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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67927	Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.; Actes and monuments	Foxe, John, 1516-1587.	1583 (1583)	STC 11225; ESTC S122167	1,744,028	490

suppressed yet the examples of them may suffice to admonishe all men that bee wise and which will auoyde the wrath of Gods terrible vengeance to beware of Popery And thus hauing hitherto recited so manye shamefull lyues and desperate endes of so many popish Persecutours stricken by Gods hand nowe let vs consider agayne on the contrarye syde the blessed endes geuen of almighty God vnto them which haue stoode so manfully in the defence of Christes Gospel and the reformation of his religion and let the Papists themselues here be iudges First what a peaceable and heauenly ende made the worthy seruaunt and singular Organe of God M. Luther To speake likewise of the famous Iohn Duke of Saxonie and prince Elector of the good Palsgraue of Phillip Melancthon of Pomeranus Vrbanus Rhegius Berengarius of Vlricus Zuinglius Oecolampadius Pellicanus Capito Munsterius Ioannes Caluinus Petrus Martyr Martin Bucer Paulus Phagius Ioan. Musculus Bibliander Gesnerus Hofman Augustinus Marloratus Lewes of Bourbon Prince of Condy and his godly wife before him with many mo which were knowne to be learned mē and chiefe standerds of the Gospel side against the Pope and yet no man able to bring forth any one example eyther of these or of any other true Gospeller that eyther killed himselfe or shewed forth any signification or appearaunce of despayre but full of hope and constant in faythe and replenished with the fruite of righteousnesse in Christ Iesu so yealded they theyr lyues in quiet peace vnto the Lord. From these Forrayners let vs come now to the Martyrs of England and marke likewise the ende both of them and semblably of all other of the same profession And first to beginne with the blessed and heauenly departure of King Edward the vi that first put downe the Masse in England and also of the lyke godly end of his good Vncle the Duke of Sommerset which dyed before him with an infinite number of other priuate persons besides of the like religion in whose finall departing no suche blemishe is to bee noted like to the desperate examples of them aboue recited Let vs now enter the consideration of the blessed Martyrs who although they suffered in their bodyes yet reioyced they in theyr spirites and albeit they were persecuted of men yet were they comforted of the Lorde wyth suche inwarde ioy and peace of conscience that some writing to theyr friendes professed they were neuer so merrye before in all theyr lyues some leapt for ioye some for tryumphe woulde put on theyr Scarfes some theyr wedding garment goyng to the fire other kissed the stake some embraced the Fagottes some clapte theyr handes some song Psalmes vniuersally they all forgaue and prayed for ther enemies no murmuring no repining was euer heard amongest them so that moste truely might bee verified in them whiche their persecuters were wonte to sing in they re Hymnes Caeduntur gladijs more bidentium Non murmur resonat nec querimonia Sed corde tacito mens bene conscia Conseruat pacientiam c. Briefly so great was theyr patience or rather so great was Gods spirite in them that some of them in the flaming fire moued no more then the Stake whereunto they were tyed In fine in them most aptly agreed the speciall tokens whiche most certaynly follow the true children of God that is outward persecution and inward comfort in the holy Ghost In the world sayth Christ our Sauiour ye shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace c. And likewise the wordes of S. Paule be playne Whosoeuer sayth he studyeth to liue godly in Christe shall suffer persecution c. But then what followeth with this persecution the sayde Apostle agayne thus declareth saying As the passions of Christ abound in vs so aboundeth also our consolation by Christe c. According as by the examples of these godly martyrs right perfectly we may perceaue For as theyr bodyes outwardly lacked no persecutions by the handes of the wicked so amongest so many hundreds of them that stood and dyed in this religion what one man can be brought forth which eyther hath bene founde to haue killed himselfe or to haue dyed otherwise then the true seruaunt of GOD in quiet peace and much comforte of conscience Whiche being so what greater proofe can we haue to iustifie theyr cause and doctrine agaynst the persecuting Churche of Rome then to behold the endes of them both First of the Protestantes how quietly they tooke theyr deathe and chearefully rested in the Lord and contrariwise to marke these persecuters what a wrerched end commonly they doe all come vnto Experience whereof we haue sufficient in the examples a-aboue declared and also of late in Boner who albeit he dyed in his bed vnrepentaunt yet was it so prouided by God that as he had bene a persecuter of the light and a childe of darkenes so his carkase was tumbled