place where he had fastned the girdle beyng so low that his hips well nere touched the floore his legs lying a crosse and his armes spred abroad And this was the maner of his hangyng hauyng his Agnus Dei in a siluer tablet with his other idolatrous trash in the window by him And thus being dead and not thought worthy to be interred in the Churchyard he was buried in a Lane called Foskew Lane This heauy and dreadfull ende of Henry Smith although it might seeme enough to gender a terrour to all yong popish students of the law yet it did not so worke with all but that some remayned as obstinate still as they were before Amongst whom was one named Williams a student of the Inner Temple who beyng sometyme a fauourer of the Gospell fell in like maner from that to be an obstinate Papist a despitefull railer agaynst true religion and in conclusion was so hote in his catholike zeale that in the midst of his railing he fell starke madde and so yet to this present day remaineth The Lord of his mercy turne him to a better mynd and conuert him if it bee hys pleasure Amen The miserable ende of Twyford is here no lesse to bee remembred a busie doer sometymes in K. Henries dayes by Boners appointment in settyng vp of stakes for the burnyng of poore Martyrs Who when he sawe the stakes consume away so fast yea sayd hee will not these stakes hold I will haue a stake I trow that shall hold and so prouided a big tree and cuttyng of the top set it in Smith field But thanks be to God or euer the tree was all consumed God turned the state of Religion and hee fell into an horrible disease rottyng alyue aboue the ground before he died Read more of hym pag. 1258. But because the story both of hym and of a number such other lyke is to bee founde in sundry places of this history sufficiently before expressed it shall be but a double labour agayne to recapitulate the same ⧠Ye haue heard before pag. 1911. of the condemnation and Martyrdome of a certain boy called Tho. Drowry condemned by Williams Chauncellour of Gloucester contrary to all right and counsaile of the Register then present called Barker Now what punishment fell after vpon the said Chancellor followeth to be declared ¶ The strange and fearefull death of the same Doctor Williams WHen God of his inestimable mercy hauing pitie of vs and pardoning our sinnes for hys sonnes sake Christ Iesu had now taken from vs that bloudy Princesse and sent vs this iewel of Ioy the Queenes maiestie that now raigneth and long might she raigne ouer vs and that the commissioners for restitution of religion wer comming toward Glocester The same day D. Williams the Chauncellour dined with W. Ienings the Deane of Gloucester who with all his men were booted redy at one of the clocke to set forward to Chipping Norton aboute xv miles from Gloucester to meete the Commissioners which were at Chipping Norton and sayd to him Chancellor are not thy bootes on Chanc. Why should I put them on To go with me quoth the Deane to meet these commissioners Chanc. I will neither meet them nor see them Deane Thou must needs see them for now it is past xij of the clocke and they will be here afore iij. of the clocke and therfore if thou be wise on with thy bootes and let vs goe together and all shall be well Chanc. Go your wayes M. Deane I will neuer see them As I sayd W. Ienings the Deane set forward wyth his company toward the Commissioners and by and by commeth one vpon horsebacke to the Deane saying M. Chancellor lyeth at the mercy of God and is speachlesse At that worde the Deane with his company pricked forward to the Commissioners and tolde them the whole matter and communication betwene them two as aboue And they sent one of their men with the best wordes they could deuise to comfort him with many promises But to be short albeit the Commissioners were now nerer Glocester then the Deane and his company thought making very great hast especially after they hadde receyued these newes Yet Doct. Williams though false of religion yet true of his promise kept his vngracious couenaunt with the Deane for he was dead or they came to the citie and so neuer saw them in deed Wherefore to passe ouer our owne domesticall examples of English persecuters plaged by Gods hand wherof this our present story doth abound I will stretche my penne a little further to adioyne withall a few like examples in forraine countries ⧠Foraine Examples HOfmeister the great Archpapist and chiefe maisterpiller of the Popes fallyng Church as hee was in hys iourney goyng toward the Councell of Ratisbone to dispute agaynst the defenders of Christes gospel sodainly in his iourney not farre from Ulmes was preuented by the stroke of Gods hand and there miserably died with horrible roring and crying out Ex Illyrico de vocabulo fidei What a pernitious and pestilent doctrine is this of the papists which leadeth men to seeke their saluation by merites and workes of the lawe and not by faith onelye in Christ the sonne of God and to stay themselues by grace And what inconuenience this doctrine of doubting desperation bringeth men to at length if the playne word of God will not sufficiently admonish vs yet let vs be warned by examples of such as haue bene either teachers or followers of this doctrine and consider well what ende commonly it hath and doth bring men vnto To recite all that may be sayd in this behalfe it were infinite To note a few examples for admonitions sake it shal be requisite In the Uniuersitie of Louane was one named Guarlacus a learned man brought vp in that Schoole who at length was reader of Diuinitie to the Monkes of s. Gertrudes order Where after he had stoutly mainteyned the corrupt errors of such popish doctrine at last falling sicke when he perceiued no way with him but death he fell into a miserable agonie and perturbation of spirite crying out of his sinnes how wickedly he had liued and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation saide his sinnes were greater then that he could be pardoned and in that desperation wretchedly he ended his lyfe Ex Epistola Claudij Senarclaei ad Bucerum ante histor de morte Diazij Another like example we haue of Arnoldus Bomelius a young man of the sayd Uniuersitie of Louane well commended for his fresh flourishing wit and ripenesse of learnyng who so long as he fauoured the cause of the gospell and tooke part with the same agaynst the enemies of the truth he prospered and went well forward but after that he drew to the company of Tyleman maister of the Popes Colledge in Louane and framed hymselfe after the rule of his vnsauourie doctrine
it hath bene frō the beginning from time to tyme as it appereth by stories as Christes true religion is now to be found here in Englād although hypocrisie hath by violence the vpper hād And in the Apocalyps you may see it was prophesied that the true Church should be driuen into corners and into wildernes and suffer great persecution Morgan A are you seene in the Apocalyps there are many strange thyngs Phil. If I tel you the truth which you are not able to refel beleeue it dally not out so earnest matters Me thinke you are liker a scoffer in a play then a reasonable doctor to instruct a man you are bare arsed dance naked in a net and yet you see not your owne nakednes Morgan What I pray you be not so quicke with me Let vs talke a little more coldly together Philpot. I will talke with you as mildely as you can desire if you wil speake learnedly and charitably But if you go about with taunts to delude truth I will not hyde it from you Morgan Why will you not submit your iudgement to the learned men of this Realme Phil. Because I see they can bring no good ground whereupon I may with a good conscience settle my fayth more surely then on that which I am now grounded vppon by Gods manifest word Morgan No do that is maruell that so many learned men should be deceyued Phil. It is no maruell by S. Paule for he sayeth That not many wyse neither many learned after the world bee called to the knowledge of the Gospell Morgan Haue you then alone the spirite of God and not we Phil. I say not that I alone haue the spirite of God but as many as abide in the true faith of Christ haue the spirit of God as well as I. Morgan Howe knowe you that you haue the Spirite of God Phil. By the fayth of Christ which is in me Morgan A by faith do you so I ween it be the spirit of the buttry which your fellowes haue had that haue ben burned before you who were dronk the night before they wēt to their death and I weene went dronken vnto it Phil. It appeareth by your communication that you are better acquainted with the spirit of the Buttry then with the spirit of God Wherefore I must now tell thee thou painted wall hypocrite in the name of the liuing Lord whose truth I haue told thee that God shal raine fire and brimstone vpon such scorners of his worde and blasphemers of his people as thou art Morgan What you rage now Phil. Thy foolish blasphemies hath compelled the spirit of God which is in me to speake that which I haue said vnto thee thou enemy of all righteousnes Morgan Why do you iudge me so Phil. By thine owne wicked words I iudge of thee thou blynd and blasphemous Doctour for as it is written By thy words thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned I haue spoken on Gods behalfe now haue I done with thee Morgan Why then I tel thee Philpot that thou art an heretike and shalt be burnt for thine heresy and afterwards go to hell fire Phil. I tel thee thou hypocrite that I passe not this for thy fire and fagots neither I thanke God my Lord stande in feare of the same my faith in Christ shall ouercome thē But the hel fire which thou threatnest me is thy portion and is prepared for thee vnlesse thou spedily repent and for such hypocrites as thou art Morgan What thou speakest vpon wyne thou hast tipled well to day by likelihood Phil. So said the cursed generation of the Apostles beyng replenished with the holy Ghost speaking the wōdrous works of God they said they were dronk when they had nothing els to say as thou doest now Morgan Why I am able to answer thee ywis I trow Phil. So it seemeth with blasphemies and lyes Morgan Nay euen with learnyng say what thou canst Phil. That appeared well at my disputation in the Conuocation house where thou tookest vpon thee to aunswer those few arguments I was permitted to make and yet wast not able to aunswere one but in thyne aunsweres did fumble and stammer that the whole house was ashamed of thee and the finall conclusion of all thine answers was that thou couldst answer me if I were in the scholes at Oxford Morgan What did I so thou beliest me Phil. I do not belye thee the booke of the report of the disputation beareth record therto and al that were present then can tell if they list thou saydst so And I tell thee playne thou art not able to answer that spirit of truth which speaketh in me for the defence of Christes true Religion I am able by the might therof to driue thee roūd about this gallery before me and if it would please the queenes maiesty and her Councell to heare thee and me I woulde make thee for shame shrinke behinde the doore Morgan Yea would you so Phil. Thou hast the spirite of Illusion and Sophistrye which is not able to counteruaile the spirit of truth Thou art but an Asse in the true vnderstanding of thinges pertayning vnto God I cal thee Asse not in respect of malice but in that thou kickest agaynst the trueth and art voyde of all godly vnderstāding not able to answere to that thou braggest in Morgan Why haue I not answered thee in all things thou hast sayd vnto me I take them to record Phil. Aske of my felow whether I be a theefe Cosins Harke he maketh vs all theeues Phil. You know that phrase of the Prouerbe that like will holde with like And I am sure you will not iudge with me against him speake I neuer so true and in this sense I speake it The strongest answere that he hath made against me is that you will burne me Morgan Why we doe not burne you it is the Temporall men that burne you and not we Phil. Thus you woulde as Pilate dyd washe your handes of all your wicked doinges But I pray you Inuocate seculare brachium call vpon the secular power to be executioners of your vnrighteous iudgementes And haue you not a title in your law De haereticis comburendis for to burne heretickes Harps I haue hearde you both a good while reason together and I neuer hearde so stout an hereticke as you are M. Philpot. Cosins Neither I in all my life Phil. You are not able to proue me an heretick by one iote of Gods word Harps You haue the Spirite of arrogancy I will reason with you no more And so he was departing and M. Cosins also And with that the bishop and Christoforsō came in agayne and sayd Boner Mayster Doctour howe doeth this man and you agree Morgan My Lord I doe aske him where his church was fifty yeares agoe Boner Are you not halfe agreed as one man sayd once to tway parties of whō the one was
