the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ being the head corner stone for which Church Christ gaue himselfe to make it a glorious congregation without fault in his sight 5 This Church of it selfe is sinfull and must needs say Father forgiue vs our sinnes but through Christ and his merits she is fréely forgiuen 6 Hee is our onely Mediator as Saint Paul saith there is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and Man Iesus Christ Therefore no other Mediatour 7 We beléeue this Church is and hath béen persecuted according to the promise of Christ as they haue persecuted mee so shall they persecute you for the Disciple is not aboue his Master And Paul saith it is not giuen to you onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake for all which will liue godly must suffer persecution 8 The true Church teacheth the Word of God truely not adding thereto nor taking there-from and Ministers the Sacraments according to the Primitiue Church and it suffreth all men to reade the Scriptures as Christ saith Search the Scriptures And when Paul preached the audience searched the Scriptures whether hee preached truely Dauid teacheth to pray with vnderstanding Saint Paul saith when the people vnderstand not what is said how can they say Amen at giuing of thankes And Saint Paul saith true Faith commeth by hearing the word 9 The Church of Christ teacheth God ought to bee worshipped according to his word and not after the Doctrine of men as Christ teacheth vs likewise Christ saith you shall forsake Father and Mother and follow me whereby we learne if our elders teach otherwise then God commanded in that point we must forsake them 10 The Supper of our Lord ought not to be altered because Christ the wisedome of the Father did institute it For it is written cursed is he that changeth my ordinances or taketh any thing from them This Supper is sorely abused it is giuen in one kinde where Christ gaue it in both it is made a priuate Masse where Christ made it a Communion He gaue it to all his Apostles in the name of the whole Church not to one alone Christ ordained it for a remembrance of his euerlasting sacrifice vpon the Crosse once for all and not againe to bee a dayly sacrifice both for them that are aliue and them that are dead And Saint Paul saith where there is no remission of sinnes there is no more sacrifice for sinne and in that it is worshipped where as nothing is to be worshipped that is made with hands and in that it is giuen in an vnknowne tongue whereby the people are ignorâ—nt of the right vse thereof besides this it is hanged vp and shut in a Boxe many times so long that wormes breedeth in it and so it putrifieth they that abuse it bring vp the slander thereof and not we 12 Concerning Christs words This is my body the minde of Christ must bee searched out by other Scriptures for the Apostle saith no Scripture hath any priuate interpretation and the Scriptures are full of such figuratiue speeches as the Cup is the New Testament the Rocke is Christ whosoeuer saith Christ receiueth a Child in my Name receiueth me which sentence must not be vnderstood after the Letter as the Capernaites did which taught that Christs body should haue been eaten with their teeth when he spake of the eating thereof to whom Christ said the Spirit quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing for my words are spirit and life so we see Christs words must be vnderstood spiritually and not literally hee that commeth to this worthy supper must not prepare his iaw but his heart neither tooth nor belly but beleeue saith Saint Augustine and thou hast eaten it so wee must bring with vs a Spirituall hunger and examine our selues whether our Conscience doe testifie that we doe truely beleeue in Christ according to the Scriptures whereof if we be truely certified beeing new borne from our old conuersation in heart minde will and deed then may we boldly with this mariage garment of Faith come to the feast And that there is no change but bread still remaineth Christ saith Doe this in remembrance of me And Saint Paul As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this Cup you shall remember the Lords death vntill hee come heere is no change but bread still And Christ saith except I goe to my Father the Comforter cannot come And Saint Peter saith heauen shall keep him vntill the last day in that he is God he is euery where but in that hee is Man hee cannot be but in one place as his body was not in all places at once when hee was heere Hee was not in the graue when the women sought him as the Angell said neither was hee at Bethania when Lazarus died by Christs owne words and thus we conclude that the Christ is in the holy Supper sacramentally and spiritually in all them that worthily receiue it and corporally in heauen both God and Man When they would