was Sarai born daughter of Haran Abrams Brother who was afterwards Abrams Wife some Writers say that Abram was educated in the Idolatry of his Fathers House who they say was a maker of Statues and Images and the Jews relate of Abram's going into the Shop in the absence of his Father his breaking the Images and jeering those that came to buy or worship them Schalch Hakk. p. 8. Citante Hotnig Smeg Orient C. 8. p. 291. Confer Maimon Mar. Neroch Part 3. C 29. p. 4 1. of his Fathers carrying him to Nimrod to be punished his witty answers and miraculous escapes thus the Jews write of him but however these things may be credited we have a sure record in the Scriptures that the Lord had a great regard to the sincerity of Abram and had a purpose to make use of him to be an Instrument in his work and service and that appears by his calling him from his Kindred year of the world 2083 and from his Fathers House and promising a Blessing to him and to his Seed and now Abram Abram called from his Fathers House who had chosen the Lord for his delight above all earthly things consulted not but departed as the Lord had commanded him and he took Sarai his Wife and Lot his Brothers son and travelled to the Land of Canaan where God promised to Abram that to his Seed he would give that Land but afterwards Abram compelled by a Famine went from thence down into Egypt where Sarai his Wife who to eschew a danger went for his Sister was taken into Pharaoh's House being fair and beautiful but was not long after sent back unto him untouched Then Abram Abram goes into Egypt because of the Famine being accompanied with Lot accompanied with just Lot returned into Canaan where when the Country which they pitched upon was not sufficient to feed both their Herds of Cattle Strife arose between the Herd-men and Abram loving Peace said to Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herdsmen and thine for we be Brethren They parted to avoid strife and they parted and Lot went into
and with all his Soul and he likewise cleansed away the Abominations from the People and again stirred them up to serve the Lord their God and all his dayes they departed not from following the Lord God of their Fathers Nero King of Aegypt year of the world 3394 by Gods Command went against the King of Assyria who at that time made War upon him He unadvisedly assisted the King of Egypt was slain 2 Kings 23.29 2 Chro. 35.20 21. Josiah unadvisedly engaging in this War was slain and now this good King being taken out of the World a World of Miseries grew on upon it and such Lamentations there was that it grew almost a common proverb the Lamentation of Hadadrimon in the Valley of Megiddo His loss gâ—â—â—â—ly â—amenâ—d by all for not only the whole People living wonderfully bewailing the death of Josiah but the Ages following were sencible of the loss of him and the Prophet Ieremiah in rememberance thereof wrote his mournful Book of Lamentations Especiaâ—â—y by the Prophet Jeriemiah wherein bewailing the Calamities which were shortly to befal the People as if he had then presently beheld them using these words The Breath of our Nostrils the ancinted of the Lord is taken in their pits of whom we said under the shaddow of his Wings we shall live among the Heathen After the death of Josiah his Youngest Son was anointed King who presently fell to doing that which was evil in the sight of God His Son walked not in the steps of his Pather but did eâ—il but Nero King of Egypt removed him after he had reigned three Moneths and made Eliakim his Elder Brother King in his room changing his name into Jehojakim that thereby he might testifie to the World that he ascribed the Victory by him gotten against the Assyrians to the Lord only by whom he professed he was formerly sent against them In the Beginning of this Kings reign Jeremiah commanded by God year of the world 3395 went and stood in the Court of the Temple and there exhorted the people to repentance and when they would not Jeremiah exhortes the people he denounced the Judgment of God against them saying that that House should become as Shilo and that City should be cursed among all the Nations of the Earth whereupon he was presently apprehended by the Priests and Prophets and all the people then in the Court and accused as a man worthy of death but was acquitted and set at Liberty by the publick Judgment of the Princes and Elders Vriahs Prophesie He is put to death At this time also Uriah prophesied against Jerusalem and the Land of Juda agreeable to the sayings of the Prophet Jeremiah for which the King put him to death by the Sword and threw his Carcass among the vilest Sepulchers of the comon people yet Ahikam who had formerly been a man of great Authority with King Josiah appeared so much in the behalf of the Prophet Jeremiah that he was not delivered over into the hands of the people to be put to death at that time To these might be added the Prophet Habbakuk to whom when he complained of the stubornness of the Jews God made this answer Habbahkuks prophesie That he would shortly send the Chaldeans into Juda and further declared his purpose concerning this matter in these words I will do a work in your dayes which you will not believe when it shall be told unto you for behold I will stir up the Chaldeans a fierce Nation and a swift which shall walk through the breadth of the Land which is none of theirs as their own Inheritance Jeremiah reproves the Jews In the fourth year of this King Jehojakim the Prophet Jeremiah reproved the Jews for not hearkning to the Word of the Lord which he had spoken unto them from time to time and for not regarding the Exhortations of the Prophets which the Lord had sent unto them and then again told them of the coming of Nebuchadnezar upon them He prophesies of their Captivity and of their being carried away Captives to Babylon and that Captivity to last seventy years long and during the seventy years time of Captivity Daniel prophesied of the coming of the Messiah who should bring in the Law of Everlasting Righteousness and put an end to the Levitical Sacrifices Jehojakim being taken Prisoner by the Chaldeans year of the world 3405 was thrown out without burial that is was buried like an Ass his Carcass being tugged and drawn out without the Gates of Jerusalem according as was foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah though in referance to the common course in nature he also may be said to have slept with his Fathers as he is 2 Kings 24.6 After him came his Son Jehoiachin who was also called Jeconias and reigned three Moneths and ten dayes in Jerusalem who also did evil in the sight of the Lord as his Father had done before him against whom the Lord by his Prophet Jeremiah declared a most dreadful Decree Ieremiahs decree against Ichoiachin He pronounced a Wo against the wicked Pastors saying O Earth Earth Earth hear the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord write ye this man Childless a man that shall not prosper in his dayes for no man of his Seed shall prosper sitting upon the Throne of David and ruling any more in Juda and pronounced a wo to the Pastors that scattered the Sheep and that had not fed nor visited the People and therefore the Lord would Visit them for the evil of their doing and that he would gather the Remnant of his Flock and would set up Shepherds over them that should feed them and that he would raise unto David a righteous Branch that should execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth and that in his day Juda should be saved and Israel dwell safely and this is his Name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness and in the fence of this the Prophet cryed out Mine heart within me is broken because of the Prophets all my Bones shake I am like a drunken man and like a man whom Wine hath overcome Isaiahs Prophets of Christ because of the Lord and because of the Word of his Holiness And Esaiah the Prophet had a true sight of the coming of the Blessed Messiah for he said The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to Preach good tydings unto the Meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of Vengence of our God to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them Beauty for Ashes the oyl of Joy for mourning the garment of Praise for the Spirit of heaviness that they might be called Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that be
their Loynes they never ride but go a foot when they travel they have a great pair of wooden Beads with a wooden Cross tyed to their Girdles before them If these Franciscan Fryars may be believed they say All that they wear about them is holy yea all that they eat drink or touch is Sanctified their grecy Cowle Habit Sandals and especially their knotty Girdles they say hath many Virtues and therefore they have no small profit from the Lay-people that they may wear them concerning these Fryars Habits one wrote these Verses as followeth The knotty Rope Feet bare deceitful Cowle Bring bare Foot Fryars into Hell to howle The knotty Rope that binds that Slovens Coat Were better used being tyed about his Throat The Original or beginning of the Society of the Jesuits is but of a new Institution whereof the Founder was one Ignatius Loyola born in Spain who had been a Souldier and was hurt on both his knees and halted ever after his Order was confirmed by Paul the third in the year 1504 and himself Sanctified by Pope Paul the fifth in the year 1622. not for his Holiness and Sanctity of life but for an Infinite sum of Money given unto the Pope by the Jesuites Maphaus invith ignat â—â—lleâ— in 〈◊〉 Chronolog and with all because the Duke of Bavaria by the Wicked Practice and Devilish pollicy of his Children the Jesuites and the help of the King of Spain had taken the Palatinate from the Prince Elector the true and Lawful Owner thereof This Ignatius ordained that all those of this upstart Society â—â—m Valderâ—me pag. 10. should call themselves Jesuits or Patres Societatis Jesu Fathers of the Society of Jesus Valderama preached Years since Christ That when this St. Ignatius resolved to quit the Souldiers life the very House wherein he then was the Walls shaked the Beams and Posts trembled and all that were in it betook themselves to flight and ran out of Doors as fast as their legs could carry them even as when some strange eruption of Fire doth suddainly break out in some high Mountain so when interiour Fire began to be discovered in him who before was cold and frozen as to Religion it lightened forth in such sort that it caused a thousand amazments a thousand firing of Houses c. there was never any Aetna or flaming Mountain that did the like thus far are thewords of Valderama And truely many people are of Opinion at this day that this Fire was transferred after his death unto his Society seeing they do perticipate so much of it for out of the fervour of their Mercenary Religion they have ever since exercised the Trade of Incendiaries in all places and they have set all Christendom on Fire neither is there any Kingdom Common-wealth City or Province which they have not inflamed with Wars Seditions and Persecutions And now further the Reader may see what ignorance was among the Papists at this time for the Heathen People heretofore had many Gods and every one of them their distinct Office as Apollo was the God of Wisdom Mars of Wars Aeolus of the winds Neptune of the Seas c. The Papist has as many Saints which they honour and every one hath their several Charge assigned unto them As Saint Anthony for Swine and for Fire Saint Roch to Cure the Plague and Sheep Saint Lusey for the Tooth-Ache Saint Petronel for the Fevour Saint Martiâ—â— for the Itch Saint Valentine for Lovers Saint Crispine for Shoe-makers and Saint Clement for Bakers Brewers and Victuallers Saint Sebastine for Archers Saint Nicholas for Butchers and many more and the Office assigned Ignatius as Valderama saith pag. 51. This blessed Father Ignatius doth most assuredly and readily saith he assiist all Women that are in Labour for this vigilent Pastor doth alwayes accompany the sheep that are great with young and thus this Ignatius doth shoulder the Virgin out of Doors for the Papist Women were wont heretofore to call upon her in that Extremity But how the Monks Fryars and Priest did take this I cannot till for that it clipped away some of their profit for they had often money and gifts to say Masses for Womens safe delivery especially the Augustine Fryers of Burgos in Spaine who sold the measure of their Crucifix at a dear rate because they counted it a precious Relique for many Diseases These Jesuits are great Intelligencers and States-men in most parts of the World and wheresoever they remain they take upon them to teach and instruct Children as well of Noble-men as also of inferior persons professing to do the same freely and without reward wherein they deal so carefully that the Parents do not account their Childrens time Mispent but also do reward them highly and the Jesuits make thereof a double benefit for first they bind the Parents of the Children thereby to be their Favourites secondly as for the Schollers they strick into their tender Capacity such a reverence of themselves and do withall distil into their minds Especially into such as are witty such Points of Doctrine and such an Opinion of their Holiness and integrity that the same very seldom and sometimes never weareth away but rather increaseth with their years according to that saying Quo semet est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu That is The Vessel will long retain the taste of the first Liquor it first held or contained which is undoubtedly of no small moment to the strengthening and upholding of their Faction and Society moreover they have so cunningly wrought that wheresoever they are they only are the general hearers of all Confessions diving thereby into the secrets and drifts of all men acquainting themselves with their humors and Imperfections and making as time and occasion serves use and benefit thereof to themselves Thus much as to Jesuits Monks and Fryars which may fitly be annexed to the Arraignment of Popery a Book published by G. F. and E. H. to which I refer the Reader if he desire to be further informed of the Corruption of this Apostatized Popish Church and so conclude this part A Brief View OF THE Great Sufferings AND LIVING TESTIMONIES Of the TRUE and Constant Martyrs Contain'd in the Acts Monuments of the Church writ by the industrous Labours of John Fox and now Epitomiz'd and a further Account annexed of some that suffered DEATH for RELIGION since By E. H. The CONTENTS Part I. Containing an Account of the Persecutions and Sufferings inflicted on the Faithful Servants of the Lord both before and after the Jews Apostacy and before the Coming of Christ pag. 1. Part II. Containing an Account of the Great Persecutions and Martyrdoms of the Christians after the Coming of Christ and before the Apostacy and Darkness wholely spread over the Church pag. 7. Part III. An Account of the Grievous Sufferings Persecutions and Martyrdoms of the Servants of the Lord under the Popish Church after the Apostacy from the Ancient Primitive Truth