your fall shall tourne to hys glorye and youre profite For if you hadde not by this prooued the experience of your owne strength or rather your owne weakenes you would haue stande too muche in your owne conceite or perchaunce haue glorified in your selfe and haue despised and condempned other weake personnes that haue committed the like offence Therfore now you may see what the best of vs all can do if God leaue vs to our selues Which thing ought to moue you to be diligent to call earnestly vpon God for his grace and the strength of his holy spirite without the which we are not able to stande one houre to be most thankefull for the same when you haue it and then to be more circumspecte in time to come Therefore deare sister seeing that you haue done otherwise then the word of God and your owne cōscience would allow yet deare hart do you not thinke that God therfore wil cast you cleane away but know that he hath mercy enough in store for al them that truely repent and beleeue in him although the sinnes of them were as many in number as the sandes in the sea and as great as the sinnes of the whole worlde It is a greater sinne to mistrust the mercye and promises of God then to commit the greatest offence in the world Therefore good sister beware in any wise that you doe not once mistrust the promises of Gods mercy towardes you but knowe for a very surety that all youre sinnes be vtterlye forgeuen you for Christes sake be they neuer so many so grieuous or so great But now deare heart take heede and beware that you doe not cloake that sinne and increase the same daily in communicating with the wicked in their Idolatrie and deuelish doinges at their denne of theeues Do not I say deare sister come at any of their Antichristian seruice least by little and little you vtterly lose a good conscience and at length esteeme it for none offence as alas a great nomber doth at this day to the great pearill of theyr soules The Lorde be merciful vnto them and geue them grace to repent in time and tourne to the Lorde and then they shal be sure to finde mercy at the Lordes hand as doubtles you haue done praised be his name therefore Ah my deare sister you may nowe see the wordes of Christe verified vppon your selfe that a mans greatest foes shall be they of his owne household for your husband hath gotten you to do that which all the tyrants in the world could neuer haue made you to doe Doubtlesse he may be sory for it God geue him grace to repent or els without doubt it will be laid to his charge one day when he would not by his will heare it for all the goods in the worlde Well I thinke my brother Tymmes will wryte him a letter shortly that shall touche his conscience if hee haue anye conscience at all But now againe to you dere sister The thing that is done can not be vndone and you are not the first that hath offended neither are you so good and so holy as hath at a time slipt forth of the way Therfore I would not haue you to be so much discomforted as I heare saye you be as thoughe God were not able to forgeue you your offence as he was to forgeue his deare Saints that offended him in times past or as though God were not as mercifull nowe as euer he was Where as in very deede There is with the Lord as the Prophet sayth mercy and plentiful redēption and his mercy farre surmounteth all his workes and he neuer faileth any that put their whole trust and confidence in him howe great an offender or howe wicked a trespasser so euer he bee No he maketh their falles and backeslidings manye times to tourne to their profite and commoditie and to the settynge foorth of his glorye As doubtlesse deare sister yours shall doe if you put your whole faith hope and trust only in his infinite and eternall sweete mercies Oh what a suttel crafty lying serpent is that Sathan our old enemie that when he seeth that he can not make vs to continue in our wickednes to do him seruice would then bring vs into a doubting and mistrusting of the mercye of God whyche is the greatest offence that can be yea infidelitye is the roote and originall of all other sinnes Therefore my sweete sister geue no place to that cruell aduersary of mankinde who hath bene a lier and a murtherer from the beginning but stedfastlye beleeue the Lord who hath sent you word by me his most vnworthy seruāt that all your sinnes be pardoned forgeuen and cleane released for Iesus Christes sake our only Lorde and Sauiour To whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory praise thankes power rule and dominion for euer for euer Amen Farewell my deare sister and be of good cheare Beleeue in the Lorde and you shall liue for euer The Lord increase your faith Amen Amen Your poore brother and daily faithfull Oratour Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lord. Pray for me An other letter of Iohn Careles to A.B. a faithfull Minister of the Lorde containing certaine frutefull precepts of Matrimonie I Beseech the same euerlasting Lord my deare and faithful brother that blessed yong Tobias with his wife Sara brought them together in due time with reuerence and feare preserue and blesse you both and your seede after you that they may encrease the number of the faithful by thousandes and thousandes And as the Lord of his great mercy and fatherly prouidēce hath bene alwaies carefull for you and nowe hath for your comforte accomplished his good worke in coupling you with a faithfull mate so see that you be thankefull for his prouidence towardes you that it may euery way in you be an encrease of loue godlinesse yea of Christian ioye and gladnesse in these sorrowfull dayes but yet so that you mourne with the true mourners of Syon and be sorie yet in measure for the hurt of the same Pray also in faith for her prosperity that the Lord may builde vp the walles of Hierusalem againe Oh that the Lord would turne Syons captiuity as the riuer into the South Then shoulde our hearts be made glad and oure mouthes filled with laughter Then woulde the heathen hypocrites say the Lord hath done much for them Oh the Lord hath done great things for vs already wherof let vs heartely reioyce and praise his name therefore For though we nowe sowe wyth teares yet shall wee be sure to reape with gladnesse and as wee now goe foorth weeping bearing foorth good seede so shall we come againe with ioy and bring our sheaues full of corne Yea the death of the Martyrs which is most precious in hys sighte shal be the life of the Gospell spite of the Papists hearts Pray for me deare heart that I may
first what he will say to his owne handy worke Ieffrey Ye say truth Tell me Palmer art thou he that wrote this faire volume Looke vpon it Palmer I wrote it in deede and gathered it out of the scripture Ieffrey Is this doggish rime yours also Looke Palmer I wrote this I deny not Ieffrey And what say you to these Latine verses entituled Epicidion c. Are they yours too Palmer Yea sir. Ieffrey Art thou not ashamed to affirme it It came of no good spirit that thou didst both raile at the dead slander a learned and Catholike man yet alyue Palmer If it be a slander he hath slandered hymselfe For I do but report hys owne writyng open the folly therin declared And I recken it no railyng to inuey agaynst Annas and Caiphas beyng dead Ieffrey Sayest thou so I will make thee recant it and wryng Peccaui out of your lying lyppes ere I haue done with thee Palmer But I know that although of my selfe I bee able to do nothyng yet if you and all myne enemies both bodily and ghostly should do your worst you shall not be able to bryng that to passe neither shall ye preuaile agaynst Gods mighty spirit by whom we vnderstand the truth and speake it boldly Ieffrey Ah are you ful of the spirit Are you inspired with the holy ghost Palmer Sir no man can beleeue but by the inspiration of the holy ghost Therfore If I were not a spirituall man and inspired with Gods holy spirite I were not a true christian Qui spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius i. He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his Ieffrey I perceyue you lacke no words Palmer Christ hath promised not onely to geue vs store of words necessary but with them such force of matter as the gates of hell shall not be able to confound or preuayle agaynst it Ieffrey Christ made such a promise to his Apostles I trow you will not compare with them Palmer With the holy Apostles I may not compare neyther haue I any affiaunce in myne owne wit or learnyng which I know is but small yet this promise I am certain pertaineth to all such as are appoynted to defende Gods truth against hys enemies in the tyme of their persecution for the same Ieffrey Then it pertaineth not to thee Palmer Yes I am right well assured that thorough hys grace it pertaineth at this present to me as it shal I dout not appeare if you geue me leaue to dispute wyth you before this audience in the defence of all that I haue there written Ieffrey Thou art but a beardlesse boy starte vp yesterday out of the schooles and darest thou presume to offer disputation or to encounter with a Doctor Palmer Remember M. Doctour Spiritus vbi vult spirat And agayne Ex ore infantium c. And in another place Abscondisti haec a sapientibus c. i. The spirit breatheth whē it pleaseth hym c. Out of the mouth of Infants c. And thou hast hidden these thyngs from the wyse c. God is not tyed to tyme wit learnyng place nor person And although your wit and learnyng be greater then myne yet your beliefe in the truth and zeale to defend the same is not greater then myne Register Sir if you suffer hym thus impudently to trifle with you he will neuer haue done Ieffrey Wel ye shal vnderstand that I haue it not in commission at this present to dispute with you neither were it meete that we should call againe into question such Articles as are already discussed and perfectly defined by our mother the holy Church whom we ought to beleue without why or wherefore as the Creede telleth vs. But the cause why ye be now called hither is that ye might be examined vpon such articles as are ministred against you such matter as is here conteined in your hand writyng that it may be seene whether you will stand to it or nay How say you to this Palmer By your holy church you meane the Sinagogue of Rome which is not vniuersall but a perticular Church of shauelyngs The catholike church I beleeue yet not for her owne sake but because she is holy that is to say a Church that groundeth her beliefe vpon the word of her spouse Christ. Ieffrey Leaue railing answer me directly to my questiō Will ye stand to your writing or will ye not Palmer If ye prooue any sentence therein comprised not to stand with Gods word I will presently recant it Ieffrey Thou impudent fellow haue I not told thee that I came not to dispute with thee but to examine thee Here the parson of Inglefield pointing to the pixe said What seest thou yonder Palmer A canapie of silke brodered with gold Person Yea but what is within it Palmer A piece of bread in a clout I trow Person Thou art as froward an heretike as euer I talked with all Here was much spoken of Confiteor and other partes of the Masse Person Do you not beleeue that they which receiue the holy Sacrament of the aultar do truly eate Christes natural body Palmer If the Sacrament of the Lordes supper bee ministred as Christ did ordaine it the faithfull receiuers do in deed spiritually and truely eate and drinke in it Christes very naturall body and bloud Person The faithfull receiuers ye cannot bleare our eies with such Sophistry Doe not all maner receiuers good bad faithfull and vnfaithfull receiue the very natural body in forme of bread Palmer No sir. Person How prooue you that Palmer By this place Qui manducat me viuet propter me i. He that eateth me shall lyue for me Person See that fond fellow whiles he taketh himselfe to be a Doctor of the law you shall see me prooue him a stark foolish dawe Do you not read likewise Quicunque inuocauerit nomen domini saluus erit id est Whosoeuer inuocateth the name of the Lord shall be saued Ergo Doe none but the godly call vppon hym therefore you must marke how S. Paul answereth you He sayth that the wicked do eate the true body to their condemnation As Palmer was bent to aunswere him at the full the Person interrupted hym crying still what sayest thou to S. Paule Palmer I say that S. Paule hath no such wordes Person See the impudent fellow denieth the playne text Qui edit bibit corpus Domini indignè reus erit Iudicij i. He that eateth and drinketh the body of the Lord vnworthily is guiltie of iudgement Palmer I beseech you lend me your booke Person Not so The Shiriffe I pray you lend hym your booke So the booke was geuen ouer to hym Palmer Your owne booke hath Qui manducat hunc panem c. i. He that eateth this bread Person But S. Hieromes translation hath Corpus Palmer Not so M. Parson and God bee praysed that I haue in the meane season shut