not turn from the truth by no pâ—rswasions the sentence was read against them In the reading whereof Higbed said you speake blasphemie against Christs Passion and goe about to trap vs with your subtilties and snares and though my Father Mother and other my kindred doe beleeuâ— you say yet they were deceiuâ—d in so beleeuing And whereas you say Cranmer and others in the said Articles were hereticks I wish I were such an hereticke as they were and be Then the Bishop asked him whether hee would turne from his â—rrour To whom he said would yee would recant for I am in the truth and you in errour Then they were deliuered vnto the Sheriffe and sent to Newgate where they remained not so much in afflictions as in consolations Fourteene daies after they were carried to Essex And Thomas Higbed burned at Hornden on thâ— Hill and Thomas Causon at Rayly where they died most constantly The Martyrdome of VVILLIAM HVNTER THe said Hunter was at all times brought before the Bishop of London with the aforesaid Thomas Tomkins and had the same Articles Reasons and perswasions obiected as the said Thomas Tomkins had and they made both the same answeres sauing that Boner vsed these words onely to Hunter Will you abiure and returne to the Catholick Church He answered I will stand to that which I haue said And further he said it is false Doctrine beliefe to beleeue that Christs true body is in the Sacrament which is onely in heauen and that his friendes and kindred were deceiued if they otherwise beleeued I will continue in the truth that is taught me as long as I liue â—or if I doe otherwise I shall perish both body and soule and I had rather my body perish then my soule Wherevpon hee was condemned and after carried to Burnt-wood where hee suffered most ioifully He was a very yong man borne of good parents of whom he was not onely instructed to godlines but confirmed
CHRISTS VICTORIE OVER SATHANS TYRANNIE WHERIN JS CONTAINED A CATALOGVE OF ALL CHRISTS FAITHFVLL SOVLDIERS THAT THE DIVELL either by his grand Captaines the EMPEROVRS or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the POPES haue most cruelly Martyred for the TRVTH WITH ALL THE POYSONED DOCTRINS WHEREWITH THAT GREAT REDDE DRAGON hath made drunken the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth with the confutations of them TOGETHER WITH ALL HIS TRAYTEROVS PRACTISES AND DESIGNES AGAINST ALL CHRISTIAN Princes to this day especially against our late Queen ELIZABETH of famous memorie and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of Martyrs and diuers other Books By Thomas Mason Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by George Eld and Ralph Blower 1615. To the most Reuerend Father in GOD the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his GRACE PRIMATE and METROPOLITAN of all England and one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Councell And to the Right Honourable SIR EDVVARD COKE Lord Cheefe Iustice of England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell THOMAS MASON wisheth all Happinesse in this Life and eternall Felicitie in the world to come MOST Reuerend and Right Honorable zealous Lords your daily and faithfull Orator being a professed Soldiour vnder Christs Banner in the behalfe of his spouse against Antichrist I could busie my selfe in no office so profitable for the Church and hurtfull vnto Antichrist as to gather together the bullets which haue been shot at him by Christs Souldiours in times past that now his children may shoote them at him againe with great facilitie And whereas venerable M r Fox of worthy memory hath gathered into one Booke the Acts and Monuments of the Church vnto his time one of the most profitablest Bookes that is for Gods Children except the Bible a Club able to beate downe the Popish Tower of Babell Yet what with the labour of reading so large a volume together with the deareness of the price thereof few that haue the Booke reade it ouer and the most part of men are not able to buy it whereby very little profit ariseth thereof vnto the Church I haue according to my power pared off the barke of this Club and made it tractable for all sorts of people they may buy it with little charge and peruse it with small paines and I dare promise them that they shall reape as much profit by reading this abridgement as by reading of the Booke at large I haue willingly omitted no matter of substance Here the Reader may see the cruelty of the Emperors vnto the Primitiue Church and whom they put to death and the manner of their deathes during the first ten Persecutions and how and when Christianitie began in this Realme And what successe it hath had at all times and when by what occasion and by whom most of the Monasteries and Cathedrall Churches of this Realme were builded and how when and by whom all points of Popery came into