into his kingdom The triumph victory ouer death where he now sitteth at his fathers right hand that is to say in power glory equall in maiesty coeternall From thence he shal come to iudge the quicke the dead He shal appeare againe in great glory to receiue his elect vnto himselfe to put his enemies vnder his feete chaunging all liuyng men in a moment and raising vp al that be dead that all may be brought to his iudgement In this shall he geue ech man according to his deedes They which haue folowed him in regeneratioÌ„ which haue their sinnes washed away in hys bloud are clothed with hys righteousnes shall receiue the euerlasting kingdome and raigne with him for euer and they which after the race of the corrupt generation of Adam haue followed fleshe and bloud shall receiue euerlasting damnation with the deuill and hys angels I beleeue in the holy ghost I do beleue that the holy ghost is God the third person in Trinitie in vnitie of the Godhed equal with the father the sonne geuen through Christ to inhabite our spirites by which we are made to feele and vnderstand the great power vertue louing kindnes of Christ our lord For he illumineth quickneth and certifieth our spirit that by him we are sealed vp vnto the day of redemption by whom we are regenerate and made new cretures so that by hym and through hym we do receyue all the aboundaÌ„t goodnes promised vs in Iesus Christ. The holy Catholike Church This is an holy number of Adams posteritie elected gathered The Church washed and purified by the bloud of the Lambe from the beginning of the world and is dispersed through the same by the tiranny of Gog Magog that is to say the Turke and his tiranny and Antichrist otherwyse named the Bish. of Rome and hys aungels as this day also doth teach The Communion of Saints Which most holy congregation beyng as Paule teacheth builded vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ beyng the head corner stone though it be by the tyranny of Satan and his ministers persecuted some by imprisonment some by death and some by other afflictions painful torments yet doth it remayne in one perfect vnitie both in faith and fellowship which vnity is knit in an vnspeakable knot as well of them which are departed from this mortal life as of them which now be liuyng and hereafter shall be in the same and so shall continue vntill they all do meete in the kyngdome where the head Iesus Christ with all hys holy members of which number thorough Christ I assuredly beleeue that I am one shall be fully complete knit and vnited together for euermore The forgeuenesse of sinnes I do beleeue that my sinnes and all their sinnes which do rightly beleeue the holy Scripture Remission only through Christ. are forgeuen onely thorough that Iesus Christ of whom onely I do professe that I haue my whole and full saluation and redemption which S. Paule saith commeth not through our workes and deseruyngs but freely by grace lest any should boast hymselfe Thorough the bloud of his Crosse all thyngs in heauen and earth are reconciled and set at peace wyth the Father without him no heauenly lyfe is geuen nor sinne forgeuen The resurrection of the body I do beleue that by the same my sauiour Christ I and all men shall rise againe from death for he as Paul sayth is risen agayne froÌ„ the dead and is become the first fruits of them which sleepe Resurrection For by a man came death and by a man commeth the resurrection from death This man is Christ through the power of whose resurrection I beleue that we all shall rise agayne in these our bodyes the elect clothed with immortalitie to liue with Christ for euer the reprobate also shall rise immortall to liue with the deuill and his angels in death euerlasting And the life euerlasting Through the same Iesus by none other I am sure to haue life euerlasting He onely is the way and entrance into the kingdome of heauen Iohn 3. For so God loued the world that he did geue his onely sonne Iesus Christ to the ende that so many as do beleue in him might haue euerlasting lyfe The which I am sure to possesse so soone as I am dissolued Life and Saluation onely by fayth in Christ. departed out of this tabernacle in the last day shall both body and soule possesse the same for euer to the which God graunt all men to come I beleue that the sacramentes that is to say of Baptisme and of the Lordes supper are seales of Gods moste mercyfull promises towardes mankind Two sacraments of the new Testament In Baptisme as by the outward creature of water I am washed from the filthines which hangeth on my flesh so do I assuredly beleue y t I am by Christes bloud washed cleane froÌ„ my sins through which I haue sure confidence of my certaine saluation In the partaking of the Lordes supper as I receyue the substance of bread wyne the nature of which is to strengthen the body so do I by faith receyue the redemption wrought in Christes body broken on the crosse life by his death resurrection by his resurrection and in summe all that euer Christ in his body suffered for my saluation to the strengthening of my faith in the same And I beleeue that God hath appointed the eatyng drinking of the creatures of bread and wine in his holy supper according to his word to mooue and to stirre vp my mynd to beleue these articles aboue written This is my faith this I do beleue and I am content by Gods grace to confirme and seale the truth of the same with my bloud By me Iohn Warne ¶ A letter of Iohn Cardmaker to a certaine friend of his The peace of God be with you YOu shall right well perceiue A 〈◊〉 M. Câ—â—â—â—make◠〈…〉 that I am not gone backe as some men do report me but as ready to geue my lyfe as any of my brethren that are gone before me although by a pollicie I haue a little prolonged it and that for the best as already it appeareth vnto me and shortly shall appeare vnto all That day that I recant any poynt of doctrine I shall suffer twenty kyndes of death the Lord beyng myne assistance as I doubt not but he wil. Commend me to my friend and tell hym no lesse This the Lorde strengthen you me and all his elect My riches and pouertie is as it was woont to be and I haue learned to reioyce in pouertie as well as in riches for that count I now to bee very riches Thus fare ye well in Christ. Salute all my brethren in my name I haue conferred with some of my aduersaries learned men and I finde that they be but Sophistes and shadowes ¶ A note concerning M. Cardmaker MAister Cardmaker beyng condemned in
when hee knew that he had flatly renounced Christ and hys worde he sayde vnto hym O vnhappy and more then miserable Philbert prophecieth is it possible for you to be so folish as for sauing of a few dayes which you haue to liue by the course of nature so to start awaye and to denye y e truth Know you therfore that although you haue by your foolishnes auoyded y e corporall fire yet your life shal be neuer the longer for you shall dye before me and God shal not geue you the grace that it shal be for hys cause and you shal be an example to al Apostates The marueilous iudgement of God against Apostates He had no sooner ended hys talke but the priest goyng out of prison was slayne by two gentlemen which had a quarrell to him Wherof when M. Philbert had heard he affirmed that he knewe of no such thing before but spake as pleased God to guyd hys tongue Wherupon immediately he made an exhortation of the prouidence of God which by the occason hereof moued the hartes of many and conuerted them vnto God At last the foresayd Philbert after hys condemnation was had to the place of his martyrdome before the palace and as he was exhorting the people to the intent hys wordes shoulde not be heard the trumpets blew without ceasing Trumpets blowen to stoppe the hearing of Philbert And so being fastened to y e post this holy martyr praying exhortyng the people was strangled and hys bodye wyth fire consumed on palme sunday euen Ex Gal. hist. Crisp. lib. 6. Ripet a Secretary Anthony Eschaux Baily The kinges Procurator Micholas Startorius At Ost by Piedmont An. 1557. Nicolaus Startorius of the age of 26. yeres borne in Piedmont came to the partes of Chamberye in Lent Nicolas Startorius martyr where a certayn warden of the Fryers in the towne of Oste had preched on good friday vpon the passion The reporte of which Sermon being recited to this Sartorius by one that heard him Sartorius reprehended the errour and blasphemyes thereof whiche were agaynst the holye scriptures Shortly after the party that told hym went to a Secretarye named Ripet who couertly came to entrap Nicholas demaunding him of the Friers Sermon And did not our Preacher sayd he preach well No sayde Nicholas but he lyed falsely Ripet entring further w t him demaunded And do not you beleue the body of the Lord to be in the hoste to whom Nicholas then aunswered agayne that to be agaynst our Creed which sayth that he ascended vp and sitteth c. Incontinent Ripet went to the Frier and his companions to cause him to be apprehended The frendes of Nicolas perceiuing the daunger willed him to auoyde and saue himselfe and also accompanyed him out of the town about the space of three leagues Then was great pursute made after him to al quarters who at length was taken at the towne of S. Remy at the foot of the mountaine of great S. Bernard where he was examined before Anthony Eschaux Bailife of the towne and other iustices before whom he aunswered with great boldnesse for hys fayth Then they brought him to the racke when the Sergeant refused to draw the corde the Bayliffe himselfe the Receiuer with a Canon did rack him with theyr owne handes Notwithstanding that the Lordes of Berne wrote for him to the towne of Ost requiring to haue theyr owne subiect deliuered vnto them they hastened the execution and pronounced sentence that he should be burned Which sentence he receiued with such constancy that neither the kinges receiuer nor all the other enemies coulde diuert him from the truth of the Gospell which he manfully mainteined while any spirit remayned in his bodye Ex Ioan. Crisp lib. 6. The accusers be not named in the story A broderer of Tours Martyr George Tardif George Tardif Martyr with one of Tours a Broderer Nicholas a Shomaker of Ienuile At Tours An. 1558. At Ienuile An. 1558. The Printer of the story of the french martyrs named Crispine among othermoe maketh also memoriall of George Tardif a Broderer of Tours and Nicholas of Ienuile declaring that all these three together were in prison and afterward were disseuered to suffer in sundry places one from the other of whome first George Tardife was executed in Sens. The Broderer of Tours as hee was comming with 5. or 6. other out of a woode beyng at prayer was taken and thereupon examined Before hee shoulde bee examined he desired the Iudges that hee myght praye Which being graunted after his prayer made wherein he prayed for the Iudges for the king and all estates for the necessity of all Christes Sayntes he aunswered for himselfe with such grace and modestye that the hartes of many were broken vnto the sheddyng of teares seeking as it seemed nothing els but hys deliueraunce Notwithstanding he at last was sent vnto Tours and there was crowned with martyrdome The third which was Nicolas being but young of yeares and newly come from Geneua Nicolas of Ienuile Martyr to his coūtrey for certayne money by meanes of a Lady there dwelling was caused to be apprehended When he was condemned and set in the cart his Father comming with a staffe would haue beaten him but the officers not suffering it would haue stroken the olde man The sonne crying to the Officers desired them to let his father alone saying that his father had power ouer him to doe with him what he would and so going to the place where he should suffer hauyng a balle of yron put in his mouth he was brought at length to the fire in the towne of Ienuile where he paciently tooke his death and Martyrdome an 1558. Ex Typogra Crisp. Lib. 6. The Priestes of the College of plessis The doctors of Sorbone Doctor Democrates Cenalis Bishop of Auranches Martine the kinges Attorney The Cardinall of Lorrane Maillardus Henry the secōd frēch king The congregation of Paris persecuted to the number of three or foure hundreth At Paris An. 1558. AN. 1558. Sept. 4. a company of the faythfull to the nūber of 3. or 4. hundred wer together conuented at Paris in a certē house hauing before it y e college of Plessis in the strete of S. Iames behinde it A terrible persecution at Paris against the Cōgregation the college of Sorbone Who ther assembled in the beginning of the night to the intent to communicate togeather the Lordes supper but incontinēt that was discouered by certeyne Priestes of Plessis who gathering together suche as were of that faction came to beset the house and made an outcrye that the watch mighte come and take them so that in short time almost all the city of Paris was vp in armor thinking some conspiracy to haue bene in y e city Who then following the noyse perceiuing that they were Lutheranes a greate part of thē were in extreme rage furiouslye seeking to haue theyr bloud and
power ouer them be called gracious Lords but so it shal not be amongst you But whosoeuer amongst you is the greater shal be as the yonger And whosoeuer amongst you shall be chiefe shal be as a seruaunt and a minister c. And againe Christ speaking to Pilate of his kingdome declareth that his kingdome is not of this world therefore sayth Tonstall those that go about to make of Christs spirituall kingdome 〈◊〉 22. a worldly kingdome do fall into the error of some heretickes that looke that Christ after the day of iudgement shall raign with all his sayntes here in earth carnally in Hierusalem as the Iewes do beleue that Messias is yet to come and when he shall come he shall raigne worldly in Hierusalem By these and such other places it may well appere that Christ neither before his incarnation Iohn 18. as Tonstall sayth nor after his incarnation did euer alter the authoritye of worldly kinges and Princes but by his owne woorde commaunded them still to be obeyed of theyr subiectes as they had bene in the auncient time before c. And for examples of the same Math. 22. Examples of Christes humble subiection he alledgeth first y e example of Christ himselfe Mathew 22. who being asked of the Iewes whether they should geue tribute to Caesar or no he bad theÌ„ geue to Caesar those thinges that be his and to God those thinges that be his signifying that tribute was due to Caesar and that theyr soules were due to God c. Also in the 17. of Mathew it appeareth that Christ bad Peter pay tribute for him and his Disciples Math. 17. when it was demaunded of him And why Because he woulde not chaunge the order of obeysaunce to worldly Princes due by theyr subiectes c. An other example of Christe he citeth out of the 6. of Iohn Iohn 6. where after Christ had fed fiue thousand and moe with a few loaues and fewer fishes and that the Iewes would haue takeÌ„ him and made him theyr king he fled from them and woulde not consent vnto them For the kingdome sayth he that he came to set hâ—re in earth was not a worldly and temporall kingdome but an heauenly and spirituall kingdome that is to raigne spiritually by grace and fayth in the hartes of all Christen and faythfull people of what degree or of what nation soeuer they be and to turne al people and nations which at his comming were carnall liued after the lustes of the flesh to be spirituall and to liue after the lustes of the spirite that Christ with his father of heauen might reigne in the hartes of all men c. And here in these examples of Christes humility farther is to be noted how Christ the sonne of God did submit himselfe not only to the rulers and powers of this world but also deiected himselfe and in a maner became seruaunt to his owne Apostles so far of was he from all ambitious and pompous seeking of worldly honor For so appeared in him not onely by washing the feet of his Apostles but also the same time a litle before his passion when the Apostles fell at contention among themselues who among theÌ„ should be superiour he setting before them the example of his owne subiection asketh this question Who is superiour he that sitteth at the Table Luke 22. or he that serueth at the Table Is not he superior that sitteth but I am amongest you as he that ministreth and serueth c. The like examples Tonstall also inferreth of Peters humility Examples of Peters subiection Act. 10. For where we read in the Actes how the Centurion a noble man of great age did prostrate himselfe vpon the ground at the feete of Peter then Peter not suffering that eftsoones tooke him vp and bad him rise saying I am also a man as thou art So likewise did the Aungell Apocalips 19. and 22. to whom when Iohn would haue fallen downe to haue adored him which shewed him those visions Apoc. 19.22 the Aungell sayd vnto him See thou do not so for I am the seruaunt of God as thou art c. Agayne in the foresaid Peter what an example of reuerent humility is to be sene in this that notwithstaÌ„ding he with other Apostles hauing his commission to go ouer all yet neuerthelesse he being at Ioppa and sent for by Cornelius durst not go to him without the vision of a sheete let downe from heauen by the which vision he was admonished not to refuse the Gentiles or els he knew in himselfe no such primacy ouer all people and places geueÌ„ vnto him nor no such commission so large aboue the other c. Furthermore the sayd Peter being rebuked of Paule his felow brother tooke no scorne therof but was content submitting himselfe to due correction But here sayth Tonstall steppeth in the B. of Rome and sayth that Peter had authority geuen aboue all the residue of the Apostles The Popes obiections alledgeth the wordes of Christ spoken to him Math. 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church will geue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth Math. 16. shall be bound in heauen This sayd Christ sayth the Pope and S. Peter is buryed at Rome whose succour I am and ought to rule the Church as Peter did and to be porter of heaueÌ„ gates as Peter was c. And Christ sayd also to Peter after his resurrection Feede my sheepe which he spake to him onely Iohn 21. so that thereby he had authority ouer all that be of Christes flocke and I as his successour haue the same And therefore who so will not obey me King or Prince I wyll curse hym The ambitious pride of the Pope and depriue him of his kingdome or seigniory For al power is geuen to me that Christ hath and I am his Uicare generall as Peter was here in earth ouer all none but I as Christ is in heauen This ambitious and pompous obiection sayth Tonstall of the Pope and his adherentes The scriptures falsely perueted by the pope hath of late yeares much troubled the world and made dissention bebate and open warre in all partes of ChristeÌ„dome all by a wrong interpretatioÌ„ of the Scripture Who if he would take those places after the right sense of them as both the Apostles themselues taught vs and all the auncient best learned interpretours do expound them the matter were soone at a poynt But otherwise sith they peruert the Scripture and preach an other Gospell in that poynt to vs then euer the apostles preached we haue therin a general rule to folow That though an Aungell came from heauen Gal. 1. and woulde tell vs such new expositions of those places as are now made to turne the wordes which were spoken for spirituall authoritye of preaching the word of God and ministring of
How Scripture may be abâ—sed to any purpose as commoÌ„ly the Papistes vse it by such meanes a man may easely auoyde all the misteries of our christeÌ„ fayth As where it is sayde thus of God the father this is my beloued sonne c. A man may also wring that to be vnderstood thus this is y e image of my welbeloued sonne or this is the vertue of my well beloued sonne yea muche more iustly then your good Lordship doth y e other because S. Paule to the Hebrues doth call the sonne the Image of the father and in an other place he calleth him the power or vertue of God and Gods wisedom Now though he be so called in scripture God forbid that we shoulde call hym onely Gods Image or Gods vertue and not God himselfe Rochester Oh gentle M. Langdale A figuratiue speach somewhere hurtfull somewhere not you ought not to reason after such a sort as you do now because that a trope or figuratiue speache is noâ—iue somewhere but not euery where nor in this matter Langdale Yet by your license honorable father it doth appeare to me no trope at al in these words of christ A fond reason wherefore this is my body should seeme no figuratiue speach this is my body which is geuen for you and that for this reason Chryst did exhibite or geue againe the very same things at his last supper by the which thinges he was ioyned to vs but he was ioyned or knit vnto vs by his owne naturall flesh bloud ergo he did exhibite to vs at his last supper no lesse agayne My former proposition I proue by the testimony of S. Chrisost. whose wordes in Christes person are these I would be your brother I tooke vpon me common flesh bloud for your sakes and euen by the same things that I am ioyned to you the very same I haue exhibited to you agayne c. ¶ Here the Proctors commaunded Langdale to geue place to an other Rochest We are not ioyned by natural flesh but do receiue his flesh spiritually from aboue c. ¶ Here M. Segewicke replied RIght worshipful M Doctor I do also aske of you first of all Whether the article of the newter gender this be referâ—ed to the bread oâ— to the body whether the greeke article this of the neuter geÌ„der be referred to the word bread or to the word body if it be referred to the worde bread then Christ woulde not haue sayd this in the neuter gender but rather this in the masculine gender Rochester Forsooth that article is referred to neyther of both but may signify vnto vs any other kinde of thing Segewicke No forsoothe but it doth note vnto vs some excelleÌ„t great thing determinately not so coÌ„fusedly as you say For such a great heap of articles in the greek doth notify vnto vs a great and weighty thing to be in the sacrament determinately if wee may credite the auncient Fathers Bread taken diuersly in the Scripture Moreouer this word bread is not alwayes in the scriptures taken after one sorte wherefore I desire you to shew me how it is taken in this place of S. Paule we are many one bread c. Madew Forsooth of the very wheaten bread Segewicke Then after your minde we are all very wheaten bread Rochest Forsooth we are bread not for the nature of bread but for the felowship and vnity that is noted by the coagulation of many graynes into one bread or loafe How we are bread and how not Segewicke Well let that passe then thus It is the body ergo no figure for because there is a perpetuall contrarietye betweene the law of Moyses the law of grace Therein were figures shadowes and herein is the verity indeed Rochester I do graunt it to be Christes true body flesh by a propriety of the nature assumpted to the godhead How the bread is Christs body yea and we do really eat and drinke his flesh and bloud after a certeine reall property Segewicke It is not the figurate paschall lambe it is not the figuratiue Manna nor yet y e figuratiue shewbread c. ergo it is no figure Madew I do deny your argument Segewicke I maynteyne my argument thus all the shadowes are wholy past ergo also so be the figures for euery figure is a shadow if then it be but a figure all y e figures are not past as yet but that is false ergo so is the other Rochest It is nothing but a figure or token of the true body of Christ as it is sayd of Iohn the baptiste The bread but a figure and â—ow he is Elias not that he was so in deede or person but in property and vertue he represented Elias Segewicke So but most learned father when Christ sayde I am the way the truth and the life may it be vnderstanded as you do the other place thus I am y e vertue of the way verity and the life But now to the matter it selfe It is verily meat ergo it is not figuratiuely Madew This verbe or word is in this place is taken for that that signifieth Here he was commaunded to reply in the second matter Segewicke NOw as touching our second conclusion thys I say Wheresoeuer Christ is there is a sacrifice propiciatory but in the Lordes supper is Christ ergo in the Lordes supper is a sacrifice propiciatory Christ not offered but receaued in spirite Madew Christ is not offered in the Lordes supper but is receiued spiritually Segewicke The priesthood and the sacrifice be corespondeÌ„t together Christes sacrifice offered once for all is onely sufficient without any other but Christes priesthood after the orde of Melchizedech is perpetuall ergo also so is his sacrifice Rochest Christ is a Priest for euer that is to say his sacrifice and priesthood offered once for all is auaylable for euer so that no other shall succeed him Legewicke Where there is no oblatioÌ„ there is no sacrifice ergo if Christ be not perpetually offered Christes sacrifice an end of all sacrifices there is no perpetuall sacrifice Item the same bloudy sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse was the very fine and end of all the bloudye sacrifices figured in y e law after the order of Aarons priesthoode Wherefore you must needes graunt that he offered himselfe also at his last supper after the order of Melchizedech vnder the formes of breade and wine or els you must shewe the scripture where he did so which I cannot perceiue to be done but at his last supper onely after an vnbloudy maner Item he is offered for the remission of sins daylye ergo he is a sacrifice propitiatorye still in the newe law as Saynt Augustine sayth expounding these wordes of the Psalme Thou hast not willed to haue sacrifice and oblation but. c. Rochester S. Cyprian speaketh much like y e sorte where he sayth thus It is the Lordes Passion whiche we doe offer
the deuill and defendeth meÌ„ from deceptions of phantasy c. Thus ye haue heard the author and father of holly water which some also ascribe to Pope Sixtus which succeeded Alexander But as y e Papists do not agree in the fyrst authour or institutor of this hallowing of Elementes so I thinke the same vntruely to be ascribed to either but leauing the probation of this to farther leasure let vs nowe heare in our owne tongue theyr owne words which y e vse in this theyr coniuration The forme and wordes vsed of the Priest in coniuring Salt I coniure thee thou creature of Salte by the ✚ liuyng God Salt coniured by the ✚ true God by the holy God c. That thou mayest be made a coniured Salte to the saluation of them that beleue And that vnto all suche as receiue thee thou mayest be health of soule and body and that from out of y e place wherein thou shalt be sprinckled may flie away and depart all phantasy wickednes or craftines of the deuils subtlety and euery foule spirit c. The forme of coniuring water Water coniured I coniure thee thou creature of water in the name of ✚ God the father almighty and in the name of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue ✚ of the holy Ghost that thou become a coniured water to expell all power of the enemy c. Who seeth not in these wordes blasphemye intollerable how that which only is due to the bloud of Christ and promised to fayth onely in him the same is transferred to earthly and insensate creatures to be saluation both to bodye and spirite inwardlye to geue remission of sinnes to geue health and remedy agaynst euils and deuils against all phantasies wickednesse and all foule spirites and to expell the power of the enemy c. If this be true whereto serueth the bloud of Christ and the vertue of Christian fayth Therfore iudge thy selfe gentle Reader whether thou thinke this trompery rightly to be fathered vpon those ancient fathers aforenamed or els whether it may seme more like trueth that Iohn Sleydan writeth whose woordes in his second booke de Monarchijs are these Ioan 〈◊〉 danu◠〈◊〉 de 4. â—â—â—narch Horum decreta sunt in libris inserta conciliorum sed ex his plaeraque tam sunt leuicula tam nugatoria tam aliena prorsus a sacris literis vt credibile sit ab alijs longo post teÌ„pore fuisse conficta c. That is The decrees of these foresaid Bishops and Martyrs be inserted in the booke of Counsels but of these decrees many therof be so childish so trifling and so farre disagreeing from the holy scripture Many 〈…〉 imputeâ— the oldâ— theâ—â— which 〈◊〉 none oâ— theirs that it is very like that the same were fayned and counterfayted of others long after theyr time c. Thus muche sayth Sleydane with moe woordes in that place Unto whose testimony if I might be so bolde also to adde my coniecture I would suppose the coniuration of this foresayd water and Salte to spring out of the same fountayne from whence proceeded the coniuring of flowers and braunches because I see the order and manner of them both to be so like and vniforme as may appeare The maner of halowing flowers and braunches I coniure thee thou creature of flowers and brauÌ„ches in the name of ✚ God the father almighty Floures braunch hallowâ— and in the name ✚ of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue of the holy ✚ Ghost Therfore be thou rooted out and displaÌ„ted from this creature of flowers and braunches all thou strength of the aduersary all thou host of the deuill and all the power of the enemy eueÌ„ euery assault of the deuils c. And thus much concerning the antiquity of holy bread and holy water wherby thou mayst partly coniecture the same not to be so olde as Steuen Gardiner in hys Letter agaynst mayster Ridley aboue mentioned woulde haue Pag. 753. being both deceiued himselfe and also goyng about to seduce other Furthermore as touching the reseruing of reliques the memoriall of sayntes brought into the masse Ex Actiâ— Rom. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Gregoriâ—â— Gregory the thyrd is the author therof who also added to the canon therof this clause Quorum solennitates hodie in coÌ„spectu diuinae maiestatis tuae celebrantur c. Finally it were to long to recite euery thing in order deuised and brought in particularly to the masse and to y e Church For after that mans brayne was once set on deuising it neuer coulde make an end of heaping rite vppon rite and ceremony vpon ceremonye till all religion was turned well nighe to superstition Thereof commeth oyle and creame brought in by Pope Siluester not wont to be hallowed but by a byshop Oyle 〈◊〉 creame The 〈◊〉 onelâ— linnen That the corporas shuld not be of silcke but onely of fine linnen cloth That the Psalmes should be song on sides the one side of the quier singing one verse the other an other with gloria patri c. That baptisme should be ministred at no other time in the yere but onely at Easter and at whitsontide saue onely to infantes and such as were in extreame infirmity and that it should be requyred 40. dayes before Autor 〈◊〉 Conciliâ—â— Tomo 〈◊〉 Hallow of the 〈◊〉 at Easteâ—â— Whitsoâ—â—tide Christ iâ— of bellâ— Ex ponâ— cali 〈…〉 No beaâ—â— so determined by Pope Siricius and therfore was it that fontes were halowed onely at these two seasons the which hallowing they keep yet still but the ordinaunce they haue reiecte Item that belles also were Christened Item no Prieste shoulde weare a beard or haue long hayre so appoynted by Pope Martine the first Item that auriculare confession shoulde be made that the booke of decrees and decretals should be stablished and transubstauntiation confirmed in whiche three Actes Pope Innocentius the thyrd was the chiefest doer Transuâ—â—stantiatâ—â— about the yeare of our Lord. 1215. And thus haue ye in sum the gatheringes of the masse with the Chanon and all the appurtenaunce of the same which not much vnlike to the Crow of Esope being patched with the feathers of so manye byrdes was so long a gethering that the temple of Salomon was not so long in building as the Popes Masse was in making Whereby iudge now thy selfe good Reader whether this Masse did proceede from Iames and other Apostles or no. And yet this was one of the principall causes for which so much turmoyle was made in the Church with the bloudshed of so many Godly men suffering in so many quarters of this realme some consumed by fire some pined away with huÌ„ger some hanged some slayne some racked some tormented one way some another and that onely or chiefelye for the cause of this aforesayd popish Masse as by the reading of this story folowing by the grace of Christ our Lord shall appeare more