of his Parents Brethren and Kinsfolks and the great sorrow of his Mother nevertheless the Lord so assisted him that he endured to the end and was burnt to death In the year 1558. the fourth day of the Month called September there being a Company of the Faithful to the number of three or four hundred met together at Paris in a certain House in the beginning of the night they were discovered by some Priests the House was soon beset and the City in an uproar many being in an extream rage furiously seeking to have their blood at the suddenness of this thing the poor people were strucken in great fear and fell to prayer about six or sevenscore of them having Weapons escaped thorow the Multitude save only one who was knockt down with Scones and destroyed the Women remaining in the House were taken by the Magistrates and had to Prison in their passing to the Prison they were plucked and haled by the rude Multitude who tore their Garments and pulled of their Hoods and disfigured their Faces with dirt they were accused to the King by a Priest that they put out the Candles in their Meetings and went together Jack and Gill and that they maintained there was no God and denyed the Divinity and Humanity of Christ the Immortallity of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body c. these things a lying Doctor charged on them without any proof moving the King People to destroy them and shortly after a Commission was directed out by the King to certain Councellors to try and give Judgment upon the aforesaid Sufferers a particular Relation of whose Execution is at large inserted by my Author but there being little material circumstances either in their Tryal or Execution wherefore I thought not meet here to insert them A Relation of the manner of the Spanish Inquisition About this time many suffered Martyrdom under the cruel and bloody Inquisition in Spain first began by King Fardinandus and Elizabeth his wife the Spainsh Priests do hold the holy and sacred Inquisition as they call it cannot err and that the holy Fathers the Inquisitors cannot be deceived if any be apprehended as favourers of Hereticks he is carried and put into a horrible Prison and none permitted to come to him but there he is kept alone in a place where he cannot see so much as the ground and often Whipt Scourged Irons put upon him Tortured and Racked sometimes brought out and shewed in some higher place to the People as a Spectacle of rebuking Infamy and thus some are detained there many years and murdered by long Torments in which is more cruelty executed then if they were at once slain by the Hangman during all their time of imprisonment whatsoever process is done against them no person knoweth it but only the holy Fathers and Tormentors which are sworn to execute the Torments all the proceedings of the Cour of that Execrable Inquisition are done in hugger mugger the Accuset is secret the Crime secret and the witness secret by the rigour of which Inquisition many good men have been destroyed both in Spain and Italy In the Kingdom of Naples in the year 1560. in the time of Pope Pius the fouth was begun a hot Persecution against the Protestants many men and their wives being slain Likewise the same year in Calabria the number of Eighty eight Persons both old and young suffered for the Protestant Religion by the Papists Eighty eight person Butchered for Religion in Calabria all which were put together in one House and taken out one after another and laid upon the Butchers Stall like the Sheep in the Shambles with one bloody Knife they were all killed one after another a Spectacle most tragical for all Posterity to remember and almost incredible to believe but that it is confirmed by two Epistles of sufficient credit which are at large incerted in the Book of Martyrs The next matter to be treated on is the great Persecution and Destruction of the People of Merindol and Cabries in the Country of Province where not a few persons but whole Villages and Townships with the most part of all the Country both Men Women and Childen were put to all kind of cruelly and suffered Martyrdom for the profession of the Gospel From the year 1200. they had refused the Bishop of Rome's Authority Persecuted in Merindol and Cabries for this cause they were often accused and complained of to the King as Contemners and Dispisers of the Magistrates and Rebels wherefore they were called by divers names according to the Countries and places where they dwelt for in the Country about Lions they were called the poor People of Lions in the borders of Sarmatia and Livâ—nia and other Countrys towards the North they were called Lollards in Flanders and Artois Turrelupines of a Desart where Wolves did haunt in Dolphine with great dispite they were called Chagnars because they lived in places open to the Sun without House or harbour but most commonly they were called Waldoys of Waldo who first instructed them in the Word of God as before is related which name continued till the name of Lutherans come up which above all others was most hated and abhorred Notwithstanding in these most spiteful Contumelies and Slanders the People dwelling at the foot of the Alpes and also in Merindol and Cabries alwayes lived so Godly so uprightly and justly that in all their life and conversation there appeared to be in them a great fear of God and that little Light of true Knowledge which God had given them they laboured by all means to kindle and encrease daily more and more sparing no charges whether it were to purchase the Scriptures in their own Language or to encourage one another in Godliness travelling into other Countries even to the furthest parts of the Earth where they had heard that any Light of the Gospel began to shine But the more zealous these people were for a Reformation in their Religion the more did the fury and rage of Persecution stir in the Bishops Priests and Monks in all Province against them amongst the rest one Jo. de Roma a Monk obtaining a commission to examine those that were suspected to be of the Waldoys or Lutherans profession forthwith ceased not to afflict the faithful with all kinds of Cruelty that he could devise or imagine The Cruelty of the Papists amongst other most horrible Torments this was one which he most delighted in and most commonly practised he filled Boots with boyling Grease and put them upon their Legs tying them backward to a Form with their Legs hanging down over a small Fire and so he examined them thus he tormented very many and in the end most cruelly put them to death this cruelty coming to the French Kings ear he was much disgusted wherefore he wrote to the Parliament at Province that the Monk might be apprehended and punisht but he conveyed himself away but the Lord
accused on several Articles by the Bishops and afterwards Condemned by them as an Heretick to be burnt when he came to the fire he said Father of Heaven I commend my Spirit into thy holy Hands and then turned him to the People and said these Words I beseech you Christian Brethren and Sisters that you be not offended in the Word of God for the affliction and Torments which you see already prepared for me but I Exhort you that you Love the Word of God and suffer patiently and with a comfortable heart for the Words sake which is your undoubted Salvation and Everlasting Comfort Moreover I pray you shew my Brethren and Sisters which have heard me oft before that they cease not nor lâ—â—ve off the Word of God which I taught unto them after the Grace given to me for any Persecutions or Troubles in this World which lasts not and shew unto them that my Doctrine was no Old Wives Fable after the Constitution made by men and if I had taught mens Doctrine I had gotten great thanks of men but for the Word and true Gospels sake I suffer this day by men not sorowfully but with a glad Heart and Mind for this cause I was sent that I should Suffer this Fire for Christs Sake this grim Fire I fear not and so I pray you to do if that any Persecution come unto you for the Word's sake and fear not them that Kill the Body and afterwards have no power to Kill the Soul Then he prayed for them which accused him saying I beseech thee Father of Heaven to forgive them that have through Ignorance or an evil Mind forged Lyes against me I forgive them with all my heart and I beseech Christ to forgive them who have Condemned me to death this day ignorantly So being first Hanged he was then burnt many People bewailing his death VVabter Mille amongst the rest of the Martyrs of Scotland his Constancy is not to be past over with silence out of whose Ashes Sprung thousands of his Religion in Scotland many Articles were drawn up against him for which he had sentance pronounced against him that he should be delivered to the Temporal Judge and punisht as an Heretick which was to be burnt Now when all things were ready for his death and he conveyed with Armed men to the Fire Andrew Olifant Judge that past sentence upon him bad him Go to the Stake he said Nay except thou pull me up with thy hand for I am forbidden by the Law of God to lay hands of my self then Olifant put him up with his hand thereupon he went gladly saying I will go to the Altar of God and desired that he might have time to speak to the People which his Executioner denyed saying That he had spoken over-much and that the Bishops were oâ—fended that the matter was so long continued but some young men that stood by desired him to speak what he please so after he had prayed he rose up and standing upon the Coles said on this wise Dear Friends the Cause why I suffer this day is not for any Crime laid to my Charge but only for the defence of the Faith of Christ Jesus for which as the faithful Martyrs have heretofore gladly offered themselves being assured after the Death of their Bodies of Eternal Felicity so this day I praise God that he hath called me of his Mercy among the rest of his Servants to seal his Truth with my Life which as I received it of him so willingly I offer it to his Glory Therefore as you will escape the eternal death be no more seduced by the Lyes of Priests Monks and Bishops and the rest of the Sect of Antichrist but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his Mercy that you may be delivered from Condemnation All that while there was great Mourning and Lamentation of the multitude for they perceiving his Patience Stoutness Boldness and Constancy were not only moved and stirred up but their hearts also were so inflamed that he was the last Martyr that died in Scotland for Religion after his prayer he was hoised up on the Stake and being in the Fire he said Lord have Mercy on me pray People while there is time and so be constantly departed The Persecutions in the Reign of Edward the sixth Henry the Eighth being dead Edward the sixth succeeded him at the Age of nine years he was a Youth of a meek nature and disposition much inclined to Clemency and Mercy yea so much that when one Joan Butcher being condemned to be burnt for Heresie all the Council could not move him to set his hand saying to Cranmer what will you send her quick to the Devil in her Error Doctor Cranmer perswaded him with much ado at last to put his hand to whom he said He would lay all the charge thereof upon Cranmer as before the Lord. But though this King was of so mild a Nature and a Person inclining to love Religion from a Child being very Zealous for a further Reformation in the Church abolishing the Mass c. and a Protector being appointed during his Nonage which was his uncle the Duke of Somerset a man also very Zealous for Reformation and an Encourager of such as profest the Gospel but in the midst of these meek and gentle times on the other hand the Pâ—pish party having a great power in the Kingdom used all the Means and Endeavours to stir up Persecution and to hinder that good they found the King and his Uncle inclinable to yet the most of this Kings Reign which was but short the Sword was taken out of their hands so that they had not power to shed much Blood all his Reign yet some there were that suffered for Religion viz. Joan of Kent an English woman and one George a Dutchman and one Thomâ—s Dobb who was apprehended for speaking against the Idolatry of the Mass and committed to Prison where he died The cause of the Imprisonment of Thomas Dobb was as followeth The said Thomas Dobb being a Man fervent and zealous for Religion and as it is recorded of him a man so Innocent that he was like a Dove without any Gall or Bitterness and more apt to receive Injury then do wrong to any one It happened that as he was passing by Pauls in London seeing the Priest at Mass being at the Elevation as he passed by the young man filled with godly Zeal pitying the Ignorance and Idolatry of the People in honouring that so devoutly which the Priest lifted up was not able to forbear but opened his Mouth and turning to the People exhorted them testifying against their Idolatry for which cause he was presently apprehended by the Mayor and being accused by the Bishop of Canterbury was Committed to the Counter in Bredstreet where falling sick he soon after died In this Kings time there was also one John Hume a servant to one Lewnax accused by his Master of denying the Sacrament of the Altar to be the real
lay two nights without any bed saving a few great Canvas Tent Cloths and after two nights he had a pair of Sheets allowed him but no Woolen clothes and there was kept without any being suffered to come at him only twice a day the Keeper when he brought him Victualls shortly after he was brought before the Earl again who examined him of the Sacrament at his Answers the Earl seemed to be somewhat pleased and hoped he would be conformable and commanded that he should have a bed and fire and liberty to go amongst his Servants when he departed he was much troubled in his Spirit for fear lest he had given advantage to his Adversaries in not confessing Christ so boldly as he ought to have done and was much grieved but considering his condition he cryed earnestly unto the Lord saying Strengthen me with thy holy Spirit with boldness to confess thee and deliver me from their enticing words that I may not be spoiled through their Phylosoply and vain deceit A day or two after he was sent for before two Priests who began to discourse with him concerning the Mass asking him what part of the Mass offended him he answered the whole Mass did offend him upon which discourse and other matters that past between them Articles were drawn up against him and they exhorted him to recant his Opinions he told them he could not change nor alter and desired them to speak to the Earl that during his Imprisonment his Friends might be suffered to relieve him with necessaries they still presisted to advise him to forsake his Opinions not regarding any Worldly shame he answered what he did was not for avoiding Worldly shame nor yet for any vain praise of the World but in the reverent fear of God they told him it was pity such a well-favoured Young man should so foolishly cast away himself he answered them to this effect My Wife Children and other delights of this World are as Sweet to me as another mans may be to him and I am as unwilling to lose them as another would if I might enjoy them with a good Conscience but my trust is said he that God will strengthen me to lose them all for his sake for I do not say or do any thing either out of Stubbornness willfullness vain Glory or any other Worldly purpose but with a good Conscience in the fear of God and farther said I commit my cause unto God who hath numbered the hairs of my head and appointed the dayes of my life who is a Righteous Judge and will make inquisition for my blood From Latham he was carried to Lancaster Castle where he was threatened for preaching to the people out of the Prison shortly after he was carried to Lancaster the Bishop of Chester came thither and sent for the Goaler and rebuked him for suffering George Marsh to fare so well and from thence he was removed to Chester and being brought before the Bishop he was further examined concerning the Sacrament and other matters and Articles drawn up against him and the last time he was brought before the Bishop the Bishops Chanceller made a Speech to the people to this effect The Bishop said he as a good Shepherd doth see to his Flock that no Scabby diseased Sheep infect the other wherefore his Lordship hath sent for this George Marsh as a Scabby Sheep to weed him out lest he corrupt others and then read the Articles against him and askt him if he would have mercy Marsh said he durst not deny Christ then the Bishop read the Sentence against him and committed him to the Northgate Prison and there was he kept in a dark Dungeon where none dared to come to him that had any Friendship towards him for fear of the Bishops threats so that he was kept very strictly in Prison until the time that he suffered death having little comfort or relief from any worldly Creature sometimes in an Evening some Citizens at a hole upon the Wall of the City that looked into the dark Prison would call to him and ask him how he did he would answer them chearfully that he did well and thanked God that he of his Mercy had appointed him to be a Witness of his Truth and to suffer for the same wherein he did rejoyce desiring that he might not faint under the Cross but patiently bare the same to Gods Glory and the Comfort of his Church once he had ten pence cast him in at the said hole and another time two shillings which did help to supply his necessity shortly after he was led to the place of Execution with a Lock upon his Foot he began to exhort the people but one of the Sheriffs would not suffer him to speak saying We must have no Sermon now so with patience he ended his dayes in the Fire Whilst he was a Prisoner he wrot several Epistles to his Friends and Relations and such as had been assistant to him in the time of his Sufferings the Epistles being large I shall only insert some of the Principle heads of some of them which if the Reader pernseth he will find them to be worth â—oting considering the time they were wrot in and first I shall begin with a letter he wrot to the Faithful Professors at Langton An Epistle by George Marsh to his Friends at Langton Grace be unto you and Peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it meet to write unto my beloved in the Lord at Langton to stir up your minds and to call to your remembrance the Words which have been told you before and to exhort you as that Good Man and full of the holy Ghost Barnabas did the Antiochians That with purpose of heart you continually cleave unto the Lord and that ye stand fast and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel when Persecution ariseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking Children and forsake the Truth for after this life the Godly being delivered from their Tribulations and Pains shall have a most quiet and joyful rest whereas the Wicked and Ungodly contrary wise shall be tormented for evermore as Christ by the Parable of the rich Glutton and wretched Lazarus doth plainly declare these ought we to have before our Eyes alwayes that in the time of Adversity and Persecution we may stand stedfast in the Lord and endure even unto the end that we may be saved for unless we like good Warriors of Christ Jesus endeavour our selves to please him who hath chosen us to be his Souldiers and fight the good sight of Faith even unto the end we shall not obtain the Crown of Righteousness which the Lord that is a righteous Judge shall give to all them that love his Coming Let us therefore receive with meekness the word that is grafted in us which is able to save our Souls and ground our selves on the sure Rock Christ for as the Apostle saith Other Foundation