it I will declare it vnto you But I praye you that you will take your pen and wryte it and then examine it and if ye find any thing therein that is not fit for a Christian woman then teache me better and I will learne it Chaunc Wel said But who shal be Iudge betwene thee and me Elizab. The Scripture Chaunc Wilt thou stand by that Eliz. Yea sir. Chaunc Wel go thy way out at the doore a litle while for I am busie and I will call for thee anon againe Then he called me againe and said Nowe woman the time is too long to wryte Say thy minde and I wil bear it in my head Then Elizabeth began and declared her faith to him as shee had done before the Bishop Chaunc Woman spirit and faith I do allow but dost not thou beleeue that thou doest receiue the body of Christ really corporally and substantially Eliz. These wordes really and corporally I vnderstond not as for substantially I take it ye meane I should beleue that I should receiue his humane body which is vpon the right hand of God and can occupy no moe places at once and that beleeue not I. Chanc. Thou must beleeue this or els thou art damned Eliz. Sir can ye geue me beliefe or fayth Chanc. No God must geue it thee Eliz. God hath geuen me no such fayth or beliefe The Chauncellor then declared a text of S. Paule in Latine and then in English saying I could make thee beleeue but that thou hast a cankered heart and wilt not beleeue Who then can make thee to beleeue Eliz. You sayd euen now that fayth or beliefe commeth of God and so beleeue I and then may not I beleue an vntruth to be a truth Chanc. Doest thou not beleeue that Christes flesh is flesh in thy flesh Eliz. No sir I beleeue not that for my flesh shall putrifie and rot Chanc. Christ sayd my flesh is flesh in flesh Eliz. Who so receiueth him fleshly shall haue a fleshly resurrection Chanc. Christ sayeth in the 6. of Iohn My fleshe is meate in deed and my bloud is drinke in deed Eliz. Christ preached to the Capernaits saying Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you and the Capernaites murmured at it And his Disciples also murmured saying among themselues This is an hard saying and who can abide it Christe vnderstoode their meanyng and sayde Are ye also offended Will ye also goe away What and if ye shall see the sonne of man ascende vp to heauen from whence hee came will that offende you It is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothyng I praye you Sir what meaneth Christ by that Chanc. O God forbid Would ye haue me to interprete the Scriptures We must leaue that for our olde auncient fathers which haue studied scriptures a long tyme haue the holy ghost geuen vnto them Eliz. Why sir haue ye not the holy ghost geuen and reuealed vnto you Chanc. No God forbid that I should so beleeue but I hope I hope But ye say ye are of the spirit Will you say that ye haue no profit in Christes flesh Eliz. Sir we haue our profite in Christes flesh but not as the Capernaites did vnderstand it For they vnderstoode that they must eate his fleshe as they did eate Oxe fleshe and other and drinke his bloud as we drinke Wyne or Beere out of a Bole. But so we must not receyue it But our profite that we haue by Christ is to beleeue that hys body was broken vpon the Crosse and his bloude shedde for our sinnes That is the very meanyng of Christ that so we should eate his fleshe and drinke hys bloude when he sayde My fleshe is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede Chanc. How doth thy body lyue if Christes flesh bee not flesh in thy flesh Eliz. Sir I was a body before I had a soule which body God had created yet it could not lyue til God had breathed lyfe into me and by that lyfe doth my body lyue And when it shall please God to dissolue my lyfe my flesh will offer it selfe vnto the place from whence it came through the merites of Christ my soule wil offer it selfe to the place from whence it came Chanc. Yea but if thou doe not beleeue that Christes flesh is flesh in thy flesh thou canst not be saued Eliz. Sir I do not beleeue that Chauncel Why doth not Christ saye My fleshe is meate in deede and my bloude is drinke in deede Canst thou denye that Eliz. I denye not that for Christes fleshe and bloude is meate and drinke for my soule the foode of my soule For who so euer beleeueth that Iesus Christ the sonne of God hath dyed and shed his bloud for his sinnes his soule feedeth thereon for euer Chauncel When thou receiuest the Sacrament of the aultar doest thou not beleeue that thou doest receiue Christes body Eliz. Sir when I do receiue the Sacrament which Christ did institute and ordaine the night before he was betraied and left among hys Disciples as often I say as I receiue it I beleeue that spiritually and by fayth I receyue Christ. And of this Sacrament I knowe Christ himselfe to be the author and none but hee And this same Sacrament is an establishment to my conscience an augmenting to my fayth Chaunc Why did not Christ take bread and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body that is geuen for you Did he geue them his body or no Elizabeth He also tooke the cuppe and gaue thankes to his Father and gaue it vnto his Disciples saying Drynke ye all hereof for this is the Cuppe of the newe Testament in my bloude which shall bee shedde for many Nowe I praye you Sir let me aske you one question Dyd he geue the cuppe the name of hys bloud or els the wyne that was in the cuppe Then was he very angry and sayd Doest thou think that thou hast an hedge priest in hand Eliz. No sir I take you not to bee an hedge priest I take you for a Doctor Chauncel So me thinketh Thou wilt take vpon thee to teach me Eliz. No sir But I let you know what I know and by argument one shall know more Christ sayd As oft as ye do this do it in the remembrance of me but a remembrance is not of a thing present but absent Also S. Paule saith So oft as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shew forth the Lordes death till he come Then we may not looke for hym here vntill his cōmyng agayne at the latter day Agayne is not this article of our beliefe true He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead But if
oyntmēt salt and such other laudable ceremonies which no Christian man will deny Smith That is a shamefull blasphemy agaynst Christ so to vse any mingle mangle in baptising young infants Boner I beleue I tell thee that if they dye before they bee baptised they be damned Smith Yee shall neuer bee saued by that beliefe But I pray you my Lord shewe me are we saued by water or by Christ Boner By both Smith Then the water dyed for our sinnes and so muste ye say that the water hath life and it being our seruaunt created for vs is our sauiour this my Lord is a good doctrine is it not Boner Why how vnderstandest thou these scriptures Except a man be borne of water and of the spyrit he can not enter into the kingdome of God And againe Suffer sayth our Sauiour these children to come vnto me and if thou wilt not suffer them to be baptised after the laudable order thou lettest them to come vnto Christ. Smith Where ye alleadge Saynt Iohn Except a man c. and will thereby proue the water to saue and so the deede or worke to saue and putte away sinnes I will send you to Saynt Paule which asketh of the Galathians Whether they receiued the spirite by the deedes of the law or by the preaching of fayth and there concludeth that the holye Ghoste accompanyeth the preaching of fayth and with the worde of fayth entreth into the harte So nowe if Baptysme preache me the washinge in Christes bloud so doeth the holy Ghost accompanye it and it is vnto me as a Preacher and not a Sauiour And where ye say I let the children to come vnto Christ it is manifest by our Sauiours wordes that ye let them to come that will not suffer them to come to him without the necessitye of water For he sayth suffer them to come vnto me and not vnto water and therefore if ye condemne them ye condemne both the merites and wordes of Christ. For our Sauiour sayeth Except ye turne and become as childrē ye cannot enter into the Kyngdome of GOD. And so broughte I out manye other ensamples to make manifest that Christ hath cleansed original sinne bringing in ensamples out of scriptures for the same Boner Then thou makest the water of none effect and then put away water Smith It is not sayth Saynt Peter the washynge awaye of the filth of the fleshe but in that a good conscience consenteth vnto GOD. And for to prooue that water onely bringeth not the holye ghost it is written in the 8. of the Actes that Simon receiued water but would haue receyued the holy ghost for money Also that the holy ghost hath come before baptisme it is written that Iohn had the holy ghost in his mothers wombe Cornelius Paule and the Queene of Candace seruant with many other receiued the holy ghost before Baptisme Yea and although your generation haue set at nought the worde of God and like swine turned hys wordes vpside downe yet must his Church keep the same in order that he lefte them whiche his Churche dare not breake and to iudge children damned that be not baptised it is wicked Mord. By our Lady syr but I beleue that if my childe dye without water he is damned Boner Yea and so do I and all Catholicke men good M. Mordant Smith Well my Lord such Catholicke such saluation Boner Well Syr what say you to the Sacrament of Orders Smith Ye may call it the Sacrament of misorders for all orders are appoynted of God But as for your shauing annoynting greasing poling roūding there are no such thinges appointed in Gods book and therfore I haue nothing to do to beleue your orders And as for you my lord if ye had grace or intelligēce ye wold not so disfigure your selfe as ye do Boner Sayest thou so nowe by my troth and I wyll goe shaue my selfe to anger thee withal and so sent for his barber which immediatly came And before my face at the doore of the next chamber he shaued himselfe desiring me before he went to answere to these articles Boner What say you to the holy bread and holy water to the sacrament of annoynting to all the rest of such ceremonies of the church Smith I say they be bables for fooles to play withall not for the children of God to exercise themselues in and therfore they may go among the refuse Then went away Maister Mordant and my Lord went to shauing leauing there certayne Doctors as he called thē to assay what they could doe of whō I was baited for halfe an houre of whō I also asked this questiō Where were all you in the dayes of Kyng Edward that ye spake not that which ye speake now Doct. We were in England Smith Yea but then ye had the faces of men but nowe yee haue put on Lyons faces again as sayth S. Iohn Ye shew your selues now as full of malice as ye may be For ye haue for euery time a viser yea if an other king Edward shoulde arise ye would then say Downe with the Pope for hee is Antichrist and so are all his Angels Then was I al to reuiled and so sent away brought in agayne to come before these men one of them that baited me before asked me if I disobeyed confession Smith To whom I answered Looke in mine articles and they shall shew you what I allow Doct. Your articles confesse that you allow not auriculare confession Smith I allow it not because the word aloweth it not nor commaundeth it Doct. Why it is written thou shalt not hide thy sinnes offences Smith No more do I when I confesse them to almightye God Doct. Why ye can not say that ye can hide them frō God and therefore you must vnderstand the wordes are spoken to be vttered to them that do not know them Smith Ye haue made a good aunswere then must the priest confesse himselfe to me as I to him For I know his faultes and secretes no more then he knoweth mine But if ye confesse you to the Priest and not vnto God ye shall haue the reward that Iudas had for he confessed him selfe to the priest and yet went and hanged himselfe by and by and so as many as do not acknowledge theyr faultes to God are sayd to hide them Doct. What did they that come to Iohn to be baptised Smith The came and confessed theyr sinnes vnto almighty God Doct. And not vnto Iohn Smith If it were vnto Iohn as ye are not able to proue yet was it to God before Iohn and the whole Congregation Doct. Why Iohn was alone in the wildernes Smith Why and yet the scriptures say he had many Disciples and that many Phariseis and Saduces came to hys Baptisme Here the Scriptures and you agree not And if they confessed themselues to Iohn as ye say it was to all the Congregation as saynt Paule