but that they thought rather as frendes to reconcile you then as enemies to infest you For they wanted not great offers of the most mighty Potentates in all Europe to haue ayded the Church in that quarrell Then marke the sequell There semed by these chauÌ„ges to rise a great face of riches gayn which in proofe came to great misery and lacke See how God then can confound the wisedome of the wise turne vniust pollicy to meere folly that thing that seemed to be done for reliefe was cause of playne ruine decay Yet see that goodnes of God which at no time fayled vs but most beningly offred his grace when it was of our partes least sought and worse deserued And when all light of true religion seemed vtterly extinct as the churches defaced the aultars ouerthrown the Ministers corrupted euen like as in a lampe the light being couered yet it is not quenched euen so in a few remained the confession of Christes fayth namely in the brest of the Queenes excellency of whom to speake without adulation the saying of the prophet may be verefied Ecce quasi derelicta And see how miraculously God of his goodnes preserued her highnes contrary to the expectatioÌ„ of man y t wheÌ„ numbers conspired against her and pollicies were deuised to disherite her and armed power prepared to destroy her yet she being a virgine helpeles naked and vnarmed preuayled had the victory of tyrants which is not to be ascribed to any What policy is this to make promise to get strength and to breake it as the Queene did pollicy of man but to y e almighty great goodnes and prouideÌ„ce of God to whom the honor is to be geuen And therefore it may be sayd Da gloriam Deo For in mans iudgement on her graces part was nothing in appearaunce but despayre And yet for all these practises and deuises of ill menne here you see her Grace established in her estate being your lawfull Queene and Gouernesse borne among you whoÌ„ God hath appointed to raigne ouer you for the restitution of true religion and extirpation of all errours and sectes And to confirme her grace the more strongly in this enterprise loe how the prouideÌ„ce of God hath ioyned her in mariage with a Prince of like religion who being a King of great might armor force yet vseth towards you neither armor nor force but seeketh you by the way of loue and amity in which respect great cause you haue to geue thaÌ„kes to almighty God that hath sent you such a catholicke Gouernesse It shall be therefore your part agayne to loue obey and serue them And as it was a singuler fauor of God to conioyne theÌ„ in mariage so it is not to be doubted but that he shall send them * The Cardinall here appeareth to be a false prophet issue for the comfort surety of this commoÌ„ wealth Of all Princes in Europe the Emperour hath trauayled most in the cause of Religion as it appeareth by his actes in germany yet happely by some secret iudgement of god he hath not atchiued the end With whom in my iourny hitherwardes I had confereÌ„ce touching my legation wherof wheÌ„ he had vnderstanding he shewed great appearance of most earnest ioy gladnesse saying that it reioyced him no lesse of y e recoÌ„cilemeÌ„t of this realme vnto christiaÌ„ vnity theÌ„ that his sonne was placed by mariage in y e kingdome and most glad he was of al that the occasion therof should come by me being an English man borne which is as it were to call home our selues Charles the Emperour coÌ„parâ—d to Dauid I can well compare hym to Dauid which though he were a man elect of God yet for that he was contaminate with bloud and warre he could not build the temple of IerusaleÌ„ but left the finishing therof to Salomon whiche was Rex pacificus So may it bee thought that the appeasing of controuersies of religion in christianity is not appoynted to this Emperor but rather to his sonne who shall performe the building that his Father hath begonne Which church can not be perfectly builded without vniuersally in all Realmes we adhere to one head Two powers in earth Ecclesiasticall and Imperiall and doe acknowledge him to be the Uicare of God and to haue power froÌ„ aboue For al power is of God according to the saying Non est potestas nisi a Deo And therefore I consider that all power beyng in God yet for the conseruation of quiet godly life in the world he hath deriued that power froÌ„ aboue into two partes here in earth whiche is into the power Imperiall and Ecclesiasticall And these two powers as they be seuerall and distinct so haue they two seuerell effectes and operations For secular Princes to whome the temporall sword is committed be ministers of god to execute vengeance vpon transgressors and euill liuers and to preserue the wel doers and Innocentes from iniury and violence Which power is represeÌ„ted in these two most excellent persoÌ„s the king Queenes Maiesties here present who haue this power committed vnto them immediately from God without any superior in that behalfe The other power is of ministratioÌ„ which is the power of the keies The power of the keyes clarkely declared and order in the ecclesiasticall state which is by the authority of gods word examples of the apostles and of all old holy fathers from Christ hitherto attributed and geuen to the Apostolick sea of Rome by speciall prerogatiue From which sea I am here deputed Legate Embassador hauing full and ample coÌ„missioÌ„ from thence and haue the keyes committed to my handes I confesse to you that I haue the keyes not as mine owne keies The Poâ—â— keyes senâ— by the Câ—â—â—dinall but as the keyes of him that sent me and yet cannot opeÌ„ not for wat of power in me to geue but for certain impedimeÌ„ts in you to receiue which must be taken away before my commission can take effect This I protest before you my Commission is not of preiudice to any persoÌ„ I come not to destroy but to build I come to reconcile not to condemne I come not to compell but to call agayne I am not come to call any thing in question already done but my Commission is of grace and clemency to such as will receiue it For touching al matters that be past they shal be as things cast into the sea of forgetfulnes But the meane whereby you shall receiue this benefit is to reuoke and repeal those lawes and statutes The Poâ—â— keyes canâ—not woâ—â— in Englaâ—â— before thâ— locke of good law be chauÌ„g which be impediments blocks and barres to the executioÌ„ of my coÌ„mission For like as I my selfe had neither place nor voyce to speake here among you but was in all respectes a banished man till suche time as ye had repealed those lawes that lay in my way euen so cannot you receiue the
iustice nor vnwoonted to thy mercy It is well knowen vnto vs how maruelously thou diddest worke in Sara of the age of xc yeares and in Elizabeth the barren and also far striken in age for thy counsel is not in the power of men Thou Lord that art y e searcher of harts thoughts thou knowest that thy seruaÌ„t neuer lusted after man neuer gaue her selfe to wanton coÌ„pany nor made her selfe pertaker w t them that walk in lightnes but she consented to take an husband with thy feare not with her lust Thou knowest that thy seruaunt tooke an husband not for carnal pleasure but only for the desire loue of posteritie wherein thy name might be blessed for euer and euer Geue therfore vnto thy seruaunts Phillip our king and Mary our Queene a male issue which may sit in the seat of thy kingdome Geue vnto our Queene thy seruant a little infant in fashion and body comely beautifull in pregnant wit notable and excellent Graunt the same to be in obedience like * It is not best such one to be graunted vnto you 〈◊〉 being lyke Abrahamâ— Ioseph Moses and Salomon hâ— may chauÌ„â—â— to smel oâ— your corrupt doctrine and detest yoâ— bloudy tyranny c. Abraham in hospitalitie like Loth in chastitie and brotherly loue lyke Ioseph in meekenes myldnes like Moses in strength valiantnes like Sampson Let him be found faythful as Dauid after thy hart Let him be wise among kings as the most wise Salomon Let him be like Iob a simple and an vpright man fearing God eschewyng euill Let hym finally be garnished with the comelynes of all vertuous coÌ„ditions and in the same let him waxe old and lyue that he may see his childrens children to the third fourth generation And geue vnto our soueraigne Lord and Lady K. Phillip and Queene Mary thy blessing and long life vpoÌ„ earth And graunt that of theÌ„ may come kings Queenes which may stedfastly continue in faith loue and holynesse And blessed be their seed of our God that all nations may know thou art only God in all the earth which art blessed for euer and euer Amen ¶ Another prayer for Queene Mary and her conceiued chyld O Almighty father which diddest sanctifie the blessed Virgine and mother of Mary in her conception and in the byrth of Christ our sauiour thy onely sonne also by thy omnipotent power didst safely deliuer the prophet Ionas out of the Whales belly Defend O Lord we beseech thee An other prayer for the same thy seruaunt Mary our Queene with child conceyued and so visite her in and with thy godly gift of health that not onely the child thy creature within her conteined may ioyfully come from her into this worlde and receyue the blessed Sacraments of Baptisme and Confirmation enioying therwith dayly encrease of all princely and gracious gifts both of body soule but that also she the mother thorowe thy speciall grace and mercy may in tyme of her trauaile auoyde all excessiue dolour and payne and abide perfect and sure from all perill and danger of death with long and prosperous life thorough Christ our Lord Amen It followeth now further in processe of the story that vpon the Tuesday being the x. of Ianuary xix of the lower house of the Parliament with the Speaker Ianuary 1â— came to the White Hall to the kyng and there offred him the gouernment of the realme and of the Issue if the Queene should faile which was confirmed by act of Parliament within ten dayes after Upon Wednesday folowing Ianuary â—â— beyng the xxvi of Ianuary the Parliament was cleane dissolued In this Parliament among other things the bishop of Rome was established and all such lawes as were made against hym since the xx yeare of K. Henry the 8. were repealed also cardinall Poole bish Pates The Pope supremacy establisheâ— by Parlament Matters coÌ„â—cluded in the Parlaâ—ment Lilly other were restored to their bloud Also there was an acte made for speakyng of words that whosoeuer should speake any thyng agaynst the king or Queene or that might mooue any sedition or rebellion at the first tyme to haue one of his eares cut of or to forfeit an C. markes and at the second tyme to haue both his eares cut off or els to forfeit an C. pounds who so euer should write cipher or print any of the premisses to haue their right hand cut off Three statutes agaynst heretickes reâ—uiued Also in this Parliament three statutes were reuiued for triall of heresie one made in the fift yere of Richard the 2. an other in the 2. yeare of Henry the 4. and the third in the 2. yeare of Henry the 5. Also the doyng of M. Rose and the other that were with him was communed of in this Parliament and vpon that occasion an acte was made that certaine euill prayers should be treason agaynst the Queenes highnes The prayers of these men were thus God turne the hart of Queene Mary from Idolatrie or els shorten her dayes Wherof read the statute Ann. 1. 2. Reg. Phil. Mariae Cap. 9. As touching the taking of M. Rose his felows word was brought therof to M. Hooper being theÌ„ in the Fleete Whereupon the said M. Hooper sendeth aunswer againe with a letter also of consolation sent to the sayd prisoners the copie wherof I thought here not to ouerpasse ¶ The aunswer of M. Hooper to a letter sent vnto him concerning certaine prisoners taken in Bowe churchyard 〈◊〉 aunâ—â—re to a 〈…〉 sent 〈◊〉 him THe grace of God be with you Amen I perceiue by your letter how that vpon Newyeres day at night there were taken a godly company of Christians whilest they were praying I doe reioyce in that men can be so well occupied in this perilous time and flee vnto God for remedy by prayer as well for theyr owne lackes and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the worde of God commaund all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to reuile any Magistrate with wordes or to meane him euill by force or violence They also may reioyce that in well doyng they were taken to the prison Wherfore I haue thought it good to send them this little writing of consolation praying God to send them pacience charitie constancie in the truth of his most holy word Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true word into this Realme againe amongest vs which the vngodly Bishops haue now banished Ianua 4. ann 1555. ¶ A letter of consolation sent from M. Hooper to the godly brethren taken in Bow churchyard in prayer and layd in the Counter in Breadstreat THe grace fauor consolation and ayd of the holy ghost be with you now and euer So be it Dearely beloued in the Lord euer sithens your imprisonment A letter of 〈◊〉 Hooper 〈◊〉 of most â—eauenly â—onsolatioÌ„ I haue
xxiij of May did aunswere to the same confessing and graunting the articles and the contentes thereof to bee true accordyng as they were obiected in euery part subscribing also the same with hys hand Such strength and fortitude gods holy spirit wrought in hym to stand stoutly and confidently to the defence of the sincere doctrine of hys sonne Whereupon the B. exhorting him with many wordes to leaue his heresies as he called them and to returne to the bosom of his mother the holy church commanded him to appeare agayne the next day being the xxiiij of the same moneth Who so doyng and aunswering as he did before was willed to come thither agayne at after noone so hee dyd The 〈◊〉 Session agaynst 〈◊〉 Warne where and at what tyme he was earnestly exhorted by the sayd Bish. to recant his opinions To whom he aunswered that he would not depart from his receyued profession vnlesse he were therunto throughly perswaded by the holy scriptures Upon which aunswer he was willed to come agayne the next day beyng the 25. day of the same moneth The thirâ— session May. 25. at one of the clocke in the after noone At which day and houre the B. examined him agayne vpon all his former articles before obiected to the which he most constantly did sticke with his further aunswer thereunto added I am persuaded quoth he to be in the right opinion and that I see no cause to repent for all filthines Idolatry is in the church of Rome The B. then seyng that notwithstandyng all his faire promises terrible threatnyngs whereof he vsed store he could not any thing preuaile Iohn Warne â—â—nstant agaynst the Bishops persuasioâ— Sentence geuen agaynst Iohn Warne May. 30. Cardmakâ—â— and Iohn Warne brought 〈◊〉 execution Iohn Warne tyed to thâ— stake finished this examination with the definitiue sentence of condemnation pronounced against the said Iohn Warne and so charged the Shiriffs of London with him vnder whose custody he remained in the prison of Newgate vntil the 30. day of the same month of May. Upon the which 30. of May being the day appoynted for their execution Iohn Cardmaker with the sayd Iohn Warne were brought by the shiriffes to the place where they should suffer Who beyng come to the stake first the Shiriffes called Cardmaker aside and talked with hym secretly so long that in the meane tyme Warne had made hys prayers was chayned to the stake and had wood and reede set about hym so that nothyng wanted but the firyng but styll aboade Cardmaker talkyng with the shiriffes The people whiche before had heard that Cardmaker would recant and beholding this maner of doing The peopâ—â— afrayd at Cardmakâ—â— recanting were in a meruailous dumpe and sadnes thinkyng in deede that Cardmaker should now recant at the burning of Warne At length Cardmaker departed from the Shiriffes and came towards the stake and in his garments as he was kneeled downe made a long prayer in silence to himself yet the people coÌ„firmed themselues in their fantasie of his recanting seyng him in his garments praying secretly no semblance of any burning ⧠The Martyrdome of Iohn Cardmaker and Iohn Warne Vpholster An. 1555. May. 30. ¶ The confession of the fayth of Iohn Warne Citizen of London which he wrote the day before he was burned the 30. day of May. 1555. I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth A Father because hee is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 who is the euerlasting word whome before all worldes he hath begotten of himselfe which worde was made flesh and therein also manifested to be his sonne in whom he hath adopted vs to be his children the inheriters of his kyngdom and therfore he is our father An almighty God because he hath of nothing created all things visible and inuisible both in heauen and in earth euen all creatures conteyned therin and gouerneth them And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. The eternall word perfect God with his father of equal power in all things of the same substance of like glory by whom all things were made and haue life without whom nothing liueth he was made also perfect maÌ„ and so being very God and very man in one person is the onely Sauiour Redeemer and Ransomer of them which were lost in Adam our forefather He is the onely meane of our deliuerance the hope of our health the suretie of our saluation Which was conceyued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary According to the Fathers most mercifull promise this eternal sonne of God forsaking the heauenly glory humbled himselfe to take flesh of a virgin according to y e scriptures vniting the substance of the Godhed to the substaÌ„ce of the manhoode which he tooke of the substaunce of that blessed virgin Mary in one person to become therein the very Massiah the annointed king and priest for euer appointed to pacifie the fathers wrath which was iustlye gone out agaynst vs all for our sinne Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell He was arraigned before Pontius Pilate the ruler of Iewrie and so vniustly accused of many crimes that the Ruler iudged him innocent and sought meanes to deliuer him but contrary to knowen iustice he did let go Barrabas which had deserued death and deliuered Christ to bee crucified who deserued no death which doth declare vnto vs manifestly that he suffred for our sinnes was buffeted for our offences as the prophets do witnes thereby to haue it manifested to all men that he is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Therefore sufferyng for our sinnes he receiued and did beare our deserued condemnation the paines of death the tast of abiection the very terror of hell yelding his spirit to his father his body to be buried in earth The third day he rose againe from death to lyfe To make full and perfect the whole worke of our redemption and iustification the same crucified body which was layd in the graue was raised vp againe the third day from death by the power of hys Father and glory of hys Godhead he became the first fruits of the resurrection got the victory of death that all by him might be raised vp from death Thorough whome all true penitent sinners may now boldly come vnto the father and haue remission of their sinnes He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty After that in his death and resurrectioÌ„ he had conquered sinne death and the deuil and had bene conuersant 40. days in the earth being seene of the Apostles more then v. hundred brethren at once in the same body in which he wrought the worke of our saluation he ascended into heauen with eternal triumph for the victory ouer death sinne and hel leauing the passage open by which all true beleeuers may and shal enter
knowe whether hee shall be saued c.  Marian Morden his own sister Also that shee dyd not worship Images And after these little thynges he intended to teache her of the Sacrament  W. Afrike or Littlepage Iohn Afrike or Litlepage Emme Harding or Afrike Iohn Fip Phisition ¶ To thys Iames Morden with other moe abiurers it was enioyned by Bishoppe Smith for seuen yeares to visite the church of Lincolne twise a yeare from Amersham And when diuers had gotte licence of the Bishoppe for length of the iourny to visite the Image of our Ladie of Missenden for the space of v. yeares thys Iames Morden when hee coulde not obtaine licence so to doe yet notwithstandyng for the tediousnesse of the way went with them to the same Image and thereuppon was charged for violatyng the Bishops iniunction Also because to get his liuing hee wrought halfe a yeare out of the dioces when he had bene inioyned by the Bishop not to goe out of the diocesse of Buckingham Fol. 11. This Iam. Morden confessed y t he vsed his Pater noster and Creede so much in English that he had forgot many words therof in Latin and therefore was inioyned by bishop Smith to say it no more in English but only in Latine and because he kept not this iniunction he fell therefore in relaps Roger Benet by like compulsion of his othe was caused to detect these following to be knowne persons W. Rogers Tyler and his wife W. Harding Rog. Harding Ioane Ienynges George seruaunt to Tho. Tochel Th. Gray seruant of Roger Benet Agnes Franke. Ioane Colyngworth W. Smith The wife of Iohn Milsent Rob. Stampe and his wife The wife of Rob. Bartlet The wife of Dauid Lewys of Henley Ioh. Frier seruant to M. Penne. Iohn Tracher  Ioh. Mordens wife Rich. Ashford Wil. Litlâ—page prentise sometime of Iohn Scriuener Emme his wife Ioh. Scriuener Isabel Morwyn For teaching Coplands wyfe her errors Thom Halfaker sworne vpon his othe did detect these names here folowing Ioh. Milsent his wife Rog. Harding and his wife Th. Bernard Th. Afrike his wife W. Rogers W. Harding and his wife Kat. Bartlet the mother of Rob. and Ric. Barlet Th. Harding his wife W. Franke and Agnes his wife This great abiuraâ—ion was anno 1511. Because these comming to the Church and especiallye at the eleuatioÌ„ time would say no prayers but did sitte mumme as hee tearmed it lyke beastes Because Katherine Bartlette beyng of good health came but seldome to the Church but fained her selfe sicke and because William Franke maried Agnes hys wife shee beyng before abiured  Rob. Pope Because hee fled away when the great abiuration was at Amersham Also for hauing certaine English bokes fol. 16.  Emme Affrike alias Emme Harding I. Affricke Henry Milner Hernes wife now the wife of Waiuer William Tilseworth Emme Tilseworth of London Thomas Tilseworth and his wife The wife of Robert Tilseworth William Glasbroke Christopher Glasbroke Milner Thomas Groue and Ioane his wife Thomas Man by Bristow Tho. Holms detected Hen. Miller Counted for a great heretike and learned in the Scripture  Iohn Schepard The wife of Iohn Schepard of Dorney The elder daughter of Rog Harding of Amersham Nich. Stokely Couper and his wife of Henley Iohn Clerke Tho. Wilbey of Henley W. Stokeley Hobs with his sonnes of Hychenden The wife of Iohn Scriuener Smith of Owborne Thomas Clerke the elder Thomas Clerke the younger Wigmer fermer of Hychenden Robert Carder weiuer Iohn-Frier seruant to M. Pen. Iohn Morwen and Isabel his wife Elizabeth Houer wife of Henry Houer of little Missenden Rich. White Fuller of Beckinsfield  Andr. Randal and his wife of Ricmansworth Because they receyued into theyr House Thomas Manne flying for persecution and for reading Wickleffs Wicket  The father of Andrewe Randall Benet Ward Fuller Thys Benet Warde was also denounced by Iohn Merstonne for saying that it booteth no manne to pray to oure Ladie nor to no Sainte nor aungell in Heauen but to God only for they haue no power of mans soule  The wife of Benet Ward and her dâ—ughter For saying that Thomas Pope was the deuoutest manne that euer came in their house for he woulde sitte readyng in his booke to midnight many times The foresayd Tho. Holmes detected Tho. Tailour and his wife of Vxbridge Rob. Quicke Rob. Cosine Tho. Clarke and his wife of Ware One Gâ—ldener about Herford Iohn Bay and Wil. Say his sonne of little Missenden The wife of Iohn Wellys of Amersham Ioane Glasbroke sister to Wil. Glasbroke of Harow on the Hill Tho. Susan Wheler Iohnâ— Lee Smith Iohn Austy Sherman Iohn Frier Edmund Harding Ioh. Heron Carpenter of Hambeldon Henry Miller  Iohn Phips Hee was very ripe in Scriptures  Emme wife of Rich. Tilsworth  Iohn Phip He was a reader or rehearser to the other  Iohn Say of Missenden William Stokeley  Rog. Squire For saying to Holmes Thys is one of them that maketh all this businesse in oure Towne wyth the Byshoppe I pray GOD teare al the bones of him  Roger Herne A certaine Tanner  Ioh. Butler Carpenter Rich. Butler W. King of Vxbridge These three sate vp all the night in the house of Durdant of Iuencourte by Stanes For reading the Scripture in Englishe readinge all the nighte of a Booke of Scripture  Iohn Muklyf Weauer For speaking againste holy bread and holy water  Tho. Man For saying that Christ was not substantially in the Sacrament  Thomas 〈…〉 Butler For receiuing an English booke geuen hym by Carder his father who after his abiuration don before bishop Smith fel sieke and died  Rich Vulford of Riselip Hackar Thomas King  Ione Cocks The wife of Rob. Wywood husbandman For desiring of Durdant her maister that he being a knowen a man woulde teache her some knowledge of gods law and desiring the same also of the Butlers Rob. Carder of Iuer weuer detected these Nic. DurdaÌ„t of Stanes Dauy Durdant of Ankerwike The wife of old DurdaÌ„t The wife of Nich. Durdant These were detected for that olde Durdant of Euyncourte at dinner sitting with his children their wiues bidding a boy there staÌ„ding to departe out of y e house that he should not heare and tel did recite certain places vnto them out of the Epistles of S. Paule of the Gospels  Ric. White Father in law to Benet Ward of Bekinsfield He was detected to be a knowen man because after the death of bishop Smith he was heard to say these words my L. that dead is was a good man and diuers known men were called before him he seÌ„t them home againe bidding them y t they should liue among their neighbors as good Christen men should do And now saide he there is a new Byshop which is called a blessed man and if he bee as he is named hee wil not trouble the seruants of God but wil let them be in quiet
the which Martin Luther first to stand against the Pope was a great miracle to preuaile against the Pope a greater so to die vntouched may seme greatest of all especially hauing so many enemies as he had Againe neither is it any thing lesse miraculous to consider what manifold dangers he escaped besides as when a certeine Iewe was appointed to come to destroy him by poison yet was it so the will of God that Luther had warning thereof before and the face of the Iewe sent to him by picture whereby he knew him and auoided the perill Another time as he was sitting in a certaine place vpon his stoole M. Luther miraculously preserued a great stone there was in the vault ouer hys head where he did sit which being stayd miraculously so long as he was sitting as soone as he was vp immediatly fell vpon the place where he sate able to haue crushed him all in peeces if it had light vpon him And what should I speake of his praiers which were so ardent vnto Christ that as Melancthon writeth they which stoode vnder his windowe where he stood prayeng might see his teares falling and dropping downe Againe with such power he prayed that he as himselfe confesseth had obteined of the Lord that so long as he liued the Pope should not preuaile in his countrey after his death sayd he let them pray who could M. Luther vehemeÌ„t mighty in prayer And as touching the maruelous workes of the Lorde wrought heere by men if it be true which is credibly reported by the learned what miracle can be more miraculous then that whiche is declared of a yong man aboute Wittenberge who being kept bare and needy by his father was tempted by way of sorcery to bargaine with the Diuell or a familiare as they call him to yeeld hymselfe body and soule into the Diuels power A miraculous worke of the Lorde in deliuering a young man out of the deuils daunger by Christian prayer vpon condition to haue his wish satisfied with money So that vpon the same an obligation was made by the yong man written with his owne bloud and geuen to the Diuell This case you see how horrible it was and how damnable now heare what followed Upon the sodeine wealth and alteration of this yong man the matter first being noted began afterward more more to be suspected and at length after long and great admiration was brought vnto Martin Luther to be examined The yong man whether for shame or feare long denied to confesse and woulde bee knowne of nothing Yet God so wrought being stronger then the Diuell that he vttered vnto Luther the whole substance of the case as well touching the money as the obligation Luther vnderstanding the matter and pitiing the lamentable state of the man willed the whole congregation to pray and he himselfe ceased not with hys praiers to labour so that the Diuell was compelled at the last to throw in his obligation at the window and bade him take it againe vnto him Which narration if it be so true as certeinely it is of him reported I see not the contrary but that this may well seeme comparable wyth the greatest miracle in Christes Church that was since the Apostles time Furthermore as he was mighty in his prayers so in his Sermons God gaue him such a grace that when hee preached they which heard him thought euery one hys owne temptations seuerally to be noted and touched Whereof when signification was geuen vnto him by hys frends and he demaunded how that could be mine owne manifold temptations said he and experiences are the cause thereof Ex Phill Melanct in orat funebri Ex Hierony Wellero For this thou must vnderstand good reader that Luther from his tender yeares was much beaten and exercised with spirituall conflicts as Melancthon in describing of his life doth testifie Also Hieronymus Wellerus scholer and disciple of the sayd Martin Luther recordeth that he oftentimes heard Luther his maister thus reporte of himselfe that he had bene assaulted and vexed with all kindes of temptations sauing onely one Luther â—â—â—uer in all his life tempted with coueteousneâ—s M. Luther how long he liued â— taught which was with couetousnes With this vice he was neuer said he in all his life troubled nor once tempted And hetherto concerning the life of Martin Luther who liued to the yeare of his age 63. He continued writing and preachyng about 29. yeares As touching the order of his death the words of Melancthon be these In the yeare of our Lord 1546. and the 17. of February Doctour Martin Luther sickened a little before supper of his accustomed maladie to wyt of the oppression of humours in the orifice or opening of his stomacke whereof I remember I haue seene him oft diseasid in this place The sickneâ— of Luther This sickenes tooke him after supper with the which he vehemently contending required secesse into a bye chamber and there he rested on his bed two houres all whych time his paynes encreased And as Doctor Ionas was lieng in his chamber Luther awaked and praied him to rise and to call vp Ambrose his childrens scholemaister to make fire in another chamber Into the which when he was newly entred Albert Earle of Mansfield The quiet death of Luther with hys wife and diuers other whose names in these letters for haste were not expressed at that instant came into hys chamber Finally feeling his fatall houre to approche before nine of the clocke in y e morning the xviij of February he coÌ„mended himselfe to God with this deuour praier ¶ The Prayer of Luther at his death MY heauenly father eternall and mercifull God thou hast manifested vnto me thy deare sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ. The prayer of Luther 〈◊〉 his death I haue taught him I haue knowne him I loue him as my life my health and my redemption whome the wicked haue persecuted maligned and with iniurie afflicted Draw my soule to thee After this he sayd as ensueth thryse I commend my spirit into thy hands thou hast redeemed me O God of truth GOD so loued the world that he gaue his only sonne that all those that beleeue in him shoulde haue life euerlasting Iohn iij Hauing repeated oftentimes his prayers he was called to God vnto whome so faithfully he commended his spirit to enioy no doubt the blessed societie of the Patriarks Prophets and Apostles in the kingdome of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Let vs now loue the memory of this man and the doctrine that he hath taught Let vs learne to be modest and meeke Let vs consider the wretched calamities and marueilous chaunges that shall follow this mishap and dolefull chance I beseech thee O sonne of God crucified for vs and resuscitated Emanuell gouerne coÌ„serue and defend thy Church Haec Melancthon Fridericus Prince Electour died long before Luther in the yeare of our Lord 1525. leauing no issue