can no man lay then that which is already laid which is Jesus Christ if any man build on this Foundation Gold Silver Pretious-Sones Timber Nay Stubble every mans work shall appear for the day shall declare it and it shall be shewed in Fire and the Fire shall try every mans work what it is if any mans work which he hath builded upon abide he shall receive a Reward if any mans work burn he shall suffer Loss but he shall be saved himself yet as it were through Fire By Fire here the Apostle understands Persecution and Trouble for they which do truely preach and profess the Word of God which is called the Word of the Cross shall be railed upon and abhorred hated thrust out of the Company persecuted and tryed in the Furnace of Adversity as Gold and Silver are tryed in the Fire By Gold Silver and pretious Stones he understandeth them that in the midst of Persecution abode stedfast in the Word By Timber Hay and Stubble are meant such as in the time of Persecution do fall away from the Truth and when Christ doth purge his Floor with the Wind of Adversity these scatter away like Chaff which shall be burnt with unquenchable Fire Wherefore my beloved give diligent heed that ye as living Stones be built upon this sure Rock and be made a spiritual House and holy Preistood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ for we are the true Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelleth in us if so be that we continue in the Doctrine of the Gospel we are also a holy and Royal Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices and Oblations And thus I commend you Brethren unto God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you further and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified beseeching you to help me and all them that be in bonds for the Gospel sake with your Prayers to God for us that we may be delivered from all them that believe not and from unreasonable and froward Men and that this our Imprisonment and Affliction may be to the glory and profit of our Christian Brethren in the World and that Christ may be magnified in our Bodies whether it be by death or by life Amen Salute me to all the faithful Brethren let them hear my Letters the Grace of our Lord be with you all Amen George Marsh In another Letter dated from Lancaster the thirtieth of August 1555. directed to his Friends at Manchester he writeth thus Confider what I say the Lord give us understanding in all things Brethren the time is short it remaineth that ye use this World as though you used it not for the fashions of this World vanisheth away see that ye Love not the World neither the things that are in the World but set your affections upon heavenly things be meek and long suffering serve and edifie one another with the gift that God hath given you beware of strange Doctrine lay aside the old conversation of greedy Lusts and walk in a New Life beware of uncleanness covetousness and foollish talking rejoyce and be thankful towards God and submit your selves one to another cease from sin be sober and apt to pray be patient in trouble love each other and let the Glory of God and profit of your Neighbour be the only mark you shoot at in all your doings repent ye of the life that is past and take better heed to your doings hereafter Another Letter to a Friend Grace be with you and Peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and Jesus the Lord. After hearty Commendations and Thanks to you for your large token but much more for your loving Letters full of Consolation to me as touching my person unknown to you these shall be to certifie you that I rejoyce greatly in the Lord when I perceive to see the minds of my Friends stirred up to bear part with me in this my costly imprisonment sending me things not only necessary for this persent life but also comfortable Letters encouraging exhorting me to continue grounded and established in the Faith and not to be moved away from the hope of the Gospel whereof according to my small Tallent I have been a Minister and daily I call and cry unto the Lord in whom is all my trust and without whom I can do nothing that he which hath begun a good work in me would go on with it until the day of Jesus Christ being surely certified in my Conscience of this that he will so do for as much as he hath given me that not only I should believe on him but also suffer for his sake The Lord strengthen me with his holy Spirit that I may be one of the number of those Blessed which enduring to the end shall be saved And whereas you say that my suffering of Persecution with Christ is a thing to you most comfortable I answer that in all my Adversities and Necessities nothing on your behalf is greater Consolation unto me then to hear of the Faith and Love of others and how they have good remembrance of us alwayes even as the Apostle said by the Thessalonians Now are we alive if ye stand stedfast in the Lord be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait ye still for the Lord he tarrieth not that will come look for him therefore and faint not and he will never fail you Yours George Marsh The next that suffered were John Cordmaker John Cordmaker and three other Martyrs John warn Upholster of London John Ardly and John Simson of Wigborrough in Essex husbandmen against these four persons many Articles were drawn up for not conforming to the Doctrine of the Popish Church according to common course of the Consistory Court they were several times called and the Articles against them read which Articles were much alike against them all and for refusing to recant they were all condemned and burat about the Month of May. The Examinations Sufferings and Martyrdom of Thomas Hawkes called a Gentleman written by himself The said Thomas Hawkes Thomas Hawkes Martyr was condemned when Thomkins and the rest with him were condemned which was in the Month called February but his Execution was not till the Month called June following and now coming in order to that Month it falls in course to relate his Tryals and Sufferings as followeth As touching his Education he was born in Essex of an honest stock and bred up a Courtier his Person and Stature very comly and his mind endued with excellent qualities a man of a gentle behaviour and of a fervent love to true Religion and godliness he was also singularly adorned with valour and courage whose Example therein was a good president to the rest of his Brethren and as it is recorded of him few men stood more notably or triumphed more gloriously then this young man for he was so wise in the Cause of God
never the better but worse and worse and therefore I will delay the time no longer but send you to Newgate Hawkes You can do me no better pleasure Bonner Why would you so fain go to Prison Hawkes Truly I did look for none other when I came to your hands Bonner Come on your wayes you shall see what I have written And then shewed him several Articles he had drawn up against him whereupon he thought he should have been carried to Prison the next day and so he had but that he was kept till Doctor Harpsfield had some discourse with him who began to perswade him concerning the Sacrament and the Ceremonies and after much talk he said That the Sacrament of the Altar was the same Body that was born of the Virgin Mary which did hang upon the Cross Hawkes He was upon the Cross both alive and dead which of them was the Sacrament Harpsfield Alive Hawkes How prove you that Harpsfield You must believe he that believeth not is condemned already Hawkes John saith he that believeth not in the Son of God is condemned already he does not say he that believeth not in the Sacrament is condemned already Harpsfield There is no talking with you Then said Hawkes Why is the Roodloff set between the Body of the Church and the Chancel Harpsfield You have askt a question you cannot answer your self Hawkes Yes that I can for this saith one of your own Doctors that the Body of the Church doth present the Church Millitant and the Chancel the Church Triumphant and so because we cannot go from the Church Millitant to the Church Triumphant but that me must bare the Cross of Christ this is the cause of the Roodlofâ— being between the Body of the Church and the Chancel Harpsfield This is well and Clarklike concluded Hawkes As all the rest of your Doctrines and so the discourse ended and Thomas Hawkes returned again to the Porters Lodge The next day being the first day of the Monâ—th called July the Bishop went to the Porters Lodge himself and called Thomas Hawkes to him and commanded him to make ready to go to Prison and writ a Warrant and sent two men with him to the Gate-house at Westmenster in the Warrant he writ to this effect to the Keeper to keep him safe Prisoner and let none speak with him for that said he he is a Sacramentary and one that speaketh against Baptism a seditious and perilous man some dayes after his commitment the Bishop sent two of his men to see how he did and whither he was the same man still to whom he answered I do like a Prisoner and am not changed They said my Lord would be glad that you should do well If he will do me any good said Hawks let him suffer my Friends to come to me so they departed but Hawkes heard no more of the Bishop till the third day of the Monâ—th called September following And then Bonner brought a charge against him and required him to set his hand to it but he refused saying I shall set my hand to nothing of your making or devising then the Bishop in great anger thrust him on the breast and said he would be even with him and with all such proud Knaves in Essex Hawkes You shall do no more ther God shall give you leave And as for your Cursings and Railings I care not for them for I know the Moths anâ— Worms shall eat you Bishop I wâ—â—â— be even with you when time shall come Hawkes You have been even with some of us already you may in your Mallice destroy a man but when you have done you cannot do so much as make a finger Bonner If I do thee any wrong take the Law of me Hawkes Soloman saith Go not to Law with a Judge for he will judge according to his own honour Bonner Soloman saith Give not a Fool an answer and I count thee a Fool and so dost thou me but God forgive thee Hawkes Thought is free Then took Bonner the Bill of Articles and read it again when he saw he could not have Hawkes hand to it he biâ— him take it into his hand and give it him again Hawkes What needeth that Ceremony It shall neither come into my hand nor heart After these private Conferences between the Bishop and Thomas Hawkes the Bishop seeing no hopes to win him to his Wicked Wayes he was fully bent to proceed openly against him and to that end caused him to be brought to the publick Consistory where Bonner brought the Articles he refused to sign against him the Bishop adding four more to them to the which Hawkes answered publickly then the Bishop exhorted him to return to the Mother Church but in a constant resolution he satisfied them he should never recant so long as he lived whereupon Bonner past the Sentence of Death upon him and shortly after he was delivered to the Sheriff of Essex and burnt at a Town called Coxhall This following Epistle he wrote to the Congregation An Epistle written by Thomas Hawkes Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ be alwayes with you all My Dear Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ for ever and his holy Spirit conduct and lead you in all your doings that you may alwayes direct your deeds according to his holy Word that when he shall appear to reward every man according to their works you may as Obedient Children be found Watching ready to enter into his Everlasting Kingdom with your Lamps Burning and when the Bridegroom shall shew himself ye need not to be ashamed of this life that God hath lent you which is but transitory vain and like unto a vapour that for a season appeareth and vaniâ—heth away so soop passeth away all our terrestial honour glory and felicity For all Flesh saith the Prophet is grass and all his glory as the Flower of the Field which for a season sheweth her beauty and as soon as the Lord bloweth upon it it withereth away and departeth For in this transitory and dangerous Wilderness we are as Pilgrims and Strangers following the foot-steps of Moses among many unspeakeable dangers beholding nothing with our outward man but all vanities and vexation of mind subject to hunger cold nakedness bonds sickness loss labour banishment in danger of that dreadfull Dragon and his sinfull seed to be devoured tempted and tormented who ceaseth not behind every Bush to lay a bait when we walk awry to have his pleasure upon us casting abroad his Apples in all places times and seasons to see if Adam will be allured and enticed to leave the Living God and his most holy Commandments whereby he is assured of everlasting life promising the World at will to all that will fall down in all Ages and for a mess of pottage sell and set at nought the Everlasting Kingdom of Heaven so â—rail is Flesh and Blood and especially Israel is most ready to walk awry when