into the earthe in obscure darcknes at midnight contrary to the order of all other Christians and as he had bene a murderer so was hee layd amongest theeues murtherers a place by Gods iudgement rightly appoynted for him And albeit some peraduenture that haue bene notable persecutors in tyme past doe yet remayne aliue who being in the same cause as the other were haue not yet felte the weyght of Gods mighty hand yet let not them thinke that because the iudgement of God hath lighted sooner vpon other therefore it will neuer light vpon them or because God of his mercy hath graunted them space to repent let not them therefore of Gods lenitye build to themselues an opinion of indemnity The bloud of Abel cryed long yet it wrought at length The soules of the Saynctes slayne vnder the aultar were not reuenged at the first Apoc. 6. but read forth the chapter see what folowed in the end Bloud especially of Christes seruauntes is a perillous matter and cryeth sore in the eares of God and will not be stilled with the lawes of men Wherfore let such bloud guilty homicides beware if not by my coūsell at lest by the examples of theyr felowes And though Princes and Magistrates vnder whose permission they are suffered do spare theyr liues let them not thinke therefore as some of them shame not to say that man hath no power to hurt them and so thinke to escape vnpunished because they be not punished by man but rather let them feare so much the more For oftentimes suche as haue bene persecutours and tormentours to Gods children God thinketh them not worthy to suffer by mā but either reserueth them to his owne iudgement or els maketh them to be theyr owne persecutors and theyr owne hands most commonly hangmen to theyr owne bodyes So Saul after he had persecuted Dauid it was vnneedfull for Dauid to pursue him agayne for he was reuenged of him more then he desired It was needlesse to cause Achitophell to be hanged for hee himselfe was the stifeler or

of the same Now I heare say that the Bishop which occupieth the same roume now will not allow the foresayd Leases which must redound to many poore mens vtter ruine and decay Wherefore this is myne humble supplication vnto your honourable grace that it may please the same for Christes sake to be vnto the foresayd poore men their gratious patronesse and defender eyther that they may enioy their foresayd Leases and yeares renewed as I suppose when their matter shall be heard with consciēce both iustice conscience and equitie shall require for that theyr Leases shall be found I trust made without fraude or couen eyther of theyr part or of myne and alwayes also the olde ●ents reserued to the Sea without any kynd of damage thereof or if this will not be graunted then that it may please your gracious highnesse to commaund that the poore men may be restored to their former Leases and yeares and to haue rendered to them agayne such sūmes of mony as they payd to me to that chapterhouse for their Leases yeares so now taken from them Which thing concerning the fines payed to me may bee easily done if it shall please your Maiestie to commaund some portion of those goods which I left in my house when I fledde in hope of pardon for my trespasse towards your grace which goodes as I haue heard be yet reserued in the same house I suppose that halfe of the value of my plate which I left in myne offices and specially in an iron chest in my bed chamber will goe nigh to restore all suche fines receyued the true summes and parcels whereof are not set in their Leases and therefore if that way shall please your highnesse they must be knowen by such wayes and meanes as your Maiestie by the aduise of men of wisedome and conscience shall appoynt but yet for Christes sake I craue and most humbly beseech your Maiestie of your most gracious pity and mercy that the former way may take place I haue also a poore Sister that came to me out of the North with three fatherlesse children for her reliefe whome I maried after to a seruaunt of myne owne house she is put out of that I did prouide for them I beseech your honourable grace that her case may be mercifully considered and that the rather in contemplation that I neuer had of hym which suffered indurance at my entrance to the Sea of London not one peny of his moueable goodes for it was almost halfe a yeare after hys deposition afore I did enter into that place yea and also if any were lefte knowen to be hys hee had lycence to cary it away or there for his vse it did lye safe as hys officers do know I payd for the lead which I found there when I occupied any of it to the behoofe of the Church or of the house And moreouer I had not onelye no part of hys moueable goods but also as hys olde receyuer and then myne called M. Stanton can testifie I paid for him towards hys seruaunts common liueries and wages after hys deposition 53 or 55. poundes I cannot tell whether In all these matters I beseech your honourable Maiestie to heare the aduise of men of conscience and in especially the Archbishop of Yorke which for that