c. began thus to reason The Fryer God vnderstandeth al tongues and the church of Rome hath prescribed this forme of praying Prayiâ—â— strauâ—â—â— tongâ—â— receiuing the same from the auncient churche and the fathers which vsed then to pray in Latine And if anye tongue be to be obserued in prayer one more then an other why is it not as good to pray in the Latyn tongue as to pray in the Frencch The Martyr My meaning is not to exclude any kynd of language from prayer whether it be in y e Latine Greek Hebrue or any other so that the same be vnderstanded and may edifie the hearers The Fryer When Christ entred the Citty of Hierusalem the people cryed lauding hym with Osanna filio Dauid and yet vnderstood they not what they sayd as Hierome writeth The Martyr It may be that Hierome so writeth howe they vnderstoode not the propheticall meaning or the accomplishment of these wordes vpon Christes comming but that they vnderstood not the phrase of that speache or language whiche they spake speaking in theyr owne language Hierome doth not deny Then the Fryer declaring that he was no fit parson to expound the Scriptures being in the Latine tongue inferred the authorities of Counsels and doctors testimonies of men which semed to moue the officer not a little who then charging hym with many thinges The Sacâ—â—â—ment Iohn 6. as with wordes spoken in contempt of the virgin Mary and of the Sayntes also wyth rebellion agaynst princes and kinges came at laste to the matter of the Sacrament and demaunded thus Inquisitour Doest thou beleue the holy host whiche the priest doth consecrate at the masse or no The Martyr I beleue neyther the host nor any such consecration Inquisitour Why doest thou not beleue the holy Sacrament of the aultar ordayned of Christ Iesus hymselfe The Martyr Touching the sacrament of the Lordes supper I beleue that when soeuer we vse the same accordyng to the presentation of S. Paule we are refreshed spiritually with the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the true spirituall meate and drinke of our soules The Fryer The Fryer then inferred the wordes of S. Ioh. Gospell saying My flesh is meate in deede c. and sayd that the Doctors of the church had decided that matter already and had approued the masse to be an holy memory of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ. The Martyr The sacrament of the supper I beleeue to be ordeined of the Lord for a memoriall of his death for a styrryng vpp of our thankes geuing to hym In whiche Sacrament we haue nothing to offer vp to hym but doe receiue with all thankesgeuing the benefites offered of God to vs most aboundantly in Christ Iesus hys sonne And thus the Aduocate with the Fryer biddyng the Notary to write the wordes that he had spoken departed Who after eyght dayes beyng accompanied with the sayd Franciscan and other fryers moe of the Dominickes sent for the sayde Richard Feurus agayne to hys house and thus began to enquire Inquisitour Doest thou beleue any purgatory The Martyr Purgatory I beleue that Christ with hys precious bloude hath made an end of all purgatory and purgation of our sinnes Inquisitour And doest thou thinke then there is no place after this life where soules of men departed remayne so long til they haue made satisfaction for their sins The Martyr No but I acknowledge one satisfaction once made for the sins of all men by the bloude sacrifice of Iesus Christ our Lord which is the propitiation and purgation for the sinnes of the whole world The Fryer Math. 18. In the xviij chap. of S. Math. Christ speaketh by way oâ— a parable or similitude of a certayne cruell seruaunt who because he would not forgeue hys fellow â—eruaunt was cast in prison and saith That he shall not come out from thence before he hath payde the vttermost farthing By the which similitude is signified vnto vs a certayn middle place which is left for satisfaction to be made after this lyfe for sinnes The Martyr First the satisfaction for our sinnes by the death of Christ Satisfaction for sinnes Math. 11. Ioh. 10. Ioh. 13. Apoc. 13. Luke 23. is playne and euident in the scriptures as in these places Come to me all you that labour and be burdened and I will refresh you Math. 11. I am the doore he that entreth by me shal be saued Iohn 10. I am the waye veritie and lyfe Iohn 13. Blessed be they that dye in the Lord for they rest from theyr labours Apoc. 13. Also to y â— thiefe which hanged with the Lorde it was sayde This day thou shalt be with mee in paradise c. Secondly as touching this similitude it hath no other demonstration but to admonishe vs of our duetye in shewing charitie and forgeuing one an other which vâ—â—es we do there is no mercye to be looked for at the handes of God The Fryer If this be true that you say then it should folow that there is neyther purgatory Limbus nor anye Limbus whiche were agaynst our Christian fayth and oure Crede which sayth He descended into hell c.. The Deputy Doest thou not beleue there is a Limbus The Martyr Neither doe I beleue to be any suche place ney-doth the scripture therof make any mention The Fryer Where were the old fathers then before the death of Christ The Martyr In lyfe I say eternall which they looked for beyng promised before to Adam Abraham and the Patriarches in the seede to come The Deputy Then the Deputy what saith he doest thou beleue that the pope hath any power The Martyr Yea verily The Deputy The power of the pope Doest thou beleeue that the pope as the vicar of Iesu Christ can here bynde and loose The Martyr That I doe not beleue The Deputy How then doest thou vnderstand the power of the pope The Martyr I vnderstand the power of the pope so as sainct Paul declareth .ij. Thess. saying That because the worlde refused to receiue the loue of the truth vnto saluation therefore God hath geuen to Satan and to hys ministers power of illusions and erroures that men shoulde beleeue lyes and set vp to themselues pastors and teachers suche as they deserue The Fryer Christes vicar in earth Christ gaue to S. Peter power to bynde loose whose successour and vicar of Christ is the pope for the gouernment of the church that it might haue one head in the world as it hath in heauen And though the Pastors doe not liue according to y e word which they preach yet their doctrine is not therefore to be refused as Christ teacheth Math. 23. Math. 23. The Martyr If the pope and hys adherents would preach the word purely sincerely admixing no other inuentions of theyr own nor obtruding laws of theyr own deuising I would then imbrace their doctrine how soeuer their lyfe were to the
vnder the pretence of long prayer and for so much as I am enforced to geue place to the trueth and that you call me a Maister in Israel I will not be afraide to prooue by the holy Scriptures that your great Pilot and patrone the Pope Math. ◠The Pope◠Pilots in Christes ship art become Pirates and the Bishops the mariners and such others which haue impudently forsaken the shippe of Christ Iesus to embarke them selfe in Pinises and Brigandines are pyrates and robbers of the Sea false Prophetes deceiuers and not true pastours of the Church of Iesus Christ. Whē Doctor Bassinet had thus frely and boldly vttered hys minde the whole multitude beganne to gather about him and spitefully railed at hym But the bishoppe of Aix aboue other raging and crying out as hee had bene mad get thee out saide he from amongst vs thou wicked Apostata thou art not worthy to be in this company We haue burned daily a great manye which haue not so well deserued it as thou hast We may now perceiue y t there is none more stedfast and feruent in the faith then the doctors of y e canon law And therefore it were necessary to be decreed in the next generall councell A commedation for Doctors of the Canon lawe that none should haue to doe in matters of religion but they alone For these knaues and beggerly Monkes and Friers will bring all to noughte Then the other doctors of the same order boldly reproued the bish of Aix for the iniurie that he had done vnto them After this there rose a great dissention amongest them in so muche that there was nothing at that time determined After dinner all these reuerent prelates assembled together againe but they suffered neither Frier nor Monke to be amongest them except he were an Abbot In thys assemble they made a generall composition confirmed with an oth that euery man shoulde endeuour hym selfe that the sayde Arrest of Merindol should be executed withall expedition euery man offring to furnish out men of warre according to his habilitie The bishop of Aix Archcaptain of this persecution The charge wherof was geuen to the Bishop of Aix and to the President of the Canons to sollicite the matter and to perswade by al meanes possible the presidents and Counsellers of the said Court of Parliament without feare or doubte to execute the sayde Arrest wyth drummes ensignes displaide artillerie and all kinde of furniture of warre This conspiracie being concluded and determined the Bishop of Aix departed incontinent from Auinion to goe vnto Aix to performe y e charge which was geuen to hym Notwithstanding they desired him to be the next day after the Counsell was holden at a bankette whych shoulde be made at the house of the Bishop of Rieux To thys banket such as were knowen to be the fairest and most beautifull women in all Auinion were called to refreshe and solace these good Prelates after the greate paines and trauayle which they had taken for our holy mother the Church After they had dined they fell to dauncing playing at dice and such other pastimes as are commonly wont to be frequented at the bankets and feastes of these holy Prelates After this they walked abroade to solace them selues and to passe the time till supper As they passed thorowe the streetes euery one leadyng his Minion vpon his arme they sawe a man whych solde baudie Images and pictures Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos with filthie rimes and Ballets annexed to the same to moue and sturre vp the people to whoredome and knauerie All these goodly Pictures were bought vp by the Bishops which were as many as a Mule coulde well carie And if there were anye obscure sentence or hard to vnderstand in those rimes or ballets the same these learned Prelates did readely expounde and laughed presently thereat In the same place as they walked alōg there was a bookeseller which had set out to sale certaine Bibles in Frenche and Latine with diuers other Bookes whyche when the Prelates behelde Baudy pictures receaued Gods booke reiected they were greatly mooued thereat and said vnto him Darest thou be so hardy to set out such marchādise to sel here in this town Doest thou not know that such bookes are forbidden The bokeseller answered is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures which you haue bought for these Gentlewemen He had skarce spoken these words but the bishop of Aix sayd I renounce my part of Paradise if this fellowe be not a Lutherane Let him be taken sayd he and examined what he is and incontinently the bookeseller was taken and caried vnto prison and spitefully handled For a company of knaues and ruffians which waited vpon the Prelates began to crye out a Lutherane a Lutherane to the fire with him to the fire with him and one gaue hym a blow with his fist another pulled him by the hear other by the beard in such sorte that the poore man was all embrued with bloud before that he came vnto prison The morow after he was brought before the iudges in y e presence of the bishops wheras he was examined in this forme as followeth Hast not thou set foorth to sale the Bible and the new Testament in French The prisoner aunswered that he had so done And being demanded whether he vnderstood or knew not that it was forbidden throughout all Christendome to print or sel the Bible in any other language then in Latin he aunswered that he knewe the contrary and that he had sold many Bibles in the French tong Christian constancy in a good bookeseller with y e Emperors priuiledge and many other printed at Lions also new testaments imprinted by the kings priuiledge Furthermore he sayde that he knew no nation throughout all Christendome which had not the holy scriptures in their vulgare toung and afterward with a bold courage thus he spake vnto them O you inhabitants of Auinion are you alone in all Christendome those men which do despise and abhorre the Testament of the heauēly father Wil you forbid and hide that which Iesus Christ hath commaunded to be reuealed and published Do you not know that our Lord Iesus Christ gaue power vnto his Apostles to speake all maner of toungs to this ende that his holy Gospell should be taught vnto all creatures in euery language And why do you not forbid those bookes and pictures which are full of filthines and abhomination to moue stirre vp the people to whoredome and to vncleannes and to prouoke Gods vengeance and great indignation vpon you all what greater blasphemy can there be then to forbid Gods most holy bookes which he ordeined to instruct the ignoraunt and to reduce and bring againe into the way such as are gone astray What cruelty is this to take away from the poore sely soules their nourishment and sustenance But my Lordes you shall geue an heauie accompt which call sweete sower
regem me esse grata tuta Nam omnia vt paucis absoluam in tuo ingenio fide reposuimus Nihil super est aliud scribenduÌ„ nisi quod supplex orem vt omnes actiones tuas secundet Deus opt maximusque ex corde vale Ex edibus meis Westmonest vij Febr. Tuae salutis amplitudinis cupidissimus T. Ebor. After this letter of the Cardinall Steuen Gardiner the Cardinalls trusty factor consequently heere ensueth an other letter of the kynge to the foresayde Stephen Gardiner and other his Oratours at Rome conteining suche instructions and documentes as they shoulde practise with the Cardinalles of Rome in canuesynge for the sayde Thomas Wolsey Cardinall of Yorke to be elected Pope if Pope Clement were dead Or if he were not dead yet at least to instructe them what to doe when hee should die The contents of the letter albeit they include no great matter worthy our knowledge nor greatly necessary for our story yet for the ridiculous maner of the handling and the curious secretariship therof ful of glorious affectation I thought it not heere vnmeete for the studies and appetites of some to exemplify the same or at least to make the reader some pastime by the way in beholding the glorious stile of this vaine glorious Cardinal being sute like to his glorious life The copie of the letter bearing the name of the king but in deede sauouring altogether of the Cardinals deuise and swelling vaine doth thus procede in forme and stile as followeth ¶ Instructions sent by the kings highnesse to his trustie Counsailours and seruaunts Marke the 〈◊〉 you shall see that it is all one with the Cardinals former letter whiâ—ch he sayeth he wâ—â—te with his â—wne hand M. Stephen Gardiner Doctor of both lawes Syr Fraunces Bryan Syr Gregory de Cassalis Knights and M. Peter Vanne the kings Secretarie for the Italian toung his ambassadours in the Court of Rome for the election of the Cardinal of Yorke to the Papacie if Pope Clement were dead FIrst where as a good season since the depeache of M. Stephen Gardiner an Ambassiate towardes the Courte of Rome the kings highnes by sondry wayes hath bene aduertised of the death of our holy father the Pope Clement of that name the 7. whose soule Iesu pardon Instructions in the kinges name to his Legates at Rome by meane wherof the charge heretofore committed by his grace vnto his Orators to haue ben now executed with the sayd late Pope can not at his hands take effect his highnesse pondering and profoundly considering the present state of Christendom miserably and piteously afflicted wyth the intestine warres dissentions and discords reigning amongst the Princes of the same and how the dignity of the sea Apostolicke by such troble and persecution as hath bene inferred therunto these yeares passed is not a little diminished and empaired like to come to total ruine if by the helpe assistance of good and vertuous Princes The totall ruine of the Apostolicke Papacye God send it the ambition of those which studye the exterminion thereof be not in time repressed considering furthermore that as well to conduce rest and tranquillitie in Christendome as to restore repaire and reintegrate the state authoritye and reputation of the sayd sea Apostolicke nothing is more requisite necessary then that such a head and common father be now at this time of vacation of the dignitie Papal prouided and elected to succede in the same as both may can and will puruey to the restauration of the said Sea and that hath and may haue the assistance of such vertuous and puissant Princes as teÌ„der the defence maintenance and encrease of the dignitie aforesayde and that may meete with the inordinate ambition of the Emperour who nothing more studyeth then for his owne exaltation to suppresse the Church Sea Apostolicke remembring also the high importance of the kinges great and weighty cause of matrimony committed to the charge of his sayd Orators He meaneth them 〈◊〉 betwene kyng 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Katheâ—â—ne his brother Arthuâ— wyfe whâ—ther it wâ—â— lawfull 〈◊〉 and how manifolde dangers and irreparable damages depend vpon the tracte delay or disappoyntment thereof which by no way or meane can be conduced to the kings purpose and desire by the authority of the Church but onely by speciall assured and perfect fauour of the head of the same Churche his highnes also being as loth as any liuing Prince or person may be to recurre vnto other refuge succour or remedy in his sayde cause then to the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke if his grace may there finde the fauour and benignitie that to his merites towardes the same be correspondent of which fauour his highnesse shoulde be clearely depriued and frustrate in case the election of the future Pope should passe vpon any person of whom his grace were not perfectly assured his highnes for the respects and considerations before specified perceiuing his good brother and perpetuall alye the Frenche king in the sayde intention to be vnite knitte and in all actions and doings of importaunce assuredly combined vnto his grace proceeding together in one wil minde purpose and conformitie hath by good and mature deliberation studied deuised and excogitate with himselfe who were might be the most able meete and conuenient person hauing the qualities before specified to be aduaunced at this time vnto the sayde dignitie Papall And finally when his grace hath well reuolued with himselfe all the respects and considerations aforesayde noting also al things meete to be regarded in euery of the Cardinals of the Church of Rome both present now in the Court there and absent from the same it can not be found that there is any person sufficiently furnisâ—ed with the requisites before specified but only the most reuâ—rend father in God and his most trusty Counsellour the Lord Legate Cardinall Archbishop of Yorke Primate Chauncellour of this Realme Who being well knowen to haue as feruent zeale studie minde and desire to the vniuersall weale repose and tranquillitie of Christendome to the reintegration restauration of the dignity authority reputation See how this Prelate is all in his exaltation rightes of the Churche and sea Apostolicke to the surety weale and exaltation of the kings highnes the French king other their confederates and finally to the perfection of the kings sayde great and waightie cause whereupon dependeth the surety of his royall persone successioÌ„ Realme people dominions as any person liuing can or may haue that the sayd most reuereÌ„d father hath the fast assured fauor herein of the sayd FreÌ„ch king who of his owne mere motion hath frankly and liberally offred vnto hym all that by himself his frendes his power his agentes or otherwise hee may or can possible doe for his auancement to the sayd dignitie Papal is the person who for his singular vertue his entire deuotion to peace and restauration of
fixed vppe with waxe such cursed and hereticall Billes full of blasphemie vppon the doores of thys and other holy Churches wythin this Citie Excommunicate plainely be hee or shee plenally or they and deliuered ouer to the deuill as perpetuall malefactors and schismatiques Accursed might they be and geuen body soule to the deuill Cursed be they he or shee in Cities and townes in fieldes in wayes in pathes in houses out of houses and in all other places standing lying or risinge walking Blesse and curse not saith the Lorde Curse blesse not saith the Pope running waking sleeping eating drinking and what so euer thing they doe besides Wee separate them him or her from the thresholde and from all the good praiers of the church from the participation of the holy masse from all Sacraments Chappels and aultars from holye bread and holy water from al y e merites of Gods priests and religious men and from all their Cloisters from all their pardones priuileges grauntes and unmunityes whych all the holy fathers Popes of Rome haue graunted to them and we geue them ouer vtterly to the power of the feend and let vs quench their soules if they be dead thys night in the paines of hell fire as this candle is nowe quenched Marke the apishe pageantes of these Popelinges and put out and wyth that he put out one of the candles and lette vs praye to God if they be aliue that their eyes may be put out as this candle light is so he put out the other candle and lette vs pray to God and to oure Lady and to S. Peter and Paule and all holye Saintes that all the senses of their bodies maye faile them and that they may haue no feeling as nowe the light of this candle is gone and so he putte out the thirde candle except they hee or shee come openly nowe and confesse their blasphemie and by repentaunce as muche as in them shall lye make satisfaction to God our Ladye S. Peter the worshipfull companie of thys Cathedrall Church and as thys holy Crosse staffe nowe falleth downe so myghte they except they repent and shewe them selues and one firste taking away the Crosse the staffe fell downe But Lorde what a shoute and noyse was there what terrible feare what holding vp of handes to heauen that cursse was so terrible Now thys fond foolish phantasie and mockerie beyng done and played which was to a Christian heart a thynge ridiculous Benet could no longer forbear Tho. Benet laugheth at their cursinge but fel to great laughter but within him selfe and for a great space coulde not cease by the which thing the poore manne was espyed For those that were next to him wondryng at that greate curse and beleeuing that it coulde not but light on one or other asked good Benet for what cause he should so laugh My frendes sayd he who can forbeare seeing suche merie conceites and enterludes plaid of the priestes Straitway a noyse was made Heere is the heretike heere is the heretike holde him fast holde him fast With that there was a greate confusion of voyces and much clapping of handes and yet they were vncertain whether he were the heretike or no. Some say Tho. Benet setteth vp newe billes that vppon the same he was taken and apprehended Other report that his ennemies being vncertaine of him departed and so he wēt home to his house Where hee being not able to digest the lies there preached renewed his former billes and caused his boy early in the morning following to set the sayd billes vpon the gates of the Churchyarde As the boy was setting one of the sayde billes vpon a gate called the little stile it chaunced that one W.S. going to the Cathedral church to heare a Masse called Bartons Masse whych was then daily sayd about 5. of the clocke in the morning founde the boye at the gate and asking him whose boy he was Tho. Benet taken by meanes of his boy setting vp his Billes did charge him to be the heretike which had set vp the billes vpon the gates wherefore pulling downe the bill he broughte the same together with the boy before the Maior of the citie and thereuppon Benet being knowen and taken was violently committed to warde On the morow began both the Canons and heades of the citie ioyned w t them to fal to examination Tho. Benet willingly confesseth With whom for y e day he had not much communication but confessed said to them it was euen I that put vp those bils The cause why Benet set vp his billes and if it were to doe I would yet doe it againe for in them haue I written nothing but that is very truth Couldste not thou said they as well haue declared thy mind by mouth as by putting vp billes of blasphemie No sayd he I put vp the billes that many should read and heare what abominable blasphemers ye are and that they might the better knowe your Antichrist the Pope to be the Bore out of the woode which destroyeth throweth downe the hedges of Gods church for if I had ben heard to speake but one woorde I should haue bene clapped fast in prisone and the matter of God hidden But now I trust more of your blasphemous doings will thereby be opened and come to light for God wil so haue it and no longer will suffer you The next day after he was sent vnto the bish who first cōmitted him vnto prison called the bishops prison Tho. Benet sent to the Byshops prison where he was kept in stocks strong yron with as much fauour as a dog shuld find Then the B. associating vnto him one D. Brewer his chancelor other of his leude cleargy and friers began to examine him burden him Articles layd against Benet that cōtrary to the catholike faith he denied praying to the saints and also denied y e supremacie of the Pope Whereunto he answered in such sober maner so learnedly proued defended hys assertions that he did not only confound and put to silence his aduersaries but also brought thē in great admiratiō of him the most part hauing pitie compassion on him The friers tooke great paines with him to perswade hym from his erronious opiniōs to recant acknowledge his fault touching the billes but they did but dig after day for God had appoynted him to bee a blessed witnesse of hys holye name and to be at defiance withall their fals perswasions To declare here with what cruelty the officers searched his house for bils and bookes how cruelly and shamefully they handled his wife charging her w t diuers enormities it were too long to write But she like a good woman tooke all thyngs patiently that they did to her like as in other things she was contented to beare the crosse with hym as to fare hardly with him at home and to liue wyth course meate and drinke that they myght be the
willingly discouer to any person The Popedome of Rome the rules of the holy fathers and the regalities of S. Peter I shall helpe and retaine and defende against all men The legate of the sea Apostolicke going comming I shall honourably entreat The rightes honours priuiledges authorities of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and hys successours I shall cause to be conserued defended augmented promoted I shall not be in counsell treatie or any acte in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Churche of Rome their rights states honours or power and if I knowe anye such to be mooued or compassed I shall resist it to my power and assoone as I can I shall aduertise him or suche as maye geue hym knowledge The rules of the holy fathers the decrees ordinances sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions and commandements Apostolike to my power I shall keepe and cause to be kept of other Heretikes schismatikes and rebels to our holy father and his successors I shall resist and persecute to my power I shal come to the Synode whē I am called except I be letted by a Canonicall impediment The lights of the Apostles I shall visite personally or by my deputie I shall not aliene nor sell my possessions wythout the Popes councell so God me helpe and the holy Euangelistes ¶ This othe of the Clergie men which they were wont to make to the Bishoppe of Rome nowe Pope quondam was abolished and made voyde by statute and a new othe ministred confirmed for the same wherein they acknowledged the King to be the supreame heade vnder Christe in this Church of England as by tenor thereof may appeare here vnder ensuing The othe of the Clergie to the king I Iohn B. of A. vtterly renoūce and clerely forsake al such clauses words sentences grants which I haue or shal haue hereafter of the Popes holines Pope quondam◠The othe of the Clergye to the king of for the bishoprike of A that in any wise hath bene is or hereafter may be hurtfull or preiudiciall to youre highnes your heirs successors dignity priuiledge or estate royal and also I doe sweare that I shal be faithful and true and faith and truth I shall beare to you my soueraigne Lord and to your heires kings of the same of life and limme and earthly worship aboue all creatures for to liue die with you and yours against al people and diligently I shal be attendant to all your nedes and businesse after my wit and power and your counsel I shall kepee and holde knowledging my selfe to hold my Bishopricke of you onely beseeching you of restitutiō of the temporalties of the same promising as before that I shal be faithfull true and obediēt subiect to your said highnes heires and successours during my life and the seruices and other things due to your highnesse for the restitution of the temporalties of the same Bishoprike I shall truely do and obediently performe so God me helpe and all Saintes These othes thus being recited and opened to the people were the occasion that the Pope lost al his interest and iurisdiction heere in Englande wythin shorte while after Upon the occasion and reason whereof Syr Tho. More the matter falling out more more against the Pope Syr Thomas More of whome mention is made before being a great maintainer of the Pope a heauy troubler of Christes people and nowe not liking well of this othe by Gods good worke was enforced to resigne vp his Chauncelorship and to deliuer vp the great seale of England into the kings hands After whom succeeded syr Thomas Audley Keeper of the great seale Tho. Audeley made Lord Chauncellour a man in eloquence and giftes of tonge no lesse incomparable then also for hys godly disposed minde and fauorable inclination to Christes religiō worthy of much commendation These things being done in the parlament the king w tin short time after proceeded to the mariage of the foresayd lady Anne Bullen mother to our most noble Quene now who w tout all controuersie was a special comforter aider of all the professors of Christes gospell The maryage of Queene Anne as well of the learned as the vnlearned her life being also directed according to the same as her weekely almes did manifestly declare Who besides the ordinarye of a C. crownes and other apparell that she gaue weekely a yeare before she was crowned The great almes of Quene Anne both to men and women gaue also wonderfull much priuie almes to wydowes and other pore housholders cōtinually til shee was apprehended and she euer gaue three or foure pounde at a time to the poore people to buy them kine withall and sent her Subamner to the townes about where shee lay that the parishioners should make a bill of all the poore householders in their parish and some towns receiued 7.8 or 10. pound to buy kine withal according as the number of the poore in the Townes were Shee also maintained many learned mē in Cambridge Likewise did the Erle of Wilshire her father and the Lord Rochford her brother and by them these men were brought in fauour w t the king of whome some are yet aliue and can testifie the same which would to God they were nowe as great professors of the gospell of Christ as then they appeared to be which were D. Heath and D. Thirlby with whome was ioyned the L. Paget who at that present was an earnest protestant Heath Thirlby L. Paget gaue vnto one Rainolde West Luthers bookes and other bokes of the Germaines as Franciscus Lambertus de Sectis and at that time he red Melancthons Rhetorike openly in Trinitie hall in Cambridge and was w t his M. Gardiner a mainetainer of D. Barnes and all the Protestantes that were then in Cambridge Lord Paget a mainteyner of D. Barnes holpe many religious persons out of their cowles It hath bene reported vnto vs by diuers credible persons which were about this Quene and daily acquainted with her doings concerning her liberall and bountiful distribution to the pore how her grace caried euer about her a certaine little purse The praise of Quene Anne out of the which she was wont daily to scatter abroad some almes to the needy thinking no day well spent wherein some man had not fared the better by some benefite at her handes And this I write by the relation of certain noble personages which were chiefe principall of her waiting maides about her especially the Duches of Richmond by name Also concerning the order of her ladies gentlewomen about her one that was her silkwoman a Gentlewoman not nowe aliue but of great credite and also of fame for her worthy doings The name of this gentlewoman was Maistres Wilkinson did credibly report that in all her time she neuer saw better order amongst the ladies gentlewomē of the Courte then was in this good Queenes