against John Launder and delivered them both to the Sheriffs who conveyed them to the aforesaid places in Sussex whâ—re they were both burnt When Derick Carver came to the Stake he bore Testimony to the people to this effect as followeth Dear Brethren and Sâ—sters Witness to you all that I am come to Seal with my Blood Chrâ—sts Gospeâ— because I know that it is true and because I will not deny here Gods Gospel and be obedient to mans Laws I am condemned to die and he said further O Lord my God thou hast written he that will not forsâ—ke wife Children House and all that ever he hath and take up the Cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee but thou Lord knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have Mercy upon me for unto thee I command my Spirit and my Soul doth rejoyce in thee At Chichester about the same Moneth was burnt one Thomas Jveson of Godstoâ—e in the County of Surrey Carpenter Tho. Jveson Martyr his Examination and Articles were much like Derick Carver and John Launder's when the Bishop prest him to recant he said he would not recant for all the goods in London I do apeal said he to Gods mercy and will be none of your Church nor submit my self to the same and what I have said I will say again and if there came an Angel from Heaven to teach me any other Doctrine then that which I am now in I would not believe him for which answer he was condemned as an Heretick and shortly after was burnt at Chichester as before is mentioned James Abbies a Young man James Abbies Martyr which through compassion of the Tyranny then used travelled from place to place to avoid the peril of the times but at last happened to be apprehended and to be brought before the Bishop of Norwich who examining of him concerning his Religion and very strictly charging him sometimes with threats and other whiles with flatteries perswading him at last the Young man did yield to their perswasions although against his Conscience then the Bishop dismist him giving him a small piece of Money he was no sooner gone from the Bishop but his Conscience began to work and inwardly to be Accused how that he had displeased the Lord by consenting to their delusions whereupon he immediately went back to the Bishop and threw him his Money again saying I repent that ever I consented to your wicked perswasions and received your Money Upon this the Bishop with his Chaplins fell a labouring to reduce him again but all was in vain for he would not yield to them at all but with constancy suffered death for his Religion being burnt in Bury the second day of the Moneth called August 1555. The next that suffered were John Denly John Newman and Patrick Packington John Deuly John Newman and Patrick Packington Martyrs the manner of their apprehending was as followeth One Edmund Terril a Justice in Essex having been at the Execution of certain Martyrs met with John Denly and John Newman both of Maidstone in Kent travelling upon the way and going to â—isit their Friends upon sight of them the said Terrill suspected them to be religious persons and caused them to be apprehended and searched and at last sent them up to London to the Queens Commissioners who shortly after sent them to Bishop Benâ—er who according to his accustomed manner would have perswaded them to recant to whom Denly said God keep me in the mind that I am in and from your Counsel for that you count Heresie I take to be the Truth Shortly after they were brought to the open Consistory where Articles were drawn up against them but their unmoveable constancy appearing they were soon condemned for Hereticks and delivered to the Sheriffs of London to see them Executed The Chief heads of the Examination of John Newman before Doctor Tornton and others are as followeth How say you to this This is my Body which is given for you Newman It is a figurative speech one thing spoken and another meant as Christ saith I am a Vine I am a Door I am a Stone Is he therefore a material Stone a Vine and a Door Docter This is no figurative speech for he saith This is my Body which is given for you and so saith he not of the Stone Vine or Door but that is a figurative speech Newman Christ saith this Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood if ye will have it so meant then let them take and eat the Cup. Doctor Nay that is not so meant for it is a common Phrase of speech among our selves we say to our Friend drink a Cup of drink and yet we account he should drink the drink in the Cup. Newman Why if you will have the one sound erstood you must so understand the other Thornton Well how say you is the Body of Christ really in the Sacrament or no Newman No I believe it not Thornton Well will you stand to it Newman I must needs stand to it till I be perswaded by a further truth Many other Questions Thornton asked which for brevity sake are omitted being not very material to be inserted Six persons burned at Canterbury and one at Chichester About this time there suffered death for the same Cause seven persons viz. one Richard Hooke burnt at Chichester in Sussex and the other six were all burnt at Canterbury viz. William Coker William Hopper Henry Lawrence Richard Colliar Richard Wright and William Steer the last six were persecuted by the aforesaid Thornton Bishop of Dover for denying the real presence in the Sacrament and Auricular confession c. Henry Lawrence being charged for not putting off his Cap when Mention was made of the Sacrament by the Suffergan the said Lawrance told them It was not so holy that they need put of their Caps to it calling it an Idol c. Richard Wright another of the Prisoners being asked what he believed concerning the Sacrament of the Altar he said he allowed not of it nor of the Mass but was ashamed to speak of them At this time the Prisons at London began to be filled with the Servants of God many being daily committed being sent up to the Commissioners from one part of the Nation or another and now here is an account of Ten persons sent by the Commissioners to Bonner at one time as appears by the following Letter A Letter sent by the Commissioners to the Bishop of London After our hearty commendations to your good Lordship we send you here John Wade William Hale George King Thomas Leyes of Thorpe in Essex Thomas Fust Hosier Robert Smith Painter Stephen Harwood Brewer George Tankerfield Cooke Elizabeth Warne and Joane Layshford of London Sacramentaries all which we desire your Lordship to examine and to order according to the Ecclesiastical Laws praying your Lordship to appoint some of your Officers to receive them at this Bearers hands and thus most heartily
Apostle saith is builded upon the Prophets and Apostles Christ Jesus being the head Corner-Stone which Church in all her words and works maintaineth the Word and bringeth the same for her Authority and without it doth nothing nor oughâ—â—â— do of which I am assured I am by Grace made a Member Bonner You shall understand that I am bound when my Brother offendeth and will not be reconciled to bring him before the Congregation now if your Church be the same where may a man find it to bring his Brother before the same Smith It is written in the Acts of the Apostles that when the Tyranny of the Bishops was so great against the Church in Jury they were fain to Congregate in Houses and private places as they now do and yet were they nevertheless the Church of God and seeing they had their matters redressed being shut up in a Corner may not we do the like now adayes Bonner Yea their Church was known full well for St. Paul writ to the Corinthians to have the man punished and Excomunicated that had committed evil with his Fathers Wife whereby we may well perceive it was a known Church but yours is not known Smith Then could you not Persecute it as ye do but as ye say the Church of God at Corinth was manifest both to God and Paul even so is this Church of God in England whom ye Persecute both known to God and also even to the very Wicked although they know not nor will not know their Truth nor Conversation yea and your sinful number have professed their Truth and maintained the same a long season Bonner Well Thou sayest that the Church of God was only at Corinth when Paul writ unto them and so will I put in Writing shall I Smith I do marvel greatly that you are not ashamed to lay Snares for your Brethren on this manner this is now the third Snare you have laid for me first to make me confess that the Church of England is not the Church of Christ Secondly to say it is not known Thirdly to say the Church of God is not Universal but Particular and this is not the office of a Bishop for if an Innocent had come in your way you would have done your best I see to have intangled him Harpsfield Well Friend quoth one of the Chaplains you are no Innocent as appeareth Smith By the Grace of God I am that I am and this Grace in me I hope is not vain Bonner Laughing said tell me how sayest thou of the Church Smith I told you whereupon the true Church is builded and I affirm in England to be the Congregation of God and also in Omnem Terram as it is written their sound is gone forth into all Lands and that is the afflicted and persecuted Church which ye cease not to Imprison Slay and Kill And in Corinth was not all the Congregation of God but a number of those holy and elect People of God for neither Paul nor Peter were present at Corinth when they wrote and yet were they of the Church of God as many thousands more which also Communicate in that holy Spirit Bonner What call you Catholick and what call you Church Smith Catholick is universal and Church is a Congregation knit together in unity Then after much like vain talk it was laid to his charge that his fellow and he spoke one thing whereof he praised God and was sent again to the Garden where after a while as his Brother Harwood and he had been together came one of the Chaplains that much desired to commune with him demanding first if he were a Prisoner Smith I am in this flesh a Prisoner and subject to my Master and yours but I hope yet the Lords Free-man through Christ Jesus Doctor I do much desire to talk with you lovingly because you are a man that I much lament with many other sweet words To which I answered sub melle lates venenum and after much ado about his God I compelled him to say that it must needs enter into the Belly and so fall into the draught to which he answered Doctor What deragation was it to Christ when the Jews spit in his Face Smith If the Jews being his Enemies did but spit in his Face and we being his Friends throw him into the draught which of us have deserved the greatest Damnation Then by your Arguments he that doth injury to Christ shall have a most Plenteous Salvation Then start he away and would have his humanity in comprehensible making a comparison between our Soul and the Body of Christ bringing in to serve his turn which way Christ came in among his disciples the Doors being shut Smith Although it be said that when he came the doors were shut yet have I as much to prove that the doors opened at his coming as ye have to prove he came through the door for that mighty God that brought the Disciples out of prison which yet when search came were found shut was able to let Christ in at the door although it were shut and yet it maketh not for your purpose for they saw him heard him and felt him and so cannot we say ye do at which answer he made many scoffs and departed and we were carried into my Lords Hall where we were baited of my Lords Band almost all the day until our Keeper seeing their misorder shut us up in a fair Chamber while my Lord went into his Sinagogue to condemn M. Dealy and John Newman Rob. Smith brought again before the Bishop and the L. Mayor Then brought they up the Lord Mayor to hear our matter above in the Chamber and I first of all was called into the Chamber where the Bishop intended to Sup where the Lord Mayor being set with the Bishop and one of the Sheriffs Wine was walking on every side I standing before them as an outcast which made me remember how Pilate and Herod were made Friends but no man was sorry for Josephs hurt but after the Bishop had well drunk my Articles were sent for and read and he demanded whether I said not as was written Smith That I have said I have said and what I have said I do mean utterly Bonner Well my Lord Mayor your Lordship hath hard somewhat what a stout Heretick this is and that his Articles have deserved death yet nevertheless for as much as they do report me for to seek Blood and cast me Bloody Bonner whereas God knoweth I never sought any mans blood in all my life I have stayed him from the Consistory this day whether I might have brought him justly and yet here before your Lordship I desire him to turn and I will with all speed dispatch him out of trouble and this I profess before your Lordship and all this Audience Smith Why do you put on this fair visor before the Lord Mayor to make him believe that ye seek not my Blood to Câ—oâ—k your Murthers through my stoutness as you
and all his Company Smith At this word which he coupled with an Oath came I in and said my Lord it is written you must not Sware Bonner Ah Master Controler are you come Lo my Lord Mayor this is Master Speaker pointing to my Brother Tankerfield and this is Master Controler pointing to me and then began to read my Articles Smith I require you my Lord in Gods behalf unto whom pretaineth your Sword and Justice that I may here before your presence answer to these Objections that are laid against me and if any thing can be proved Heresie that I have said I will recant before this Auditory Mayor Why Smith thou canst not deny but this thou saydest Smith Yes I deny that which he hath written because he hath both added to and diminished from the same but what I have spoken I will never deny Mayor Why thou speakest against the blessed Sacrament of the Altar Smith I denied it to be any Sacrament and I do stand here to make proof thereof and if my Lord here or any of his Doctors be able to prove either the name or usage of the same I will recant mine error Then spake my Brother Tankerfield and defended the probation of things which they called Heresie unto which the Bishop answered Bonner By my troth Master Speaker you shall Preach at a Stake Smith Well sworn my Lord you keep a good Watch. Bonner VVell Master Controler I am no Saint Smith No nor yet good Bishop for a Bishop saith St. Paul should be faultless and a dedicate Vessel unto God and are you not ashamed to sit in Judgment and be a Blasphemer condemning Innocents Bonner VVell Master Controler you are faultless Note the said Robert Smith being charged â—alsly in the said Articles turning to the Mayor said Smith speaking to the Mayor said I require you in Gods name that I may have Justice we are here this day a great many Innocents that are wrongfully Accused of Heresie and I require you if you will not seem to be partial let me have no more favour at your hands then the Apostle had at the hands of Festâ— and Agrippa who being Heathens and Infidells gave him leave not only to speak for himself but also heard the probation of his Cause this require I at your hands who being a Christian Judge I hope will not deny me that right which the Heathen have suffered if ye do then shall all this Audience and the Heathen speak shame of your fact for a City saith our Saviour that is builded on a hill cannot be hid if they therefore have the Truth let it come to light for all that well do come to the Light and they that do evil hate the Light Then the Mayor hanging down his head said nothing but the Bishop told him he should preach at a Stake and so the Sheriff cryed with the Bishop Away with him Thus came he before them four times desiring Justice but could have none and at length his Friends requiring with ouâ— voice the same but could not have it they had Sentence and then being carried out were brought in again and had it every men severally given But before the Bishop gave Sentence on Richard Smith he told him in derision of his Brother Tankerfield a Tale between a Gentleman and his Cook To which he answered you fill the Peoples Ears with Fantasies and foolish Tales and make a laughing matter at Blood but if you were a true Bishop you should leave these railing Sentences and speak the Words of God Bonner Well I have offered to that naughty fellow Master Speaker your Companion the Cook that my Chancellor should here instruct him but he hath here with great disdain forsaken it How sayst thou wilt thou have him instruct thee and lead thee in the right way Smith If your Chancellor shall do me any good and take any pains as you say let him take mine Articles in his hands that you have objected against me and either prove one of them Heresie or any thing that you do to be good and if he be able so to do I stand here with all my heart to hear him if not I have no need I praise God of his Sermon for I come to answer for my life and not to hear a Sermon Then began the Sentence in Dei Nomine To which Smith answered that he began in a wrong name requiring of him where he learned in Scriptures to give sentence of death against any man for his Conscience sake To the which he made no answer but went forward to the end and immediately cryed Away with him Then Smith turned to the Mayor and Sheriffs and said Is it not enough for you that ye have left the strait way of the Lord but that you must condemn Christ causless Bonner Well Master Controller now you cannot say but I have offered you fair to have Instruction and now I prithee call me bloody Bishop and say I seek thy Blood Smith Well although neither I nor any of this Congregation do report the truth of your fact yet shall these Stones cry it out rather then it shall be hidden Bonner Away with him away with him Woodrofe Away with him take him away Smith Well good Friends ye have seen and heard the great wrong that we have received this day and ye are all Records that we have desired the probation of our cause by Gods Book and it hath not been granted but we are condemned and our cause not heard nevertheless my Lord Mayor forasmuch as here you have exercised Gods Sword câ—â—sless and will not hear the right of the poor I commit my cause to Almighty God that shall judge all men according unto right before whom we shall both stand without Authority and there will I stand in the right to your great confusion except your repent which the Lord grant you to do if it be his will and then was I with the rest of my Brethren carried away to Newgate Thus gentle Reader as neer as I can I have set out the Truth of my Examination and the verity of mine unjust condemnation for the Truth desiring God that it may not be laid to the châ—rge of thee O England requiring your hearty prayers unto God for his Grace and Spirit of boldness with hope even shortly to set to my Seal at Uxbridge the eighth of August by Gods Grace pray that it may be to his honour my Salvation and your Consolation I pray you Dagloriam Deo Robert Smith Thus Reader thou hast a full Relation of the Christian fortitude and valour of this faithful Martyr who so valiantly and manfully stood in the defence of his Masters cause and as thou seest him here boldly stand in Examination before the Bishop and Doctors so was he no less comfortable also in the Prison among his Fellows who being togâ—â—â—â—r Prisoners in Newgate did daily pray and exhort one another and his care was not only for those in the â—ame