hee was continually in my house a yeare and more before myne imprisonment I suppose he is not altogether ignorant of some part of these thyngs and also hys grace doth knowe my Sister for whose succour and some reliefe now vnto your highnes I make most humble sute The 16. day of Octob. An. 1555. N. R. This degradation beyng past and all thynges finished D. Brookes called the Bailiffes deliueryng to them M. Ridley with this charge to keepe him safely from any man speaking with hym and that he should be brought to the place of execution when they were commanded Then M. Ridley in praysing God brast out with these words sayd God I thanke thee and to thy prayse be it spoken there is none of you all able to lay to my charge any open or notorious crime for if you could it should surely bee layd in my lappe I see very well Whereunto Brookes sayd he played the part of a proud Pharisey exalting and praysing hymselfe But M. Ridley sayd No no no as I haue sayd before to Gods glory be it spoken I confesse my selfe to bee a miserable wretched sinner and haue great need of Gods helpe and mercy and doe daily call and cry for the same therefore I pray you haue no such opinion in me Then they departed and in goyng away a certaine Warden of a Colledge of whose name I am not very sure bad Doct. Ridley repent hym and forsake that erroneous opinion Whereunto M. R●dley sayd Sir repent you for you are out of the truth and I pray God if it be his blessed will haue mercy vpon you and graunt you the vnderstanding of his worde Then the Warden beyng in a chafe thereat sayd I trust that I shall neuer be of your erroneous and diuelish opinion neyther yet to bee in that place whether you shal go He is saith he the most obstinatest and wilfullest man that euer I heard talke since I was borne ¶ The behauiour of D. Ridley at his supper the night before his suffering THe night before he suffred his beard was washed and his legs and as he sate at supper the same night at M. Irishes who was his keeper he had his hostesse and the rest at the boord to his mariage for saith he to morrowe I must be maried and so shewed hymselfe to bee as mery as euer he was at any time before And wishing his sister at his mariage he asked hys brother sittyng at the Table whether she could find in her heart to be there or no and he answered yea I dare say with all her heart at which word he sayd he was glad to heare of her so much therein So at this talke maistres Irish wept But M. Ridley comforted her and sayd Oh maistres Irishe you loue me not now I see well enough For in that you weepe it doth appeare you will not be at my mariage neither are content therewith In deede you be not so much my friend as I thought you had bene But quiet your selfe though my breakefast shall be somwhat sharpe and paynfull yet I am sure my supper shal be more pleasant and sweete c. When they arose from the Table hys brother offered hym to watch all night with hym But he said no no that you shall not For I mynd God willyng to goe to bed and to sleepe as quietly to night as euer I did in my lyfe So hys brother departed exhortyng hym to bee of good cheere and to take hys Crosse quietly for the reward was great c. * The behauiour of D. Ridley and M. Latymer at the tyme of their death which was the 16. of

tribulations that being founde constant to the end he may crowne his owne giftes in them in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to goe before looking for you to followe my faythfull frend that we maye sing perpetuall praise to our louing Lord God for victory ouer Sathan and sinne won for vs by Iesus Christ God and man our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate Amen Farewell and pray in fayth Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and nowe condemned to dye for the Gospels sake 1556. Ianuary 21. ¶ All my felowes salute you Salute all our faythful brethren with you ¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn Went and other his prison felowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt fed Daniel in the Lions denne and deliuered Paul Peter and the Apostles out of prison vouchsafe of his goodnes to keep feed and deliuer you my good brother Went with the other our felow souldiors your prison felowes as may be most to his glory to your consolatiō and the edification of his Church I cannot but praise God most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioye in the crosse of Christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy the kingdome of God as Paule sayth And though the world counteth the yoake and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing yet we which haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioice in this persecution as touching our selues in as much as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause and not ours at whose hand if we endure to the end we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christ not onely a greate reward in heauen but also the kingdome of heauen it selfe also in the meane season be sure