therefore the Pope hath no such primacy geuen him eyther by the wordes of Scripture or by any generall Councell nor by commoÌ„ conseÌ„t of the holy catholicke Church by the holy Fathers of the Catholique church asseÌ„bled in the first general councelles And finally they doe transgresse theyr own profession made in theyr creation For all the Bishops of Rome alwayes when they be consecrated and made Bishops of that See doe make a solemne profession and vowe that they shall inuiolably obserue and keepe al the ordinances made in the eight first generall Councels among the whiche it is specially prouided enacted that al causes shal be finished and determined with in the prouince where the same begun and that by the byshops of the same prouince and that no Byshop shall exercise any iurisdiction out of his owne dioces or prouince And diuers such other Canons were then made and confirmed by the sayd councels to represse and take away out of the Church all such primacy and iurisdiction ouer kinges and Byshops as the Byshops of Rome pretend nowe to haue ouer the same Concilium tertium Carthaginense cap. 26 Gregorius lib. 4. epistolarum indictione 13. epist 13. And we finde that diuers good fathers Byshops of Rome did greatly reproue yea and abhorre as a thing cleane contrary to the Gospel and the decrees of the church that anye Byshop of Rome or els where shoulde presume vsurpe or take vpon him the title and name of y e vniuersal byshop or of the head of all priestes or of y e highest priest or any such lyke title For confirmation whereof it is out of all doubt y t there is no mention made neyther in Scripture nor in the writinges of any Autenticall doctor or author of the Church being within the tyme of the apostles that Christ did euer make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preeminence of power order or iurisdiction betweene the Apostles theÌ„selues or betweene y e bishops themselues but y t they were all equall in power order authoritie iurisdiction And that there is now and sith y e time of the Apostles any such diuersitie or difference among the Bishops it was deuised by the ancient fathers of the primitiue Church for the conseruation of good order and vnitie of the Catholicke church and that eyther by the consent and authoritie or els at the least by the permission and sufferaunce of the princes and ciuill powers for the tyme ruling c. And shortly after followeth And for the better confirtion of this part we thinke it also conuenient that all Byshops and preachers shal instruct and teach the people coÌ„mitted vnto theyr spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of theyr successors should vnder the pretence of the authority geuen vnto them by Christ take vpon them y e authoritie of y e sword y t is to say the authoritie of kings or of any ciuill power in this world yea or any authoritie to make lawes or ordinances in cauâ—â—s appertayning vnto ciuil powers Truth it is the priestes and byshops may execute all suche temporall power iurisdiction as is coÌ„mitted vnto them by y e ordinance authoritie of kings or other ciuil powers by the consent of the people as officers and ministers vnder the sayd kinges and powers so long as it shall please the sayd kinges and people to permit and suffer them so to vse and execute the same Notwithstanding if anye bishop of what estate or dignitie so euer he be be he bish of Rome or of any other citie prouince or dioces do presume or take vppon him authoritie or iurisdiction in causes or matters which appertayne vnto kinges and the ciuill powers and their Courtes and will mayntayne or thinke that he may so do by y e authoritie of Christ and his Gospell although y e kings and princes would not permit and suffer hym so to doe No doubt that Byshop is not worthy to be called a Byshop The Bishop of Rome iudged to be a tyrant and vsurper but rather a tyranne an vsurper of other mens rightes contrary to the lawes of god and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise then hee that goeth about to subuert the kingdome of Christ. For the kingdome of Christ in his Church is a spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very kingdome that Christ by himself or by his Apostles and disciples sought here in this worlde was to bring all nations from the carnall kingdome of the prince of darkenes vnto the light of hys spirituall kingdome so to raygne himselfe in the harts of the people by grace fayth hope and charitie And therefore sith Christ did neuer seeke nor exercise anye worldly kyngdome or dominion in this worlde but rather refusing and fleeing from y e same did leaue the said worldly gouernance of kingdomes realmes and nations to be gouerned by Princes potentates in like maner as he did finde them commaunded also his Apostles and Disciples to doe the seÌ„blable as it was sayd before what soeuer priest or bishop will arrogate or presume vpoÌ„ him any such authoritie and will pretend e the authoritie of the Gospell for his defence therin he doth nothing els but in a maner as you would say crowneth Christ agayne with a crowne of thorne and traduceth bringeth him foorth agayne with his mantle of purpure vppon his backe to be mocked and scorned of the world as the Iewes did to their owne damnation This doctrine was subscribed and allowed by the witnes and testimony of these byshops and other learned meÌ„ whose names hereunder follow as appeareth in the Byshops booke aforenamed * Testes Thomas Cantarien Edouardus Ebor. Iohannes London Cuthbertus Dunel .. Stephanus Winton Robertus Carliolen Iohannes Exon. Iohannes Lincoln Iohannes Bathonien Rolandus Couen Lich. Thomas Elien Nicolaus Sarum Ioannes Bangor Edouardus Herefor Hugo Wigornien Ioannes Roffen Richardus Cicestren Guliel Norwicen Gulielmus Meneuen Robertus Asâ—auen Robertus Landauen Richardus Wolman Archdiaco Sudbur Gulielmus Knight Arch. Richmond Ioannes Bel. Arch. Gloucester Testimonies of Bishops of England against the Pope Edmundus Boner Archdia Leicester Gulielmus Skippe Archdiaco Doset Nicholaus Heth. Archdiaco Stafford Cuthbertus Mashall Arch. Notingham Ricardus Curten Archdia Oxon. Gulielmus Glife Galfridus Dovnes Robertus Oking Radulphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Mathew Ioannes Prin. Guliel Buckmaster Gulielmus May. Nicolaus Wotton Ricardus Coxe Ioannes Edmundes Thomas Robertson Ioannes Baker Thomas Barret Iohannes Hase Ioannes Tyson These were Doctours of Diuinitie and of both Lawes Iudge now thy selfe louing reader per confessata allegata that is by these thinges heretofore confessed alledged allowed prooued and confirmed by penne set forth by wordes defended and by othe subscribed by these Bishops and Doctours if eyther Martine Luther himselfe or anye Lutherane els could or did euer say more
Phil. 3. for great is your reward in heauen For we suffer with him that wee may also be glorified with him who shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subiect al things vnto him Dearely beloued be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this hye reward and beare the image of Christ in your mortall body Boldnes of spirite that it may at his comming be made like to his immortall and followe the example of all youre other deare breethren which choose to suffer in hope of a better resurrection Keepe your conscience pure and vndefiled and say against that nothing Sticke at necessary things and remember the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ Woâ—nde not Conscience Standing â—pon things necessarye saieng they finde none but that wil abiure rather then suffer the extremitie Moreouer the death of them that come againe after they haue once denied though it bee accepted wyth God and all that beleeue yet is it not glorious for the hypocrites say he must needes dye denyeng helpeth not But might it haue holpen they would haue denied fiue hundreth times Death after denying euil spoken of by the aduersaryes but seeing it would not helpe them therefore of pure pride and meere malice together they spake with their mouthes that their conscience knoweth false If you geue your selfe cast your selfe yeeld your selfe commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louing father then shall his power be in you and make you stroÌ„g and that so strong that you shall feele no payne which should be to another present death and his spirite shall speake in you and teach you what to aunswere Obedience to God according to his promise He shall set out his truth by you wonderfully and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine Yea and you are not yet dead though the hypocrites all To looke for no mans helpe bringeth Gods helpe Conâ—tancye in standing Patience in suffering with all they can make haue sworne your death Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem To looke for no mans helpe bringeth the helpe of God to them that seeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hypocrites Yea it shall make God to carry you through thicke and thinne for his truthes sake in spite of all the enemies of hys truth There falleth not an heare till his houre be come and when his houre is come necessitie carieth vs hence though we be not willing But if we be willing then haue we a reward and thanke Feare not threatening therefore neyther be ouercome of sweet words Bilney with which twayne the hypocrites shall assayle you Neyther let the persuasions of worldly wisedome beare rule in your hart PerseueraÌ„ce to the ende no though they be your friends that counsayle you Let Bilney be a warning to you Let not their visure beguile your eyes Let not your body faynt He that endureth to the end shall be saued If the payne be aboue your strength Math. 22. remember Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name I will geue it you And pray to youre father in that name and he shall cease your payne or shorten it The Lord of peace of hope and of fayth be with you Amen William Tyndall TWo haue suffred in Antwerpe In die sanctae Crucis vnto the great glory of the Gospell Two Martirs at Antwerpe Foure Martyrs in FlauÌ„ders one at S. Luke Persecution at Roane Fiue Doctors at Paris taken for the Gospel four at Rysels in Flanders and at Luke hath there one at the least suffered and all the same day At Roane in Fraunce they persecute And at Paris are fiue Doctors taken for the Gospell See you are not alone Be cheerefull and remember that among the hard harted in England there is a number reserued by grace for whose sakes if neede be you must be ready to suffer Sir if you may write how short soeuer it be forget it not that we may knowe howe it goeth with you for oure harts ease The Lord be yet againe with you with all his plenteousnes and fill you that you flowe ouer Amen If when you haue read this you may send it to Adrian do I pray you that he may knowe howe that our harte is with you George Ioy at Candlemas being at Barrow printed ij leaues of Genes in a great forme and sent one copy to the King and another to the new Quene with a letter to N. for to deliuer them and to purchase licence that he might so go through all the Bible Out of this is sprong the noise of the new Bible and out of that is the great seeking for English bookes at all printers and bookebinders in Antwerpe and for an English Priest that should print This chaunced the 9. day of May. Sir your wyfe is well content with the will of God and would not for her sake haue the glory of God hindred William Tyndall Another notable and woorthy letter of Maister William Tyndall sent to the sayd Iohn Frith vnder the name of Iacob ¶ The grace of our Sauiour Iesus his pacience meekenesse humblenesse circumspection and wisedome be with your hart Amen DErely beloued brother Iacob mine harts desire in our Sauiour Iesus is An other letter of W. Tindal that you arme your selfe with pacience and bee cold sober wyse and circumspect and that you keepe you alowe by the ground auoiding hie questions that passe the common capacitie But expound the law truly and open the vayle of Moses to condemne all flesh High questions to be auoyded proue all men sinners all deedes vnder the law before mercy haue taken away the coÌ„demnatioÌ„ therof to be sinne and damnable and then as a faythfull minister set abroche the mercy of our Lord Iesus All deedes before they be iustified by faith are sinne Preaching the lawe of God mercy of Christ. Sacraments without significations to be refused and let the wounded coÌ„sciences drinke of the water of him And then shall your preaching be with power not as the doctrine of the hypocrites and the spirite of God shall worke with you and all coÌ„scieÌ„ces shall beare record vnto you and feele that it is so And all doctrine that casteth a miste on those two to shadow and hide them I meane the law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you withall your power Sacramentes without signification refuse If they put significations to them receiue them if you see it may helpe though it be not necessary Of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament meddle as little as you can M. Tindall here beareth with tyme. that there appeare no diuision among vs. Barnes will be whote agaynst you The Saxons be sore on the affirmatiue whether constant or obstinate I omitte it to God Phillip Melancthon is sayd to be with the
and bringer vp of the Secte of the Nazarens which was also minded to haue polluted our temple c. Truth taken for falshode Christ taken for a seducer In what causes men forbidden ought not to cease from preaching This is to call by peruerse iudgement trueth falsehoode And thus did theyr predecessours speake of the Prophets yea and of Christ himselfe calling him a seducer and preacher of heresy which is written for our instruction And men thus being suspected as I woulde none were ought in no wise therefore to cease neither from preaching ne teaching Ensample of this we haue in the Actes of the apostles where is shewed that whē Peter Iohn had done a myracle vpon a man that had bene lame frō his natiuity whō by the power of Christ they healed Act. 4.5.6 caused to go where he pleased the people hearing of this came running about Peter Iohn Peter seeing this did exhort the people in a sermon that they should not thinke him his felow S. Iohn to haue done this wōderfull thing by their own power or holynes but by the vertue of Christ whom they theyr head rulers had slayne While they were thus speaking with the people there came vpō them the priestes officers of the temple accompanyed with the Saduces being sore displeased that they should enterprise to teach the people and preace that men should arise from death by the name of Christ whom they had caused to be crucified and therewith they layd handes vpon them and put them in warde vntill next day The next day they sent for the Apostles before them demaunding by what power and in whose name they did this myracle Peter made aunswere Act. 4. If you quoth he that are head rulers ouer the people lust by examination to knowe by what meanes we did it we woulde you should all know that we did it throvgh the name of Christ Iesu of Nazareth whom you did crucify but God did cause him to arise agayne In the vertue of hys name doth this man that afore was lame now stand before you here both whole and found For Christ is that high corner stone whō you cast away which should haue builded the peoples fayth vpon him neither is there any saluation without him These great men seing that Peter spake so freely and that he with his felow Iohn were simple men without any pompous apparel or great garde of seruaunts being like ideots and men vnlearned wondred therat At the last they did commaunde them to depart out of theyr Councell house whiles they should cōmon more largely of y e matter Peter and the Apostles prohibited by the Phariseis to preach Christ. Afterward they called y e Apostles afore them agayde commaunding them that they should no more preach ne teache in the name of Iesus But the Apostles aunswered saying I beseeche you iudge better ought we to obey you more then God or no For certaynely we must needes testify of those thinges which we haue both heard and seene Then the head Priestes threatning them sore did geue them strait charge Act. 4. not to breake theyr precept and so did let them goe not knowing any cause why they might punish them for they feared least the people would haue taken part with the Apostles for the people gaue glory to God for the myracle shewed by them Notwithstāding al these great threats Peter wrought miracles still amongst the people Peter disobeyed the precepte of the Phariseis doing thē to know that glory therfore ought to be geuē to Iesus by whose power and name they were done Wherwith the harts of the people melted for ioy so that they folowed after the Apostles whyther soeuer they went The primate of the priestes hearing of this and all that were about him repleate with indignation layd handes vpon the Apostles putting them in the common Prison But the Aungell of God in the night opened the Prison dores and brought them out saying Peter deliuered out of prison Goe you into the Temple and stand there preaching vnto the people all the wordes of life That is to say Christes doctrine and so they did earely in the morning Then came foorth the chiefe Priest and they whom he vsed to haue about him and called a Councell in which were all the Priestes of Israel or auncientes of Israel So they sent vnto the prison house for to haue the apostles brought forth before them When theyr seruaunts came to the prison house found the apostles gone thence they returned to theyr maisters saying we found the prison fast shut round about in euery part the keepers watching at the dores without full diligently But when we had opened the prison we could find no body within Then as the high priestes officers of the temple heard this they were in a great perplexity doubting what wold therof come Act. 5. Then came one vnto them shewed thē saying Behold the men that ye put in prison are standing in the temple preaching vnto the people Then wēt they thither and brought the apostles with thē without any violence but they were afrayd lest the people would haue beaten them downe with stones Then they caused the apostles to be brought into their Councell house the high priest beginning his proposition agaynst the apostles in this forme Haue we not straytly commaunded you sayd he that you should not preach in the name of Christ And see you haue filled all Hierusalem with your doctrine Will you bring this mans bloud vpō vs God to be obeyed more then men Act. 5. that we should vnrighteously haue caused him to suffer death Then aunswered Peter and the other Apostles saying We ought to obey God more then any man The God of our fathers hath raysed Iesu from death whom you did slay hanging him vpon a tree Him notwithstanding hath GOD raysed and by his power aduaunced to be our king and Sauiour by whom shal be geuen to all Israel that will take repentaunce forgeuenes of sinne These great rulers hearing this their harts were therwith clouen a sunder and they coūselled together for to slay the apostles But one good man amōg theyr multitude aduised them otherwise whose aduise they did approue Thē they called the apostles againe afore them causing them to be scourged charged them no more to preach in the name of Iesu and so did let them depart Then went they away out of the Councell reioycing that God had made thē worthye to suffer such rebukes for his name sake The counsell of Gamaliell But yet they neuer ceased to teach preach of Iesus Christ euery day in the temple and in all houses that they came into This is written in the 4.5 and 6. of the Actes of the apostles for our instruction doubt you not for such practise is shewed in all ages So that hereby you may set Act. 4.5.6 when men be wrongfully suspect or infamed
And secondly that he was lift vp that is to witte from beneath or from a lowe And thirdly that a cloud receaued him Where as no cloud nor cloudes can receiue or embrace the Deitie c. I am â—aine to leaue out other euident Argumentes for the same purpose least I shoulde be ouer prolixe and tedious It doeth there also further followe in like forme how the Aungels made aunswere to the Disciples saying Yee menne of Galile why stande yee gasing into heauen Thys Iesus which is taken vppe from you into heauen shall so come agayne as you haue seene him going vppe into heauen Here we see againe that Iesus is assumpte or taken away into heauen And then it must be from oute of the worlde Iohn 16. accordinge to that we read Iohn 16. I went foorth from the father I came into the worlde I leaue the worlde againe and I go vnto the Father That is not els but as hee came from the father of heauen into thys worlde in that he was incarnate made man for hys Godhead was neuer absent either from heauen or yet from earth euen so shoulde his manhoode leaue the worlde againe to go to heauen Moreouer in that it is sayde So shall he come is plainly testified that hee is away and nowe corporally absent Finally it is shewed further after what maner he shal come againe by these woordes Euen as you haue seene hym going vp into heauen Which is not els but as you did visibly see him ascend or go away to heaueÌ„ a cloud embrasing him and taking him from among you euen so shal you visibly see hym to come againe in the cloudes as wee reade Math. 26. Math. 26. Math. 24. You shall see the sonne of man to come in the clouds of heauen And againe Math. 24. And they shall see the sonne of man Such other textes haue we full many declaring my sentence to be Catholicke and true Of which I heere shall brieflye note some places and passe ouer them knowing that a litle rehearsall is sufficient to youre noble wisedom The places be Marke 16. Luke 24. Iohn 13.14.16 and 17. Rom. 8. Ephes. 1. and 2. and 2. Cor. 6. Hebr. 8.9.10 and 12. and 1. Thess. 4. and 1. Pet. 2. which all do testifie that Christ hath bodily forsaken the world departed from it vnto hys father ascended into heauen sitting still vppon the ryghte hand of the father aboue all dominion power and principalitie where he is present aduocate and intercessor before hys father and that he shall so bodely come againe lyke as he was seene to depart from hence Nothing can better or more clearely testifie and declare what is contained in the Sacrament of Christes holy body and bloud then do the words of Scripture The Gospell of Marke is as an abridgement of Mathew wherby it was institute Marke doth agree wyth Mathewe so that in a maner he reciteth his very wordes And no maruaile it is For as the Doctours doe say the Gospell of Marke is a very Epytome or abridgement of Mathew I shall therefore write the relations of them touching the institution of this sacrament together The relation or testimonie of Mathewe is this As they were eating Iesus tooke bread and when hee had geuen thankes he brake and gaue to hys disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body And taking the cup and geuing thankes hee gaue it to them Math. 2â— saying drinke yee all of this for this is my bloud of the new TestameÌ„t which is shed for manye for the remission of sinnes And I say vnto you I will not drinke hencefoorth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new with you in the kingdome of my father The testimonie or relation of Marke is this And as they did eate Iesus tooke the breade Mark 14. and when hee hadde geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to them and sayde Take eate thys is my body And hee tooke the cuppe and when hee hadde geuen thankes he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it and hee sayd vnto them This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many Verely I say vnto you I wil drinke no more of the fruit of the vine vnto that day that I drinke it newe in the kingdome of God Luke being the companion of Paule as appeareth in the Actes 2. Tim. 4â— and 2. Timothie 4. doth so next agree with him in making relation of thys Supper and holy institution of the Sacrament Hys relation or reporte is thys When he had taken breade and geuen thankes hee brake it and gaue to them saying This is my bodye which is geuen for you doe thys in remembraunce of me Likewise also after Supper Luke 22. he tooke the cuppe saying This cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloude which is shedde for you Paules testimonie doeth followe nexte agreeablye to Luke it is thus For I haue receiued of the Lorde that which I also haue deliuered to you 1. Cor. 11. That oure Lorde Iesus Christe in the same night wherein he was betraied tooke breade and when hee had geuen thankes he brake it and said Take eate this is my body which is broken for you this doe ye in the remembraunce of mee After the same maner also he tooke the cup when he had supped saying This cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloude thys doe as oft as yee drinke it in the remembraunce of me for as often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke this cuppe ye shall shewe the Lordes death till he come By these testimonies shall I declare my sentence to your grace whiche I conceyue of the holy Sacrament of Christes blessed body and bloude and in all poyntes of difficultie shall I annexe the very interpretation of the olde holy Doctours and Fathers to shew that I doe not grounde any thing vpon my self Thereafter shall I adde certaine arguments whiche I truste shall clearely prooue and iustifie my sentence to be true Catholike and according both with God and his lawes and also with the minde of holy Doctours My sentence is this that Christ ascended into heauen and so hath forsaken the worlde and there shall abide sitting on the right hande of hys Father wythout returning hether againe vntill the generall dome at what time hee shall come from thence to iudge the dead and liuing This all do I beleue done in his natural body which he tooke of the blessed virgine Marie hys mother in the which he also suffered passion for our safetie redemption vpon a crosse which died for vs was buried in which he also dyd arise againe to life immortall That Christe is thus ascended in his manhode and natural body so assumpt into heauen we may soone proue for as much as the godhead of him is neuer out of heaueÌ„ but euer replenishing both heauen and earth and al that is besides being
deformed blind and obscure doth clarify it decke 〈◊〉 adourne it bewtifye and lighten it through the brightnesse of grace comming vnto it according to the saying of the Prophet The â—ommaundement of the Lord is bright and cleare geuing sight to the eyes 〈◊〉 19. And as the matter the instrument without the forme can do nothing euen so free will and the commaundement without grace haue no power to worke For what can eyther free wâ—ll or the coÌ„mandement do except they be holpeÌ„ with grace both going before and folowing 〈◊〉 will the law without 〈◊〉 haue 〈◊〉 power For grace seÌ„deth the commaundement as a messenger and minister to free will the commandement prouoketh freewil and styrreth it vp as out of a sleepe to do good workes and leadeth it as a blind man by the hand teaching him the way wherin to go Which both if they be destitute of grace are able of theÌ„selues to do nothing And if they beginne yet they proceede not neither do they performe or accoÌ„plish any thing and if they presume it prospereth not and is but labor lost For where the commaundement commeth â—yther by man or by Aungell and also where freewell is mooued prouoked and enformed either by the motion of man or of Aungell yet vnlesse Gods grace go withal preuenting and folowing the same what is it able to do For wheÌ„ man was put in Paradise what auayled him the commaundement which he heard Thou shalt eate of euery tree of Paradise but onely of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate 〈◊〉 2. Which commaundement wrought not to his saluation but to his condemnation And why because grace that saueth and helpeth was wanting whiche he presuming vniustly vpon his owne strength despised Or what did the commaundement of the law geuen by Moyses profite the people of Israel in the wildernesse which law they refused to obey Or what profite wrought it to hym whych presumed to folow the Lord of his owne free will and not of the Lordes calling saying vnto him Lord I wil folow thee whether soeuer thou goest By these and many other places of holy Scripture both of the olde and newe Testament 〈◊〉 8. it may be prooued that neyther the commaundement nor free will haue power to woorke of themselues vnlesse they be holpen by Gods grace preuenting and folowing them â—â—â—tinency 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of god Seing therfore the gift of continency as all other gifts be is the gifte onely of Gods grace and commeth not by the commaundement nor by free will they erre therfore striue in vayne which labour to obteyne it by theyr owne power And much more they also do erre whiche by force constrayne men agaynst their will thereunto mouing theÌ„ to offer giftes into the sanctuary of God not of theyr own accord but by coactioÌ„ either not knowing or els not remeÌ„bring the saying of the Lord to Moyses Seperate amongest you the first fruites vnto the Lord and let euery man of his owne voluntary and willing minde 〈◊〉 15. come and offer the same vnto the Lord. What is this to separate with you the first fruites to the Lord but onely to wey and consider diligently in your hartes and with discretion to lay down and separate vnto the Lord what we ought to present vnto him out of the treasure of our hart For if thou offer rightly doest not rightly deuide thou sinnest And what is to offer with a willing and ready minde 〈◊〉 54. 〈◊〉 9. but as the psalmist sayth I will offer sacrifice vnto thee willingly and chearefully And the Apostle sayeth Not grudgingly or of necessity for God loueth a chearefull geuer And Salomon sayth Geue the Lord his glory with a good and free hart and in euery gift thou geuest 〈◊〉 35. shew a ioyfull countenaunce and sanctify thy tythes with gladnes and with a chearefull eye do all that thou takest in hand And the Apostle Iames sayth The Lord loueth not constrayned seruice And cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently that is not carefully and with a willing minde 〈◊〉 48. Wherfore as the Lord willeth vs not to offer any thing to him agaynst our willes so doth he forbid vs to compell any man to offer any thing agaynst their wils by the foresayd Moyses where he sayth Thou shalt not do thy neighbour wrong neither oppresse him with violence To do wrong to thy neighbour is to correcte him for his sinne not of any compassion or mercy towardes him but to re proue him and to cause him in disdayning vpbrayding Leuit. 9. 〈◊〉 rebuking him not to informe him in the spirite of lenity but to destroy him in the spirit of bitternes and rigour as the Apostle sayth If a man be taken in any fault Gal. 6. you that are spirituall informe such in the spirite of lenity considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted To oppresse our neighbor with violence is to exact any thing of him aboue his power to lay vpon him more then he is able to beare anâ— more peraduenture then they theÌ„selues are able to weeld which lay it vpon him Where as the Lord speaking of the Pharises to his disciples 1. Pet. 5. forbiddeth them the same saying The Scribes and Pharises doe sitte vpon the chayre of Moyses c. And the Apostle Peter Feed sayth he as much as in you lyeth the Lordes flocke prouiding for them not by constraint but willingly after a godly sort and not for filthy lucre but of a ready a minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer the Clergy but be you as an example to the flocke of good will This shepheard of shepheardes and Prince of the Apostles doth playnely and euidently declare and insinuate what all other Pastors and Apostles ought to do how to entreat the flocke of the Lord committed vnto them Lordship ouer the clergy for tendstd and what great care and compassion of minde they ought to haue towards theyr Cure and remoueth farre out of their harts all power of Tyrannicall Lordship and all ambitioÌ„ which some do exercise with gredynes vpon those that are committed to their charge and pronouÌ„ceth that they ought not to be Lordes but fathers ouer their flocke and not imperiously to commauÌ„d them as exercising stately authority and power vpon them but geÌ„tly to admonish them and beseech them in the zeale of piety according to the strength of euery person after the Lord and not after the affection of theyr owne will or ambiciously setting forth theyr own power and iurisdictioÌ„ and that they ought to be an example to the flocke doing first themselues that thing whiche they commaund others and so to teach them no lesse by examples then by words Willingly saith he and not by coÌ„straynt of charity not for gredy gayne For there be many which being inflamed with affection not of charity but of couetous gredines and ambition