the Church and how the Pope hath exalted himself against Emperors Kings what iniuries he hath done to them With the Treasons Conspiracies that Papists haue practised against those that the Lord hath annointed vnto this day The Reader may also heere see the innumerable multitude of the Saints of God that the Papists haue from time to time murdered in all Countries for the testimonie of the Truth With all the points of Religion that the Martyrs did defend vnto death and all the reasons that the Papists vsed against their Arguments and how cruelly they handled them with many other most profitable things After I had done this Booke I was discouraged from putting of it to Print by reason I found another had abridged the Booke of Martyrs before me but when I perceiued it was done but superficially for all the points of Religion that the Martyrs defended or Papists obiected were omitted which disputations I chiefly labour to set forth therevpon I was resolued to goe forward When I had begun to quote all the Authors from whence M r Fox had his proofes for them that the Emperors put to death the Quotations were almost as large as the Story and made it very vnpleasant wherefore in most places for breuitie I haue omitted them leauing them that would see the proofes to the Book at large I haue herein abridged many bookes but especially the Booke of Martyrs as the Papists cannot abide the booke of Martyrs of all bookes so much more will they hate my booke which hath so truely and briefely discouered all their shame not onely out of that booke but out of diuers other bookes Wherefore most Reuerend and Right Honorable Lords your manifest dislike that you beare against the wickednes and falshood of Antichrist hath imboldned me to be an humble sutor vnto your Lordships to bee the Patrons of this my Booke and that you would vouchsafe to defend and further it by your Spirituall and Temporall Powers to the honour of Christ the great dishonour of Antichrist and the vnspeakeable benefit of Gods Children So with my hartie prayers I commit both your Honors your soules bodies and all that you haue vnto the safe preseruation of Christ Iesus and his holy Angels Your Lordships daily Oratour THOMAS MASON Preacher of Gods word in Odiham in the County of Southampton whose Father was Heire vnto S r IOHN MASON sometime a Priuy Councelor vnto Queene ELIZABETH THE EPISTLE VNTO THE RBADER EVen as the Reuelation and other places of Scriptures good Reader doâ— foretell Antichrist to come so this Historie declareth the fulfilling of those prophecies in all points all the Martyrs died in this faith that the Pope is Antichrist I could bethink my selfe of no instruction so profitable for the reading of this Booke as to giue thee a few rules to manifest vnto thee that the Popedome is that Antichrist which I will endeuor to declare vnto thee by these rules following first by his outward place of abode secondly by his inward and spirituall throne thirdly by his doctrine fourthly by his conditions fiftly by the height breadth length and ruine of his Kingdome I will but open the way vnto thee this Booke shall proue by experience my sayings to be true Touching his outward seate Reuel 17. 18. it is the Citie that then did raigne ouer the Kings of the earth which was Rome the place is also described in the ninth verse to be compassed about with seuen mountaines This Booke shall proue that Rome hath seuen mountaines about it In the same verse this Citie hath had fiue kings that were then falne another King did raign which was the Emperour when the Reuelation was made and another was to come afterward This book shall teach thee that the seuen Kings signifie seuen maner of Gouernments in Rome of which fiue was falne the Emperour then raigned and after the Pope should raigne there so the Holy Ghost hath pointed out Rome as plainly as can be the place of Antichrists Kingdome
and valiant Champion of the Faith vanquishing by the force of Scripture all such who by wilfuâ—l beggery blasphemed Christs Religion neither was he conâ—ict of heresie or burned by our prelates after his buriall God forbid our Prelates should condemne a man of such honesty for an heretick who amongst all the rest of our Uniuersitie had written in Logick Philosophy Diuinity Morality and the Speculatiue arte without pâ—are In witnes whereof we seale this testimonial with our common Seale 5. October 1406. Iohn Hus hauing read ouer Wickliffes Bookes concludeth by many infallible presumptions and reasons that hee was no Heretick but in the number of the saued and that it was a foolish consequent because the number of Prelates and Clergy in England France and Boheme doe count him for an Heretick that therefore he is one like is the reason for burning of his bookes for in the first Chapter of the Booke of Machabees they burned the Bookes of