My body into dust Yet am I sure to saue a soule When death hath done hys worst And though I leaue a little dust Dissolued out of bloud I shall receaue it safe agayne When God shall see it good For my redeemer I am sure Doth liue for euermore And sitteth high vpon the heauens For whome I hunger sore Euen as the Deare with deadly wounds Escaped from the spoyle Doth hast by all the meanes he may To seeke vnto the soyle Of whome I hope to haue a crowne That alwayes shall remayne And eke enioy a perfect peace For all my woe and payne The God that geueth all encrease And seeketh still to saue Abound in thee that perfect peace Which I do hope to haue And I beseech the liuing God To hold thee in hys handes And wish thee euen with all my hart The blessing of my bandes Which I esteeme of hier price Then pearle or precious stone And shall endure for euermore When earthly thinges are gone For though the fire doe consume Our treasure and our store Yet shall the goodnes of the Lord Endure for euermore And where thou art a friend to him That is to me full deare That God of might make the amendes When all men shall appeare That hath shewed mercy to the meeke And rid them out of payne And thus the Lorde possesse thy spirite Till we do meete agayne If thou wilt haue a recompence Abide still in obedience ¶ The exhortation of Robert Smith vnto his children commonly set out in the name of maister Rogers GEue eare my children to my words Whome God hath dearely bought Lay vp my law within your harte And print it in your thought For I your father haue foreseene The frayle and filthy way Which flesh and bloud would follow fayne Euen to theyr owne decay For all and euery liuing beast Their crib do know full well But Adams heyres aboue the rest Are ready to rebell And all the creatures on the earth Full well can keepe their way But man aboue all other beastes is apte to go astray For earth and ashes is his strength His glory and his rayne And vnto ashes at the length Shall he returne agayne For flesh doth florish like a flower And grow vp like a grasse And is consumed in an houre As it is brought to passe In me the Image of your yeares Your treasure and your trust Whome ye do see before your face Dissolued into dust For as you see your fathers fleshe conuerâ—ed into clay Euen so shall ye my children deare Consume and weare away The sonne and moone and eke the starres That serue the day and night The earth and euery earthly thing Shal be consumed quite And all the worship that is wrought That haue bene heard or seene Shall cleane consume and come to naught Ar it had neuer bene Therefore that ye may follow me Your Father and your frend And enter into that same lyfe Which neuer shall haue end I leaue you heare a little book For you to looke vpon That you may see your Fathers face When I am dead and gone Who for the hope of heauenly thinges While he dyd here remayne Gaue ouer all his golden yeares In prison and in payne Where I among myne iron bandes Enclosed in the darcke A few dayes before my death Did dedicate this worke To you myne heyres of earthly thinges Which I haue left behynde That ye may read and vnderstand And keepe it your minde That as you haue bene heyres of that Which once shall weare away Euen so ye may possesse the parte Which neuer shall decay In following of your fathers foote In truth and eke in loue That ye may also be his heyres For euermore aboue And in example to your youth To whome I wish all good I preache you here a perfite fayth And seale it with my bloud Haue God alwayes before your eyes In all your whole ententes Commit not sinne in any wise Keepe his commaundementes Abhorre that errant whoore of Rome And all her blasphemies And drincke not of her decretals Nor yet of her decrees Geue honour to your mother deare Remember well her payne And recompence her in her age In lyke with loue agayne Be alwayes ayding at her hand And let her not decay Remember well your fathers fall That should haue bene her stay Geue of your portion to the poore As riches doth arise And from the needy naked soule Turne not away your eyes For he that will not heare the cry Of such as are in neede Shall cry himselfe and not be heard When he would hope to speede If God haue geuen you great encrease And blessed well your store Remember ye are put in trust To minister the more Beware of foule and filthy lust Let whoredome haue no place Keepe cleane your vessels in the Lord That he may you embrace Ye are the temples of the Lord For ye are dearely bought And they that do defile the same Shall surely come to nought Possesse not pride in any case Build not your neastes to hye But haue alwayes before your face That ye be borne to dye Defraud not him that hyred is Your labours to sustayne But geue him alwayes out of hand His penny for hys payne And as ye would that other men Agaynst you should proceede Do ye the same agayne to them When they do stand in neede And part your portion with the poore In mony and in meate And feede the faynted feeble soule With that which ye should eate That when your meÌ„bers lacketh meate And clothing to your backe Ye may the better thinke on them That now do liue and lacke Aske counsell at the wise Geue eare vnto the end Refuse not you the sweete rebuke Of hym that is your frend Be thankefull alwayes to the Lord With prayer and with prayse Desire you him in all your deedes For to direct your wayes And sinne not like that swinish sorte Whose bellies beyng fed Consume theyr yeares vpon the earth From belly vnto bed Seeke first I say the liuing God Set him alwayes before And then be sure that he will blesse Your basket and your store And thus if you direct your dayes According to this booke Then shall they say that see your wayes How lyke me you do looke And when you haue so perfectly Vpon your fingers endes Possessed all within your booke Then geue it to your frendes And I beseeche the liuing God Replenish you with grace That I maye haue you in the heauens And see you face to face And though the sword haue cut me off Contrary to my kinde That I could not enioy your loue According to my minde Yet do I hope when that the heauens Shall vanish like a scrole I shall receaue your perfect shape In body and in soule And that I may enioy your loue And ye enioy the land I do beseeche the liuing
of thy brothers bloud * To All whiche loue God vnfaynedly and entend to lead a godly life according to his Gospell and to perseuer in his trueth vnto the ende grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen BE not afrayd most dearely beloued in our Sauior Iesus Christ at these most perillous dayes wherein by the sufferaunce of God the Prince of darkenes is broken lose and rageth in hys members agaynst the electe of God wyth all crueltie to set vp agayne the kingdome of Antichrist agaynst whome see that ye be strong in fayth to resist his most deuilishe doctrine with the pure Gospell of God armyng your selues with pacience to abide what soeuer shal be layd to your charge for the truthes sake knowyng that thereunto ye be called not onely to beleeue in hym but also to suffer for hym Oh howe happy are ye that in the sight of God are counted worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ Quiet therefore your selues Oh my louing brethren and reioyce in hym for whome ye suffer for vnto you do remain the vnspeakable ioyes which neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard neither the hart of man is able to comprehende in anye wyse Be not afrayd of the bodily death for youre names are written in the booke of lyfe And the Prophetes doth recorde that in the sight of the Lorde precious is the death of hys Saynctes Watch therefore and praye that yee be not preuented in the daye of temptation Now commeth the day of your tryall wherein the waters rage and the stormy windes blowe Now shall it appeare whether ye haue builded vppon the fleeing sande or vppon the vnmoueable rocke Christe whiche is the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes whereon euery house that is builded groweth into an holy temple of the Lord by the mighty workyng of the holy Ghost Now approcheth the daye of your batttayle wherein it is required that ye shewe your selues the valiaunte souldiours of Iesus Christ wyth the armour of God that yee may be able to stand fast agaynst all the craftye assaultes of the Deuill Christ is your Captayne and yee be his souldiours whose cognisaunce is the Crosse to the whiche hee wyllingly humbled hymselfe euen vnto the death and therby spoyled hys enemies and now triumpheth hee ouer them in the glorye of hys father makyng intercession for them that here doe remayne to suffer the afflictions that are to be fulfilled in his misticall bodye It behoueth therefore euery one that will be counted his scholler to take vp his owne crosse and follow hym as ye haue hym for ensample and I assure you that hee being on your side nothing shal be able to preuayle agaynst you And that he will be with you euen to the worldes ende yee haue hys promise in the 28. of Mathew He will goe foorth wyth hys host as a conquerour to make a conquest He is the man that sitteth on the white horse crowned with immortalitie and yee brethren are his fellowship whereof he is the head He hath your hart in hys hand as a bow bent after hys godly will he shall dyrect the same accordyng to the riches of hys glory into all spirituall and heauenly cogitations He is faythfull and will not suffer you to be further assaulted then he will geue you strength to ouercome and in the most daunger he will make a waye that ye may be able to beare it Shrynke not therefore deare heartes when ye shal be called to aunswere for the hope that is in you for we haue the comforter euen the spirite of trueth whiche was sent from the heauens to teache vs. He shall speake in vs hee shall strengthen vs what is he then that shal be able to confound vs Naye what Tiranne is he that now boasteth hymselfe of hys strength to doe mischiefe whome the Lord shall not with the same spirite by the mouth of his seruauntes strike downe to hell fire Yea sodaynly will the Lord bryng downe the glory of the proud Philistians by the handes of hys seruaunt Dauid Theyr strength is in speare shield but our helpe is in the name of the Lord which made both heauen and earth He is our buckler and our wall a strong Tower of defence He is our God and we are his people Hee shall bryng the counsels of the vngodly to nought He shall take them in theyr owne nette He shall destroy them in theyr own inuentions The right hand of the Lorde shall worke this wonder His power is knowne among the children of men Theyr fathers haue felt it and are confounded In lyke maner shall they knowe that there is no counsell agaynst the Lorde when their secrets are opened to the whole worlde and are found to be agaynst the lyuing God Worke they neuer so craftily builde they neuer so strongly yet downe shall theyr rabble fall and the builders them selues shall then be scattered vpon the face of the earth as accursed of God The iust shall see this and be glad prayse the name of the Lord that so meruellously hath delte with hys seruauntes as to bryng theyr enemies vnder theyr feet Thē shall the fearfull seed of Cayne trēble and quake Thē shall the mockyng Ismaelites be cast out of the doore Then shall the proud Nembroth see hys labour lost Then shal the beast of Babilon be troden vnder foot Then shall the scribes and Pharisees for madnes fret and rage Then sha theyr paynted wisedome be knowne for extreme folly Then shall bloudy Dragon be voyd of hys pray Then shall the whore of Babilon receaue double vengeaunce Then shall they scratch theyr crownes for the fall of their Maistres harlot whom they now serue for filthy lucre whē no man will buy their wares any more Then shall the Popishe Priesthoode crye weale away with care euen when the Lord shall helpe his seruauntes which day is not farre of the daye wherein the kingdome of Antichrist shall haue an ende and neuer aryse anye more In the meane tyme abide in certayne and sure hope cleauing vnto the promises of God whiche in theyr owne tyme shal be fulfilled Acquite youre selues lyke men agaynst the enemies of GOD in all humblenes of minde strong in spirite to acknowledge one God one holy Sauioure Iesus Christ one onely euerlastyng and sufficient sacrifice for the remission of sinnes euen the precious bodye of the Lorde Iesus once offered for all and for euer Whiche now sitteth on the right hand of God and from thence shall hee come to iudge both the quicke and the dead at the last day vntil that tyme occupyeth that blessed body none other place to dwell in to be kepte in to be closed in but onelye in the heauens euen in the glorious maiestye of God personally abidyng there in the fleshe not commyng downe from thence till the last houre