Praâ—biter cum vxorâ— quia de iure ipsius Ecclesiae antiquitus fuerunt in Suthrege Mutelac LoÌ„doniae monasterium Sanctae Mariae cum terris domibus quas Liuingus Praesbyter vxorillius Londoniae habuerunt To this also may be adioyned an other like antiquitie out of an olde wrytten history belonging to the church off Assaph after the time of Lanfranke as foloweth Anno Domini 1261. ex antiq libro Assaphensi manu scripto DE Clerico vxorato receptante publicè ¶ Forbonizatum is a SaxoÌ„ terme and signifieth as much as a man outlawed forbonizatum scienter possit contra ipsum probari nobis videtur quòd tenetur respondere in foâ—o Ecclesiastico Si verò facit residentiam in terra principis coÌ„tingat ipsum mulctari tota mulcta sua principi debetur Si verò residentiam in terra Episcopi facit mulcta diuidatur inter Episcopum Principem Si verò vxor alicuius talis scienter vel nolenter in eiusabsentia receptauerit Mulier in foro Ecclesiastico respondeat Clericus ratione sui facti noÌ„ puniatur nec pro ea nisi velit respondere cogatur Neither is the testimonie of Mantuanus vnworthye also hereeunto to be added wryting in the life of Hilarius Bishop of Pictauium as followeth Ex Mantuano INtegras vitae legum prudentia cultus Coelicolûm tutela inopum diadema pedumque Pictauiense tibi dum nil mortalia curas Dum viuis tibi sorte tua contentus ab omni Ambitione procul populo applaudente tulerunt Non nocuit tibi progenies non obstitit vxor Legitimo coniuncta toro non horruit illa Tempestate Deus thalamos cunabula taedas Sola erat in pretio quae nunc incognita virtus Sordet attrito viuit cum plebe cucullo Propterea leges quae sunt conubia contra Esse malas quidam per hibent Prudentia patrum Non satis aduertit dicunt quid ferre recuset Quid valeat natura pati Ceruic bus aiunt Hoc insuaue ingum nostris imponere Christus Noluit istud onus quod adhuc quà m plurima monstra Fecit ab audaci dicunt pietate repertum Tutius esse volunt qua lex diuina sinebat Isse via veterumque sequi vestigia patrum Quorum vita fuit melior cum coniuge quà m nunc Nostra sit exclusis thalamis coniugis vsu. The sixt Article touching Auricular confession OF confession three kindes we find in the scriptures expressed and approued The first is our confession priuately or publikely made vnto God alone Three kindes of confession Confession to God 1. Iohn 1. and thys confession is necessary for all men at all times Wherefore S. Iohn speaketh If we confesse our sinnes he is faythfull to forgeue vs. c. The second is the confession which is openly made in the face of the congregation And this confession also hath place when any such thing is committed whereof riseth a publicke offence and sclaunder to the Church of God As amples of penitentiaries in the primâ—tiue Church Melciades and other c. The thirde kinde of confession is that which we make priuately to our brother Priuate confession to our brother Math. 5. And thys confession is requisite wheÌ„ either we haue iniuried or by any way damnified our neighbor whether he be rich or poore Wherof speaketh the Gospel Go and reconcile thy selfe first vnto thy neighbour c. Also S. Iames Confesse your selues one to another c. Or els this confession may also haue place wheÌ„ any such thing lieth in our conscience in the opening whereof we stande in neede of the counsell comfort of some faithfull brother But herein must we vse discretioÌ„ in auoiding these poyntes of blinde superstition First that we put therein no necessitye for remission of our sinnes Iacob 5. but to vse therein oure owne voluntarye discretion according as we see it expedient for the better satisfying of our troubled minde The second is Câ—â—taine pointes of superstition to be auoyded in priuate confession that we be not bound to any ennumeration of our sinnes The thirde that we tie not our selues to any one persone more then to an other but to vse therein our free choyse whome we thinke can geue vs the best spirituall counsell in the Lord. But as there is nothyng in the Churche so good and so ghostly which through peuishe superstitioÌ„ either hath not or may not be peruerted so thys confession also hath not lacked his abuses First the secret confession to God alone as it hath ben counted insufficient so hath it ben but lightly esteemed of many The publike confession to the congregation hathe bene turned to a standinge in a sheete or else hath bene bought out for money Furthermore the secreat breaking of a mans minde to some faithful or spiritual brother in disclosing hys infirmitie or temptatioÌ„s for counsel and godly comfort hath bene turned into auricular confession in a Priestes eare for assoyling of his sinnes In the which auriculare coÌ„fession 4. or 5. abuses in auricular confession first of the free libertie of the penitent in vttering his griefs they haue made a mere necessitye and that vnto saluation and remission of sinnes Secondly they require withal ennumeration and a full recitall of all sinnes whatsoeuer 1. necessity 2 Enumeration of sinnes 3. Prescription of tyme 4. Confession made a Sacrament 5. To a Priest onely both great and small also besids y e necessity of this eare confessioÌ„ they adde therto a prescription of time at leaste once in the yeare for all men whether they repent or no to be confessed making moreouer of the same a sacrament And lastly where as before it stoode in the voluntary choyse of a man to open his hart to what spirituall brother he thought best for an easement of his griefe ghostly consolation they binde him to a Priest vnlesse some Frier come by the waye to be his ghostly father to whome he must needes confesse all whatsoeuer he hath done and though he lacke the key of knowledge and peradueÌ„ture of good discretion yet none must haue power to assoyle him but he through the authority of hys keyes And this manner of confession say they was instituted by Christe and hys Apostles and hathe bene vsed in the Church euer since to this present day Which is a most manifest vntruth and easie by storyes to be conuinced Socrat. Lib. 5. cap. 19. SoZo Lib. 7. cap. 16. Beat. Rhenanus in argum libel Tertulliani de penitentia For Socrates lib. 5. cap. 19. Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 16. in y e booke of Ecclesiasticall history do geue vs plainly to vnderstand that thys Auricular confession neuer came of Christe but onely of men Item in the time of Tertullian Beat. Rhenanus testifieth that there was no mention made of thys Auriculare confession Which may well be gathered thereof for that Tertullian wryting vpon repentaunce maketh no mention at all
Alane Cope and Abell amoÌ„gest other which dyed in kyng HeÌ„ries dayes in the like Popish quarell that is for the like treason agaynst their Prince beyng in all to the number of 24. extolleth theÌ„ not onely in wordes but with miracles also vp to the height of heaueÌ„ amoÌ„g the crowned Martyrs Traytors made Martyrs Saints of God To the whiche Cope because in this hast of story I haue no laysure at this present to geue attendauÌ„ce I shall wayt atteÌ„dauÌ„ce the Lord willing an other tyme to ioyne in this issue with him more at laysure In the meane time it shall suffice at this present to recite the names onely of those 24. rebelles whom he of his Popish deuotioÌ„ so dignifieth with the pretensed title of Martyrs The names of which Monkish rebels be these here folowyng Iohn Houghton Robert Laurence Aug. Webster Reynald of Syon Iohn Hayle Iohn Rochester Iac. Wannere Iohn Stone 24. neither good martyrs to god nor good subiects to the king Iohn Trauerse William Horne Powell Fetherstone Abell Beside these were other ix Cartusian Monkes which dyed in the prison of Newgate To the whiche number if ye adde M. More and the Byshop of Rochester the summa totalis commeth to 24. whom the sayd Cope vniustly crowned for Martyrs But of these more shall be sayd the Lord willyng hereafter Thus hauyng discoursed the order of the vi Articles with other matter likewise folowyng in the next Parliament concernyng the condemnation of the Lord Cromwell of Doct. Barnes and his felowes c. Let vs now proceedyng further in this history coÌ„sider what great disturbaunce and vexation ensued after the settyng forth of the sayd Articles through the whole Realme of EnglaÌ„d especially amongest the godly sorte Wherein first were to be mentioned the straite and seuere commissions sent forth by the kynges authoritie to the Byshops Chauncelors Officials to Iustices Maiors Bailiffes in euery shyre Great disturbaÌ„ce in England after the 6. articlâ—â— and other Commissioners by name in the same commissions expressed and amongest other especially to Edmund Boner Byshop of London to the Maior Shiriffes and Aldermen of the same to enquire diligently vpon all hereticall bookes and to burne them also to enquire vpon such persons whatsoeuer culpable or suspected of such felonies heresies contemptes or transgressions or speakyng any wordes contrary the foresayd Act set forth of the sixe Articles Read before pag. 1101. The tenour of whiche Commissions beyng sufficiently expressed in auncient Recordes and in the Bishoppes Registers and also partly touched before pag. 1101. therfore for tediousnesse I here omit onely shewyng forth the Commission directed to EdmuÌ„d Boner Byshop of London to take the othe of the Maior of London and of others for the execution of the Commission aforesayd The tenour wherof here foloweth ¶ The Commission for takyng the othe of the Maior of London and others for the execution of the Acte aforesayd HEnry the eight by the grace of God kyng of England and of Fraunce defender of the fayth Lord of Ireland and in earth supreme head of the Church of England vnto the Reuerend father in Christ Edmund Boner Byshop of London Commission directed to Edm. Boner bishop of London from the king and to his welbeloued the Byshops Chauncellour health Know ye that we haue geuen you ioyntly and seuerally power and authoritie to receaue the othes of William Roche Maior of London Iohn Allen Knight Raffe Warren Knight Rich. Gresham Knight Roger Chomley Knight Sergeant at Law Iohn GreshaÌ„ Michael Dormer Archdeacon of London the Byshops CoÌ„missary and Officiall Robert Chidley Gwy Crayford Edward Hall Robert Broke and Iohn MorgaÌ„ and euery of them our CoÌ„missioners for heresies and other offences done within our Citie of London and Dioces of the same accordyng to the tenour of a certaine schedule hereunto annexed And therfore we commauÌ„de that you receiue the othes aforesayd and when you haue receaued them to certifie vs into our Chauncery vnder your Seales returnyng this our writ T. meipso at Westminster the 29 of Ianuary in the 32. yeare of our reigne What the othe was of these Commissioners whereunto they were bounde read before pag. 1101. * A note how Boner sat in the Guildhall in Commission for the vi Articles And of the condemnyng of Mekins VPon this commission geuen vnto EdmuÌ„d Boner he commyng to the Guildhall with other CoÌ„missioners The story of Rich. Mekins condemned by Boner to sit vpoÌ„ the Statute of the vi Articles begaÌ„ eftsoones to put in execution his authoritie after a rigorous sort as ye shall heare And first he charged certaine Iuries to take their oth vpon y e Statute aforesaid who being sworne had a day appointed to geue their Uerdicte At the which day they indited sundry persons which shortly after were apprehended brought to Ward who after a while remaynyng there were by the kyng his Counsaile discharged at the Starre chaÌ„ber without any further punishment Not loÌ„g after this Syr Wil. Roche being Maior Boner with other CoÌ„missioners sat at the Guildhall aforesayd before whom there were a certaine number of Citizens warned to appeare and after the Commission read the sayd parties were called to the booke and when v. or vi were sworne one of the sayd persoÌ„s beyng called to the booke Boner seemed to mislike and sayd Stay a while my Maisters quoth he I would ye should consider this matter well that we haue in hand whiche concerneth the glory of God the honor of the kyng and the wealth of the Realme and if there be any here amoÌ„g you that doth not consider the same it were better that he were hence then here TheÌ„ commoned the Commissioners with Boner about that man so that at length he was called to the booke and sworne not all together with his good will When the ij Iuries were sworne Boner taketh vpon him to geue the charge vnto the Iuries and began with a tale of Anacarsis by which example he admonished the Iuries to spare no persons Rich. Mekins presented by Boner of what degree soeuer they were And at the end of his charge he brought forth to the barre a boy whose name was Mekins declaryng how greuously he had offended by speaking of certaine wordes agaynst the state and of the death of Doct. Barnes produced into the sayd Court ij witnesses which were there sworne in the face of y e Court So a day was assigned vpoÌ„ which the Iuries aforesayd should geue vp their Uerdict at which day both the Commissioners the sayd Iuries met at Guildhall aforesayd Then the Clarke of the peace called on the Iuries by their names when their appearaunce was taken W. Robins Iurer Boner bad them put in their presentmentes TheÌ„ sayd the foreman whose name was W. Robins of that Iury. My Lord with a low curtesy we haue found nothyng At which wordes he fared as one in an agony sayd Nothyng haue ye
thereof Peter and Paul wherof the one of thē dareth not freely vtter or speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by hymselfe for the obedience of the Gentiles The other exhorteth that if any man speake he should speake the praises of God but I condemne those lawes which the bishops of Rome haue made accordyng to their owne will and mynde and say that they are spirituall pertainyng vnto the soule and necessarie vnto euerlastyng lyfe For so much as the writyngs of the Apostles doe euidently declare that there was no authoritie knowen amongest them to make or ordayne any ordinaunces or lawes Furthermore the Scriptures do manifestly shewe the same how oftentimes euen by the Lordes owne mouth this foresayd authoritie is taken from the Ministers of the Church so that no excuse for them remayneth but that they be playne rebelles agaynst the worde of GOD how many so euer doe presume or take vppon them to appoint or set any new lawes vpon the people of GOD whiche thyng is more manifest and euident then the lyght it selfe in many places of the Scripture For in the 23. chapter of Iosue it is written you shall obserue and doe all that is written in the lawe of Moyses neyther shall you swarue from that eyther to the ryght hande eyther to the lefte hand But that which is written in the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomium ought to mooue them somewhat the more Whatsoeuer I commaund sayth the Lorde that you shall obserue and doe thereunto you shall adde nothing neyther shall you take any thyng from it The lyke he had sayd before in the fourth chapter of the same booke And agayne Moyses in the xxx chapiter of the same booke doth witnesse that he dyd put foorth lyfe and blessing vnto Israell when as he gaue them that lawe which he had receiued of the Lord. How can they then excuse themselues of periury which ordaine new lawes to liue by But let vs proceede further and see what authoritie the Priestes of Leuies stocke had to make lawes I doe not denye but that God in the xvij chapter of Deuteronomie ordayned vnder a great penaltie that the authoritie of the Priestes should not be contemned but had in reuerence But in the ij of Malachie He also declareth vnder what condition they are to be heard where as he sayth he hath made a couenaunt with Leuy that the law of truth should be in hys mouth and by and by after he added the lips of the Priest shall keepe and maintayne wisedome and the law they shall require at hys mouth which is the messenger of the Lord of hostes Therefore it is fitte and necessary that if a Priest will be heard that he doe shew himselfe the messenger of God that is to say faythfully to report and declare the commaundements which he hath receiued of the Lorde For where as Malachie speaketh of hearyng of them he putteth this specially that they doe aunswere accordyng to the lawe of the Lorde Therefore lyke as the Leuiticall Priestes did breake theyr couenaunt made with GOD if they do teache any other lawe then that which they had receyued of hym So likewyse these men muste eyther acknowledge themselues to be couenant breakers or els they may not bynde the consciences of men with no new lawe Furthermore what power the Prophetes had vniuersally it is very liuely described in Ezechiel in his xxxiij chapter Thou sonne of man sayth the Lord I haue made thee a guide vnto the house of Israel thou shalt heare the word out of myne owne mouth Ezechiel cap. 55. and declare it vnto them from me He then which is commaunded to heare of the mouth of the Lord is he not forbidden to rehearse or speake any thing of hymselfe For what other thyng is it to speake from the Lord but so to speake that he may boldly affirme and say that it is not his word but the word of the Lorde which he speaketh Further God by his Prophet Ieremy calleth it chaffe what so euer doth not proceede from hymselfe Wherefore none of the Prophetes haue opened theyr mouthes at any tyme to speake but beyng premonished before by the worde of GOD. Whereupon it happeneth that these wordes are so often pronounced by them The worde of the Lord The charge or burden of the Lord The vision of the Lord Thus sayth the Lord The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now that we may also confirme that which is before spoken by the examples of the Apostles that they haue taught nothyng but that whiche they haue learned of the Lorde the law which Christ prescribed vnto them when as he endowed them with the dignitie and honour of the Apostleship is somewhat more profoundly to be repeated In the last chapiter of Mathew he commandeth them to go foorth and teach not such thyngs as they themselues did rashly inuent or deuise but those things which he had commaunded them Furthermore Paule in the second to the Collossians denieth that he hath any dominion or rule ouer the fayth of the Corinthians albeit he was ordayned by the Lorde to be their Apostle If you require and desire a further reason of the moderation of Saint Paule read the tenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines where as he teacheth That fayth commeth by hearyng it commeth not by the dreames of the Bishop of Rome or by any other Bishop but onely by the worde of God neyther ought any man to thinke it straunge that neyther Christ restrayned hys Apostles by the lawe that they should not teache any thyng but that which they had learned of the mouthe of the Lord. He set the same law vppon himselfe because it should not be lawfull for any man to refuse it My doctrine sayth Christ is not myne but hys which sent me my fathers he which hath bene the onely and eternall counseller of the father which also is ordayned by the Father the Lord and Maister ouer all for so much yet as he doth the office and part of a Minister he doth by hys example prescribe vnto all Ministers what rule and order they ought to followe in teachyng wherfore the power of the Church is not such that it may at hys owne wyll and discretion teach new doctrines eyther as they terme it frame new Articles of fayth either establish new laws but is subiect vnto the worde of the Lorde and as it were included in the same But now let vs beholde what defence they do bryng for their constitutions The Apostles say they and the Elders of the Primitiue Church established a decree besides the commandement of Christ wherby they did commaunde all people to abstayne from all things offered vnto Idols suffocation and bloud The Church subiect to the word of God Reasons wherewith they defēd their constitutions If that were lawfull for them so to doe why is it not lawfull for their successour as often as necessitie shall require to imitate
rehearsed Besides these two there was none els in all king Edwardes raigne Tho. Dobbe inprisoned and in prison dyed that dyed in any maner cause of religion but that one Thom. Dobbe who in the beginning of this kinges raigne was apprehended for speaking agaynst the idolatry of the masse and in the same prison died as in story here ensueth to be sene This Thomas Dobbe being a studeÌ„t and a maister of Arte in Cambridge was brought vp in the colledge called S. Iohns Colledge and felowe of the same where he increased in the studye of good letters among his equals very forward of nature and disposition simple and modest of zeale toward God ferueÌ„t pacient in iniuries Doues as Philosophers naturally do write haue no gall iniurious to no man of much like sort condition as in Doues which without all bitternes of gal are more apt to receiue iniury then to worke wrong to any At length this godly man intending with himselfe and addicting hys mynde to the Christian state of Matrimony resorted to a certayn mayden not farre of where he dwelt For the whiche cause he was greatly molested and wickedly abused by iij. of that Colledge whose names were Hutchinson Pindare and Tailer who with theyr malicious handlyng scornful dealing opprobries rebukes and coÌ„tumelies so much vexed the vertuous simplicity of y e man that they neuer left him till at length they weryed him out of the Colledge Who there hauing no rest nor quietnes by reasoÌ„ of the vnreasonable and viruleÌ„t handling of his aduersaries was compelled to seek some other place wherin to settle himself Up on the occasion wherof comming vp to LoÌ„don it chauÌ„ced him to passe through Paules Church wheras it happned that at the Southside of the Churche at the same tyme there was a Priest at Masse more busy then wel occupied being at the eleuation as he passed by The yong man repleat with godly zeale pitying the ignorance and idolatry of the people in honoring that so deuoutly which the priest lifted vp was not able to forbeare but opening his mouth turning to the people he exhorted them not to honor the visible bread as God which neither was God nor yet ordeined of God to be honored c. with such other wordes mo of christian information For which cause straight way he was apprehended by the Maior and after accused to the Bishop of CauÌ„terbury was committed to the CouÌ„ter theÌ„ in Bredstreete where he not long continued but fallyng into a sicknes how or wherupon I can not tell shortly vp on the same chauÌ„ged this mortall life Whose pardoÌ„ notw tstanding was obteined of the Lord Protector and shoulde haue bene brought him if he had coÌ„tinued And thus much concerning Thomas Dobbe and other Ouer and besides I finde that in the first yeare of the raygne of King Edward which was an 1547. there was one Iohn Hume seruaunt to Maister Lewnax of Wresell apprehended accused and sent vp to the Archbish. of CauÌ„terbury by the sayd M. Lewnax his Mayster Margaret Lewnax his mistres for these Articles 1 First for denying the Sacrament as it was then called of the aultar to be the reall flesh and bloud of Christ. 2 For saying that he would neuer vale his bonet vnto it to be burned therefore 3 For saying that if he shoulde heare Masse he shoulde be damned For this was he sent vp by his maister and mistres aforesayd with speciall letters vnto the Archbishop requiring him seuerally to be punished by the law for the same But because I finde no execution folowing thereupon I therfore passe ouer this story of him These thinges premissed when this vertuous godly yong prince endued as you haue heard with speciall graces from God was now peaceably stablished in his kingdome and had a couÌ„sell about him graue wise and zelous in Gods cause especially his vncle y e duke of Somerset he then most earnestly likewise desired as well the aduauncement of the true honor of almighty God and the planting of his sincere religion as also the vtter suppressioÌ„ and extirpation of all idolatry superstition hipocrisy and other enormities and abuses throughout his realmes and dominions therefore folowing as is afore expressed the good example of king Iosias he determined forthwith to enter into some reformation of Religion in the Church of England And forasmuch as at his first entry notwithstanding his fathers good beginning in abolishing the vsurped power of Antichrist he yet fouÌ„d most of his lawes greatly repugning agaynst this his zealous enterprise he therefore purposed by the aduise of his sayd wise honorable Counsell of his owne regall power and authority somewhat to prosecute his godly purpose vntill such time as by consent of the whole estate of parliameÌ„t he might establish a more free perfect and vniforme order therin Wherupon intending first a generall visitation ouer al the bishopricks within his realm therby as wel to vnderstaÌ„d Order 〈◊〉 by K. 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 â—â—â—ligion as also to redresse the abuses in the same he chose out certayn wise learned discrete and worshipful personages to be his Commissioners in that behalfe and so deuiding them into seuerall companies Learneâ— preacheâ— appoynâ—â—â— by King Edwarâ— assigned vnto them seueral Diocesses to be visited appoynting likewise vnto euery company one or two godly learned preachers which at euery Session shoulde in theyr preaching both instruct the people in the true doctrine of the Gospell of Christ in all loue and obedience to the same and also earnestly dehorâ—e them from theyr olde superstition and wonted Idolatrye And that they might be more orderly directed in this their Commission there were deliuered vnto them certayn Iniunctions ecclesiasticall orders drawne out by the kings learned counsell the which they should both enquyre of also commaund in his maiesties behalfe to be thenceforth obserued of euery person to whoÌ„ they did seuerally appertayne within theyr sondry circuites In the which amongst other things it was first enioined that all Ecclesiasticall persons should themselues obserue and cause to be obserued of other Ecclesiaâ—â—â—â—call 〈◊〉 must 〈◊〉 against 〈◊〉 Popes 〈…〉 all such Statutes as were made for the abolishing of the Bishop of Romes vsurped power and establishing of the kings supreme authority and that they should euery one foure times in the yeare at the least in theyr publick sermons declare vnto y e people that the one being most arrogaÌ„tly vsurped against the word of God was now iustly taken away and the other according to y e very true meaning of the same worde was of most loyall duety onely to be obeyed of all his graces subiectes And agayne that euery the aforesayd ecclesiastical person hauing cure shoulde preach Sermonâ— quarterâ—â— be made or cause to be preached w t in theyr seueral cures one sermon euery quarter of y e yere In the which they should sincerely set forth the woorde of God exhort the people vnto