perfect VVord which is to me so dear Lay up thy Laws within my heart to keep me still in fear Aed rob me of that great rebuke which I do fear full sore For all thy Judgments and thy Law endure for evermore Behold O Lord in thy precepts is all my whole delight O quicken me in all thy Wayes that I may walk aright The Substance of an Epistle written by Robert Smith to the Persecuted Flock of Christ To all which Love God unfainedly and intend to lead a godly life according to his Gospel and to persevere in his Truth unto the end Grace and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Be not afraid most dearly beloved in our Saviour Jesus Christ at these most perilous dayes wherein by the suffering of God the Prince of Darkness is broken loose and rageth in his members against the Elect of God withal cruelty to set up again the Kingdom of Anti-christ against whom see that ye be strong in faith to resist his most devilish Doctrines with the pure Gospel of God arming your selves with patience to abide whatsoever shall be laid to your charge for the Truths sake knowing that thereunto you are called not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him Oh how happy are ye that in the sight of God are counted worthy to suffer for the Testimony of Christ quit therefore your selves O my loving Brethren and rejoyce in him for whom ye suffer for unto you do remain the unspeakable Joyes which neither the Eye hath seen nor the Ear hath heard neiâ—â—â—r the heart of man is able to comprehend in any wise Be not â—â—â—raid of the bodily Death for your names are written in the Book of Life and the Prophets do record that in the sight of the â—â—â—d pretious is the Death of his Saints Watch therefore and pray that ye be not prevented in the day of Temptation now cometh the day of your Tryal wherein the Waters rage and the Stormy Winds blow now shall it appear whether you have builded upon the fleeting Sand or upon the unmovable Rock Christ which is the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles whereon every House that is builded groweth into an holy Temple of the Lord by the mighty working of the holy Ghost now approacheth the day of your Battel wherein it is required that you shew yourselves the valiant Souldiers of Christ Jesus with the Armour of God that ye may be able to stand fast against all the crafty assaults of the Devil Christ is your Captain anâ— you are his Souldiers whose Cognisance is the Cross to the which he willingly humbled himself even unto the Death and thereby spoiled his Enemies and now triumpheth he over them in the glory of his Father making intercession for them that do here remain to suffer the Aâ—â—lictions that are to be fulfilled in his mystiâ—al Body it behoveth therefore every one that will be accounted his Schollor to take up his oâ—n Cross and follow him as yâ—u have him for Example and â—ssure you that he being on your side nothing shall be able to prevail against you and that he will be with you even to the Worlds â—nd you have his promise in the 28th of Matthew he will go forth with his Host as a Conqueror to make a Conquest he is the man that siâ—â—eth on the white Horse crowned with Immortality and ye Brethren are his Fellowship whereof he is the Head he hath your hearts in his hand as a bow bent after his godly will he shall direct the same according to the riches of his glory into all spiritual and heavenly Cogitation he is faithfull and will not suffer you to be further assâ—â—â—ced then he will give you strength to overcome and in the most danger he will make a way that you may be able to bear it Shrink not therefore dear â—earts when ye shall be called to answer for the hope that is in you for â—ebâ—â—e the Comforter even the Spirit of Truth which was sent from the Heavens to teach us he shall speak in us he shall strengthen us what is he then that shall be able to confound us Nay what Tyrant is he that now boasteth himself of his strength to do mischief whom the Lord shall not with his Spirit by the Moâ—th of his Servants strike down to Hell-fire yea suddainly will the Lord bring down the glory of the Proud Philistians by the hands of his Servant David their strength is in Shield and Spear but our help is in the Name of the Lord which made both Heaven and Earth he is our Buckler and our Wall a strong Tower of defence he is our God and we are his People he shall bring the counsels of the ungodly to nought he shall take them in their own Net he shall destroy them in their own Inventions the Right Hand of the Lord shall work this Wonder his Power is known amongst the Children of men their Fathers have felt it and are confoundeâ— in like manner shall they know that there is no counsel against the Lord when their secrets are opened to the whole World and are found to be against the Living God work they never so craftily builâ—â—hey never so strongly yet down shall their Babel fall and the Builders themselves shall then be scattred upon the face of the Earth as Accursed of God the Just shall see this and be glad and praise the Name of the Lord that so Marvelously hath dealt with his Servants as to bring their Enemies under their feet then shall the fearfull Seed of Cain Tremble and Quake then shall the mocking Ishmâ—elites be cast out of the Door then shall the Proud Nemborth see his labour lost then shall the Beast of Babylon be trodden under foot then shall the Scribes and Pharisees for madness fret and rage then shall their painted Wisdom be known for extream folly then shall the bloody Dragon be void of his prey then shall the Whore of Babylon receive double Vengence then shall they scratch their Crowns for the fall of their Mistress Harlot whom they now serve for filthy lucre when no man shall buy their Wares any more then shall the Popish Priesthood cry Weal away with care even when the Lord shall help his Servants which day is not far off the day wherein the Kingdom of Anti-christ shall have an end and never raise any more in the mean time abide in certain and sure hope cleaving unto the promises of God which in their own time shall be fulfilled What better Quarrel can you have to give your lives for then the Truth it self That man that giveth his life for the Truth taketh the readiest way to life he that hath the Popes curse for the Truth is sure of Christs Blessing Well then my Brethren what shall now let but that you go forwards as ye have begun Nay rather run with the Runners that ye may obtain the appointed glory hold on the right
good to rost a shoulder of Mutten but evil in the Church whereby Idolatry was committed when the Articles were answered the Chancellor read their Condemnation and so delivered them to the Sheriff to whom John Spicer said now you must be their Butcher that you may be guilty also with them of Innocent Blood before the Lord. The 24th day of the Moneth called March they were had to the place of Execution where they kneeled down and prayed secretly and then being disclothed to their Shirts John Mundrell spoke with a Loud voice Not for all Salsbury which words men judged to be an answer to the Sheriff who offered him the Queens Pardon if he would recant and after this in like manner spake John Spicer This is the joyfullest day that ever I saw Thus did they most constantly give their Bodies to the Fire and their Souls to the Lord for a Testimony to his Truth Six persons burnt in Smithfield About the 23th day of the Moneth called April 1556 were burned in Smithfield at one Fire these six persons viz. Robert Drakes William Tymis Richard Spurge Thomas Spurge John Cavel Q. Mary An. 1556 and George Ambross they were all of Essex and so of the Diocess of London they were sent up at sundry times by Lord Rich and others and by Gardner Bishop of Winchester then Lord Chancellor of England committed some to the Marshal-sea and some to the Kings-Bench where they remained almost the whole year before they were brought to Examination Some Passages in their Examination are as followeth After six or seven hours discourse between the Bishop of London and Bath with William Tymis they were weary and began to pity Tymis's case and to slater him saying Ah good Fellow thou art bold and thou hast a good fresh Spirit we would thou hadest learning to thy Spirit I thank you said he and both you be learned and I would you had a good Spirit to your learning The Bishop seeing Tymis his hoase part white and part of a sheeps russet in a mocking manner said Ah Sirrah are you a Deacon Yea that I am said he So me thinketh said the Bishop you are decked like a Deacon Said Tymis Me-thinks my Vesture doth not so much vary from a Deacon but your Apparel doth as much vary from an Apostle And one of the Bishops men said Scoffingly my Lord give him a Chair a Tost and Drink and he will be Lusty But the Bishop said Have him away till another time The 28th day of March the aforesaid six Martyrs were brought to the open Consistory in Pauls before Bishop Bonner to be condemned for Heresie Bishop said Tymis I le begin with thee for thou art and hast been the Ring-leader of these thy Companions thou hast taught them Heresies and Confirmed them in their Errâ—ous Opinions endeavouring to make them like thy self Tymis said I Marvel you will begin with a Lye you call me the Ring-leader and Teacher of this Company There is none of all these my Brethren which are brought hither as Prisoners but when they were at liberty and out of Prison dissented from you and your doings as much as they do now and for that cause they are now Prisoners so that they learned not their Religion in Prison and as for me I never knew them till I was committed Prisoner with them and as for my fault which you make so greivous whatsoever you judge of me I am well assured that I hold no other Religion then Christ Preached the Apostles Witnessed the Primitive Church received and now of late hath been faithfully taught by Evangelical Preachers for which you have cruelly burned them and now you seek our Blood also proceed on hardly by what rule you will I fear not Then the Bishop proceeded to pass the Sentence upon him and then upon the rest and after he had condemned them he ridded his bloody hands of them delivering them to the Sheriffs of London who sent them to Newgate where they remained till the 14th day of the Moneth called April and then sealed their Faith with their Blood The Substance of a Letter of William Tymis to his Friends in Hookly The Grace of God the Father through the Merrits of his dear Son Jesus our Lord and only Saviour with the continual aid of his holy and mighty Spirit to the performance of his will to our Everlasting comfort be with you my dear Brethren both now and evermore Amen My dearly beloved I beseech God to reward the great goodness that you have shewed unto me seven fold into your Bosoms and as you have alwayes had a most godly love unto his Word even so I beseech him to give you grace to love your own Souls and then I trust that you will flee from all those things that should displease our good and mercifull God and hate and abhor all the Company of these that would have you to Worship God any otherwise then is contained in his holy Word and beware of those Masters of Idolatry that is these Papistical Priests My dear Brethren for the tender mercy of God remember well what I have said unto you and also written the which I am now ready to seal with my Blood I praise God that ever I lived to see the day and blessed be my good and mercifull God that ever he gave me a body to glorifie his Name And dear hearts I do now write unto you for none other cause but to put you in rememberance that I have not forgot you to the end that I would not have you forget me but to remember well what I have simply by word of Mouth and Writing taught you the which although it were most simply done yet truely as your own Conscience beareth me record and therefore in any case take good heed that you do not that thing which your own Conscience doth condemn therefore come out of Sodom and go to Heaven-ward with the Servants and Martyrs of God least you be partakers of the Vengeance of God that is coming upon this Wicked Nation from the which the Lord God defend you c. Thus now I take my leave of you forever in this World except I be burned amongst you which thing is uncertain unto me as yet By me your poorest and most unworthy Brother in Christ William Tymis in Newgate the 12th day of April condemned to die for Christs Truth Joan Beech of Tumbridge and John Harpool of Rochester were both condemned for the Truth of the Gospel by Morrice Bishop of Rochester and were Sufferers together at one Fire in Rochester the first day of the Moneth called April 1556. The next day after suffered in the like Cause at Cambridge one John Hullier Some Sentences taken out of a Letter written by the said John Hullier are as followeth John Hullier being of long time Prisoner and now openly judged for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus wisheth heartily to the whole Congregation of God the strength of
