Baptisme is a marke of Christes Church a seale and confirmation of our acception into the grace fauour of God for Christes sake For his innocencie his righteousnesse his holinesse his iustice is ours geuen vs of God and our sinnes and vnrighteousnesse by his obedience and abasing of him selfe to the death of the crosse are his whereof Baptisme is the signe seale and confirmation Baptisme is also a signe of repentaunce to testifie that we be borne to the waues of pearils and chaunges of life to the intent that we should die continually as loÌ„g as we liue from sinne and rise againe like new men vnto righteousnesse Rom. 6. The other Sacrament which is the supper and holy Maundie of our Sauiour Christ whereby the church of Christ is knowen I beleeue to be a remembraunce of Christes death and passion a seale and confirmation of his moste precious bodye geuen vnto death euen to the vile death of the crosse wherewith wee are redeemed and deliuered from sinne death hell and damnation It is a visible woorde because it worketh the same thing in the eyes which the worde worketh in the eares For like as the worde is a meane to the eares whereby the holy Ghost mooueth the heart to beleue Romanes 10. so this sacrament is a meane to the eyes whereby the holy Ghost moueth the hart to beleue it preacheth peace betweene God and man it exhorteth to mutuall loue and all godly life and teacheth to contemne the world for the life to come when as Christ shall appeare which now is in heauen and no where els as concerning his humane body Yet do I beleeue assuredly that his very body is present in his moste holy Supper at the contemplation of oure spirituall eyes and so verely eaten with the mouth of our faith For as soone as I heare these most comfortable and heauenly woordes spoken and pronouÌ„ced by the mouth of the Minister This is my body which is geuen for you when I heare I say this heauenly harmonie of Gods vnfallible promises and truthe I looke not vppon neyther doe I beholde breade and wine for I take and beleue the wordes simply and plainly euen as Christe spake them For hearing these wordes my senses be rapt and vtterly excluded for faith wholely taketh place and not flesh nor the carnall imaginations of our grosse fleshly and vnreuerent eating after the maner of our bodily foode whiche profiteth nothinge at all as Christe witnesseth Iohn 6 but with a sorrowfull and wounded conscience an hungry and thirsty soule a pure and faithfull mind do fully embrace beholde and feede and looke vppon that most glorious body of Christ in heauen at the right hande of God the father very God and very man which was crucified and slaine and his bloud shed for our sinnes there nowe making intercession offering and geuing his holy body for me for my body for my raunsome for my full price and satisfaction who is my Christ and all that euer hee hath and by this spirituall and faithfull eating of this liuelye and heauenlye breade I feele the moste sweete sâ—ppe and taste of the fruites benefites and vnspeakeable ioyes of Christes deathe and passion fullye disgested into the bowelles of my soule For my minde is quieted from all worldly aduersities tormoylinges and trouble my conscience is pacified from sinne deathe hell and damnation my soule is full and hathe euen enough and will no more for all things are but losse vile dounge and drosse vayne vanitie for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesu my Lord and Sauiour Thus nowe is Christes flesh my very meate in deede and hys bloud my very drinke in deede I am become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Nowe I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in me yea I dwell in him and he in mee for thorough faithe in Christe and for Christes sake we are one that is of one consente minde and fellowshippe with the Father the Sonne and the hol Ghost Iohn 17. Thus am I assured and fullye perswaded and on this rocke haue I builded by Gods grace my dwelling and resting place for body and soule life and death And thus I commit my cause vnto Christe the righteous and iust iudge who will an other day iudge these debates and controuersies whome I humbly beseeche to cast his tender and mercifull eyes vppon the afflicted and ruinous Churches and shortly to reduce them into a godly and perpetuall concorde Amen Thus do I beleeue and this is my faith and my vnderstanding in Christ my Sauiour and his true and holy religion And thys whosoeuer is ashamed to doe among this adulterous and sinnefull generation of hym shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels Robert Samuel William Allen Martyr NExt after the suffering of Robert Samuel aboute the beginning of September was burned William Allen in Walsingam labouring man seruaunte sometime to Iohn Houghton of Somerton He being broughte before the Bishop and asked the cause why he was imprisoned aunsweared that he was put in prison because he woulde not followe the Crosse saying that he woulde neuer go on Procession Then being willed by the Bishoppe to returne againe to the Catholicke Churche he aunsweared that he would turne to the Catholicke Churche but not to the Romishe Church and said that if he saw the King and Quene and all other folowe the crosse or kneele downe to the crosse he would not For the which sentence of condemnation was geueÌ„ against him the 12. of August and he burned at Walsingham about the beginning of September who declared suche constancie at hys Martyrdome and hadde suche credite wyth the Iustices by reason of hys vprighte and well tried conuersation among them that he was suffered to goe vntied to hys suffering there being fastened with a chaine stoode quietly without shrinking vntill he dyed The Martyrdome of Roger Coo of Melforde in Suffolke Shereman first examined before the Byshop of Norwich and by him condemned Anno 1555. August 12. ROger Coo broughte before the Bishop first was asked why he was imprisoned Coo· At the Iustices commaundement Bishop There was some cause why Coo. Heere is my accuser let hym declare And his accuser sayde that hee woulde not receyue the Sacrament Bish. Then the Bishop sayde that he thought he had transgressed a lawe Coo. But Coo answered that there was no law to transgresse Bish. The Bishop then asked what he sayd to the law that then was Coo. He answered how he had bene in prison a long time and knew it not No sayd his accuser nor wilt not My Lord aske him when he receiued the Sacrament Coo. When Coo heard him say so he sayde I pray you my Lord let him sit downe and examine me him selfe Bish. But the Bishoppe woulde not heare that but sayde Coo why will ye not receiue
Gods cause and in Christes quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O maÌ„ it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God geuen onely to the true elects and derely beloued childreÌ„ of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen For the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause S. Peter saith If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ that is in Christes cause and for hys truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vpon you If for rebukes sake suffred in Christes name a maÌ„ is pronounced by the mouth of that holy Apostle blessed happy How much more happy blessed is hee that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that bee my true louers and friends reioyce and reioyce with mee againe render with me hartie thanks to God our heaueÌ„ly father that for his sonnes sake my sauiour redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me beyng els without his gracious goodnes in my selfe but a sinnefull a vyle wretch to call me I say vnto this high dignitie of hys true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles of his holy elect chosen Martyrs that is to dye and to spend this temporall lyfe in the defence maintenance of his eternal and euerlasting truth Ye know that be my Countreymen dwelling vppon the borders where alas the true man suffereth oftentymes muche wrong at the thieues hande iâ— it chaunce a man to be slayne of a thiefe as it oft chanceth there which went out with his neighbour to helpe him to rescue hys goods agayne that the more cruelly he bee slayne and the more stedfastly he stucke by his neighbour in the fight agaynst the face of the thiefe the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slayne mans sake of all them that be true as long as the memory of his fact and his posteritie doth endure Euen so ye that be my kinsefolke and countreymen know ye how so euer the blynd ignorant wicked world hereafter shall rayse vppon my death which thyng they caÌ„not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our Sauiour of his holye Prophets Apostles Martyrs know ye I say that both before God all them that be godly and that truly knâ—w follow the lawes of God ye haue and shall haue by gods grace euer cause to reioyce to thanke God highly and to thinke good of it and in God to reioyce of me your fleshe bloud whom God of his gracious goodnes hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed coÌ„pany of his holy Martyrs in heauen and I doubt not in the infinite goodnes of my Lord God nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect chosen people but at both their hands in my cause ye shall rather finde the more fauour and grace For the Lord saieth that he will be both to them and theyrs that loue him the more louyng agayne in a thousand generations the Lord is so full of mercy to them I say and theirs which doe loue hym in deed And Christ saith againe that no maÌ„ can shew more loue then to geue his lyfe for his friend Now also knowe ye all my true louers in God my kinsfolke and Countreymen that the cause wherefore I am put to death is euen after the same sort and condition but touching more neere Gods cause in more waightie matters but in the general kynd all one For both is gods cause both is in the maintenance of right and both for the common wealth both for the weale also of the ChristiaÌ„ brother although yet there is in these two no small difference both concernyng the enimies the goods stolne the maner of the fight For know ye all that lyke as there wheÌ„ the poore true maÌ„ is robbed by the thiefe of his own goods truly gotten whereupon he and his househould should lyue he is greatly wronged the thiefe in stealing robbyng with violence the poore maÌ„s goods doth offend god doth transgres his law and is iniurious both to the poore man and to the common welth so I say know ye all that euen here in the cause of my death it is with the Church of England I meane the congregation of the true chosen children of GOD in this Realme of England whiche I knowledge not only to be my neighbours but rather the congregation of my spirituall brethren sisters in Christ yea members of one body wherein by Gods grace I am and haue bene grafted in Christ. This Church of England had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunt grace of almighty God great substaunce great riches of heauenly treasure great plenty of Gods true and sincere worde the true and wholesome administration of Christes holy Sacramentes the whole profession of Christes Religion truely and plainely set foorth in Baptisme the playne declaration vnderstandyng of the same taught in the holye Catechisme to haue bene learned of all true Christians This Church had also a true and sincere forme maner of the Lordes Supper wherein accordyng to Iesus Christes owne ordinaunce and holy institution Christes commaundementes were executed and done For vpon the bread and wyne set vppon the Lordes Table thankes were geuen the commemoration of the Lords death was had the bread in the remembrance of Christes body torne vpon the crosse was broken and the cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloud shed was distributed and both communicated vnto all that were present and would receyue them and also they were exhorted of the Minister so to doe All was done openly in the vulgar tong so that euery thyng might be both easily heard plainly vnderstand of all the people to Gods high glorye and the edification of the whole Church This Church had of late the whole diuine seruice all common and publike prayers ordeined to be said and heard in the common congregation not onely framed and fashioned to the true vayne of holy scripture but also set foorth accordyng to the commaundement of the Lord and S. Paules doctrine for the peoples edification in their vulgare tong It had also holy and wholesome Homelies in commendation of the principall vertues which are commended in Scripture and likewyse other Homelies agaynst the most pernicious and capitall vices that vseth alas to raigne in this Realme of England This Church had in matters of controuersie Articles so penned and framed alter the holy Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstandyng of Gods word that in short tyme if they had bene vniuersally receiued they should haue bene able to haue set in Christes Church much concorde and vnitie in Christes true religion and to haue expelled many false errors and heresies wherewith this Church alas was almost ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of the heaueÌ„ly treasure of these godly riches are entred in theues that
declared my iudgemeÌ„t vnto you in this because I caÌ„not speake hereof without the daunger of my life Rich. There is none of vs here that seeketh thy life or meane to take any aduauntage of that thou shalt speake Phil. Although I mistrust not your honorable Lordships yâ— be here of the teÌ„poralty yet here is one that sitteth against me pointing to my Lord of London that wil lay it to my charge euen to the death Notwithstanding seeing youre honours do require me to declare my minde of the preseÌ„ce of Christ in the sacrament that ye may perceaue that I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christe neither doe mayntayne any opinion without probable and sufficient authoritie of the Scripture I will shewe franckly my minde without all colour what soeuer shall ensuâ— vnto me therfore so that my Lord of London wil not let me to vtter my minde Rich. My Lord permit him to say what he can seeyng hee is willing to shew his mind London I am content my Lordes let him say what he can I will heare him Phil. That which I doe entend to speake vnto you right honourable Lordes I do protest here first before God his Angels that I speake it not of vaynglory neyther of singularitie neither of wilfull stubburnes but truely vpon a good conscience grounded on Gods worde against the which I dare not do for feare of damnation which wil follow that which is done contrary to knowledge Neyther do I disagree to the proceedinges of this realme in the religion for that I loue not the Queene whom I loue from the bottome of my hart but because I ought to loue fear God in his word more then man in his lawes thoughe I stand as I seeme to do in this consideration and for none other as God I call to witnes There be two thinges principally by the which the clergy at this day doth deceiue the whole realm that is the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and the name of the Catholicke church yâ— which both they do vsurpe hauing in deed none of them both And as touching theyr Sacrament which they terme of the aulter I say now as I sayd in the Conuocation house that it is not the Sacramente of Christ neither in the same is there any maner of Chrystes presence Wherfore they deceiue the Queenes maiesty and you of the nobilitie of thys realme in making you to beleue that to be a sacrament which is none and cause you to commit manifest Idolatry in worshipping that for God whiche is no God And in testimony of this to be true besides manifest proofe which I am able to make to the Queenes maiesty and to all you of her nobility I will yeld my lyfe The which to do if it were not vpon a sure grouÌ„d it were to my vtter damnation And where they take on them the name of the Catholicke church wherby they blinde many folkes eyes they are nothing so calling you from the true religion whiche was reuealed taught in K. Edwardes time vnto vaine superstition And this I will say for the tryall hereof that if they can proue themselues to be the catholicke church as they shal neuer be able to do I wil neuer be agaynst their doynges but reuoke all that I haue sayd And I shall desire you my Lordes to be a meane for me to the Queenes maiestie that I may be brought to the iust triall hereof Yea I will not refuse to stand agaynst ten of the best of them in this realme And if they be able to proue otherwise then I haue sayd either by writing or by reasoning with good lawfull authoritie I will here promise to recant whatsoeuer I haue sayd to consent to them in all poyntes And in the declaratioÌ„ of these things more at large which now I write in summe the Bishop of London eftsones would haue interrupted me but the Lords procured me libertie to make out my tale to the great griefe of my Lord bishop of London as it appeared by his dumpes he was in LondoÌ„ It hath bene told me before that you loue to make a long tale Rich. Al heretickes do boast of the spirite of God and euery one would haue a church by himselfe as Ioan of Kent and the Anabaptistes I had my selfe Ioan of Kent a seuen night in my house after the writ was out for her to be burnt where my Lorde of Canterb. and Bishop Ridley resorted almost dayly vnto her but she was so high in the spirite that they could do nothing with her for all theyr learning But she went wilfully vnto the fire was burnt and so do you now Phil. As for Ioan of Kent shee was a vayne woman I knew her well an heretick indeed well worthye to bee burnt because she stoode agaynst one of the manifest artycles of our faith contrary to the scriptures and such vayne spirites be soone known from the true spirite of God hys church for that the same abideth wtin the limites of GODS word and will not go out of the same neither stubburnely mayntaine any thing coÌ„trary to the word as I haue gods word throughly on my side to shew for that I stand in London I pray you how will you ioyne me these ij scriptures together Pater maior me est pater ego vnum sumuê° I must enterprete the same because my Lordes here vnderstand not the Latin that is to saye The Father is greater then I and I and the father are one But I cry you mercye my Lordes I haue mispoken in saying you vnderstande no Latine for the most part of you vnderstand Latin as well as I. But I spake in consideration of my Lord ShaÌ„doys and M. Bridges his brother whom I take to be no great Latin men Now shew your cunning and ioine these two scriptures by the word if you can Phil. Yes that I can right well For we must vnderstande that in Christ there be two natures the diuinitie and Humanitie in respect of his humanitie it is spoken of christ The Father is greater then I. But in respect of hys Deitie he sayd agayne The Father and I be one London But what scripture haue you Phil. Yes I haue sufficient scripture for the proofe of that I haue sayd For the first it is written of Christ in the Psalmes Diminuisti eum paulominus ab Angelis Thou hast made him a little lesser then Aungels It is the xv Psalme beginning Coeli enarrant And there I misreckoned wherwithall my Lord tooke me London It is in Domine Dominus noster Yee may see my Lords how wel this man is vsed to say his Mattins Phil. Though I say not Mattins in suche order as youre Lordship meaneth yet I remember of olde that Domine Dominus noster and Coeli enarrant bee not farre asunder and albeit I misnamed the Psalme it is no preiudice to the truth of that I haue
of Greeke in Oxford belonging to the Bishop and he tooke vpon him to helpe M. Chancellor Scholer What wil you say if I can shew you a Greke author called Theophilact to interprete it so wil you beleue his interpretation Phil. Theophilacte is a late wryter and one that was a fauourer of the B. of Rome and therefore not to be credited since his interpretation is contrary to the manifest words of the scripture and contrary to the determination of many general Councels Scholer In what general Councel was it otherwise that the Bishop of Rome was not supreme head ouer all Phil. In Nice Councell I am sure it was otherwise for Athanasius was there the chiefe Bishop and president of the Counsell and not the Bishop of Rome Scholer Nay that is not so Phil. Then I perceiue you are better sene in wordes then in knowledge of things and I will gage with you what you will it is so as you maye see in the Epitome of the Councels Scholer I will set Eusebius and shew the contrary and the booke of general Councels He went into my Lordes closet and brought Eusebius but the generall Councels he brought not saying for sauing of his honestie that hee could not come by them and there he wold haue defended that it was otherwise in Eusebius but was not able to shew the same and so shranke away confounded Chaun The church of Rome hath bene alwaies taken for the whole catholike church therefore I would aduise you to come into the same with vs. You see all the men of this realme do coÌ„demne you And why wil you be so singular Phil. I haue said and stil do say that if you can be able to proue it vnto me that I wil be of the same But I am sure that the Churche whiche you make so muche of is a false church and a synagoge of satan And you with the learned men of the realme doe persecute the true church and condemne such as be more righteous then you Chaun Do you heare M. doctor what he sayeth that the church of Rome is the deuill Chad. I wish you did thinke more reuerently of the church of Rome What will you say if I can shewe you out of S. Austen in his Epistle wrytten vnto Pope Innocentius that the whole general Councell of Carthage did allowe the church of Rome to be chiefest ouer all other Phil. I am sure you can shewe no such thing And with that he set the booke of S. Austine and tourned to the Epistle but he could not prooue his allegation manifestly but by coniectures in this wise Chad. Here you may see that the councel of Carthage writing to Innocent the bish calleth the sea of Rome the apostolike sea And besides this they write vnto him certifying him of thinges done in the councel for the condemnation of the Donatistes requiring his approbations in the same which they would not haue done if they had not taken the church of Rome for the supreme head of others And moreouer you may see howe s. Austine doth proue the church of Rome to be the catholike church by coÌ„tinuall succession of the B. vntil his time which succession we can proue vntil our daies therfore by the same reason of s. Austine we say now that the church of Rome is the catholicke church Phil. M. Doctour I haue considered how you do weigh S. Augustine and contrary to his meaning and wordes you wouâ—d inferre your false coÌ„clusion As coÌ„cerning that it was called by him the Apostolicall Sea that is not material to proue the church of Rome now to be the catholicke church I will grauâ—t it now that it is the Apostolicke sea in reâ—pect that Paule and Peter did once there preach the Gospell and abode there for a certaine season I woulde you could prooue it to be the Apostolicall sea of yâ— true religion and sinceritie as the Apostle left it and did teach the same the which if ye could doe you might boast of Rome as of the Apostolicall sea otherwise it is nowe of no more force then if the Turke at Antioch at Ierusalem should boast of the Apostolike seas because the Apostles once did there abide and founded the church of Christ. And where as that the whole Councell of Carthage did wryte vnto Pope Innocentius certifying him of that was done in the general councell willing him to set his helping hand to the suppressing of the Donatistes as they had done that facte of the Councell prooueth nothing the supremacie of the B. of Rome no more then if the whole Conuocation house now gathered together and agreeing vpon certaine articles might send the same to some bishop that vppon certaine impediments is not present willing him to agree therto to set them forth in his dioces The which fact doth not make any such bish of greater authoritie then the rest because his consent is brotherly required And touching the succession of the Bishops of Rome brought in by s. Austen it maketh nothing nowe thereby to proue the same catholike church vnles you can conclude with the same reason as s. Austen doth And the rehersall of the succession of the bishops doth tende to this only to proue yâ— Donatistes to be heretickes because they began aswell at Rome as in Affrica to founde an other church of their own setting vp then was grounded by Peter and Paul and by their successors whome he reciteth vntill his time which all taughte no such doctrine neither no suche church as the Donatists And if presently you be able to prooue by the bishops of Rome wherof you do glory that such doctrine hath ben taught by any of the successors of Peters sea as is nowe taught beleeued of vs you haue good reason against vs otherwise it is of no force as I am able to declare Chaunc Wel M. Doctour you see we can doe no good in persuading of him let vs minister the Articles which my Lord hath left vs vnto him How say you M. Philpot to these articles M. IhonsoÌ„ I pray you write his answers Phil M. Chauncellor you haue no authoritie to enquire 〈◊〉 my beliefe in such articles as you goe about for that I am not of my Lord of Londons Dioces and to be brief with you I will make no further answere heerein then I haue already to the Bishop Chaunc Why then let vs go our waies and let his keper take him away Thus endeth the vij part of this Tragedie The summe of a priuate conference or talke betwene M. Philpot and the Bishop PHil. The next day in the morning betime the Byshop sent one of his meÌ„ vnto me to cal me vp into his chappell to heare Masse Bishops man Maister Philpot where be you Phil. Who is that calleth me Bishops man My Lords wil is you should rise and come to heare Masse wil you come or no Phil. My stomacke is not verye good this morning
an hereticke and that shortly Phil. I feare nothing I thanke God you can doe to me But God shall destroy suche as thou art and that shortly as I trust Boner Haue him away this is a knaue in deed Phil. And I was had into the Wardrobe again by my keper and within an houre after was sent for to come before him and the bishops of Worcestâ—r and Bangor Boner Syr I haue talked with you manye tymes and haue caused you to bee talked with of manye learned men yea and honourable both Temporall and Spirituall and it auayleth nothing with you I am blamed that I haue brought thee afore so many for they say thou gloryest to haue many to talke withall Well nowe it lyeth thee vpon to looke to thy selfe for thy time draweth neare to an ende if thou doe not become conformable And at this presente we are sent from the Synode to offer you this grace that if you will come to the vnity of the Church of Rome with vs and acknowledge the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar with vs all that is past shal be forgeuen and you receiued to fauor Worcest Mayster Philpot we are sent as you here haue heard by my Lord of London from the Synode to offer you mercy if you will receiue it And of good will I beare you I wishe you to take it whilest it is offered and bee not a singular man agaynste a whole multitude of learned men which now in fasting and prayer are gathered together to deuise thinges to doe you good There haue manye learned men talked with you why should you think your selfe better learned theÌ„ them all Be not of such arrogancy but haue humility and remember there is no saluatioÌ„ but in the church Bangor Me thinketh my Lorde hath sayde wonderfullye well vnto you that you shoulde not thinke your selfe so well learned but other men are as well learned as you neither of so good wit but other be as wise as you neither of so good memory but other haue as good memory as you Therfore mistrust your owne iudgement and come home to vs agayne I wis I neuer liked your Religion because it was set forth by violence and tyranny and that is no token of true Religion And I was that same maner of man then that I am now and a greate manye moe Mary for feare we held our peace and bare with that time Wherfore M. Philpot I would you did wel for I loue you therfore be content to come home with vs agayne into the catholicke church of Rome Phil. Where my Lorde as I may begin first to aunswere you you say that Religion is to be misliked which is set forth by tyranny I pray God you geue not meÌ„ occasion to thinke the same by yours at this day which haue none other argument to stand by but violence If you can shewe me by any good sufficient ground whereby to ground my conscience that the church of Rome is the true Catholicke church wherunto you cal me I wil gladly be of the same otherwise I can not so soone chaunge the Religion I haue learned these many yeares Bangor Where was your Religion I pray you an hundred yeares agoe that any man knew of it Phil. It was in Germany and in diuers other places apparant Worc. Iesus will you be still so singuler a man What is Germany to the whole world Boner My Lordes I pray you geue me leaue to tell you that I sent for him to heare masse this morning and wote you what excuse he made vnto me forsoothe that he was accursed alledging his own shame He playeth as the varlet Latimer did at Cambridge When the Uicechancellor sent for him who intended to haue excommunicated him for some of his heresies the Chancellor was coÌ„ming to hys chamber he hearing that the Chancellor was comming made answere that he was sick of the plague so deluded the Chancellor euen so this man sayth he is acursed because he will not come to masse Worc. My Lorde I am sure here doth behaue hymselfe like a father vnto you therfore be admonished by him and by vs that come now frendly vnto you and folow your fathers before you Phil. It is forbidden vs of God by the Prophet Ezechiel to folow our fathers neither to walke in theyr commaundementes Worc. It is written also in an other place Interroga patres Aske of your fathers Phil. We ought to aske in deed our fathers that haue more experience and knowledge then we of Gods will but no more to allow them then we perceiue they agree with the Scripture Worc. You will be a contentious man I see well and S. Paul saith that we neither the church of god haue no such custome Phil. I am not contentious but for the verity of my fayth in the which I ought to conteÌ„d with all such as do impugne the same without any iust obiection Worc. Let vs rise my Lord for I see we shall doe no good Boner Nay I pray you tary and heare the articles I laye to his charge And after he had recited them they arose after standing they reasoned with me a while Worc. Mayster Philpot I am very sory that you will bee so singular I neuer talked with none yet in my Dioces but after once coÌ„munication had with me they haue bene conteÌ„ted to reuoke theyr errors to teach the people how they were deceiued so do muche good as you may if you list For as I vnderstande you were Archdeacon of Winchester which is the eye of the Bishop and you maye doe much good in that countrey if you would forsake your errors and come to the catholicke church Phil. Wherwithall you so soone persuaded theÌ„ to your wil I see not Errour that I knowe I holde none and of the Catholicke Church I am sure I am Worc. The Catholicke Churche doeth acknowledge a reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament and so wyll not you Phil. That is not so For I acknowledge a very essentiall presence in the duely vsing of the sacrament Worc. What a reall presence Phil. Yea a reall presence by the spirite of God in the right administration Worc. That is well sayd and do you agree with the Catholicke church also Phil. I do agree with the true catholicke church Worc. My Lord of LondoÌ„ this man speaketh reasonably now Boner You do agree in generalities but wheÌ„ it shal come to the particularities you will farre disagree Worc. Well keepe your selfe here and you shall haue other learned Bishops to commoÌ„ further with you as my lord of Duresme and my Lord of Chichester whome I heare say you do like well Phil. I doe like them as I doe all other that speaketh the truth I haue once already spoken with them they fouÌ„de no fault with me Worc. Pray in the meane season for grace to God Phil. Prayer is the comfortablest exercise
meere office for thy soule health for reformation of thyne offences and misdemeanours nourishyng thee in the vertue of obedience and vnder the paynes of both censures of the Churche and also of other paynes of the lawe to aunswere fully playnely and truely to all the same 1 FIrst that thou N. hast firmly stedfastly and constātly beleeued in tymes past and so doest now beleue at this present that there is here in earth a catholike Church in the which Catholike Church the fayth and religion of Christ is truely professed allowed receyued kept and reteined of all faithfull and true christian people 2. Item that thou the sayd N. in tymes past hast also beleeued and so doest beleeue at this present that there are in the Catholique Church seuen Sacramentes instituted ordeined by God and by the consent of the holy churche allowed approoued receiued kept and reteyned 3. Item that thou the sayd N. wast in tymes past baptised in the fayth of the sayd catholike church professyng by thy godfather and godmothers the fayth and Religion of Christ and the obseruation thereof renouncing there the deuil all hys pomps and works and wast by the said sacrament of baptisme incorporate to the catholike church made a faythfull member thereof 4. Item that thou the sayd N. commyng to the age of 14. yeares and so to the age of discretion didst not depart from the sayd profession and fayth nor diddest mislike any part of the same fayth or doyngs but diddest like a faythfull Christian person abide and continue in all the same by the space of certayne yeares ratifieng and confirmyng all the same 5. Item that thou the said N. notwithstanding the premisses hast of late that is to say within these two yeares last past within the City dioces of London swarued at the lest way from some part of the sayd catholike faith and religion and among other thyngs thou hast misliked and earnestly spoken agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse the sacrament of the altar and the vnity of the church raisyng malignyng on the authoritie of the See of Rome and the fayth obserued in the same 6 Item that thou the sayd N. hast heretofore refused doest refuse at this present to be reconciled againe to the vnitie of the church knowledging and confessing the autoritie of the sayd See of Rome to be lawfull 7 Item that thou the sayd N. mislikyng the sacrifice of the Masse and the sacrament of the aultar hast refused to come to thy parish Church to heare Masse and to receyue the sayd Sacrament and hast also expresly sayd that in the sayd Sacrament of the aultar there is not the very bodye and bloud of our Sauiour Christ really substantially truly but hast affirmed expresly that the Masse is idolatry and abhomination and that in the Sacrament of the aultar there is none other substance but only material bread and materiall wyne which are tokens of Christes body bloud onely and that the substance of Christes bodye and bloud is in no wyse in the sayd Sacrament of the aultar 8 Item that thou the sayd N. beyng conuented before certaine Iudges or Commissioners for thy disorder herein and beyng found obstinate wilfull and heady wast by their commaundement sent vnto me and my prison to be examined by me Processe to be made against thee for thy offence herein 9. Item that all and singuler the premisses haue bene and be true and manifest and thy selfe not onely infamed and suspected therof but also culpable therin and by reason of the same thou wast and art of the iurisdiction of me Edmund B. of London and before me accordingly to the order of the Ecclesiasticall lawes art to be conuented and also by me to be punished and reformed ¶ Here follow likewyse their aunsweres in a generall made to the Articles aboue rehearsed ¶ And first concernyng the first Article in beleeuyng there is a Catholike Church TO the first Article they altogether agreeyng affirmed the same to bee true Iohn Tudson and Thomas Browne further addyng that the Church of England as it was at that present vsed was no part of the true catholike Church ¶ Concernyng the second Article that there be in the Churche seuen Sacraments To the second Article they aunswered that they acknowledged but onely two Sacraments in Christes catholike Church that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Iohn Went and Tudson affirmyng that the sacrament of the aultar as it is vsed is an Idoll and no sacrament at all ¶ Concernyng the third Article that they were first baptised in the fayth of the Catholike Church professing by their Godfathers the profession of the same c. To the third article they agreed and confessed all to be true that they were baptised in the fayth of Christ and of the church then taught and afterward duryng the time of K. Edward the vj. they hearyng the Gospel preached and the truth opened followed the order of religion doctrine then vsed and set foorth in the raigne of the sayd kyng Edward Concernyng the fourth Article that they for the space of certayne yeares did ratifie or allowe and not departe from any part of the profession of the same Church To this fourth Article they graunted also and agreed Iohn Went addyng moreouer that about seuen yeares past he then beyng about twenty yeares of age began to mislyke certayne thyngs vsed in the Church of England as the ministration of the Sacrament of the aultare likewyse all the ceremonies of the sayd Church and dyd lykewyse at that present tyme mislike the same as they were vsed although hys godfathers and godmothers promised for hym the contrary Iohn Tudson added also in much like sort and sayde that when he came to the yeres of discretion that is about nine yeares past beyng about eighteene yeares of age he did mislike the doctrine and religion then taught and set forth in the church of England sauyng in king Edwards tyme in whose tyme the Gospell was truly set forth and further sayde that the doctrine set forth in the Queenes raigne was not agreeable to Gods word nor yet to the true catholike church that Christ speaketh of c. Isabell Foster with other graunted adding likewyse and saying to the sayde foure Articles that she continued in the same faith and Religion which she was baptised in after she came to the yeres of discretion as other common people did howbeit blindly and without knowledge till the raigne of King Edward the sixt at which tyme shee hearing the Gospel truly preached and opened to the people receyued thereupon the fayth and religion then taught and set forth c. ¶ Concernyng the fift Article that they of late yeares haue swarued and gone away misliked and spokē agaynst the profession of the same Church at least some part thereof especially the sacrifice of the Masse the Sacrament of the aultar
heretofore duryng the raygne of the Queenes Maiestie aforesayd refused and so now doth refuse to come and heare Masse and to receiue the sacramente of the Aultar as they are now vsed and ministred in thys Churche of Englande because he saith that concerning the Masse he cannot bee perswaded in hys conscience that the sacrifice pretended to bee in the same is agreeable to Gods word or mayntaynable by the same or that wythout deadly offence he cannot worshyp the body and bloud of Chryst that is pretēded to be there And as concerning the sacrament of the Aultar this Examinate sayth that he heretofore duryng the sayd raygne hath refused and nowe doth refuse to receiue the same as is nowe vsed in thys Churche of Englande because it is not vsed accordynge to the institution of Chryste but bothe in a straunge tongue and also not ministred in bothe kyndes and besides that contrary to Gods worde it is there taughte that the thynge there minystred is to bee adored as the reall and true bodye of Chryste And furthermore this Examinate saythe that duryng the sayd raygne he hath not bene confessed to the Prieste nor receaued absolution at hys handes because hee is not bound by Gods word to make auricular confession Bartlet Greene. Many other sondrye conferences and publicke examinations they brought hym vnto But in the end seeyng hys steadfastnesse of faythe to bee suche as agaynst the whiche neither the threatninges nor yet their flattering promises could preuayle the xv day of Ianuary the Bishop caused him with the rest aboue named to be brought into the Consistory in Paules where being set in hys Iudgement seate accompanied with Fecknā then Deane of the same church and other his Chaplaines after he had condemned the other sixe he then called for Bartlet Grene began with these or the like wordes Honourable audience I thinke it best to open vnto you the conuersation of this man called Bartlet Greene. And because you shall not charge me that I go aboute to seeke any mans bloud here you shal heare the Councelles letters which they sēt with him vnto me The effect wherof is that where hee had bene of long time in the Tower of London for heresie they haue now sent him vnto me to be ordered according to the lawes therefore prouided And now to thee Bartlet Greene I propose these ix articles Then he read the Articles aboue mentioned whiche were generally obiected to all these seuen prisoners to wit Thomas Whittell Iohn Tudson Iohn Went Thomas Browne Isabell Foster Ioane Lashforde Bartlet Greene. But when M. Greene woulde haue aunswered them particularly he was putte to silence with promise that he should haue time to aunswere sufficiently and therfore the Byshoppe proceeding sayd that when Greene came first to his house he desired to haue thee bookes of the ancient Doctors of the Churche to read whiche hee sayd hee graunted him Whereunto Greene aunswered and sayde that if the Doctours were with indifferēt iudgement weighed they made more a greate deale wyth hym then they did with them Feck Upon which wordes Fecknam Deane of Paules stoode vp and marueiling why hee sayd so asked hym if he would be content to stand to the iudgemente of the Doctours Greene. Greene then sayd that he was content to stād to theyr Doctours iudgement Feck I will then propound vnto you quoth Feck the Doctours and interprete them your selfe So hee alledged a place of Chrisostome ad popul Antioch whiche was this Elias ascendens melotem suum post se reliquit Christus verò ascendens carnem suam assumpsit eandem post se reliquit and he demaunded Greene how he vnderstoode the place Greene. Then Greene prayed him that he would confer the Doctours saying together and therefore alledged the same Doctour agayne writing vpon the 1. Cor. 10. An non est panis quem nos benedicimus communicatio corporis Domini Non ne est Calix c. Whereby hee prooued that this Doctour called this sacrament but a signe of the Lordes body Many other wordes of brobation and denyal were betwixe them Feck At last Fecknam demaunded of hym how longe he had bene of his opinion For M. Greene said hee you confessed once to me that when you were at Oxforde at schoole you were called the rankest papist in that house being compelled to go to the lecture of Peter Martyr you were conuerted from your old doctrine Greene. And Greene confessed the same Feck Then agayne he sayd that Greene told him that the sayd Peter Martyr was a Papist in his first comming to Oxford Whereupon he made an exclamation and praied the people to consider howe vayne his doctrine that he professed was whiche was grounded vppon one man and that vpon so vnconstāt a man is Peter Martyr whiche perceiuing the wicked intent of the Counsel was content to please them and forsake the true and Catholicke fayth Greene. Greene sayd that hee grounded not his fayth vpō Martir nor any other nor did beleue so because martyr beleued the same but because that he hadde heard the Scriptures and the Doctours of the Church truely and wholesomely expounded by him neyther had he anye regard of the man but of the word which he spake And further he sayd that he heard the sayde M. Peter saye often that he had not as yet while he was a papiste read Chrysostome vpon the x. to the Corinthes nor many other places of the Doctours but when he had read them and wel considered them he was content to yelde to the Doctours hauing first humbled himselfe in prayer desiring God to illuminate hym and bring him to the true vnderstandyng of the scripture Whiche thinge sayde Greene if you my Lorde would doe I doe not doubt but God woulde open your eyes and shewe you his truthe no more then I doe doubt hys wordes be true that sayth Aske and it shall be geuen to you knocke and it shall be opened vnto you c. Feck Then Fecknam asked him what he thoughte of this article Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam Greene. And Greene aunswered that hee dyd beleeue one holye and vniuersall Churche throughoute all the worlde Feck Then Fecknam sayd that he woulde sayne haue a sure marke and token whereby hee might knowe thys Churche and therefore he prayed Greene to define vnto him this church Greene. Greene answered that his Church dyd agree in veritie of the true doctrine of Christ and was knowne by the true administration of hys sacramentes Feck Whereupon Fecknam sayd that he would proue the Church wherof he was to be neuer agreeyng in doctrine but alwayes to haue bene in controuersie in theyr religion For sayd he Luther and Zwinglius coulde neuer agree in theyr writinges or sayinges nor Oecolampadius with Carolostadius nor Caralostadius wyth eyther Zwinglius or Luther c. for Luther writing vppon the sacrament of the aultar said that in hoc pane vel