the Lord and tore them and whosoeuer was found to haue or vse them was put to death by the Kings commandement if this argued the wickednes of the bookes then the Law of God was wicked so likewise of the burning of S. Gregories bookes and of diuers other good men it followeth not because the Scribes and Pharisies condemned Christ as an Heretick that therefore he was one so Iohn Chrysostome was twice condemned an Hereticke by the Bishops and Clergy Besides the Articles afore there were other Articles gathered out of his Bookes which his malicious aduersaries peruersly collecting and maliciously expounding did exhibit to the Councell of Constance They sinne in Simony that be hired by temporal liuings to pray for others The prayer of the Reprobate preuaileth for no man Hallowing of Churches confirmation of children the Sacrament of orders bee reserued to the Pope and Bishops onely for temporall lucre Graduation and Doctor-ships in Uniuersities and Colledges as they bee vsed conduce nothing to the Church The excommunication of the Pope and his Prelates is not to be feared because it is the censure of Antichrist Such as founded Monasteries offend and all such as enter into them be members of the Diuell A Deacon or Priest may teach Gods word without the authority of the apostolike Sea They that enter into Monasticall Order or Religion are vnable to keep Gods commandements or to come to heauen except they returne The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Satan neither is the Pope the immediate vicar of Christ nor of the Apostles The decretals of the popes be Apocripha and seduce from the faith of Christ and the Clergy that study them be fooles It is not necessarie to saluation to beleeue the Church of Rome to be supreme â—ead ouer all Churches It is but folly to beleeue the Popes pardons All othes made for any contract or ciuill bargaine betwixt man and man bée vnlawfull Benedick Francis Dominick Bernard and al other that haue béen patrons of priuat religions except they haue repented with such as entred into the same be in damnable state and from the pope vnto the lowest nouis they are all hereticks Thus you haue the whole summe of Wickliffes Articles albeit not as hee vttered them but as his froward aduersaries collected them out of his writings if some of them séeme hard or strange thinke it rather to be imputed to their euill will then to his good meaning as it might appeare if his bookes had now been extant but this is certaine howsoeuer his Articles were taken of the euill disposed with all good men he was highly fauoured and had in such estimation for his profound knowledge and great learning that all forren Nations were moued with his authoritie especially the Bohemians had him insuch reuerence that Iohn Hus the greatest doer in the Uniuersitie of Prage tooke profit of his Doctrine and openly defended his Articles Wickliffes Doctrine came into Bohemia by reason of a Student of Bohemia that was at Oxford being of Noble stock who returning to Prage carried certaine bookes of Wickliffes with him De realibus vniuersalibus De ciuili iure et Diuino De Ecclesia De questionibus varâ—â—s contra clerum c. a Noble man of Prage builded a Church called Bethelem giuing lands to it and finding two preachers euery day to preach to the people of the which Iohn Hus was one hee beeing familiar with the yong man reading and perusing these bookes tooke such pleasure and fruit thereby that he defended and commended them in schooles and sermons commending him for a good man wishing when he died to be there placed where his soule was We think it worth labour to shew certaine prophesies whereby so many persâ—cutions were figured and first the aforesaid Abbot Ioachim told King Richard as hée went to Ierusalem that the last of the seuen Kings spoken of in the Reuelation was Antichrist and that at that present hee should be bred at Rome and be exalted into the apostolick Sea according to the Apostle hee is exalted aboue all that is called God hee was in the yeare 1290. And in the Prophesie of Hildegardis afore mentioned she saith in the yeare 1200. the Doctrine of the Apostles and Iustice which God appointed to spirituall Christians beganne to war flack and doubtfull but this womanly time shall not so long continue as it hath done Bishop Fluensius doubted not openly to preach that Antichrist was borne in his daies Biâ—h Gerardus in the yeare of our Lord 1239. in his Book of the preseruation of Gods seruants doth coniecture Antichrist to be at hand by the rarity of prophesie and the gift of curing Hierome Sauanorol 69. yeares before prophesied that Italy shall be plagued by the scourge of God for the manifold sinnes thereof amongst the Princes as well Ecclesiasticall as secular and when the Cities of Rome and Florence are ouerthrowne then shall the Church bee renewed