Amen Ah my most sweet and loving Brethren and dearest hearts in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write unto you in the lest point or part to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath conceived in God through the most godly Example of your Christian-constancy and sincere Confession of Christs Truth truly my Tongue cannot declare nor my Pen express the aboundance of Spiritual mirth and gladness that my mind and inward man hath felt ever since I heard of your hearty â—oldness and modest behaviour before the Bloody Butcher in the time of all your crafty Examinations especially at your cruel Condemnation in their cursed Consistory place blessed be God the Father of all Mercy and Praised be his Name who hath not only given you continual Aid Strength and Comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit to the faithful Confession of Christ for whose Cause Oh most happy man ye are condemn'd to die but hath also given you such a Mouth and Wisdom as all your Wicked Enemies were not able to resist my dear Brethren this is an evident proof that God is on our side Therefore my dearly Beloved Cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the Lord for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath counted you Worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not only the loss of Goods Wife and Children long Imprisonment Cruel Oppression c. But also the deprivation of this mortal life with the dissoluation of your Bodies in the fire Ah my most dear Brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the hands of the Lord in a full happy time camest thou into this Troublesome World but in a much more blessed hour shalt thou depart out of the same so that the sweet saying of Soloman or rather of the holy Ghost shall be full well verified upon thee yea and on all thy faithfull Fellows better is the day of Death saith he then the day of Birth This saying cannot be verified upon every man but upon thee my dear Brother and such as thou art whose Death is most pretious before God and full dear shall your Blood be in his sight blessed be God for thee my dear Brother that ever I knew thee for in a most happy time came I first into thy Company pray for me dear Brother pray for me that God will once vouch me Worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath now brought you Ah all my faithfull Brethren what shall I say or what shall I write unto you but the same that Elizabeth said to Mary Happy art thou which hast believed Luke 2. for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled so I say to you my dear hearts in the Lord happy are ye all yea twice happy shall you be for evermore because you have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own Mouth in that he hath Promised you which are the faithfull Seed of the believing Abraham that ye shall be blessed ever World without end and as you do believe so do you bear record that God is true the Testimony whereof you have full worthily born to the World and shortly will full surely seal the same with your Blood yea even to Morrow I do understand Oh Constant-Christians Oh Valliant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the Devil Death Sin and Hell and hath given you full Victory over them for evermore Oh Worthy Witnesses and most glorious Martyrs whose invincible Faith hath overcome that Proud Sturdy-Bragging Prince of the World and all his Wicked Army over whom you shall shortly triumph for evermore Thus committing you all to Gods most merciful Defence whose Quarrel you have defended whose Cause you have promoted whose glory you have set forth and whose Name you have constantly confessed farewel my dear Hearts in the Lord I will make as much haste after you as I may Rev. 11. All our dear Brethren Salute you they pray for you and praise God for you continually Blessed be the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them John Careless About the same time that John Careless died Julius Palmer John Gwin and Thomas Askin were burnt together in Newberry in the County of Berks. Julius Palmer Julius Palmer Martyr was born in Coventry his Father had been Mayor of Coventry who bred Julius a Schollar This Julius was a man of a prompt and ready memory a wit sharp and pregnant he was of behaviour courteous without curiosity of countenance chearfull without high looks of Speech pleasant he was affable and loâ— as a Child and yet quick Spirited and vehement in reasoning he practiâ—ed no deceit towards any man for he was of such simplicity that he was apter to be deceived then to deceive In King Edward's time he was a Papist and an utter Enemy to the Protestant Religion then appearing for which he was expelled the House or Colledge he belonged to but in Queen Maryes reign was again restored to the said House but seeing the Constancy of the Martyrs that Suffered in Queen Maryes reign and hearing a Relation of the cruelty inflicted on some of them he cryed out O raging Cruelty O Tyranny and more then Barbarous and set himself to search into the Religion of the Protestants that suffered and soon after was so far converted from Popery that he could not bow to several Popish Ceremonies so that he was constrained in a short space to yield up his Fellowship in Oxford and betook himself to teach School at Reading where he had not continued long but some envious pâ—â—â—â—us against the Trâ—th sought Occasion aganst him and finding an opperâ—â—â—â—ty searched his Closet where they found some Books and Writings written by him against the Popish Proceedings and especâ—lly against their brutish Tyranny executed against the Martyrs whereupon they threatned him that except he did without delay depart their Coasts they would produce the Books before the Councel whereupon he was forced to depart from the Town of Reading leaving in the hands of his Enemies what he had there and took his Journey to Evisham where his Mother dwelt hoping to get what his Father left him when he died his Mother understanding his Condition as soon as she saw him and had a short discourse with him said to him I require thee to depart from my House and out of my sight as for Money and Goods I have none of thine thy Father bequeathed nought for Hereticks Faggots I have to burn thee more thou gets not at my hand so with a soft answer and a few sweet words to her the tears running down his cheeks he departed from her which so mollified her hard heart that she threw an old Angel after him and said take that to keep thee a true man This poor man being destitute of worldly
continued one and hath Sathan so prevailed but the sence of the Action reflicted so much upon his Conscience that it brake the mans heart so that in a short time after he died after he had endured twelve weeks imprisonment Sometime after his Wife was had in Examination before the Bishop what her Answers were at her Examination are not recorded but she was kept in Prison with her tender Infant till they both died the Child was sent out of the Prison but it was past remedy first being almost starved with cold and want of things necessary and the Mans Mother a woman of eighty years of Age being left in the House after their apprehension for lack of comfort there perished also About this time there were five persons famished in Canterbury Castle by the unmerciful Tyranny of the Papists as by the Coppy of this following Letter which the Prisoners threw out of the Castle Window my appear The Letter Be it known to all men that shall read or hear read these our Letters that we the poor Prisoners of the Castle of Canterbury for Gods Truth are kept and lye in cold Irons and our Keepers will not suffer any meat to be brought to us to comfort us and if any do bring any Bread Butter Cheese or other Food the Keeper will charge them to carry it back or else keep it for himself so that we have nothing thereof insomuch that there are four of us Prisoners for Gods truth famished already and thus is it his mind to famish us all and we think he is appointed thereunto of the Bishops and Priests and Justices so to famish us and not only us of the said Castle but also all other Prisoners in other Prisons for the like Cause to be also famished notwithstanding we write not these our Letters to that intent we might not aford to be famished for the Lord Jesus sake but for this cause and intent that they having no Law so to famish us in Prison should not do it privily but that the Murderers hearts should be openly known to all the World that all men may know of what Church they are and who is their Father Out of the Castle of Canterbury About this time there was a consultation held at Cambridge by the Clergy concerning Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius The digging up and burning Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius's Bones two persons dead three or four year before and after much debating they agreed altogether in this determination that they were Sectaries and famous Hereticks and a supplication should be made to the Lords Commissioners in the Name of the whole University that their dead Carcases might forthwith be digged up for that it was against the rule of of holy Canons that their Bodies should be buried in Christian burial And Cardinal Poole sent a Commission to make inquest upon Heresie now after the aforesaid Condemnation was past and the said Commission was read from the Cardinal Doctor Pern desired process might be sent out for Bucer and Phagius to appear or any other that would take upon them to plead their Cause to which the Commissioners condecended and the next day process went out to cite the Offenders which Citation was fixed up in several publick places in Cambridge and soon after Witnesses were sworn and examined against Martin Bucer and Phagius and a time was set for a Jury to bring in their Verdict and in the mean time a Commandment was given forth by the Commissioners for bringing in all Heretical Books and a day there was appointed for Judgment to be given against these Hereticks but when the day came and that neither Bucer nor Phagius would appear at their call in the Court nor that any put forth himself to defend them yet the curteous Commissioners would not proceed to Judgment which for their contumacy in absenting themselves they might have done considering how that day was peremtory but to shew their mercy and equity had rather shew some favour then to take the extent of the Law Whereupon Vincent published the second Process and stuck it up in publick places as before putting off the day of Judgment from the eighteenth to the twenty sixth day of the same Moneth which day being come the Mayor and Burgesses were warned to be present when the Sentence was published which was done by Doctor Scot Bishop of Chester in which Sentence he condemned Bucer and Phagius of Heresie after the Sentence the Bishop commanded their Bodies to be digged out of their Graves and being degraded from holy Orders delivered them into the hands of the secular Power then the Cardinal was advertised how far they had proceeded and he was desired that the Writ De Heretico Comburendo might be sent to Smith Mayor of Cambridge else the business could not be finished in the mean time while the Writ was coming and order was made that the Books before commanded to be searcht for should be thrown into the Fire with them the Writ being come and the dead Bodies being taken up they were Guarded to the Market place a great train of People following them and there Chained to a Post Fire was set to them the Books were thrown in and burnt with them and thus ends this piece of Popish folly And because one University should not mock the other the like piece of folly was acted upon the dead Body of Peter Martyrs Wife at Oxford and honest grave and sober Woman while she lived and of poor People alway a great helper she died in the year 1552. The Cardinals Visitors coming to Oxford among other things had in Commission to take up this good Woman out of her Grave and to consume her Carcass with Fire Stephen Kemp William Hay William Walterer William Prowting William Lowick and Thomas Hudson were all burnt in Kent in the Month called January 1557. Five Persons burnt in Smithfield The next that suffered were these five persons following viz. Thomas Loseby Henry Ramsey Thomas Thirtet Margaret Hide and Agnes Stanley who were Examined upon the general Articles before Bonner's Chancellor to which they particularly answered being thereunto required before Sentence and to declare whether they would recant and what they had to say why he should not pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation Thomas Loseby first answered saying God give me strength to stand against you and your Sentence and your Law which is a devouring Law for it devoureth the Flock of Christ and I perceive there is no way with me but Death except I would consent to your devouring Law and believe in that Idol the Mass Thomas Thirtel said If you make me an Heretick then you make Christ and his Apostles Hereticks for I am in the true Faith and I will stand in it for I know full well I shall have Eternal life therefore Henry Ramsey said Will you have me to go from the Truth that I am in Margaret Hide said You have no cause to give Sentence against me for I
wait for me for God put in my mind that they would lay wait for me at all Sea-Coast Towns as they did So when all was husht I went abroad among our Friends and Brethren and at length I went beyond the Seas both into Flanders and France but I thought the time long till I came home again I was there but three weeks but it was known among Baals Priests who could not abide it but got Warrants and searched my House for me sometimes twice in a week sometimes I went privily sometimes openly from home staying abroad two or three weeks together otherwhile living a Moneth together at home doing openly such work as I had to do and yet mine Enemies laid no hands on me till the hour was fully come and then mine own Brother according to the flesh delivered me into their hands The Examination of Richard Woodman before the Bishop of Chichester Doctor Story Doctor Cooke and others Bishop What is your name My name is Richard Woodman Then said the Bishop I am sory for you you have been a man of good report and esteem in your Country till now of late therefore look to your self your Wife and Children and Friends and be ruled and think not your self wiser then all the Realm but be informed and you shall have their favour as much as ever you had Woodman My Life my Wife and my Children I love them but they are all in Gods hands and I have them as if I had them not Bishop Q. Mary An. 1557. The Sheriff told me that you were desirous to spake with me Woodman I thought meet to appeal to you because you have taken upon you to be the Physitian of our Country for many unjust things are laid to my charge and they seek my Blood and I have appealed unto you that if my blood be shed unrighteously it might be required at your hands Doctor Story Is not this a perverse Fellow dost thou think thou shalt be put to death unjustly and that thy Blood shall be required no said he and further added that he could condemn a hundred such Hereticks and threatned that he would help to rid him Then Woodman would have answered but the Bishop desired them both to give him place Bishop Well Neighbour Woodman I call you Neighbour because you are one of my Diocess and you are sent to me that I should give you spiritual counsel for I am your Spiritual Pastor therefore hear what I say unto you Woodman First I desire you to hear me a few words you have said you will give me Spiritual counsel are you sure you have the Spirit of God Bishop No I am not sure of that I dare not be so bold to say so Woodman Then you are like the Waves of the Sea Tossed about with every wind and unstable in all your wayes and can look for no good thing at the Lords hand yea you are neither hot nor cold and therefore God will spue you out of his Mouth Then in a fury Story said What a perverse Fellow is this he hath a Devil in him and is mad and the Bishop said He is sent to me to learn and taketh upon him to teach me Then Richard Woodman seeing their Blindness and Blasphemy it made such an impression upon him that his heart was melted and and his eyes gusht out with tears and he spoke to them after this manner The Jew's said to Christ he had a Devil and was mad as you have here said to me but I know the Servant is not above his Master and God forbid that I should learn of him that confesseth he hath not the Spirit of God Bishop Why do you think that you have the Spirit of God you boast more then ever Paul did or any of the Apostles the which is great presumption Woodman I boast not in my self but in the Gift of God as Paul did who said He verily believed that he had the Spirit of God making thereof no question 1 Cor. 7. Chichester It is not so you bely the Text. Woodman If it be not so let me be burnt to morrow Story Thou shalt not be burnt too morrow but I will promise thee thou shalt be burnt within six dayes Bishop If it be so it 's wrong Translated as it is in a thousand places more Woodman Take heed that you bely not the Translators I believe they had the fear of God more before their Eyes then you report of them but if that place be wrong translated I can prove by places enough that Paul had the Spirit of God Bishop How prove you that Woodman No man can believe that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and again we have not received the Spirit of Bondage to fear any more but we have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same Spirit certifieth us that we are the Sons of God also John saith he that believeth not that Christ is come in the Flesh is an Anti-christ and denieth both the Father and the Son and he that believeth in God dwelleth in God and God in him Story What an Heretick is this why do you here him send him to Prison to his Fellows in the Marshalsea and they shall be dspatcht within these twelve dayes Woodman When I heard him say so I rejoyced greatly in my heart desiring God if it were his will to keep them in that mind for I expected to have been sent to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house or Lollards Tower but they sent me to the Marshalsea to my Brethren and old Prison-Fellows whereby it pleased God that the burden I looked for was something eased when they saw I rather rejoyced then feared imprisonment the Bishop said My thinks he is not afraid of the Prison Woodman No I praise the Living God Story He hath the right terms of an Heretick the living God c. I pray you be there deads Gods that you say the Living God Woodman Are you angry with me for speaking the words written in the Bible Story Bibble Babble what speakest thou of the Bible there is no such word written in all the Bible Then said Woodman I am much to blame and brought several Scriptures to prove that there was a Living God and dead Gods for David said My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Story My Lord I will tell you how you shall know a Heretick by his words that is they will say the Lord and we praise God and the Living God c. Woodman The Lords Name be praised from the rising of the Sun until the going down of the same also as many as fear the Lord say alwayes the Lord be praised Story My Lord this is an Old Heretick send him to Prison you will do no good on him I will leave you and go to Church