all them that were in prison with him so nowe also being at the stake hee did no lesse comforte the people there standyng aboute hym willing them to thinke well of his cause and not to doubte but that his bodye dying in that quarrell shoulde rise agayne to life And sayde hee I doubte not but that God wil shew you some token thereof At length he being well nigh halfe burnt and all blacke with fire clustered together as in a lumpe like a blacke cole all men thinking him for dead sodaynely rose vp right before the people lifting vp the stumpes of his armes and clapping the same together declaring a reioysing heart vnto them and so bending downe agayne and hanging ouer the fire slept in the Lord and ended this mortall life ¶ Letters A sententious letter of Robert Smith to Anne Smith hys wyfe SEeke first to loue God deare wife with your whol hart and then shall it be easy to loue your neighbour Be frendly to al creatures and especially to your own soule Be alwayes an enemy to the deuil and the world but especially to your owne flesh In hearyng of good thinges ioyne the eares of youre head and haâ—t together Seeke vnitie and quietnes with all men but especially with your conscience for he wil not easely be entreated Loue all men but especially your enemies Hate the sinnes that are paste but especiallye those to come Be as ready to further your enemy as he is to hinder you that ye may be the childe of God Defile not that which Christ hath cleÌ„sed least his bloud be layd to your charge Remember that God hath hedged in your tongue with the teeth and lips that it might speake vnder correction Be ready at all tymes to looke in youre brothers eye but especially in your owne eye For hee that warneth other of that he himselfe is faultie doth geue hys neighbour the cleare wyne and keepeth the dregges for hymselfe Beware of riches and worldly honor for without vnderstansting prayer and fasting it is a snare and also pouertie all whiche are like to consuming fire of whiche if a man take a little it will warme hym but if hee take too much it will consume him For it is hard for a man to cary fire in his bosome and not be brent Shew mercy vnto the sayntes for Christes sake and Christ shall reward you for the sayntes sake Among all other prisoners visite your owne soule for it is enclosed in a perilous prison If ye will loue God hate euill and ye shall obteyn the reward of well doyng Thus fare you well good Anne Haue me hartily commended to all that loue the Lorde vnfaynedly I beseeche you haue me in your prayer while I am liuing and I am assured the Lord will accept it Bring vp my children and yours in the feare of God and then shall I not fayle but receaue you together in the euerlasting kingdome of God which I goe vnto Your husband Robert Smith If ye will meete with me agayne Fosake not Christ for any payne ¶ An other letter sent to his wife Anne Smyth THe grace of almighty God be alwayes with you and comfort strength and stablishe you in all thinges that what his blessed will is ye may followe faythfully to hys honour my comfort and your owne saluation and the good ensample to our posteritie I haue receiued your letter and I prayse God without any danger neuerthelesse if Gods meruailous goodnes had not brought it to my handes by Peter the keeper there might haue risen a great trouble vpon the same For will ye know that George is a wicked man vtterly without all feare of God and if he had gotten it the Counsaile sure had seene it But Peeter like an honest man neuer opened it Wherefore I desire you from henceforth let your letters be deliuered at Chauncery lanes ende to my sister Tankerfield and she may deliuer them safe into my hand We are very straitely kepte I prayse God of hys mercye Neuerthelesse almighty God is alwayes with vs. I haue sent you that ye wrote for The two Nutmegges that shulde haue gone by Nicholas to our frendes I send nowe and desire them to accept them as a poore prisoners gift vntill God geue more largely Thomas Iuison sendeth you a peny I pray you geue him thankes for the same and Diricke also I haue sent you of that little that I haue two peeces of spanishe mony The Lorde Iesus haue you in his custody send you good speed In any case keepe your selfe close I doubt much of your walkings Haue my harty commendations to your parentes and desire theÌ„ with you to haue me in theyr prayers Be ferueÌ„t in prayer pray pray pray that God would of his mercy put vp his sword and looke on his people Tell my brother with commendations that the next commer shall bryng vp the Epistle exhortation I haue written all this fourtnight for my Lady yea and almost done nothing els I woulde haue seÌ„t him the articles of William Flower and my talk with him if I could haue deliuered it from the prison The holy Ghost keepe you I would ye could make a meanes for your money to send a cheese to Peter for I finde muche kindenesse at his handes Ye shall alwayes heare of me at Tankerfieldes house All the Congregation salute you Fare you most hartily well I haue not yet tell my brother spoken with the person There hathe come so straite a commaundement that no man might come to vs because Tooly cursed the pope at the gallowes They thought it to be our counsell Yours and euer yours Robert Smith ¶ An other letter sent to hys wife GRace mercy and peace from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ be with you deare wyfe now euer Amen and preuent your wayes through hys holye spirite that ye may in all your wordes and workes please God and eschew euil to hys honor and your saluation that they which see your conuersation may in all things learne to doe like euen to the vtter shame and confusion of the wicked and vngodly Amen I sent you by M. Alexander a purse with money I haue certayne tokens for you sent by my prison fellowes to you that is from M. Haukes .xii. d. froÌ„ M. Simson .xii. d. from his wife .iiij. d. from M. Wattes fiue new grotes froÌ„ M. Ardeley .xij. d. from M. Bradford xij d. which men be all gone to death except M. Bradford he abideth stil. Ther is also gone to death Nicholas Chamberlayne Tho. Osmund William Bamford There â—s also condemned thys monday Diricke Caruer Thomas Iuison Iohn Launder and William Uassy is repriued Pray to God to haue mercy vpon hys people and bid my brother if he can conueniently come downe on monday next if he can not wel do it let hym abide at home Haue me hartily commended to your parents I haue sent each
rage and vehemency of this terrible persecution in Queene Maries dayes did chiefly lyght in London Essex Northfolke Suffolke and Kent as hath bene partly already declared yet notwithstandyng besides the same we finde but fewe partes of this Realme from this fatall storme but some good Martyrs or other there shed their bloud And first to begin with the Dioces of Lichfield and Couentry there we finde these two to bee condemned and also burned about the middest of the sayd month of September at the towne of Lichfield whose names were Thomas Hayward and Iohn Goreway ¶ The persecution and story of M. Robert Glouer Gentleman and of Iohn Glouer his brother in the Dioces of Lichfield VNto this present tyme and moneth of September pertaineth also the memorable Martyrdome of M. Rob. Glouer Gentleman in the Diocesse of Lichfield and Couentry Of whose apprehensiō and troubles because I cannot well entreate but I must also intermixt some mention of his brother Iohn Glouer for so much as this priuy Commission was chiefly sent downe for the said Iohn and not for Rob. Glouer albeit it pleased almighty God that Iohn escaped and Rob. in his stead was apprehended I thought therefore in one story to comprehēd them both in describing some part of their vertuous institution and order of lyfe and first to begin with Iohn the eldest brother Who beyng a Gentleman and heyre to his father dwellyng in the towne of Mancetor was endued with fayre possessiōs of worldly goods but yet much more plentifully enriched with Gods heauenly grace and inward vertues Which grace of God so working in him he with hys two other brethren Rob. and Wil. not onely receyued and embraced the happy light of Christes holy Gospell but also most zealously professed and no lesse diligētly in their liuyng conuersation followed the same much vnlike vnto our tablegospellers now adaies Virtutem qui verba putant vt lucum ligna as Horace sayth And as touchyng this foresayde Iohn Glouer who through his manifold afflictions seemed to haue a deeper taste and contemplation of spirituall thyngs ioyned with mortification from all worldly eares more then the other had although sufficient relatiō be made before in our first edition to be seene yet as concernyng his spirituall conflicts and the Lordes gracious workyng in hym because the consideration thereof is both worthy of memory and the example may worke experience peraduenture to the comfort of the godly it shal not be hurtful to reherse some part of the same So it pleased God to lay his heauy hand of inward afflictions and greuous passions vpon this mā that though he suffred not the paynes of the outward fire as his brother and other Martyrs did yet if we consider what inwardly in spirit and mynd this man felt suffred and that of so long tyme he may well be counted with his brother Rob. for a Martyr beyng no lesse desirous with hym of the same Martyrdome yea in comparison may seme to be chronicled for a double Martyr For as the sayd Rob. was spedily dispatched with the sharpe and extreme torments of the fire in a short tyme so this no lesse blessed Saint of God what and how muche more greuous pangs what sorrowfull tormentes what boyling heates of the fire of hell in hys spirit inwardly he felt and sustayned no speech outwardly is able to expresse Being yong I remember I was once or twise with him who partly by hys talke I perceiued and partly by myne owne eyes saw to be so worne and consumed by the space of fiue yeares that neither almost any brookyng of meate quietnes of sleepe pleasure of lyfe yea and almost no kynd of senses was left in hym And doubtlesse I haue greatly wondered oftentymes at the meruailous workes and operation of Christ shewed vpon hym who vnlesse he had relieued betymes his poore wretched seruant so far worne with some opportune consolation now and then betwixt it could not possible bee that he should haue susteined so vntollerable paynes and tormentes And yet the occasion thereof was not of so great moment and weight But this we see common among holy blessed men how the more deuout and godly they are hauing the feare of God before their eyes the more suspition and mistrust they haue of thē selues whereby it commeth to passe that often they are so terrified perplexed with small matters as though they were huge mountains where as contrary others there be whom most hainous very sore crimes in deed do nothyng touch or stirre at all The occasion of this was that he beyng first called by the light of the holy spirit to the knowledge of the gospell and hauyng receiued a wonderous sweet feeling of Christes heauenly kyngdom his mynd after that fallyng a little to some cogitation of his former affayres belongyng to hys vocation began by by to misdoubt hymselfe vpō the occasion of these words written in the 7. to the Hebrues For it cannot be that they which were once illumined and haue tasted the heauenly gift c. Upon the consideration of which words he fully perswaded himselfe that he had sinned verely against the holy Ghost euen so much that if hee had bene in the deepest pit of hell he could almost haue dispaired no more of hys saluation Here redily euery good man may iudge of hymselfe what terrors boylings conuulsions turmoiled in the meane tyme in his wofull brest although it be hard for any mā to iudge the greuousnes therof vnlesse he which hath experience of the lyke In comparing now the torments of all Martyrs with his paynes I pray you what paynes punishment and flames would not he willingly haue suffered to haue had some refocillation and tyme of refreshyng Who in suche intollerable griefes of mynd although he neyther had nor could haue any ioy of hys meate yet was he compelled to eate against hys appetite to the end to differre the tyme of his damnation so long as he might thinking with hymself no lesse but that he must needs be thrown into hell the breth beyng once out of the body Albeit Christ he thought did pity hys case and was sory for hym yet he could not as he imagined helpe because of the veritie of the word which sayd It cannot be c. And this I rehearse of hym not so much to open hys wounds and sorrowes as for that by his example all wee with hym may glorifie the sonne of God who suffereth none to be tempted aboue hys strength but so tempereth and seasoneth the asperitie of euyls that what seemeth to vs intollerable not onely he doth alleuate the same that we may beare it but also turneth it to our further commoditie then we can thinke Which well appered in this good seruaunt of God in no man more Who albeit as we haue sayd suffred many yeres so sharpe temptations strong buffetyngs of