Paulum contra vetus nouum TestameÌ„tum and that he Plenitudine potestatis tantum potest quantum Deus That is Agaynst Peter agaynst Paule agaynste the olde and new Testament and of the fulnes of power may doe as muche as God O Lord who euer heard suche blasphemy Iâ— there be any man that can aduaunce himself aboue him let hym be iudged Antichrist This enemy of God and of our redemption is so euydently paynted out in the scriptures by such manifest signes and tokens which all so clearely appeare in him that except a man will shut vpp hys eyes and heart agaynste the light he cannot but know hym and therefore for my part I will neuer geue my consent to the receiuing of hym into this Church of England And you my Lorde and the rest that sit here in Commission consider well and examyne your owne consciences you haue sworn agaynst him you are learned and can iudge of the trueth I pray God you â—e not wilfully blind As for me I haue herein discharged myne owne conscience toward the world and I wil write also my minde to her grace touching this matter The copy of which letter sent to the Queene ye shal finde after in the end of hys story While he in this sorte made hys aunswere ye heard before how Doctor Story and Martin diuers tymes interrupted him with blasphemous talke and would fayn haue had the Byshop of Glocester to put hym to silence who notwithstanding did not but suffered hym to end his tale at full After this ye heard also how they proceeded to examine hym of diuers articles wherof the chief was That at the tyme of hys creating Archbishop of Canterbury he was sworne to the Pope and had his institution and induction from him and promised to mayntayne then the authoritie of that See and therefore was periured wherefore he should rather sticke to his first othe and returne to hys old fold again then to continue obstinately in an othe forced in the tyme of schisme To that he aunswered sauing hys protestation whiche terme he vsed before all hys aunsweres that at suche time as Archb. Warrham dyed hee was Embassadour in Germanie for the K. who sent for hym thereuppon home hauing intelligence by some of his frends who wer nere about the king how he ment to bestow the same Byshoprick vpon hym and therefore counselled him in the case to make haste home he feeling in himself a great inhabilitie to such a promotion and very sory to leaue hys study and especially considering by what meanes he must haue it whiche was cleane agaynst hys conscience whiche hee coulde not vtter without great perill and daunger deuised an excuse to the king of matter of great importaunce for the whiche his longer abode there should be most necessary thinking by that meanes in hys absence that the kyng would haue bestowed it vpon some other and so remayned there by the deuise one halfe yeare after the king had written for him to come home But after that no suche matter fell out as hee seemed to make suspition of the king sent for hym agayn Who after hys returne vnderstanding stil the Archbishopricke to be reserued for hym made meanes by diuers of hys best frendes to shift it off desiring rather some smaller liuing that he might more quietly follow his booke To be briefe when the king himselfe spake with him declaring his full intention for his seruice sake and for the good opinion he conceiued him was to bestowe that dignitie vpon him after long disabling of himself perceiuing he could by no perswasions alter the kinges determination he brake franckly his conscience with him most humbly crauing first his Graces pardon for that he should declare vnto his highnesse Which obtained he declared that if he accepted the Office then he must receaue it at the popes hand whiche he neyther would nor could do for that hys highnesse was onely the supreme Gouernour of this church of England as well in causes Ecclesiasticall as Temporall and that the full right and donation of all manner of Bishoppricks and Benefices as wel as of any other TeÌ„porall dignities and promotions appertayned to hys Grace not to any other forraine authoritie whatsoeuer it was and therfore if he might serue God in that vocation him and his countrey seeing it was his pleasure so to haue it he would accepte it and receaue it of his maiestie and of none other straunger who had no authoritie within this realme neither in any such gifte nor in anye other thing Whereat the king said he staying a while and musing asked me how I was able to proue it At which time I alledged many textes out of the scriptures and the Fathers also approuing the supreme and highest authority of kinges in their realmes and dominions disclosing therewithall the intollerable vsurpation of the Pope of Rome Afterwardes it pleased his highnes quoth the Archb. many and sundry tymes to talke with me of it and perceiuing that I could not be brought to acknowledge the authoritie of the B. of Rome the king himselfe called Doct. Oliuer and other Ciuill Lawyers deuised with them how he might bestow it vpon me inforcing me nothing against my conscience Who therupon informed him that I might do it by the way of protestation so one to be sente to Rome who might take the othe and do euery thing in my name Which when I vnderstood I sayd he should do it Super animam suam and I in deed Bona fide made my protestation that I did not acknowledge his authoritie anye further then as it agreed with the expresse word of God that it might be lawfull for me at al times to speak against him and to impugne his erroures when time and occasion should serue me And this my protestation did I cause to be enrolled and there I thinke it remayneth They obiected to him also that he was maryed whiche he confessed Whereupon D. Martin said that his children were bondmen to the See of Caunterbury At which saying the Archb. smiled and asked him if a priest at his benefice kept a Concubine and had by her bastardes whether they were bondmen to the Benefice or no sayinge I trust you will make my childrens causes no worse After this Doctour Martine demaunded of hym who was supreme heade of the Churche of Englande Marye quoth my Lord of Caunterbury Christe is heade of thys member as he is of the whol body of the vniuersal church Why quoth Doctor Martin you made king Henrye the eight supreme head of the Church Yea sayd the Archbyshop of al the people of England as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall And not of the church sayd Martin No sayde he for Christ is onely head of hys church and of the fayth and religion of the same The king is head and gouernor of hys people which are the visible churche What quoth Martin you neuer durst tell
he sweare vnto vs as he did vnto the vnfaythfull Iewes that such Infidells shall not enter into his rest In the administration of the Lordes supper whiche we confessed to be the holye Communion and pertakinge with Christ and his holy Congregation we haue learned Gods holy commaundements and at the rehearsall of euery one of them to ask God mercy for our most grieuous transgressions agaynst them and to aske grace of God to keepe them in time to come that the same may not onelye outwardly sound in our eares but also inwardly by the holy ghost be written in our hartes Wee haue learned also the holye prayer made for the Queenes Maiestie wherein wee learne that her power and authoritie is of God therefore wee praye to God for her that shee and all magistrates vnder her may rule according to Gods worde and we her subiectes obey according to the same Truely most honourable Commissioners we caÌ„not thinke these thinges euill but thinke them moste worthye to be retayned in our Churches and we would think our selues not to haue true subiectes hartes if we shuld go about to put away such godly prayers as put vs perpetually in memory of our bounden obedience duety to God and our Rulers For as we thinke at this present the vnquiet multitude had more neede to haue these things more often and earnestly beaten and driuen into them specially geuen in many places to stirre and trouble then to take from them that blessed doctrine whereby onely they may to their saluation be kept in quiet Furthermore we caÌ„not forsake that blessed partaking of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Christes institution ministred with such godly prayers exhortatioÌ„s and admonitions teaching vs the knowledge of God the exceeding loue and charity of our louing redeemer Christ breaking hys body vpon the crosse for our sinnes shâ—dding his most precious bloud for our redemption whych we in eating of that blessed breade and drinking of yâ— blessed Cup assuredly beleue that we receiue and be perfectly ioyned with Christ and his holy Catholike Churche into one body and into one vnitie and brotherly loue wherby eche member faithfully embraceth other We must needes confesse thys institution of Christ to be moste holy godly whereof we haue the onely coÌ„fort in conscience against sinne damnation with the assurance of saluation wherof hath ensued reformation of many hainous sinnes much lawinge strife and contention is ended dronkennesse whoredome and other vices in some reformed goodnesse and vertue increased and nourished In the Latine Masse we neuer had no suche edifying but only we saw a great many of ceremonies and strange gestures as tourning of the Prieste crossings blessings breathings washing of handes and spreading abroade of hys armes wyth like ceremonies that we vnderstaÌ„d not And concerninge the Latine tongue wherein the Prieste prayeth we wote not whether hee blesseth or cursseth vs. Wee are not partakers of the Sacrament as Christes institution appoynteth we should be In the ministring of the Sacrament the Priests alter the institution of Christ committing theft and sacriledge robbing vs of the cup of Christes bloud coÌ„trary to Christes commandement saying Drinke yee all of this They rob vs also of Gods woord speaking all thyngs in Latine whych nothing edifieth vs eyther in Faythe or maners Christe commaunded not that his Supper shuld be ministred in an vnknowen tounge but for as much as faith commeth of hearing and hearing commeth of Gods woorde howe can wee beleeue Christes woorde and promise made vnto vs in thys holy Sacrament saying Thys is my bodye broken for you and this is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche is shedde for you for the remission of sinnes if the same promises of Christe either be not at all recited or els so recited in Latine that the Congregation vnderstandeth not or heareth not what is spoken S. Paul saith thus reciting the saying of Esay As truly as I liue sayth the Lorde all knees shall bowe vnto me all tongues shall geue praise vnto God Also he sayeth Al tongues must confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the father The holye Ghost came vppon the Apostles in fiery tongues so that they spake the tongues of all nations vnder heauen S. Paul ministred to the Corinthians and preached to them in theyr owne mother tongue and rebuked the bringyng in of straunge tongues into the congregations Wee can not thincke it to be well that so holy an Apostle rebuked And what soeuer vertue the Latine tongue hath to suche as vnderstand it to vs English men not vnderstandyng it it is altogether without vertue and edifying and therfore vnmeete for our Churches The Priestes complayne that we lay men loue them not nor haue them in honour But it is their owne faulte For how should we loue them that onely seeeke to keep vs in blindnes and ignorance to damne our soules to destroy our bodies to rob and spoyle our goodes and substaunce vnder a colour of pretensed holines We knowe right honourable Commissioners what honour is due to suche Wolues how by the authoritie of Gods word such are to be fledde as pestilences to the Lordes lambes whom they miserably dayly murder But we haue rather chosen by this our meeke supplycation humbly to desire the Queenes maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners to render Gods worde agayn vnto the Churches to permit vs freely to enioye the same For we certainely knowe that the whole Religion lately set out by the holy sainct of God our late most deare king Edward is Christes true religion written in the holy scripture of God and by Christe and his Apostles taught vnto his Church Wherefore we cannot allowe with safe consciences this refusall of it and casting of it out of oure Churches for asmuch as to refuse cast off to reiect is to cast off Christ himselfe and to refuse our part in his blessed body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our redemption Which thing who so doth the same without repentaunce can look for no sacrifice for his sinnes but most fearfully wayte for the iudgement and for that vehement fire that shall destroy Christes aduersaries For if hee that despiseth the law of Moses is without mercye put to death vnder two or three witnesses howe much more greeuous tormentes shall he suffer that treadeth vnder foot the sonne of God and esteemeth the bloud of the Testament wherby he was sanctified as a prophane thing coÌ„tumeliously vseth the spirite of grace Wherefore wee moste humbly praye and beseeche the Queenes gracious Maiestie to haue mercy and pitty vpon vs her poore and faithfull subiectes and not to compel vs to do the thing that is agaynst our consciences and shall so incurably wound vs in hart by bringing into the churche the Latine Masse and seruice that nothing edifieth vs and and casting out of Christes holye Communion and
English seruice so causing vs to sinne against our redemption For such as willingly and wittingly agaynst their consciences shall so do as it is to be feared many one doth they are in a miserable state vntill the mercy of God turn them which if he do not we certainly beleeue that they shall eternally be damned and as in this world they deny Christes holy word and Communion before men so shal christ deny them before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And where as it is verye earnestly required that we should go in Procession as they call it at whiche time the Priest say in Latine such thinges as we are ignoraunt of the same edifieth nothing at all vnto godlinesse And wee haue learned that to follow Christes Crosse is an other matter namely to take vp our Crosse and to follow chryst in pacient suffering for his loue tribulations sicknes pouertie prison or anye other aduersitie whensoeuer Gods holy wil pleasure is to lay the same vppon vs. The tryumphant Passion and death of Christ wherby in his own person he conquered death sinne hell and damnatioÌ„ hath most liuely bene preached vnto vs and the glory of Chrystes crosse declared by our Preachers whereby wee haue learned the causes and effectes of the same more liuely in one Sermon then in all the Processions that euer wee went in or euer shall go in When wee worshipped the diuine Trinitie kneelyng and in the Letanie inuocating the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost asking mercye for our sinnes and desiring such petitions as the neede of oure frayle estate and thys mortall life requireth we were edified both to know vnto whom all Christian praiers should be directed and also to know that of Gods hand we receaue all thinges as well to the saluation of our soules as to the reliefe of our mortall necessities And we humbly beseech the Queenes maiestie that the same most holye prayers may bee continued amongest vs that our Ministers praying in oure mother tongue and wee vnderstanding their prayers and petitions may aunswere Amen vnto them At euening seruice we vnderstoode our Ministers prayers we wer taught admonished by the scriptures then read whiche in the latine Euensong is all gone At the ministration of holy baptisme we learned what league and couenauâ—t God had made with vs and what vowes and promises we vpon our part had made namely to beleue in him to forsake Satan and his workes to walke in the way of Gods holy word commandemeÌ„tes The Christian Catechisme continually taught called to remembraunce the same wheras before no man knew any thing at all And many good men of lx yeares that hadde bene godfathers to xxx children knew no more of the godfathers office but to wash their handes ere they departed the Church or els to fast fiue Fridayes bread and water O mercifull God haue pittie vpon vs. Shall we be altogether cast from thy presence We may well lament our miserable estate to receaue such a commaundement to reiect and cast out of our Churches all these most godly praiers instructions admonitions and doctrines thus to be compelled to deny God and Christ our Sauiour hys holy word al his doctrine of our saluation the candle to our feete and the light to our steppes the bread comming downe from heauen that geueth life whiche who so drinketh it shall be in him a well spring streaming vnto eternall life wherby we haue learned all righteousnes al true Religion al true obedience towardes our gouernours al charitie one towardes an other all good workes that god would vs to walk in what punishment abideth the wicked and what heauenly rewarde God will geue to those that reuerently walke in his wayes and commaundementes Wherefore right honourable Commissioners wee can not without impietie refuse and caste from vs the holye word of God which we haue receaued or condemne anye thing set forth by our most godly late king Edward hys vertuous proceedinges so agreable to Gods worde And our most humble suite is that the coÌ„maundement may be reuoked so that we be not constrayned thereunto For we protest before God we thinke if the holy word of God had not taken some roote amongest vs we could not in tyme past haue done that poore duety of ours which wee did in assisting the Queene our most deare soueraigne agaynst her Graces mortall foe that then fought her destruction It was our bounden duetie and wee thanke God for the knowledge of his worde and grace that we then did some part of our bounden seruice And we meekely pray and beseeche the Queenes Maiestie for the deare passion of Iesus Christ that the same word be not takeÌ„ away out of her Churches nor from vs her louyng faythfull and true subiectes lest if the like necessitie should hereafter chaunce which God for his mercies sake forbid and euer saue and defeÌ„d her grace and vs all the want of knowledge of due remembrauÌ„ce of Gods word may be occasion of great ruine to an infinite number of her graces true subiectes And truely we iudge this to be one subtile part of the deuil enemy to all godly peace and quietnesse that by takyng Gods word from among vs and plantyng ignoraunce he may make a way to all mischief and wickednes by banishyng the holy Gospell of peace he may bring vpon vs the heauy wrath of God with all maner of plagues as death straunge sicknes pestilence morren most terrible vprores commotions seditions These thyngs did the Lord threaten vnto the Iewes for refusing his word saying Goe and thou shalt say vnto this people Ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall playnly see and not perceiue Harden the hart of this people stop their eares and shut their eyes that they see not with their eyes heare not with their eares and vnderstand not with their hartes and conuert and be healed And I said how loÌ„g Lord And he aunswered Vntill the Cities be destroyed vtterly wasted without habiters and the houses without men till the laÌ„d also be desolate lye vnbuilded And the Prophet Micheas considering the contempt of Gods word amoÌ„g the Israelites threatned them thus When the day that thy preachers warned thee of commeth thou shalt be wasted away And let no man beleue his frend or put confidence in his brother Keepe the doore of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome for the sonne shall put his father to dishonour and the daughter shal rise agaynst her mother the daughter in law agaynst the mother in the law and a mans foes shal be eueÌ„ they of his owne houshold The same plague threatned Christ vnto the Iewes for refusing his peace profered them in the Gospel and he wept on the Citie Ierusalem which murdered the Prophetes and stoned such as were sent vnto her The same plagues we are afrayd will also fall vpon vs. For whereas
playne Cup of fornication and the whore of Babilon And as concerning the Sacrament of the aultar she sayd she beleued there was no such sacrament in the catholicke Church Also she sayd that she vtterly abhorred the authoritye of the Byshop of Rome with all the Religion obserued in the same Antichristes Church 6 Item she aunswered to the sixt Article as to the first before specified 7 Item that she hath refused to come to her Parish Church because the true Religion of Christ was not then vsed in the same and farther sayd that she had not come vnto the Churche by the space of one yeare and three quarters then last paste neither yet did meane any more to come vnto the same in these Idolatrous dayes 8 Item as touching the maner of her apprehension she said that Cluney the Bishops Somner did fetch her to the Bishop These aunsweres being then registered they were agayne with the sayd Articles propounded agaynste her the xx day of December and there being demaunded if she would stand vnto those her aunsweres she sayde I wyll stand to them vnto the death for the very Aungels of heauen do laugh you to scorne to see your abhomination that you vse in the Churche After the whiche wordes the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation and then deliuering her vnto the Sheriffes she was wyth the forenamed Iohn Roughe caryed vnto Newgate From whence they were both together led vnto Smithfield the xxij day of the same Moneth of December and there most ioyfullye gaue theyr liues for the profession of Christes Gospell When the latter end of this history of Mayster Rough and Margarete Mearing was in finishing there came to our hands one necessary thing of the said Margaret Mearyng which wee thought not good to omit The matter is this Mayster Rough being chiefe Pastour to the congregation in the said time of Queene Mary as before ye haue heard of which companye this Margaret Mearyng was one did not well like the sayd Margaret but greatly suspected her as many other of them did besides because she would often times bring in straungers among them and in her talke seemed as they thought somewhat â—o busye c. Nowe what they sawe or vnderstoode further in her we know not but this followed the euill suspition conceiued of her Mayster Rough the Fridaye before hee was taken in the open face of the Congregation did excommunicate her out of the same company and so seemed with the rest to exclude and cut her of from theyr fellowship and society Whereat she being mooued did not well take it nor in good part but thought her selfe not indifferently handled amonge them Whereupon to one of her frendes in a heate she threatned to remoue them all But the prouidence of God was otherwise For the Sondaye after Mayster Rough being taken by the information of one Roger Sergeaunt to the Bishop of London as here after thou shalt heare was layd prisoner in the Gatehouse at Westminster where none of his frendes coulde come to him to visite him Then this sayd Margaret hearing therof gotte her a basket and a cleane shyrt in it and went to Westminster where she fayning her selfe to be his Sister got into the prison to him and did there to her power not a litle comfort him Then comming abroade agayne shee vnderstandinge that the Congregation suspected the said Sergeaunt to be his Promoter went to his house and asked whether Iudas dwelt not there Unto whom aunswere was made there dwelt no such No sayd she Dwelleth not Iudas here that betrayed Christ His name is Sergeaunt WheÌ„ she saw she could not speake with him she went her way So the Friday after she standing at Marke lane ende in London with an other woman a frende of hers sawe Cluney Boners Somner commyng in the Streete towardes her house Whome when she sawe she sayed to the other woman standyng with her whether goeth yonder fine felowe sayde she I thinke surely he goeth to my house and in viewing him still at the last she saw him enter in at her doore So immediately she went home and asked him whome hee sought Whereunto Cluney made answere and sayd for you you must go with me Mary quoth she here I am I will go with you and comming to the Bishoppe she was layde in prison and the Wednesday after burnt with Mayster Rough in Smithfielde as ye haue heard Anno. 1558. ¶ The Suffering cruell tormentes of Cutbert Symson Deacon of the Christian Congregation in London in Queene Maries dayes most paciently abiding the cruell rage of the Papistes for Christes sake NExt after the Martyrdome of M. Rough Minister of the Congregation aboue mentioned succeded in like Martyrdome the Deacon also of that sayde Godly company or Congregation in London named Cutbert Symson being committed to the fire the yeare of our Lord. 1558. the 28. day of March. This Cutbert Symson was a manne of a faythfull and zealous hart to Christ and his true flocke in so much that he neuer ceased labouryng and Studying most earnestly not onely how to preserue them without corruption of the Popish religion but also hys care was euer vigilant how to keepe them together wythout peryll or daunger of persecution The paynes trauayle zeale pacience and fidelity of this man in caryng and prouiding for thys Congregation as it is not lightly to be expressed so is it wonderfull to beholde the prouidence of the Lord by vision concerning the troubles of this faythfull minister and godly Deacon as in this here folowyng may appeare The Fridaye at nighte before Maister Rough Minister of the congregation of whom meÌ„tion is made before was takeÌ„ being in his bed he dreamed that he saw 2. of the Gard leading Cutbert Simson Deacon of the sayde congregation and that he had the booke about hym wherin were written the names of all them which were of the Congregation Whereupon being sore troubled hee awaked and called hys wife saying Kate strike lighte For I am much troubled with my brother Cutbert thys nyght When she hadde so done he gaue himselfe to reade in his booke a while and there feeling sleepe to come vpon him he put out the candle so gaue himselfe agayn to rest Being a sleepe hee dreamed the like dreame agayn awaked therwith hee sayde O Kate my brother Cutbert is gone So they lighted a candle againe and rose And as the â—ayd M. Rough was making him ready to go to Cutbert to see how he did in the meane time the sayd Cutbert came in with the book conteining the names accompts of the congregation Whom when Maister Rough hadde seene he sayd brother Cutbert ye are welcome for I haue bene sore troubled with you this night and so tolde hym his dreame After he had so done he willed him to lay the booke away from him and to cary it no more about him Unto which Cutbert aunswered he would not so doe
parties I thought here to communicate to the Reader for him to iudge thereof as God shall rule hys mynd The matter is this The day before thys Simson was condemned he being in the stockes Cloney his keeper commeth in with the keies about 9. of the clocke at night after his vsuall maner to view hys prison and see whether all were present who when he espyed the sayd Cutbert to be there departed agayne locking the dores after him Within two houres after about eleuen of the clocke towarde midnighte the sayd Cutbert whether being in a slumber or beyng awake I cannot say heard one comming in first openyng the outwarde dore then the seconde after the thyrd dore and so looking into the sayd Cutbert hauing no Candell or Torche that he could see but geuing a brightnesse and light most comfortable and ioyfull to hys hart saying Ha vnto him and departed agayne Who it was hee coulde not tell neither I dare define This that he saw he hymselfe declared foure or fiue tymes to the sayd Mayster Austen and to other At the sight whereof hee receiued suche ioyfull comfort that he also expressed no little solace in telling and declaring the same Articles seuerally ministred to Cutbert Simson the xix of March with his aunsweres also to the same annexed FIrst that thou Cutbert Simson art at this present abidinge within the Cittie and Dioces of London and not out of the iurisdiction of the bishop of Rome Item that thou within the Cittie and Diocesse of London hast vttered many times and spoken deliberately these wordes and sentences following videlicet that though thy parentes auncestours kinsefolkes and friendes yea and also thy selfe before the time of the late schisme here in this realme of Englande haue thought and thoughtest that the fayth and religion obserued in times past here in this Realme of Englande was a true fayth and religion of Christ in all poyntes and Articles though in the Churche it was set foorthe in the Latine tongue and not in Englishe yet thou beleuest and sayest that the faythe and religion now vsed commonly in the Realme not in the Englysh but in the Latine tongue is not the true faythe and religion of Christ but contrary and expressely agaynst it Item that thou within the sayde Cittie and Dioces of London hast willingly wittingly and contemptuously done spoken agaynst the Rites and the Ceremonyes commonlye vsed here tbrough the whole realme and obserued generally in the Churche of England Item that thou hast thought and beleued certaynlye and so within the Dioces of London hast affirmed and spoken delyberateâ—y that there bee not in the Catholicke Churche seuen Sacramentes nor of that vertue and efficacie as is commonly beleued in the churche of England them to be Item thou hast likewise thought and beleeued yea and so within the Cittie and Dioces of London spoken and deliberately affirmed that in the sacrament of the aultar there is not really substantially and truely the very body and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ Item that thou hast beene and to thy power arte at this present a fauourer of all those that eyther haue beene here in this Realme heretofore called heretickes or els conuented condemned by the Ecclesiasticall Iudges for heretickes Item that thou contrary to the order of this Realme of Englande and contrary to the vsage of the holy Churche of this Realme of England hast at sundry tymes and places within the Citye and Dioces of London beene at assemblyes and conuenticles where there was a multitude of people gathered together to hâ—are the Englishe seruice sayed which was set forth in the late yeares of King Edward the sixte and also to heare and haue the Communion booke reade and the Communion ministred both to the sayd multitude and also to thy selfe and thou hast thought and so thinkest and hast spoken that the sayd Englishe seruice and Communion booke and all thinges conteyned in eyther of them was good and laudable and for such thou diddest and doest allowe and approue eyther of them at this present * The aunswere of the sayd Cutbert to the foresayd articles VNto all which articles the sayd Cutbert Simson aunswered thus or the lyke in effecte To the 1 2 3.4 5. and 6. article he confessed them to be true in euery parte thereof To the 7. article he sayd that he was bounde to aunswere vnto it as he beleeueth ¶ A letter of Cutbert Simson written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse DEarely beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe I can not write as I doe wishe vnto you I beseeche you with my soule committe your selfe vnder the mighty hande of our God trusting in his mercye and hee will surely helpe vs as shall be moste vnto his glory and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of this that hee wyll suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that whiche shall bee moste profitable for vs. For it is either a correction for our sinnes or a tryall of oure faythe or to set forthe his glorye or for altogether and therefore must needes be well done For there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chaunce but by oure heauenlye Fathers prouidence And therefore praye vnto oure heauenly Father that he will euer geue vs his grace for to consider it Let vs geue hym moste hartye thankes for these his fatherly corrections for as many as hee loueth hee correcteth And I beseech you nowe bee of good cheare and compte the Crossâ— of Chryste greater ryches then all the vayne pleasures of Englande I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped wyth Chryste at his Maundie I meane beleeue in hym for that is the effecte and then muste you drynke of hys cuppe I meane hys Crosse for that doth the cuppe signifie vnto vs. Take the Cuppe wyth a good stomacke in the name of GOD and then shall you be sure to haue the good wyne Chrystes bloude to thy poore thirstie soule And when you haue the wyâ—e you muste drinke it out of this cuppe Learne this when you come to the Lordes supper pray continually In all thinges geue thankes In the name of Iesus shall euery knee bowe Cutbert Simson Hugh Foxe Iohn Deuenishe WIth Cutbert likewise was apprehended and also suffered as is before mentioned Hugh Foxe and Iohn Deuenish Who being brought into their examinations with the sayd Cutbert before Boner Byshoppe of London the xix day of March had articles and Interrogatories to them ministred by the sayd officer albeit not al at one time For first to the sayd Cutbert seuerall Articles were propounded then other articles in generall wer ministred to them altogether The order and maner of which articles now ioyntly to them ministred here follow with their aunsweres also to the same annexed to be seene * Articles generally ministred to them all three together the sayd xix day of March with theyr answeres to the same annexed AFter
these articles thus ministred and layd to Cutbert Simson with his aunsweres likewise vnto the same the Bishop calling them altogether obiected to them other positions and articles the same whiche before are mentioned in the story of Bartlet Greene. pag. 1736. onely the 8. Article out of the same omitted and excepted which Articles because they are already expressed in the page aboue mentioned we neede not here to make anye newe reporte thereof but onely referre the Reader to the place assigned ¶ The aunsweres generall of Cutbert Simson Hugh Foxe and Iohn Deuinishe to the Articles by the Bishop to them generally proposed TO the first Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely but Iohn Deuenishe added that that Churche is grounded vpon the Prophetes and Apostles Christe being the head corner stone and how in that Churche there is the true fayth and religion of Christ. To the second Article they all confessed and beleeued that in Christes Catholicke Churche there are but two Sacramentes that is to witte Baptisme and the supper of the Lord otherwise they do not beleue the contentes of this Article to be true in any part therof To the 3. Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely To the 4. Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely ¶ Three godly Martirs burned in Smithfield To the sixt Article they al answered and denied to acknowledge the authoritie of the sea of Rome to be lawfull and good eyther yet his religion To the seuenth Article they all aunswered affirmatiuely that they haue and will doe still while they liue and Iohn Deuinishe adding thereto sayde that the sacrament of the aultar as it is now vsed is no sacrament at all To the 8. Article they all confessed and beleued all thynges aboue by them acknowledged and declared to be true and that they be of the Dioces of London and iurisdiction of the same These three aboue named persons and blessed witnesses of Iesus Christ Cutbert Foxe and Deuenish as they were altogether apprehended at Islington as is aboue declared so the same all three together suffered in Smithfield about the xxviii day of March in whose perfect constancie the same Lorde in whose cause and quarrell they suffered giuer of all grace and gouernour of all thinges be exalted for euer Amen ¶ The suffering and Martyrdome of William Nichole put to death by the wicked hands of the papistes at Herefordwest in Wales WE finde in al ages from the beginning that Sathan hath not ceassed at all times to molest the Churche of Christ with one affliction or other to the tryall of theyr fayth but yet neuer so aparauntly at anye time to all the worlde as when the Lorde hath permitted him power ouer the bodyes of hys saynctes to the shedding of theyr bloud and peruerting of religion for then sleepeth he not I warrant you from murdering of the same vnlesse they will fall downe with Achab and Iesabell to worship him and so kill and poyson their owne soules eternally as in The burning of W. Nicole at Herefordwest in Wales these miserable latter dayes of Queene Mary we haue felt heard and seene practised vppon Gods people Amonge whome wee finde recorded an honest good simple poore man one William Nicole who was apprehended by the Champions of the pope for speaking certayne wordes agaynst the cruell kingdome of Antichriste and the ninth day of Aprill 1558. was butcherly burnt and tormented at Herefordwest in Wales where he ended his life in a most happy and blessed state and gloriously gaue his soule into the handes of the Lorde whose goodnes bee praysed for euer Amen This William Nicoll as we are informed was so simple a good soule that many esteemed him half foolish But what he was we know not but this are we sure he died a good man and in a good cause what soeuer they iudge of hym And the more simplicitie of feeblenes of wit appeared in him the more beastly and wretched dothe it declare their cruell tyrannicall acte therin The Lord geue them repentaunce therefore if it bee his blessed will Amen Amen The Martyrdome of William Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson put to death by the persecuting papists at Norwich in the county of Norfolke IMmediately after William Nicoll succeeded in that honourable and glorious vocation of Martyrdome three constaunt godly menne at Norwiche in Northfolk who were cruelly and tyrannically put to death for the true testimony of Iesus Christ the xix of May. an 1558. Whose names be these William Seaman Thomas Carman Thomas Hudson The sayde William Seaman was an Husbandman of the age of xxvi yeares dwelling in Mendlesham in the county of Suffolke who was sūdry sought for tymes by the commandement of Sir Iohn Tirrell knight at laste he himselfe in the night searched his house and other places for him notwithstanding hee somewhat mist of his purpose God be thanked Then he gaue charge to hys Seruauntes Robert Baulding and Iames Clarke wyth others to seek for him Who hauing no officer went in the euening to hys house where he being at home they took him and caryed him to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tirrell This Baulding being Seamans nighe neighbour and whome the sayde Seaman greatly trusted as a speciall friend notwithstanding to doe hys Mayster a pleasure now became enemy to hys chiefe friend and was one of the busiest in the taking of him Now as they were goyng to cary hym to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tyrrell in the night it is credibly reported that there fell a lyghte betweene them out of the element and parted them Thys Baulding being in company with the rest when the light fell and albeit he was then in hys best age yet after the time neuer enioyed good daye but pyned away euen vnto the death Well for all that straunge sight as I sayd they caried him to theyr Mayster Who when he came asked him why he would not goe to Masse and to receaue the sacrament and so to worship it Unto which William Seaman aunswered denying it to bee a sacrament but sayde it was an Idoll and therefore would not receaue it After whiche wordes spoken sir Iohn Tirrel shortly sent hym to Norwiche to Hopton then Bishop and there after conference and examination had with him the bishop read his bloudy sentence of condemnation agaynst him and afterward deliuered him to the secular power who kepte him vnto the day of Martyrdome This sayd William Seaman left behynde him when he dyed a wife and three children very young and wyth the sayd young children hys wife was persecuted oute of the sayde towne also of Mendlesham because that shee would not go to heare Masse and all her corne and goods seased and taken awaye by Mayster Christopher Coles officers he being Lorde of the sayd towne Thomas Carman who as is sayd pledged Richarde Crashfield at hys burning and thereupon was apprehended being prisoner in Norwiche was about
Boner certayne articles were ministred in this effect as followeth Articles FIrst that ye being within the Cittye and Dyoces of London haue not according to the commō custome of the catholick churche of this realme of Englande come to your owne parishe churche nor yet to the Cathedrall church of this citie and diocesse of London to heare deuoutly and christianly the Matins the Masse the Euensong song or sayd there in the Latine toung after the common vsage and maner of the church of this realme 2. Second that ye haue not come to any of the said churches to pray to goe in procession or to exercise your selues there in godly and laudable exercises 3. Thirde yee haue not conformed your selues duely to all the laudable customes rites and Ceremonies of anye the sayde churches 4. Fourth ye haue not bene confessed at due times and places to your owne curate of your sinnes 5. Fifth yee haue not receiued at your sayd Curates handes as of the minister of Christ absolution of your sinnes 6. Sixt ye haue not at due times and places of your Curate receiued reuerently and duely the sacrament of the altar 7. Seuenth yee haue not faithfully and truely beleeued that in the said sacrament of the altar there is really and truely the very body and bloud of Christ. 8. Eight yee haue not by your mouthe nor otherwise by your deede expressed or declared in any wise that ye without wauering or doubting doe thinke and beleeue that the faith and religion now obserued in the church of England is a true faith and religion in all poyntes 9 Ninthe yee haue not made any signification that yee doe in deede approoue or allowe in any wise the common seruice in Latine heere obserued and kepte in the Church of this Realme of Englande 10. Tenth ye haue not beleeued nor doe beleeue at this present that the seruice in Latine commonly vsed and obserued in the Churche of this realme is good and lawfull and not against the woorde of God 11. Eleuenth yee haue in times past liked allowed and approued as good and godly and so do like alow and approue at this present the seruice in English the bookes of Common prayer the bookes of Communion the religion setforth and vsed in the time of king Edward the sixt especially as it was set forthe and vsed in the latter daies of the said king Edward 12. Twelfth ye haue in times past bene very desirous and so are at this present that the sayde English seruice the sayde booke of common praier the sayd booke of communion and the sayd religion and faith so set foorth and vsed in King Edwardes time might nowe againe be restored set foorth and vsed and youre selfe freely at your libertie without anye restraint or lets to vse it and also in all poyntes and things to doe therein as ye did especially in the latter daies of the said Edward the sixt 13. Thirtene yee haue of late bene charitably sent to from me the Bishop of London and also by mouth exhorted that where of late yee did leaue your Churches and went in the time of diuine seruice into the fieldes and prophane places to reade English Psalmes and certaine English bookes ye wold leaue of that and being out of prisone and at your libertie come in to youre owne parish churches there to heare Mattens Masse and Euensong after the common order of the churches of this realme to make due confession of your sinnes to your owne curate and receiue at his handes as of the minister of Christ hauing therein sufficient authoritie absolution of your sinnes heare Masse receiue the Sacrament of the altare with a true faith according to the beliefe of the catholicke church and obserue all other the rites and customes of the saide catholicke churche vsed in thys realme of England aswell in going in procession after the crosse as also otherwise generally 14. Fourtene ye being so required haue refused and do refuse so to do saying amongst other vaine and light wordes that forasmuch as yee were imprisoned by the space of sixe weekes not knowing wherewith you were charged your petition should be and was that yee might first aunswere to your former cause and then ye would be ready to answere me the said bishop to al that by me should be laid to your charge Unto the which Articles all the forenamed 7. onely Reinold Eastland excepted made answer in effect as here after followeth The aunsweres of the forenamed persons to the Articles aforesayde 1. TO the first article they aunsweared affirmatiuely Roger Holland adding that hee came not to their Latine seruice these two yeares before Mathewe Ricarby added that he came not to churche since Latine seruice was renewed because it is against the woorde of God and Idolatrie committed in creeping to the crosse Henry Pond added if hee had licence then to goe to church he woulde 2. To the 2. Article they all aunsweared affirmatiuelye Henrye Ponde adding as in the first Article Iohn Floyd adde that the Latine seruice then vsed was set vp by man and not by God this he learned he sayd in king Edwardes daies which he beleued to be true Robert Southam added that he refused to come to churche because it is furnished with idoles and because the sacrament of the altar he beleeued to be an idoll 3. To the 3. Article they all aunsweared affirmatiuely For they sayd that the customes rites and ceremonies of the church then vsed are not agreeable to Gods woord 4 5. To the 4 and 5. Articles they all answeared affirmatiuely adding that they beleeued no Priest hath power to remit sinne 6. To the 6. Article Ihon Holiday Henry Ponde and Robert◠Southam aunsweared that since the Queenes maiesties raigne but Robert Southam added not for 10. yeares before he had receiued the Sacrament of the altar either at their Curates hands or any other Priest Ihon Floyde Mathewe Ricarby and Roger Holland answeared affirmatiuely adding in effecte that the Sacrament of the altare is no Sacrament approoued by the worde of God c. 7. To the 7. Article they all confessed the contentes thereof to be true in euery part Henry Ponde adding that he knoweth not nor beleeueth any such Sacrament called the Sacrament of the altare but confesseth the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper and beleeueth that to be approoued Iohn Floyde added that those that kneele and worship the Sacrament of the altare committe idolatrie c. 8.9.10 To the 8 9.10 Articles they all confessed the contentes of those Articles to be true But Iohn Holiday Henry Pond and Iohn Floyd added that they do allow the Latine seruice for thē that vnderstandeth the same so farre as it agreeth with Gods word For some parte thereof is not agreeable to Gods woorde they sayd but to such as do not vnderstand the sayd seruice in Latine they doe not allowe it for it doeth not profite them Robert Southam added and sayd that it was a fond
theirs God is my father God is my mother God is my Sister my Brother my Kinsman God is my frend moste faythfull ¶ The cruell burning of a woman at Exeter Touching the name of this woman as I haue nowe learned she was the wife of one called Prest dwelling in the Dioces of Exeter not farre from Launceston ¶ The Persecution and Martyrdome of three godly men burnt at Bristow about the latter yeares of Queene Maries reigne IN writing of the blessed Sayntes which suffered in the bloudy dayes of queene Mary I had almost ouerpassed the names and story of three godly Martyrs whiche with theyr bloud gaue testimony likewise to the gospell of Christ being condemned and burnt in the town of Bristow The names of whom were these Richard Sharpe Thomas Benion Thomas Hale First Richarde Sharpe Weauer of Bristowe was brought the 9. day of Marche an 1556. before M. Dalbye Chauncellour of the Towne or City of Bristow and after examination concerning the sacrament of the aultar was perswaded by the sayde Dalbye and others to recant and the 29. of the same moneth was enioyned to make his recantation before the Parishioners in his parish Churche Which whē he had done he felt in his cōscience such a tormenting hell that he was not able quietly to worke in his occupation but decayed and chaunged both in colour and liking of his body Who shortly after vpon a sonday came into his parish Church called Temple after high masse came to the queere doore sayd with a loud voyce Neighbors beare me recorde that yonder Idoll and poynted to the aultar is the greatest and most abhominable that euer was and I am sory that euer I denied my Lord GOD. Then the Constables were commaunded to apprehende him but none stepped forth but suffered him to goe out of the Church After by night he was apprehended and caried to Newgate shortly after he was brought before the sayd Chauncellor denying the sacrament of the aultar to be the body bloud of Christ sayd it was an Idoll and therfore was cōdemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby He was burnt the 7. of May. 1557. and dyed godly paciently and constantly confessing the articles of our fayth ¶ Thomas Hale Martyr THe Thursday in the night before Easter .1557 came one M. Dauid Herris Alderman Iohn Stone to the house of one Thomas Hale a Shoomaker of Bristowe caused him to rise out of his bedde brought hym foorth of his dore To whō the said Tho. Hale said You haue sought my bloud these two yeares now much good do it you with it Who being committed to the watchmen was caried to Newgate the 24. of April the yere aforesaid was brought before M. Dalby the Chancelor committed by him to prison after by him condemned to be burnt for saying the sacrament of the altar to be an Idoll He was burned the 7. of May with the foresayd Rich. Sharpe godly paciently and constantly embracing the fire with his armes Two Godly Martyrs burned at Bristow Richard Sharpe Thomas Hale were burned both together in one fire and bound backe to backe Thomas Benion THomas Benion a Weauer at the commaundement of the Commissioners was brought by a Constable the thirtenth daye of August 1557. before Mayster Dalbye Chauncellour of Bristow who committed him to pryson for saying there was nothing but bread in the Sacrament as they vsed it Wherefore the twenty day of the sayd August he was condemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby for denying fiue of theyr Sacramentes and affirming two that is the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and the Sacrament of Baptisme He was burnt the seuen and twenty of the sayd moneth and yeare and dyed godly Thomas Benion burned at Bristow constantly and patiently with confessing the articles of our christian fayth ¶ The Martyrdome of fiue constant Christians which suffered the last of all other in the time of Queene Mary THe last that suffred in Queene Maries time were fiue at Caunterburye burned about sixe dayes before the death of Queene Mary whose names follow here vnder written Iohn Corneford of Wortham Christopher Browne of Maydstone Iohn Herst of Ashford Alice Snoth Katherine Knight otherwise called Katherine Tynley an aged woman These fiue to close vp the finall rage of queene Maries persecution for the testimony of that word for whiche so many had died before gaue vp theyr liues meekly and paciently suffering the violent malice of the Papistes Which Papists although they then might haue either well spared them or els deferred theyr death knowing of the sicknesse of Queene Mary yet such was the implacable despite of that generation that some there be that say the Archdeacō of Canterbury the same time being at London vnderstanding the daunger of the Queene incontinently made al post hast home to dispatch these whom before he had thē in his cruell custody The matter why they were iudged to the fire was for beleuing the body not to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnlesse it be receiued saying moreouer that we receiue an other thing also beside Christes body which we see and is a temporall thing according to S. Paule The thinges that be sene be temporall c. Item for confessing that an euill man doth not receiue Christes body Because no man hath the sonne except it be geuen him of the father Item that it is Idolatry to creepe to the crosse and S. Iohn forbidding it sayth Beware of Images Itē for confessing that we should not pray to our Lady and other Sayntes because they be not omnipotent For these and such other articles of Christian doctrine were these fiue committed to the fire Agaynst whom whē the sentence shoulde be read and they excommunicate after the maner of the papistes one of them Iohn Cornford by name styrred with a vehemēt spirit of the zeale of god proceeding in a more true excōmunication agaynst the papistes in the name of them all pronounced sentēce against them in these wordes as folow In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of the most mighty God and by the power of his holy spirite the authority of his holy catholick Apostolick church we do geue here into th◠handes of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers hereticks that do mainteine any error agaynst his most holy word or do cōdemne his most holy truth for heresy to the mainteinaunce of any false Churche or fayned Religion so that by this thy iuste iudgement O most mighty God against thy aduersaries thy true religion may be knowne to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of al our natiō Good Lord so be it Amen This sentence of excommunication beyng the same time openly pronounced and registred proceeding so as it seemeth from an inwarde fayth and hartye zeale to Gods trueth and