to bee defended and cared for so that we shall lacke no necessarye thinges neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge Oh what is he that would mistrust or not gladly serue so louing a father O how vnhappy are they that forsake him and put theyr trust in man But how blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake in these troublesome dayes doe committe theyr soules and bodyes into his handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and his Church thē to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we nowe beare hath bene common to all the faythfull from Abell hitherto and shal be to the end because the Deuill hauyng great wrath agaynst God and his Christ can not abide that hee should for his manifolde mercies bee lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate and therefore because we will not deny Christ nor dissemble with out fayth but openly protest and professe the same before the world he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians as S. Iohn sayth the Deuill shall cast some of you into prison And Dauid sayth I beleued and therfore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwithstanding goe forward deare brethren as ye haue begon to fight the Lords battel considering Christe the Captayne of your warre who will both fight for you geue you victorye and also highlye rewarde your paynes Consider to your comfort the notable and chiefe shepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these dayes I meane those learned and godly Bishops Doctours other ministers of Gods word whose fayth and examples we that be inferiours ought to folowe as S. Paule sayth Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God the ende of whose conuersation see that ye look vpon and folow theyr faith The grace blessing of God with the ministery of his holy Angels be with you for euer Amen All my prison felowes greete you From the Colehouse this 4. of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy Minister of Christ nowe his prisoner for the Gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous and Mary blessed the Lorde GOD encrease and make stable in your hartes my deare and faithfull brethren sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be mery and glad c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes First the persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall that is for the probation and proofe of their fayth Which fayth like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes so will he haue it made manifest to the whole worlde through persecution that so it may euidently appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution paynes nor death shal be able to seperate them from the loue of hym And thus was Abraham tried and Iob tempted that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge that the deuill naturall loue nor no other enemie coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied who both tryeth his people by many tribulations and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison Paule from his enemies in Damasco and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe And also he deliuered Abell Eleazar Steuen and Iohn Baptist with other manye by deathe and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth Take my brethren sayth he the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord beholde we count them happy which endure Y● haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull Also the Lorde tryeth vs to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes that no Hypocrisy or Ambitiō deceiue vs that the strong

in the euening an 1568. and as it is reported by those that sawe him reelyng too and fro lyke a drunkard with his hat in hys hand and commyng by a ditch there tumbled in headlong into the ditch Some say that the horse fell vppon him but that is not lyke This is true the horse more sober then the maister came home leauyng his maister behynde him Whether he brake his necke with the fall or was drowned for the water was scarsly a foote deepe it is vncertayne but certaine it is that he was there found dead Thus he beyng found dead in the ditch the Crowner as the manner is sate vpon him and how the matter was handled for sauyng his goods the Lord knoweth but in the end so it fell out that the goods were saued and the poore horse indited for his maisters death The neighbours hearing of the death of this man and considering the maner thereof said it was iustly fallen vpon him that as he suffered the poore man to lie and dye in the ditch nere vnto hym so his end was to die in a ditch likewise And thus hast thou in this story Christian brother and Reader the true image of a rich glutton poore Lazarus set out before thine eyes whereby we haue all to learne what happeneth in the ende to suche voluptuous Epicures and Atheistes which beyng voyde of all senses of Religion and feare of God yelde themselues ouer to all prophanitie of lyfe neither regardyng any honestie at home nor shewyng any mercy to