to serue for furniture of aunswer to this and that Article for other then I haue before written I remember not to haue done or suffred by the higher powers in all my whole life til my comming into the tower without that I haue had any by admonitions as a maÌ„ faulty or negligent at any time that I remember for the obseruatioÌ„ of any thyng alredy made or set forth by y e kings maiesty that now is but haue kept caused to be kept in my power the kings maiesties arts statutes iniunctions and proclamations inuiolably hauing for that purpose such a Chancellor as in orders ordinances hath bene alwayes himselfe diligent and precise for that tyme I might haue knowledge of his doings The 8. Article Item that after the premisses for that those former admonitioÌ„s comandements notwithstandyng you did yet stil sheâ— your selfe not conformable for that also others by your example were much animated Wâ—nchester 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 â—inges â—ouncell to â—â—each the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 thereby occasion of much vnquietnesse ministred amongest the people you were called before the kings maiesties counsaile in the month of Iune in the 2. yeare of his maiesties raigne and by them on his maiesties behalfe commanded to preach a Sermon before his maiestie and therein to declare the â—ustnesse and godlynesse of his maiesties father in his proceedings vpon certayne matters partly mentioned in certain articles to you deliuered in writyng and partly otherwise declared vnto you The effect wherof was touchyng the vsurped power and authoritie of the B. of Rome that the same was iustly and godly taken away in this realme and other the kings maiesties dominions touchyng the iust suppressing and taking away of monasteries and religious houses of Pilgrimages Reliques Shrines Images The superstitious goyng about of S. Nicholas bishop S. Edmund S. Katherine Certayne poyntes inâ—â—yned to Wynâ—hester to preach vpon S. Clement and such lyke and iust takyng away of Chaunteries Abbies and Colledges hallowyng of caÌ„dels water ashes Palme holy bread beades creeping to the crosse such lyke Also touching the settyng forth of the kinges maiesties authoritie in his yong yeares to be as great as if his highnesse were of many more yeares That auricular confession is indifferent and of no necessitie by the law of God and touching the procession and Common prayer in English Winchester This Article beeyng of so many partes as it is some true some otherwise must be answered by deuision of it in to diuers members to deuide the one from the other graÌ„ting that is true denieng that is otherwise opening that is ambiguous auoyding y t is captious so as according to my oth I may open directly plainly the truth with sinceritie of conscience The motion of preaching was made vnto me in mine owne house by M. Cecill vpon the duke of Somersets behalfe after I had bene before y e counsaile as I haue before sayd M. Cicill from which Counsaile I departed as before is rehersed as no offender therfore when M. Cicil spake to me of preaching before the kings Maiestie with request to write my sermon before I denied that maner of preaching because I said it was to preach like an offender and I was none but departed from the Counsaile otherwise as I haue before shewed And the sayde M. Cicil did not say to me that I was mooued to preach because I was not conformable for I had at that tyme no maner of variance with the Counsaile but was in all conformity with them for any thyng that I know as I will aunswer afore God As for euil example to any man I could none geue for I neuer offeÌ„ded law statute or proclamatioÌ„ in this realm â—e did euer any act to the empairing of due obedience to y e kings maiestie in all my whole lyfe but by obseruation of them and letting innouations done as much as in me lay to maintaine obedience After M. Cecill had spoken to me of preaching deliuered two papers conteining the matters whereupon I should entreat Wynchester 〈◊〉 to preach by 〈◊〉 mens 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 yet he 〈◊〉 â—â—ould 〈◊〉 other 〈…〉 because I refused to geue my sermoÌ„ in writing which was to me like an offeÌ„der or to read those papers of another maÌ„s deuise as the conception and sincere maner of vttering of mine own coÌ„scieÌ„ce which me thoght then and since yet a meruailous vnreasonable mater touching both my conscience and honesty I was then fer to the duke of Somersets graces chamber and came in at a backe dore to himself alone sauing he tooke to him as witnes he said the L. now of Wiltshire then great maister after many words shewed me certaine articles subscribed by Lawyers what a B. might command what the king might command and what payne to the disobeyer To whom I said plainly truly how those Lawyers subscription could not serue in this case to commaund one to vtter to the people for myne own deuise in words â—â—nchesters â—â—swere to â—he Duke of 〈◊〉 that is not in deed so and if I might speake with these lawyers I sayd his grace should soone perceiue them to agree with me My L. sayd I should speake with no man and I should do as I was hidden or do worse and bade mee aduise me till dinner was done And then was I conueyed by the L. great Maister to hys chamber and there left alone to dyne as was in deede honourably prepared But I tooke my selfe to be in the nature of a prisoner and a restrayned man And about two of the clocke at after noone came vnto me M. Thomas Smith then Secretary Syr Tho. Smith Secretary vnto whome I complained of the vnreasonablenes of the matter shewed him certaine particularities who sayd it was not ment so precisely but to speake of the matters To whoÌ„ I sayd I was content to speake of the matters and theÌ„ if I speak not accordyng to the truth of them there should be enough to beare witnesse to my condemnation and if I spake the truth then they had their desire And I sayde further I thought I might with my conscience say so as men ought and should be content satisfied And further if I thought that in my maner of the vtteryng of those matters I shold offend the Counsaile I had rather deny to speake of the thing and begin the contention secretly with them then to begin with pulpit and so bring my selfe in further trouble then needed and therfore if they would haue me preach I would preach as of my selfe and of these matters so as I thought they should be content Wherupon I was brought vp to my L. of Somersets chamber and there the matter ended thus that my L. of Somerset sayde he would require no writyng of me but remit it to me so I spake of y e matters in the papers deliuered me by M. Cicill I told hym I would speake of theÌ„ sauing for
father that speaketh within you Euen the very heaâ—es of your head are all numbred Lay vp treasure for your selues sayth he where no theefe commeth nor moth corrupteth Feare not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but feare hym that hath power to destroy both soule and body If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne Iohn 15. but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Let these and suche like consolations taken out of the Scriptures strengthen you to godward Let not the examples of holy men and women go out of your minde as Daniel and the rest of the prophets of the three children of Eleazarus that constaÌ„t father of the vij of the Machabies children of Peter Paule Steuen and other Apostles and holy Martyrs in the beginning of the Church As of good Symeon Archbishop of Seloma and Zetrophone with infinite other vnder Sapores the King of the Persians and Indians who contemned all torments deuised by the tyraunts for their sauiours sake Returne returne agayne into Christes warre Ephes. 6. and as becommeth a faithfull warriour put on that armour that S. Paule teacheth to be most necessary for a Christian man And aboue all things take to you the shield of fayth and be you prouoked by Christes own example to withstand the diuell to forsake the world and to become a true and faythfull member of his mysticall body who spared not his owne body for our sinnes Throw downe your selfe with the feare of his threatned vengeaunce for this so great and haynous an offence of Apostasie and comfort your selfe on the other part wyth the mercy bloud and promise of him that is ready to turne vnto you whensoeuer you turne vnto him Disdayne not to come agayne with the lost sonne seing you haue so waÌ„dred with him Be not ashamed to turne againe with hym from the swill of straungers to the delicates of your most benigne and louing father acknowledging that you haue sinned against heauen and earth Against heauen by stayning the glorious name of God and causing his most sincere and pure word to be euill spoken of through you Against earth by offending so many of your weake brethren to whom you haue bene a stumbling blocke through your sodaine sliding Be not abashed to come home againe with Mary and weepe bitterly with Peter not only with sheding the teares of your bodily eyes but also powring out the streames of your hart to wash away out of the sight of God the filth and mire of your offensiue fall Be not abashed to say with the Publicane Luke 1â— Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner Remember the horrible hystory of Iulian of olde and the lamentable case of Spyra of late whose case me thinke should be yet so greene in your remembrance that being a thing of our time you should feare the like inconuenience seeing you are falne into the like offence Last of all let the liuely remembrance of the last day be alwayes afore your eyes remembring the terrour that suche shall bee in at that time with the runnagates and fugitiues from Christ which setting more by the worlde then by heauen more by theyr lyfe then by him that gaue them lyfe dyd shrinke yea did cleane fall away from him that forsooke not them and contrarywise the inestimable ioyes prepared for them that fearing no perill nor dreading death haue manfully fought and victoriously triumphed ouer all power of darkenesse ouer hell deathe and damnation thorough theyr most redoubted Captaine Christ who nowe stretcheth out his armes to receaue you ready to fall vppon your necke and kysse you and last of all to feast you with the deynties and delicates of his owne precious bloud which vndoubtedly if it might stand with his determinate purpose he woulde not set to shed againe rather then you should be lost To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour prayse and glory euerlasting Amen Be constant be constant feare not for no payne Christ hath redeemed thee and heauen is thy gayne ¶ A Letter written by the Lady Iane in the ende of the new Testament in Greeke the which she sent vnto her sister Lady Katherine the night before she suffered I Haue heere sent you good Sister Katherine a booke which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold 〈…〉 of the â—â—dy Iane the â—ady 〈…〉 yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Sister of the law of the Lord. It is his Testament and last will which he bequeathed vnto vs wretches which shall leade you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good minde reade it and with an earnest mind do purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortall and euerlasting life It shall teache you to liue and learne you to die It shall winne you more then you should haue gained by the possession of your wofull fathers landes For as if God had prospered him you should haue inherited his landes so if you apply diligently this booke seeking to direct your lyfe after it you shall be an inheritour of such riches as neither the couetous shall withdrawe from you neither theefe shall steale neyther yet the mothes corrupt Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstande the lawe of the Lorde your God Liue still to dye that you by death may purchase eternall life 〈◊〉 liue to 〈◊〉 that by 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 liue And trust not that the tendernesse of your age shall lengthen your life For as soone if God call goeth the yong as the olde and labour alwayes to learne to dye Defye the world denie the deuill and despise the fleshe and delite your selfe onely in the Lorde Be penitent for your sinnes and yet despayre not be strong in fayth and yet presume not and desire with S. Paule to be dissolued and to be wyth Christ with whome euen in death there is lyfe Be like the good seruaunt and euen at midnight be waking least when death commeth and stealeth vpon you like a theefe in the night you be wyth the euill seruaunt found sleeping and least for lacke of oyle you be found like the fyue foolish women and lyke hym that had not on the wedding garment and then yee be cast out from the marriage Reioyce in Christ as I do Follow the steps of your mayster Christ and take vp your Crosse lay your sinnes on hys backe and alwayes embrace hym And as touching my death reioyce as I do good Sister that I shall be deliuered of this corruption and put on incorruption For I am assured that I shall for losing of a mortall life winne an immortall life the which I pray God graunt you and send you of his grace to liue in hys feare and to dye in the true Christian fayth from the which in Gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarue
not after Christ c. And thus much out of M. Sanders letter so much as remained thereof The residue because it was rent away I could not adioine hereunto NotwithstaÌ„ding by this alredy expressed it is sufficient to vnderstand how good was y e cause estate of this blessed child of god being prisoner for Christes cause Ann. 1555. February For y e defence wherof he wholy bestowed resigned himself in such sort as he forbad his wife to sue for his deliuery wheÌ„ other of his friends had by suite almost obtained it he discouraged them so that they did not folow their suite as by this letter following may appeare ¶ A letter of M. Saunders to his wife GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our Lord. Entirely beloued wife euen as vnto mine owne soule and body so do I dayly in my harty prayer wish vnto you for I doo dayly twise at the least in this sort remember you And I do not doubt deare wife but that both I and you as we be written in the booke of life so we shall together enioy the same euerlastingly through the grace and mercy of God our deare father in hys sonne our Christ. And for this present life let vs wholy appoynt our selues to the will of our good God to glorifie him either by life or by death and euen that same mercifull Lord make vs worthy to honour him either way as pleaseth him Amen I am mery I thanke my God and my Christ 1. Tim. 4. in whome and through whome I shall I knowe be able to fight a good fight and finishe a good course and then receiue the crowne which is layde vp in store for me and all the true Soldiours of Christ. Wherefore wife let vs in the name of our God fight lustely to ouercome the flesh the deuil and the world What our harnesse and weapons be in this kind of fight looke the 6. vnto the Ephesians and pray pray pray I would that you make no suite for me in any wise M Saunders would haue no suite made for him Thanke you knowe whome for her most sweete and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my iourney whether I am passing God send vs all good speede and a ioyfull meeting I haue too fewe suche frends to further me in that iourney which is in deede the greatest friendship The blessing of God be with you all Amen A prisoner in the Lord Laurence Saunders This his constancie is sufficiently commended and declared by his valiant buckling with two mighty enemies Antichrist and death two enemies Antichrist and death To neither of these did he geue place but by suffering their malice got y e victory ouer them both One of the conflictes which he had with Antichrist hys members I haue gathered out of a letter of his own hand writing It was with Doctour Weston a man whome though I should prayse yet would all good and godly meÌ„ worthely disprayse Of this the said Laurence Saunders thus writeth in a letter which he sent to one of his frends which wrote to him to knowe what Doct. Weston dyd at the Marshalsey whereunto he thus aunswereth M. Weston came to conferre with M. Grimoald What he hath coÌ„cluded with him This Doct. Weston and M. Griâ—moald dyed both about the Coronation of Q. Elizabeth I know not I wish it may be to Gods glory Amen Amen M. Weston of his gentlenes visited me ofâ—red me frendship in his worldly wily sort c. I had not so much good maner as to take it at his haÌ„d for I said that I was well inough and ready cherefully to abide the extremity to keepe thereby a good coÌ„science You be a sleepe in sin said he I would awake quoth I and do not forget Vigilate orate i. Watch pray What church was there The church goeth not alwayes by number said he 30. yeres past What church was there quoth I in Helias time Ioane of Kent sayd he was of youre Church No quoth I we did coÌ„demne her as an heretick Who was of your Church sayd he 30. yeares past Such quoth I as that Romish Antichrist and his rabble haue reputed and condemned as heretickes Wicklife sayd he Thorpe Old castle c. Yea quoth I with many moe as storyes do tell The B. of Rome hath sayd he long tyme played a part in your tayling sermons but now be ye sure he must play another maner of part The more pitie quoth I and yet some coÌ„fort it is to see how that the best learned Winchesters booke De Vera Obedientia wisest holiest of you all haue heeretofore had him to play a part likewise in your sermoÌ„s writings though now to please the world you do turne with the weathercocke Did you euer said he heare me preach against the Bishop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach But I trowe you haue ben no wiser then other c. with more about the Sacrament Pray pray God keepe your family blesse it What a blessed taste thys good man had of Gods holy spirit by diuers and sondry his letters may right wel appeare to him that is disposed to peruse the same What a blessed taste of M. Sanders had of christes comforts whereof certayne we haue here thought good the Lord willing to expresse first beginning with that whiche he wrote out of the Marshalsey to D. Cranmer Ridley and Latimer prisoners for the like cause of Christ in Oxford To the Archbishop Cranmer Bish. Ridley and M. Latimer being prisoned in Oxford IN my most humble wise I salute you most reuerend fathers in Christ Iesus our Lord M. Saunders writeth to D. Cranmer Ridley c. Coloss. 1. Immortall thanks and euerlasting prayses be geuen vnto that our father of mercies Whiche hath made vs meete to be pertakers of the inheritaunce of Saintes in light whiche hath deliuered vs from the power of darckenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne by whome we haue redemption through his bloud c O most happy estate that in an vnspeakable wise our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. But whensoeuer Christ which is our life shall shew himselfe then shall we also appeare with him in glory In y e meane season as our sight is but in a glasse euen in a darcke speaking 1. Cor. 13. so wee walke in fayth not after outward appearaunce the which fayth although for want of outward appearaunce reason reputeth but as vaine yea the chosen of God do know the effect thereof to bring a more substanciall taste and liuely fruition of very felicitie and perfect blessednes then reason can reach or sences receaue By this fayth we haue in our profession all good thinges yea euen them whiche the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither hath entred the hart of man c. Esay 54. 1. Cor. 2. Then
father And seeing he hath such care for the haires of our head howe much more doeth he care for our life it selfe Wherefore let Gods aduersaries do what they lust whether they take life or take it not they can do vs no hurt for their crueltye hath no further power then God permitteth them and that which commeth vnto vs by the will of our heauenly father can be no harme no losse neither destruction vnto vs but rather gain wealth and felicitie For all troubles and aduersitie that chaunce to such as be of God by the wil of the heauenly father can be none other but gaine and aduantage That the spirite of manne may feele these consolations the geuer of them the heauenly father must be prayed vnto for the merites of Christes passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented Prayer necessary Iames 1. 1. Cor. 1.8 vntill it be regenerated and possessed with Gods spirit to beare paciently the troubles of the minde or of the body When the minde and heart of a man seeth of euery side sorow and heauines the worldly eye beholdeth nothing but suche things as be troublous wholely bent to robbe the poore of that hee hath and also to take from him hys life except the man weighe these brittle and vncertaine treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christes precious bloud and so for the loue and certaintie of the heauenly ioyes contemne all thyngs present doubtles he shall neuer be able to beare the losse of goodes life or any other things of this world Therefore S. Paule geueth a very godly and necessary lesson to all men in this short and transitorie life and therin sheweth howe a man may best beare the iniquitie and troubles of this world If ye be risen againe with Christ sayth he seeke the things which are aboue Collos. â—â— A lesson how to beare trouble where Christ sitteth at the right hande of God the father Wherefore the Christian mans faith must be alwayes vppon the resurrection of Christe when he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrection he shall not onely see continuall and perpetuall ioy and consolation but also the victorie and triumph of all persecution trouble sinne death hell the deuil and al other tyrants and persecuters of Christ and of Christes people the teares and weepings of the faithfull dryed vppe theyr woundes healed their bodies made immortall in ioy their soules for euer praising the Lord and coniunction and societie euerlasting wyth the blessed company of Gods electes in perpetuall ioy But the woordes of S. Paule in that place if they be not marked shall doe little profite to the reader or hearer and geue him no pacience at all in this impacient and cruell world In this first part S. Paule commaundeth vs to thinke or set our affections on things that are aboue Two thinges commaunded by S. Paule writing to the Collossians The first is to see and know what thiâ—ges are aboue and what thinges are beneath and and to discerne rightly betwene them The second is to set our affection vpon them that are aboue and not vpon the other And this lesson is harder then the otheâ— When he biddeth vs seeke the thyngs that are aboue hee requireth that oure mindes neuer cease from prayer and studie in Gods word vntill we see knowe and vnderstande the vanities of thys worlde the shortnesse and miserie of thys life and the treasures of the worlde to come the immortalitie thereof and the ioyes of that life and so neuer cease seeking vntill suche time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man hee is that seeketh the one and finedeth it and careth not for the other though hee loose it and in seekynge to haue ryght iudgement betwene the life present and the life to come wee shall finde howe little the paines imprysonment sclaunders lies and death it selfe is in thys worlde in respect of the paines euerlasting the prisonne infernall and dungeon of hell the sentence of Gods iust iudgement and euerlasting death When a man hath by seeking the woorde of God found out what the things aboue be then must hee as S. Paule saith set his affections vpon them And this commaundement is more harde then the other For mans knowledge many times seeth the best and knoweth that there is a life to come better then thys life present as you maye see howe daily men and women can praise and commende yea and wishe for heauen and to be at rest there yet they sette not their affection vpon it they do more affect and loue in dede a trifle of nothing in this worlde that pleaseth their affection then the treasure of all treasures in heauen which their owne iudgement sayth is better then all worldly thinges Wherefore we must set our affections vpon the things that be aboue that is to say when any thing worse then heauen vppon the earth offereth it selfe to be ours if we wil geue our good willes to it and loue it in our heartes then ought we to see by the iudgement of Gods woorde whether we may haue the worlde without offence of God and suche thyngs as be for this worldly life wythout his displeasure If wee can not S. Paules commaundement must take place Set your affections on things that are aboue If the riches of thys world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods lawe neyther our liues be continued without the deniall of hys honour we must set our affection vpon the richesse and lyfe that is aboue and not vpon things that be on the earth Therfore this second commaundement of S. Paul requireth How thinges of this world may be possessed and how not that as our minds iudge heauenly things to be better then thyngs vpon the earth and the life to come better then the life present so we should chuse them before other preferre them and haue such affection to the best that in no case we set the worst before it as the most part of the world doth and hath done for they choose the best and approoue it and yet follow the worste But these thyngs my godly wife require rather cogitation meditation and praier then wordes or talke They be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be vsed and practised Wherefore seeing they be Gods gyftes Scriptures woulde bee mused vpon rather then talked vpon and none of ours to haue as our owne when we would we must seke them at our heauenly fathers hand who seeth and is priuy how poore and wretched we be and how naked how spoiled and destitute of all his blessed giftes we be by reason of sinne He did commaund therefore his Disciples when he shewed them that they shoulde take paciently the state of thys present life full of troubles and persecution Math. 24. Luke 2. to praye that they myghte well
the proudest of you all shall repent this receiuing agayne of Antichrist and your tiranny that ye now shew agaynst the flocke of Christ. So was Doctor Taylour nowe condemned committed to the Clinke the keepers charged straitlye to keepe him for ye haue nowe an other maner of charge quoth the Lord Chauncellour then ye had before therefore looke ye take heed to it WheÌ„ the keeper brought him toward the prison y t people flocked about to gase vpoÌ„ him vnto whoÌ„ he sayd God be praysed good people I am come away from theÌ„ vndefiled will confirme the truth with my bloud So was he bestowed in the Clincke till it was toward night and theÌ„ he was remoued to the Counter by the Poultry When D. Taylour had lyen in the sayd Counter in the poultry a seuennight or there aboutes prisoner the fourth day of February Anno 1555. Edmund Boner Byshop of London with others came to the said Counter to disgrade him bringing with them such ornaments as do appertein to theyr massing MuÌ„mery Now being come he called for the sayd D. Taylor to be brought vnto him the bishop being then in the chamber where the keeper of the Counter and his wife lay So D. Taylour was brought downe froÌ„ the chamber aboue that to the sayd Boner And att his comming the Bishop sayd Mayster Doctour I woulde you would remember your selfe and turn to your mother holy Church so may you do wel enough and I wil sue for your pardon Wherunto M. Taylor aunswered I would you and your felowes would turne to Christ. As for me I will not turne to Antichrist Well quoth the byshop I am come to disgrade you wherfore put on these vestures No quoth Doct. Taylour I will not Wilt thou not said the Bishop I shall make thee ere I goe Quoth Doct. Taylor you shal not by the grace of God TheÌ„ he charged him vpon his obedience to do it but he would not do it for him So he willed another to put them on his backe wheÌ„ he was throughly furnished therwith he set his handes by his side walking vp and down and sayd how say you my Lord am I not a goodly foole how say you my maysters If I were in cheape should I not haue boyes enough to laugh at these apish toyes toying trumpery So the byshop scraped his fingers thuÌ„bes the crowne of his head and did the rest of such like deuilish obseruaunces At the last when he should haue geuen D. Taylour a stroke on the brest with his Crosierstaffe the Bishoppes Chapleine sayd my Lord strike him not for hee wyll sure strike agayne Yea by S. Peter will I quoth Doct. Taylour The cause is Christes and I were no good Christian if I would not fight in my Maysters quarrell So the byshop laid his curse vpon him but stroke him not Then D. Taylor sayd though you do curse me yet God doth blesse me D. Taylour 〈…〉 the â—ope and 〈…〉 of D. â—aylour I haue the witnes of my conscience that ye haue done me wrong and violence And yet I pray God if it be hys will forgeue you But from the tyranny of the Byshop of Rome his detestable enormities good Lord deliuer vs. And in going vp to his chamber he still sayd God deliuer me from you God deliuer me froÌ„ you And when he came vp he told Maister Bradford for they both lay in one chaÌ„ber that he had made the Byshop of London afearde for sayth he laughingly his Chapleine gaue him counsel not to strike me with his Crosierstaffe for that I would strike agayne and by my troth sayde he rubbing his handes I made him beleue I would do so in deed The night after that he was disgraded his wyfe and his sonne Thomas resorted to him â—eepers of 〈◊〉 and were by the geÌ„tlenes of the keepers permitted to suppe with hym For this difference was euer found betweene the keepers of the byshops prisons and the keepers of the kinges prisons that the Bishops keepers were euer cruell blasphemous and tyrannous like theyr Maysters but the Keepers of the kinges prisons shewed for the most part as much fauor as they possible might So came Doctor Taylours wife his sonne and Iohn Hull his seruaunt to sup with him and at their comming in afore supper they kneeled downe and praied saying the Letany D Taylour â—lessed his 〈◊〉 D. Taylours 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 sonne â—â—rthy of al 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 After supper walking vp and downe he gaue GOD thanks for his grace that had so called him and geuen him strength to abide by his holy worde and turning to hys sonne Thomas My deare sonne sayd he almighty God blesse thee geue thee his holy spirit to be a true seruaunt of Christ to learn his word and constantly to stand by his trueth all thy long life And my sonne see that thou feare God alwaies Flee from all sinne wicked liuing be vertuous serue God with dayly prayer and apply thy booke In any wise see thou be obedient to thy Mother loue her and serue her be ruled by her now in thy youth and folow her good counsell in all thinges Beware of lewd company of young men that feare not God but folowe theyr lewde lustes and vayne appitites Flye from Whooredome and hate all filthy liuing remembring that I thy father do dye in the defence of holy mariage And another day wheÌ„ god shall blesse thee loue cherish the poore people couÌ„t that thy chiefe riches is to be rich in almes and when thy mother is waxed old forsake her not but prouide for her to thy power and see that she lacke nothing For so will GOD blesse thee and geue the long life vpon earth and prosperity which I pray God to graunt thee Then turning to his wife D. Taylour councelleth hiâ— wyfe My deare wife quoth he continue stedfast in the feare and loue of God keepe your selfe vndefiled from theyr Popysh Idolatryes and superstitions I haue bene vnto you a faythfull yokefelow and so haue you bene vnto me for the which I pray GOD to reward you and doubt you not deare wife but God wyll reward it Now the time is come that I shall be taken from you you discharged of the wedlocke bond towards me therfore I will geue you my counsell what I thinke most expedient for you You are yet a childbearing woman and therfore it will be most conuenient for you to marry For doubtlesse you shall neuer be at a conuenient stay for your selfe and our poore children nor out of trouble tyll you be maryed Therfore as soone as God will prouide it marry with some honest faythfull man that feareth God Doubt you not God will prouide an honest husband for you he wil be a mercifull father to you and to my children whom I pray you bring vp in the feare of God in learning to the vttermost of your power and keep them from