which in like cases was wonte to be the onely remedy against stiffe necked and stubborne persons that is you must be hampered by the lawes compelled eyther to obey whether ye will or no or els to suffer that which a rebell to the lawes ought to suffer Doe you not knowe that whosoeuer refuseth to obey the lawes of the realme he bewrayeth himselfe to be an enemye to hys countrey Do you not know that this is the redyest waye to stirre vp sedition and ciuill warre It is better that you should beare your owne sinne then that through the example of your breache of the common lawes the common quyet should be disturbed How can you say you will be the Queenes true subiect when as you do openly professe that you will not keepe her lawes O heauenly father the father of all wisedome vnderstanding and true strength I beseeche thee for thy onelye sonne our sauiour Christes sake looke mercifully vppon me wretched creature and send thine holy spirite into my brest that not onely I may vnderstand according to thy wisedome howe this pestilent and deadly darte is to bee borne of and with what aunswere it is to be beaten back but also when I must ioyne to fight in the field for the glory of thy name that then I being strengthned with the defense of the right hand may manfully stand in the confession of thy fayth and of thy truth and continue in the same vnto the end of my lyfe thorough the same our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen Now to the obiection I graunt it to bee reasonable that he whiche by wordes and gentlenes cannot be made yeld to that is right and good shoulde be brideled by the straite correction of the lawes that is to say he that wyll not be subiecte to Gods word must bee punished by the lawes It is true that is commonly sayd He that wil not obey the Gospell must be tamed and taught by the rigour of the law But these thinges ought to take place agaynst him whiche refuseth to doe that is right and iust according to true godlines not against him which cannot quietly beare superstitions but doth haâ—e and detest from his age such kinde of proceedinges and that for the glorye of the name of God To that whiche ye say a trangressour of the common lawes bewrayeth himselfe to be an enemye of his countrey surely a man ought to looke vnto the nature of the lawes what maner of lawes they be which are broken For a faythful Christian ought not to thinke alike of all maner of lawes But that saying ought onely truely to be vnderstanded of suche lawes as be not contrarye to Gods word Otherwise whosoeuer loue their countrey in truth that is to say in God they will alwayes iudge if at any time the lawes of God and man be then contrarye to the other that a man ought rather to obeye God then man And they that thinke otherwise and pretend a loue to their countrey forasmuche as they make their countrey to fight as it were agaynst God in whome consisteth the onely stay of that country surely I do thinke that such are to be iudged most deadly enemies and traytours to theyr countrey For they that fight agaynst God whiche is the safety of their countrey what doe they els but go about to bryng vpon theyr countrey a present ruine and destruction But they that doe so are worthy to be iudged enemyes to their countrey and betrayours of the Realme Therefore c. But this is the redyest way ye say to stir vp sedition to trouble the quiet of the common wealth therefore are these things to be repressed in tyme by force of lawes Beholde Sathan doth not cease to practise hys olde guiles and accustomed subâ—leties Hee hath euer thys darte in a redines to hurle agaynst hys aduersaryes to accuse them of sedition that he may bryng them if he can in danger of the higher powers For so hath hee by his ministers alwayes charged the Prophetes of God Achab sayde vnto Elias art thou he that troubleth Israell The false Prophetes also complayned to theyr Princes of Hieremy that hys wordes were seditious and not to be suffered did not the scribes and Pharisies falsely accuse Christ as a seditious person and one that spake agaynst Cesar Did they not at the last cry if thou let this man go you are not Cesars frend The Oratour Tertullus how doth he accuse Paule before Felix the high Deputie We haue found this man sayth he a pestilent fellow a stirrer of sedition vnto all the Iewes in the whole world c. But I praye you were these men as they were called seditious persons Christ Paule and the Prophetes God forbid But they were of false men falsely accused And wherefore I praye you but because they reproued before the people their giles superstition and deceites And when the other coulde not beare it and would gladly haue had them taken out of the way they accused him as seditious persons and troublers of the common wealthe that being by this meanes made hatefull to the people and Princes they might the more easely be snatched vpp to be tormented and put to deathe But howe farre they were from all sedition their whole doctrine lyfe and conuersation doth well declare For that which was obiected last of all that he cannot be a faythful subiect to hys prince which professeth openly that he will not obserue the lawes which the Princes hath made here I would wish that I might haue an indifferent Iudge one that feareth God to whose iudgement in this cause I promise I will stand I aunswere therefore a man ought to obey hys Prince but in the Lord and neuer agaynst the Lord. For he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince agaynst God doth not a duety to the Prince but is a deceauer of the Prince and an helper vnto him to worke his owne destruction Hee is also vniust whiche geueth not the prince that is the princes and to GOD that is GODS Here commeth to my remembraunce that notable saying of Ualentinianus the Emperoure for choosing the Bishop of Millayne Set him saith he in the Bishoppes seate to whome if we as man do offend at any tyme wee may submitte our selues Policarpus the most constaunt Martyr when he stoode before the chiefe Ruler and was commaunded to blaspheme Christ and to sweare by the fortune of Cesar. c. he aunswered with milde spirite wee are taught sayth he to geue honour vnto Princes and those powers which be of God but such honour as is not contrary to Gods religion Hither vnto ye see good father how I haue in words onely made as it were a florishe before the fight whiche I shortly looke after and how I haue begonne to prepare certayne kindes of weapons to fight agaynst the aduersary of Christ and to inuse with my selfe how the daâ—â—s of the olde enemy may bee borne of and after what sorte
his owne country and Dioces in taking the cause of right and equitye agaynste oppressiō and wrong As for an other example there was at that time not far from the dioces of Worcester a certayn Iustice of peace whom here I will not name being a good man afterward and now deceased This Iustice in purchasinge of certayne land for his brother or for himselfe wēt about to wrong or damnify a poore man who made his cōplaynt to M. Latimer He first hearing then tendering his rightfull cause wrote his letter to the Gentleman exhorting him to remember himselfe to consider the cause and to absteine from iniury The Iustice of peace not content withall as the fashion of men is when they are tolde of theyr fault sendeth word agayne in greate displeasure that hee would not so take it at his handes with suche threatnyng wordes c. M. Latimer hearing this aunswered agayne by writing to a certain gentleman the copy wherof amōg his letters hereafter foloweth in the sequele of this story to be sene It were a large long processe to story out all the doinges trauels writings of this christian Bishop neither yet haue we expressed all that came to our handes but this I thought sufficient for this present Thus he continued in this laborious function of a Bishop the space of certayne yeares till the comming in of the 6. Articles Then beyng distressed through the straightnesse of time so that either he must lose the quiet of a good conscience or els must forsake his Bishopricke he did of his owne free accord resigne his pastorship At which time Shaxton then bishop of Salisbury resigned likewise with hym his bishopricke And so these two remayned a great space vnbishopped keping silence till the time of king Edwarde of blessed memory At what time he first put of his Rochet in his chamber amōg his frendes sodenly he gaue askip in the floore for ioy feling his shoulders so light and being discharged as he sayd of such an heauy burden Howbeit neither was he so lightened but that troubles labors folowed him wheresoeuer he went For a litle after he had renounced his bishoprick first he was almost slayne but sore brused with the fall off a tree Then comming vp to London for remedye he was molested troubled of the bishops wherby he was again in no little daunger at length was cast into the Tower where he cōtinually remayned Prisoner till the time that blessed K. Edward entred his crown by meanes wherof the goldē mouth of this preacher long shut vp before was now opened agayne And so he beginning a freshe to sette forth his plough agayne continued all the time of the said king labouring in the Lordes haruest most fruitfully discharging his talent as well in diuers other places of this realme as in Stamford and before the Duches of Suffolk whose sermons be extant and set forth in print as also at London in the conuocation house and especially before the king at the Court in the same place of the inward garden which was before applied to lasciuious courtly pastimes there he dispensed the fruitefull word of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ preaching there before the king hys whole Court to the edification of many * A description of M. Latimer preaching before K. Edward the 6. in the preaching place at Westminster IN this his paynefull trauell he occupied himselfe all K. Edwardes dayes preaching for the most part euery sonday twise to no small shame of all other loytering and vnpreaching Prelates which occupy great roomes and do litle good and that so much more to theyr shame because he being a sore brused man by the fall of the Tree mentioned a little before and aboue lxvij yeares of age tooke so little case and care of sparing himselfe to doe the people good Now to speake here of his indefatigable trauell and diligence in his owne priuate studies who notwithstanding both hys yeares and other paynes in preaching euerye mornyng ordinaryly Wynter and Sommer about two of the clocke in the morninge was at his booke most diligently Howe carefull his hart was of the preseruation of the Churche and the good successe of the Gospell hys Letters canne testify wherewith he continuallye admonished such as then were in authority of theyr duty and assisted them with his godly counsell As the diligence of this man of God neuer ceased all the time of king Edward to profite the Church both publickely and priuately so among other doings in him to be noted this is not lightly to be ouerpassed but worthye to be obserued that God not onely gaue vnto him his spirite plenteously and comfortably to preache his word vnto hys Churche but also by the same spirite hee did so euidentlye foreshew and prophecye of all those kindes of plagues before which afterward ensued that if England euer had a Prophet he might seeme to be one And as touching hymselfe he euer affirmed that the preachinge of the Gospell would cost him his life to the which he no lesse chearefully prepared himselfe then certaynely was perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower for the same purpose as the euent did to truelye prooue the same For after the death of the sayde blessed King Edwarde not long after Queene Marye was proclaymed a Pursiuant was sente downe by the meanes no doubt of Winchester into the countrey to call him vp of whose comming although M. Latimer lacked no forewarning being premonished about sixe houres before by one Iohn Careles whose story here after foloweth yet so farre of was it that he thought to escape that he prepared himselfe towards his iorney before the sayd Pursiuant came to his house At the which thing when the Pursiuant maruelled seing him so prepared towardes his iourney he sayde vnto him My frend you be a welcome Messenger to me And be it knowne vnto you and to the whole world that I go as willingly to Londō at this present being called by my Prince to render a reckoning of my doctrine as euer I was at any place in the worlde And I doubt not but that God as he hath made me worthy to preache his word before two excellent Princes so he wil able me to witnes the same vnto the thyrd either to her comfort or discomfort eternally c. At the which time the Pursiuant whē he had deliuered his letters departed affirming that he had commaundement not to tary for him By whose sodein departure it was manifest that they would not haue him appere but rather to haue fled out of the realme They knewe that his constancy should deface them in theyr Popery and cōfirme the godly in the truth Thus Mayster Latimer being sent for and comming vp to London through Smithfield where merely he sayd that Smithfielde had long groaned for him was brought before the Counsell where hee pacientlye bearing all the mockes and tauntes