himselfe to them not vngentle so found he theÌ„ again to him not vnconformable Whervpon a certeine agreemeÌ„t pacificatory was concluded betwene them vpon conditions Which agrement the new Polone king eftsoones preferred to the Frenche King hys Brother not without some sute and intercession to haue it ratified The king also himselfe partly being weary of these chargeable warres was the more willing to assent therunto And thus at length through the Lordes great worke the kinges royal consent vnder forme of an Edict was sette downe in writing and confirmed by the king conteining 25. Articles In which also wer included certeine other Cittyes of the Protestantes graunting to them benefit of peace and liberty of religion This edicte or mandate sent downe from the king by his Heralde at armes Bironius in the kinges name caused to be solemnely proclaymed at Rochell an 1573. the x. day of Iune The yeare next folowing 1574. for two thinges seemeth fatall and famous for the death first of Charles the 9. the french king also most of all for the death of Charles Cardinall of Lorayne brother to Guise Of the maner of the Cardinals death I finde litle mentioÌ„ in stories Touching the kinges death although Ric. Dinothus sayth nothing for feare belike because he being a french man hys name is expressed and known but an other story whom the sayd Dinothus doth followe bearing no name sayeth thus that he dyed the xxv day of May vpon Whitson euen being of the age of 25. yeares and addeth more profluuio sanguinis illum laborasse certuÌ„ est Certayne it is that his sickenes came of bleeding And sayth further CoÌ„stans fert fama illum dum evarijs corporis partibus sanguis emanaret in lecto saepe volutatum inter horribilium blasphemiaruÌ„ diras tantaÌ„ sanguinis vim proiecisse vt paucas post horas mortuus â—uerit That is The constant report so goeth that his bloud gushing out by diuers partes of his body he tossing in his bedde and casting out many horrible blasphemies layed vpon pillowes with his heeles vpward and head downeward voyded so much bloud at his mouth that in few houres he dyed Which story if it be true as is recorded and testified may be a spectable and example to all persecuting kinges and Princes polluted with the bloud of Christian Martyrs And thus muche briefely touching the late terrible persecution in Fraunce ¶ The Conclusion of the worke ANd thus to conclude good Christian Reader this present tractation not for lacke of matter but to shorten rather the matter for largenes of the volume I here stay for this present time with further addition of more discourse either to ouerweary thee with longer tediousnes or ouercharge the booke with longer prolixity hauing hitherto set forth the Actes and Proceedinges of the whole Church of Christ namely of the Church of England although not in such particular perfectioÌ„ that nothing hath ouerpassed vs. Yet in such generall sufficiency that I trust not very much hath escaped vs necessary to be knowne touching the principall affayres doinges and proceedinges of the Church and Churchmen Wherein may be seene the whole state order discent course and continuaunce of the same the encrease and decrease of true religion the creeping in of superstition the horrible troubles of persecution the wonderfull assistaunce of the almighty in mainteining his truth the glorious constancy of Christes Martyrs the rage of the enemyes the alteration of times the trauelles and troubles of the Church from the first primatiue age of Christes Gospel to the end of Queen Mary and the beginning of this our gracious Queene Elizabeth During the time of her happy reigne which hath hetherto continued through the gracious protection of the Lord the space now of 24. yeres as my wish is so I would be glad the good wil of the Lord were so that no more matter of such lameÌ„table stories may euer bee offered hereafter to write vpon But so it is I cannot tel how the elder the world waxeth the longer it continueth the nerer it hasteneth to his end the more Sathan â—ageth geuing still new matter of writing bookes and volumes In so much that if all were recorded and committed to history that within the sayd compasse of this Queenes reigne hitherto hath happened in Scotland Flanders France Spayne Germany besides this our owne Countrey of England and Ireland with other Countryes moe I verely suppose one Eusebius or Polyhistor whiche Plinnye writeth of woulde not suffice thereunto But of these incidentes and occurrentes hereafter more as it shall please the Lord to geue grace and space In the meane time the grace of the Lord Iesus worke with thee gentle Reader in all thy studious readinges And while thou hast space so employ thy selfe to read that by reading thou mayst learne dayly to knowe that may profite thy soule may teach thee experience may arme thee with pacience and instruct thee in all spirituall knowledge more and more to thy perpetuall comfort and saluation in Christ Iesu our Lord to whome be glory in Secula Seculorum Amen FINIS ⧠A diligent Table or Index of the most notable and memorable thyngs contained in the whole volume of this Booke wherein if thou wilt finde any thing good Reader reuolue in thy mynde the letter wherewith the word beginneth and the number of the Page shall direct thee vnto it A ante B. A B. C. agaynst the Popes Clergie 841.843 Abuses in the Church require reformatioÌ„ not defection 1873 Abbey of Peterborow 133. Abbeis suppressed in England 1101. Abbey of Exceter 141. Abbey of Stowe built 184. Abbey of S. Edmundsbury 161. Abbeis and Nunries founded and vpon what causes 149.454 Abbey of S. Albons built and by whom 133. Abbey of Gisburne and Readyng buâ—lt 199. Abbey of Glastenbury 150. Abbeis dissolued in Englande by K Henry the 8. 1070. Abbeis burned ibid. Abbey lands restored by Q. Mary 1559.1560 Abbey of Bangor 119. Abbeis and Monasteries in England infinite built by Saxone Kings 133. Abbeis dissolued by Cromwell 1179.1180 Abbey of Couentry built 165. Abbey of Ely 133. Abbey of Gloucester built ibid. Abbey of Knouesburgh others built ibid. Abbeis and religious houses built for what causes 1180. Abbot of Carilocus his sodain and dreadfull death 2106. Abbot of Glastenbury 150. Abbots not instituted by Christ. 680. Abbot Capellensis cruelly handled for the Gospell 873. Abbot of Peterborow thrust out of the Court of Rome for denying the Popes kinsman a benefice 287. Abbot of Abbingdon amerced by the Pope in 50. markes for denying a benefice to an Italian 291. Abbot of S. Albones sueth to the Pope ibid. Abbot of Westminster more conformable to yeld and submit him selfe to the doctrine of the Protestants then the rest of the Papists in the disputation at Westminster 2125 Abdias authoritie suspected 35. Abiurers names in a table 1040.1041.1042.1277.1401 Abiuration of good men of Leicester .506 their penance ibid. Abiuration in the diocesse of
Gospell 1542. Causes temporall brought into the spirituall Court for mony .861 Causes of the destruction of the britaynes 114. Causes 13. of aduauncing the sea of Rome 18. Causes of our fall distincted 22. Cauell Martyr his story and martirdome 1895.1896 C. E. Cecilia a godly woman martyr 58. Celulphus king of Northumberland 127. Celulphus a king made a monke 127. Celestinus Pope his creation and death 313. crowned the Emperour Henricus with his feete 784. Celebration of the sonday 53. Censing of the sacrament 1404. Cerinthus the hereticke shunned of Iohn the Euangelist 36. Ceremonyes why inuented .1494 diuersly vsed in the primitiue Churche caused no breache of charitie being estemed as thyngs of small waight 44. Ceremonies in outward thinges little or nothing esteemed of in the primatiue Church 44. Ceremonies falsely ascribed to Pistus inuention 314. Cesar moueth the senators of Rome to receaue the fayth of Christ. 30. C H. Chadsey doctor his mutabilitie and wauering inconstancie 2102. Champbell Frier his end 2103. Charles the great his letter to Offa 131. Charles the 5. elected Emperour 847 Charles Duke of Burgoine slaine 723. Charles Brandon 729. Charles Ioseph a bloudy villayne murtherer of Richard Hunne 809. Chaucer his treatise against the friers intituled Iack Upland 261.262.263.264.266 Chaucer his bookes and rare commendations 839. Chalice of gold enacted by the councell of Tibur and Rhenes 57 Chalices of glasse 1404 Chapters of the Bible first distincted by Stephen Laughton 272. Charterhouse monkes their originall .185 they enter the Realme of England 233 Charterhouse churchyard made 387. Chastitie not to be vrged vpon any weake brother 53 Chase Martyr his cruell and extreme handlyng .774 murthered in prison 775 Chamberlaine Martyr his story 1601.1602.1603.1604 Chapman Martyr his story and martyrdome 1036 Champion sent to Calis to preach 1224 Chelingdone Archb. of Cant. 336. Cheremon bishop maried a wyfe was martyred 62. Chester a place of learnyng .143 repayred and enlarged 147. ChildreÌ„ compelled to set fire to their parents 585.838 Child his confession agaynst Idolatry .89 with his martyrdome for the same ibid. Children of priests made legitimate 1176. Children departing without Baptisme are not condemned .1613.492 their estate in so dying 1587 1995.1996 Child of Iohn Fetties scourged to death by Boner 2055.2056 Children two crucified by the Iews 233. Children of Merindoll their godly education and bringyng vp 940.950 Childe crucified of the Iewes in Lincolne 327 Child of Queene Mary 1597 Children of christen parentes why receiued to Baptisme 1842 Children martyrs 64 Children of King Edward the elder 147 Childbed of Queen Mary pretensed 1596 Childericus the French king deposed and Pipinus intruded 129 Chichester persecuted by the Papists 2024. Chitâ—enden with his felowes famished in prison in Cant. for the gospell 1954.1955 Christes words in callyng Peter a rocke expounded Thre things to be noted in them 1. Christe refused of the Senate of Rome and why 30. they are plaged for their refusing of him ibi Christ whether a begger or not 717. Christ a seruaunt vppon earth the Pope a Lord. 404. Christes church 101. Christ of the priest and bakers makyng 1652. Christian man defined after the popes mynd and doctrine 29. Christs death and the benefits therof 16 Christians ouerthrowen in Egypt and slaine 300 Christians in Calabria kylled lyke Calues 942. Christians in Shrewsbury 532 Christians certaine that fainted 46 Christians may go to law one with another and sinne not 1000 Christ the obiect of our fayth 22 Christians of the primitiue Church caried God in their hartes .51 they are falsly accused and slaundered .48 condemned to the mettals 66 Christians falsly slandered 54 Christenmas his trouble and deliuerance 2071. Christening of bels 159.1405 Christopher Browne Martyr his story and martyrdome 2053 Christopher Parker hys death 2112 Christopher Landsdale Courtier his fearefull and terrible ende 2104.2105 Christes body present to the fayth of the receiuer 1614.1616 Christopher Shomaker Martyr his story and martyrdome 819. Christopher Ward martyr his story .1678 hys articles answeres condemnation and martyrdome 1678.1679 Christian George martyr his story 2037. Christopherson elected Byshop of Chichester 1956. Christopher Lister his story and martyrdome 1909. Christopherus 1. Pope 146. Church of God increaseth by persecution 38. Churche of the East and of Rome differ about Easter day 44. Church of Winchester built 133. Church of Lincolne built 133. Church of Rome how it came vpp by degrees 2. Church deuided into 5. diuersities of tâ—â—es 1. Church visible what 30. Churche of Christ deuided into 2. sortes of people 30. Church of Rome considered in 4. thinges title lyfe iurisdiction doctrine 1. Church of Rome with her corruptions described 2. Church militant of 3. partes 611. Churche of Rome persecuteth the catholicke church of Christ. 24. Church not builded vpon Peter 1758. Churche not tyed to any particular place 1760. Church before Christes comming and church after Christes comming all one 1766. Churche of Rome reuolting from the apostolicall truth hath set vp an other Religion .1775 neuer was vniuersall 1801. Church defined .1824 both visible and inuisible ibid. Church of WinchcoÌ„b built by Kenulphus 130. Churche of the Iewes a figure of the Church of Rome sueth to the Church of Antioche to yeld vnto her 96. Churche of England gouerned by the Popes Canons 97. Churche of the Grecians and Latines wherein they differ 187. Churche of London suspended for not ringing at the Byshops coÌ„ming 555. Church new of the Popes making 1287. Church of Rome examined .1601 conuict of manifest idolatry ibi Churche of Christe howe visible .1613 howe to be knowne ibid. col 2. euer visible .1616 not tyed to tyme or place 1622. Church of Rome how commended and why of the fathers 2. Church of Rome reuolted from the Church of Rome 3. Church of Rome distincted 2.3 Churche of Rome erreth in three poyntes in her iurisdiction 5. Church aboue the Apostles 14. Church of Christ how to be gouerned 19. Church of Miâ—â—ayne first brought vnder the church of Rome 168. Churche of Rome hathe declined from the Churche of Rome not wâ— 3. Church of Rome her practises to get money infinite but specially 15. 3.4 Church of Rome and the vniuersall church two diuers thinges 1287. Churche of Rome not vniuersall but equiuoce onely 2. Churche of Rome hath lost the liquor wherewith shee was first seasoned 20. Churche of Rome degenerate to newe paganisme 23. Church of Rome in wordes catholicke in deedes hethenish 24. Church of Rome and of the Pharisies compared together 24. Church of Rome degenerate from the image of the true Churche 281.1800 Church of Rome proued not to be catholicke 284. Church where it is and in whome it consisteth 417. Church of two sortes 533. Church goodes expended 557. Church hath no power ouer the scriptures .726 knowne by the scriptures onely 1617. Chusing of the Popes in coÌ„claues 595. C I. Cicelie Ormes Martyr her story and martyrdome 2023 Cities townes and castles built repaired 147. Cities
maiesticall maner therof 750 R O. Robert De Artois a noble man of France exciteth king Edward the 3. to make claym to the kingdome of Fraunce 376. Robert Brakenbery true to hys Prince 728. Robert Braybroke byshop of LoÌ„don 443. Robert Bacon a bloudy and cruelâ— enemy to the Sayntes of Godâ— 1912. Robert Barnes hys story 1192. Robert Cosin Martyr hys story 818. Robert Chapell his trouble and persecution .641 abiured ibid. Robert Dynes Martyr his story and Martyrdome 2042. Robert Drakes hys story .1895 hys examination and death 1896.1897.1898 Robert Edgore hys death 2103.2104 Robert Farrar of London a sore enemy filthy talker by the good Lady Elizabeth 2097. Robert Grosthead made Byshop of Lincolne 279. Roberts Gentlewoman her trouble and deliueraunce 2073. Robert Grosthead Byshoppe of Lincolne his coÌ„mendatioÌ„ books trouble and death .325 hys articles agaynst the Pope 325. Robert Glouer Martyr and his Brother theyr trouble persecution and death 1709.1710.1711 1712.1713 Robertus Gallus his Prophesies agaynst the Pope 322 Robert Harrison Martyr 1277 Robert Kyng Robert Debnam hanged for takynge downe the Roode of Douer Courte 1031 Robert Kylwarby Archbyshoppe of Caunterbury 336 Robert Lambe with other moe Martyrs 1267 Robert Lawson Roger Bernard Martyrs theyr Storyes 1917 1918.1919 Robert Miles aliâs PluÌ„mer martyr his story 2047 Robert Milles Martyr his story and martyrdome 2042 Robert Packington murthered 1130 Robert Parson of Heggeley hys examination and aunsweres 641 Robert Pigot Martyr his Story examination and constaunt martyrdome 1715.1716 Robert Smith Martyr .1689 his examinations and answeres .1691.1692.1693.1694 his Godly Letters to diuers of hys Frendes 1696.1698.1699.1700.1701.1702 Robert Samuell Martyr his story and death .1703.1604 hys letters 1705.1706 Robert Twing spoyled of his benefice by the Papistes 276 Robert Streater Martyr 1708 Robert Southam Martyr his story martyrdome 2037.2038 2039 Robert Williams scourged 2062 Roger Acton knight why executed as a traytor 587 Roger Byshop of London excommunicated the Popes Usurers 278 Roger Clarke Martyr his Story and Martyrdome 1231.1232 Roger Holland Martyr .2037.2038.2039 his examination and aunsweares .2039.2040 his death and martyrdome 2039 2042 Roger Mortimer earle of Marsh executed 376 Roger Cooe his examination condemnatioÌ„ and martyrdome 1707 1708 Rogers burned in Northfolke 1241 Roger Onley proued not guilty of treason 703 Rogers his story and martyrdome 1484. his examinations and answeares .1485.1486 hys condemnation .1488 his admonition to the Byshoppes out of prison .1489.1490 his Propheticall sayinges .1492 hys constaunt martyrdome for the truth 1493 Rockewood Persecutor hys death 2101 Rood of Paules in London set vp with Te Deum solemnly song 1472 Roode sette vppe in Lankeshyre 1474 Rhodes besieged .744 and wonne of the Turkes 748 Rodolphe Archbishop of Caunterbury 198 Rogation dayes in olde time without superstition 128 Rochester besieged of the Barons 332 Rome why aduaunced aboue other Cittyes .18 sacked destroyed 987 Rome full of all abhominations .697 not the Catholicke Church and why 1803 Rome not supreame head ouer other Churches 1759 Rome described in her Colours 322 Rome how it beganne to take head ouer other Churches 120 Rome proued to be Babilon .478 Antichristes neast 562 Romaynes punished by their owne Emperours for contemningâ— Christ and his true Religion 31. Romaynes olde theyr fayth 20 Romanes 23. brought into England to be beneficed 287 Romanus his lamentable history death 89 90 Romeshot confirmed by Canutus 163 Romish prelats displaced by queene Elizabeth and good Bishoppes placed in theyr stead 2125 Rowland Taylour Doctour and Martyr his life and story .1518 cited .1519 appeareth before Winchester theyr conference together .1520 depriued of his benefice 1521 Rounde Table built in Windsour 384 Rough Martyr his story and martyrdome 2028.2031.2034 Rollo a Dane first Duke of Normandy 141 Roper Martyr his story persecution and death 1794 Rochtailada Martyr his Story 391 Rose his trouble for the Gospell .2082 his examinations .2083.2084.2085 his deliuery 2086.2087 Rose Allin her story .2005 her hand burned by Edmund Tyrill 2006 2007 Rose Minister with 30. godly persons taken in Bowchurch at the Communion 1480 Rota an Office in the Courte of Rome full of all abhomination 857 Roy burned in Portingall for the Gospell 1398.1027 Roth Martyr his story and martyrdome 2013.2014.2015.2016.2017.2018.2019 R V. Rubricke of the 5. woundes after the Papistes 1398 S A. SAbinus publisheth the Emperors decree 82 Sabinianus Bishop of Rome 120 Sabina Martyr his story 4 Sacrament called breade of Saynt Paule of the Chanon of the masse it selfe and of the fathers 534 Sacrament defined .1183 why called the body of Christ. 1392 Sacrament of the Lordes bodye called breade of Saynt Cyprian 62 Sacrament hath two thinges in it to be noted 500 Sacrament is not to be considered in nature but what it is in mistery 1432 Sacrament in one kind contrary to the worde of God practise of the primitiue Church and Fathers in all ages 1150.1151 Sacramentall mutation in the Lordes Supper what and howe 1761 Sacrament hath both commaundement and promise annexed 1611 Sacramentes are confirmations of Gods grace towards his people 1707 Sacrament made an Idoll by the Papistes 28 Sacramentes take theyr names of those thinges whiche they represent .1129 not Christes body in deede but in representation onely 1130 Sacramentes without theyr vse are no Sacramentes .1809.1815 ministred in one kinde by the papistes .1820.1821 abused ibid. oughte to bee ministred in bothe kindes and not in one as the papistes do 1890 Sacrament neither chaunged in substaunce nor accidence .1380 they are seales of Gods grace towardes vs. 1431 Sacrament of the Aultar no Sacrament 1977 Sacrament of the aultar ouerthroweth the Lordes supper 1626 Sacramente of the Aultare who brought in 544 Sacrament of Penance 544 Sacrifice of Christ once offered sufficient for all 1432 Sacrifice propiciatory of the masse is derogatory to Christes death and passion 1761 Sacrifice of the Church and Sacrifice for the Church 1615 Sacrifice of Christ not many tymes offered but once for all 484 Sadoletus Cardinall his desperate death 2106 Safe conducte graunted to Iohn Hus. 596 Sagaris Martyr 4 Saladine slayeth Christian Captaynes and is put to flight hymselfe 245.246 Salisbury the first Byshop therof 183 Sanctus his notable constancy and cruell martyrdome 46 All Sayntes day first instituted with the day of all soules 137 Sayntes not to be called vppon or prayed vnto 1108.1109 Sayntes are not to be worshipped 1741 Sayntes of the Popes Traytors 579 Saynt Stephen the Ringleader of all Christes holy Martyrs 32 Saynt Iohns Gospell translated into English by Beede 127 Saynt Iohn of Beuerleyes miracles reproued 125 Saynt Iames the Apostle Martyred 32 Saynt Edmond Chanon of Salisbury Canonized a Saynt 270 San Romayne his story and constant martyrdome for the trueth 928.929.930 Saynt Peters body clothed in siluer in Rome 130 Saynt Martin persecuted 955 Saynt Bridget 419 Saynt Elizabeth her Story 273.268 San Beneâ—o 931 Sarton burned at Bristow for the truth of Christes Gospell 2149 Saunders his life and
worshipping of God suche as God requireth of his that is in spirite and truth can neuer agree together But ye wil say where so great a company is gathered together it is not credible but there be two or three gathered in the name of Christ. I aunswere if there be one hundred good and two hundreth bad forasmuch as the decrees and ordinaunces are pronoūced according to the greater number of the multitude of voyces what can the lesse number of voyces auayle It is a knowen thing and a common prouerbe Oftentimes the greater part ouercommeth the better As touchyng general councels at this present I haue no more to say then you haue sayd Onely I referre you to your owne experience to thinke of our country parliamentes and conuocations howe and what ye haue seene and heard The more part in my tyme did bryng forth sixe articles for then the king would so haue it being seduced of certayne Afterward the more part did repell the same our good Iosias willing to haue it so The same articles now agayne alas another great but woorse parte hath restored O what an vncertaynty is thys But after thys sorte most commonly are mans proceedings God be mercifull vnto vs. Who shall deliuer vs from such tormentes of minde Therefore is death the best phisition but vnto the faythfull whome she together and at once deliuereth from all griefes You must thinke this written vpon this occasion because you woulde needes haue youre paper blotted If the matter should goe thus that in generall counsailes men shoulde not stand to the more number of the multitude I meane of them whiche ought to geue voyces then should no certaine rule be left vnto the Church by the which controuersies in weighty matters might be determined but it is not to be beleued that Christ woulde leaue his Church destitute of so necessary a helpe and safegarde Christ who is the most louing spouse of his espouse the church who also gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctify it vnto himselfe did geue vnto it aboundantly all things which are necessary to saluation but yet so that the church should declare it selfe obedient vnto hym in all things and keepe it selfe within the boundes of hys commaundemēts and further not to seeke any thing which he teacheth not as necessary vnto saluation Now further for determination of all controuersies in Christes Religion Christ him selfe hath left vnto the Church not onely Moses and the Prophetes whom he willeth his Church in al doubtes to go vnto and aske counsell at but also the Gospelles and the rest of the bodye of the newe testament in the whiche what soeuer is heard of Moses and the Prophetes and whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne vnto saluation is reuealed and opened So that now we haue no neede to say who shal clyme into heauen or who shall goe downe into the depth to tel vs what is needefull to bee done Christe hath done both and hath commended vnto vs the word of fayth whiche also is aboundantly declared vnto vs in his word written so that hereafter if we walke earnestly in this way to the searching out of the truth it is not to be doubted but thorough the certayne benefite of Christes spirite whiche hee hath promised vnto his wee may finde it and obtayne euerlasting life Shoulde men aske counsell of the dead for the liuing sayth Esay Let them go rather to the law and to the testimony c. Christ sendeth them that be desirous to know the truth vnto the scriptures saying searche the scriptures I remember a like thing well spoken of Hierome Ignoraunce of the scriptures is the mother and cause of all errours And in an other place as I remember in the same author The knowledge of the scriptures is the foode of euerlasting life But nowe me thinketh I enter into a very broad sea in that I begin to shew either out of the scriptures themselues or out of the ancient writers how muche the holy scripture is of force to teache the truth of our religiō But this is it that I am now about that Christ would haue the church his spouse in al doubts to aske counsell at the word of his father written faythfully left and commended vnto it in both Testaments the olde and the new Neither doe we read that Christ in anye place hath layde so great a burthen vppon the members of his spouse that he hath commaunded them to go to the vniuersall Churche What soeuer things are written saith Paule are written for our learning And it is true that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepheardes and teachers to the edifying of the sayntes till we come all to the vnity of fayth c. But that all men should meete together out of all partes of the world to define of the articles of our fayth I neither finde it commaunded of Christe nor written in the word of God There is diuersitie betwixt things pertayning to god or fayth and politicke and ciuill matters For in the first we must stand onely to the scriptures whiche are able to make vs all perfect and instructed vnto saluation if they be well vnderstāded And they offer themselues to be well vnderstanded onely to them which haue good willes and geue themselues to study and prayer Neither are there any men lesse apte to vnderstand them then the prudent wise men of the world But in the other that is in ciuil or politicke matters oftentimes the magistrates do tolerate a lesse euil for auoyding of a greater as they whiche haue this saying oft in their mouthes Better an inconuenience then a mischiefe And it is the property of a wise man saith one to dissemble many thinges and he that cannot dissēble cannot rule In whiche sayinges they bewray themselues that they do not earnestly weigh what is iust what is not Wherefore forasmuch as mans lawes if it be but in this respect onely that they be deuised by men are not able to bring any thing to perfectiō but are inforced of necessitie to suffer many thinges out of square and are compelled sometime to wincke at the worst things seeing they know not how to mayntayne the common peace and quiet otherwise they do ordayne that the more part shal take place You know what these kindes of speaches meane I speake after the maner of men yea walke after the maner of men al men are lyers And that of S. Augustine if ye lyue after mans reason yee do not lyue after the wyll of God If ye say the councels haue sometime erred or may erre how then should we beleue the catholicke Church For the councels are gathered by the authoritie of the Catholicke Churche From may be to be in deed is no good argument but from being to may be no man doubteth but it is a moste sure argument But
and minde to confesse that Christ is the sonne of God Whosoeuer beleueth not this Chryst is not in hym and hee cannot haue the marke of Chryste printed in his forehead whiche confesseth not that Chryst is the sonne of God Therefore Christ sayd vnto Peter that vpon this rock that is vpon this his confession that he was Christe the sonne of God he woulde builde hys Churche to declare that without this fayth no man can come to Christe so that this beliefe that Christ is the sonne of God is the foundation of our christianitie and the foundation of the church Here you see vpon what foundation Christes Churche is built not vpon the frailtie of man but vppon the stable and infallible word of God Now as touching the lineall discent of the Bishoppes in the Sea of Rome true it is that the Patriarkes of Rome in the Apostles time and long after was a great maintayner and a setter forth of Christes glory in the which aboue all other countryes and regyons there especiallye was preached the true Gospell the sacraments wer most duely ministred and as before Christes comming it was a Cittye so valiaunt in prowesse and marshall affayres that all the worlde was in a manner subiect to it and after Christes passion and diuers of the Apostles there suffered persecution for the Gospelles sake so after that the Emperours theyr hartes being illuminated receiued the gospell and became Christians the Gospell there as wel for the great power and dominion as for the fame of the place flourished most whereby the Byshops of the place wer had in more reuerence and honour most esteemed in all counsayles and assemblies not because they acknowledged them to be their head but because the place was moste reuerenced and spoken of for the great power and strength of the same As now here in England the Bishop of Lincolne in Sessions and sittinges hath the preheminence of the other Byshoppes not that he is the head and ruler of them but for the dignitie of the Byshoppricke and therwith the people smiled Wherefore the Doctours in theyr writinges haue spoken moste reuerently of this Sea of Rome and in their writinges preferred it and this is the prerogatiue which your Lordshippe did rehearse the ancient Doctours to geue to the sea of Rome Semblably I cannot nor dare not but commend reuerence and honour the sea of Rome as longe as it continued in the promotion and setting forth of Gods glory and in due preaching of the Gospell as it did many yeres after Christ. But after that the Byshoppes of that Sea seeking their owne pride and not Gods honour began to set them selues aboue kings and Emperours challenging to them the title of Goddes Uicares the Domynion and Supremacye ouer all the worlde I cannot but with saynct Gregory a Byshoppe of Rome also confesse that the Byshoppe of that place is the very true Antichrist whereof saynct Iohn speaketh by the name of the whore of Babilon and say with the sayd sainct Gregory he that maketh himselfe a Byshop ouer all the worlde is worse then Antichrist Now where as you say that saynct Augustine should seeme not onely to geue such a prerogatiue but also a supremacye to the sea of Rome in that he sayth all the chrystian world is subiect to the Churche of Rome and there fore shoulde geue to that Sea a certayne kinde of subiection I am sure that your Lordship knoweth that in saynt Austines time there were foure Patriarckes of Alexandria Constantinople Antioche and Rome whiche Patriarckes had vnder them certayn Countryes as in England the Archbyshop of Caunterbury hath vnder him diuers Byshoprickes in Englande and Wales to whome he may be sayde to be theyr Patriarcke Also youre Lordship knoweth right well that at what time sainct Austine wrote this booke he was then Bishop in Africa Farther you are not ignoraunt that betweene Europe and Africa lyeth the sea called Mare mediterraneum so that al the countryes in Europe to him which is in Africa may be called transmarine countryes beyond the sea Here of S. Austen sayth Totus orbis Christianus in transmarinis longe remotis terris ecclesiae Romanae subiectus est That is all the Chrystian Countryes beyonde the seas and farre Regions are subiect to the sea of Rome If I shoulde saye all Countryes beyonde the sea I doe except Englande whiche to me nowe beyng in Englande is not beyonde the sea In this sense saynct Austine sayth all the Countryes beyond the sea are subiecte to the sea of Rome declarynge thereby that Rome was one of the seas of the foure Patriarckes and vnder it Europe by what subiection I praye you onely for a preeminence as we here in England say that all the Byshoprickes in England are subiect to the archbishopricke of Caunterbury and Yorke For this preeminence also the other Doctours as you recited saye that Rome is the mother of Churches as the Bishopricke of Lincolne is mother to the Bishoprick of Oxforde because the Bishopricke of Oxford came from the Byshopricke of Lincolne and they were bothe once one and so is the Archbyshopricke of Canterbury mother to the other Byshopricks which are in her prouince In like sorte the Archbishopricke of Yorke is mother to the Northbishoprickes and yet no mā will say that Lincolne Caunterburye or Yorke is supreme head to other Byshoprickes neyther then ought wee to confesse the sea of Rome to be supreme head because the Doctours in their writinges confesse the sea of Rome to be mother of Churches Nowe where you say I was once of the same Religion whiche you are of the trueth is I cannot but confesse the same Yet so was saynct Paule a persecutoure of Christe But in that you saye that I was one of you not long agone in that I doyng my message to my Lorde of Winchester shoulde desire him to stande stoughte in that grosse opinion of the Supper of the Lorde in very deed I was sent as your Lordship sayd from the Counsayle to my Lord of Winchester to exhort hym to receyue also the true confession of Iustification and because hee was very refractorious I sayde to hym why my Lord what make you so great a matter herein You see many Anabaptists rise agaynst the sacrament of the aultar I praye you my Lorde be dilligent in confounding them for at that tyme my Lord of Winchester and I had to do wyth two Anabaptistes of Kente In this sense I willed my Lorde to be stiffe in the defence of the sacrament agaynst the detestable erroures of Anabaptistes and not in the confirmation of that grosse and carnall opinion nowe mayntayned In like sorte as touching the sermon whiche I made at Paules Crosse you shall vnderstande that there were at Paules and dyuers other places fixed rayling billes agaynst the sacramente termynge it Iacke of the boxe the sacramente of the halter round Robin with like vnseemely termes
Article and required an aunswere and M. Ridley referred him to his aunswere in wryting exhybited now and also before at the time of disputation and like aunsweres were taken to all the residue of the Articles These aunsweres in maner rehearsed taken and penned of the Notaries the Byshop of Glocester began an exhortation to moue M. Ridley to turne Glo. If you would once empty your stomacke captiuate your senses subdue your reason and to gether with vs consider what a feeble ground of your religion you haue I doe not doubt but you might easely be perduced to acknowledge one Churche with vs to confesse one fayth with vs and to beleue one religion with vs. For what a weake and feeble stay in religion is this I pray you Latimer leaneth to Cranmer Cranmer to Ridley Ridley to the singularitie of his owne witte so that if you ouerthrowe the singularitie of Ridleyes wit then must needes the Religion of Cranmer and Latimer fall also You remember well M. Ridley that the Prophet speaketh most truely saying vae vae wo wo be to them which are singular and wise in their owne conceytes But you wyll saye here it is true that the Prophete sayth but how know you that I am wyse in myne owne conceyte Yes Maister Ridley you refuse the determination of the Catholike Churche you muste needes bee singular and wyse in your owne conceyte for you bryng Scripture for the probation of your assertions and wee also bryng Scriptures you vnderstande them in one sense and wee in an other Howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne interpretation then you are singular in your owne conceyte but if you say you wyll followe the myndes of the Doctors and auncient Fathers semblably you vnderstande them in one meanyng and wee take them in another howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne iudgement then are you singular in your owne conceyte then can you not auoyde the vae and woe which the Prophete speaketh of Wherfore if you haue no stay but the Catholike church in matters of controuersie except you wyll rest vpon the singularitie and wysedome of your owne brayne if the Prophet most truely sayth vae vae wo wo be to them that are wyse in their owne conceite then for Gods loue M. Ridley stand not singular be not you wyse in your owne conceite please not your selfe ouermuch Howe were the Arrians the Manicheis the FutichiaÌ„s with other diuers Heretickes which haue bene in the Church how I pray you were they suppressed and conuinced by reasonyng in disputations No truly the Arrians had mo places of Scriptures for the confirmation of their heresie then the Catholickes for the defence of the trueth Howe then were they conuinced onely by the termination of the Church And in deede except we do constitute the Churche our foundation stay and iudge we can haue no ende of controuersies no ende of disputations For in that we all bryng Scriptures and Doctors for the probation of our assertions who shoulde be Iudge of this our controuersie If we our selues then be we singular and wise in our owne conceites then can not we auoyde the woe that the Prophet speaketh of It remayneth therefore that we submitte our selues to the determination and arbitrement of the Churche with whom God promised to remayne to the worldes ende to whom he promised to sende the holy Ghost which shoulde teache it the trueth Wherefore M. Ridley if you will auoyd the wo that the prophet speaketh of be not you wyse in your iudgement if you wyll not be wyse and singular in your owne iudgement captiuate your owne vnderstanding subdue your reason and submit your selfe to the determination of the Church This is briefly the summe of the Oration of the Byshop of Glocester by the which he endeuored in many mo woordes amplyfiyng and enlargyng the matter eloquently with sundry poyntes of Rethoricke to moue affections to perswade Maister Ridley to recant and forsake his Religion To whom M. Ridley aunswered in few wordes that he sayd most truly with the Prophet wo be to him which is wyse in his owe conceite but that he acknowledged no suche singularitie in hym ne knewe any cause why he shoulde attribute so muche to him selfe And where as he sayde Maister Cranmer leaned to hym that was moste vntrue in that he was but a young Scholer in comparison of Maister Cranmer for at what tyme he was a young Scholer then Maister Cranmer a Doctor so that he conâ—essed that M. Cranmer might haue ben his Scholemaister these many yeares It seemed that he woulde haue spoken more but the Bishop of Glocester interrupted hym saying Glo. Why M. Ridley it is your owne confession for M. Latimer at the time of his disputations confessed his learnyng to lye in M. Cranmers bookes and M. Cranmer also sayd that it was your doyng Linc. Likewyse the Byshoppe of Lincolne with many woordes and gentle holding his Cappe in hand desyred him to turne But M. Ridley made an absolute aunswere that he was fully perswaded the Religion whiche he defended to be grounded vpon Gods worde and therefore without great offence towardes God great peryll and damage of his soule he coulde not forsake his Maister and Lorde God but desired the Byshop to performe his graunt in that his Lordshyp sayde the day before that he shoulde haue licence to shewe his cause why he coulde not with a salfe conscience admitte the authoritye of the Pope but the Byshop of Lincolne sayde that where as then he had demaunded licence to speake three woordes he was contented then that he shoulde speake .xl. and that graunt he would performe Then stepped forth D. Weston which sate by and sayd why my Lord he hath spoken foure hundred already M. Ridley confessed he had but they were not of his prescribed number neither of that matter The Bishop of Lincolne bad him take his licence but he shoulde speake but .xl. and he would tell them vpon his fingers and eftsoones M. Ridley began to speake but before he had ended halfe a sentence the Doctours sittyng by cryed and sayd that his number was out and with that he was put to silence After this the Bishop of Lincolne which sat in the middes began to speake as foloweth Linc. Now I perceiue M. Ridley you will not permit ne suffer vs to stay in that point of our Commission which we most desired for I ensure you there is neuer a worde in our Commission more true then dolentes gementes For in deede I for my part I take God to witnesse am sory for you Whereunto M. Ridley aunswered Rid. I beleue it well my Lord for as much as one day it will be burdenous to your soule Linc. Nay not so M. Ridley but because I am sory to see suche stubbornesse in you that by no meanes you may be perswaded to acknowledge your errours and receiue
to be euill and euill good lyght to be darknesse and darknesse lyght superstition to be true religion and Idolatry to be the true worship of God and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wyne to bee none other substaunce but onelye the substaunce of Christ the liuyng Lord both God and man And with this their falshoode craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in Courte and in Towne and feare neyther hangyng nor headyng as the poore theeues of the borders doe but stout and strong lyke Nembroth dare condemne to bee burned in flamyng fire quicke and alyue whosoeuer wil go about to bewray their falshood The kynd of fight against these Churchrobbers is also of another sort and kynd then is that which is agaynst the theeues of the borders For there the true men go forth agaynst them with speare and launce with bow and hyll and all such kynd of bodily weapons as the true mē haue but here as the enemies be of another nature so the watch men of Christes flocke the warrioures that fight in the Lordes warre must be armed fight with another kynd of weapons and armour For here the enemies of GOD the souldiours of Antichrist although the battaile is set foorth agaynst the Church by mortall men beyng flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of their father the deuill yet for that their graund maister is the power of darknesse their members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirits of errors of heresies of all deceit and vngodlinesse spirits of Idolatry superstition hypocrisy which are called of S. Paule Principates and powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darkenes of this world spirituall subtleties concernyng heauenly thyngs and therfore our weapons must be fitte and meete to fight agaynst such not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare launce but spirituall and heauenly we must fight agaynst suche with the armour of God not entendyng to kill their bodies but their erroures their false craft and heresies their idolatry superstition and hypocrisie and to saue as much as lyeth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as s. Paul teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloud that is we fight not with bodily weapon to kil the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errors vice to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faith hope charitie righteousnes truth patience prayer vnto God our sword wherwith we smite our enemies we beat and batter and beare downe all falshood is the worde of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight euer hauing our eye vpon our graund maister Duke and captaine Christ then we reckon our selues to triumphe to win the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduryng in this battail without any shrinking or yeldyng to the enemies after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our maister after the example of his holy prophets Apostles Martyrs when I say we are slaine in our mortal bodies of our enemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a many of sheepe And the more cruell the more painful the more vile spiteful is the kind of the death whereunto we bee put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdome to be And thus much dere louers friends in God my coūtreyman kinsfolke I haue spoken for your comfort lest of my death of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie pleasures commodities ye might be abashed or thinke any euill wheras ye haue rather cause to reioyce if ye loue me in deed for that it hath pleased God to cal me to a greater honor and dignitie thē euer I did enioy before eyther in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected named yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to dye in hys cause whereof I nothing doubt then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honor that can be geuen to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods to be Christes quarel of his Gospell to be the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kyngdome of heauen who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods worde and the testimony of hys owne conscience as I thorough the infinite goodnesse of GOD not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my selfe to doe who is hee I saye that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth GOD in deed and in truth loueth and beleeueth his maister Christ and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhoode the chosen children of God and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting lyfe who is he I say agayne that would not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be content to die The Lord forbidde that any such should bee that should forsake this grace of God I trust in my Lord God the GOD of mercies the Father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mynd will affection by his holy spirit in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance yea and of my lyfe too then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me ayde mee and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the end and to the yeldyng vp of my spirit soule into hys holy hands whereof I most hartily beseech his most holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countriemen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lend me lyfe and geueth me laisure I will bid my other good friends in God of other places also farewell And whom first or before other then the Uniuersitie of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer found more faithfull and hartie friendes receyued more benefits the benefits of my naturall parents onely excepted then euer I did euen in myne own natiue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambridge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I should not acknowled thy manifold benefits yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee agayne truly I were to be counted to vngrate vnkynde What benefites hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vppon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest too good for me Thou didst bestowe on mee all thy schoole degrees of thy common offices the Chaplaynship of the vniuersitie the office of the Proctorship of a common Reader of thy priuate commodities emoluments in colledges what was it that