which shall happen very shortly and the Turkes and the Mauritanians shall bee conuerted vnto the knowledge of Christ and that one should passe the Alpes like vnto Cyrus and hee shall subuert all Italy I thinke it lacketh not his prophesie which happened in the yeare of our Lord 1501. that throughout all Germany there was scene vpon mens garments Crosses crownes of thornes similitude of Nailes and drops of bloud fâ—ll from heauen and oftentimes they fell within the houses insomuch that many women wore the same long time vpon their railes One Iohn a Franciscane Fryer in the yeare of our Lord 1346. fore-shewed that the Ecclesiasticall order should suffer much through the Ambitious auarice and pride of the Pope wherevpon Pope Clement the sixt cast him in the prison One Manfredus a Dominick Frier fore-shewed that Antichrist should rise vp in his time after the yeare of our Lord 1300. and should fully rage ouer the godly and that there should be persecution in the Church and hee said that the Cloyster Monkes did falsifie the Doctrine of Christ that the sacrifice of the Altar
King to be heâ—d of a Kingdome 4 Christ would better rule his Church by his true Apostles dispierced throughout the world without such a monstrous head I answere Albeit that Doctor doth say that the body of the Church is often without a head yet we verily beleeue that Christ is the head of euery Church ruling it without lacke or default powring on it motion and sence euen vnto the latter day then they said behold now hee prophesieth but Iohn Hus said the Church in the time of the Apostles was faâ— better gouerned then now it is 5 Peter was no vniuersall Shepheard of the shéep of Christ much lesse is the Bishop of Rome Answer It appeareth by the words of Christ that he did not limit vnto Peter for his iurisdiction the whole world no not one only Pronince nor to any other of the Apostles some walked through many regions some fewer as Paule trauailed more then all the rest and did coâ—uert more to the Faith of Christ. Wherefore it is lawfull for any Apostle or Uicar to conuert and confirme as much people and as many Prouinces as they are able 6 The Apostles and faithfull Priests of the Lord haue stoutly ruled the Church in all thinges necessary to saluation before the office of the Pope was brought into the Church and would doe so to the end of the world Then they cryed out againe Behold the Prophet Certaine other Articles which were brought vnto IOHN HVS in Prison 1 THE first Article Paul according to present Iustice was a Blasphemer and none of the Church and withall in Grace according to Predestination of eternall life Answer This proposition is not in the Booke but thus as Paul was both a blasphemer according to present Iustice and also a faithfull child of our holy Mother the Church according to Predestination So Iscariot was both in Grace according to present Iustice and withall was neuer of our holy Mother the Church because he lacked Predestination of life euerlasting 2 Christ doth more loue a predestinate Ban being sinfull then any Reprobate in what grace soeuer he be Answere The reason is because the predestinate shall haue perpetuall blessednesse and the Reprobate eternall fire therefore GOD infinitely loueth them both as his Creatures and much more because he giueth them greater graces to wit euerlasting life which is far more excellent then onely grace according to present Iustice and the predestinated cannot fall from Grace for they haue a certaine redicall grace rooted in them although they be depriued of the aboundance of grace for the time 3 All the sinfull according to present Iustice are vnfaithfull swaruing from the true Catholike faith for none can commit deadly sinne but in the point he swarueth from the faith Answer I acknowledge it to be my sentence for if they did beléeue the punishment that shall be laid vpon sinners and had faith of the diuine vnderstanding c. then they would not so offend This is verified by the Prophet Esay Thy fellows are misbeleeuers and fellowes of theeues they loue bribes and are followers of rewards so he calleth them Infidels for their offences also in the first of Titus They confesse they know God but in workes they deny him 4 Iohn 22. Math. 16. and the 18. Receiue the holy Ghost whatsoeuer you shall binde in earth shall be bound in heauen c. Many for lack of vnderstanding shal be terrified by the Priests and be deceiued presuming vpon their power and authority Answer I allow this sentence it is not possible for a Priest to binde and lose except that binding and losing be in heauen but many are made afraid thinking whether they be iust or vniust the Priests may at their pleasures bind them and the ignorant Priests presume to haue such power saying they haue such power to absolue euery man confessing himselfe of what sinne soeuer it be