Another Letter of John Rough's written to the Congregation two dayes before he suffered The Spirit of all Consolation be with you aid you and make you strong to run to the fight that is laid before you wherewithal God in all Ages hath tryed his Elect and hath found them worthy of himself by coupling to their Head Christ Jesus in whom who so desireth to live godly the same must needs suffer Persecution for it is given unto them not only to believe but also to suffer and the Servant or Scholler cannot be greater then his Lord or Master But by the same way the Head is entered the Members must follow no life is in the Members which are cut from the Body likewise we have no life but in Christ for in him we live move and have our being dear Hearts now departing this life to my great advantage I make change of Mortallity with Immortallity of Corruption to put on Incorruption to make my Body like to the Corn cast into the ground which except it die first can bring forth no good Fruit wherefore Death is to me great advantage for thereby the Body ceaseth from sin and afterwards turneth into the first Original but after it shall be changed and made brighter then the Sun or Moon what shall I writ of this corporal death seeing it is decreed of God that all men shall once dye happy are they that dye in the Lord which is to dye in the Faith of Christ professing and confessing the same before many Witnesses I praise my God I have past the same Journey by many Temptations the Devil is very busy to perswade the World to entice with promises and fair words which I omit to write least some might think I do hunt after vain glory which is farthest from my heart Lastly the danger of some false Brethren who before the Bishop of London purposed to confess an Untruth to my face yet the God that rul'd Balaam moved their hearts where they thought to speak to my Accusation he made them speak to my purgation what a Journey by Gods power I have made these eight dayes before this day it is above Flesh and Blood to bear but as Paul saith I may do all things in him which worketh in me Jesus Christ My course Brethren have I run I have fought a good fight the Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me my day to receive it is not long to pray Brethren for the Enemy doth yet assault stand constant unto the end then shall you possest your Souls walk worthily in that vocation wherewith you are called comfort the Brethren salute one another in my name be not ashamed of the Gospel of the Cross by me preached nor yet of my suffering for with my Blood I affirm the same I go before I suffer first the baiting of the Butchers dogs yet I have not done what I should have done but my weakness I doubt not is supplyed in the strength of Jesus Christ and your Wisdoms and Learning will accept that small Talent which I have distributed unto you as I trust as a faithful Steward and what was undone impute that to frailty and ignorance and with your love cover that which is and was naked in me God knoweth ye are all tender unto me my heart bursteth for the love of you ye are not without your great Pastour of your Souls who so loveth you that if men were not to be sought out as God be praised there is no want of men he would cause stones to Minister unto you cast your care upon that Rock the Wind of Temptation shall not prevail fast and pray for the dayes are evil look up with your Eyes of hope for the Redemption is not far off And also that which is behind of the blood of our Brethren which shall also be laid under the Altar shall cry for your relief time will not now suffer me to write longer Letters the Spirit of God guide you in and our rising and sitting cover you with the Shaddow of his Wings defend you against the Tyranny of the Wicked and bring you happily unto the Part of eternal felicity where all tears shall be wiped from your eyes and you shall alwayes abide with the Lamb. John Rough. The Sufferings and cruel Torments sustained by Cutbert Simson of London at the hands of the cruel Papists This Cuthbert Simsion was a man of a zealous and faithful Spirit for Christ and the true Flock in London Cuthbert Simson Martyr in that day wherein they greatly suffered he ceased not daily to labour and earnestly to endeavour their preservation from the corruption of the Popish Religion his pains zeal travil patience and sidelity was not easily to be expressed as saith the Record A Relation of his cruel Usage in the Tower is as followeth On the 13th day of the Moneth called December he was sent to the Tower by the Councel and on the Thursday following he was called into the Ware-house before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of London who prest him to discover the persons he had willed to come to the Meeting he belonged to but he answered he would declare nothing whereupon he was set in the Rack of Iron the space of three hours then they asked him If he would tell them he answered as before then was he loosed and carried to his Lodging and on the day called Sunday following was brought to the same place again before the Lievtenant and Chelmly Recorder of London who again Examined him he answered as before Then the Lievtenant swore by God he should tell and caused his two fore-fingers to be bound together and put a small Arrow betwixt them and drew it threw so fast that the blood followed and the Arrow broke then they Rackt him twice and then carried him to his Lodging again and ten dayes after the Lievtenant asked him If he would confess to whom he answered He had said as much as he would then about five weeks after he sent him to a high Priest who past the Popes curse upon him forbearing Witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ When he was brought before Bonner several Articles were objected against him as denying the Sacraments and Ceremonies of the Church and for being at several great Meetings Assemblies and Conventicles At the same time there were two other persons Examined before Bonner viz. Hugh Fox Hugh Fox and Jo. Devenish Martyrs and John Devenish against whom the general common Articles were produced and they were condemned and burnt with Cuthbert Simson in Smithfield upon the 28th day of the Moneth called March for whose constancy to the Lord in his Quarrel his Name be exalted for evermore Some Passages wrote in a Letter from Cuthbert Simson to his Wife out of the Cole-house are as followeth Dearly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ I cannot writ as I do wish unto you I beseech you with my Soul commit your self under the mighty hand of
our God trusting in his Mercy and he will surely help us as shall be most unto his Glory and our everlasting comfort being sure of this that he will suffer nothing to come unto us but that which shall be most profitable for us for it is either a Correction for our Sins or a Tryal of our Faith or to set forth his glory or for all together and therefore must needs be well done for there is nothing that cometh unto us but by our heavenly Fathers providence and therefore pray unto our heavenly Father that he will ever give us his Grace to consider it let us give most hearty thanks for these his fatherly corrections for as many as he loveth he correcteth And I beseech you now be of good chear and count the Cross of Christ greater Riches then all the vain-pleasures of England I doubt not but you have Supped with Christ at his Table I mean believed in him for that is the effect and then must you drink of his Cup I mean his Cross for that doth the Cup signifie unto us take the Cup and then shall you be sure to have the good Wine Christ's Blood to thy poor thirsty Soul pray continually in all things give thanks In the Name of Jesus shall every knee bow Cuthbert Simson One thing more I thought meet to mention which I find upon record concerning this Cuthbert Simson which some may hardly believe who are apt to think all things incredible which vary from the common course and order of Nature and may look upon this to be more a Phantasie then a real Vision but I shall relate the matter in short as I find it and so leave it to the tender Reader to judge of it The day before this Cuthbert Simson was condemned he being in the Stocks in the Bishops Cole-house Cluny the Keeper about nine at night according to his usual manner came to see whether his Prisoner was safe and lockt the Doors about two hours after Cuthbert heard one coming in to him first opened the Outward-door then the Inner-door and though there was no Candle yet he saw a great brightness and light most comfortable and joyful to his heart and this he declared to one Austen and others and expressed much joy and solace in declaring of it and the Vision that he saw was comfortable unto him Soon after suffered William Nichol who was burnt for the same cause at Haverfordwest in Wales and William Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson suffered in Norfolk William Seaman was an Husbandman of the age of twenty six years dwelling in Mendlesham in the County of Suffolk William Seaman Martyr he was persecuted by one Sr. John Terril who searched his house for him by night but missing of him he set his servants to search for him and when they had apprehended him brought him before their Master who asked him why he would not go to Mass and receive the Sacrament Seaman replyed because it was an Idol he would not receive it wherefore Terril sent him to Hopton Bishop of Norwich to deal with him who after he had examined him soon passed his bloody sentence of death against him This Seaman when he died left behind him a Wife and three young Children which her Husband being taken away one would have thought should have moved those pretended Christians to some pity towards her but instead of shewing pity they persecuted her out of the Town of Mendlesham because she refused to hear Mass and one Coles Lord of the said Town caused all her Goods and Corn to be seized and taken away Another of these Sufferers was Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk he was thirty years of age by trade a Glover and a very honest poor man having a Wife and three Children and labouring alwayes dilligently in his imployment being zealous for that Truth which bore testimony against the Papists blasphemous preaching who put the Draugh and Darnel for the Wheat and that he might avoid their Idolatries and Superstition he absented from his house and went into Suffolk a long time and there remained traveling from one place to another at last he returned home again to comfort his Wife and Children being troubled at his absence when he was come home he conceiving his continuing there would be dangerous he and his Wife devised to make him a place among his Fagots to hide himself in where he remained all day exercising himself in reading and prayer and thus he continued for about the space of half a year but at last his Zeal and Courage arose and he walked abroad several dayes openly in the Town crying out continually against the Mass and such like trumpery and for three dayes and three nights together refused meat or to talk with any one Berry Vicar of the Town and one of the Bishops Commissaries caused the Officers to watch for him who upon the twenty second day of the Month called April apprehended him by the break of the day and led him to Berry the Commissary who examined him after this manner Doest thou not believe said Berry in the Sacrament of the Altar what is it Hudson replyed it is worms meat my belief is in Christ Berry Dost thou not believe the Mass to put away Sins Hudson No God forbid it is a patcht Monster and a disguised Puppet more longer a piecing then ever was Solomons Temple At which words Berry stamped and fumed and said Well thou Villain I will write to my Good Lord the Bishop Hudson said There is no Lord but God Then he asked Hudson whether he would Recant to which he replyed the Lord forbid I had rather die many deaths then do so This Thomas Hudson and the other two being brought to the Lollards-pit and there standing with Chains about them on a suddain Thomas Hudson came forth from under the Chain which made some to doubt that he would have recanted but his two Companions at the Stake exhorted him and comforted him in the Bowels of Christ but Hudson felt more in his Heart and Conscience then they did conceive was in him for he was compassed with great grief of mind not for his death but for lack of the feeling of Christ for which he kneeled down and prayed earnestly unto the Lord who at last according to his mercies gave him comfort and then he said now I thank God I am strong and so went to the Stake to his Fellows again and they all suffered constantly and joyfully to the Magnifying of the Lords Name Before I proceed to give a further Account of such as suffered Martyrdom its necessary to give a short Account of the said end of this Persecuting Commissary Berry who Persecuted Thomas Hudson and others to death as I find it recorded This Berry in his rage was very fierce against many godly People in the Town of Ailesham he burnt all good Books he could get and persecuted men for their Consciences and compelled many to Idolatry and being
Rich and in great Authority he had the more power to Persecute he divorced many men and women for Religion he was a great Swearer and given to Women to write saith the History how many Concubines and Whores he had would be incredible but mark what Judgments the Lord brought upon him for his wickedness On a time a poor man speaking a word to him he struck him such a blow with the swingle of a staile that he presently died thereon for which as is said Berry held up his hand at the Bar. And shortly after one Alice Oxes of the Parish of Ailesham coming into his House and going into the Hall he met her and being before moved smote her with his fist whereby she was fain to be carried home and the next day was found dead in her Chamber When this Priest heard that Queen Mary was dead and that the glory of their triumph quailed the day called Sunday following he made a great Feast A Judgment of God upon a Persecutor and had one of his Concubines there present with whom he was in his Chamber after Dinner until he went to that he called his Evening-song where he Ministred Baptism and as he was going home between the Grave-Yard and his House he fell down suddainly to the ground with a heavy graon and never stirred after and thus the Judgments of God was evidently seen to be Executed upon him by all that beheld him In the same Moneth that the aforesaid three suffer'd at Norwich there was two men and one woman burnt at Colchester viz. William Harris Richard Day and Christian George In the next Moneth being the Moneth called June a short but sharp Proclamation came forth to prohibit the spreading several good Books therein condemned under the title of Heresie and Sedition laying the injunction so strickt that whosoever should be found to have any such Books in their custody after the Proclamation came forth should be reputed as Rebels and to be Executed forthwith according to the order of Martial Law Shortly after several persons were apprehended being assembled in a religious exercise in a back Close near Islington two and twenty of whom were committed to Newgate and there remained seven weeks before they were Examined seven of these two and twenty were afterwards burnt in Smithfield and six at Brainford One of them viz. Reginald Eastland being required by the Bishop to answer upon Oath to the Articles charged against him refused saying an Oath was to end strife but to begin strife said he and Oath is not lawful and therefore choosed rather to suffer what punishment they would inflict upon him then to swear the matter against himself After Bonner had past Sentence upon Roger Holland one of them that was burnt in Smithfield Roger spoke to this effect I am said he Moved by the Spirit of