The 4. abuse Fourthly in that it is worshipped contrary to the commaundement saying Thou shalt worship nothing that is made with hands The 5. abuse Fiftly in that it is geuen in an vnknowne tongue whereby the people are ignoraunt of the right vse thereof how Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification by whome we be set at peace with God and receaued to his fauour and mercy by his promise whereof this sacrament is a sure seale and witnes The 6. abuse Besides this it is hanged vp and shut in a boxe yea many times so long that wormes breedeth in it and so it putrifyeth whereby the rude people haue an occasion to speake vnreuerently thereof whiche otherwise woulde speake reuerently Thereof they that thus abuse it bring vp the sclaunder and not we whiche pray dayly to God to restore it to the right vse according to Christes institution Nowe concerning Christes wordes Thys is my body we deny theÌ„ not but we say that y e mind of Christ in them must be searched out by other open scriptures wherby we may come to the spirituall vnderstanding of them Christes wordes hoc est corpus meum not denyed but expounded The phrase of scripture expounded by other phrases whiche shall be most to the glory of God For as the holy Apostle sayth There is no scripture that hath any priuate interpretation Besides this the Scriptures are full of the like figuratiue speaches as for example Christ sayeth This cup is the new Testament in my bloud The rocke is Christ sayeth Saint Paule Who soeuer receyueth a child in my name sayth our saueour Iesus Christ receyueth me Which sentences must not be vnderstand after the letter lest we do erre as the Capernaites did which thought that Christes body should haue ben eaten with their teeth when he spake of the eating thereof Unto whome Christe sayd Such a fleshly eating of my body profiteth nothing it is the spirit sayeth our Saueour Iesus Christ that quickeneth the fleshe profyteth nothyng for my woordes are spirite and lyfe Thus wee see that Christes woordes must be vnderstanded spiritually and not literally The wordâ— of the sacraâ—ment oughâ— to be taken spiritually and not litterally Christ is to be eaten spiritually Therefore he y t commeth to this worthy supper of the Lord must not prepare his lawe but his hart neyther tooth nor belly but Beleeue sayth S. Augustine and thou hast eaten it so that we must bring with vs a spiritual hunger And as the Apostle saith Trie and examine our selues whether our conscience doo testifie vnto vs that we do truly beleeue in Christ according to the Scriptures whereof if we be truly certified being new borne from our old conuersation in hart minde will and deede then may we boldly with this mariage garment of faith come to the feast In consideration whereof we haue inuincible Scriptures as of Christ himselfe This do in the remembraunce of me And S. Paule As often saith he as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall remember the Lords death vntill he come Heere is no chaunge but bread still The substaunce of bread not chaunged And Sainct Luke affirmeth the same Also Christ hath made a iust promise saying Me you shall not haue alwayes with you I leaue the world and go to my father for if I should not depart the comforter which I will send can not come vnto you So according to his promise he is ascended as the Euangelistes testifie Also Saint Peter sayth That heauen shall keepe him vntill the last day also Now as touching his omnipotent power we confesse and say with S. Augustine that Christ is both God and man In that he is God he is euery where Christs body but in one place 〈◊〉 once but in that he is man he is in heauen and can occupy but one place whereunto the Scriptures doth agree For his body was not in all places at once when he was heere for it was not in the graue when the women sought it as the Angell saith neither was it at Bethania where Lazarus died by Christes owne words saying I am glad I was not there And thus we conclude with the Scriptures that Christ is in his holy Supper sacramentally and spiritually in all them that worthily receiue it and corporally in heauen both God and man And further we make heere our protestation before God whome we call to record in this matter that this whiche we haue sayd is neither of stubbornnes nor wilfull mind as some iudge of vs but euen of very conscience Their protestation truely we trust grounded in Gods holy word For before wee tooke this matter in hand we besought God from the bottome of our hartes that we might do nothing contrary to his holy and blessed word And in that he hath thus shewed his power in our weakenes we can not woorthely prayse him vnto whome we geue harty thankes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen When he had thus deliuered and read their confession the Bishop stil persisting sometime in faire promises somtime threatning to pronounce iudgemeÌ„t asked them whether they would stand to this their confession and other answeares To whome Causton said Yea M. Causton and M. Higbed constant to death in their confession we will stande to our answeares written with our hands and to our beliefe therein conteined After which answeare the Byshop began to pronounce sentence against him Then he said that it was much rashnes and without all loue and mercy to geue iudgement without answering to their confession by the truth of Gods word whereunto they submitted themselues most willingly And therefore I M. Causton appealeth to the Cardinall D. Smith ready to answere their confession but could not be suffered quoth Causton because I can not haue iustice at your hand but that ye will thus rashly condemne me doo appeale from you to my Lord Cardinall Then D. Smith sayde that he woulde answeare theyr confession But the Bishop not suffering him to speake willed Harpsfield to say his minde for the stay of the people Who taking their confession in his hand neither touched nor answered one sentence thereof Whiche done the Bishop pronounced sentence first against the said Thomas Causton and then calling Thomas Higbed caused his articles and answeres likewise to be read In the reading whereof Higbed sayd Ye speake blasphemie against Christes passion Ann. 1555. March and ye goe aboute to trap vs with your subtilties and snares And though my father and mother and other my kinsfolke did beleeue as you say Sentencâ— proounced agaynst M. Causton M. Higbed yet they were deceiued in so beleeuing And further where you say that my Lord named Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterbury and other specified in the said articles be heretikes I do wishe that I were such an hereticke as they were and be Then the Byshop asked him againe whether he would
knowe that ye be none of his but the Lords dearelinges Before these dayes came Lord God how many thought of them selues they hadde bene in Gods bosome and so were takē and would be taken of the world But now we see whose they are Trouble tryeth who be of God who be not For to whome we obey his seruauntes we are If wee obey the world which god forbid and hitherto ye haue not done it then are we the worldes but if we obey God then are we Gods Which thing I mean that ye are Gods these dayes haue declared both to you to me to all other that know you better then euer we knew it Therefore ye haue no cause to sorrow but rather to sing in seing your selues to be Gods babes and in seyng that all Gods children do so count you What though the world repine thereat What though he kicke What though he seek to trouble and molest you A true louer of the world is declared by hi◠lyfe My deare hartes he doth but his kinde he cannot loue the Lord which liueth not in the Lorde he can not brooke the childe that hateth the Father he canne not mind the seruaunt that careth not for the Mayster If ye were of the world the world woulde loue you ye should dwell quietly there woulde be no griefe no molestation If the Deuill dwelt in you which the Lord forbid he would not stirre vp his knightes to besiege your house to snatch your goodes or suffer his freendes to enter into your Hogges The deuill neuer entereth into his owne hogges But because Christ dwelleth in you as he doth by fayth therefore styreth he vp his first begotten sonne the worlde to seeke how to disquiet you to robbe you to spoyle you to destroy you and perchaunce your deare Father to trye and to make knowne vnto you and to the world that ye are destinate to an other dwelling the◠here on earth to an other Citty then mannes eyes haue seene at any tyme hath geuen or will geue power to Sathan and to the world to take from you the thinges The Lord geueth power to Sathan sometymes ouer his Seruantes and to what ende God vseth to try his whiche he hath lent you and by taking them awaye to trye your fidelitye obedience and loue towardes hym for ye may not loue them aboue hym as by geuyng that ye haue and keeping it he hath declared his loue towardes you Sathan perchaunce telleth GOD as he did of Iob that ye loue GOD for your goodes sake What now then if the Lord do try you with Iob shall geue him power on your goodes and body accordingly should ye be dismaied should ye dispayre shoulde ye be faynt harted shoulde ye not rather reioyce as did the Apostles that they were coūted worthy to suffer any thing for the Lordes sake Oh forget not the end that happened to Iob for as it happened to him so shall it happen vnto you For GOD is the same God and can not long forget to shew mercy to them that look and long for it as I know ye do and I pray you so to do still For the Lord loueth you and neuer canne nor will forget to shewe and poure out his mercy vpon you After a little while that he hath afflicted tryed you sayth Peter hee will visite comfort and confirme you Iacob must teach vs to wrastle As to Iacob wrastling with the Aungell at the length morning came and the sonne arose so deare hartes doubtlesse it will happen vnto you Howbeit do ye as Iob and Iacob did that is order and dispose your thinges that God hath lent you as ye may and whiles ye haue time Who knoweth whether God hath geuen you power this long euen to that end Go to therefore dispose your goodes prepare your selues to tryall that eyther ye maye stande to it like Goddes Champions or els if ye feele such infirmitye in your selues that ye bee not able geue place to violence and goe where ye may with free and safe conscience serue the Lord. Thinke not this counsell to come by chaunce This Erkinald and his wyfe folowing this counsayle did flie both beyond sea or fortune but to come from the Lorde Other Oracles wee may not looke for now As God told Ioseph in a dreame by an Angell that he should flye so if you fele such infirmity in your selues as should turne to Gods dishonor and your owne destruction withall knowe that at this present I am as Gods Aungell to admonish you to take tyme whyles yee haue it and to see that in no case Gods name by you might be dishonored Ioseph might haue obiected the omission of his vocation as perchaunce ye will do But deare hartes lette vocations and all thinges else geue place to Goddes name and the sanctifying thereof This I speake not as though I would not haue you rather to tary und to stand to it but I speake it in respecte of your infirmity whiche if you feele to be so greate in you that ye are not certayne of this hope that God will neuer tempt you aboue your ability flye and get you hence and know that thereby GOD will haue you tryed to your selues and to others For by it you shall know howe to take this world and your home here is no home but that ye looke for an other and so geue occasion to others lesse to loue this worlde and perchaunce to some to doubte of theyr Religion Wherin though they be earnest yet would they not loose so much as ye do for your Religion which ye do confirme to me and others by your geuing place to violence Last of al ye haue cause to reioyce ouer these our daies because they bee the dayes of conformation in the whiche and by whiche GOD our heauenly Father maketh vs like vnto Christes Image here Tribulation doth conforme vs to the Image of Christ. that we may be like vnto him elswhere For if that we suffer with him then we shal reigne also with him if we be buryed with him then wee shall rise with him agayne if that we company with hym in all troubles and afflictions then we shall reioyce wyth him in glory if we now sow with him in teares we shall reape with him in gladnes if we confesse him before men he will confesse vs before his father in heauen if wee take his parte he will take ours if wee loose ought for his names sake he will geue vs all thynges for his truthes sake So that we ought to reioyce and be glad for it is not geuen to euery one to suffer losse of countrey life goodes house c. for the Lordes sake What can God the father do more vnto vs thē to call vs into the camp with his sonne What may Christ our Sauior do more for vs thē to make vs his Warriours What can the holy Ghost do to vs aboue this to marke vs with
people two wayes and two mansion places The maysters by Christe and Satan the people be seruitures to eyther of these the wayes be strayte and wyde the mansions be Heauen and Hell Agayne consider that thys worlde is the place of tryall of Gods people and the deuils seruauntes for as the one will follow hys mayster what soeuer commeth of it so will the other For a tyme it is hard to discerne who pertayneth to God and who to the Deuill as in the calme and peace â—ffliction â—â—eth who 〈◊〉 with God and who goe with the Deuill who is a good shipman and warriour and who is not But as when the storme aryseth the expert mariner is knowne and as in warre the good souldiour is seene so in affliction and the Crosse easily Gods children are knowne from Sathans seruauntes for then as the good seruaunt will followe his mayster so will the godly followe theyr captayne come what come will where as the wicked and hipocrites will bid adewe and desire lesse of Chrystes acquayntaunce For whiche cause the Crosse is called a probation and tryall because it tryeth who will goe wyth God and who will forsake hym â—hristes 〈◊〉 the â—â—aller and 〈◊〉 And nowe in Englande wee see howe small a companye Christe hath in comparison of Sathans Souldioures Let no manne deceiue hymselfe for hee that gathereth not wyâ—h Chryste scattereth abroade No man canne serue two maysters the Lorde abhorreth double heartes the luke warme that is such as are both hote and colde hee spitteth out of hys mouthe None that halte on bothe knees doth GOD take for hys seruauntes The way of Chryste is the strayte waye and so straite that as a few finde it and few walke in it so no man can halte in it but must needs goe vpright for as the straytnes will suffer no reeling to this side or that side so if anye man halte he is lyke to fall of the bridge into the pit of eternall perdition Striue therefore good mayster Doctour nowe you haue founde it to enter into it and if you shoulde be called or pulled backe looke not on this side or that side or behynde you as Lots wyfe did but strait forwardes on the end which is set before you though it bee to come as euen nowe present lyke as you doe and will your pacientes to doe in purgations and other your ministrations A wise man will euer consider the ende to consider the effecte that will ensue where through the bitternesse and lothsomnesse of the purgation is so ouercome and the paynefulnes in abiding the woorkyng of that is minystred is so eased that it maketh the pacient willyngly and ioyfullye to receaue that is to be receiued althoughe it be neuer so vnpleasaunt so I saye sette before you the ende of thys strayte waye and then doubtlesse as Paule sayth aeternum pondus gloriae pariet i. It shall bryng with it an eternall weight of glory whilest we looke not on the thinge whiche is seene for that is temporall but on the thynge whiche is not seene whiche is eternall So dothe the husbandman in plowing and tillyng set before hym the haruest tyme so doth the fisher consider the draught of hys nette rather then the castyng in so dothe the Marchaunt the returne of hys marchaundise and so shoulde we in these stormye dayes set before vs not the losse of our goodes libertye and verye lyfe but the reapyng tyme the commyng of oure Sauioure Christ to iudgement the fire that shall burne the wicked and disobedient to GODS Gospell the blaste of the Trumpe the exceeding glory prepared for vs in heauen eternally such as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard not the hart of man can conceaue The more we lose here The glorious recompence of such as suffer for the Lord. the greater ioye shall we haue there The more we suffer the greater triumphe For corruptible drosse wee shall finde incorruptible treasures for golde glorye for siluer solace without ende for riches robes royall for earthly houses eternall pallaces myrthe without measure pleasure without payne felicitie endles Summa we shall haue God the father the sonne and the holye Ghost Oh happye place oh that thys daye woulde come Then shall the ende of the wicked be lamentable then shall they receaue the iust rewarde of Gods vengeaunce then shall they crye woe woe that euer they dyd as they haue done Reade Sapien. 2.3.4.5 Read Mathew 25. Read 1 Corinthians 15. 2. Corrinthians 5. and by faythe which GOD increase in vs consider the thing there sette foorthe And for youre comforte reade Hebrewes 11. to see what fayth hath done alwayes consideryng the way to heauen to be by many trybulations and that all they which wyll lyue godlye in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution You knowe thys is oure Alphabet He that will be my Disciple The way to heauen is by tribulations sayth Chryst must denye himselfe and take vp hys Crosse and followe me not thys Byshop nor that Doctour not this Emperoure nor that Kynge but me sayth Christ For he that loueth father mother wyfe children or very life bettter then me is not worthye of me Remember that the same Lorde saythe Hee that will saue hys lyfe shall lose it Comforte your selfe with thys Math. 8. that as the Deuils had no power ouer the Porkets or ouer Iobs goodes without Gods leaue so shall they haue man ouer you Remember also that all the heares of your head are numbred with God The Deuill may make one beleeue he will drowne hym as the Sea in hys surges threatneth to the land but as the Lorde hath appoynted boundes for the one ouer the whiche hee can not passe so hath he done for the other On God therefore cast your care loue hym serue hym after hys worde feare hym trust in hym hope at hys hand for all helpe and alwayes praye lookyng for the Crosse and whensoeuer it commeth be assured the Lorde as he is faythfull so he will neuer tempte you further then hee will make you able to beare but in the middest of the temptation will make suche an euasion as shall be most to his glorye and your eternall comforte GOD for hys mercye in Christe with hys holye spirite endue you comfort you vnder the winges of hys mercye shadowe you and as hys deare childe guyde you for euermore To whose mercfull tuition as I doe with my harty prayer commit you so I doubt not but you pray for me also so I beseech you to doe still My brother P. telleth me you woulde haue the last part of S. Hieromes woorkes to haue the vse thereof for a fortenight I cannot for these three dayes well forbeare it but yet on Thursday next I will send it you if God let me not and vse me and that I haue as your owne The LORD for hys mercye in Chryste directe our wayes to hys glorye Out of prison by yours to commaund Iohn Bradford
for her exceeding goodnes extended towarde them with theyr singulare commendation and testimonie also of her Christian zeale towarde Gods afflicted prisonners and to the veritie of his Gospell Shee departed of late at Holburne Anno 1568. whose ende was more like a sleepe then anye death â—ote how God comâ—only 〈…〉 helpers 〈…〉 his 〈◊〉 so quietly and meekely shee deceased and departed hence in the Lord. Amongest other which wrote vnto her M. Bradforde also sent these letters to the said Lady the tenour whereof heere followeth To my good Lady Vane THe true sense and sweete feeling of Gods eternal mercies in Christe Iesus be euer more and more liuely wrought in your heart by the holy Ghost â— letter of Bâ—aâ—ford â—ritten to 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 Vane 〈…〉 he 〈…〉 Amen I moste heartily thanke you good Madame for your comfortable Letters and whereas you woulde be aduertised what were best to be done on your behalfe concerning your three questions the truth is that the questions are neuer wel seene nor answeared vntill the thing wherof they arise be well considered I meane vntill it be seene howe great an euill the thing is If it be once in deede in your heart perceiued vpon probable pithy places gathered out of Gods booke that there was neuer thing vppon the earthe so greate and so muche an aduersarie to Gods true Seruice to Christes Death Passion Priesthood Sacrifice and kingdome to the Ministerie of Gods woorde and sacraments to the church of God to repentance faith and all true godlines of life as that is whereof the questions arise as moste assuredly it is in deede then can not a Christian heart but so muche the more abhorre it and all thyngs that in any poynt might seeme to allowe it or any thing pertaining to y e same by how much it hath the name of Gods seruice Againe your Ladiship doth knowe that as all is to be discommended and auoided which is folowed or fled from in respecte of oure selues in respecte of auoiding Christes Crosse so the ende of all oure doings shoulde be to God-wards to his glory to our neighbours to edification and good example wherof none can be geuen in allowing any of the three questioÌ„s by you propounded But because this which I write nowe is briefe and needeth the more consideration or explication as I doubte not of the one in you so from me by Gods grace you shall receiue y e other shortly For I haue already wrytten a little booke of it whiche I will sende vnto you in the whiche you shall haue youre questions fully answeared and satisfied and therefore I omit to write any more hereaboutes presently beseeching God our good Father to guide you as his deare childe w t his spirite of wisedome power and comfort vnto eternall lyâ—e that you may be strong and reioyce in hym and wyth his Church to carie Christes crosse if hee shall so thinke it nede 1. Peter 1. Which is a thing to be desired wished and imbraced if wee looked on thinges after the iudgement of Gods word and tried them by that touchstone If you be accustomed to thinke on the breuitie vanitie and miserye of this life and on the eternitye truth and felicity of euerlasting life if you looke on things after their endes and not after their present appearance onely if you vse your selfe to set Gods presence power and mercy alwaies before your eies to see them as God by euery creature woulde you shoulde I doubt not but you shall finde suche strength and comforte in the Lorde as you shall not be shaken with all the power of Satan Gods mercye in Christ be with you and his good spirit guide you for euer Amen An other letter to the Lady Vane AS to mine owne soule I wishe to your Ladishippe An other letter of M. Bradford to the foresayd Lady Vane grace and mercy from God our deare father in Christe oure Lorde and Sauiour I thanke God that something he hath eased you and mitigated hys fatherly correction in vs both I woulde to God hee had done so muche in the behalfe of the griefe of the body to you as he hath done to mee For as for the soule I truste you feele that which I pray God increase in you I meane his fatherly loue and graunt that I may with you feele the same in suche degree as may please him I will not say as you feele least I should seeme to aske too much at one time God doeth often much more plentifully visite with the sense of his mercy them that humble them selues vnder his mighty hande and are sore exercised as you long haue bene then others whiche to the face of the worlde haue a more shewe and appearance Therefore I wish as I doe and that not onely for mine owne commoditie but also that I might occasion you to the consideration of the goodnesse of God whiche I by your letters doe well espâ—e whych is in deede the hye waye whereby as God encreaseth his giftes so sheweth he more liuely his saluation Psalme 50.107 I haue receiued Gods blessing from you the whiche I haue partly distributed vnto my three felowe prisonners Maister Farrar Maister Tailour Maister Philpot and the residue I will bestowe vppon foure poore soules whiche are imprisonned in the common Gayle for Religion also As for mine owne parte if I hadde neede I woulde haue serued my tourne also But because I hadde not nor I thanke God haue not I haue bene and wil be your Almner in such sorte as I haue already aduertised you God rewarde you and geue you to finde it spiritually and corporally Because otherwise I canne not talke with you therefore on thys sort as occasion and opportunitie will serue I am ready to shewe my good will and desire of youre helpe and furtheraunce in the Lorde to euerlasting life whereunto God bringe vs shortly for his mercies sake Amen Good Madame bee thankefull to God as I hope you be bee earnest in prayer continue in reading and hearing Gods worde and if Gods further Crosse come as therein God doeth serue hys prouidence for els it shall not come vnto you so be certaine the same shall turne to your eternall ioy and comfort Amen Iohn Bradford To my deare friendes and brethren R. and E. with their wiues and families THe comforte of Christe fealt commonly of his children in their Crosse for his sake An other letter of M. Bradford to 2. faythfull frends of his onâ— Royden and Elâ—ing the euerlasting God worke in both your heartes my good brethren and in the hearts of both your yokefelows especially of good Mary my good sister in the Lord. Amen If I had not somthing heard of the hazard which you are in for the Gospels sake if you continue the profession confession therof as I trust you do wil do and that vnto the ende God enabling you as hee will doubtlesse for hys mercies sake if you hope in him for
this binedeth hym as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth Our Fathers hoped in thee and thou deliueredst them c. Psal. 22. yet by coÌ„iectures I coulde not but suppose thoughe not so certainely the time of your suffering and probation to be at hande For now is the power of darknes fully come vpon this realme most iustly for oâ—r sinnes and abusing the light lent vs of the Lorde to the setting foorthe of oure selues more then of Gods glory y t as wel we might be brought into the better knowledge of our euils and so heartily repeÌ„t which God graunt vs to doe as also we might haue more feeling and sense of our sweete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs thereby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweet and pleasant vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensibly in all oure hearts for Gods holy names sake For this cause I thoughte it my duetie beynge nowe where I haue some libertye to write the Lord be praised and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had heard nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lord although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to goe on forewardes in the way of God whereinto you are entred considering that the same cannot but so much more and more waxe strait to the outward man by howe muche you drawe nearer to the ende of it Euen as in the trauaile of a woman The nearer we come to our iourneyes end trauayling to heauen the strayter is the way the nearer shee draweth to her deliuerie the more her paines encrease so it goeth with vs in y e Lordes way the nearer we drawe to our deliueraunce by death to eternall felicitie Example whereof we haue I will not say in the holy Prophetes and Apostles of God which when they were young girded them selues and went in manner whether they would Example of the trauell of a woman Iohn 21. but when they waxed olde they went girded of others whither they would not concerning y e outward man but rather and moste liuely in our Sauiour Iesus Christ whose life way was much more painfull to hym towardes the ende then it was at the beginning And no marueyle Example of Christ and his Apostles for Satan cane something abide a man to begin wel set forewards but rather then he should go on to the ende he wil vomite his gorge and cast flouds to ouerflow him before he wil suffer that to come to passe Therefore as we should not be dismaide nowe at thys world The malice of the deuill no new thing as though some strange thyng were happened vnto vs in that it is but as it was wont to be to the godly in that the Deuill declareth him selfe after his olde woont in that we haue professed no lesse but to forsake the world and the deuil as Gods very enemie in that we learned no lesse at the first when we came to Gods schole then to deny our selues and take vp our crosse and folow our master which leadeth vs none other way then he him selfe hath gone before vs as I say we should not be dismaid so we should with patience and ioy go forewards if we set before vs as present the time to come like as the wife in her trauaile doeth the deliuerance of her child and as the saints of God did but especially our sauiour and paterne Iesus Christe for the Apostle sayeth Heb. 12. He set before him the ioye and glorye to come and therfore contemned the shame sorow of the crosse so if we did we shoulde finde at the length as they founde For whome would it greeue which hath a long iourney to go to go through a peece of foule way if he knewe that after that the way should be moste pleasaunt yea the iourney shoulde be ended Godly counsell stirring vs to the contempt of this transitory lyfe and he at his resting place most happie Who wiil be afeard or lothe to leaue a litle pelfe for a little time if he knewe he should shortly after receiue most plentifull riches Who will be vnwilling for a little while to forsake his wife children or frends c. when he knoweth he shall shortly after be associated vnto them inseparably euen after his owne hearts desire Who wil be sory to forsake this life which can not but be moste certaine of eternall life Who loueth the shadowe better then the bodye Who can loue this life but they that regarde not the life to come Who can desire the drosse of this worlde but such as be ignoraunt of the treasures of the euerlasting ioy in heauen Mathew 19. I meane who is afeard to die but suche as hope not to liue eternally Christ hath promised pleasures richesse ioye 1. Peter 2. felicitie and all good things to them that for hys sake lose any thing or suffer any sorrowe And is he not true Howe can hee but be true for guile was neuer founde in his mouth Alas then why are we so slacke and slow yea harde of heart to beleue him promising vs thus plentifully eternal blisfulnes and are so ready to beleue the worlde promising vs many things and paying vs nothing If we will currie fauour nowe and halâ—e on bothe partes then it promiseth vs peace The flatteâ—ing promises of this world ill fauoâ—â—â—ly performed quietnesse and many thinges els But howe doeth it pay this geare or if it pay it with what quietnesse of conscience Or if so howe long I pray you Doe not we see before our eyes men to die shamefully I meane as Rebelles and other malefactours which refuse to dye for Gods cause What way is so sure a way to heauen as to suffer in Christes cause If there be anye waye on horsebacke to heauen surely this is the way By manye troubles sayeth the Apostle wee must enter into heauen Actes 14. All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution For the world can not loue them that are of God 2. Timothy 3. the deuill can not loue hys ennemies the worlde will loue none but hys owne you are Christes therefore looke for no loue heere Should we looke for fire to quenche our thirste And as soone shall Gods true seruants finde peace and fauour in Antichrists regiment Therfore my dearly beloued be stout in the Lorde and in the power of his might Put on you his armour stande in the libertie of Christe which you haue learned reioyce that you may be counted woorthy to suffer any thyng for Gods cause to all men thys is not geuen Your rewarde is great in heauen though in earth you find nothing The iourney is almost past you are almost in the hauen halt on a pace I beseeche you and merily hoâ—se vp your sailes To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉
and plagues behoâ—d hys iudgements where through learne to feare hym Beware of sinne as the serpent of the soule which spoileth vs of all our oâ— nature and seemely apparel in Gods sight Let Christ crucified be your booke to study on and that both night and day Marke your vocation and be diligent in the workes thereof Vse harty earnest prayer and that in spirit In all thyngs geue thanks to God our father through Christ. Labour to haue here lyfe euerlastyng begun in you for els it will not be elsewhere enioyed Set Gods iudgement often before your eyes that nowe examinyng your selfe you may make diligent sute and obtaine neuer to come into iudgement Vncouer your euils to God that he may couer theÌ„ Beware of this Antichristian trash defile not your selfe in soule or body therewith but accomplish holynes in the feare of God beare no yoke with vnbeleeuers Looke for the commyng of the Lord which is at hand by earnest prayer and godly 〈…〉 it God our father accomplish his good worke in you Amâ— Commend me to my good mother maistres Wilkinson to my very deare sister maistresse Warcuppe I shall daily commend you all to God and I pray you do the lyke for me Iohn Bradford ¶ To a friend of his instructing hym how he should aunswer his aduersaries MY good brother our mercifull God and deare Father through christ opeÌ„ your eyes effectually to see An other letter 〈◊〉 Bradfâ—â—â— his friâ—â—â— with iâ—â—structiâ—â— how â—â—â—swere 〈◊〉 aduersâ—â—â—â—â— your heart ardently to desire the euerlasting ioy which he hath prepared for his slaughter sheep that is for such as shrink not from his truth for any such stormes sake Amen When you shall come before the Magistrates to geue an aunswer of the hope which is in you do it with all reuerence and simplicity And because you may be somthing afrayd by the power of the Maiestrates cruelty which they will threaten against you I would you set before you the good father Moses to follow his example Exampâ—â— Moyses â—â—â—swering â—â—â—fore king Pharao for hee set the inuisible God before his eyes of fayth and with them looked vpon God and his glorious Maiestie and power as with his corporal eies he saw Pharao and all his fearefull terrors So doe you my dearely beloued let your inward eies geue such light vnto you that as you know you arâ— before the magistrates so and much more you they also are present before the face of God which will geue such wisedome to you fearing him and seeking his prayse as the enemies shall wonder at and further he will so order their harts and doyngs that they shall will they â—ill they serue Gods prouidence towards you which you can not auoyd though you would as shall be most to his glory and your euerlasting comfort Therefore my good brother let your whole study bee onely to please God put hym alwayes before your eies for he is on your right hand lest you should be mooued he is faithfull and neuer will suffer you to be tempted aboue that hee will make you able to beare Yea euery haire of your hed he hath numbred so that one of them shal not perish without his good will which cannot be but bee good vnto you in that he is become your father through Christ and therfore as he hath geuen you to beleue in hym God increase this beliefe in vs all so doth hee now graciously geue vnto you to suffer for his names sake the which you ought with all thankefulnesse to receiue in that you are made worthy to drinke of the self same cup which not only the very sonnes of God haue dronke of before you but euen the very natural sonne of God himself hath brought you good lucke Oh he of his mercy make vs thankefull to pledge him agayne Amen Because the chiefest matter they will trouble you and go about to deceiue you withall is the Sacrament not of Christes body and bloud but of the aulter as they call it thereby destroieng the Sacrament which Christ instituted I would you noted these two things First that the Sacrament of the aulter which the Priest offereth in the Masse and eateth priuately with himselfe is not the Sacrament of Christes body add bloud instituted by him as Christes institution plainely written and set foorth in the scriptures beyng compared to their vsing of it playnely doth declare Againe if they talke with you of Christes Sacrament instituted by him whether it be Christes body or no aunswer them that as to the eyes of your reason to your tast and corporall senses it is bread and wyne and therfore the Scripture calleth it after the consecration so eueÌ„ so to the eyes taste and senses of your faith which ascendeth to the right hand of God in heauen where Christ sitteth it is in very deed Christs body and bloud which spiritually your soule feedeth on to euerlasting life in faith and by faith eueÌ„ as your body presently feedeth on the sacramentall bread and sacramentall wyne By this meanes as you shall not allow transubstantiation nor none of their popish opinions so shal you declare the Sacrament to be a matter of faith and not of reason as the Papistes make it For they deny Gods omnipotencie in that they say Christ is not there if bread bee there but fayth looketh on the omnipotencie of God ioined with this promise and doubteth not but that Christ is able to geue that he promiseth vs spiritually by fayth the bread still remaining in substaÌ„ce as wel as if the substance of bread were takeÌ„ away for Christ saith not in any place this is no bread But of this geare God shal instruct you if you hang on his promise and pray for the power wisdome of his spirit which vnâ—oubtedly as you are bounde to looke for praying for it so he hath bound himselfe by his promise to geue it the which thing graunt vnto vs both and to all his people for his names sake thorough Christ our Lord Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ To certaine godly men whome he exhorteth to bee pacient vnder the crosse and constant in the true doctrine which they had professed MY dearely beloued in the Lord as in him I wish you well to fare so I pray God I and you may continue in his true seruice that perpetually we may enioy the same welfare as here in hope so in heauen in deed and eternally You know this world is not your home but a pilgrimage place wherein God trieth hys children and therfore as it knoweth you not nor can know you so I trust you know not it that is you allow it not nor in any poynt will seeme so to doe although by many you be occasioned thereto For this hote sunne which now shineth burneth so sore that the corne which is sowen vppon sande and stony ground beginneth to wither that is many which before tymes were taken for harty
help succor according to that the Lorde hath made you able and placed you where you are for the same purpose Your highnesse and honours ought to knowe that there is no innocencie in woordes or deedes where it is enoughe and suffiseth onely to accuse It behoueth Kinges Queenes and all that be in authoritie to knowe that in the administration of their kingdomes they are Gods Ministers It behoueth them to knowe Difference betweene kinges and Tyrantes that they are no Kinges but plaine Tyrannes which raigne not to thys ende that they may serue and set foorth Gods glory after true knowledge and therefore it is required of them that they woulde be wise and suffer them selues to be taughte to submit them selues to the Lords discipline and to kisse their Soueraigne least they pearish as all those Potentates with their principalities and dominions can not long prosper but pearish in deede if they and their kingdomes be not ruled with the Scepter of God that is wyth hys worde which who so honoureth not honoureth not God and they that honour not the Lorde the Lord will not honour them Good warning to Q. Mary but bring them into contempt and at the lengthe take hys owne cause whiche hee hath moste chieflye committed vnto them to care for into hys owne handes and so ouerthrowe them and set vp his trueth gloriously the people also pearishinge wyth the Princes where the worde of Prophecie is wanting muche more is suppressed as it is now in this Realme of Englande ouer which the eyes of the Lorde are sette to destroy it Princes made slaues to Antichrist your highnesse and al your honours if in time you looke not better to youre office and dueties herein and not suffer your selues to be slaues hangmen to Antichriste and his Prelates which haue broughte your highnesse and honours already to let Barrabas lose and to hange vp Christ as by the grace and helpe of God I shall make apparante if first it would please your excellent maiestie and al your honors to take to heart Gods doctrine which rather through the malice of the Pharisies I meane the Bishoppes and Prelates then youre consciences is oppressed and not for our contemptible and execrable state in the sight of the world to passe the lesse of it For it the doctrine I meane is higher and of more honour and Maiestie then all the whole worlde It standeth inuincible aboue all power 〈…〉 ordeyned 〈…〉 dominion ouer all being not our doctrine but the doctrine of the euerliuing God and of his Christ whom the father hath ordained king to haue dominion from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the endes of the worlde And truely so doth he and will he raigne that hee will shake all the whole earth with his yron and brasen power with his golden and siluerie brightnesse onely by the rod of hys mouth to shiâ—ers in such sorte as though they were pottes of claie according to that which the Prophetes doe wryte of the magnificence of hys kingdome And thus much for the thynge I meane the doctrine and your dueties to hearken to propagate and defend the same Christes Martirs falsely belyed of the prelates for heretickes and Schismatickes But nowe will our aduersaries mainely crie out againste vs because no man maye be admitted once to whist againste them that wee pretende falsely the doctrine and worde of God calling vs the most wicked contemners of it and heretikes Schismatikes traytours c. All which their sayings howe malicious and false they are though I might make report to that which is written by those men whose workes they haue condemned and all that retaine any of them publikely by proclamation yet here will I occasion your maiestie and honours by this my wryting to see that it is farre otherwise then they report of vs. God our father for his holy names sake direct my penne to be his instrument to put into your eyes eares and hearts that which most may make to hys glory to the sauegarde of your soules and bodies and preseruation of the whole Realme Amen Iohn Bradford To certaine his frendes N.S. and R.C. A letter of M. Bradford to certayne persons being at that tyme not throughly instructed in the doctrine of Gods election I Wish to you my good brethren the same grace of God in Christe which I wishe and pray the father of mercies to geue me for his holy names sake Amen Your letter thoughe I haue not read my selfe because I would not alienate my minde from conceiued things to wryte to others yet I haue hearde the summe of it that it is of Gods election wherein I will briefely wryte to you my faith and howe I thinke it good and meete for a Christian man to wade in it I beleeue that man made after the Image of God dyd fall from that blessed state to the condemnation of him selfe and all hys posteritie I beleue that Christ for man being thus fallen did oppose him selfe to the iustice of God a Mediatour paying the raunsome and price of redemption for Adame and his whole posteritie that refuse it not finally True fayth Exod. 14. I beleeue that all that beleue in Christ I speake of such as be of yeares of discretion are partakers of Christe and all hys merites I beleue that faith and to beleue in Christ I speake not nowe of Faith that men haue by reason of myracles Iohn 2.11 Actes 8. or by reason of earthly commoditie Mathew 13. custome and authoritie of men which is commonly seene the hearts of them that so beleue being not right and simple before God but I speake of that faith which in deede is the true faith * M.B. For the certainty of this fayth search your hartes 〈◊〉 you haue it prayse the Lord for 〈…〉 happy and 〈…〉 cannot 〈◊〉 pâ—â—ishe for 〈◊〉 hapâ—ines were not happines if it 〈…〉 WheÌ„ you 〈◊〉 the Lorde 〈…〉 his hand that you sâ—all not lye 〈◊〉 But if ye 〈◊〉 not this sâ—yth then know that prâ—destimation is to 〈…〉 matter for you to be disPuters of vntill you haue â—eene better sâ—holeâ—s in the school◠〈◊〉 of repentance iustificâ—â—ion which is thâ— Grammer schoole wherein we muâ—â— be conuersant and learned before we goe to thâ— vniuersitye of Gods most holy predestination and prouidence Of this matter he writeth more at large in the booke of letters of the Martyrs Fol. 391. the iustifying and regenerating faith I beleeue I say that this faith and beliefe in Christe is the woorke and gift of God geuen to none other then to those whych be the children of God that is to those whom God the Father before the beginning of the worlde hath predestinate in Christ vnto eternall life Thus doe I wade in Predestination in suche sorte as God hath paâ—ified and opened it Thoughe in God it be the firste yet to vs it is last opened And therefore I begin wyth creation from whence
should see the Law whereby ye may compell me to aunswere Douer My Lord tooke the Scribes book and read the answere that I made to D. Faucets reason which I knewe not that they had written Bland My Lord I made you no such aunswere when ye asked me I take M. Collins and M. Glasier to witnes Then they brought forth a Decretall a booke of the bishop of Romes law to bind me to answere whiche my hart abhorred to looke vpon The effecte was that the Ordinarye had authority to examine The popes Kay and that they so examined must needes aunswere But I sayde that it meaned of suche as were iustly suspect as I was not And here we had muche communication For I charged them with vniust imprisonment which they could not auoyd M. Oxenden helpeth the Catholickes But M. Oxenden would haue helped them and said the Iustices put me in prison for a sermon sediously spokeÌ„ and for troubling a priest at masse Bland That is not true For after I had bene 10. weekes in prison I was bayled till I was cast in agayne and as the Iustice sayd for the disobeying mine Ordinary which I neuer did Collins Will ye be content to conferre with some It will be better for you nowe we offer it you because ye woulde not desire it Bland As I did not refuse before no more will I nowe But I did not perceyue before but that one mighte haue come without any leaue asking to conferre the scriptures and therfore I looked that D. Faucet would haue come to me without desiring M. Bland was tutor to Doct. Faucet if any commodity to me had bene in confereÌ„ce for though I was neuer able to do him good yet once I was his tutor Collins Aâ—e ye content to come to his Chamber at after noone Bland Syr I am a Prisoner and therefore it is meete that I obey These 3. belyke were Bland Shetterden and Middleton Miller a clothier excommunicate let go and come whyther you will and so departed At this tyme wee were three But they tooke an other to appeare before them the Tewesday seuennight after And when he came I knewe not what was done but that I heare they excoÌ„municated hym and let him go His name was Myller a Clothyer ¶ Here foloweth a certayne confutation of M. Bland agaynst false and manifest absurdities graunted by M. Mylles priest of Christes Church in Caunterbury MYlles The Popish fayth of the Sacrament We say that Christ is in or vnder the sacrameÌ„t really and corporally which are the formes of bread wyne and that there is his body conteined inuisibly and the qualities which we do see as whitenes and rouÌ„dnes be there without substance by Gods power as quantitye and weight be there also by inuisible measure Bland This is your owne Diuinity to make accidences the Sacrament and Christes reall body inuisibly conteyned in them and so to destroy the Sacrament And yet the Doctors saye * 1. The matter of the SacrameÌ„t is bread and wine Materia Sacramenti est panis vinum And GOD by his power woorkerh no myracles with Hoc est Corpus meum so to chaunge the substaunce of breade and wine into hys bodye and bloud in that hee maketh accidences to bee without theyr substaunce by inuisible measure I am ashamed to see you so destroy Christes Sacrament contrary to your owne Doctours and trifle so with Gods worke Mylles To Christe is geuen all power in heauen and in earth * If christ be able to be where he liste occupy no place why then is not he able to be aswell vnder the substance of bread as vnder the accidences of breade seeing he is omnipotent so that by his omnipotent power of his Godhead he may be and is where he listeth and is in the Sacramente really and corporally without occupying of place for a glorified body occupyeth on place Bland Marke your owne reason All power is geuen to Christ both in heauen and earth by the omnipotent power of his Godhead he may be where he list Ergo hee is in the sacrament really and corporally without occupying of place I denye your argument for it foloweth neyther of your Maior nor Minor And first I woulde learne of you * Christ 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 liste 〈◊〉 Christ 〈◊〉 in the Saâ—crament â—ut 〈◊〉 of place 〈◊〉 true and 〈◊〉 false howe you know that Christ listeth to be present at euerye Priestes list For if the Priest list not to say your Masse theÌ„ Christ listeth not to be there Agayne ye say all power is geuen vnto Christ both in heauen and in earth so that that is the cause by your reason that by the omnipoteÌ„t power of his Godhead he may be where he list and by that reason he had not the power of his Godhead till he had his humayne body and then he was not equall with the father in diuinity for all power was not geuen to Christe before the humanitye and the Godhead were knit together neither was he Filius Here is more daunger then ye are ware of if ye would stand to it with iust Iudges Milles. We eate Christes flesh and bloud spiritually when wee receiue it with fayth and charitye And wee also doe eate it corporally in the Sacrament ane the body that we so receiue hath life For the Godhead is annexed thereto Which although it be receiued with the body of Christ yet it is not inuisible after a grosse sort and the flesh of Christe that we receiue is liuely for it hath the spirite of God ioyned to it And if a man be drunken it is not by receiuinge of the bloud of Christe for it is contrary to the nature of Christes bloud Case being put that the 〈◊〉 king a great quantity in th◠〈◊〉 hee be made dronke 〈◊〉 these three is it that maketh dronke the nature of 〈◊〉 accidences onely of Wine 〈◊〉 the true substance of Wine 〈◊〉 reasonable man iudge If he be drunken it is by the qualities and quaÌ„tities without substance of bloud Bland I am glad that you are so muche agaynst all men to saye that Christes body is aliue in the Sacramente it may fortune to bring you to the truth in time to come Me thinke it is euill to keepe Christes body aliue in the Pixe or els must ye graunt that he is aliue in receiuing dead in the Pixe And ye say truth that it is * Christes bloud hath not thâ— qualitye to make a man 〈◊〉 Receauing of that in the 〈◊〉 can make a man dronke Ergo that in the 〈◊〉 not be the bloud of Christ. not the naturall receiuing of Christes bloud that maketh a man drunken Argument for it is the nature of wine that doth that which ye denye not And a more truth ye confesse then ye dyd thinke when ye sayd If a man be drunken it is by the qualities and quantities without the substaunce of bloud for
Letters reuerenciall or demissories to be geuen and deliuered vnto mee in this behalfe with all thynges expedient requisite or necessarie in any wyse and thereupon also the sayd Bishop required the Publike Notary or Actuary William Saye to make an Instrument and the witnesse aforesayde and other present to recorde the same To whom so appealyng and requiryng as afore the sayde Iudges delegate sayd that they wyll declare and signifie to the Kinges Maiestie what is done in this matter and thereuppon will deferre or not deferre to his sayde appellation accordyng as hys graces pleasure and commaundement shall be to them in that behalfe and after all this the sayd Byshop of London sayd to them Iam â—uncti estis officio What wyll your grace doe with me nowe touchyng my imprisonment wyll ye keepe me still in prison shall I not now be at liberty to prosecute myne appeale To whom the Archb. aunswering sayd that they perceyued now more in that matter then they did at the first that this matter is more greater rebellion then he is ware of and therfore said that as yet they would not discharge him and thereupon they committed him agayne to his keeper to prison This talke finished the Archbishop considering that most of the audience there present The 〈◊〉 declare in the effect of Boners Sentence 〈◊〉 Englyshe did not vnderstand the meanyng of the sentence beyng read in the Latin tongue sayd vnto them Because there be many of you here that vnderstand not the Latine tongue and so cannot tel what iudgement hath bene here geuen I shall therefore shewe you the effect thereof and therewith did declare in English the causes expressed in the sentence adding then therevnto these wordes Because my L. of London is found guilty in these matters Boner deâ—priued anâ— vnbishop therefore we haue here by our sentence depriued hym of our bishoprike of London and this we shew vnto you to the intent that from henceforth ye shall not esteeme hym any more as B. of London Then Boner desired the Archbish. to declare likewise what he had done and how he had appeâ—ed Boners â—â—â—â—daynefuâ— wordes 〈◊〉 the Comâ—missioneâ—â— But the other seing his froward contempt refused it saieng ye may doe it your selfe Wherupon very disdainfully againe he sayd Iam functi estis officio What will your grace do w t me touching my imprisonment will you kepe me stil in prison To whom the commissioners answered that they perceiued now more in the matter then they did before that his behauiour was more greater rebellion then hee was ware of and therefore they would not discharge hym Boner aâ—gayne câ—â—mitted tâ— his keepâ— but committed him agayne to his keeper to be kept in prison Where he most iustly remained vntil the deth of that most worthy godly prince king Edward the sixt After which time he wrought most horrible mischiefe and cruelties against the saints of God as appeareth hereafter throughout the whole raigne of Queene Marie From the executing of the which like tirannie Anno 1549. the Lord of his great mercy keepe all other such Amen Now immediately after his depriuation he writeth out of the Marshalsey other letters supplicatorie vnto y e Lord Chancelor and the rest of the kings Counsaile Wherein he thus complaineth that by reason of the great enemity that the Duke of Somerset and sir Thomas Smith bare vnto him his often and earnest suites vnto the King and hys counsaile could not be heard Hee therefore moste humbly desireth their Lordships for the causes aforesaide to consider him and to let him haue libertie to prosecute his matter before them and he woulde daily pray for the good preseruation of theyr honors as appeareth by the woordes of his owne supplication here vnder following Thus after the Commissioners had finished with Boner he bâ—ing now prisoner in the Marshalsey leauing no shift of the law vnsought how to worke for him self as wel as he mighte drewe out a certaine supplication conceiued and directed to the kings maiestie out of the sayd prison of the Marshalsey To the right honourable my Lorde Chancelor of England with all the rest of the kings Maiesties most honorable priuie counsel PLease it your most honourable good Lordshippes wyth my moste humble commendations to vnderstande that all beit heeretofore I haue made such sute and to such persons as I cannot deuise to make more or to more higher it is to wit vnto the kings most excellent maiestie and his most gratious persons in diuers sorts and also vnto your most honorable good Lordships being of his priuie counsell for redresse of suche notable and manifest iniuries and extremities as hath bene contrary to all law honestie and good reason inflicted vnto me by my Lord of Canterburie my Lorde of Rochester Doctor Smith and Doctor May yet because the sayd Doctor Smith being a minister to the Duke of Somerset and they both my deadly ennemies hath sondry wayes studied and laboured my ruine and destruction staying and letting heretofore all my lawfull remedies and â—utes hauing therein helpe and furtherance of these two other aforesayd persons being ready at foote and hand to accomplish all theyr desires and pleasures I shall at thâ—â— presence hauing for a time forborne to trouble for good respectes your moste honorable good Lordshyppes with any myâ—â—tes and especially for your other manifold great affaires in the kinges Maiesties businesse my selfe yet the meane while neither wanting good will ne yet iust cause being where I am to make such sute renue my sute and most humbly beseeche your most honorable good lordshippes to geue me leaue to make most humble supplication againe to your sayd Lordshippes for honest and lawful 〈◊〉 to prosecute my appelâ—atioÌ„ and supplication heretoâ—ore made to the kings moste excellent Maiestie and according â—o the law to make my sute for redresse of the sayde 〈…〉 extremities and wrongs don 〈…〉 the sayd parsones And your sayd Lordships ouer and besides the furtheraunce of iustice many wayes 〈◊〉 me and other and the collection of the kings maiestie Subsidie nowe to be leuied of the Clergie in my diocesse 〈…〉 hath ben and is staied by reason of the premisses shall also binde me moste greatly and intirely to pray daily for the good preseruation of your sayd moste honourable good Lordshippes in all honour felicitie and ioy long to continue and endure vnto Gods pleasure Wrytten in the Marshalsey the 26. of October 1549. Your Lordships most faithful assured Bedes man E. Lon. A supplication made and directed by Edmund Boner late B. of London to the kings Maiestie out of the prison of the Marshalsey 〈◊〉 supâ—â—ication 〈◊〉 the king In the which supplication first after the vsed forme of stile he praied for the prosperous estate of the king long to raigne Then he shewed that his faithful heart and seruice to him hath is and shall be as it was to his father before Then â—e declared how he
had ben belied of euil men and misreported not to â—eare a true hart to his grace but a rebellious minde in denying his royall power in his minoritie where in deede he sayeth his grace should finde hym alwayes during life both in heart woorde and deede to do and acknowledge otherwise to be most willing to shew c. and to doe all other thinges for his grace as willingly as any other subiecte or as those that were his denouÌ„cers who hee thought were not sent of his grace but pretensed Commissioners c. Further he complained of his denuntiation by certain commissioners who sayde they were sent by his grace alleaging the same not to be lawful and of his long sharpe imprisonment that the commissioners obserued neyther law nor reasonable order but extremitie And wher he had made appeale to his grace and he coulde not haue it he desired to haue lawe to prosecute sue his appeale for his remedy that he coÌ„sidering his vocation might not be shut vp put from libertie which his meanest subiects haue Then he desired hys graces letters of Supersedeas against the commissioners and that the matter might be heard before the counsaile and then he doubted not but to be found a true faithfull man and heerein to haue wrong So in the ende hee concluded this prostrating him selfe euen to the very ground and humbly kissing his graces fete to be the thing onely which he humbly desired c. THis done the supplication perused the King eftsoone geueth in charge and commaundement Boners appellation to the king perused tryed and found by the Lawe vneffectuall and vnreasonable to certain men of honor and worship persons skilfull in the lawe as to Lorde Rich high Chancelor the L. treasurer the L. Marques Dorset the B. of Ely Lord Wentworth sir Anthony Wingfield sir W. Harbert knightes Doc. Nich. Wootton Ed. Mountague Lorde chiefe Iustice Sir Iohn Baker knight with Iudge Hales Ioh. Gosnold D. Oliuer and also Doctour Leyson that they scanning and perusing all such actes matters and muniments of the sayd Boner by him exhibited produced propounded and alleaged with al and singular his protestations recusations appellatioÌ„s should vpon mature consideration therof geue their directed answere vpon the same The sentence of Boners depriuation by the Peeres learned men of the realme found to be iust and lawfull whether the appellation of the said Boner were to be deferred vnto and whether the sentence defined against him stood by the law sufficient and effectual or not Who eftsoones after diligent discussion and considerate aduisement had of all singular the premisses gaue their resolute answere that the pretensed appellation of Edmund Boner aforesayde was nought and vnreasonable and in no wise to be deferred vnto and that the sentence by the Commissioners against him was rightly and iustly pronounced And this was the coÌ„clusion of Boners whole matter and depriuation for that time Thus then leauing doctor Boner a while in the Marshalsey with his keeper The first trouble of the L. Protector was about the moneth of Octob. an 1549. we will proceede the Lorde permitting further in the course of our storie as the order of yeres and time requireth And although the trouble of the Lord Protector falleth heere ioyntly with the depriuatioÌ„ of D. Boner yet because he was shortly again deliuered out of the same throughe the Lordes mightye woorking I will therefore delay the tractation thereof till the time of his seconde trouble whych was two yeares after and so in the meane time returning agâ—ine into our discourse inteÌ„d by the Lords leaue to collect and continue the matters begoÌ„ touching y e kings godly proceedings for reformatioÌ„ of religion in the foresaid yere of our lord concurring an 1549. And heere first a note woulde be made of Peter Martyr and of his learned trauels Disputation of Pete Martyr with Doct. Chedsey in Oxforde and disputation in the vniuersitie of Oxford the sayde present yeare with doct Chedsey other moe about the matter of the sacrament which was that the substance of breade and wine was not changed in the sacrament that the body and bloude of Christe was not carnally and bodily in the bread and wine but vnited to the same sacramentally In like maner some touch or mention here also would be made of the Ecclesiasticall lawes Ecclesiasticall lawes by Acte of Parlament to be compyled by 32. persons Statut. an 3. Edou 6. for the gathering and compiling wherof 32. persons were assigned by Act of parlament the sayde present yeare 1549. But because these bee rather matters of tractation then Hystoricall I meane God willing to deferre the further consideration thereof vnto the ende of the historie of this kinges dayes and so to passe forward to other matters in the meane while Bookes of Latine seruice called in and abolished IT followeth then in storie that certaine of the vulgare multitude Euill disposed people thinking to haue their latin seruice again after the apprehension of the L. Protectour hearing of the apprehension of the Lord Protectour and supposinge the alteration of publicke Seruice into Englishe and administration of the Sacramente and other rites lately appoynted in the Churche had beene the Acte chiefly or only of the sayd Lorde Protectour beganne vppon the same to noyse and brute abroad that they shuld nowe haue theyr olde Latine seruice wyth holy bread and holy water The kings commaundement to the Byshops and theyr other like superstitious ceremonies againe whereuppon the King wyth the body and state of the priuie Counsell then being directed oute his letters of request and straite commaundement to the Byshoppes in their diocesse to cause and warne the Deane and Prebendaries of their Cathedrall Churches all Persons vicares and Curates with the Churchwardens of euery Parishe wythin their Diocesse to bring in and deliuer vp all Antiphoners Missales Grailes Processionals Manuals Legendes Bookes of Latinâ— seruice called in Pies Portuases Iournals and Ordinals after the vse of Sarum Lincolne Yorke Bangor Herforde or any other priuate vse Anno 1549. and all other bookes of seruice the hauing wherof might be any let to y e seruice now set foorth in English charging also and commaunding all suche as should be found stubborne or disobedient in this behalf to be committed vnto warde And because the Kinge moreouer was aduertised that there was a slacknes and a frowardnes among the people refusing to pay towarde the finding of breade and wine for the holy Communion by reason wherof the Communion in many places was omitted the Bishops in like manner had geuen in charge to prouide for redresse therof Common bread vsed in the holy Communion to punish them which should refuse so to do Wherby it may appeare to vs now that no wafer cakes but common bread was then by the kinges appoyntment ordinarily receiued and vsed in Churches This was about the