varietie of deuises in dwelling manye sondrye orders and fashions in moouing of the body These things were first ordained to admonishe them to their duetie to GOD to laboure for the necessitie of the poore and to spare from their owne bellies to the poore and therefore was their fare ordained and prepared And because they abused these thynges and sette them in an hygher place then they ought to doe not taking monition thereby the better to serue God but esteeming perfection to consist in them they were dissolued theyr houses and garmentes were taken away But one thing king Henrie woulde not take away that was the vowe of chastitie The vowe of obedience hee conuerted to hym selfe the vowe of chastitie he willeth still to remaine with them We had many Images whereto Pilgrimages were done and many tombes that menne vsed to visite by reason whereof they fell in a fansie of Idolatry and superstition aboue the things that they might haue bene taken for and because they hadde not the vse that they were ordained for they were left When men put the Images in a higher place then they serued for thē were they taken cleane away as geue a childe a gaye booke to learne vppon and then if he gase vppon the gorgeousnesse of hys booke and learne not his lesson according to the intent that that boke was geuen for the booke is taken away from him agayne So the Images when menne deuised and fell to haue them in hygher place and estimation then they were first sette vp in the Churche for then they mighte be taken awaye and I was neuer of other minde nor neuer had other opinion of them Diuers things there be in the Churche which be in the libertie of the ruler to order as he seeth cause and he that is ruler may either let them stande or els may cause them to be taken away There be two manner of reformations We haue had of both sortes There be things in the Church the which if they be abused may not be taken away As for baptisme if it be abused there may not an other thyng be putte in the place of it but the thing must be refourmed and broughte to the righte vse againe Also preaching if it be abused may not be taken awaye but must be refourmed and broughte to the righte vse but there be other thynges vsed in the Churche in which the rulers haue libertye either to refourme them or to take them awaye And because it was an easier way to take them away then to bryng them to the right vse that they were ordained for they were all cleane taken awaye and so they might be Yea Sir will yee saye but yee haue maintained and defended them and haue preached against such persones as despised them It is truthe I haue preached againste the despisers of them and haue sayd that Images might be suffered and vsed in the Churche as laye mennes bookes yet I neuer otherwise defended them but to be vsed for suche purpose as they were first sette vppe in the Church for but now that menne be waxed wanton they are cleane taken away wherein our religion is no more touched then when bookes were taken awaye for abusing of them There was an order taken for bookes not to be vsed wherein some might haue sayde the bookes are good and I know how to vse them I maye therefore vse them well ynough I will therefore vse them thoughe they be forbidden but if thou haue anye charitie thou oughtest to be contented rather to haue them cleane taken away then to declare thy selfe to haue an other opinion then thou oughtest to haue As touching ceremonies I esteeme them all as Paule esteemeth them things indifferent where he sayth Regnum Dei non esca potus So of Ceremonies Neuerthelesse wee haue time place and number as a certaine number of Psalmes to be sayde at times whiche maye be vsed without superstition but these thinges must serue vs and not wee serue them Yet if an order be sette in them by suche as haue power we must follow it and we must obey the Rulers that appoynt such time place and number to be kept Yee maye not saye if the time will serue mee then I will come an houre after No Syr yee must keepe thys time and thys houre because it is so appoynted by the rulers not for the thinges but for the order that is sette I haue bene euer of thys opinion Wee had palmes and candels taken awaye which things may indifferentlye haue either of the two reformations aboue sayde When they were in place they shoulde haue putte menne in remembraunce of their duetie and deuotion towardes God but because they were abused they were and might be taken away But the religion of Christe is not in these exercises and therfore in takyng away of them the Religion of Christe is nothynge touched nor hindered But men must in suche thynges be conformable not for the ceremonie but for obedience sake Saint Paule sayth that we shoulde rebuke euerye brother that walketh inordinately I haue tolde you myne opinion and my conscience telleth mee that I haue spoken playnely that ye may knowe what I am and that ye maye not bee deceyued in mee nor be sclaundered in me nor make no further search to knowe my hart I like well the communion because it prouoketh men more and more to deuotion I like well the proclamation because it stoppeth the mouthes of all such as vnreuerently speake or raile agaynst the Sacrament I lyke well the rest of the Kynges Maiesties proceedinges concerning the Sacrament I haue now told you what I lyke But shall I speake nothing of that I mislyke ye will then say I speake not playnely I will therefore shew my conscience playnely I mislyke that Preachers whiche preache by the Kynges lycence and those Readers whiche by the Kynges permission and suffraunce doe reade open lectures doe openlye and blasphemously talke agaynst the Masse and agaynst the Sacrament And to whom may I lyken suche Readers and Preachers I may lyken them vnto Postes for the Prouerbe sayth that Postes do beare trueth in their letters and lyes in their mouthes and so doe they and to speake so agaynst the Sacramente it is the most marueylous matter that euer I sawe or heard of I woulde wysh therfore that there were a stay and an order in this behalfe that there myght be but one order or rule for as the Poet sayth I may vse the verse of a Poet well ynough for so doth Paul of the great Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And let no man of his owne head begin mattars nor goe before the king They call it going before the Kyng and such make them selues Kynges Well what mislyketh me els It mislyketh mee that Priestes and men that vowed chastity shoulde openly marry and auow it openly whiche is a thyng that since the beginnyng of the Churche hath not
I feele in my trouble and my cōscience is quiet and I haue the peace of mind which cannot be the fruites of heresy Worc. We will bid you farewell for this time Phil. AFter diner they called for me agayne and demaūded of me whether I meant as I spake before diner and not to go from it To whom I aunswered that I would not go from that I had sayd Worc. You sayd at my departing from you before dinner that if we did burne you we should burne a catholick mā Will you be a Catholicke man and stand to the catholicke Church Phil. I will stand to the true catholicke church Worc. Will you stand to the catholicke church of Rome Phil. If you can proue the same to be the catholicke church I will be one therof Worc. Did not Christ saye vnto Peter and to all hys successors of Rome Pasce oues meas pasce agnos meos Feed my sheepe feed my Lambes which doth signify that he gaue him a more authority then the rest Phil. That saying perteyneth nothing to the authority of Peter aboue others but declareth what Christ requireth of his beloued Apostles that they should with all diligence preache to the flocke of Christ the waye of saluation and that doeth the iteration of feeding spoken to Peter onelye signify But the Bishoppe of Rome litle regardeth thys spirituall feeding and therfore he hath imagined an easier way to make himselfe Lord of the whole world yea and of Gods word too and doth not feede Christes flock as Peter did Worc. How can you tell that Phil. Yes I haue bene there and I coulde not learne of all his countrymen what euer he preacheth Worc. Though hee preacheth not one waye he preacheth an other by procuring good order for the Churche to bee kept in Phil. I am sure that it will be his damnation before God that he leaueth that he is commaunded of Christ setteth forth his owne decrees to deface the Gospell Worc. It is the euill liuing that you haue seene at Rome that causeth you to haue this ill iudgemēt of the church of Rome I cannot tarry nowe with you to reason further of the matter How say you to the reall presence of the sacrament will you stand to that Phil. I do acknowledge as I haue sayd a reall presēce of the sacrament in the due administration therof to the worthy receiuers by the spirit of God Worc. You adde now a great many moe wordes then you did before and yet you say more of the Sacrament then a great many will do Thus they departed and after them came in to me D. Chadsey and D. Wright Archdeacon of Oxforde with a great many moe Chadsey Mayster Philpot here is mayster Archdeacon of Oxford come to you to geue you good counsell I pray you heare him Phil. I will refuse to heare none that will counsell me any good and if any can bring any matter better then I haue I will sticke therunto Wright I would wysh you Mayster Philpot to agree with the Catholique Churche and not to stande in your owne conceite you see a great many of learned mē against you Phil. I am Mayster Doctor of the vnfayned Catholicke Church and will liue and dye therin and if you can proue your church to be the true Catholicke church I wil be one of the same Wright I came not to dispute with you but to exhorte you Here be better learned then I that can enforme you better then I. Chad. What proofe woulde you haue I will prooue vnto you our church to haue his being and foūdatiō by the scriptures by the Apostles and by the primitiue church confirmed with the bloud of martyrs and the testimony of al Confessours Phil. Geue me your hand M. Doctor proue that haue with you Chadsey If I hadde my Bookes here I coulde soone prooue it I will goe fet some and with that he wente and fet his booke of Annotations saying I can not bring my Bookes well therefore I haue brought my booke of Annotations and turned there to a Common place of the Sacrament asking me whether the Catholicke Churche did not allow the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament or no I heare say you doe confesse a reall presence but I wil be hanged if you wil abide by it You will denie it by and by Phil. That I haue sayd I cannot deny neither intend not whatsoeuer ye say Chad. If there be a reall presence in the Sacrament then euill men receiue Christ which thing you wil not graunt I am sure Phil. I denye the Argument For I doe not graunte in the Sacrament by transubstantiatiō any reall presence as you falsly imagine but in the due administration to the worthy receiuers Chad. I will prooue that the euill and wicked men eate the body of Christ as well as the good men by Saynt Austine here Phil. And in the beginning of his Texte Sayncte Augustine seemeth to approoue his assertion but I bade hym reade out to the end and there saynt Austine declareth that it was quodam modo after a certayne maner the euill men receiued the body of Christ which is sacramentally onely in the vtter signes and not really or in deede as the good doth And thus all the Doctours that you seeme to bring in for your purpose be quite against you if you did rightly weigh them Chad. By God you are a subtle felow See how he would writhe S. Austines wordes Phil. See who of vs wrieth S. Augustine more you or I which take his meaning by his owne expresse words And seing you charge me of subtletye what subtletye is this of you to say that you will proue your matter of the churche euen from the beginning promising to shew your Bookes therin and when it commeth to the shewing you are able to shew none and for want of proofe slip into a bymatter yet faynt in the proofe thereof Afore God you are bare arst in all your religion Chad. You shal be cōstrained to come to vs at length whether you will or no. Phil. Holde that argument fast for it is the best you haue for you haue nothing but violence ¶ The thirtenth examination of Mayster Philpot before the Archbishop of Yorke and diuers other Bishops THe Thursday after I was called in the morning before the Archbishop of Yorke the Byshop of Chichester the Bishop of Bath and the Bishop of London The Byshop of Chichester being first come beganne to talke with me Chich. I am come of good will to talke with you to instruct you what I can to come to the Catholicke church to will you mistrust your owne iudgement to learn first to haue humility by the same to learne of others that be better learned then you as they did learne of such as were their betters before them Phil. We must all be taughte of God and I will with all humilitye learne of
there sayd is not yet sufficiently knowne either because M. Philpot was not himselfe suffered to write or els for that his writings are by some kept close and not brought forth otherwise thē as the bishops Register hath noted whose handling of such matters because it is either for feare or for fauor of his Lord and maister very slender litle light of any true right meaning can be gathered especially in the behalfe of the answerer Howbeit such as it is such thought I good to put forth requiring the reader to iudge hereof according to his aunsweres in his former examinations ¶ The last examinations of M. Philpot in open iudgement with his finall condemnation by Byshop Boner in the Consistory at Paules THe Bishop hauing sufficiently taken his pleasure with M. Philpot in his priuate talkes and seeing his zealous learned and immutable Constancy thought it now high time to rid his handes of him and therefore on the 13. and 14. dayes of December sitting iudicially in the Consistory at Paules he caused him to be brought thither before him and others as it seemeth more for orders sake thē for any good affection to iustice and right iudgement The effect aswell of which two sundry their procedinges as also of one other had the 11. day of the same month in his chappell appeare in a maner to be all one The Bishop therefore first speaking to Mayster Philpot sayd Lond. M. Philpot amongest other thinges that were laid and obiected vnto you these three thinges ye were especially charged and burdened withall The first is that you beyng fallen from the vnitye of Christes Catholicke Church do refuse and will not come and be reconciled thereunto The second is that you haue blasphemously spoken agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse calling it idolatry And the third is that you haue spoken agaynst the sacrament of the aultar denying the reall presence of Christes body and bloud to be in the same And according to the will and pleasure of the Synode legatiue ye haue bene oft many times by me inuited and required to go from your sayd errors and heresies and to returne to the vnity of the catholicke Church which if you wil now willingly do ye shal be mercifully gladly receiued charitably vsed and haue al the fauor I can shew you And now to tell you true it is assigned and appoynted to geue sentence agaynst you if you stande herein will not return Wherfore if ye so refuse I doe aske of you whether you haue any cause that you can shew why I shoulde not now geue sentence agaynst you Phil. Under protestatiō not to go from my appeale that I haue made and also not to consent to you as my cōpetent iudge I say touching your first obiection concerning the Catholick Church I neither was nor am out of the same And as touching the sacrifice of the Masse and the Sacrament of the aultar I neuer spake agaynst the same And as concerning the pleasure of the Sinode I say that these xx yeares I haue bene brought vp in the fayth of the true catholick church which is contrary to your church whervnto ye woulde haue me to come and in that time I haue bene many times sworne as wel in the reign of K. Henry the 8. as in the reigne of good King Edward his Sonne agaynst the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome which othe I thinke that I am bounde in my conscience to keepe quia teneor reddere Domino iuramentum But if you or any of the Synode can by Gods worde perswade me that my sayd othe was vnlawfull and that I am bound by Gods law to come to your church faith and religion wherof you be now I will gladly yeld agree and be conformable vnto you otherwise not Boner then not able with all his learned Doctours to accomplish this his offered condition fel to perswading of him as well by his accustomed vayne promises as also by blondye threatninges to returne to theyr Churche to the which he answered Phil. You and all other of your sorte are hypocrites and I would al the world did know your hypocrisy your tyranny ignoraunce and Idolatry Upon these wordes the Bishop did for that tyme dismisse him cōmaunding that on Monday the 16. day of the same moneth betwene the hours of one three in the after noone he shoulde agayne be brought thither there to haue the definitiue sentence of condēnation pronounced against him if he remayned then in his former constancy ¶ The last examination of Mayster Iohn Philpot. AT which day and time Mayster Philpot being there presented before the bishops of London Bath Worcester and Liechfield Boner Bishop of London began hys talke in this maner London My Lorde Stokesley my predecessour when he went about to geue sentence agaynst an hereticke vsed to make this prayer Deus qui errantibus vt in viam possint redire iustitiae veritatis tuae lumen ostendis da cunctis qui Christiana professione cēsentur illa respuere quae huic inimica sint nomini ea quae sint apta sectari per Christum dominum nostrum Amen Which I will folow And so he read it with a loud voice in Latin To the which Mayster Philpot sayd Philpot. I would ye would speak in English that all men might heare and vnderstand you for Paul willeth that all things spoken in the congregation to edify should be spoken in a toung that all men might vnderstand Wherupon the Bishop did read it in English when he came to these wordes to refuse those thinges which are foes to this name Philpot said Phil. Then they all must turne away from you for you are enemies to that name meaning Christes name and God saue vs from such hypocrites as would haue thinges in a toung that men cannot vnderstand London Whom do you meane Phil. You and al other that be of your generation and sect And I am sory to see you sit in the place that you now sitte in pretending to execute iustice doe nothing lesse but deceiue all men in this Realme And then turning himselfe vnto the people he farther sayd oh all you Gentlemē beware of these men meaning the Bishops and al theyr doinges which be contrary vnto the primatiue Church And I would knowe of you my Lord by what authority you do proceed agaynst me Lond. Because I am Bishop of London Philpot. Well then ye are not my Bishop nor I haue not offended in your Diocesse and moreouer I haue appealed from you and therefore by your owne law you ought not to proceed agaynst me especially being brought hither frō an other place by violence Lond. Why who sent you hither to me Philpot. That did Doctor Story and Doctor Cooke with other the king and Queenes Commissioners my Lord is it not enough for you to werry your owne sheep but ye must also meddle with other mens sheepe Then
the Bishop deliuered vnto Philpot two books one of the ciuill law and the other of the Canon out of the which he would haue proued that he had authority to proceede agaynst him in such sorte as he did M. Philpot then perusing the same and seeing the small and slender proofe that was there alledged sayd vnto the Bishop Philpot. I perceiue your law and Diuinity is all one for you haue knowledge in neither of them and I woulde ye did know your owne ignoraunce but ye daunce in a net and thinke that no man doth see you Hereupon they hadde much talke but what it was it is not yet knowne At last Boner spake vnto him and sayd Lond. Philpot as concerning your abiections agaynste my iurisdiction ye shall vnderstand that both the Ciuill Canon lawes make against you and as for your appeal it is not allowed in this case For it is written in the law A iudice dispositionem iuris exequente non est appellandum Phil. My Lord it appeareth by your interpretation of the law that ye haue no knowledge therin nor that ye do vnderstand the lawe for if ye did ye would not bring in that Text. Hereupon the Bishop recited a law of the Romaines that it was not lawful for a Iew to keepe a Christian man in captiuity and to vse him as his slaue laying then to the sayd Philpots charge that he did not vnderstand the law but did like a Iew. Wherunto Philpot aunswered Phil. No I am no Iewe but you my Lord are a Iewe. For you professe Christ and mainteine Antichrist you professe the Gospell maynteine superstition ye bee able to charge me with nothing Lond. and other Bish. With what can you charge vs Phil. You are enemies to all truth and all your doinges be noughte full of Idolatrye sauing the Article of the Trinity Whilest they were thus debating the matter there came thither syr William Garret knight then Maior of Londō Sir Martin Bowes knight and Thomas Leigh then Shiriffe of the same City and sat downe with the sayd byshops in the sayd Consistory where and what time bishop Boner spake these wordes in effect as foloweth Lond. Philpot before the comming of my Lord Maior because I would not enter with you into the matter wherewith I haue heretofore now intend to charge you with all vntill his comming I did rehearse vnto you a prayer both in English and in Latin which bishop Stokesly my predecessor vsed when he entended to proceede to geue sentence agaynst an hereticke And here they did agayne reade the sayd prayer both in English and also in Latin which being ended he spake agayne vnto him and sayd Lond. Philpot amongest other I haue to charge you especially with three thinges 1. First where you haue fallen from the vnity of Christs catholicke church you haue therupon bene inuited and required not onely by me but also by many diuers others catholicke Bishops and other learned men to return and come agayne to the same and also you haue bene offred by me that if you would so returne and confesse your errors and heresyes you should be mercifully receiued and haue so much fauour as I could shew vnto you 2. The second is that you haue blasphemously spoken agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse calling it Idolatry and abomination 3. And thirdly that you haue spoken and holden agaynst the Sacrament of the aulter denying the reall presence of Christes body and bloud to be in the same This being spoken the Bishop recited vnto him a certayne exhortation in English the tenour and forme wherof is this * Bishop Boners exhortation MAyster Philpot this is to be told you that if you not being yet reconciled to the vnity of the catholicke churche from whence ye did fall in the time of the late schisme here in this realme of England agaynst the sea Apostolick of Rome will now hartely obediently be reconciled to the vnity of the same catholicke church professing and promising to obserue keep to the best of your power the faith and christian Religion obserued and kept of all faythfull people of the same moreouer if ye whiche heretofore especially in the yere of our Lord. 1553. 1554. 1555. or in one of them haue offended and trespassed grieuously agaynst the sacrifice of the masse calling it idolatry and abominable and likewise haue offended trespassed agaynst the sacrament of the aulter denying the real presence of Christes body bloud to be there in the sacramēt of the aulter affirming also withal material bread and materiall wine to be in the sacrament of the aulter not the substaunce of the body and bloud of Christ if yee I say wil be reconciled as is afore and wil forsake your heresies and erroures before touched being heretical and damnable and will allowe also the sacrament of the Masse yee shal be mercifully receiued and charitable vsed with as muche fauoure as may be if not ye shal be reputed taken and iudged for an hereticke as yee be in deede Now do you chuse what ye wil doe you are counselled herein friendly and fauourable Ita est quod Ed. Boner Epis. Lond. The Bishoppes exhortation thus ended M. Philpot turned himselfe vnto the Lord Maior and sayd Phil. To you my Lorde Mayor bearing the sworde I am glad that it is my chance now to stand before that authoritie that hath defended the Gospell and the truth of gods word but I am sory to see that that authoritie whiche representeth the king and Queenes persons should now be chaunged and be at the commaundement of Antichrist And ye speaking to the Bishoppes pretend to be the fellowes of the Apostles of Christ yet be very Antichristes and deceauers of the people and I am glad that GOD hath geuen me power to stand here this daye and to declare and defend my faith which is founded on Christ. Therefore as touching your first obiection I say that I am of the Cotholicke church wherof I was neuer out and that your church whiche ye pretend to be the Catholicke churche is the churche of Rome and so the Babilonicall and not the catholicke church of that Church I am not As touching youre second obiection whiche is that I should speake agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse I doe say that I haue not spoken agaynst the true sacrifice but I haue spoken agaynst your priuate Masses that you vse in corners whiche is blasphemy to the true sacrifice for your sacrifice dayly reitered is a blasphemye agaynst Chrystes death and it is a lye of your own inuention And that abhominable sacrifice which ye set vppon the aulter and vse in your priuate Masses in steade of the liuing sacrifice is Idolatry and ye shal neuer proue it by Gods word therfore ye haue deceiued the people with that your sacrifice of the Masse which ye make a masking Thirdly where you lay to my charge that I
which say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that doth the will of the father And whosoeuer in the tyme of tryall is ashamed of me sayth Christ and of my wordes of him the sonne of man will be ashamed before his father After that wee haue built our selues into the true church of God it hath pleased him by geuing vs ouer into the hands of the wicked sinagoges to proue our building to haue it knowne as wel to the world as to our selues that we haue bene wise builders into the true church of God vpon the rock not on the sand therefore nowe the tempest is risen and the stormes doe mightily blow agaynst vs that wee might notwithstanding stand vpright and be firme in the Lord to his honor and glory and to our eternall felicitie There is no newe thing happened vnto vs for with such tāpests dangerous weathers the church of God hath continually bene exercised Nowe once agayne as the Prophet Aggeus telleth vs The Lord shaketh the earth that those might abide for euer which be not ouerthrowne Therefore my dearely beloued be stable and immoueble in the word of God and in the faythfull obseruation therof and let no man deceiue you with vayn words saying that you may keepe your faith to your selues and dissemble with Antichrist and so liue at rest and quietnes in the world as most men doe yelding to necessitie Thys is the wisedome of the fleshe but the wisedome of the fleshe is death and enmitie to God as our sauiour for ensāple aptly did declare in Peter who exhorted Christ not to goe to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passouer and there to be slayn but counselled him to looke better to himselfe Likewise the worlde woulde not haue vs to forsake it neither to associate our selues to the true churche which is the body of Christ whereof we are liuely members and to vse the sacramentes after Gods word with the danger of our liues But we must learne to answere the world as Christ did Peter and say Go behynd me Sathan thou fauourest not the thinges of God Shall I not drinke of the cup whiche the father geueth me For it is better to bee afflicted and to be slayne in the church of God then to be counted the sonne of the king and the sinagogue of false religion Death for righteousnes is not to be abhorred but rather to bee desired which assuredly bringeth with it the crowne of euerlasting glory These bloudy executioners do not persecute Christes martyrs but crowne them with euerlasting felicitie we were borne into this world to be witnesses vnto the truth both learned and vnlearned Now since the time is come that we must shew our fayth and declare whether we will be Gods seruauntes in righteousnes holines as we haue bene taught are boūd to follow or els with hipocrisie to serue vnrighteousnes let vs take good heed that we be found faithfull in the Lords couenaunt and true members of hys Churche in that which through knowledge we are engraffed from the whiche if we fall by transgression with the common sort of people it will more straightly be required of vs then many yet doe make accompt therof We cannot serue two maysters we may not halt on both sides and thinke to please God we must bee feruent in Gods cause or els hee will cast vs out from him For by the first commaundement wee are commanded to loue God with all our hart with all our mind with all our power and strength but they are manifest transgressours of this commaundement which with their heart mynde or bodely power doe communicate with a straunge religion contrary to the word of God in the papisticall Sinagogue which calleth it selfe the Church and is not As greatly do they offend God now which so doe as the Israelites did in tymes past by forsaking Ierusalē the true churche of God and by going to Bethell to serue God in a congregation of theyr owne setting vp and after theyr own imaginations and traditions for the which doyng God vtterly destroyed all Israell as all the Prophetes almost doe testifie This happened vnto them for our ensample that we might beware to haue any fellowship with any like congregation to our destruction God hath one Catholicke church dispersed throughout the world and therfore we are taught in our Creed to beleue one Catholicke Churche to haue communion therwith which catholicke churche is grounded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and of the Apostles and vpō none other as S. Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians Therfore whersoeuer we perceaue any people to worship God truly after the word there we may be certayne the churche of Christe to bee vnto the whiche we ought to associate oure selues to desire with the Prophet Dauid to prayse God in the middest of this churche But if we hehold through iniquitie of time segregations to be made with counterfayt religion otherwise then the word of God doth teach wee ought then if we be required to be companions therof to say agayne with Dauid I haue hated the Sinagogue of the malignant and will not sit with the wicked In the Apocalips the church of Ephesus is highly commended because she tried such as said they were Apostles and were not in deede therfore would not abide the company of them Further God commanded his people that they shuld not seek Bethel neither enter into Gilgal where idolatry was vsed by the mouth of his Prophet Amos. Also wee must consider that our bodyes be the tēple of God whosoeuer as S. Paule teacheth doth prophane the tēple of God him the Lord wil destroy May we thē take the tēple of Christ make it the mēber of an harlot All strange religion and Idolatry is counted whoredome with the Prophetes and that more detestable in the sight of God then the aduoutrous abuse of the bodye Therfore the Princes of the earthe in the reuelation of S. Iohn be sayd to go a whoring whē they are in loue with false religion and follow the same How then by any meanes may a christian man thinke it tollerable to be present at the popish priuate Masse which is the very prophanation of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and at other idolatrous worshippings and rites which be not after the word of God but rather to the derogation therof in setting mans traditions aboue Gods preceptes since God by his word iudgeth all straunge religion whiche is not according to his institutiō for whoredom aduoutry Some fondly think that the presence of the body is not materiall so that the hart doe not consent to theyr wicked doings But suche persons litle consider what S. Paule writeth to the Corinthians commaunding them to glorifie God as well in body as in soule Moreouer wee can doe no greater iniury to the true Church of Christ
neither the women in the holy Scriptures yet they are comprehended and vnderstood in the same Also the Scripture euidently telleth vs that the Apostles baptised whole families or households But the children bee comprehended in a familie or householde as the chiefest and dearest part thereof Therefore we may conclude that the Apostles dyd baptise Infantes or children and not onely men of lawfull age And that the house or houshold is taken for man woman and chyld it is manifest in the 17. of Genesis and also in that Ioseph doth call Iacob with all hys house to come out of the land of Chanaan into Egypt Finally I can declare out of auncient writers that the Baptisme of Infantes hath continued from the Apostles tyme vnto oures neyther that it was instituted by anye Councels neyther of the Pope or of other men but commended from the Scripture by the Apostles themselues Origene vpon the declaration of S. Paules Epistles to the Romaines expoundyng the vj. chapter sayeth That the Church of Christ receyued the Baptisme of Infants from the very Apostles S. Hierome maketh mention of the Baptisme of Infantes in the third booke agaynst the Pelagians and in hys Epistle vnto Leta Saint Augustine reciteth for this purpose a place out of Iohn Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople in hys first booke agaynst Iulian chap. 2. and he agayne writyng to S. Hierome Epist. 28. sayth That Saint Cyprian not makyng any newe decree but firmely obseruyng the fayth of the Church iudged with hys fellowe Bishops that as soone as one was borne he might bee lawfully baptised The place of CypriaÌ„ is to be seene in his Epistle to Fidus. Also S. Augustine writyng agaynst the Donatists in the 4. booke chap. 23. and 24. sayth That the Baptisme of Infantes was not deriued from the authoritie of man neyther of Councels but from the tradition or doctrine of the Apostles Cyrill vpon Leuiticus chap. 8. approoueth the Baptisme of children and condemneth the iteration of Baptisme These authorities of men I do alledge not to tie the Baptisme of children vnto the testimonies of men but to shew how mens testimonies do agree with Gods word and that the veritie of antiquity is on our side that the Anabaptists haue nothyng but lyes for them new imaginations which fayne the Baptisme of children to be the Popes commandement After this will I aunswer to the summe of your argumentes for the contrary The first which includeth all the rest is It is written Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the gladde tidynges to all creatures He that beleeueth and is baptised shall bee saued but hee that beleeueth not shall bee damned c. To this I aunswer that nothyng is added to Gods word by the baptisme of children as you pretend but that is done which the same word doth require for that children are accounted of Christ in the gospell among the nuÌ„ber of such as beleeue as it appeareth by these words He that offendeth one of these little babes which beleeue in mee it were better for hym to haue a myllstone tyed about hys necke to be cast into the bottome of the sea Where plainly Christ calleth such as be not able to confesse their fayth beleuers because of his meere grace he reputeth them for beleeuers And this is no wonder so to be taken sithen God imputeth fayth for righteousnes vnto meÌ„ that be of a riper age for both in men and children righteousnes acceptation or sanctification is of meere grace and by imputation that the glory of Gods grace might be praysed And that the children of faythfull parents are sanctified and among such as doe beleeue is apparant in the 1. Cor. 7. And where as you doe gather by the order of the wordes in the sayd commaundement of Christ that childreÌ„ ought to be taught before they be baptised and to this ende you alledge many places out of the Actes proouyng that such as confessed their fayth first were baptised after I aunswer that if the order of wordes might weigh anye thyng â—o this cause we haue the Scripture that maketh as well for vs. For in S. Marke we read that Iohn dyd baptise in the desert preachyng Baptisme of repentaunce In the which place we see baptising go before preaching to follow And also I wyll declare this place of Mathew exactly considered to make for the vse of baptisme in children for S. Mathew hath it written in this wyse All power is geuen me sayth the Lord in heauen and in earth therefore going forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Disciple ye as I may expres the signification of the word that is make or gather to me Disciples of all nations And followyng he declareth the way how they should gather to hym Disciples out of all nations baptising them and teachyng by baptising and teachyng ye shall procure a Church to me And both these aptly and briefly seuerally he setteth foorth saying Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and the holy Ghost teachyng them to obserue all thyngs whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Now then Baptisme goeth before doctrine But hereby I do not gather that the Gentiles which neuer heard any thyng before of God and of the sonne of God and of the holy Ghost ought to be baptised neyther they would permit themselues to bee baptised before they knew to what end But this I haue declared to shew you vpon how feeble foundation the Anabaptistes bee grounded And playnly it is not true which they imagine of this text that the Lord dyd onely commaund such to bee baptised whome the Apostles had first of all taught Neyther here verily is signified who onely be to be baptised but he speaketh of such as bee not of perfect age and of the first foundations of fayth and of the Church to bee planted among the Gentiles which were as yet rude and ignorant of religion Such as be of age may heare beleue and confesse that is preached and taught but so cannot infants therfore we may iustly collect that he speaketh here nothing of infants or children But for al this they be not to be excluded from Baptisme It is a generall rule He that doth not labour must not eate But who is so barbarous that might thinke hereby that children should be famished The Lord sent hys Apostles at the beginnyng of the settyng vp his true religion vnto al nations vnto such as were both ignorant of God and were out of the couenant of God and truly such persons it behooued not first to bee baptised and afterward taught but first to be taught and after baptised If at this day we should go to the Turkes to conuert them to the faith of Christ verily first we ought to teach them and afterward baptise such as would yeeld to be the seruants of Christ. Likewyse the Lorde hymselfe in tymes past dyd when first he renewed the couenaÌ„t with Abraham and ordeyned
and the authoritie of the Church of Rome To the fift article they aunswered the same to be true accordyng to the contents thereof Tho. Whittle addyng moreouer that he had swarued gone away not in whole but in part not from the whole Catholike Church but frō the church of Rome in speakyng agaynst the masse the sacrifice thereof and the Sea of Rome Ioane Lashford aliâs Ioane Warne grauntyng with the other the sayd Article addeth moreouer that she neuer hitherto swarued or went awaye nor yet doth from any part of Christs catholike faith and religion but saith that from the tyme she was xj yeres of age shee hath misliked the sacrifice of the masse the sacrament of the altar and the authoritie of the See of Rome with the doctrine thereof because they be agaynst Christes catholike church and the right fayth of the same Bartlet Greene answering with the other to this Article addeth saith that he swarued not from the Catholike fayth but only from the church of Rome c. ¶ Concernyng the sixt article that they refuse to be reconciled to the vnitie of the sayd Church of Rome To the 6. article they aunswer and confesse the same to be true rendering the cause thereof because say they the same church and doctrine therein set forth and taught disagreeth from the vnitie of Christes word and the true catholike fayth c. Whereunto Bartlet Greene answered that he is contented to be reconciled to the vnitie of Christes Catholike church but not of the church of Rome In lyke maner added also Iohn Went. ¶ Concernyng the seuenth Article that they refuse to come to heare Masse and to receyue the sayde Sacrament callyng it an Idol c. To the seuenth Article they aunswer and confesse the contents thereof to be true geuyng withall the reason and cause of this their so doyng for that the masse with the sacrament thereof as it was then vsed and set foorth in the Church of England is dissonant to the word teachyng of the Gospell c. Iohn Went furthermore said as concerning the masse that he beleueth no lesse but the masse which he calleth the supper of the Lord as it is now vsed in the realm of England is naught full of Idolatry and against gods worde so farre as he seeth it howbeit he sayd that since the Queens coronation by chance he hath bene present where the Masse hath bene sayd whereof he is sory Isabel Foster also answering to the sayd articles with the other before confessed moreouer that since Queene Maries raigne she hath not heard Masse nor receiued the sacrament but hath refused to come in place where it was ministred for she knoweth no such sacrament to bee And beyng demanded of her beliefe in the same she sayth that there is but onely materiall bread and material wine and not the substance reall of the body of Christ in the same sacrament for so she hath bene taught to beleue by the preachers in the tyme of K. Edward whom she beleeueth to haue preached the truth in that behalfe ¶ Concerning the 8. Article that they were sent by the Commissioners to the B. to be examined and imprisoned To the 8. Article they grant the same and the contents thereof to be so Thom. Whittle addyng and affirmyng that the Lord Chancellor that then was sent hym vp to the Bish. there present Bartlet Greene added that he was sent vp to the sayd B. but for no offence herein articulate Iohn Went sayd that D. Story Quene Maries commissioner examined hym vpon the Sacrament because he denied the reall presence he presented this Examinate to the bishop Iohn Tudson likewise examined by M. Cholmly and D. Story vpon the same matters and for not commyng to the Church and accused by the same because he would not agree to them was sent to the B. Tho. Browne also sayde that he for not commyng to the church of S. Brides was brought by the Constable to the B. c. Ioane Warne confessed that she was sent by Doctour Story to the Bishoppe of London about twelue weekes agoe since which tyme shee hath continued with the sayd Bishop ¶ Concernyng the 9. Article To the 9. Article they confesse and say that as they beleeue the premisses before by them confessed to be true so they deny not the same to be manifest and that they bee of the iurisdiction of London And thus hauyng expressed their Articles with their answers iointly made vnto the same yet remayneth further more fully now to discourse the stories handlyng of all the 7. aforesayd Martyrs seuerally and particularly by themselues first beginning with Tho. Whittle ⧠The history of all these 7. Martyrs particularly described in order here followeth first of Tho. Whittle who first recanting then returning agayne with great constancy and fortitude stoode to the defence of Christes doctrine agaynst the Papists to the fire IN the story of M. Philpot mention was made before of a maried Priest whom he found in the Colehouse at hys first commyng thither in heauines of mynd and great sorow for recantyng the doctrine which hee had taught in K. Edwards dayes whose name was Thom. Whittle of Essex and thus lyeth his story This Tho. Whittle after he had bene expulsed from the place in Essex where he serued went abroad where he might now here and there as occasion was ministred preachyng and sowyng the Gospel of Christ. At length beyng apprehended by one Edmund Alabaster in hope of reward promotion whiche he miserably gaped after he was brought first as prisoner before the B. of Winchester who then was fallen lately sicke of his disease whereof not long after hee dyed most straungely But the apprehender for his profered seruice was highly checked rated of the B. askyng if there were no man vnto whome he might bring such Rascals but to him Hence quoth he out of my sight thou varlet what doest thou trouble me with such matters The gredy cormorant beyng thus defeated of his desired pray yet thinking to seek and to hunt further caried his prisoner to the B. of London with whom what an euill messe of hādling this Whittle had and how he was by the B. all to beaten buffeted about the face by this his owne narration in a letter sent vnto his friend manifestly may appeare Upon Thursday which was the x. of Ianuary the B. of London sent for me Thom. Whittle minister out of the porters lodge where I had bene all night lying vpon the earth vpō a pallet where I had as painful a night of sicknes as euer I had God be thanked And when I came before hym he talked with me many thyngs of the sacrament so grossely as is not worthy to be rehearsed And amongst other thynges he asked me if I would haue come to masse that mornyng if he had sent for me Whereunto I answered that I would haue come to