their needye neighbour abroad Christ our Sauiour saith Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy but iudgement without mercy shal be executed on them which haue shewed no mercy c. And S. Iohn sayth He that seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in hym c. Agayne Esay against such prophane drunkards and quaffers thus crieth out Wo be vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and to them that so continue vntill night till they bee set on fire with wyne In those companies are Harpes and Lutes Tabrets and Pipes and wine but they regard not the workes of the Lord and consider not the operation of his hands c. Woe be vnto them that are strong to spue out wyne and expert to set vp dronkennesse The punishments of them that be dead be wholsome documents to men that be aliue And therfore as the story aboue exemplified may serue to warne all Courtiers and Yeomen of the Gard so by this that followeth I would wish all gentlemen to take good heed and admonition betime to leaue their outrageous swering and blaspheming of the Lord their God In the tyme and raigne of K. Edward there was in Cornewall a certaine lusty yong Gentleman which dyd ride in company with other mo Gentlemē together with their seruaunts beyng about the number of xx horsemen Amongst whom this lusty yonker entring into talke began to sweare most horribly blasphemyng the name of God with other ribauldry words besides Unto whome one of the company who is yet aliue and witnes hereof not able to abide the hearing of such blasphemous abhominatiō in gentle wordes speaking to him said he should geue answere and account for euery idle word The Gentleman taking snuffe therat Why sayd he takest thou thought for me take thought for thy winding sheete Well quoth the other amend for death geueth no warning for as soone commeth a lambes skin to the market as an olde sheepes Gods woūdes sayth he care not thou for me raging still after this maner worse worse in words till at length passing on theyr iourny they came riding ouer a great bridge stāding ouer a piece of an arme of the sea Upon the which bridge this Gentleman swearer spurred his horse in such sort as he sprang cleane ouer with the man on his backe Who as he was going cryed saying horse man and all to the deuil This terrible story happening in a Towne in Cornewall I would haue bene afrayde amongest these storyes here to recite were it not that he which was then both reprehender of his swearing witnes of his death is yet aliue and now a Minister named Heynes Besides this also bishop Ridley thē bishop of London preached and vttred euen the same fact and example at Paules Crosse. The name of the Gentleman I could by no meanes obteyne of the party witnes aforesayd for dread of those as he sayd which yet remaine of his affinity 〈◊〉 kinred in the sayd country Hauing now sufficiently admonished first the Courtyers then the gentlemen now thirdly for a briefe admonition to the Lawyers we will here insert the strange end and death of one Henry Smith student of the law This Henry Smyth hauing a Godly Gentleman to his father an auncient protestant dwelling in Camden in Glocester shyre was by him vertuously brought vp in the knowledge of Gods word sincere religion wherin he shewed himselfe in the beginning suche an earnest professor that he was called of the Papistes pratling Smith After these good beginnings it folowed that he cōming to be a student of the law in the middle Temple at London there through sinister cōpany of some especially as it is thought of one Gifford began to be peruerted to popery afterward going to Louane was more deepely rooted groūded in the same and so continuing a certayne space amōg the papistes of a yong protestant at lēgth was made a perfect papist In so much that returning from thēce he brought with him pardōs a Crucifixe with an Agnus dei which he vsed cōmonly to weare about his necke had in his chamber images before which he was woont to pray Besides diuers other Popish trashe whiche he brought with hym from Louane Now what ende followed after this I were loth to vtter in story but that the fact so lately done this present yeare ann 1569. remayneth yet so fresh in memorie that almost all the Citie of London not onely can witnesse but also doth wonder thereat The end was this Not long after the said Henry Smith with Gifforde his companion was returned from Louane beyng now a foule gierer and a scornfull scoffer of that religion which before he professed in his chamber where he lay in a house in S. Clements parish without Temple barre in the Euening as he was goyng to bedde and his clothes put off for he was found naked he had tied his shirt which he had torne to the same purpose about his priuy places and so with his owne girdle or ribond garter as it seemed fastned to the bedpost there strangled himselfe They that were of his Quest and other which saw the maner of hys hanging and the print where he sate vpon his bed side do record that he t●rust himselfe downe from his beddes side where he sate the