for the whiche causes I to rebuke the vnreuerent behauiour of certayne euill disposed persones preached as reuerently of that matter as I mighte declaring what estimation and reuerence ought to be geuen to it what daunger ensued the mishandling therof affirming in that sacramente to be truely and verely the bodye and bloude of Christe effectuously by grace and spirite whiche wordes the vnlearned vnderstanding not supposed that I had ment of the grosse and carnall being which the Romishe decrees set forth that a body hauing lyfe and motion shoulde be in deede vnder the shapes of breade and wyne With that the Bishoppe of Lincolne somewhat interrupting him sayde Lincol. Well M. Ridley thus you wrest places to your owne pleasure for where as saynct Austen saythe that the whole Christian worlde is subiecte to the sea of Rome without any limittation and vseth these wordes In transmarinis longè remotis terris onely to expresse the latytude of the dominion of the Sea of Rome willyng therby to declare that all the world yea countryes farre distaunt from Rome yet neuertheles are subiecte to that Sea yet you woulde wrast it and leaue it onely to Europe I am sure ye will not deny but that totus mundus is more then Europe Ridley In deede my Lorde if saynct Austen had sayde simpliciter totus mundus not added in transmarinis it had bene without limitation but in that he sayd totus mundus in transmarinis partibus all the Countryes beyond the seas he himselfe doth limitte the vniuersall proposition declaring how farre he ment by totus mundus The Byshop not staying for this aunswere dyd proceede saying Lincolne Well if I woulde staye vppon this place I coulde brynge many moe places of the Fathers for the confirmation thereof but we haue certayne instructions accordinge to the whiche we muste proceede and came not hyther to dispute the mater with you but onely to take youre aunsweres to certayne Artycles and vsed this in the waye of exhortation in the whiche you interrupted mee wherefore I wyll retourne thither againe Ye must consider that the Churche of Chryste lyeth not hidden but is a Citty in the mountayn and a candle on the Candlesticke Ponder with your selfe that the Churche of Christ is catholica catholicke whiche is deducted of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is per omnia so that Christes Church is vniuersallye spreadde throughout the world not contayned in the allegation of places not comprehended in the circuite of Englande not contayned in the compasse of Germany and Saxonie as youre Churche is Wherefore maister Ridley for Gods loue be ye not singular acknowledge with all the realme the truth it shall not bee as you alledge preiudiciall to the crowne for the king and Queene their maiesties haue renounced that vsurped power taken of their predecessours and iustly haue renounced it For I am sure you know that there are two powers the one declared by the sword the other by the Keyes The sword is geuen to kings and rulers of coūtryes the Keyes were deliuered by Christe to Peter and of him lefte to all the successoures As touchynge oure goodes possessions and lyues wee wyth you acknowledge vs Subiectes to the king and Queene who hath the temporall sworde but as concerning matters of Religion as touching Gods quarrell and his word we acknowledge an other head and as the king and the Queene their highnes do in all worldly affayres iustly challenge the prerogatiue and primacie so in spirituall and Ecclesiasticall matters they acknowledge themselues not to bee heades and rulers but members of Christes bodye Why therefore shoulde ye sticke at that matter the whiche theyr maiesties haue forsaken and yelded Wherefore mayster Ridley you shall not onely not doe iniurye to the Crowne and bee preiudiciall to theyr maiesties honour in acknowledgyng with all Christendome the Popes holynesse to be supreme head of Chrystes Churche here militaunt in earthe but doe a thynge most delectable in theyr sight and most desired of theyr highnesse Thus if you will doe reuoking together all youre erroures acknowledging with the residue of the realme the common and the publicke faulte you shal doe that all men most hartily desire you shall bryng quyetnesse to your conscience and health to your soule then shall we with great ioy by the authoritie committed to vs from the Cardinalles grace receyue you into the church agayne acknowledgyng you to be no longer a rotten but a liuely member of the same but if you shall still bee singular if you shall stil and obstinately perseuer in your erroures stubbernely mayntayning your former heresies then we must agaynst our will according to our commission separate you from vs and cut you of from the church least the rottennesse of one part in processe of tyme putrify and corrupte the whole bodye then must wee confesse and publish you to be none of ours thē must we yeald you vp to the temporall iudges of whome excepte it otherwise please the kinge and Queenes highnesse you muste receaue punishment by the lawes of this Realme due for heretickes Wherfore mayster Ridley consider your state remember your former degrees spare your body especially consider your soule which Christ so dearely bought with hys precious bloud doe not you rashly cast away that which was precious in Gods sight enforce not vs to doe al that we may doe which is onely to publish you to be none of vs to cut you of from the Churche for we doe not nor can not condemne you to dye as most vntruely hath bene reported of vs but that is the temporall Iudges office we onely declare you to be none of the Churche and then must you according to the tenour of them and pleasure of the Rulers abide theyr determination so that wee after that we haue geuen you vpp to the temporall Rulers haue no further to do with you But I trust Mayster Ridley wee shall not haue occasion to doe that wee may I trust you will suffer vs to reste in that poynte of our commission whiche we most hartilye desire that is vppon recantation and repentaunce to receaue you to reconcile you and agayne to adioyne you to the vnitie of the Churche Then M. Ridley with often interruption at lengthe spake Ridley My Lord I acknowledge an vnspotted church of christ in the which no man can erre without the whiche no man can be saued the whiche is spread throughout all the worlde that is the congregation of the faythfull neyther doe I alligate or binde the same to any one place as you sayd but confesse the same to be spreadde throughout all the worlde and whereas Christes Sacramentes are duely ministred his Gospell truely preached and followed there doth Christes Churche shyne as a Cittye vppon an hill and as a Candle in the Candlesticke but rather it is such as you that woulde haue the Churche of Christ bound to a place which
and the Apostles doctrine wherof in particularity I haue touched something before in my talke had with the Sea of London and in other treatises more at large wherein if it shall please God to bring the same to light it shal appeare I trust by Gods grace plainly to the man of God and to him whose rule in iudgement of Religion is Gods word that that Religion that rule order that doctrine and fayth which this whore of Babylon and the Beast whereupon she doth sit mainteineth at this day with all violence of fire and sword with spoyle banishment according to Daniels Prophecy and finally with all falshood deceit hypocrisy and all kinde of vngodlines are as cleane contrary to Gods word as darkenesse is vnto light or light vnto darckenes white to blacke or blacke to white or as Beliall vnto Christ or Christ vnto Antichrist himselfe I know my Lordes and foresaw when I wrote this that so many of you as should see this my writing not beyng before endued with the spirite of grace and the light of gods word so many I say would at these my words lordlike stampe and spurne and spitte thereat But sober your selues with pacience and be still and knowe ye that in my writing of this my minde was none other but in God as the liuing God doth beare me witnes both to do you profite and pleasure And otherwise as for your displeasure by that time this shal come to your knowledge I trust by gods grace to be in the hands and protection of y◠almighty my heauenly father and the liuing Lord which is as S. Iohn sayeth the greatest of all and then I shall not need I trow to feare what any Lord no nor what kyng or prince can do vnto me My Lordes if in times past ye haue bene contented to heare me sometimes in matters of religion before the prince in the Pulpit and in the Parliament house and haue not seemed to haue despised what I haue sayd when as els if ye had perceiued iust occasion yee might then haue suspected me in my talk though it had bene reasonable eyther desire of worldly gayne or feare of displeasure how hath thē your Lordshyppes more cause to harken to my word and to heare me paciently seing now ye can not iustly think of me being in this case appoynted to dye and lookyng dayly when I shall be called to come before the eternall iudge otherwise but that I onely study to serue my Lord God and to say that thyng which I am perswaded assuredly by Gods woorde shall and doth please him and profite all them to whome God shall geue grace to heare and beleue what I do say And I do say euen that I haue sayd heretofore both of the Sea of Rome and of the Byshop thereof I meane after this theyr present state at this day Wherin if ye will not beleue the Ministers of GOD and true preachers of his word verely I denounce vnto you in verbo domini except ye do repent betime it shall turne to your confusion and to your smart on the latter day Forget not what I say my Lordes for Gods sake forget not but remember it vpon your bed For I tell you moreouer as I knowe I muste bee countable of this my talke and of my speaking thus to the eternall Iudge who will iudge nothing amisse so shall you be countable of your duety in hearyng and you shall bee charged if ye will harken to Gods word for not obeying to the truth Alas my Lords how chaunceth this that this matter is now a new again to be perswaded vnto you Who would haue thought of late but your Lordships had bene persuaded in deed sufficiently or that ye coulde euer haue agreed so vniformelye with one consent to the abolishment of the vsurpation of the bishop of Rome If that matter were then but a matter of policy wherin the prince must be obeyed howe is it now made a matter wherin as your Clergy sayth now so sayth the Popes lawes in deed standeth the vnity of the Catholicke church and a matter of necessity of our saluation Hath the time being so short since the death of the two last kinges Henry the 8. Edward his sonne altered the nature of the matter If it haue not but was of the same nature and daunger before God then as it is now be now as it is sayd by the Popes lawes and the instructions set forth in Englishe to the curates of the dioces of Yorke in deed a matter of necessity to saluation how then chaunced it that ye were all O my Lordes so light and so litle passed vpon the catholicke faith and the vnity therof without the which no man can be saued as for your Princes pleasures which were but mortall men to forsake the vnity of your catholick fayth that is to forsake Christ and his gospell And furthermore if it were both then and nowe is so necessary to saluation how chaunced it also that ye all the whole body of the Parliament agreeing with you did not onely abolish and expell the Bishop of Rome but also did abiure him in your owne persons and did decree in your actes great othes to bee taken of both the spiritualtye and temporalty whosoeuer shoulde enter into any weighty chargeable office in the common wealth But on the other side if the law decree which maketh the supremacy of the sea bishop of Rome ouer the vniuersall church of Christ be a thing of necessity required vnto saluation by an Antichristian law as it is in deed such instructiōs as are geuen to the Dioces of Yorke be in deed a setting forth of the power of that beast of babilon by the craft falshood of his false Prophetes as of truth compared vnto Gods word and truely iudged by the same it shall playnely appere that they be then my Lordes neuer thinke other but the daye shall come when ye shal be charged with this your vndoing of that that once ye had well done and with this your periury and breache of your othe which othe was done in iudgement iustice and truth agreable to Gods lawe The whore of Babilon may wel for a time dally with you and make you so dronken with the wine of her filthy stewes whooredome as with her dispensations and promises of pardon à poena culpa that for dronkennesse and blindenesse ye may think your selues safe But be ye assured whē the liuing Lord shall trye the matter by the fire and iudge it according to his word when al her abhominations shal appeare what they bee then ye my Lordes I geue your Lordships warning in time repent if ye be happy loue your owne soules health repent I say or els wythout all doubt ye shall neuer escape the handes of the liuing Lord for the guilt of your periury and breach of your oth As ye haue banquetted and layne by the