of London PLeaseth your good Lordship to vnderstand that yesterday I dined with my Lord of Exceter who soon after my first coÌ„ming vnto him asked me what newes I answered none but good that I had heard No sayth he Why it is a rumour in the City that tomorowe the Queenes Grace will take her iourney towardes the king I aunswered that I thought it not to bee any whit true but an inuention of Heretickes yea and further sayeth he there is report made abroad of my Lorde our Mayster that he is in discomfort and therefore will suffer no man to come vnto him When I heard thus much I began to laugh and declare how vntrue this report was so that my Lord who before was very sad afterward knowing the truth reioyced much to heare that all was wel with your lordship and desired me to do his harty commendations to your Lordship One of my Lord of Penbrokes retinue a very handsome maÌ„ and as farre as I can yet learne Catholicke is a suter to your lordship to haue licence to erect a schoole and the order which he inteÌ„deth to vse is coÌ„teined in this printed paper which I send here in inclosed to your Lordship I would be gladde for my Lorde of Penbrokes sake that he vnderstood that vppon my motion your Lordship were content he should teach as he intendeth Mayster Iohnson and I haue trauelled with the Prieste and he hath subscribed his name to this draughte whiche is herein inclosed and hath promised he will stand to the same before your Lordship When I had written thus much sodenly came tydinges to me that Iordanis conuersus est retrorsum Cluney comming to the Priest found him lying prostrate groning as though he should haue dyed forthwith Then Cluney tooke him vppe and set hym vpon a stoole and came to me and told me of this reuell It chauÌ„ced that M. Iohnson was with me and we went to this fond hereticke fouÌ„d him lying all a long holding his hands vp looking hypocritically towardes heauen I caused Thomas More Cluney to set him on the stoole and with much adoe at length he tolde me that Sathan had bene with him in the night and tolde him that he was damned and weeping he prayed M. Iohnson and me to see the bill whereunto he subscribed and when he sawe it he tare out his name è libro scilicet viuentium Me thinketh by him he will needes burne a Fagot neither is there any other likelihood of the young woman I haue enquired of the two persons which sue to haue a licence to eat flesh And the woman of Christ Church is in deed very much diseased and hath bene long diseased and she and her husband both Catholicke Of the other yet I canne learne nothing Thus Iesus euermore preserue your good Lordship and my Mistres your Lordshippes sister with all yours This present Saterday Your Lordships most bounden seruaunt Iohn Harpsfield ¶ Here foloweth an other letter of Robert Iohnson Register touching Thomas Whittell written to Boner Bishop of London MY bounden duety premised pleaseth your Lordshyp to vnderstande that this laste Fridaye in the after noone Mayster Archdeacon of London did diligently trauell with Syr Thomas Whittell I being present and perceiuing his conformity as outwardlye appeared deuised a submission and hee being content therewith did subscribe the same But now this saterday morning Mayster Archdeacon and I vpon Cluneys report declaring that he fayned himselfe to be extracted of his senses went vnto hym to whom he declared that Sathan in the night time appeared vnto him and said that he was damned for that he had done against his conscience in subscribing the said submission with other like wordes c. And theÌ„ Mayster Archdeacon at his earnest request deliuered vnto him the submissioÌ„ And thereupon the sayd Whittell did teare out his subscription made in the foot of the same as your Lordshippe shall perceiue by the submission sent now vnto your Lordship by Mayster ArchdeacoÌ„ wherewith the sayd Whittell was somewhat quieted And as touching Ioane Lashford Mayster Archdeacon didde likewise trauell with her and shewing her Syr Thomas submission which I readde vnto her two times demaunded if she could bee content to make the like submission and she desired respite vntill this morning And beyng nowe eftsoones demaunded in likewise sayth that she will not make any thing in writing nor put any signe thereunto Mayster Archdeacon and I entend thyâ— after noone to examine the sayd Syr Thomas vpon Articles for as yet there doeth appeare nothing in writing agaynste hym as knoweth almighty GOD who preserue your good Lordshyp in prosperity long with honour to endure From London thys Saterday By your Lordships dayly bedesman and bounden seruaunt Robert Iohnson ¶ The Condemnation Death and Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell COncerning the woordes and aunsweres of the sayde Thomas Whittell at his laste examination before the Bishop vpon the xiiij day of Ianuary the yere aboue expressed Boner with his other felow Bonerlingeâ— sittyng in his Consistory at after noone first called forth Thomas Whittell with who he began in effect as foloweth because ye be a Priest sayth he as I and other Bishops here bee and did receiue the order of Priesthoode after the riâ—e and fourme of the Catholicke Churche ye shall not thinke but I will minister iustice as well vnto you as to other And then the sayd Boner in further communication did charge hym that when in tymes past he had sayde Masâ—e according to the order then vsed the same Whittell nowe of late had rayled and spoken agaynste the same saying that it was Idolatry and abhomination Whereunto Thomas Whittell aunswering agayne sayd that at such times as he so sayde Masse he was then ignoraunt c. adding moreouer that the eleuation of the Sacramente at the Masse geueth occasion of Idolatry to them that be ignoraunt vnlearned After this the bishop making hast to the Articles whiche in all his examinations euer he harped vpon came to this Article That thou wast in times past baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church To this the sayd Whittell inferred agayne I was baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church although I did forsake the Church of Rome And ye my Lord do call these heresies that be no heresies and do charge me therwith as heresies and ye ground your selfe vpon that religion whiche is not agreable to Gods word c. Then the sayd victorious souldiour and seruant of our Sauior constant in the verity receiued and professed was agayne admonished and with perswasions entreated by the bishop who because he would not agree vnto the same the bishop forthwith proceeded first to his actuall degradation that is to vnpriest him of all his priestly trinkets and clarkly habite The order and maner of whiche theyr popish and most vayne degradation before in the storye of Bishop Hooper pag. 1435. is to be sene
Then Whittell in the middest of the ceremonies whē he saw them so busy in disgrading him after theyr father the Popes Pontifical fashion sayd vnto them Paule and Titus had not so much ado with theyr priestes and bishops And farther speaking to the bishop he sayd vnto him My Lord your Religion standeth most with the church of Rome and not with the catholicke church of Christ. The Bishop after this according to his accustomed formall procedinges assayed him yet agayne with words rather then with substantiall arguments to conforme him to his Religion Who then denying so to doe sayd As for your religion I cannot be perswaded that it is accordyng to Gods worde The Bishop then asked what fault he found in the administration of the Sacrament of the Aultar Whittell aunswered and sayde it is not vsed according to Christes institution in that it is priuately and not openlye done And also for that it is ministred but in one kinde to the lay people which is agaynst Christes ordinaunce Farther Christ commaunded it not to be eleuated nor adored For the adoration and eleuation cannot be approued by Scripture Well quoth Boner my Lords here and other learned men haue shewed great learning for thy cōuersion wherfore if thou wilt yet returne to the fayth and religion of the catholicke Church I will receiue thee thereunto and not cōmit thee to the secular power c. To make short Whittell strengthened with the grace of the Lord stood strong vnmoueable in that he had affirmed Wherfore the sentēce being readde the next day folowing he was committed to the secular power and so in few dayes after brought to the fire with the other sixe aforenamed sealing vp the testimony of his doctrine with his bloud which he willingly and chearefully gaue for witnes of the truth ¶ Letters of Thomas Whittell ¶ A letter of Thomas Whittell to Iohn Careles prisoner in the kinges bench THe peace of God in Christ bee with you continuallye dearely beloued bother in Christ with the assistaunce of Gods grace and holy spirit to the working and perfourming of those thinges which may comfort and edefye hys Churche as ye dayly doe to the glory of his name and the encrease of your ioye and solace of Soule in this lyfe and also your reward in heauen with Christ our Captain whose faythfull Souldiours ye are in the life to come Amen I haue greatly reioyced my deare hart with thankes to God for you since I haue hearde of your fayth and loue which you bare towardes God and his Sayntes wyth a most godly ardent zeale to the verity of Christs doctrine and religion which I haue heard by the report of manye but specially by the declaring of that valiaunt captayne in Christes church that stout Champion in Gods cause that Spectacle to the worlde I meane our good brother Philpot who now lyeth vnder the Aultar and sweetly enioyeth the promised reward And specially I and my cōdemned fellowes gene thankes to God for your louyng and comfortable Letter in the deepenesse of our trouble after the flesh sent vnto vs to the consolation of vs al but most specially to me most sinnefull miser on mine own behalfe but happye I hope through Gods louing kindnesse in Christ shewed vnto me who suffered me to faynt fayle through humaine infirmity by the working of the Archenemy in his sworne Souldiours the Bishops and Priestes In whom so liuely appereth the very visage shape of Sathan that a man if it were not preiudice to Gods word might well affirme them to be Deuils incarnate as I by experience do speake Wherefore who so shall for cōscience matters come in theyr handes had need of the wylynesse of the Serpent to saue his head though it be wyth the wounding of his body and to take diligent heede how he consenteth to theyr wicked writings or setteth his hād to theyr conueyances Sore did they assault me and craftely tempt me to their wicked wayes or at least to a denegation of my fayth and true opinions though it were but by colour and dissimulation And alas something they did preuaile Not that I did any thing at all like theyr opinions and false papisticall religion or els doubted of the truth wherein I stand but onely the infirmity of the fleshe beguiled me desiring liberty by an vnlawfull meanes GOD lay it not to my charge at that daye and so I hartely desire you to praye Howbeit vncertayne I am whether more profite came therby profite to me in that God suffered Sathan to buffet me by his foresayd minister of mischiefe shewinge me myne infirmity that I should not boast nor reioyce in my selfe but onely in the Lord who whē he had led me to hell in my conscience through the respect of his feareful iudgementes agaynst me for my fearefulnes mistrust and crafty cloking in such spirituall and weighty matters in the which mine agonye and distresse I founde this olde verse true Non patitur ludum fama fides oculus yet he brought me from thence agayne to the magnifiyng of his name suspecting of flesh and bloude and consolation of mine owne soule or els that I might feele disprofite in offending the congregation of God which peraduenture wil rather adiudge my fall to come of doubtfulnesse in my doctrine and religion then of humaine imbecility Well of the importune burden of a troubled conscience for denying or dissembling the knowne verity I by experiēce could say very much more which perhaps I will declare by writing to the warding of other if God graunte time For now am I and my felowes ready to go hence euen for Christs cause Gods name be praysed who hath hitherto called vs. Pray I pray you that we maye ende our course with ioy at your appoynted time you shall come after But as the Lorde hath kept you so will he preserue your life still to the intent you should labour as you do to appease and conuince these vngodlye contentions and controuersies which now do too much raygn brawling about termes to no edificatiō God is dishonored the church disquieted occasiō to speake euill of the gospel ministred to our aduersaries But such is the subtlety of sathan that whom he cannot winne with grosse Idolatry in open religion thē he seeketh to corrupt and deceiue in opinions in a priuate profession But here I will abruptly leaue lest with my rude simple veyne I should be tedious to you desiring you my louing brother if it shall not seeme grieuous vnto you to write vnto me my fellowes yet once agayne if you haue leysure and we tune to the same Prouide me M. Philpots 9. examinations for a friend of mine and I shall pay you therefore by the leaue of almighty God our heauenly Father who correcteth all hys deare children in this world that they should not be damned with the world and tryeth the fayth of his Saynctes through many
Christ our redemer brother and the blessed company of Aungels and all faithfull saued soules Of the incomparable good thinges and heauenlye treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by Christ Iesu. For the obteining wherof we ought to set light by all temporall griefes and transitorye afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythfull will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength that namely in the end of our life when the tree where it falleth lieth styll as the preacher sayth when euery one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the ende he suffereth his sometime to fall but not finally to peryshe as Peter sinked vpon the Sea but yet was not drowned and sinned grieuouslye vpon the land thorow infirmity denying his Mayster but yet found mercy for the righteous falleth oftentimes And Christes holye Apostles are taught to â—ay remitte nobis debita nostra Yea though the righteous fall sayth Dauid he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God towardes vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plant in my heart true repentaunce and fayth to the obteining of remission of all my sinnes in the mercies of God and merites of Christ his sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it grieueth me to see the spoyle hauocke that Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedy This is Gods will and ordinaunce that his people shall here both be punished in the fleshe and tryed in theyr fayth as it is written Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all for by a strayt path and narrowe doore must we enter Whether Into the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen therefore blessed are you and other that suffer persecution for Christes sake for the professing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fight a good fight that we may keepe the fayth and ende our course with ioyfull gladnesse for now the time of our deliueraunce is at hand The Lord guide defend and keep vs and you and al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a shorte death passe to that long lasting life Farewell my deare and louing brother and felowe souldiour in Christ farewell I say in him who receiue our soules in peace when they shall depart from these tabernacles and he graunte vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery meeting at the last day continuall dwelling together in his eternall heauenlye kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell Minister * To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ Mayster Filles and Cutbert I wish you all welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of sinne faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with all necessary thinges for this bodely life The soule of man is immortall and therefore ought to be well kept least immortality to ioy should turne to immortality of sorow As for the body be it neuer so well kept and much made of yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay But those that are engraffed incorporated into Christe by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of theyr election and inheritaunce exciting and styrring them not onely to seek heauenly thinges but also to hate vice and embrace vertue will not onely doe these thinges but also if need requyre will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine their king theyr Sauior Iesus Christ as his poore afflicted church of England now doth agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed specially that blasphemous Masse wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted abused contrarye to his institutioÌ„ to Paules procedinges so that that which they haue in theyr Masse is neither Sacrament of Christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the Priestes falsely pretend It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible sign of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicants according to Christes example and as it was of late yeres in this realm And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified Beware of false Religion and mens vayne traditioÌ„s and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed though of wicked men ye bee hated and accursed Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon which is full of abhominations Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud with the litle flock then to goe in the wide waye folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Like as Christ suffered in the flesh sayeth S. Peter so arme ye your selues with the same minde for Christ suffred for vs leauing vs example to folow his footsteps Blessed are they that suffer for his sake great is their reward in heauen He that ouercommeth sayth S. Iohn shall eat of the tree of life he shall haue a crowne of life not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white araye not be put out of the booke of life Yea I will confesse his name sayth Christ before my father and before his Aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sitte with me on my seat And thus I bidde you farewell myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you Amen This world I do forsake To Christ I me betake And for his Gospell sake Paciently death I take My body to the dust Now to returne it must My soule I know full well With my God it shal dwel Thomas Whittell ¶ An other Letter of M. Thomas Whittell written to a certayne Godly woman OH my deare and louing sister in Christe be not dismayde in this storme of persecution for Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the Crosse because it is neuer truely taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediately and necessarily doeth folow the same and therfore it is a manifest token of Gods truth and hath bene here and is still abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christe and his members which must bee corrected for theyr sinnes in this worlde theyr fayth must be tried that after triall and pacient suffering the faythfull may receiue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of God
indifferentlye handled it shal therefore not greatly be out of our matter as ye haue heard the Orations of Byshop Brokes with the reasons talk of the other Commissioners amplified and set forth at large on the one side so now in repeatyng the wordes answeres of the other part to declare sette forth somewhat more amply and effectually what speach the sayd Archb. vsed for himselfe in the same Action by the faythfull relation and testimonye of certayne other who were lykewise there present and do thus report the effect of the Archbishops wordes aunswering to the first Oration of Bishoppe Brookes in manner as followeth * A more full aunswere of the Archbishop of Cant. to the first Oration of Bishop Brookes MY Lorde you haue very learnedly and eloquently in your Oration put me in remeÌ„brance of many things touching my selfe wherein I doe not meane to spende the time in aunswering of them I acknowledge Gods goodnes to me in all his giftes and thanke him as hartily for this state wherein I finde my selfe now as euer I did for the time of my prosperitie and it is not the losse of my promotions that greueth me The greatest griefe I haue at this time is and one of the greatest that euer I had in all my life to see the kinge and Queenes Maiesties by theyr Proctours here to become my accusers and that in theyr owne Realme and Country before a forraigne power If I haue transgressed the lawes of the Land their maiesties haue sufficient authoritie and power both from God and by the ordinaunce of this Realme to punish me wherunto I both haue and at all times shal be content to submitte my selfe Alas what hath the Pope to doe in Englande whose iurisdiction is so farre differeÌ„t from the iurisdiction of this Realm that it is impossible to be true to the one and true to the other The lawes also are so diuers that whosoeuer sweareth to both must needes incurre periury to the one Whiche as ofte as I remember euen for the loue that I beare to her grace I cannot be but hartily sorye to thynke vpon it how that her highnesse the day of her coronation at which time shee tooke a solemne othe to obserue all the lawes liberties of this realm of EnglaÌ„d at the same time also tooke an othe to the Bishop of Rome and promised to mayntaine yâ— See The state of Englande being so repugnant to the supremacie of the Pope it was impossible but shee muste needes be forsworne in the one Wherein if her grace had bene faythfully aduertised by her Counsaile then surely she would neuer haue done it The lawes of this Realme are that the king of England is the supreme and sole gouernour of all his Countryes and dominions that hee holdeth hys crowne and Scepter of himself by the auncient lawes customes and descentes of the kinges of the Realme and of none other The Pope sayth that all Emperoures and kinges holde theyr Crownes and Regalities of him and that hee may depose them when he list whiche is high treason for anye man to affirme and thinke being borne within the kinges dominions The Lawes of England are that all Bishoppes and Priestes offending in cases of Felonie or Treason are to be iudged and tryed by the lawes and Customes of the Realme The Popes lawes are that the secular power cannot iudge the spirituall power and that they are not vnder their iurisdiction which robbeth the king of the one part of hys people The lawes also of England are that whosoeuer hindereth the execution or proceeding of the Lawes of England for any other forraigne lawes Ecclesiasticall or temporall incurreth the daunger of a Premunire The Popes Lawes are that whosoeuer hindereth the proceedinges or executions of hys lawes for any other lawes of any other king or country both the Prince himselfe his Counsayle all his Officers Scribes Clerkes and whosoeuer geue consent or ayd to the making or executing of any such lawes standeth accursed A heauy case if hys curse were any thing worth that the king and Queene caÌ„not vse their owne lawes but they and all theyrs must stande accursed These thinges and manye more examples hee alleadged whiche he sayde styrred him that he coulde not geue his consent to the receiuing of suche an enemy into the realme so subuerting the dignitie and auncient lyberties of the same And as for the matter of heresie and schisme wherewith he was charged he protested and called God to witnes that he knewe none that hee mayntayned But if that were an heresie to deny the Popes authoritie and the Religion which the See of Rome hath published to the world these latter yeares then all the auncient Fathers of the Primitiue Churche the Apostles and Christe hym selfe taught heresie and he desired al them present to beare him witnesse that he tooke the traditions and Religion of that vsurping Prelate to be most erroneous false and against the doctrine of the whole scripture whiche he had oftentimes well proued by writing and the Authour of the same to be verry Antichrist so often preached of by the Apostles and Prophetes in whome did most euidently concurre al signes and tokens whereby he was paynted to the world to be knowne For it was most euident that he hadde aduaunced him selfe aboue all Emperours and kinges of the world whoÌ„ he affirmeth to hold their states and Empyres of hym as of their chiefe to be at his commaundement to depose erect at his good will and pleasure and that the storyes make mention of his intollerable insolent pride tyranny vsed ouer them in such sorte as no king woulde haue vsed to his christian subiectes nor yet a good mayster to his seruauntes setting his feet on the Emperoures necke affirming that to be verified in him which was â—oken onely of our sauiour Iesus Christ in these wordes Super AspideÌ„ Basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis Leonem Draconem Other some had he made to hold his styrrops others hee had displaced remoued from their Empyres and seates royall and not content herewithall more insolent then Lucifer hath occupyed not onely the highest place in thys world aboue kinges and Princes but hathe further presumed to sit in the seat of almighty God whiche onely he reserued to himself which is the conscience of man and for to keep the possession therof he hath promised forgeuenes of sinnes totiens quotiens He hath brought in Gods of his owne framing inuented a new religion full of gayne and lucre quite contrary to the doctrine of the holy scripture onely for the mainteyning of his kingdome displacing Christ from his glory holding his people in a miserable seruitude of blindnes to the losse of a great number of soules whiche God at the latter day shall exact at hys hande boasting manye tymes in his Canons and Decrees that hee can dispense Contra Petrum contra
God and with the infallible testimonies of holy scripture For although Gods mercy is ouer all his woorkes yet it doth not extende but onely to them that holde fast the confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende not being weary in well doing but rather waxing euery day stronger and stronger in the inward man Therfore in the Reuelation of S. Iohn wher it is entreated of the Beast and his image it is also sayde Heere is the sufferance of Saintes and heere are they that keepe the commaundements and the faith of Iesus Christ. Where by almighty God doth shewe plainely that he doth vse those wicked men as instruments for a time to try the pacience and faith of his peculiar people wythout the performance whereof we can haue no part among the liuing but as it is sayd in the same Reuelation The fearfull shall haue theyr parte in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone whyche is the second death But peraduenture ye will obiect say vnto me what shall we do Shal we cast our selues headlong to death I say not so But thys I say that we are all bounde if euer we looke to receiue saluation at Gods hande in thys case wholy to be obedient to hys determinate counsell foreknowledge expressed by the gift of the spirit in holy scripture and then to cast all our care vpon him who worketh all in all for the best vnto them that loue him and thus he geueth commaundement saying Come awaye from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receue not of her plagues Nowe who hearing this terrible voyce of God which must needes be fulfilled will not wyth all speede and diligence applye him selfe to doe thereafter except such as will presumptuously tempt him And as touching such the Wise man sayeth Hee that loueth pearill and daunger shall pearish therein But they that be of the Faith of Abraham euen as he did so will they in all assayes and trials be obedient to the heauenly voyce how soeuer it semeth contrary to their owne naturall wil and carnal reason according to the sure worde of faith which saith Hope thou in the Lorde and keepe his way holde thee stil in the Lord and abide patiently vpon him Let not thy ielousie moue thee also to doe euill Come out from among them and ioyne not your selues to your vnlawfull assemblies yea do not once shew your selues with the least part of your body to fauour theyr wicked doinges but glorifye God as moste right is so well in your whole bodye outwardlye as inwardly in your spirite or els you can doe neither of both well for your body doth belong to God so well as youre spirite At the dreadfull day of iudgement we shall all receiue the workes of our bodies according to that we haue done whether it be good or bad Therefore what soeuer we doe we may not bryng the spirite in bondage to the body but contrariwise we must subdue the body and the will of the flesh to the spirit that the spirite maye freely accomplishe the will of God in all things for otherwise we shall neuer be partakers of hys promise with the true childrē of Abraham For as s. Paul sayeth They which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God If we shall liue according to the flesh we shall dye For to be carnally mineded is death but to be spiritually mineded is life and peace because that the fleshly mineded is enmitie to God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neyther canne be So then they that are in the flesh can not please God Nowe chuse you which way you will take either the narow way that leadeth vnto life which Christ hymself and hys faithfull followers haue gone throughe before or else the broad path way that leadeth to destruction which the wicked worldlinges take theyr pleasure in for a while I for my part haue now wryttē thys short admonition vnto you of good will as God be my witnesse to exhort you to that way which at length you your selues shuld prooue and finde to be best yea and reioyce thereof And I do not onely wryte thys but I will also wyth the assistaunce of Gods grace ratifie and confirme and Seale the same wyth the effusion of my bloude when the full tyme shall be expired that hee hath appoynted whych so farre soorth as I maye iudge must needes be within these few daies Therefore I nowe bidde you all moste heartely farewell in the Lorde whose grace bee wyth youre spirite Amen Watch and pray watch and pray pray pray So be it Iohn Hullier Besides these letters the said Iohn Hullier leaft also a godly prayer whiche if any be disposed to peruse it is extant in the old booke of Acts to be found pag. 1515. The death and Martyrdome of sixe constant professours of Christ burned at Colchester for the testimonie of the Gospell the 28. day of Aprill NOt long after the death of Robert Drakes William Tymmes and the other Essex Martyrs executed in Smithfielde as is aboue specified followed in the same order likewise of martyrdome at one like fire in the town of Colchester where the most parte of them did inhabite sixe other blessed Martyrs whose names be these Christopher Lyster of Dagneham Husbandman Iohn Mace of Colchester Apothecarie Iohn Spenser of Colchester Weauer Symon Ioyne Sawyer Richard Nichols of Colchester Weauer Iohn Hamond of Colchester Tanner With these sixe was also ioyned an other whose name was Roger Grasbroke but he afterwarde submitted him selfe These aboue named the Byshoppe because he as it semeth by the short processe recorded by his register waxed now weary made a very quicke dispatche For soone after that they were deliuered vnto one Iohn Kingstone Bacheler of Ciuil law and then Commissarye to the Bishop by the Earle of Oxford other Commissioners as appeareth by a bil endented made betwene the Commissioners and the said Commissary for the receit of the sayd prisoners dated the 28. day of Marche Anno regni regis Reginae Philippi Mariae secundo tertio which is the yere of our Lord 1556. and by him sent vp vnto hys Lord and Maister the Bishop caused them to be broughte vnto hys house at Fulham Where in the open Churche iudicially were ministred vnto them the same Articles that were propounded vnto Bartlet Grene and others mentioned before To the whych they made their seuerall answeres agreeing altogether in one truthe as by the summe and effect thereof heere ensuing more plainly appeareth 1 To the first article they al consented and agreed Iohn Spenser adding further thereto that the churche malignant which is the Church of Rome is no parte of Christes Catholike church and that he neither hath nor dothe beleeue the doctrine and religion taughte and set foorth in the sayd Romish and malignant
Thornton Well doe yee not beleeue that hee is there really New No I beleue it not Thornton Well will ye stand to it New I must needes stande to it till I bee perswaded to a further truth Thornton Nay yee will not bee perswaded but stande to your owne opinion New Nay I stand not to mine owne opinion GOD I take to witnesse but onely to the scriptures of God and that can all those that stand here witnes with me and nothing but the scriptures and I take God to witnes that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my conscience and if there be a further trueth then I see excepte it appeare a trueth to me I cannot receiue it as a truth And seeing fayth is the gifte of God and commeth not of man for it is not you that can geue me fayth nor no man els therfore I trust ye will beare the more with me seing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receiue it with all my hart and embrace it Thornton had many other questions which I did not beare away but as I doe vnderstand these are the chiefest as for tauntes foolish and vnlearned hee lacked none Prayse GOD for his giftes and GOD increase in vs strength * The argument of Iohn Newman If the body of Christ were really and bodily in the sacrament then who soeuer receiued the sacrament receiued also the body The wicked receiuing the sacrament receiue not the body of Christ. Ergo the bodye of Christe is not really in the Sacrament * Argument Ca They which eate the fleshe and drinke the bloude of Christ dwell in him and he in them mes The wicked dwell not in Christ nor he in them tres Ergo The wicked eate not the fleshe nor drinke the bloud of Christ. * Argument Ca They that haue Christ dwelling in them bring foorth much fruite Iohn 15. Hee that dwelleth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruite c. mes The wicked bringeth forth no fruit of goodnes tres Ergo they haue not Christes body dwelling in them ¶ Argument Da Where remembrrunce is of a thing there is imported the absence thereof ti Remembraunce of Christes body is in the sacrament Do this in remembraunce of me c. si Ergo Christes body there is imported to be absent Mary they will say we see him not with our outward eyes but he is commended vnder the fourme of breade wine and that that we see is nothing but a quallitie or an accidence But let them shew me a quallitie or an accidence without a substaunce and I will beleue them And thus much concerning Newmans examinations and argumentes whose Martyrdome is before expressed ¶ The Martirdome of Ioane Wast a blynde woman in the Towne of Darbye THe first day of August in the yeare aboue specified suffered likewise at the Towne of Darby a certaine poore honest godly woman being blinde from her birth and vnmaryed about the age of xxii named Ioane Wast of the Parish of Alhallowes Of them that sate vpon this innocent womans bloude the chiefest was Raâ—e Bayne Bishop of the Dyoces Doctour Draycot hys Chauncellour sir Iohn Port Knight Henrye Uernon Esquire Peter Finshe officiall of Darby with the assistaunce also of diuers other Richard Warde and William Bembrige the same time being Bayliffes of the Towne of Darby c. First after the aboue named Byshoppe and Doct. Draycot had caused the sayd Ioane Waste to be apprehended in the Towne of Darby suspecting her to bee guilty of certayne heresies she was diuers times priuily examined as well in prison as out of Prison by Finsh the Officiall aforesayd After that brought to publicke examination before the Bishop at last was there burnt in Darby as is aboue sayd Touching whose life bringing vp conuersatioÌ„ somewhat more amply we mynd to discourse as by faythfull relation hath come to my handes First this Ioane Wast was the daughter of one William Wast an honest poore man and by hys science a Barber who some time also vsed to make Ropes His wife had the same Ioane and one other at one byrth and shee was borne blinde And when shee was about xij or xiiii yeares old she learned to knitte hosen and sleeues and other thinges which in time she could do very well Furthermore as time serued she would help her father to turn ropes and do such other thinges as she was able and in no case would be idle Thus continued she with her father and mother during their liues After whose departure then kept she with one Roger Wast her brother who in the time of king Edw. the 6. of blessed memory gaue her selfe dayly to go to the church to heare Diuine seruice read in the vulgar tongue And thus by hearing Homilies and sermons she became merueilously well affected to the Religion then taught So at length hauing by her labour gotten and saued so much mony as would buy her a newe testameÌ„t she caused one to be prouided for her And though she was of herselfe vnlearned and by reason of her blindnes vnable to read yet for the great desire shee had to vnderstand and haue printed in her memory the sayinges of holy scriptures conteined in the new Testament shee acquaynted her selfe chiefly with one Iohn Hurt then prisoner in the common Hall of Darby for debtes The same Iohn Hurt being a sober graue man of the age of three score and ten yeares by her earnest intreatie and being Prisoner and many times idle and without coÌ„pany did for his exercise dayly read vnto her some one chapter of the new Testament And if at any time he wer otherwise occupied or letted through sickenes she woulde repayre vnto one Iohn Pemerton Clarke of the Parishe Churche of all sayntes in the same towne of Darby or to some other person which could read and sometimes shee would geue a penny or two as shee might spare to suche persons as woulde not freely read vnto her appoyntyng vnto them aforehand how many Chapiters of the newe Testament they should read or how often they should repeate one Chapiter vpon a price Moreouer in the sayde Ioane Wast this was notoryous that she being vtterly blinde could not withstanding without a guide go to any Church within the sayd town of Darby or to any other place or person with whom she had any such exercise By which exercise shee so profited that she was able not onely to recite many Chapiters of the new testament without book but also could aptly impugne by diuers places of scriptures as well sinne as suche abuses in Religion as then were to much in vse in diuers and sondry persons As this godly woman thus dayly increased in the knowledge of Gods holy worde and no lesse in her life expressed the vertuous fruites and exercise of the same Not long after
were burnt by Cardinall Poole was restored agayne by this godlye Queene ELIZABETH who gaue then in Commission to Math. Parker then Archbishop of Canterbury and to Edmund Grindall then Bishop of London to Maister Gualter Haddon and others For the performaunce of whiche Commission the sayd Reuerend Bishoppes addressed their Letters to the Uicechancellor c. ⧠The Oration of M. Acworth Oratour of the Vniuersitie at the restitution of Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius I Am in doubt whether I may entreate of the prayse and commendation of so great a Clarke for the celebratyng whereof this assembly and concourse of yours is made this day or of the vices and calamities out of the whiche we bee newly deliuered or of them both consideryng the one cannot be mentioned without the other In the which tymes ye felt so much anguish and sorrow my right dere brethren that if I should repeat them and bryng them to remembraunce agayne I feare me I should not so much worke a iust hatred in vs towardes them for the iniuries receyued in them as renew our olde sorrow and heuines Agayne men must needes account me vnaduised and foolish in my doyng if I should thinke my selfe able to make him which hath lyued before our eyes in prayse and estimation more famous and notable by my Oration which he by his liuyng and conuersation hath oftentymes polished But the wickednes of the tymes which endeuoured to wipe cleane out of remembrance of men the name that was so famous and renoumed in euery mans mouth did much profite hym In so much that both in his life tyme all thyng redounded to hys continuall renowme and in especially after hys decease nothing could be deuised more honourable then with so solemn furniture ceremonies to haue gone about to haue hurt the memorial of such a worthy man yet could not bryng to passe the thyng that was so sore coueted but rather broght that thing to passe which was chiefly sought to be auoyded For the desire that men haue of the dead hath purchased to many men euerlasting fame and hath not taken away immortalitie but rather amplified and increased the same By meanes whereof it commeth to passe that he that wil intreat of those things that pertaine to the prayse of Bucer after hys death can not chuse but speake of the crabbednesse of the tymes past vpō the which riseth a great encrease and augmentation of his prayse But his lyfe so excellently set foorth not onelye by the writyngs of the learned Clarkes Cheeke and Carre and by the liuely voyce of the right famous D. Haddon vttered in this place to the great admiration of all the hearers when his body should be layd into his graue to bee buried and after his buriall by the godly and most holye preachings of the right Reuerend father in Christ the Archbishop of Caunterbury that now is and of D. Redman the which for the worthinesse and excellencie of thē ought to stick longer in our mynds vnwrittē then many things that are penned and put in print but also by the great assembly of all the degrees of the Uniuersitie the same daye in bringyng hym to his graue and the nexte day after by the industry of euery man that was endued with any knowledge in the Greeke or Latine tongs of the which there was no man but set vp some Uerses as witnesses of hys iust and vnfeined sorrow vpon the wals of the Churche that neither at that tyme any reuerence or duety which is due to the dead departyng out of this lyfe was then ouerslipped or now remayneth vndone that may seeme to pertaine either to the celebratyng of the memoriall of so holy or famous a person or to the consecrating of hym to euerlastyng memory We at that tyme saw with our eyes this Uniuersitie flourishyng by his institutions the loue of sincere religion not onely engendred but also confirmed and strenghthened through his continuall and daily preachyng In so much that at such tyme as hee was sodainly taken from vs there was scarse any man that for sorrow could find in his hart to beare with the present state of this life but that either he wished with al his hart to depart out of this lyfe with Bucer into another by dieng to follow hym into immortality or els endeuoured hymselfe with weepyng and sighyng to call hym agayne beyng dispatched of all troubles into the prison of this body out of the whiche he is escaped lest he shuld leaue vs as it were standyng in battaile ray without a Captayne and he hymselfe as one casshed depart with hys wages or as one discharged out of the Campe withdraw hymselfe to the euerlasting quietnesse and tranquillitie of the soule Therefore all men euidently declared at that tyme both how sore they tooke hys death to hart and also how hardly they could away with the misture of such a man As long as the ardēt loue of his religion wherewyth we were inflamed florished it wrought in our hartes an incredible desire of hys presence among vs. But after the tyme that the godly man ceased to be any more in our sight and in our eies that ardent and burnyng loue of religion by little and little waxed cold in our myndes and according to the times that came after which were both miserable and to our vtter vndoyng it began not by little and little to be darkened but it altogether vanished away and turned into nothing For we tell agayne into the troublesomnesse of the popish doctrine the old rites customs of the Romish church were restored againe not to the garnishment beautifieng of the christian Religion as they surmised but to the vtter defacing violating defiling of the same Death was set before the eyes of such as perseuered in the christē doctrine that they had learned before They were banished the realm that could not apply themselues to the tyme do as other mē did such as remained were enforced either to dissēble or to hide themselues and creepe into corners or els as it were by drinking of the charmed cup of Circes to bee turned and altered not only from the nature of man into the nature of brute beasts but that far worse and much more monstrous is from the likenes of God his Angels into the likenes of deuils And all England was infected with this malady But I would to God the corruption of those tymes which ouerwhelmed all the whole realme had not at least wise yet pierced euery part member thereof Of the which there was not one but that besides the griefe that it felt with the residue of the body by reason of the sicknes contagion spred into the whole had some sorrow calamitie peculiarly by it selfe And to omit the rest of the which to entreat this place is not appointed nor the time requireth ought to be spoken this dwelling place of the Muses which we call the Uniuersitie may be