though many sins are forbidden theÌ„ And an Hypocrite may confesse himselfe that is not contrite for his sin whereof proofe is often found is euident because the Letter killeth but the spirit quickneth 5 The binding and losing of God is plainely the cheefe and principall Answere This is verie euident for it were a blasphemous presumption that a man may forgiue an offence to GOD hee not allowing the same for it is necessarie that GOD doe first forgiue before his Uicar can doe the same and no Article of our Faith ought to be more common and knowne to vs then this and whosoeuer granteth this authority to the Pope graunteth he is without sin and that he is God the fact of the Pope proueth this same for alwaies in his Absolutions hâ— presupposeth contrition and confession but vnto true Absolution there is required first contrition secondly the purpose to sin no more thirdly true confession fourthly stedfast hope of forgiuenes the first appeareth by Ezechiel If the wicked repent the second in the 5. and 8. of Iohn Sinne no more the third by Luke shew your selues to the Priests the fourth Christ saith My Son beleeue and thy sins shall be forgiuen 6 The Priests heap vp out of the Scriptures such things as serue the belly but such as pertaine to the imitation of Christ they reiect as impertinent to saluation Answere This Saint Augustine prooueth in his seuenteenth Homily The Haruest is great but there are few Haruest-folke and speaking that which I cannot without gréefe though there be many that would heare good things there lacks such as should declare the same vnto them The world is full of Priests yet there are few Worke-men in the Haruest of the Lord we would be willingly Priests but we do not the office of Priest-hood we are fallen into outward affaires and take vpon vs an office for honor and hire another to ease our labour we leaue preaching we are called Bishops to our paine we retaine the name of honour but not the vertue we daily call for our stipend but care not for our flocke wee gape after earthly things and glory and leaue the cause of God vndone we take vpon vs the place of holinesse and are wholy wrapped in cares and troubles And S. Barnard saith in his 33. Sermon vpon the Canonicals all are friends and all enemies all kinsfolkes and all aduersaries all of an houshold and no peace-makers they are the Ministers of Christ and serue Antichrist they goe honorably honoured with the goods of the Church and yet they do no honor 7 The power of the Pope which doth not follow Christ is not to be feared Answere Subiects are bound willingly to obay their good Rulers and those which are wicked yet if the Pope do abuse his power it is not to be feared as by bondage so his Cardinals as I suppose did not feare Gregory the 12. before he was deposed when as they resisted him saying He did abuse his power 8 A wicked Pope is not the Successor of Peter but of Iudas Answere If the Pope be humble neglecting the
vnto death a rare example to be had in admiration of all parents where the naturall affection of parents were ouercome with godlines wâ—o like the holy mother in the Machabees incouraged their sonne as much as they could to goe through valiantly reioicing with wonderfull gladnes and either of them dranke vnto him confirming him in the Lord I cannot tell whether I should praise the vertue of the Sonne or of the Parents William Pygot Steuen Knight and Iohn Lawrence AT the same time that Tomkins and Hunter were examined as before these three likewise were examined before Boner the same reasons Articles and perswasions that were vsed to them were vsed vnto these also and they made all answeres alâ—ke and when by neither flatterie nor threatning they could bee brought from the truth they were condâ—mned and were carried into Essex to bee burned William Pigot burned at Braintree Steuen Knight was burned at Mauldâ—n who at the stake kneeled downe and said this prayer O Lord Iesu for whose loue I â—eaue this life and desire bittâ—r death with the losse of all earthly things â—ather then to abide the blasphemie of thy name or to obay men breaking thy Commandements where I might liue in wealth to worship a false God I chose rather the torment of this body and haue counted all things but dung that I mighâ— winns thee which death iâ— dearer to me then thousands of Gold and Siluer such loue hast thou laide vp in my brests that I huâ—ger for thee As the wounded Deare desâ—reth the soyâ—â— sâ—nd â—hy holy comforter to ayde comfort and strengthen meâ— a weake peece of earth empty of all strength of it selfe of thy great loue thou â—ast bidden me to this banquet accounted mee worthâ— to drinke of 〈◊〉 owne cup amongst thine eleâ—tâ—giue me strength against this â—hine elemâ—nt which is most irkesome to my sight that it may be swéet and pleasant to my minde that I may passe through