God to say that God will shorten your hand of cruelty and after this day in this place shall there not be any put to the Tryall of Fire and Faggot and as he was speaking and exhorting the People the Bishop turned back and charged the Keeper that none should speak with him without leave being brought to the Stake he spake after this manner Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the state of Death unto the Light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saintâ— that I may sing and say holy holy holy Lord God of hosts and Lord into thy hands I commit my Spirit Lord bless these thy People and save them from Idolatry Amongst these persons apprehended at Islington some of them were Scourged or Whipped by Bonner with his own hands upon his deformed Effigies in Whipping them one made some Latine Verses the which in English are as followeth Muse not so much that Natures work is thus deformed now With belly blown and head so swoln for I shall tell you how This Canibal in three years space two hundred Martyrs slew They were his food he lov'd so blood he spared none he knew It should appear that blood feeds fat if men lye well and soft For Bonners belly waxt with blood though he seem'd to fast oft Oh bloody Beast bewail the death of those that thou hast slain In time repent since thou canst not their lives restore again Thomas Hinshaw and John Wills were taken and sent to the Cole-house and from thence Wills was had to Fulham and there was kept eight dayes in the Stocks in which time Bonner much abused him oftentimes raping him on the head with a Stick and flirting him under the Chin saying He looked down like a Thief and then had him into his Orchard and in an Arbour where he Whipt Tho. Henshaw he Whipt him first with a Willow-rod and then with a Birchenrod labouring and dealing his blows so long as his fat panch could endure with breath oftentimes the Bishop speak to Wills to this effect They call me said he bloody Bonner I would fain be rid of you a vengeance on you you have a delight in burning If I might have my will said he I would sow up your Mouthes and put you into a Sack and drown you and thus much concerning the two and twenty taken at Islington Rich Yeoman Martyr The next that suffered was Richard Yeoman after the Persecution arose at which time he was put out of his Living he was put to great straits so that he was forced to travel from place to place selling Pins and Laces to get a livelihood to maintain his Wife and Children at last was apprehended by order from one called Justice Moyle who set him in the Stocks a day and a night but having no evident matter to charge him with let him go again and returning home to Hadley Persecution against him was so hot that his Wife kept him privately a whole year in a Room lockt up all day where he carded Wool to get Bread for his Family although he was Seventy Years Old at last the Priest of the Town one Newall having intelligence of it searched his House one night and took him out of his Bed and put him in the Cage and in the Stocks until day At the same time the said Newall had caused to be put into the Stocks one John Dale and there had kept him two or three dayes for speaking to him in the time of his Executing the Romish Service and saying O Miserable Blind Guides will ye ever be Blind Leaders of the Blind Will ye never amend Will ye never see the Truth Will neither Gods Threats nor Promises enter into your Hearts VVill the Blood of Martyrs nothing mollifie you O Crooked and Perverse Generation Out of the Stocks they were both taken and bound like Thieves and set on Horse-back and their Legs bound under the Horses belly and so carried to the Goal at Bury where they were put in Irons and thrown into the lowest Dungeon where John Dale fell sick and died after he
pray to his God and preach if he could the Priests stuffing the dead Mouth with the leaves of Bibles and said to the dead Corps Preach the Truth of your God and call upon him now to help you A Letter written by Wouter Oom Prisoner and Martyr in the City of Antwerp full of Consolation against the fear of Persecution directed to a Brother and Sister of his Grace and Peace from God the Father and from his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Well beloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your Faith in Christ Jesus these are to certifie you that I am in bodily health and enjoy the comfort of a good Conscience I praise my Lord God therefore who is able to encrease the same more and more by the powerful Operation of his holy Spirit whosoever they be that will forsake this present evil World and become Followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many Persecutions and Afflictions for Christ hath told us afore-hand That we should be Hated Persecuted and Banished out of the for his Names sake An. 1562. and this they will do saith he Because they have neither known the Father nor me but be not afraid saith he for I have overcome the World St. Paul also Witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution And again To you it is given for Jesus Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake And doth not our Lord Jesus Christ say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly against you for my Names sake Rejoyce therefore and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Now whereto serveth all this my beloved but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ For Christ hath suffered for us saith the Apostle Saint Peter leaving us an Example that we should walk in his steps who also endured the Cross and despised the shame for the obtaining of that joy which was set before him and became Poor to make us Rich 2 Cor. 8 9. By him also are we brought by faith into that state of Grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience c. Wherefore dear Brother and Sister be not afraid of the fiery Tryal which is now sent among us to prove us for what Father loving his Child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord chastice those whom he loveth for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we Bastards and not Sons And therefore Solomon faith My Son despise not the Chastning of the Lord neither faint when thou art corrected of him for whom the Lord loveth the same he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are his Members even as Christ then hath obtained full Joy and Glory by suffering of Anguishes and Sorrows so we also according to his Example must through many Tribulations enter into the heavenly places even into the New Jerusalem Let us then say with Saint Paul Christ unto me is in life and in death advantage Let us cry out with him O wretched Creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this Body of Death See here how the Faithful have desired to be with Christ for with Abraham they had an Eye to that holy City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Let us then my beloved cheerfully and willingly follow the Lord possessing our Souls by Patience For it is a good thing as saith the Prophet Jeremiah both to hope and quietly to wait for the Salvation of the Lord and good also it is for a man to bear the Yoke in his Youth for such the Lord will comfort in the end and restore unto them the joy of his Salvation Lo here dear Brother and Sister what Consolations our God hath treasured up for us in his holy Word for us I say whose desire it is to fear the Lord and to trust in his Grace and Mercy for the Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of Trouble wherefore giving all diligence let us add to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Love for if these thing be in us and abound An. 1567. they will cause us neither to be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ The which God our Father grant us for his Sons sake our Lord Amen Out of my Hole December the 11th 1562. Wouter Oom Prisoner for the Truth A Relation of such things as fell out under the Goverment of Alva And of many men put to death Anno 1567. The Afflictions of the Protestants in the Low-Countries were multiplyed this year under the Dominion of Ferdinando of Toledo Duke of Alva It is well known that the Spaniards using all their endeavorus to rule over this Country at their pleasures had no better opertunity to accomplish their designs then to establish among them their Inquisition thereby todomineer over the goods honors and lives of every one the noble Citizens and Commons did what they could to oppose the same to which purpose they had instantly besought the King to afford them his Royal presence that hearing once their Complaints his Majesty might take some order for matters of so great Importance alledging to this end the Example of the Emperour Charles his Father who upon a business far inferiour to this adventured himself with much diligence to pass through the Enemies Country who were but a while before reconciled only to stay some Mutinies begun in the City of Cand. These things had so moved the King that he made them a promise by Letters of his coming but his intentions were broken of by such as were the upholders of the Inquisition that so they might with the more facility attain the end of their desires instead of their King then they had sent unto them the Duke of Alva who at his Entrance found the Prisons replenished with Gentlemen and other Personages of note whom the Dutchess of Parma had left in bonds after her death Long did they languish in this Captivity whilst the Duke of Alva by fair promises dissembled a kind of meek and gentle carriage of mind towards them giving them some hope of a General pardon proceeding from the Kings Clemency that thus he might catch the Lords and Governours the more cunningly into his Nets whereof the Lord Lemoral Earl of Egmond Prince of Gaud Governour of Planders and Artois and others of quality gave but too Lamentable experience who being led with vain hopes were at length inhumanly put to death The
sixteen Provinces also subjecting themselves under this new Government lost their antient Liberties and Priviledges which evidently appeared by the exploits done from the year 1567. hitherto by a new Council of twelve elected and setled there by the Duke the principal of which were Vergas and Elrio Fathers of the Inquisition which Council was commonly called the Council of BLOOD In the year 1568. the Duke of Alva began to declare to the World his feigned meekness An. 1568. puting to death two Brethren Barons of Battembourg The names of three Martyrs Imprisoned at Antwerp were Schoblant Son of Barthel Jo. de Hues and Joris Comans and several others he Executed at the same time at Brussel These two Brethren from the flower of their youth had constantly professed the pure Doctrine of the Gospel and in the end were put to death for their Testimony to the same Shortly after there were taken and imprisoned at Antwerp several persons whose constancy to Death will appear by what they writ to certain of their Brethren Dated the 17th of March as followeth Seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer for his holy Name and in the Quarrel of his Gospel we certifie you Brethren that we are hitherto of good courage howsoever the flesh continually rebels against the Spirit counselling it ever and anon according to the advice of the Old Serpent but we are well assured that Christ who hath bruised will also still bruise the Serpents Head and not leave us comfortless true it is we are now and then pricked in the heel but that is all the Serpent can do nor are we discouraged but keep our faith close to the Promises of God who is the Lord of Heaven and Earth having created all things of nothing He forsook not Joseph in Eygpt nor left the three Young Men in the fiery Furnace no nor Daniel in the Lyons Den this is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and of their Righteous Posterity so that we can without fear say with the Prophet David The Lord is my Help Tower Strength and Refuge By such and the like Scriptures dear Brethren we comfort our selves in our Bonds rejecting all confidence in man whatsoever be not dismayed then good Brethren and Sisters for our Bonds and Imprisonment for so is the good will of God now towards us and therefore pray rather that he would give us grace to persevere constantly unto the End so be it One of these three imprisoned in Antwerp wrot a few Lines to the Church of God in Antwerp as followeth Brethren I write unto you being left alone whereas we were three in number John Hues is now dead in the Lord I did my best to comfort him whilest he breathed so as now I am alone and yet not altogether alone seeing the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is with me he is my exceeding great Reward and will not fail to reward me as soon as I have laid down this earthly Tabernable Pray unto God that he would strengthen me to the end for from hour to hour I expect the dissolution of this house of Clay When Joris one of the three was examined before the Magistrates the Marquess said unto him I have hitherto spared you hoping to see you recant but you grow worse and worse Joris replyed during the time of my Imprisonment I have shed many tears and further said he was now become resolute and could not fashon himself according to their desire although they burnt him as they had done his Brother Schoblant Marquess I can tell you it will cost you but little better cheap Joris I am ready if it be to morrow Then said one of the Standers by he has neither Wife Child nor Goods to lose and that makes him so willing to dye Joris You shall answer these your doings at the last day where you must all appear and then there will be no respect of persons Marquess We have heard you preach too long take him Goaler and cast him into the Hole then was he put among Thieves as a Lamb among so many Wolves Thus this constant Witness remained firm till death The Spectacles of dead Bodies slain by the Bloody Inquisition was a Dreadful sight being gazed on in a manner in every place especially in the City of Tournay and of the Valentians in regard of the multitudes of Believers both of men and women who had long Languished in sundry Prisons in great miseries and necessities Now that we may not forget what fell out in the beginning of this Year 1569. Thus it happened in the City of Valence seven and fifty persons were executed for no other cause but for cleaving to the true Faith of Christ Jesus not without much astonishment of the poor people of that City Among these sad Relations a little to quicken and refresh the Spirit of the Reader I will here insert a Letter full of Consolations written out of Prison to the Faithful by one William Tovart Merchant who had his dwelling in the City of Lile in Flanders This honourable person being come to the Age of Eighty Years or thereabouts used his House for the space of Fourteen or Fifteen Years for the Assembly in the City of Lile to meet in Being chased and Banished thence in the Year 1561. he withdrew himself for a while to Tournay whence he was constrained to flie and to go to Amiens and Moundediea Cities of Prickardy afterwards returning into his own Country he came to reside in the City of Antwerp where after he had continued many Years he was at length condemned to be burnt with two others who suffered for the same cause but they put him to another kind of Death for they drowned him by plunging him in a Cistern of Water in Prison Amongst many Letters which he wrote during the time of his Imprisonment my Author hath selected out this one which here followeth Dear Brethren and Sisters in Jesus Christ I most humbly thank my God that he hath so fortified and comforted me by his Grace that I feel my self more cheered by lying in this dark Prison then if I were walking in the open Streets or Fields I say this I feel according to the Spirit for as touching the Flesh what doth it apprehend here but stinking Vapours and Smoke Wherefore my beloved if it so fall out that you be apprehended for the Name of Jesus Christ fear not the prison nor those that have power to Kill the Body for having done that they can go no further be not afraid then seeing it is the reward which our good Captain Jesus Christ hath Promised to all his Faithful Souldiers and Servants he who turns his back in this conflict goes by the loss but whosoever fights manfully obtains in the end the Crown not a Crown of Gold but of Glory Immortal we here lay down a fading life filled with griefs and troubles to change the same for a Life Everlasting we put off the Rags