the should greatly offend the maiesty of God whose commaundement not to beare false witnesse they should in so doing breake and violate In the meane while that he was speaking these and many other thinges before his audience many of the vniuersity to set out and defend Bucer withall beset the walles of the Church and Church porche on both sides with verses some in Latine some in Greeke and some in English in the which they made a manifest declaration howe they were minded both toward Bucer and Phagius Finally when his Sermon was ended they made common Supplication and prayers After thankes rendred to God for many other thinges but in especially for restoring of the true and sincere religion euery man departed his way For as muche as mention hath beene made of the death of the worthy and famous Clerke Martin Bucer of the burning of his boanes after his death it shall not be vnfruitful as the place here serueth to induce the testimony or Epitaph of Doctor Redman which came not yet in print vpon the decease of that man ¶ The Epitaph or funerall verse of D. Redman vpon the death of Mayster Bucer ET tu liuor edax procul hinc abscede maligna facessito inuidentia Et procul hinc nemesis procul hinc Momus abesto labes luesque mentium Daemonibus similes homines quae redditis almam foedatis atque imaginem Quam nostro impressit generi pater ille supremus similes sui dum nos creat Contemptrix odij mendacis nescia fuci Adesto sancta Veritas Dicito quis qualisque elatum funere nuper quem vidimus tam flebili Est in quam misera hac defunctus luce Bucerus lux literati dux Chori Doctrinae radios qui totum solis ad instar misit per orbem splendidos Hunc dirae nuper sublatum vulnere mortis lugubre flet Gymnasium Et pullata gemit maerens schola Cantabrigensis orbata claro sydere Ergo quasi obstructo doctrinae fonte querelas precesque nunc fundit Agnoscit nunquam se talem habuisse magistrum ex quo sit olim condita Non vnquam Cathedrae gauisa est praeside tanto tam nobili claro duce Cuius ingenij doctrinae munera summum virtutis ornauerat decus Integritas morum grauitas prudentia sermo semper dei laudem sonans Et sale conditus qualem vult esse piorum Apostoli sententia Accessit zelus feruens praesule dignus peccata semper arguens Nunquam desidiae aut languori deditus vllum indulsit otium sibi Credibele est nimio fatum accelerasse labore prodesse cunctis dum studet Sed frustra laudes auguste carmine nitor tam copiosas claudere Ergo Bucere scholae suggestus gloria sacri valeto etiam vel mortuus Aeternum in superis foelix iam viuito regnis exutus etsi corporis Terrenis spolijs huius miseri atque caduci Quod est sepulchro conditum Christus depositum reddet cum foenore magno Iudex breui quum venerit ⧠The despightfull handling and madnesse of the papistes toward Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford taken vp froÌ„ her graue at the commaundement of Cardinall Poole and after buryed in a dunghill ANd because the one Uniuersity shoulde not mocke the other like crueltye was also declared vpon the deade body of Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford an honest graue and sober matrone while she liued and of poore people alwayes a great helper as many that be dwelling there can right well testify In the yeare of our Lord. 1552. she departed this life with great sorow of al those needy persoÌ„s whose necessities many times often she had liberally eased and relieued Now when Brokes Bishop of Glocester Nicholas Oâ—maner Datary Robert Morwen President of Corpus Christi Colledge Cole and Wright Doctors of the Ciuill Law came thither as the Cardinals visitours they among other thinges had in Commission to take vp this good woman agayne out of her graue and to consume her carkas with fire not doubting but that she was of the same religion that her husband had professed before wheÌ„ he read the Kinges lecture there And to make a shewe that they would do nothing disorderly they called al those before theÌ„ that had any acquayntance with her or her husband They ministred an othe vnto them that they should not conceale whatsoeuer was demaunded In fine theyr answere was that they knewe not what religion she was of by reason they vnderstood not her language To be shorte after these visitours had sped theyr busines they came for they 〈◊〉 them to the Cardinall agayne certifying him that vpon due inquisition made they could learne nothing vpon which by the law they might burne her Notwithstanding the cardinall did not leaue the matter so but wrote downe his Letters a good while after to Marshall then Deane of Frideswides that he should dyg her vp and lay her out of christian buriall because she was interred nigh vnto S. Frideswides relicks sometime had in great reuerence in that Colledge Doct. Marshal like a prety man calling his Spades and mattockes together in the euening when he was well whitled caused her to be taken vp and buryed in a dunghill Howbeit when it pleased God vnder good Queene Elizabeth to geue quietnes to his Church long time persecuted with prison and death then Doctour Parker Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Grindall Bishop of LoÌ„don Richard Goodricke with diuers other her Maiesties high Commissioners in matters Religion nothing ignoraunt howe farre the aduersaries of the trueth had transgressed the bouÌ„des of all humanity in violating the sepulchre or graue of that good and vertuous woman wylled certayne of that Colledge in the whiche this vncurteous touch was attempted and done to take her out of that vncleane dishonest place where she laye solemnely in the face of the whole towne to bury her agayne in a more decent honest monumeÌ„t For though of the body being once dead no great estimatioÌ„ were to be had how or where the bones were layde yet was some reuerence to be vsed toward her for sexe and womanhood sake Besides to saye the truth it was great shame that he which had trauelled so farre at king Edwardes request from the place wherin he dwelt quietly and had takeÌ„ so earnest paynes beyng an old man in reading and setting forth the truth al he could with learning to teach and instruct and so wel deserued of that Uniuersity should with so vngentle a recompence of ingratitude be rewarded agayne as to haue his wife that was a godly woman a strauÌ„ger good to many especially to the poore and hurtfull to none either in word or deede without iust deseruing beside theyr owne law not proceeding against her according to the order therof spitefully to be layd in a stincking dunghill To all good natures the fact seemed odious of suche as be
for lacke of knowledge oftentimes to fall into their crafty nettes For after they haue made them graunt a true Churche with the Sacraments of the same though not in such nūber as they would haue them and also that they were christened into the fayth thereof that is in the name of the Father of the Sonne and the holy Ghost they craftily now in the other their obiections descending as it were from the fayth of the Trinitie vnto theyr Idolatrous Masse other superstitious ceremonyes would make them grant that now in denying thereof they haue seuered thēselues from the fayth of the true Churche whereunto they were Baptised whiche is most false For though the true lyght of Gods Gospel holy word was marueilously darkned and in a maner vtterly extinguished yet the true fayth of the Trinitie by the mercifull prouidence of God was still preserued and into the fayth therof were we baptised and not into the beliefe and profession of their horrible Idolatry and vayne ceremonies These things not throughly wayed by these poore yet faythfull and true members of Christ caused some of them ignorauntly to graunt that when they came to the yeares of discretion and vnderstood the light of the Gospell they did seperate themselues from the fayth of the Church meaning none other but only to separate themselues from the admitting or allowing of such their popishe and erroneous trash as they now had defiled the church of christ wtall not from their fayth receiued in baptisme which in expres words in their aunsweres to the other articles they constātly affirmed declaring the Masse and sacrament of the aultar to be most wicked blasphemy agaynst Christ Iesus contrary to the truth of his Gospell and therfore vtterly they refused to assent and to be reconciled againe therunto These aunsweres in effect of them thus taken by the sayd Chauncellour they were for that time dismissed but the Bishop taking the matter into his owne handes the vi day of Marche propounded vnto them certayne other new articles the copy wherof followeth ¶ Other articles obiected by Boner Bi. of London agaynst Tho. Loseby Henry Ramsey Thomas Thyrtell Margaret Hide and Agnes Stanley the vi day of March being the second tyme of theyr examination 1. FIrst that thou hast thought beleued and spoken with in some part of the citie and Dioces of London that the fayth Religion and Ecclesiasticall seruice here obserued and kept as it is in the Realme of England is not a true and a laudable fayth Religion and seruice especially concerning the Masse and the 7. sacramentes nor is agreable to Gods worde testament that thou canst not finde in thy heart without murmuring grudging or scruple to receaue and vse it to conforme thy selfe vnto it as other subiectes of this realme customably haue done and doe 2. Item that thou hast thought c. that the english seruice set forth in the time of kinge Edwarde the vi here in thys Realme of England was and is good and godly Catholicke in all poynts and that it alone ought here in this realme to be receiued vsed and practised none other 3. Item likewise thou hast thought c. that thou art not bound to come to thy Parishe Churche there to be present and heare Mattins Masse Euensong and other Diuine seruice song or sayd there 4. Item thou hast thought c. that thou art not bound to come to procession to the Church vppon dayes and tymes appointed and to go in the same with others of the parish singing or saying then the accustomed prayers vsed in the Church nor to beare a taper or candel on Candelmas day nor take Ashes vppon Ashwednesday nor beare Palmes vpon Palme sonday not to creep to the crosse vpon daies accustomed nor to receiue and kisse the paxe at Masse time nor to receiue holy water or holy bread or to accept and allowe the ceremonies and vsages of the Churche after the maner and fashion as they are vsed in this realme 5. Item thou hast thought c. that thou art not bound at any time to confesse thy sinnes to any priest and to receiue absolution at his hands as Gods Minister not to receiue at any time the blessed sacrament of the aultar especiallye as it is vsed in this Church of England 6. Item thou hast thought c. that in matters of religion and fayth thou must follow and beleue thine own conscience onely and not to geue credite to the determination common order of the Catholicke Church the sea of Rome nor to any member therof 7. Item thou hast thought c. that all thinges do chance of an absolute and precise meere necessitie so that whether man do wel or euil he could not chuse but do so and that therfore no man hath any free will at all 8. Item thou hast thought c. that the fashiō and maner of Christening of infantes is not agreable to Gods word and that none can be effectually Baptised and thereby saued except he haue yeares of discretion to beleue himself so willingly accept or refuse Baptisme at his pleasure 9. Item thou hast thought c. That Prayers to Saints or Prayers for the dead are not auaylable and not allowable by Gods word or profitable in any wise and that the soules departed do straightwayes go to heauen or to hell or els do sleep till the day of dome so that there is no place of purgation at all 10. Itē thou hast thought c. that all such as in the tyme of king Hen. the viii or in time of Queene Mary of England haue bene burned as heretickes were no heretickes at all but faythfull and good Christian people especially Barnes Garret Ierome Frith Rogers Hooper Cardmaker Latimer Taylor Bradford Philpot Cranmer Ridley and such like and that thou diddest and doest allowe like and approue all their opinions doest mislike their condemnations and burninges 11. Item thou hast thought c. that fasting and prayers vsed in this Churche of England and the appoynting of dayes for fasting and the abstayning from flesh vpon fasting dayes and especially in the tyme of Lent is not laudable or allowable by Gods word but is hipocrisie foolishnes and that men ought to haue libertie to eate at all tymes all kindes of meate 12. Item thou hast thought c. that the sacrament of the aultar is an idoll and to reserue and keepe it or to honor it is playne idolatry and superstition and likewise of the masse and the eleuation of the sacrament 13. Item thou hast thought c. that thou or any els conuented before an Ecclesiasticall iudge concerning matters of beliefe and fayth art not nor is bound to make answer at all especially vnder an othe vpon a booke ¶ Their aunsweres to the Articles before obiected THeir aunsweres to these obiections were that as touching
the first second thyrd fourth fift ninth tenthe twelfth they generally graunted vnto sauing that they denyed the soules of the departed to sleepe til the day of iudgement as is mentioned in the ix article And as concerning the sixt obiection they thought thē selues bound to beleue the true Catholicke Church so far foorth as the same doth instructe them according to Gods holy word but not to follow the determinations of the erroneous and Babilonicall Church of Rome As for the seuenth eight and thirtenth they vtterly denyed that euer they were of any such absurde opinions as are contayned therein but they graunted that man of him selfe without the helpe and assistance of Gods spirite hath no power to do any good thing acceptable in Gods sight To the eleuenth they sayd that true fasting and prayer vsed according to Gods word are allowable and auaylable in his sight and that by the same word euery faythfull man may eate all meates at all times with thankesgeuing to God for the same After this the first day of Aprill were they agayne conuented before the Bishop in his palace at London where little appeareth to be done excepte it were to know whether they would stand to their aunsweres whether they would recant or no. But when they refused to recant and deny the receiued and infallible truthe the Byshop caused them to be brought into the open Consistory the third day of the same moneth of Aprill in the forenone where firste vnderstanding by them their immutable constauncye and stedfastnes he demaunded particularly of euery one what they had to say why he should not pronounce the Sentence of condemnation To whom Tho. Loseby firste aunswered God geue me grace and strength to stand agaynst you your Sentence also agaynst your law which is a deuouring law for it deuoureth the flocke of Christe And I perceiue there is no way with me but death except I would consent to your deuouring law and beleeue in that Idoll the Masse Next vnto him answered Thomas Thirtell saying my Lorde I say thus if you make me an hereticke then you make Christ and all the 12. Apostles heretickes for I am in the true fayth and right beliefe I will stand in it for I know full well I shall haue eternall lyfe therefore The Byshoppe then asked the lyke question of Henry Ramsey Who sayd agayne my Lord will you haue me to go from the truth that I am in I say vnto you that my opinions be the very truth which I will stand vnto and not go from them I say vnto you farther that there are two Churches vpon the earth and we meaning himselfe other true Martyrs and professours of Christ be of the true Church and ye be not Unto this question next aunswered Margaret Hide saying my Lord you haue no cause to giue Sentence agaynst me for I am in the true fayth and opinion will neuer forsake it I do wishe that I were more stronger in it then I am Last of all aunswered Agnes Stanley sayd I had rather euery heare of my head were burned if it were neuer so much worth then that I will forsake my fayth and opinion which is the true fayth The tyme being now spent they were commaunded to appeare agayne at afternoone in the same place which commaundement being obeyed the Bishop firste called for Loseby after his accustomed maner willed his Articles answeres to be read in reading thereof when mention was made of the Sacrament of the Aultar the Bishoppe with his Colleagues put of their cappes Whereat Loseby sayd my Lord seing you put of your cappe I will put on my cappe there withall did put on his cappe And after the Bishop continuing in his accustomable perswasions Loseby agayn sayd vnto him my Lorde I trust I haue the spirite of truth which you detest and abhorre for the wisdome of God is foolishnes vnto you Wherupon the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation agaynst him And deliuering him vnto the Sheriffe called for Margaret Hide with whō he vsed the like order of exhortatōs To whom notwithstanding she sayd I will not depart from my sayinges till I bee burned and my Lorde quoth she I would see you instruct me with some parte of Gods word not to geue me instructiōs of holybread and holy water for it is no part of the scripture But he being neither himselfe nor any of his able rightly to accomplish her request to make short worke vsed his final reason of conuincement which was of the sentence of condēnation And therfore leauing her off called for an other videl Agnes Stanley who vpon the Bishoppes like perswasions made this aunswere My Lord wher you say I am an heretick I am none neither yet will I beleue you nor any man that is wyse will beleue as you do And as for these that ye say bee burnt for heresie I beleue are true martyrs before God therefore I will not go from my opinion and fayth as long as I liue Her talk thus ended she receaued the like reward that the other had And the bishop then turning his tale maner of inticement vnto Thomas Thyrtel receiued of him likewise this finall aunswere My Lord I will not holde with youre Idolatrous wayes as you do for I saye the Masse is Idolatry and will sticke to my fayth and beliefe so long as the breath is in my body Upon which wordes he was also condemned as an hereticke Last of all was Henry Rāsey demanded if he would as the rest stand vnto his aunsweres or els recanting the same come home agayn and be a member of their church Whereunto he aunswered I will not go from my religiō and belief as long as I liue and my Lord quoth he your doctrine is naught for it is not agreable to Gods worde * The cruell burning of 5. Martyrs in Smithfield Three burned in Sainct Georges field in Southwarke AFter these moreouer in the month of May followed 3. other that suffered in S. Georges field in Southwark William Morant Stephen Gratwicke with one king Among other histories after the persecuted and condemned saintes of God I find the condemnation of none more straunge nor vnlawfull thē of this Stephen Gratwicke Who first was condemned by the byshopp of Wynchester and the byshop of Rochester which where not hys Ordinaryes Secondly when he did appeale from those imcompetēt Iudges to hys right Ordinary his appeale coulde not be admitted Thirdly when they had no other shifte to colour theyr inordinate proceedings with all they suborned one of the priestes to come in for a counterfayt and a false Ordinary and sit vpon him Fourthly being openly conuinced and ouerturned in his own argumentes yet the sayd Byshop of Winchester D. White neyther would yeald to the force of trueth nor suffer any of the audience assistant once to say God strengthen him Fiftly as
they brought in a false Ordinarye to sit vpon him so they pretended false articles agaynst him whiche were no part of his examinations but of their deuising to haue his bloud Sixtly and lastly hauing no other groūd nor iust matters agaynst him but onely for saying these wordes that which I sayd I haue sayde they red the sentence of death vpon him And this was the dealing of these men whiche needes will be reputed for Catholicke fathers of the spirituality succeders of the Apostles disciples of Christ pillers of the holy Churche and leaders of the people Of whose doynges and proceedinges howe agreable they are to the example of Christ and his Apostles I leaue to discusse referryng the iudgement hereof to them which know the institution of Christes religion and doctrine Now least peraduēture the disordered misrule of these Christmas Lordes will not be credited vppon the simple narration of the story yee shall heare the whole discourse of this processe registred by the hand of the Martyr hymselfe who as he could tell best what was done so I am sure would not testifie otherwise then trueth was according as you shall heare by his owne declaration here following ¶ The declaration of Steuen Gratwicke concerning his owne story and condemnation VPon the xxv day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1557. I. Stephen Gratwick came before the Bishop of Winchester D. White into S. Georges Churche in Southwarke at eight of the clocke in the morning and then hee called me before him and sayd vnto me B. Winchester Stephen Gradwick how standeth the matter with thee now Art thou contented to reuoke thy heresies the which thou hast mayntayned and defended here within my Dioces oftentimes before me and also vppon Sonday last ye stoode vp in the face of the whole Churche mayntayning your heresies so that you haue offended with in the libertie of my Dioces and now I being your Ordinary you must aunswere to me directly whether you will reuoke them or not the which I haue here in writing and if so be that you wil not reuoke them then I will excommunicate you and therefore note well what you doe for now I read here the Articles agaynst you And so whē he had ended he bad me answer vnto them Grat. My Lord these articles whiche you haue here obiected agaynst me are not mine but of youe owne making For I neuer had any of mine examinations written at any time and therefore these be the obiections that you laye agaynst me as a snare to get my bloud Wherefore I desyer your lawfull fauour to allow my lawfull appeale vnto myne Ordinary for I haue nothing to do with you And whereas you do burden me that I haue offended within your Dioces it is nothing so for I haue not interprised neyther to preache nor teache within your Dioces but was apprehended by mine own Bishop sent prisoner into your Dioces by the consent of the Coūsell mine own Ordinary therefore I so being in your Dioces you haue no cause to let my lawfull appeale And with that there came the Bishop of Rochester was receaued at the B. of Winchesters hands with much gladnes according to their determinate purpose before inuented And so followed the Archdeacon of Canterbury And then the Bishop agayne start vp as a man halfe rauished of his wittes for ioye embracing him with many gētle wordes and sayd that he was very glad of his comming making himselfe ignorant thereof as he thought it should appeare to me Then sayd Winchester B. Win. Syr I am very glad of your cōming For here I haue one before me who hath appealed vnto you being his Ordinary Then sayd the Archdeacon of Canterbury Arch. Cant. I know this man very well He hath bene diuers times before me And then I aunswered and sayd Gratw My Lorde I am not of his Dioces not by fiue miles for his Dioces reacheth on that parties but to the Cliffes of Lewes I dwelled at Bright Hempson fiue miles beyond in the Dioces of the Bishop of Chichester and therefore I am not of his Dioces Then the the Bishop of Winchester the B. of Rochester and the Archdeacon of Canterbury cast their heades together laughed and thē they sayd my Ordinary wold be here by and by so they sent forth for a counterfayte in steede of mine Ordinary and then I saw them laugh and I spake vnto them and sayd Grat. Why do ye laugh are ye confederate together for my bloud and therein triumph you haue more cause to looke waightely vpon the matter For I stand here before you vpon life and death But you declare youre selues what you are for you are lapped in Lambes apparell but I would to God ye had coates according to your assemblye here which is scarlet gownes for I do here perceiue you are bent to haue my bloud And then came rushing in their counterfayted Bishop who was the hyred seruaunt to deliuer me into the hands of the high Priest the Bishop hearyng him come with haste enquired of his man who was there and he sayd my lord of Chichester Then the Bish. with hast rose vp and sayd Wint. Ye are most hartily welcome and required him to sit downe and then sayd the Bishop of Winchester to me Loe here is your Ordinary What haue you nowe to saye vnto him Grat. I haue nothing to say vnto him If he haue nothing to say vnto me I pray you let me depart Then aunswered my Counterfeyt Ordinary and sayd Counterf Here you stand before my Lords and me in triall of your fayth and if you bring the trueth wee shall by compulsion geue place vnto you as it is to be proued by the word and your doctrine to be heard and placed for a truth Grat. Then I demaunded of him whether hee meant by authoritie or by the iudgement of the spirite of GOD in his members And he aunswered me by authoritie as well as by the spirite Grat. Then I sayd Nowe will I turne your own Argument vpon you for Christ came before the high priests Scribes and Phariseis bringing the truth with him beyng the very truth hymselfe which truth cannot lye yet both he and his truth was condemned and took no place with them And also the Apostles and all the Martyrs that dyed since Christ therefore I turne your owne argument vpon you aunswere it if you can Counterf Then he with a great hast of coller sayd vnto the Bishop of Winchester obiect some Articles agaynst hym for he is obstinate and would fayne get out of our handes therefore holde him to some particular so that other aunswere could I not haue of his argument Wint. Then the Bishop of Winchester began to reade hys obiections of his owne making agaynst me and bad me aunswere vnto them And I sayd Grat. No except you would set the law apart because I see you are
these examinations thus had and commensed betwene Richard Woodman and the Bishops he was as is afore told iudged by sentence of cōdēnation and so depriued of his life with whom also was burned 9. other to wit fiue men and foure women which were takē not past two or three dayes before theyr iudgement The names of all which being also before expressed here agayne folow in this order Richard Woodman George Steuēs William Maynard Alexander Hosman his seruant Thomasine a Wood his mayde Margerye Moris Iames Moris her sonne Denis Burgis Ashdownes wife Groues wife These persons here aboue named and blessed martyrs were put to death at Lewes the xxij of Iune ¶ The burning of x. Martyrs at Lewes Of the which number the viij last were apprehend as is sayd either the same daye or the second or third day before and so with the sayd Woodman and Steuēs were together committed to the fire in which space no writ could come downe from London to the Iustices for theyr burning Wherfore what is to be said to such Iustices or what reckoning they wil make to God and to the lawes of this Realme I referre that to them that haue to do in the matter The like whereof is to be found also of other Iustices who without any lawfull writte of discharge or order of law haue vnlawfully and disorderly burnt the seruantes of Christ whhose bloud the lawe both may and also ought to reuenge especially at Salisbury and also at Canterbury and Garnesey But concerning these matters though mans law do wincke or rather sleep at them yet they shall be sure Gods law wil find such murderers out at length I pray God the doers may repent betime ¶ One Ambrose dyed in Maydstone prison AFter these x. aboue named burnt at Lewes aboute the same time and moneth one Ambrose dyed in Maydstone prison who els should haue bene burned in the like cause and quarell as the other were The condemnation and Martyrdome of Richard Lush IN the Registers of Gilbert Bishop of Bathe Welles I finde a certificate made to K. Philip and Q. Mary of one Richard Lush there condemned geuen to the secular power to be burned for the cause of heresy whose affirmations in the sayde certificate he expressed in tenour and effect as foloweth FIrst for denying the verity of the body bloud of christ in the Sacrament of the Aultar 2 Item for denying auricular confessiō to be made to the Priest 3 Item for affirming onely to be three sacramēts to wit of baptisme of the supper and of matrimony 4 Item for refusing to call the Lordes Supper by the name of the Sacrament of the aulter 5 Item for denying Purgatory and that prayer almes profite not the dead 6 Item that Images are not to be suffered in the church and that all that kneele to Images at the Church be Idolators 7 Item that they which were burnt of late for religiō died Gods seruants and good Martyrs 8 Item for condemning the single life of Priestes and other votaries 9. Item for denying the vniuersall and catholicke church meaning belike the Church of Rome For these assertions as there are expressed he was cōdemned and committed to the Sheriffes and also a certificat directed by the Bishop aforesayd to the king and Q. Whereby we haue apparantly to vnderstand that the said Richard Lush thus condemned by Bishop Borne was there burnt and executed vnlesse peraduenture in the mean season he dyed or was made away in the prison wherof I haue no certeinty to expresse A note of Iohn Hullier Minister and Martyr burned at Cambridge COncerning the story of Iohn Hullier Martyr partly mentioned before pag. 1864. for the more ful declaratiō of the death and martirdome of that good man because the story is but rawly and imperfectly touched before for the more perfetting thereof I thought thereunto to adde that which since hath come to my hand as foloweth First Iohn Hullier was brought vp at Eaton colledge and after according to the foūdation of that house for that he was ripe for the vniuersitye he was elected scholer in the kinges colledge where also not tarying full the 3. yeares of probation before he was felow of the Colledge he after a litle season was one of the x. Conductes in the kinges colledge which was an 1539. Then at length in processe of time he came to be Curate of Babrame 3. miles from Cābridge and so went afterward to Linne where he hauing diuers conflictes with the papistes was from thence caried to Ely to D. Thuriby then bishop there who after diuers examinations sent him to Cambridge Castle where he remayned but a while From thence he was conueyed to the town prison cōmonly called the Tolboth lying there almost a quarter of a yere while at lēgth he was cited to appeare at great S. Maries on Palmsonday euē before diuers Doctors both Diuines Lawyers amongest whō was chiefest Doctor Shaxton also Doct. Young D. Sedgewike Doct. Scot Mitch and others Where after examination had for that he would not recant he was first condemned the sentence being read by D. Fuller Then consequētly he was disgraded after their popish maner with scraping crowne and handes When they had disgraded him he sayd cherefully this is the ioyfullest day that euer I saw and I thank ye all that ye haue deliuered and lightened me of all this paltry In the meane time whilest it was doyng one standing by asked Hullier what book he had in his hand Who aunswered a testamēt Wherat this man in a rage tooke it and threw it violently frō him Thē was he geuen ouer to the secular powers Brasey being Maior who carying him to prison agayne took from him all his bookes writinges papers On Maundy Thursday comming to the stake he exhorted the people to pray for him after holding his peace and praying to himselfe one spake to him saying the Lord strenthē thee Wherat a Sergeant named Brisley stayed bad him hold his toung or els he should repent it Neuerthelesse Hullier answered and sayd either thus or very like the effect was all one frende I truste that as God hath hitherto begon so also he will strengthen me finish his work vpō me I am bidden to a Maundy whether I trust to goe there to be shortly God hath layd the foundation and I by his ayd will end it Then goyng to a stoole prepared for hym to sit on to haue his hosen plucked of he desired the people to pray for him agayne and also to beare witnesse that he dyed in the right faith and that he would seale it with his bloud certifying them that he dyed in a iust cause and for the testimony of the verity and truth that there was no other rocke but Iesus Christ to builde vpon vnder whose banner he fought and whose souldiour he was and yet speaking he turned
fantastically as you teach vs to take them for then should we conspire with certaine heretickes called the Nestorians for they denie that Christ hadde a true naturall body and so me thinke you doe my Lord. If you wil affirm his body to be there as you say he is then must you needes also affirme that it is a fantasticall bodye and therfore looke to it for Gods sake and let these wordes go before Take yee and eate ye without which wordes the rest are sufficient but when the worthy receiuers do take and eat euen then is fulfilled the words of our Sauiour vnto him or euery of them that so receiueth Boner Ah I see well thou canste not vnderstand these woordes I will shewe thee a Parable If I should set a peece of beefe before thee and say eate is it no beefe And then take part of it away send it to my cooke and he shal change the fashion thereof and make it looke like breade What wouldest thou saye that it were no Beefe because it hath not the fashion of beefe Rafe Let me vnderstand a little further my Lorde shall the Cooke adde nothing therunto nor take nothing there from Boner What is that to the matter whether he do or no so long as the shape is changed into an other likenesse Rafe Ah will you so my Lord your Sophistrie will not serue the truth wil haue the victorie neuerthelesse as Esay sayth He that restraineth himselfe from euill must be spoyled And Amos hath suche like woordes also For the wise must be faine to holde their peace so wicked a time it is sayth he Neuertheles he that can speake the truth and will not shall geue a strait accounts for the same A Doctor By my Lords leaue here me thinks thou speakest like a foole Wilt thou be a iudge of the scripture Nay thou must stand to learne and not to teache for the whole congregation hath determined the matter long agoe A priest No by your leaue we haue a Church and not a congâ—egation You mistake that worde master Doctor Rafe Then sayd I to my fellowe prisoners standing by My brethren doe yee not heare howe these men helpe one an other Let vs doe so also But we neuer came all in together after that time but seuerallye one after an other Then was I caried away for that time The xix daye of May I was brought before the Bishop of Rochester and Chichester with others B Rochest Were you a companion of George Eagles otherwise called Trudgeouer My Lord of London telleth me that you were his fellow companion Rafe I know him very well my Lord. Rochest By my faith I had him once and then hee was as dronke as an Ape for he stonke so of drinke that I coulde not abide him and so sent him away Rafe My Lorde I dare saye you tooke your markes amisse It was either your selfe or some of your own companie for he did neither drinke Wine Ale nor Beere in a quarter of a yeare before that time and therefore it was not he forsooth The rest of mine examinations you shal haue when I am condemned if I can haue any time after my comming into Newgate the which I trust shall touch the matter a great deale more plainly for the pithie matters are yet vnwrytten Thus fare you well good frendes all Yea I say farewel for euer in this present world Greete yee one an other and be ioyfull in the Lord. Salute the good widowes among you with all the rest of the congregation in Barfold Dedham and Colchester This promise of hys being either not perfourmed for that he might not thereto be permitted or els if he did wryte the same not comming to my hands I am faine in the rest of his examinations to follow the only report of the Register who witnesseth that the 15. day of May. An. 1557. in the Byshops palace at London he was examined vppon certaine interrogatories the contents wherof be these FIrst that he was of the parish of Muchbentley and so of the Diocesse of London Secondly that the 10. daye of Ianuarie then last past M. Iohn Morant preaching at Paules the said Rafe Allerton did there openly submit himselfe vnto the Churche of Rome with the rites and Ceremonies thereof Thirdly that he did consent and subscribe aswell vnto the same submission as also to one other bil in the which he graunted that if he should at any time turn againe vnto his former opinions it shoulde be then lawfull for the Bishop immediately to denounce and adiudge hym as an hereticke Fourthly that he had subscribed to a bill wherein hee affirmed that in the sacrament after the woordes of consecration be spokâ—n by the Priest there remaineth still materiall bread and materiall wine and that he beleueth that the bread is the breade of thankesgeuing and the memoriall of Christes death and that when he receiueth it he receiueth the body of Christ spiritually in his soule but materiall bread in substaunce Fiftly that he had openly affirmed and also aduisedly spoken that which is contained in the sayde former fourth article last before specified Sixthly that hee hadde spoken against the Bishop of Rome wyth the Church and Sea of the same and also against the seuen Sacraments and other Ceremonies and ordinaunces of the same Churche vsed then wythin thys Realme Seuenthly that hee had allowed and commended the opinions and faith of M. Cranmer Ridley Latimer and others of late burned within this Realme and beleeued that theyr opinions were good and godly Eightly that he hadde diuers times affirmed that the religion vsed within this realme at the time of his apprehension was neither good nor agreeable to Gods woord and that he coulde not conforme himselfe thereunto Ninthly that he had affirmed that the booke of Common prayer sette foorth in the raigne of king Edward the vj. was in all partes good and godly and that the sayd Rafe and his company prisoners did daily vse amongst themselues in prison some part of the booke Tenthly that hee had affirmed that if hee were out of prison he would not come to Masse Mattins nor Euensong nor beare Taper Candle or Palme nor goe in procession nor would receiue holy water holy breade ashes or paxe or any other ceremonie of the Churche then vsed within this Realme Eleuenthly that he had affirmed that if he were at libertie he would not confesse his sinnes to any Priest nor receiue absolution of him nor yet would receiue the Sacrament of the altar as it was then vsed Twelfly that he had affirmed that praying to saints and prayers for the deade were neither good nor profitable and that a man is not bounde to fast and praye but at his owne wil and pleasure neither that it is lawful to reserue the Sacrament or to woorship it Thirtenthly that the sayd Allerton hath according to these his affirmations abstained refused to come vnto his parishe Churche euer
faythfull Christian man and a good subiecte of this Realme of England behaued himselfe in wordes and deedes in diuers conditions and poyntes contrarye to the order Religion and fayth of Christes Catholicke church and contrary to the order of this Realme to the pernicious and euill example of the inhabitauntes of the City of London and the prisoners of the prison of the sayd Counter in the Poultry and greatly to the hurt dammage of his owne soule offending especially in the Artiles followyng By reason whereof the sayde Richard Gibson was and is of the iurisdiction of the sayde Byshoppe of London and subiect to the sayd iurisdiction to make aunsweare to his offences and transgression vnder written according to the order of the law 2. Secondly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath vnreuerentlye spoken agaynste the Pope and Sea and Churche of Rome and likewise agaynst the whole Church of this Realme of Englande and agaynst the seuen Sacramentes of the Catholicke and whole Churche of Christendome and agaynst the Articles of the Christian fayth here obserued in this Realme of England and agaynst the commendable and laudable Ceremonies of the Catholicke Church 3. Thirdly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath commended allowed defended and liked both Cranmer Latimer Ridley and also all other heretickes here in this Realme of Englande according to the Ecclesiasticall lawes condemned for heretickes and also liked all their hereticall and erroneous damnable and wicked opinions especially agaynst the Sacrament of the aultar and the authority of the Pope and Sea of Rome with the whole Religion therof 4 Fourthly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath coÌ„forted ayded assisted and mainteined both by words and otherwise hereticks and erroneous persons or at the least suspected and infamed of heresies and errors condemned by the Catholicke Churche to continue in their hereticall and erroneous opinions aforesayde fauouring and counselling the same vnto his power 5. Fifthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed and sayde that the Religion and Fayth commonly obserued kepte and vsed now here in this Realme of Englande is not good and laudable nor in any wise agreable vnto Gods word and commaundement 6. Sixtly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that the English seruice and the bookes commonly called the bookes of communion or common prayer here set forth in this Realme of Englande in the time of K Edwarde the sixt were in all partes and poyntes good and godlye and that the same onely and no other ought to be obserued and kept in this Realme of England 7. Seuenthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that if he may once be out of prison and at liberty he will not come to any parish church or ecclesiasticall place to heare Mattins Masse EueÌ„song or any diuine seruice now vsed in this Realme of Englande nor come to procession vpon times and dayes accustomed nor beare at any time any Taper or Candle nor receiue at any tyme Ashes nor beare at anye time Palme nor receiue Pax at Masse time nor receiue holy water nor holy bread nor obserue the ceremonies or vsages of the Catholicke Church here obserued or kept commonly in this realme of England 8. Eightly that the said Gibson hath affirmed that he is not bouÌ„d at any time though he haue liberty and the presence of a Priest conuenient and meete to confesse his sinnes to the sayd Prieste nor to receiue absolution of his sinnes at his handes nor to receiue of him the sacrament commonly called the Sacramente of the aultar after such foâ—me as is now vsed within this Realme of England 9. Ninthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that prayer vnto Sayntes or prayers for the dead are not laudable auayleable or profitable and that no man is bound at any time or in any place to fast or pray but onely at his owne will and pleasure and that it is not lawful to reserue or keepe the sayd sacrament of the aultar nor in any wise to adore and worship it The greatest matter whiche hee was charged withall was for not comming to Confession being thereunto required for not receiuing of the sacramentes of the Popysh making and for that he would not sweare to answere vnto theyr interrogatoryes layd agaynst him Notwithstanding after these his first examinations he continued in the aforesayde Prison of the Counter a good space from the moneth of May vnto Nouember at what time he was agayne produced vnto the finall examinatioÌ„ iudiciary Where is to bee noted that M. Gibson being a very big and talle man of a personable and heroycall stature was sent for of Boner by a little and short person a promoter like Robin Papiste called Robin Caley if it were not he himselfe This Robin Caley hauing the conducting of the sayde Gentleman from the Pultry would needes hale him thorow Chepeside the gentleman desiring him to turne some other waye But the more the Gentleman entreated the more fierce was the sely iack vpon him and drawing and holding him by the arme woold needes hale him through the high street that the all world might see what he coulde do in his office M. GibsoÌ„ desirous to be led without holding willed and entreated him to let his arme loose he would go quietly of his accord with him whether he would onely crauing that he might go by him freely without noting of the people The saucy and impotent miser the Promoter hearing this who was scarse able to reach vnto his shoulders nay sayth he thou shalt not escape me so come on thy wayes Thou shalt not choose but come so reaching at his arme would needes drag him vnto the Byshop The Gentleman content to goe yet loth to be notified in the streetes gently requested agayne and agayne that reâ—rayning hys hold he would suffer him to goe of his owne free and voluÌ„tary will he should not neede to feare him for he would not start froÌ„ him To whom the Caytiff looking vp to his face Come on thy way sayth he I wil hold thee fast spite thy beard and whether thou wilt or no. Mayster Gibson seing and beholding the intollerable bragging of the wretched miser and moued therwith not a little could beare no longer but sayd Wilt thou sayd he and addeth moreouer bitterlye looking downe towardes hym that if he dyd not incontinentlye plucke awaye hys hand and so stayed withall he would immediatly wring his necke from his body Whereupon Robin Papist the Promoter was fayne to plucke awaye his holde and so proceeded they vnto the Bishop there to bee examined agayne before him After this an other day being assigned him to appeare agayne muche talke past betweene him and Darbyshyre then Chauncellour But in fine being required to sweare that he should aunswere vnto all they would demaund he denyed to aunswere vnto all thinges the Bishops should commaund hym as Ordinary for he is not sayeth he mine Ordinary and so bidde him goe tell the Byshoppe Before the which Byshoppe he
wiues as long as they liue Yea I know some priestes very deuout my Lorde yet suche as haue 6. or 7. children by 4. or 5. sundry women M. Doctor now to your antiquitie vnitie vniuersalitie for these D. Chedsey alledged as notes and tokeÌ„s of theyr religion I am vnlearned I haue no sophistrie to shifte my reasons withall but the truthe I trust I haue which nedeth no painted colours to set her forth The antiquitie of our church is not from pope Nicolas or Pope Ioane but our church is from the beginning euen from the time that God saide vnto Adam that the seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head and so to faithfull Noe to Abraham Isaac and Iacob to whoÌ„ it was promised that their seede should multiply as the starres in the skie and so to Moses Dauid all the holy fathers that were froÌ„ the beginning vnto the birth of our sauior Christ. All they that beleeued these promises were of the church though the number were oftentimes but few small as in Helias daies wheÌ„ he thought there was none but he that had not bowed their knees to Baal wheÌ„ God had reserued 7000. that neuer had bowed their knees to that idoll as I trust ther be vij C.M. more then I know of that haue not bowed their knees to yâ— idol your masse and your god Maâ—zim the vpholding wherof is your blody cruelty whiles you daily persecute Helias the seruants of God forcing them as Daniell was in his chamber closely to serue the Lord their God and euen as we by this your cruelty are forced in the fields to pray vnto God that his holy worde may be once againe truely preached amongst vs and that he would mitigate and shorten these idolatrous bloudy daies wherin all cruelty raigneth Moreouer our church haue ben the Apostles and Euangelists the Martyrs and Confessors of Christ that haue at all times and in all ages bene persecuted for the testimonye of the woorde of God But for the vpholding of your church and religion what antiquitie can you shew Yea the Masse that idol chiefe piller of your religion is not yet iiij C. yeres olde some of your masses are younger as that masse of S. Thomas Becket the traitor wherein you pray that you may be saued by the bloude of S. Thomas And as for your Latine seruice what are we of the laitie the better for it I thinke he that should hear your priests mumble vp their seruice although he did well vnderstand latine yet should he vnderstand few words therof the priests do so champ them and chaw them posteth so fast that neither they vnderstande what they say nor they that heare them and in the meane time the people when they should praye wyth the priest are set to their beads to pray our ladies Psalter So crafâ—ie is Sathan to deuise these his dreames which you defend with fagot and fire to quench the light of the word of God which as Dauid saieth shoulde be a lanterne to our seete And againe wherin shall a yong man direct his waies but by the woorde of God and yet you will hide it from vs in a toung vnknowen S. Paul had rather in the church to haue 5. wordes spoken with vnderstaÌ„ding then x. M. in an vnknowen toung and yet wil you haue your Latin seruice and praying in a strange toung wherof the people are vtterly ignorant to be of such antiquitie The Greke church a good part of Christendom besides neuer receiued your seruice in an vnknowen tounge but in theyr owne natural language which al the people vnderstand neither yet your transubstantiation your receiuing all alone your purgatorie your images c. As for the vnitie which is in your churche what is it els but treason murther poysoning one an other idolatrie superstition wickednesse What vnitie was in youre church when there was iij. Popes at once Where was your head of vnitie when you had a woman Pope Here he was interrupted and could not be suffered to proceede but sayth the Bishop Roger these thy woordes are very blasphemie and by the meanes of thy friendes thou haste bene suffered to speake and art ouer malepert to reache any heere Therefore keeper take him away The second examination of Roger Holland THe day that Henrye Ponde and the rest were brought foorth to be againe examined D. Chedsey said Roger I trust you haue nowe better considered of the Churche then you did before Holland I coÌ„sider this much That out of the church there is no saluation as diuers ancient Doctors say Boner That is wel sayd M. Egleston I trust your kinsman wil be a good catholicke maÌ„ But Roger you meane I trust the church of Rome Holland I meane that church which hath Christ for her head which also hath his word and his Sacraments according to his woord and institution Chedsey Then Chedsey interrupted him and said is that a Testament you haue in your hand Holland Yea M. doctor it is the new Testament You wil finde no fault with the traÌ„slation I thinke It is of your owne translation it is according to the great Bible Boner Howe saye you Howe doe you knowe it is the Testament of Christ but onely by the Churche For the Churche of Rome hathe and doeth preserue it and oute of the same hathe made Decrees Ordinaunces and true expositions No saith Roger the church of Rome hath and doeth suppresse the reading of the Testament And what a true exposition I pray you did the Pope make thereof when he set his foote on the Emperours necke and sayde Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and the Aspe the yong Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy foote Then said the bishop Such vnlearned wilde heads as thou and other woulde be expositours of the Scripture Woulde you then the auncient learned as there be some heere aswell as I should be taught of you Holland Youth delighteth in vanitie My wildnesse hathe bene somewhat the more by your Doctrine then euer I learned ouâ— of this booke of God But my Lorde I suppose some of the old doctors say If a poore lay man bring his reason and argument out of the woorde of God he is to be credited afore the learned thoughe they be neuer so great doctors For the gift of knowledge was taken from the learned doctors and giuen to pore fishermen Notwtstandâ—ng I am ready to be instructed by the church Boner That is very well said Roger. But you must vnderstand that the church of Rome is the catholicke Churche Roger for thy friendes sake I promise thee I wish thee well and I meane to doe thee good Keeper see he wante nothing Roger if thou lacke any money to pleasure thee I will see thou shalt not want This hee spake vnto hym alone his fellowes being aparte with manye other faire promises and so he was sent to prison againe The last examination of