this fire into thy â—osoâ—e according vnto thy pâ—omiâ—e accept this sacrifice for thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ his sake for whose Testimony I offer it with all my heart forgiue me my sinnes as I forgiue the world sweet Sauiour spread thy wings ouer me O holy Ghost by whose inspiration I am come hither conduct me to euerlasting life Lord into to thine hands â—commend my spirit Amen Iohn Lawrence was brought to Colchester and not bâ—eing able to goe for his legges were so sore worne with his Irons in prison and his body so weakened with euill keeping hee was faine to be brought vnto the fire in a chayre At his burning the yong children came about the fire and cryed Lord strengthen thy seruant and keep thy promise which manifesteth Gods glory which writ this in the hearts of these little ones and their parents are to bee commended that brought them vp from their youth in the feare and knowledge of God Gods Iudgement vpon the Parson of Arundell VPon Shroue-Sunday the Parson of Arundell besides Canterbury declared vnto the people all such Articles as were set forth by the authority of the pope and commandement of the Bishops of this Realme and when he had done he thanked God that euer he had liued to see that day and straightway he fell suddeâ—ly out of the pulpit and neuer spake after The historie of Iudge Hales SIr Iames Hales as before tooke Queene Maries part and would not subscribe to haue any other Quéene though all the rest had subscribed to Edward the sixts Will. He was an vpright and conscionable Iudge To these his gifts and qualities were linked sincere affection to the Gospell of Christ shewing himselfe a true Gospeller by word and deed At the beginning of Queene Maries raigne the masse not being restored by law diuers Priests presumed to say masse and they were indited at the aâ—â—ises before Iudge Hales and he gaue order therein as the law required wherefore when the terme came he comming to doe his office was sent for by Gardner Lord Chancellor to whom he iustified that he did it both by the iustice of the law and of his conscience wherein he was fully bent to stand in triall to the vtmost that can be obiected and it therein I haue done any iniury let me be iudged by the law for I will séeke or desire no better defence for my selfe considering chiefly that it is my profession Ah Sir said the Chancellor you be very quicke and stoute in your answers it seemeth that which you did was more of will fauouring your opinion of Religion against the seruice now vsed then for any occasion of zeale of iustice seeing her Highnesse doth set it forth as yet but withing all her subiects to imbrace it accordingly My Lord quoth Hales I doe but shew my selfe as I am bound in loue to God and obedience to the Quéenes Maiestie in whose cause willingly for iustice sake I did of late as your Lordship knoweth aduenture as much as I had and as for my religion I trust it is such as pleaseth God wherein I am ready to aduenture both my life and substance if I be called thereto and for lack of mine owne power and will the Lords will be fulfilled Shortly after he was committed vnto the Kings Bench then he was committed to the Counter in Breadstréete and from thence he was conuayed to the Fléet where he endured most constantly for the space of three weeks and when thus in diuers prisons being tossed and wearied he could in no wise be subdued there was in the prison where he was a Gentleman of Hampshire called Foster who â—â—ing suborned by the Bishops vsed all kinde of perswasions whereby hee might draw him from the truth which at length he brought to passe then next morning early the Bishop of Chichester came to him into the prison to comfort him therein and after Iudge Portman came to him but as soone as he had yeelded to them he â—rew into such an extreame desperation by the worme of his conscience that hee eat little meat that night When supper was done he gate him straight to bedde where he passed the night with much anxietie of mind about six of the clocke in the morning he sent his man for a cup of béere his man was no sooner gone but with a pen-knife he wounded himselfe in diuers places and would haue killed himselfe but that his man méeting the Butler at the chamber doore returned presently into the chamber and let his Master from destroying himselfe Upon this Cranmer straight-way took occasion to call the doctrine of the Gospell openly in the Star-chamber the doctrine of desperation M. Hales being within a while after deliuered getteth himselfe home to his house whether it was for feare that if he should againe professe the Gospell he should be imprisoned againe and burned and begger all his posterity or if he should go to hearing of masses he should doe worse hauing all things set in order a good while before that pertained vnto his