do vs. But this I dare be bold in God to speake which by his spirit I am moued to say that God will shorten your hand of cruelty that for a time you shal not molest his church And this shal you in short time well perceiue my deare brethrē to be most true For after this day in this place shall there not be anye by hym put to the triall of fire and fagot And after this daye there was neuer none that suffered in Smithfielde for the testimonie of the gospell God be thanked After these woordes spoken saith Boner Roger thou art I perceiue as madde in these thy heresies as euer was Ioan Butcher In anger and fume thou woldest become a railing Prophet Thoughe thou and all the sorte of you would see me hanged yet I shall liue to burne yea I wil burne all the sort of you that come in my handes that wil not worship the blessed sacrament of the altare for all thy pratling and so he went his way Then Roger Holland began to exhort his frendes to repentance and to thinke wel of them that suffered for the testimonie of the Gospel and with that the B. came back charging the keeper that no man shoulde speake to them without his licence and if they did they should be cōmitted to prison In the meane season H. Pond and Roger spake stil vnto the people exhorting them to stande in the truthe adding moreouer that God woulde shorten those cruel and euil daies for his elect sake The day they suffred a proclamation was made that none should be so bold to speake or talke any word vnto them or receiue any thing of them or to touche them vpō payne of imprisonment without either bale or mainprise wyth diuers other cruell threatninge woordes contained in the same Proclamation Notwithstanding the people cryed out desiring God to strengthen them and they likewyse still praied for the people and the restoring of his woorde At length Roger embracing the stake and the reedes said these woordes Lord I most humbly thanke thy Maiestie that thou hast called mee from the state of death vnto the lighte of thy heauenlye worde and nowe vnto the fellowship of thy Sainctes that I may sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God of hoastes And Lord into thy handes I commit my spirite Lord blesse these thy people and saue them from Idolatrie and so ended his life looking vp into heauen praying and praising God with the rest of his fellowe Sainctes For whose ioyfull constancie the Lord be praised The Martyrdome of vj. which suffered at Brainforde for the true testimonie of Iesus Christ. NOt long after the death of the fore named vij godlye Martyrs that suffered in Smithfielde were vj. other faithfull witnesses of the Lordes true Testament Martyred at Braynforde vij miles from London the xiiij day of Iuly 1558. which sayd sixe were of that companie that were apprehended in a close harde by Islington as is aboue specified and sent to prisone Whose names and articles proponed to them with their answers vnto the same hereafter followeth Robert Milles. Stephen Corton Robert Dynes Stephen Wight Iohn Slade William Pikes or Pikers a Tanner These vj. forenamed Martyrs gentle Reader hadde their articles ministred to them by Thomas Darbishire Boners Chancellor at sundrye times as Robert Mules the 20. day of Iune Stephen Wight the 21. day of the said moneth Ste. Cotton and Iohn Slade the 22. day Robert Dines and William Pikes the 23. day At which said times though they were seuerally examined yet had they all one maner of articles ministred to them yea th◠selfe same Articles that were ministred to Iohn Holiday Hēry Pond and their companie aforesayd Which sayde articles I leaue the reader to looke for in page 1967. and think it not necessarye anye more to rehearse them but onely to proceede with their aunsweres to the same which briefly and in summe hereafter followeth The answeres of the forenamed persons to the Articles aforesayd 1 TO the first Article they all graunted the same and added thereto for going to Church that Robert Milles and Stephen Wight came not there for 3. quarters of a yere before and Iohn Slade William Pikes not since the Queenes raigne Stephen Cotten not for a twelue moneth before and Rob. Dynes not for two yeares before The 2.3.4.5 and 6 Articles they all answeared in effecte as the forenamed Iohn Holiday Henry Ponde and their companye did pag. 1931 sauing they added that as their rites customes ceremonies are against the worde of God so will they obserue and keepe no parte of the same Stephen Wight added further that he receiued not their Sacrament of the aultar for two yeres before nor Iohn Slade and William Pikes since Queene Maries raigne nor Stephen Cotton for a twelue moneth before nor Robert Dines for three yeres before To the 7. article they all graunted the same in euerye parte like vnto the aforenamed Henry Pond and his companye page 1931 sauing Rob. Dines added that it was no part of his beliefe To the 8. Article they all graunted the same in euery part as the forenamed William Holliday and his companye page 193◠but Robert Milles added therto that he wil not come to church nor allowe their religion so long as the crosse is crepte too and worshipped and Images are in the Church Iohn Slade affirmed in effecte as Robert Milles did adding further that there be not 7. Sacraments but 2. Sacraments which is Baptisme the Supper of the Lord. Stephen Cotton woulde no further allowe the Popish religion then it agreeth with Gods woorde and Robert Dines affirmed in effect the like to Stephen Cotton also To the 9. and 10 articles Robert Milles Iohn Slade Steuen Cotton answered that they do not allow the popish seruice then set foorth because it is against the truthe and in a straunge language which the common people vnderstand◠not Robert Dines and William Pikes will neither allow nor disallowe the Latine seruice because they vnderstād it not And Steuen Wight would make no directe aunswer to the articles at all and to the 11.12.13 and 14. articles we finde no answeres recorded of the said Steuen Wight but of the rest of his fellowe prisoners wee finde answers to those articles which hereafter followe To the 11. article Robert Milles Iohn Slade and Steuen Cotton answered that concernīg the bookes faith and religion specified in this article they doe allowe them so farre foorth as they agree with Gods word c. Robert Dines would make no answer thereto because he thoughte himselfe vnmeete to iudge thereof and William Pikes doeth not remember that hee hathe misliked the seruice and the faith and religion set foorth in king Edward the sixt his time To the 12. they graunt that if they might receiue the sacrament as they did in king Edward the sixt daies they would with all their heart so doe To
away with him Then Iohn Hurst went after them desiring that he mighte haue the booke which the Priest found no fault with but he sayd they should aunswere to them both and which so euer was the better was not good As this past on when the time was come that Ieffrey Hurst and his sister shoulde be examined the Iustice sent for them betimes in the morning had prepared a masse to beginne withall asking Ieffrey Hurst if he would first go and see his maker and theÌ„ he would talke further with him To whom then Ieffrey answered and sayd Syr my Maker is in heauen and I am assured in goyng to your Masse I shall finde no edification thereby and therefore I pray you hold me excused Well well sayd he I perceiue I shall finde you an hereticke by God but I will go to Masse I will not lose it for all your pratling Then into his Chappell he went and when masse was done he sent for them and caused his Priest to read a scrole vnto them as concerning the 7. Sacraments euer as he spake of the body bloud of Christ he put of his cappe and sayd loe ye may see you will deny these thinges and care not for your Prince but you shall feele it ere I haue done with you all the faculty of you with other talke more betwene them I know not what but in the end they were licensed to depart vnder suretyes to appeare agayne before him within 3. weekes and then to go to Lancaster Howbeit in the meane while it so pleased God that within foure dayes of the day appoynted it was noysed that the Queene was deade and within xiiij dayes after the sayd Ieffrey Hurst fet home his 2. bookes and nothing was sayd vnto him It folowed after this that Gods word begon to take place and the Queenes visitors came down into that couÌ„try who did choose foure men in the parish to wit SimoÌ„d Smith Ieffrey Hurst Henry Browne George Eccersly which foure were Protestantes to see the Queenes procedinges to take place which according to theyr power dyd the same notwithstanding it did little preuayle therfore the sayd Ieffrey being sore greued with the office fell sick in which sickenes it pleased God to call him making a very godly end God haue the prayse for it Nowe to returne to the foresayde Thomas Lelond agayne he continuing in his office still did very few tymes come to the Church but sayd he was aged and might not labor and there kept with him Syr Rafe Parkinson hys Priest which could as it was said minister the Communion vnto the people and sing Masse to his mayster Yea and as the fame reported did a pretyer feate then all that for he begat two children by a seruant in a house his mayster knowing it and saying nothing for that he would not lose his good masse Priest Furthermore this was noted in the same Iustice Lelondes behauiour at seruice tyme that he had a little dog which he would play with all seruice time and the same Dogge had a coller full of Bels so that the noyse of them did molest and trouble others as well as himselfe from hearing the seruice Also in the same Iustice it was noted obserued that as he sate in his Chappell at seruice time his maner was on a willow barke to knitte knottes for that he could not be suffered to haue his beades and to put the same vpoÌ„ a string also Witnes hereof Edward Hurst with others Furthermore as concerning Henry Browne one of the 4. chosen men aboue mencioned this is also to be added that the sayd Henry Browne dwelling in the towne of Pinington in the same Parish an 1564. had a litle boy who as he was playing in the Towne one Glaues wyfe gaue vnto the boye a payre of Beades made of woode to play him withall The little boy being glad therof to haue suche a trim thing went home shewed his father of theÌ„ His Father seing the Beades tooke them and burned theÌ„ and when he had so done went forth and asked who had geuen vnto his litle boy that payre of Beades That did I sayd Glaues wife Well sayd he I haue burned them Hast thou so sayd she and thrust him from her They shal be the dearest Beades that euer thou sawest incoÌ„tinent went coÌ„playned vnto the said Iustice how Brown had burned her beades This matter the Iustice tooke sore to snuffe and was very angry and did direct his letter vnto the constables of the same Towne by his owne hand subscribed the title of which superscription on the backeside was this To the CoÌ„stables of Pinington geue this This done the Constables according to this their charge did bring him afore the Iustice at tyme appointed and when the Iustâ—ce came to talke with him he was in suche a chafe that he called him theefe and sayde that he had robbed his neighbour in burning of her beades and that there was ringes and other Iuels on them and that he might as well haue picked her purse wherefore I will lay thee sayd he in Lancaster for this geare Whilest they were thus talking there came all hys seruauntes about them from theyr worke saying is thys M. Doctor Browne that will burne Beades I pray you Syr let vs haue him here and preach I will geue a quarters wages sayth one and I will geue mony sayth an other and he shall be mayster Doctour with much derision and scoffing at this poore man He hearing this spake agayn boldly and sayd did you send for me to make a laughing stocke of me You be in office and ought rather to come to the Church and see suche Papistry abolished your selfe then thus to trouble me for doyng my duety but I tell you playnely you do not come to Church as you ought to doe and wherefore with more thinges that I haue to charge you withall I say you doe not well When all this misdemeanour of the Iustice layd to his charge woulde not preuayle and also witnes came in of the Papistes which did know the Beades testified that they were playne cost but a halfepeny he then went into his Parlor in a chafe and one M. Erberston a papist with him· Which Erberston turned backe and sayd is it you Henry Browne that keepeth this styrre you are one of them that pulled downe Crosses in the church and pulled downe the Roode seller and all the Sayntes you were best now to goe paynt a blacke Deuill and set him vp and worship him for that will serue well for your religioÌ„ And thus vnder suretiship he did depart til Iuly folowing and then he sayd he should go to Lancaster prison and so came he away The time drew on that he should appeare but GOD stayed the matter and in Iuly as the foresayde Thomas Lelond sate in his chaire
most of the Deuill of hell Thus he lay without amendment about 6. daies that his maister and all his houshold was weary of that trouble and noyse Then his maister agreed with the keepers of Bedlem and gaue a peece of money and sent hym thether It seemeth that he was possessed with an euill spirit from the which God defend vs all This is a terrible example to you that be mockers of the word of God therfore repent amend lest the vengeance of God fall vpon you in like maner Witnes heereof William Mauldon of Newington The same William Mauldon chaunced afterwarde to dwel at a Towne 6. miles from London called Waltamstow where his wife taught yong children to read which was about the yeare of our Lorde 1563. and the 4. yeare of Queene Elizabeths raigne Unto this schoole amongest other children came one Benfieldes daughter named Dennis about the age of twelue yeares As these children sate talking together they happened among other talke as the nature of children is to be busy with many things to fall in communication of God and to reason among them selues after their childish discretion what he should be Whereunto some answered one thing some an other Among whom when one of the children had sayd that he was a good olde father the foresayd Denis Benfielde casting out impious woordes of horrible blasphemie what he sayd shee is an olde doting foole What wretched and blasphemous wordes were these yee heare Nowe marke what followed When William Mauldon heard of these abhominable woordes of the girle hee willed his wife to correcte her for the same Which was appoynted the nexte day to be done But wheÌ„ the next morow came her mother would nedes send her to the market to London the wenche greatly intreating her mother that she might not go being marueilously vnwilling thereunto Howebeit thorough her mothers compulsion shee was forced to goe and went And what happened Her businesse being done at London as she was returning againe homewarde and being a little past Hackney sodenly the yong girle was so stricken that all the one side of her was black and she speachles Wherupon immediately she was caried backe to Hackney and there the same night was buried Witnes of the same storie William Mauldon and his wife also Benfielde her father and her mother which yet be all aliue A terrible example no doubt both to old and young what it is for children to blaspheme the Lord theyr God and what it is for parentes to suffer their young ones to grow vp in such blasphemous blindnes not to nurture them betime in the rudimeÌ„ts of the christian Catechisme to know first their creation and then their redemption in Christ our Sauiour to feare the name of God and to reuerence his Maiestie For els what do they deserue but to be taken away by â—â—eathe whiche contemptuously despise him of whome they take the benefite of life And therefore let all young maides boyes and yong men take example by this wretched seely wench not only not to blaspheme the sacrede Maiestie of the omnipotent God their creator but also not once to take his name in vaine according as they are taughte in hys commaundementes Secondly let all Fathers Godfathers and Godmothers take this for a warning to see to the instruction and Catechising of their children for whom they haue bounde them selues in promise both to God and to hys Churche Which if the Father and godfather the Mother and godmothers had done to this younge girle verely it maye be thought this destruction had not fallen vpon her Thirdly al blinde Atheists Epicures Mammonists belly Gods of this worlde and sonnes of Beliall hypocrites infidelles and mockers of Religion which saye in their hearts there is no God learne also hereby not only what God is and what he is able to doe but also in thys miserable creature here punished in this world to behold what shall likewise fall on them in the world to come vnlesse they will be warned betime by such examples as the Lord God doth geue them Fourthly and lastly heere may also be a spectacle for all them which be blasphemous and abhominable swearers or rather tearers of God abusing his glorious name in suche contemptuous and despitefull sort as they vse to do Whome if neither the woorde and commaundemente of God nor the calling of the preachers nor remorse of conscience nor rule of reason nor theyr wytheringe age nor hory haires will admonish yet let these terrible examples of Gods districte Iudgement somewhat mooue them to take heede to them selues For if thys young maiden who was not fully 12. yeares old for her vnreuerent speaking of God and that but at one time did not escape the stroke of Gods terrible hande what then haue they to looke for which being men growen in yeares and stricken in age being so often warned preached vnto yet cease not continually with theyr blasphemous othes not only to abuse his name but also most coÌ„tumeliously and despitefully to teare him as it were and all his partes in peeces About the yeare of our Lorde 1565. at Bryhtwell in the County of Backshyre vppon certaine communication as touching the right reuerende Martyrs in Christ Byshop Cranmer Bishop Ridley and maister Hughe Latimer there came into an house in Abyngdon one whose name is Leuar being a Plowman dwelling in Bryhtwel afore sayd and sayd that he saw that euill fauoured knaue Latimer when he was burned And also in despite sayd that he had teeth like a horse At which time and hour as neare as could be gathered the sonne of the sayde Leauer moste wickedly hanged him selfe at Shepton in the Countie aforesayd within a mile of Abingdon These wordes were spoken in the hearing of me Thomas Ienens of Abyngdon Did not Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterburie geue sentence against the Lord Cobham and died him self before him being so stricken in his toung that neither he could swallow nor speake for a certain space before his death pag. 588. Frier Campbell the accuser of Patricke Hamelton in Scotlande what a terrible ende hee hadde reade before pag. 957. Haruey a Commissarie that condemned a poore man in Calice was shortly after hanged drawen and quartered pag. 1229. William Swallow the cruell tormentor of George Egles was shortly after so plagued of God that al the hair of his heade and nailes of his fingers and toes went off his eyes welneare closed vppe that hee coulde scante see Hys wife also was stricken wyth the falling Sickenesse wyth the whych Maladie shee was neuer infected before pag. 2010. Likewise Richard Potto an other troubler of the sayd George Egles vppon a certaine anger or chafe with hys seruauntes was so sodenlye taken with sicknesse that falling vpon his bed lyke a beast there he died neuer spake woorde pag. 2010. Richard Denton a shrinker from the Gospel while he refused to suffer the fire in
and he cast into the sea then to offend one of the 〈◊〉 ones that beleeue in Christ. And where obiection may bee made that such offence may be taken away by sincere doctrine and preaching it is to be aunswered that that is not sufficient as hereafter more at large shall appeare And though it should be admitted as true yet shoulde it followe that sincere doctrine and preaching shoulde alwayes and in all places continue as well as Images so that whersoeuer an Image to offend were erected there should also of reason a godly and sincere preacher be continually mayntayned for it is reason that the remedye 〈◊〉 as large as the offence the medicine as generall as the poison but that is not possible in the realme of England that Images should be generally allowed as reason and experience may teach As good magistrates which inteÌ„d to banish al whoredome doe driue away all naughty persons specially out of such places as be suspected euen so Images being Meretrices id est Whores for that the worshipping of them is called in the prophetes fornication and adultery ought to be banished and especially out of churches which is the most suspected place and where the spirituall fornication hath bene most omitted It is not expedient to allowe and admitte the thinge which is hurtfull to the greatest number but in all Churches and common wealths the ignoraunt and weake are the greatest number to whome Images are hurtfull and not profitable And where it is commonly alledged that Images in Churches do stirre vp the minde to deuotion it may be aunswered that contrariwise they doe rather distracte the minde from prayer hearing of Gods word other godly meditations as we read that in the Counsell Chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture or Image was suffered least in consultation of wayghty matters of the common weale their mindes by the sight of the outward Image might be occasioned to be withdrawne or to wander from the matter The experience of this present time doth declare that those partes of the realme whiche thinke and are perswaded that God is not offended by doing outward reuereÌ„ce to an image do most desire the restitution of Images and haue bene most dilligent to set them vp agayne Restitution therfore of them by common authoritie shall confirme them more in theyr error to the daunger of theyr soules then euer they were before for as one man writeth Nihil magis est certum quam quod ex dubâ—o factum est certum that is to say nothing is more certayne or sure then that which of doubtfull is made certayne The profit of Images is vncertayne the perill by experience of all ages and states of the Churche as afore is most certayne The benefite to be taken of them if ther be any is very smale the daunger in seeyng of them which is the danger of Idolatry is the greatest of all other Nowe to allowe a moste certayne perill for an vncertayne profite and the greatest daunger for the smallest benefite in matters of fayth and Religion is a tempting of God and a grieuous offence ¶ Probations out of the Fathers Councels and histories FIrst it is manifest that in the primitiue church images were not commonly vsed in Churches Oratories and places of assembly for religion but they were generally detested and abhorred in so much that the want of imagerie was obiected to the christians for a crime Origen reporteth that Celsus obiected the lacke of Images lib. 4. contra Celsum Arnobius saith also that the Ethnikes accused the christians that they had neither altars nor images Zephirus in his Commentarie vpon the Apologie of Tertullian gathereth thus of Tertullians wordes Qui locus persuadendi frigeret penitus nisi perpetuò illud teneamus Christianos tunc temporis odisse maximè statuas cum suis ornamentis c. That is to say Which place of persuasion were very cold and to no purpose at all except we hold this alwayes that Christians in those dayes did hate most of all Images with their trimme decking and ornaments Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. reprooueth the heretikes called Gnostici for that they caried about the image of Christ made in Pilates tyme after his owne proportion whiche were much more to be estemed then any that can be made now vsing also for declaration of their affection towardes it to set garlands vpon the head of it Lactantius affirmeth plainly Non est dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicunque symulachrum est lib. Diuin instit 2. cap. 19. That is to say It is not to be doubted that there is no religion wheresoeuer is any Image If Christians theÌ„ had vsed images he would not haue made his proposition so large S. Augustine De ciuitate Dei lib. 4. cap. 31. commendeth Uarro the Romaine in these wordes Quum Varro existimauerit castius sine symulachris obseruari religionem quis non videt quantum appropinquauerit veritati That is to say when as Uarro thought religion might bee kepte more purely without Images who doth not see how neare he came to the truth So that not onelye by M. Uarroes iudgement but also by S. Augustines approbation the most pure and chast obseruation of religion and nerest the truth is to be without Images The same S. Augustine in Psal. 113. hath these words Plus valent symulachra ad curuandam infoelicem animam quaÌ„ ad docendam That is to say Images haue more force to bowe downe and crooke the sillie soule then to teach it And vpon the same Psalme he mooueth this question Quiuis puer imò quis bestia scit non esse Deum quod vident cur ergo spiritus sanctus toties mouet cauendum quod omnes sciunt That is to say Euery child yea euery beast knoweth that it is not God which they see why then doth the holy ghost so oft geue warnyng to beware of that thyng which all do know S. Augustines answer Quoniam quum ponuntur in templis semel incipiunt adorari a multitudine statim nascitur sordidissimus affectus erroris That is to say For when they are set in Churches begin once to be worshipped of the multitude or common people straightway springeth vp a most filthy affection of errour This place of S. Augustine doth wel open how weak a reason it is to say Images are a thyng indifferent in chambers and in churches For the alteration of the place maner and other circumstances doth alter oftentimes the nature of the thyng It is lawfull to buy and sell in the market but not so in churches It is lawfull to eate and drinke but not so in Churches And therfore sayth Saint Paule Annon habetis domos ad edendum ac bibendum An ecclesiam Dei contemnitis That is to say Haue you not houses to eat and drinke in Do you contemne the church of God Many other actions there bee which are lawfull and honest in priuate place which are neither comely nor honest
not onely in churches but also in other assemblies of honest people Tertullian sayeth he vsed sometymes to burne frankincenâ—e in his chamber which was then vsed of Idolaters and is yet in the Romish Churches but hee ioyneth withall Sed non eodem ritu nec eodem habitu nec eodem apparatu quo agitur apud Idola That is to say But not after such a riâ—e or ceremonie nor after such a fashion nor wyth such preparation or sumptuousnesse as it is done before the Idols So that Images placed in Churches and set in honorabili sublimitate that is to say in an honourable place of estimation as S. Augustine sayth and especially ouer the Lordes table which is done vsing the words of Tertullian eodem ritu eodem habitu that is after the same maner and fashion which the Papists did vse especially after so long continuance of abuse of Images and so many beyng blinded with superstitious opinion towardes them cannot be counted a thing indifferent but a most certaine ruine of many soules Epiphanius in his Epistle to Iohn bishop of Hierusalem which epistle was translated out of the Greeke by S. Hierome beyng a likelyhoode that S. Hierome misliked not the doctrine of the same doth write a facte of hys owne which doth most clearely declare the iudgement of that notable learned Bishop concernyng the vse of Images his words are these Quum venissem ad villam quae dicitur Anablatha vidissemque ibi praeteriens lucernam ardentem interrogassem quis locus esset didicissemque esse Ecclesiam intrassem vt orarem inueni ibi velum pendens in foribus eiusdem ecclesiae tinctum atque depictum habens imaginem quasi Christi vel sancti cuiusdam non enim satis memini cuius fuit cum ergo hoc vidissem in Ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem scidi illud c. Et paulò post Et praecepi in ecclesia Christi istiusmodivela quae contra religionem nostram veniunt non appendi c. That is to saye When I came to a village called Anablatha sawe there as I passed by a candle burnyng enquiring what place it was and lerning that it was a church had entred into the same to pray I found there a vaile or cloth hanging at the dore of the same church died and painted hauing on iâ— the image of Christ as it were or of some Saint for I remember not well whose it was Then when I sawe this that in the Church of Christ against the authoritie of the scriptures the image of a maÌ„ did hang I cut it in pieces c. And a little after And commaunded that such maner of vailes or clothes which are contrary to our religion be not hanged in the church of Christ. Out of this place of Epiphanius diuers notes are to be obserued First that by the iudgement of this ancient Father to permit Images in Churches is against the authoritie of the scriptures meanyng agaynst the second commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. Secondly that Epiphanius doth reiect not only grauen and molten but also painted Images for so much as he cut in pieces the Image painted in a vaile hangyng at the church dore what would he haue done if he had found it ouer the Lordes table Thirdly that he spareth not the Image of Christ for no doubt that Image is most perillous in the Churche of all other Fourthly that he bid not onely remooue it but with a vehemencie of zeale cut it in pieces followyng the example of the good king Ezechias who brake the brasen serpent and burnt it to ashes Last of all that Epiphanius thinketh it the duetie of vigilant bishops to be carefull that no such kind of paynted Images be permitted in the church Serenus bishop of Massilia broke downe Images destroied them when he did see them begin to be worshipped Greg. in Regist. epist. 109. Experience of the tymes since hath declared whether of these two sentences were better For since Gregories time the Images standyng in the Westchurch hath bene ouerflowed with Idolatry notwithstanding his or other mens doctrine Whereas if Serenus iudgement had vniuersally taken place no such thyng had happened For if no Images had bene suffred none could haue bene worshipped and consequently no idolatry committed by theÌ„ ¶ To recite the processe of histories and councels about the matter of Images it woulde require a long discourse but it shall be sufficient here briefly to touch a few IT is manifest to them that read histories that not onely Emperors but also diuers and sundry Councels in the East church haue condemned and abolished images both by decrees and examples Petrus Crinitus de honesta disciplina lib. 9. cap. 9. ex libâ—is Augustatibus haec verba transcripsit Valens Theodosius Augusti Imperatores praefecto praetorio ad hunc modum scripserit Quum sit nobis cura diligens in rebus omnibus superni numinis religionem tueri Signum saluatoris Christi nemini quidem concedimus coloribus lapide aliáue materia fingere insculpere aut pingere sed quocuÌ„que reperitur locotolli iubemus grauissima poena eos mulctando qui contrarium decretis nostris imperio quicquam tentauerint That is to say Petrus Crinitus in his booke of honest discipline the 9. booke the 9. chapiter wrote out of the Emperours bookes these wordes Ualens and Theodosius the Emperours wrote to the high Marshall or Lieuetenant in this sort Where as wee are very carefull that the religion of almighty God should be in all thinges kept We permit no man to cast graue or paint the Image of our Sauiour Christ either in colors stone or other matter but wheresoeuer it be found wee commaund it to be taken away punishing them most greuously that shall attempt any thing contrary to our decrees and Empire Leo the 3. a man commended in histories for his excellent vertues and godlinesse who as is iudged of some men was the author of the booke De re militari that is Of the feate of Warre beyng translated out of Greeke by sir Iohn Cheeke and dedicated to king Henry the viij your highnes father by publike authoritie commaunded abolishing of Images and in Constantinople caused all the images to be gathered together on a heape burned them vnto ashes Constantine the first his sonne assembled a Councel of the bishops of the East church in which Councell it was decreed as followeth It is not lawfull for them that beleeue in God through Iesus Christ to haue any Images neither of the Creator nor of any creatures set vp in temples to be worshipped but rather that all Images by the law of God and for the auoiding of offence ought to be taken out of churches Which decree was executed in all places where any Images were either in Greece or in Asia But in all these tymes the bishops of Rome rather mainteining the
authoritie of Gregory weighing like christian bishops the perill of the Church alwayes in their assemblies allowed Images Not long after the Bishop of Rome practising wyth Tharasins Patriarch of Constantinople obteyned of Irene the Empresse her sonne Constantine being thē yong that a Councell was called at Nice in the which the Popes Legates were Presidents which appeared well by their fruits for in that Councell it was decreed that Images should not onely be permitted in churches but also worshipped which councell was confuted by a booke written by Carolus Magnus the Emperour callyng it a foolish and an arrogant councell Soone after this Councell arose a sharpe contention betwene Irene the Empresse and her sonne Constantine the 6. the Emperour who destroyed Images And in the end as she had before wickedly burned the bones of her father in lawe Constantine the v. so afterward vnnaturally she put out the eyes of her owne sonne Constantine the sixt About which tyme as Eutropius writeth the Sunne was darkened most terribly for the space of 17. days God shewyng by that dreadfull signe how much hee misliked those kynds of proceedyngs To bee short there was neuer thing that made more diuision or brought more mischiefe into the church then the controuersie of Images by reason whereof not onely the East church was deuided from the West and neuer since perfectly reconciled but also the Emperour was cut asunder and deuided and the gate opened to the Saracens and Turkes to enter and ouercome a great piece of Christendome The fault whereof most iustly is to bee ascribed to the patrons of Images who could not be contented with the ensample of the Primitiue Church beyng most simple and sincere and most agreeable to the Scripture For as Tertullian sayth Quod primum verum quod posterius adulterinū That is to say What as is first that is true that that is latter is counterfeit But with all extremitie mainteined the vse of images in churches whereof no profite nor commoditie did euer grow to the church of God For it is euident that infinite millions of soules haue bene cast into eternall damnation by the occasion of Images vsed in place of religion and no history can recorde that euer any one soule was wonne vnto Christ by hauing of Images But least it might appeare that the West church had alwayes generally retained and commended Images It is to be noted that in a Councell holden in Spaine called Concilium Eliberinum the vse of Images in churches was clerely prohibited in these forme of wordes Placuit in ecclesijs picturas esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur That is to say Wee decree that pictures ought not to be in churches least that be painted vpon the walles which is worshipped or adored But this notwithstandyng experience hath declared that neither assembling in Councels neither writinges preachings decrees makyng of lawes prescribing of punishments hath holpen against Images to the which Idolatry hath bene committed nor against Idolatry whilest Images stoode For these blynde bookes and dumme schoolemaisters which they call lay mens bookes haue more preuailed by their carued and painted preachyng of Idolatry then all other written bookes and preachynges in teaching the truth and that horror of that vice Hauing thus declared vnto your highnes a few causes of many which do mooue our consciences in this matter we beseech your highnes most humbly not to strayne vs any further but to consider that Gods worde doth threaten a terrible iudgement vnto vs if we being pastors and ministers in his Church should assent vnto the thing which in our learnyng and conscience wee are perswaded doth tend to the confirmation of errour superstition and Idolatry and finally to the ruine of the soules committed to our charge for the which we must geue an account to the prince of pastors at the last day Heb. 13. 1. Pet. 5. Wee pray your maiestie also not to bee offended with this our plainnesse and libertie which all good and christian princes haue euer taken in good parte at the handes of godly Bishops S. Ambrose writing to Theodosius the Emperour vseth these wordes Sed neque imperiale est libertatem dicendi negare neque sacerdotale quod sentiat non dicere Item in causa verò Dei quem audies si sacerdotem non audies cuius maiore peccatur periculo quis tibi verum audebit dicere si sacerdos non audeat Epist. lib. 5. Epist. 29. That is to say But neither is it the part of an Emperour to deny free libertie of speaking nor yet the duety of a priest not to speake what hee thinketh And agayne In gods cause whome wilte thou heare if thou wilt not heare the priest to whose great peril the fault should be committed Who dare say the truth vnto thee if the priest dare not These and such like speaches of S. Ambrose Theodosius and Ualentinianus the Emperours did alwayes take in good part and we doubt not but your grace will do the lyke of whose not onely clemēcie but also beneficense we haue largely tasted We beseech your Maiestie also in these and such lyke controuersies of religion to referre the discussement and deciding of them to a Synode of your bishops and other godly learned men accordyng to the example of Constantinus Maximus and other christian Emperours that the reasons of both parts beyng examined by them the iudgement may be geuen vprightly in all doubtfull matters And to returne to this present matter we most humbly beseech your maiestie to consider that besides waightie causes in pollicie which wee leaue to the wisedome of your honourable counsailors the stablishment of Images by your authoritie shall not onely vtterly disceredite our ministers as builders vp of the thinges which wee haue destroyed but also blemishe the fame of your most godly father and such notable fathers as haue geuen their lyfe for the testimony of Gods truth who by publike lawe remooued all Images The almighty and euerliuyng God plentifully endue your maiestie with his spirite and heauenly wisedom and long preserue your most gracious raigne and prosperous gouernment ouer vs to the aduauncement of his glory to the ouerthrow of superstition and to the benefit comfort all your highnes louyng subiects ¶ A note of M. Ridley MAister D. Ridley sometyme B. of London of whom mention is made pag. 1717. was a man so reuerenced for his learning and knowledge in the scriptures that euen his very enemies hath reported him to haue bene an excellent clarke whose lyfe if it might haue bene redeemed with the summe of 10000. markes yea 10000. pounds the Lorde Dacres of the North beyng his kinsman woulde haue geuen to Queene Mary rather then he should haue burned And yet was she so vnmercifull for all hys gentlenes in king Edwards dayes that it would not be grāted for no suite that could be made Oh that she had remēbred his labour for her to king Edward
Christ. 63 Examination of Stephen Gratwicke Martyr with his aunsweres 1977.1978 Exam Battayle with the successe thereof 713 Example notable of a souldiour biting off his tongue and spitting it in the face of an harlot 63 Examples of Gods plagues vpon the deniers of his sacred trueth 64 Example of Peter slaying of Ananias and Saphira falsely wrested by the Papistes 490 Exaltation of the Pope aboue kinges and princes 782 Excommunicatiō of Henricus the Emperor by Hildebrand 179 Excommunication the seconde of Hildebrand agaynst the Emperour 180 Excommunication was in the olde time the greatest punishment in matters of fayth and conscience that could be 1854 Excommunication how to be feared and when 612 Excommunication requireth consent of the church 1113 Excommunication abused by the papistes manifolde wise 19.193 Excommunication in the Churche of Rome abused 860 Exeter Colledge built 372 Execution at Norwich 339 Exiles in Queene Maryes tyme for religion how many 800 Exorcising of Priestes 497 Extreame vnction reproued 725 F. A. FAbian chosen bishop of Rome miraculously 60. Fathers their testimonies against Images 2130.2131 Fabianus martyr .60 hys ordinances suspected ibid. Fachell geueth iudgement agaynst faynting of certaine Christians 46. Fayth recouereth that which was lost by the law .22 Fayth why it onely iustifieth 22.977 Fayth in Christ what it is 977. Fayth of the godfathers and godmothers sanctifieth not the child but theyr dilligence may helpe in seeing him catechised 1995. Fayth the meane wherby we are known to be elected .1658 what it is .1656 whereof it taketh his force and strength ibid. Faith planted in Rome in the days of Tiberius before Peter came there .1758.1803 faith the foundation of the church ibid. not grounded on the ciuill Law 1802. Fayth of the Pope hangeth vppon the multitude .1805 was neuer vniuersall 1804. Fayth ought not to be compelled 1817. Fayth wherein it consisteth 1824. Fayth sometimes to bee couered with loue 1933. Fayth onely iustifieth 26.21.22.1116.1117.1658 Fayth in Souldiers notable 78. Fyyth defined 677.1659 Fayth first planted in Englande whether it came from Rome or not 106 Fayth came out of Britayne not from Rome 480. Fayth of the Turkes Iewes and Papistes 22. Fayth of the olde Romaynes good 20. Faith iustifieth 3. maner of wayes 23. Fayth not babtisme in water saueth 1994. Fayth cause of good workes 26. Fayth and iustification falsly applied by the Papistes 25.26 Farrar Bishop hys tragicall story with articles agaynst hym exhibited .1544 hys aunswere to the same .1546 hys condemnation and Martyrdome .1555 hys letters 1556 Famyne and death in Englande 369. Fast to be perswaded not coacted 1110. Fayrefaxe scourged for the Gospel 2058.2059 Fathers how farre they ought to be followed 1823. Faustinus Martyr 41. Fasting straight of Alcibiades corrected 50. Faustus Martyr 73. Faukes de breut rebelleth agaynst king Henry 258. F. E. Feast of the speare of the nayles 393. Feastes ordayned by the Pope 557 Feast of Corpus Christi by whome inuented 507. Feastes of all soules Alhallowes by whome 1404. Feete of the Pope kissed of the Emperoures 129. Feare of sinne death and distrust in Gods promises two pellettes wherwith the Deuill assaulteth Gods seruauntes .1925.1926 the remedies therof 1926. Fetties wife strocken by Gods hād for persecuting of his saints 2103. Feare of God consisteth in three thinges 357. Fecknam hys talke with the Lady Iane. 1419. Felicitas with her 7. Children martyred 44. Felix B. of Rome Martyr 75 Felix 5. Pope hys coronation royaltie valuation of hys Crowne 690. Ferdinandus king of Hungary .748 hys decree at Spires 872. Fetty with the martyrdome of hys childe 2055.2056 Fewrus Martyr hys story martirdome 914. F I. Fire in hell whether materiall or not 1741. Fire thought to be in S. Maries Church in Oxford 1208. Figuratiue speache howe to bee knowne .1393 what it is 1950. Filmer Testwood Marbeck and Bennet their story 1219. Fisher Bishop of Rochester persecutor hys end 2101 Filmer hys trouble and persecution .1213 his wife her suite for hym .1217 hys death 1220. Finall Martyr his story and martyrdome 1970. First fruits brought in by the pope 352. denied to be paid vnto him ibid. First fruites and impropriations brought in by the pope and abused 5. Fishcock Martyr his story martyrdome 1980.1981 Fish Author of the booke called the supplication of beggers 1013 1014 Fisher Bishop of Rochester an enemy to Christes Gospell .1068 beheaded 1069 Fifte parte of all the goodes of the Cleargy graunted to the Pope 285. Fitziames Bishop of London hys death 804 Fiue Martyrs burnt at Canterb. 1708 Fiuetene Martyrs and confessors imprisoned at one time in Caunterbury for the truth .1954 fiue famished ibid. F L. Flauia a Consuls daughter banished for the Christian fayth 48 Flying in time of persecution whether it be lawfull or not 1781 1782 Florence a Turner his trouble and displing 656 Flower Martyr his story and persecution .1574 his communicatiō with Robert Smith ibid. Articles agaynst him .1575 his condemnation and martyrdome 1577 Floyd Martyr his story 2037.2038.2039 F O. Foreman Martyr 1949 Formosus .1 Pope of Rome 145 Forme of prayers appoynted by Constantine to his souldiours 104 Forret Martyr his story with other his companions 1206 Forrest Martyr 982 Fortune his story 1918.1919 Forme of disgrading an Archbyshop after the maner that the papistes vse it 2133.2134.2135 Fonte halowing after the maner of the Papistes 1405 Foster Martyr famished for the Gospell 1954 Foster Lawyer of Suffolke with Iohn Clearke of Hadley Papistes 1519 Foster Martyr his story persecucution and cruell Martyrdome 1917.1918 Foure thinges considered in the church of Rome title iurisdictiō life and doctrine 1 Foure thinges to bee considered of all men vnder affliction of the Crosse. 1646 Foxford Doctor and Chauncellor to Byshop Stokesley hys sodeyne death 2101 Fox Byshop of Herford .1183 his Oration to the Byshops ibid. Foure Martyrs at Mayfield 1953 F R. Frances the French K. his death 2112 Franciscus 2. burned at Auinion 391 Frances San Romaine Martyr his godly story .928.929 his cōstant death and martyrdom 930 France interdicted and why 200 Frebarne his trouble and persecution 1184 French kyng a persecuter slayne in iustyng by Montgomery 2110 Frebarnes wyfe her story who beyng with child longed for a piece of meat in Lent cast into pryson for eatyng thereof with her husband also their extreme misery in the prison 1184. Friers in France their tragicall history 1291 Frederike the Emperour relieueth the French army 293.265 Frederike cursed of the Pope but God blesseth hym 204.2947 Frederike 2. his contention wyth Honorius 3. Pope .298.299 hys voyage towardes Ierusalem to warre agaynst the Turke .300 hys sicknesse .301 he is excommunicate by the Pope purgeth hymselfe writeth to the kyng of England and is crowned kyng of Ierusalem 301.302 Fredericus 1. called Barbarossa holdeth the Popes stirrop and is blamed for holdyng it on the left side 202.789.174 Frederike 2. Emperor crowned in Ierusalem .302 hys letter to all the world agaynst the
and martyrdome 667.668 Reall presence with the absurdities and inconueniences therof 1443 Reasons why matters of controsy are not to be caried out of the Countries where they fel to the Pope to be decided 10 Reasons prouing that no Christian may resort to the popish masse Mattens and Euensong with a good conscience 1647 Reasons proouing the Religion in Q. Maryes tune to be nought 1727 Rebellion in Cornewall and Deuonshyre with theyr Articles .1303 discomfited 1304·1305 1307 Rebellion in Northfolke Yorkeshyre and diuers other places in the realme agaynst K. Edward 6 1308 Rebellion in Lincolneshyre repressed .1086 in Yorkeshyre .1087 in Deuonshire and Cornwall 1305 Recantation of Cranmer with his repentaunce for the same 1884 Redman Doctor his iudgement in cases of Religion 1360 Reseruation of the Church how it began and when 840 Reseruation of the Sacrament by whom introduced 1404 Regiment of the Popes Churche how far it differeth from the regiment of the primitiue church 19 Register booke in euery Parish 1096 Reimundus the good king of Tholouse disinherited by the Pope .269 excommunicate 271 Religion of the Protestantes elder then the Religion of the sedicious Papistes by 1000. yeares 1821 Religion reformed at Zuricke .867 at Berne Constance Geneua Strausburgh 870 Religion set forth in the daies of K. Edwarde the sixte commended 1902 Religion Christian when it began .50 esteemed by Auncestors and Graundfathers by time place 1993 Religion of the Papistes more hurt full to the state of the Churche then the doctrine of the Lutherans 2110 Religion reformed in king Edward 6. his dayes 1298.1299 Religion going backeward in England and the causes why .1134 hindered by discord 1373 Religion of Christ and of the pope 2. cleane contrary thinges 29 Reliques adored 28 Reliques offering and Sacrifice brought into the masse by whom 129 Remission of sinnes foure thinges therein to be considered necessarily concurring 27 Remission of sinnes sold for mony 860 Remedies agaynst the temptations of the Deuill and the worlde 1830. Replye of the Prelates of Fraunce agaynst the Lord Peter 354 Renold Pecocke his story 709 Remerius Inquisitour agaynst the Waldenses 236 Repington Canon of Leicester after Bishop of Lincolne a cruell persecutour 442 Repington of a zelous Professour become a most cruel and a bloudy persecutor of Christes poore meÌ„bers 437.444.530.539 Reuet his fearefull and straunge death 1917.1918 Reuenewes goynge yearlye oute of Englande to the Pope muche more then the Crowne it selfe 326 Reynold Eastland Martir his story and Martirdome 2037.2038 2039. Resistance agaynste the Pope no new thing 317 Restitution of Abbey landes by Q. Mary 1559.1560 R I. Richard 1. crowned king of England 235 Richard king of England Phillippe King of Fraunce theyr coÌ„clusion to go to the holy land 235 Richarde Kyng of Englande hys voyage to the holy land .241.251 his Actes and Exploytes by the way and there achieued .243.244 chargeth the french kyng with falshood 244. taken prisoner â—ould to the Emperour and is raunsomed 248. Richard the 2. hys commission and letters against the Gospellers 505. his letter to the Pope 506. Rich .2 his letters to Pope Boniface 9.509 his vertues and vices deposed with articles against him .513 hee beheaded his vncle innocently .513 is committed to the Tower and dyed in prison 514. Richard 3. vsurper crowned kyng of England .728 hys death 729. Richard king of Almayne hys death 339. Richard Archbishop of Caunterbury stayed froÌ„ goyng to Rome by the king 233. Richard Atkins Martyr his cruell death and Martyrdome at Rome for the Gospell and the constaunt profession thereof 2151. Richard Belward hys trouble and persecution 660. Richard Belward hys testimony for the Lord Cobham 577. Richard Bayfield Marty his story .1021 articles obiected against him ibid. hys aunsweres to the same .1022 hys condemnation and degradatian .1023 his constant martyrdome for the trueth of Christes Gospell 1024. Richard Dobbes Alderman of London and knight his commeÌ„dations 1774. Richard Earle Marshall hys admonition to the king .278 hys death 280. Richard Chauncellour of Lincoln made archbishop of Caunterbury complayneth of his king of Hubert Earle of Kent and others to the Pope and dyeth in comming from Rome 274 Richard Day martyr hys story 2037. Richard Feurus Martyr 914 Richard Grafton printer of the great Bibles 1191. Richard Houeden Martyr 665.666 Richard Lush Martyr hys story and condemnation and martyrdome 2004. Richard Denton burnt in hys own house who before woulde not burne in the Lordes cause 1717 Richarby Martyr his story 2037.2038.2039 Richard Spencer Martyr his story 1202. Richard Spurge his story 1895. Richard Sharpe Martyr his story and martyrdome 2052. Richard Turner a faithfull preacher of Christes veritie in Kent hys trouble for the same 1868.1869 Richard Turming his story and martyrdome 639.640 Richard Monke recanted 642. Richard Gibson Martyr his story and Martyrdome .2025.2026.2027 his Articles propounded to Boner to be aunswered vnto 2034. Richard Nichols Martyr hys story and martyrdome 1909. Richard Lee notary 477. Richard Webbe his trouble for the Gospell 1601 Richard Wich Priest and Martyr taken for a Sainct 701. Richard Wilmot scourged for the Gospell 2058. Richard Wright Richard Colliare and 4. others martyrs at Canterbury 1688. Richard White confessor hys story â—054 Richard Woodman Martyr hys tragicall story .1983.1984 hys apprehension 1985. his first examination .1986 his second examination and aunsweres .1989.1990 his 3. examination .1992 his fourth examination .1997.1998 his fift examination .1999.2000 his last examination and aunsweres .2001.2002 his condemnation martyrdome 2003. Ridleyes talke with Bourne 1426. Richard Rothe Martyr his story and Martyrdome 2013.2014.2015.2016.2017 Richard Yeoman Martyr burned at Norwiche for the Gospell and the true profession thereof 2045. Richard Hook Martyred at Chichester for the trueth of the Gospell 1688 Richard Hunne his story .805 articles obiected agaynst him wyth his aunsweres .806 murthered in Prison .806.807 his Corpes burned after his death sentence definitiue agaynste him beinge deade .808 his Defence agaynste Syr Thomas More and Alanus Copus 811 Richard Mekins his story martyrdome 1202 Richarde Pottâ— Persecutour hys death 2103 Richard Pacie his story 989 Ringing of Curphew by Thomas Arundell 554 Ringing in the Archbishoppe at S. Albons 555 Rigges UicechauÌ„cellor of Oxford 502 Rictionarus a cruell Helhounde to the poore Christians he made riuers of theyr bloud 79 Ridley his treatise against the worshipping of Images and setting of them vp in churches and temples 2128.2129.2130.2131 Ridley refused of Queene Mary to preach before her .1396 sent to Oxford to dispute 1428 Ridley his excellent story .1717 his conference with Mayster Latimer in prison .1718.1719 articles ministred agaynst him .1760 hys Examinations and Aunsweres .1761 his supplication to Quene Mary .1768 his death and constant martyrdome for Gods truth 1769.1770 his letters and farewelles to England 1770.1774.1777.1779.1784.1786 Riches and pride of the Cleargy the fountayne of mischiefe 210â— Riches of the Popes Clergy how they ought to be employed 2109 Riding of the Pope the
story .1493 Reader in the Colledge of Fothringa and Lechfield appreheÌ„ded his constancye in the trueth .1494 his examinations and aunsweres .1495 his constaunt martyrdom at Couentry .1498.1499 his letters 1496.1499.1500.1502.1503 Sampson his story 814 Sarum vse when deuised 184 Sandes her Story and deliuery 2082 Saphira and Sabina Martyrs 38 Sathans loosing and binding expounded 101 Sathan bound vp for 1000. yeares Loosed how and when 297 Salte coniured and exorcized by the Papistes and how 1405 Sautre his story .516 Articles layd agaynst him with his aunsweres to the same ibid. his degradation and martyrdome 518 Saule how brought vp was a persecutour of Christ in his members conuerted called Paulus sent to the Gentils to preach the Gospel of Iesus Christ. 35 Sauonarola Martyr his story and persecution 731 Saxie a Priest hanged in Garâ—â—ners Porters Lodge 1231 Saxons sent for into Britaine .108 they enter into England 109 S C. Scanderbeius hys Hystory Actes and doings agaynst the Turke 730.741 Schisme in Rome 434 Schisme betwixte two Popes for the space of nine thirty yeares 436 Schisme in Scotland 1273 Schisme betwixt the Greeke churche and the Church of Rome 282 Schismes in the Romish Church 241 Scholers of Oxforde agaynste the king .331 theyr skirmish amongest themselues 393 Schooles erected in Cambridge 133 Schole of Paules founded 838 Scholes of learning in Englande two one for Greeke famous the other for Latine 143 Scourging of a younge Childe of Fetties to death by Boner 2055 2050 Scourgyng of Thomas Hinshaw by Boner at Fulham 2043.2044 Schismes amongest the Popes 145 Scotus his Hystorye accused of the Pope for an Hereticke 144 Scotus slayne by hys Scholers 145 Scotte Byshoppe of Chester hys aunsweare to Mayster Stokes hys Oration at the burninge of Bucer and Phagius boanes .1958.1959 his Oration before the condemnation of Bucer and Phagius 1961 Scotlande neuer troubled with the Popes Legate 286 Scottes driuen out of Irelande 369 Scotlande subdued and conquered by the Kynge of Englande 148 Scotlande title proper to England 341 Scotlande persecuted 1266.1267 Scotland chalenged of the Pope 340 Scottishe Kynges haue done homage to the kinges of England 340 Scottish king made by the King of England 148 Scottes aunsweare to the king of Englandes alleagiance 340 Scottes subdued to William Conqueror 171 Scottes theyr warres with Kyng Edward 3. 375 Scripture oughte to be in the vulgare tongue .1115 are sufficient to saluation .1106.1107 howe many names it hath ibid. Scripture oughte not to bee withholden from the Laye people 1116 Scriptures Canonicall onely to be read in the Church 7 Scripture forbidde to be read and expounded of no man .1979 forbidde to be readde by Pope Gregory .9 ibid. how knowne to bee Scripture 1980 Scripture reading in English heresy after the Papistes 985 Scripture howe to bee examined 1973 Scriuener Martyr 838 Sclaunders false of the Christians 37 S E. Seauen Martyrs burned at Maidstone for the Gospel 1978 1979 Seauen Martyrs at one fire in Caunterbury 1980.1981 Seuen Sleepers 63 Seaman an old woman persecuted 2036 Seaton his sermon with notes gathered thereout by his aduersaries 1206 Searles Martyr 1914.1915 Searche made in Cambridge for bookes 1192 Sâ—amaâ—n Martyr his story 2035 2036 Secretary of Cranmer holpe by the Lord Cromwell 1185 Sâ—gouius in the Councell of Basill 670 Segouius his Oration in the couÌ„sell of Basill 682.683 Segebert king of the West SaxoÌ„s slayne 129 Senaâ—e of Rome moued to receiue Christ. 30 Sentence definitiue agaynst king Henry 8. by Pope Clement the 7. 1279.1280 Sentences of Cyprian 70 Selling of pardons orders church hallowinges discipline diriges confessions weddings buryings Sermons and all thinges in the Popes Church 499 Selling of prayer abhominable 498 Serapion his story repentaunce reconciliation 64. Byshop of Antioch 53 Serenus Grauius Defender of the Christian Râ—ligion 41 Sergius Paulus beheaded Formosus the Pope his Predecessor after he was dead 146 Sergius Pope his Epistle to Celfride 127 Seraphia Martyr 4 Seraphin Martyr 62 Seruus seruoâ—um Dei by whom inuented 120 Seruice in latine reproued no edefying in it .1903 the commodity thereof in our English tongue 1904 Seruilianus Martyr 4 Seruice in the Church in the vulgare tongue 7.1890 Seuerus Cesar an enemy to christians warreth in Britany and is slayne at Yorke 57 Seuerus Emperour 54 Sermon of Longlande Byshop of Lincolne agaynst the Pope 1097 Sermon translated out of Saxon into English against transubstaÌ„tiation 1145 Sermon of M. Latimer of the cardes in Cambridge full of Christian doctrine 2142.2143.2144 Sermon of the Bishop of London before the condemnation of Iohn Hus. 621 Sermon of R. WymbletoÌ„ at Paules Crosse. 547.548 Sermon of Doctour Pearne of Cambridge agaynst Bucer and Paulus Phagius both greate learned men 1962 Sermon of Doctor Pilkington at the restoring of Bucer and Paulus Phagius 1966.1667 Seruaunt of a certayne marchaunt burnt at Leicester 1914 Seruaunt of a certeine Taylour in Lipsa his terrible end 2106 S H. Shawes sermon at Paules crosse 727 Shadowes amoÌ„g christians ought to cease 484 Shauen crownes of Priestes vsed 126.364 Shauing of crownes why vsed of Priestes and Religious men 364 Sharpe Martyr his story 2052 Sharpe Martyred at Bristow 1953 Sheterdine Martyr his story .1663 his examination and aunsweares 1674.1675 his martyrdom .1676 his Letters 1678. Sheriffe sworne Seruâ—unt to the good Lady Elizabeth his faith fulnesse to her 2097 Shoomaker martyred for the gospell in the towne of Northhampton 1954 Shrift and confession to Priestes 540 Shrowesbury men Persecutours of the Gospell 532 Shypwracke of the Christians in Sicilia great and horrible 337 S I. Sibilla a prudent queene Guido theyr story 234 Sigismundus Emperor 719 Signes 39. to knowe a false Prophet or Preacher by 317.318.319.320.321.322 Sigismundus Emperour his vnprosperous successe of all his affayres after he refused the Gospell taking part with the Papistes 2112 Sigebert built Paules Church 114 Siluester 2. Pope a great sorcerer ibid. Alice Siluerside Martyr burned at Colchester her story and martyrdome 2007.2008 Simeon Archbishop of Seleucia his story .97 his martyrdome 98 Simeon byshop of Ierusalem crucified 36 4.364 Simon Fishe his storye .1013 author of the book called the supplication of beggers he dyeth of the plague 1014 Simon Sudbury Archbishoppe of Caunterbury .393 taken and be headed 434 Simon Mountford minor taken prisoner 331 Simon Miller Martyr burned at Norwich his story and martyrdome 2005 Simon Fish the author of the book called the supplication of Beggers 1013 Simon Cananeus crucified 32 Simon a Deacon Martyr 32 Simon Grinâ—us his trouble and maruelous deliuery by gods prouidence from all daunger 2077 2078 Simon Wisedome abiured 985 Simon Ioyne Martyr his story 1909 Simony of the Popes Court complayned of by king Richard 241.251 Simphorissa with her seuen childreÌ„ martyrs 41 Simetrius with diuers other martyrs 45 Symson Martyr his story 2031 2033.2034 Single life though neuer so wicked preferred before godly matrimony by the Papistes 29 Single life of Nunnes widowes 508 Singing for soules departed
No man so 〈◊〉 but he may learne The copy of Syr Edward BayntoÌ„s letter to M. Latimer These friendes of M. Bayâ—toÌ„ seeme to be some Popish Priestes and enemyes to the Gospell as Powell Wilson Sherwood Hubberdine c. The Papistes will not haue vnity disturbed Papistry coloured with authority of holy fathers M. BayntoÌ„ will follow the most number Note the proceedynge of the Popeâ— Church which would not haue the people certayne of Gods truth and religion Errour and false doctrine would fayne lye still in peace and noâ— be stirred Vnity in the Lord in Baptisme in fayth The Chayne of christen charity Answere of M. Latimer to M. BayntoÌ„s letter The Bee The Spinner Euery thing as it is taken Had I wist Example of a true diligent pastor M. Latimer vnfurnished with outward helpe M. Latimer blamed for saying he was sure of the truth which he preached As God alone knoweth all truth so some truth he reuealeth to be certaine to his seruauntes 〈◊〉 presumption in a Preacher being certayne of that which he Preacheth to shew it to the people Let not man Preach except that he be certayne of that which he preacheth Euery true christian ought to be certayne of his fayth The doubting doctrine of the Catholickes Argumentes Aunswere i. The 〈…〉 the most 〈◊〉 certayn◠〈◊〉 Certaâ—ne knowledge Clâ—are knowledge M. Latimer not 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Which 〈…〉 had knowledg without any 〈…〉 while thâ—y knowing the will of God doe nothing theâ— after 1. 〈…〉 that alâ—o which he 〈…〉 as not to haue it And also seing it is true that Gods 〈…〉 will not dwell in a body subiect to sinne albeit he abound in carnall wisedome to much yet the same â—â—rnall and Philosophicall vnderstanding of Gods 〈◊〉 is not the wisedome of God which is hidde from the wiâ—e and iâ— reuealed to litle ones Euery Preacher ought to be suâ—e of the truth There be many truthes whereof a good man may well be ignoraunt There be many thinges in Scripture in the profundities whereof a man may wade to farre Agaynst preachers which take vpon theÌ„ to define great subtilties and highe matters in the Pulpit Vayne subtilties and questions to be declined Simple and playne preaching of faith and of the fruites thereof Foolishe humilitye A meane betweene to hie and to low Not euery thing wherâ—â—pon disseÌ„tion comâ—eth iâ— the 〈…〉 He 〈…〉 Pope and his Papists which 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 K. Henry and 〈◊〉 brâ—thers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken where 〈◊〉 is geuen The church of the Galathians Erasmus in 〈◊〉 epistle set before the Paraâ—â—rase in â—â— Cor. To pretend vnitye vnder the title of one Lord is not inough Chrisost. Hom. 49. in Mat. cap. 24. To be in vnity of fayth except the fayth be sound is not inough i. If we beleeue we shew the truth in working i. He that beleueth God attendeth to his commaundementes Hieron Tom. 5. in Hierem. Cap 26. How true preachers should order themselues when the wicked Priestes be against them Hieron Tom. 6. in Naum cap. 30. i. The people which before were brought a sleepe by their Maners must goe vp to the mountaynes not such mouÌ„taines which smoke when they are touched but to the mountaines of the old and new testament the Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes And when thou art occupyed with reading in those mountaines yf then thou find no instructors for the haruest is great and the workemen be few yet shall the diligent study of the people be flying to the mountaines and the slouthfulnes of the Maisters shal be rebuked i. Which witâ— mouth onely confesse Christ to come in flesh Naughty seruauntes not feeding but smitting their fellow seruauntes eating and drinking with the drunken which shall haue their portion with hypocrites i. Because they confesse Christ in flesh and naughty they are called because they deny him in their deedes not geuing meat in due season and excercising maistershippe ouer the flocke August in Ioan. Tract 3. Both Christians and Antichristians confesse the name of Christ. i. Let vs not stand vpon our talkes but attend to our doinges and conuersation of life whether we not onely do not put our indeuour thereto but also perswade our selues as though it were not necessary for vs to accomplish such thinges c. but that it is inough to beare rule and authoritye ouer them and to bestow our selues wholy vpon secular matters pleasures pompe of this world In the people is required a iudgmeÌ„t to discerne whether they tooke of their ministers chalke for cheese The blind eateth many a flye Intollerable secularitye and negligence in Churchmen Better is in the Church a deforme disagreement so that Christ be truely preached then vniforme ignorance agreeing in Idolatrye i. If ye loue me keepe my commaundementes i. He that knoweth my preceptes and doth them he loueth me The state of Curates what it is The true honour of Christ turned to Piping playing and Singing He that wilâ— be busie with Vâ— Vobis let him looke shortly for coraÌ„ nobis Iohannes do tuâ—â—e Cremata The Pope great Maister Lord and king ouer all the world i. He came into his owne and his owne receaued him not Iohn 1. The Popes dominion Purgatory Worshipping of Saintes i. I shall haue neede of great patience to beare the false reportes of the malignaÌ„t church A priuye nippe to such as haue many cures and are resident to none i. I must needes suffer and so enter so perilous a thing it is to liue vertuously in Christ. An other â—â—tter of M. â—aâ—imer to â— Henry August ad Caâ—ulaâ—uÌ„ Chrisost. M. Latimer tâ—uched in conscience 〈◊〉 write to the king 〈…〉 to truth Math. 23. The subtile wilines and practises of the prelats 〈…〉 2. 〈…〉 12. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 12. Math. 7. The rule of Christ. The pouerty of Christes life expressed The poore conâ—dition of Christs life is an example to vs to cast down our pride nor to set by riches It is not agaynst the pouertye of the spirite to be rich What is to be poore in spirite and what not Priuy enemyes to spirituall pouertye Against Monkes and Fryers and Prelates of the spiritualtye Math. 17. Subiection to superiour powers Ambition of the spiritualtye Math. 7. Math. 15. Christ promiseth no promotions but persecution to his followers Math. 1â— Iohn 16. Math. 10. Gods word only is the weapon of Spirituall Pastors The Apostles were persecuted but neuer no persecutors Phillip 1. Persecution a sure marke of true preaching The worde of the Crosse. Iohn 3. Crafty pretenses of the Prelates to stoppe the reading of holy Scripture Belly wisedome Perswation to let the Scripture to be read in Englishe Sinister counsell about Princes Wicked 〈…〉 his owne deâ—struction Vnder the 〈…〉 Christes Gospell Obiection preuented and aunswered The cause and causeâ—s of 〈◊〉 kinges Proclamation against â—he reading of Scripture booke in 〈◊〉 He meaneâ—h oâ— Cronmer Cromwell one or two moâ— agaynst whom the Bishop of Winchester his faction
stake D. Ridley ready to aunswere D Smithes Sermon but â—â—uld not â—e suffered D Marshall Vicechaâ—â—â—cellour of Oxford stoppeth D. Ridleys mouth B. Ridley committâ—â—â— his cause to Gâ—d M. Latimerâ— wordes when he could not be suffered to answere D Smith * This was no Popish Tippet 〈◊〉 made 〈◊〉 to keepe 〈◊〉 necke warme D. Ridley geueth away his apparrell other 〈◊〉 to the peâ—ple 〈…〉 him M. Latimer standing at the staâ—e in his shirte D Ridley 〈…〉 The death and Martyrdome of D. Ridley The lamenting hartes of the people at the Martyrdome of these two Saintes The first farewell of B. Ridley to his friendes Commendation of George Shipside his brother in lawe To his brother Iohn Ridley To his sister in lawe of vnthanke wife to Hugh his brother To his Cosin M. Nicholas Ridley To his Cosin Rafe Ridley To all his kindred B. Ridley appoynâ—ed to be B. of Durham Martyrdome Gods singular and rare promotion 1. Peter 4. A blessed thing to suffer death for Christ. If 〈…〉 dye wâ—â—h his 〈◊〉 vpoÌ„ theeâ—es for worâ—â—ly gooâ—â—s how mâ—ch more then to dye in Chriâ—â—es â—uarell vpoâ— the enemye of his Church Deut. 7. Iohn 15. To dye in any right whatsoeuer it be is to dye in Gods cause To dye in the truth against theeues and to dye for the truth agaynst Christes enemyes compared Truth taught in the Church of England True ministration of the Lordes Supper Seruice in thâ— vulgare toâ—gue Luke 22. 〈…〉 Chriâ—â— is contrary to Gods word is a subuersion of 〈◊〉 godlines and destruction to mans soule Comparison betweene Popishe persecutors and strong theeues Popish persecutors when they are false theeues yet will they be called true Catholickes The fight with spirituall theues is worse then with temporall theeues Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6. The weapons of a christian warriour D. Ridley 〈◊〉 to the Sea of Durham The cause of Martyrs is the common cause of Christ and of 〈◊〉 his elect Saintes Let no man foâ—â—acke to dye 〈◊〉 a blessed 〈◊〉 common quarell To his friendes in Cambridge Benefites sheweâ— to D. Ridley in Cambridge Pembroke hall in CaÌ„bridge Commendation of Pembroke hall to be a letter forth euer of the Gospell D. Ridley learned the Epistles of S. Paule Peter without booke in Pembroke hall D. Ridley called into Kent by Archbishop Cranmer To the parishe of Herne in Kent The godly Lady Phines in Herne parish To the metrapoliticke sea of Canterbury To the sea of Rochester To Westminster To the sea of London B. Ridley deposed 〈◊〉 the sea of London without right or iudgement The Sea of London worthely 〈◊〉 â— Ridleys 〈…〉 the Episcopall 〈◊〉 of London To the city of London Commendation of 〈◊〉 Richard 〈◊〉 Alderman Knight The creating of the hospitall by B. Ridley 〈◊〉 Richard Dobbes 〈◊〉 of London Commendation of Syr George Barnes Maior of London Bridewell obtayned of King Edward by Syr George Barnes to set poore people a worke To the Citizens of London To the higher house and temporall Lordes of the Parlament Gal. 3. A good warning or lesson to the temporall Lordes Ezech. 3. Luke 6. Ignorance will not excuse the temporalty being seduced in religion The Lordes of the Parliament be fallen from Christ to Christes enemy Act. 2â— Many good meÌ„ in the sea of Rome So long as the Sea of Rome folowed the rules of the Apostles it might be called Peter or Paules chayre The Church receaued of the Apostles of Christ Christ of God Tertull. The sea of Rome hath degenerated from the Apostles rules and hath set vp an other religion That is hath excercised an other power Hath ordeyned strange lawes If true doctrine maketh sea Apostolicke then coÌ„trary doctrine maketh the sea to be Antichrist Apocalip 17. Apocalip 11. Kinges coÌ„mitting adultery with the whore of Babilon what it meaneth Apoc. 17. Daniel â— He speaketh to the Lordes teÌ„porall Psalme 4. If the vnity of the Popes Church standeth vpon necessity of saluation why did the Lordes of this realme abiure this vnitye in K. Henry K. Edwardes dayes If it be otherwise why then doe they periure themselues turning to it agayne 〈◊〉 6. An other farewell of 〈…〉 c. 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 1 〈…〉 2. Matâ— 5. Luke 21. Luke 6. Math. 10. Math. 10· Math. 10. To confesse Christ and not to feare danger 2. Cor. 4. 1. Peter 3. The causes why the Apostles so reioysed in their affliction 1. Corin. 2. 2. Cor. 12. 2. Tim. 1. The glory of Paule wherein it consisted 2. Tim. 2. â— Tim. 3. Gal. 4. The waye to heauen is by afflictions Heb. 11. Heb. 12. Reasons to moue vs to pacience vnder the Crosse. Prouerb â— Heb. 1â— 2. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Cor 1. Phil. 1. Luke 25. Rom 9. 1. Iohn 3. Apoc. 14. To couet to be with Christ and not to fearâ— death Iohn 11. Iohn 5. 2. Peter â— 2. Cor. 5. Act. 14. Luke 16. Luke 12. The state of the Church of England described 〈◊〉 The lamentable chaÌ„ge of religion in the Church Ieremy 4. 1. Cor. 14. Ignorance a prayer Abuse â—n the Lordes Sâ—pper The Sacrament turned out of his right vse kind Idolatry in worshipping the creature for the creator The cuppe debarred from the ministration of the Lordes supper Blasphemous sacrifice for sinne Deuter. 5. Idolatry is stockes and stones The whore of Babilon with her cup of abominations expounded Apoc. 17. 2. Peter 2. The misticall marchaundise of the Babilonicall strumpet All thinges at Rome for money Verses agaynst Pope AlexaÌ„der Abominations and wicked abuses of the Sea of Rome declared The true word of God the office of the same declared Note here that these Scriptures were written by M. 〈◊〉 in the Marâ—eâ—t but were not in the copy which we â—llowed Act. â—0 Cranmer and Ridley 〈◊〉 in the Duke oâ— Sâ—mersets câ—use Cranmer repugning agaynst the spoyle of the Church goodes Latimer Bradford Leuer Knoxe The corrupt 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 K. Edwardes tyme. Hipocrisie a double euill The slackenes that was in that tyme to good workes Gods plaâ—â—â— vpon England iustly deserueâ— He exhortet◠〈◊〉 constant confeâ—sion of Christ Punishment of heretiques 〈◊〉 gentle in the olde tyme and how it was vsed Counsell geuen in these dayes of persecution what to doe Such as remayned out of captiuitye counsayled to voyde the realme The abominatioÌ„ of desolation set vp in England Christ coÌ„maundeth to flye to the mountaynes Apoc. 18. 2. Cor. 6. Counsell to depart the realme Doubtes whether to flye or to tarry debated Presumptuous prouocation rash running into daunger forbidden Euseb. Eccle. lib. 4. cap. 15. 〈…〉 dwelling in â—ngland 〈◊〉 a good 〈◊〉 eyther with out daunger of conscieÌ„ce oâ— perill of lyfe Iâ—â—ent no excuses to câ—oâ—e sinne Confession of 〈◊〉 must goe with belief of 〈◊〉 To trust in God what it is 1. Corin 3 2. Cor. 6. Rom. â— To beare the beastes markeâ— what it is Apoc. 13.14.10 The literall taking of the Scripture 〈◊〉 the Iewes 〈…〉 The Popes
haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasure away I may well complayne on these thyngs and cry out vpon them with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in haereditatem tuam c. Psal. 72. O Lord God the Gentiles Heathen nations are come into thy heritage They haue defiled thy holy Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is They haue broken beaten down to the ground thy holy Citie This Heathenish generatiō these thieues of Samaria these Sabei and Chaldei these robbers haue rushed out of their dennes and haue robbed the Church of England of all the foresayd holy treasure of God they haue caried it away and ouerthrown it and in stead of Gods holy worde the true and right administration of Christes holy Sacramentes as of Baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministerie with mens foolish fantasies and many wicked and vngodly traditions withall In stead of the Lordes holy Table they geue the people with much solemne disguising a thyng which they cal their Masse but in deed and in truth it is a very masking and mockerie of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a crafty iuglyng whereby these false theeues iuglers haue bewitched the myndes of the simple people that they haue broght them from the true worship of god vnto pernicious idolatry and make them to beleeue that to be Christ our Lord and Sauiour which in deed is neither God nor man nor hath any lyfe in it selfe but in substance is the creature of bread and wyne and in vse of the Lordes Table is the Sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud and for this holy vse for the whiche the Lord hath ordained them in hys table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs and his bloude there shed it pleased him to call them his body bloud whiche vnderstanding Christ declareth to be his true meanyng when he sayth Do this in the remembraunce of me And agayne Saint Paule likewyse doth set out the same more plainly speaking of the same Sacrament after the words of the consecration saieng As often as ye shall eat of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall set forth he meaneth with the same the Lordes death vntill his commyng agayne And here agayne these thieues haue robbed also the people of the Lordes cup contrary to the plaine words of Christ written in his Gospell Nowe for the common publike prayers whiche were in the vulgare tongue these theeues haue brought in agayne a strange tongue whereof the people vnderstande not one worde Wherein what doe they els but robbe the people of their Diuine seruice wherein they ought to pray together with the minister and to pray in a strange tong what is it but as Saint Paule calleth it barbarousnesse childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godly Articles of vnitie in religion for the wholesome Homelies what doe these Thieues place in the stead of them but the Popes Lawes and Decrees lying Legends fayned fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitie of the rude people Thus this robbery and theft is not onely committed nay sacriledge and wicked spoyle of heauenly thyngs but also in the stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolation of the tyrant Antiochus of proud Senacherib of the shamelesse faced kyng and of the Babilonicall beast Unto this robbery this theft and sacrilege for that I cannot cōsent nor God willyng neuer shall so long as the breath is in my body because it is blasphemy agaynst God hygh treason vnto Christ our heauenly kyng Lord Maister our onely Sauiour and redeemer it is playne contrary to Gods word and to Christes Gospell it is the subuersion of all true godlinesse and agaynst the euerlastyng saluation of myne owne soule and of all my brethren and sisters whom Christ my Sauiour hath so dearely bought wyth no lesse price then with the effusion and shedyng foorth of hys most precious bloud Therfore all ye my true louers in God my kinsfolke and countreymen for this cause I say knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shall willingly take with hearty thankes to God therefore in certayne hope without any doubtyng to receyue at Gods hande agayne of his free mercy and grace euerlastyng lyfe Although the cause of the true man slayne of the thiefe helpyng hys neighbour to recouer hys goods agayne and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generality is both one as I sayd before yet know ye that there is no small difference These thieues agaynst whom I do stand are much worse then the robbers and thieues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious and their kynds of fight are far diuers These thieues are worse I say for they are more cruell more wycked more false more deceitfull and crafty for those wyll but kill the body but these will not sticke to kill both body and soule Those for the generall theft and robbery be called are in deed theeues and robbers but these for their spirituall kynd of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would say Church robbers They are more wicked for those goe about to spoyle men of worldly thynges worldly riches gold and siluer worldly substance these go about in the wayes of the deuill their ghostly father to steale from the vniuersall Church and perticularly from euery man all heauenly treasure true faith true charity hope of saluation in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ yea to spoil vs of our sauior Iesus Christ of his gospel of his heauēly spirit of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauē so derely purchased vnto vs with the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ. These be the goodes and godly substance whereupon the christian before God must liue and without the which he cannot lyue These goods I saye these theeues these Church robbers go about to spoile vs of The which goods as to the man of God they excell and farre passe all worldly treasure so to withstand euen vnto the death such theeues as go about to spoyle both vs the whole Church of such goods is most high and honourable seruice done vnto God These church robbers be also much more false crafty and deceitfull then the theeues vpon the borders for these haue not the craft so to commend their theft that they dare auouch it and therefore as acknowledging themselues to be euill they steale commonly vpon the nyght they dare not appeare at iudgements and Sessions where Iustice is executed and when they are taken and brought thether they neuer hang any man but they bee oft tymes hanged for theyr faults But these Church robbers can so cloke colour their spiritual robbery that they can make the people to beleeue falshood to be truth and truth falshood good
contented for frendshippe and curtesye sake not to fayle them in this theyr businesse Hauyng made this Preface he entered into the pith of the matter wherein he blamed greatly the barbarous crueltye of the Court of Rome so fiercely extended agaynst the dead He sayd it was a more heynous matter then was to be borne with to haue shewed such extreme cruelnesse to them that were aliue but for any manne to misbehaue himselfe in such wise towarde the deade was such a thing as hadde not lightly bene heard of Sauing that he affirmed this custome of excommunicating and curssing of deade folke to haue come first from Rome For Euagrius reporteth in his wrytinges that Eutichius was of the same opinion induced by the example of Iosias who slew the Priestes of Baall and burnt vppe the boanes of them that were deade euen vppon the Aultars Whereas before the time of Eutichius this kinde of punishment was welneare vnknowne neither afterwarde vsurped of any manne that euer he heard of vntill a nine hundreth yeares after Christ. In the latter times the whiche howe muche the further they were from that golden age of the Apostles so much the more they were corrupted this kinde of cruelnesse beganne to creepe further For it is manifestlye knowne that Stephen the sixt Pope of Rome digged vp Formosus his last Predecssour in that Sea and spoyling him of hys Popes apparell buryed him agayne in lay mans apparell as the call it hauing first cut off and throwne into Tyber his two fingers with which according to theyr accustomed maner he was woont to blesse and consecrate The whiche his vnspeakeably tyrannye vsed against Formosus within sixe yeares after Sergius the third encreased also agaynst the same Formosus For taking vp his dead body and setting it in a Popes chayre hee caused his heade to be smitten of and his other three fingers to be cut from his hand and his body to be cast into the ryuer of Tyber abrogating and disanulling all his decrees which thinge was neuer done by any man before that daye The cause why so great crueltye was exercised by the reporte of Nauclerus was this because that Formosus had beene an aduersarye to Stephen and Sergius when they sued to be made Bishops This kinde of crueltye vnharde of before the Popes a while exercised one agaynst an other But nowe or euer they had sufficiently felte the smarte thereof themselues they had turned the same vpon our neckes Wherefore it was to be wished that seeing it began among thē it might haue remayned still with the Authors thereof not haue bene spread ouer thence vnto vs. But such was the nature of all euill that it quickely passeth into example for others to do the like For about the yeare of our Lord 1400. Iohn Wicklyfe was in lyke maner digged vp and burnte into ashes throwen into a brooke that runneth by the towne where he was buryed Of the which selfe same sauce tasted also William Tracye of Gloucester a man of a worshipfull house because he had written in his laste will that he shoulde be saued onely by fayth in Iesus Christe and that there needed not the helpe of any manne thereto whether he were in heauen or in earth and therefore bequethed no legacye to that purpose as all other men were accustomed to doe This deede was done sithens we may remember aboute the 22. yeare of the raigne of Henry the 8. in the yeare of our Lord. 1530. Now seeing they extended suche crueltye to the dead he sayde it was an easye matter to coniecture what they would doe to the liuing Whereof we had sufficient tryall by the examples of our owne men these fewe yeares past And if we woulde take the paynes to peruse thinges done somewhat lenger ago we might find notable matters out of our owne Chronicles Howbeit it was sufficient for the manifest demonstration of that matter to declare the beastly butchery of the Frenche King executed vppon the Waldenses at Cabryer and the places nere thereabout by his captayne Miner aboute the yeare of our Lorde 1545. then the which there was neuer thing read of more cruelty done no not euen of the barbarous Paganes And yet for all that when diuers had shewed theyr vttermost cruelty both agaynste these and many others they were so farre from theyr purpose in extinguishing the light of the Gospell which they endeuoured to suppresse that it increased dayly more and more The which thing Charles the 5. then whom all christendome had not a more prudēt Prince nor the Church of Christ almost a sorer enemy easily perceiued and therefore when he had in his hand Luther dead and Melancthon and Pomeran with certayne other Preachers of the Gospell aliue he not onely determined not any thing extreamely agaynst them nor violated theyr graues but also entreating them gently sent thē away not so much as once forbidding them to publish openly the doctrine that they professed For it is the nature of Christes Church that the more that Tyrauntes spurne agaynst it the more it encreaseth and florisheth A notable proofe assuredly of the prouidence and pleasure of God in sowing the Gospell was that comming of the Bohemians vnto vs to the intent to heare Wickliffe of whom we spake before who at that time read openly at Oxford and also the goyng of our men to the sayde Bohemians when persecution was raysed agaynste vs. But muche more notable was it that we had seene come to passe in these our dayes that the Spanyardes sent for into thys Realme of purpose to suppresse the Gospell as soone as they were returned home replenished many partes of theyr Countrey with the same trueth of Religion to the which before they were vtter enemyes By the which examples it might euidently be perceiued that the Princes of this world labour in vayne to ouerthrowe it considering how the mercy of GOD hath sowne it abroad not onely in those Countryes that wee spake of but also in Fraunce Poole Scotland and almoste all the rest of Europe For it is sayd that some partes of Italy although it be vnder the Popes nose yet do they of late encline to the knowledge of the heauenly trueth Wherefore sufficient argument and proofe mighte be taken by the successe and encreasement therof to make vs beleue that this doctrine is sent vs from heauen vnlesse we will wilfully be blinded And if there were any that desired to be perswaded more at large in the matter hee might aduisedlye consider the voyage that the Emperor and the Pope with both theyr powers together made ioyntly agaynste the Bohemians In the which the Emperour tooke suche an vnworthy repulse of so small a handfull of his enemyes that he neuer almost in all his life tooke the like dishonour in any place Hereof also might bee an especiall example that death of Henry Kyng of Fraunce who the same day that he had purposed to persecute the Churche of Christe and to
haue burned certayne of his Garde whome he had in prison for Religion at whose execution he had promised to haue bene himselfe in proper person in the middes of his tryumph at a tourney was wounded so sore in the head with a Speare by one of his owne Subiectes that ere it was long after he dyed In the which behalfe the dreadfull iudgementes of GOD were no lesse approued in our owne Countreymen For one that was a notable slaughterman of Christes Sayntes rotted aliue and ere euer he dyed such a rancke sauour stemed from all his bodye that none of his frendes were able to come at hym but that they were ready to vomit Another being in vtter dispayre well nighe of all health howled out miserably The third ranne out of his wittes And diuers other that were enemyes to the Churche perished miserablye in the end All the which thinges were most certayne tokens of the fauour and defence of the diuine Maiesty towades his Churche and of his wrath and vengeance towardes the Tyrauntes And for as much as he had made mention of the Bohemians he sayd it was a most apte example that was reported of theyr Capitayne Zisca who when hee should dye willed his body to be slayne and of his skin to make a parchment to couer the head of a drumme For it should come to passe that when his enemies hearde the sound of it they should not be able to stand agaynste them The like counsell he sayd he himselfe nowe gaue them as concerning Bucer That like as the Bohemians dyd with the skinne of Zisca the same should they doe with the Argumentes and doctrine of Bucer For as soone as the Papistes shoulde heare the noyse of hym theyr Gewgawes would forthwith decay For sauing that they vsed violence to such as withstoode them theyr doctrine conteyned nothing that might seeme to any man hauing but meane vnderstanding in holy Scripture to be grounded vpon any reason As for those thinges that were done by them agaynst such as could not play the madmen as well as they some of them sauoured of open force and some of ridiculous foolishnes For what was this first of all was it not friuolous that by the space of three yeares together Masse shoulde be songe in those places where Bucer and Phagius rested in the Lord without any offence at al and assoone as they tooke it to be an offence straight waye to be an offence if any were heard there or that it should not be as good then as it was before as if that then vppon the soddeyne it had bene a haynous matter to celebrate it in that place and that the fault that was past should be counted the greuouser because it was done of lenger time before Moreuer this was a matter of none effect that Bucer and Phagius onely should be digged vppe as who shoulde say that he alonely had embraced the Religion which they call heresy It was well knowne howe one of the Burgesses of the Towne had bene minded towarde the Popish Religion Who when he shoulde dye willed neither ringing of Belles Diriges nor any other such kinde of trifles to be done for him in his anniuersary as they terme it but rather that they should go with Instruments of Musicke before the Maior and coūsell of the Citty to celebrate his memoriall and also that yearely a Sermon shoulde bee made to the people bequeathing a piece of money to the Preacher for his labour Neither might he omit in that place to speak of Ward the paynter who albeit he wer a man of no reputation yet was he not to be despised for the religion sake which he diligently folowed Neyther were diuers other moe to be passed ouer with silence who were knowne of a certaynety to haue continued in the same sect and to rest in other Churchyardes in Cambridge and rather through the whole realme and yet defiled not theyr Masses at all All the which persons for as much as they were all of one opinion ought all to haue bene taken vppe or els all to haue bene let lye with the same Religion vnlesse a man would graūt that it lyeth in theyr power to make what they list lawfull and vnlawfull at theyr owne pleasure In the condemnation of Bucer and Phagius to saye the trueth they vsed to much cruelty and to muche violence For howsoeuer it went with the doctrine of Bucer certaynely they coulde finde nothing wherof to accuse Phagius in as much as he wrote nothing that came abroad sauing a few things that he had translated out of the Hebrew and Chaldy tounges into Latine After his comming into the Realme he neuer read he neuer disputed he neuer preached he neuer taught For he deceased so soone after that he coulde in that time geue no occasion for his aduersaries to take hold on whereby to accuse him whome they neuer hearde speake In that they hated Bucer so deadly for the allowable maryage of the Cleargy it was theyr owne malice conceiued agaynste him and a verye slaunder raysed by themselues For he had for his defence in that matter ouer and besides other helpes the Testimony of the Pope Pius the second who in a certayne place sayth that vppon waighty considerations Priestes wiues were taken from them but for more weighty causes were to be restored agayne And also the statute of the Emperour they call it the Interim by the which it is enacted that such of the cleargye as were maryed shoulde not bee diuorced from theyr wiues Thus turning his stile from this matter to the Uniuersity he reprooued in fewe wordes theyr vnfaythfulnes towardes these men For if the Lord suffered not the bones of the King of Edome being a wicked man to bee taken vppe and burnt without reuengement as sayth Amos let vs assure our selues he will not suffer so notable a wrong done to his godly Preachers vnreuenged Afterward when he came to the condemnation whiche we tolde you in the former action was pronounced by Perne the Uicechauncellour in the name of them all being somewhat more moued at the matter he admonished thē how much it stoode them in hand to vse great circumspectnes what they decreed vpon any man by theyr voyces in admitting or reiecting any man to the promotions and degrees of the Uniuersity For that which should take hys authority from them should be a great preiudice to all the other multitude which for the opinion that it had of theyr doctrine iudgement allowance and knowledge didde thinke nothing but well of them For it would come to passe that if they would bestow theyr promotions vpon none but meet persons let the vnmeet go as they come both the common wealth should receiue much commodity and profite by them and besides that they should highly please God But if they persisted to be negligent in doing thereof they should grieuously endommage the common weale and worthely worke theyr owne shame and reproch Ouer and besides that