not sayth S. Peter as though it were any straunge matter that ye are tryed by the fire he meaneth of tribulation which thing sayth he is done to proue you nay rather in that ye are partners of Christes afflictions reioyce that in his glorious reuelation ye may reioyce with mery hartes If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name happy are ye for the glory and spirit of God resteth vpon you Of them God is reuiled and dishonored but of you he is glorified Let no manne be ashamed of that he suffereth as a Christian and in Christes cause for nowe is the time that iudgement and correction must beginne at the house of GOD and if it begin first at vs what shall be the end of those thinke ye which beleue not the Gospell And if the righteous shall bee hardlye saued the wicked and the sinner where shall he appeare Wherefore they which are afflicted according to the wil of God let thē lay downe and commit theyr soules to him by well doing as to a trustye and faythfull maker This as I sayde maye not seeme straunge to vs for we know that al the whole fraternity of Christes Congregation in this worlde is serued with the like and by the same is made perfect For the seruent loue that the Apostles had vnto their maister Christ and for the great commodities and increase of all godlines which they felt by theyr fayth to insue of afflictions in Christes cause thirdly for the heapes of heauenly ioyes which the same doe get vnto the godly which shall endure in heauen for euermore for these causes I saye the Apostles of their afflictions did ioy and reioyced in that they were had and accounted worthy to suffer contumelies rebukes for Christes name And Paul as he gloried in the grace fauor of God whervnto he was brought stoode in by fayth so he reioyced in hys afflictions the heauenlye and spirituall profites which he numbred to rise vpon them yea he was so farre in loue wyth that that the carnall man lothed so much that is with Christes crosse that he iudged himselfe to know nothing els but christ crucified he will glory he sayth in nothing els but in Christes crosse yea and he blesseth all those as the onely true Israelites elect people of God with peace and mercy whiche walketh after that rule and after none other O Lord what a wonderfull spirit was that that made Paule in setting forth of himselfe agaynst the vanity of Satans Pseudopostles and in his clayme there that he in Christes cause did excell and passe them all what wonderfull spirite was that I saye that made him to reckon vppe all his troubles his laboures hys beatinges his whippinges and scourginges his shippewrackes his daungers and perilles by water and by land his famine hunger nakednesse and colde with many moe and the dayly care of all the congregations of Christ among whom euery mans payne did pearce his heart and euery mannes griese was grieuous vnto him O Lord is this Paules primacye whereof hee thought so much good that he did excell other Is not this Paules sayinge vnto Timothy his owne scholer and doth it not perteyn to who so euer will be Christes true souldiours beare thou sayth he affliction like a good souldiour of Iesu Christ This is true if we dye with him he meaneth Christ we shall liue with him if we suffer with him we shall raigne with him if we deny him he shall denye vs if we be faythlesse he remayneth faythfull he cannot denye himselfe This Paule would haue knowne to euery bodye for there is none other way to heauen but Christ and his way all that will liue godly in Christ shall sayth S. Paule suffer persecution By this way went to heauen the Patriarches the Prophets Christ our Mayster his Apostles his Martyrs and all the godly since the beginning And as it hath bene of olde that hee which was borne after the flesh persecuted him which was born after the spirite for so it was in Isaacks time so sayde S. Paule it was in his time also And whether it be so or no now let the spirituall man the selfe same man I meane that is indued with the spirit of almighty God let him be iudge Of the crosse of the Patriarches as ye may read in theyr storyes if ye reade the booke of Genesis ye shall perceiue Of other S. Paule in few wordes comprehendeth much matter speaking in a generality of the wonderfull afflictions death and tormentes which the men of GOD in Gods cause and for the truth sake willingly and gladly did suffer After much particuler rehearsall of many he sayeth other were racked and despised and would not be deliuered that they might obteyne a better resurrection Other agayne were tried wyth mockinges and scourginges and moreouer with bondes imprisonment they were stoned beweene asunder tempted fell were slayne vpon the edge of the sword some wandred to fro in sheepes pilches in goates pilches forsaken oppressed afflicted such godly men as the world was vnworthy of wandring in wildernesse in mountaynes in caues and in dennes and all these were commended for theyr fayth And yet they abide for vs the seruauntes of God and for those theyr brethren which are to bee slayne as they were for the word of Gods sake that none be shut out but that we may all go together to meete our Mayster Christ in the ayre at his comming and so to be in blisse with him in body and soule for euermore Therefore seing we haue so muche occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christes names sake paciently so many commodities thereby so waighty causes so many good examples so great necessitye so pure promises of eternall life and heauenlye ioyes of him that cānot lye Let vs throw away whatsoeuer might let vs all burden of sinne and all kinde of carnality and paciently and constantly let vs runne for the best game in this race that is set before vs euer hauing our eyes vpon Iesus Christ the ringleader Capitayne and Perfiter of our fayth which for the ioye that was set before him endured the crosse not passing vpon the ignominy and shame thereof and is set now at the right hande of the throne of GOD. Consider this that he suffered such strife of sinners agaynst himselfe that yee shoulde not geue ouer nor faynt in your mindes As yet brethren we haue not withstand vnto death fighting agaynst sinne Let vs neuer forget deare Brethren for Christes sake that Fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh vnto vs as vnto his children the Godlye wysedome of God saying thus My sonne despise not the correction of the Lord nor fall not from him when thou art rebuked of hym for whom the Lord loueth him doth he correct and scourgeth euery childe whom he receiueth What childe is he whom the father doth not chasten If ye
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
proued London What say you then to the second scripture howe couple you that by the word to the other Phil. The text it selfe declareth that notwithstanding Chryst did abase himself in our humayne nature yet he is stil one in Deitie with the Father And this S. Paule to the Hebrues doth more at large set foorth And as I haue by the scriptures ioyned these two scriptures together so am I able to do in all other Articles of fayth which we ought to beleue and by the manifest word of God to expound them London How can that be seing saynct Paule sayth that the letter killeth but it is the spirite that geueth life Philpot. S. Paul meaneth not the worde of God written in it selfe killeth which is the word of life and the faythfull testimonie of the Lord but that the worde is vnprofitable and killeth him that is void of the spirite of God although he be the wisest man of the world and therfore S. Paule sayd That the Gospell to some was a sauour of life vnto lyfe and to some other a sauour of death vnto death Also an example hereof we haue in the vi of Iohn of them who hearing the worde of God without the spirite were offended thereby wherefore Christ sayd The flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickeneth London What do you vnderstand that of S. Paule and of S. Iohn so Philpot. It is not mine owne interpretation it is agreable to the word in other places and I haue learned the same of auncient fathers interpreting it likewise And to the Corinthians as it is written Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt spiritus Dei spiritualis dijudicat omnia The natural man perceiueth not the thinges that bee of the spirite of God but the spirituall man whiche is indued with the spirite iudgeth all thinges London You see my Lordes that this man will haue but hys owne minde and will wilfully cast away himselfe I am sory for him Phil. The words that I haue spoken be none of mine but of the Gospell wheron I ought to stand And if you my lord of London can bring better authoritie for the faythe you would draw me vnto then that which I stand vpoÌ„ I wil gladly heare the same by you or by any other in this realm Wherfore I kneeling down besought the Lords to be good vnto me a poore Gentleman that would fayne lyue in the world if I might and to testifie as you haue heard me to say this day that if any man can approue that I ought to be of any other maner of faith then that of which I now am and can proue the same sufficiently I will be neyther wilâ—ull neither desperate as my Lorde of London woulde make you beleue me to be Rich. What countrey man be you are you of the Philpots of Hampshyre Phil. Yea my Lorde I was Sir Peter Philpots sonne of Hampshyre Rich. He is my neare kinsman wherefore I am the more sory for him Phil. I thanke your Lordship that it pleaseth you to chalenge kinred of a poore prisoner Rich. In faith I would go an hundreth miles on my bare feete to do you good Cham. He may do well enough if he liSt S. Iohn M. Philpot you are my countryman I woulde be glad you should do well Rich. You said euen now that you would desire to mayntaine your beliefe before ten of the best in the realme You did not well to compare with the Nobilitie of the Realme But what if you haue tenne of the best in the Realme to heare you will you be tryed by them Phil. My Lord your Lordshippe mistaketh me to thinke that I challenge tenne of the best of the Nobilitie in thys realme It was no part of my minde but I meant of the best learned on the contrary side Rich. Wel I take your meaning What if meanes be made to the Queenes maiestie that you shall haue your request will you be iudged by them Phil. My Lord it is not meete that a man shoulde be iudged by his aduersaries Rich. By whom then would you be iudged Phil. I will make your honours iudges that shal be hearers of vs. Rich. I dare be bolde to procure for you of the Queenes maiestie that you shall haue tenne learned men to reason with you and twenty or forty of the Nobility to heare so you wil promise to abide theyr iudgement How say you will you promise here afore my Lordes so to do Phil. I will be contented to be iudged by them Rich. Yea but wil you promise to agree to theyr iudgemeÌ„t Phil. There be causes why I may not so do vnlesse I wer sure they would iudge according to the word of God Rich. O I perceaue you wil haue no man iudge but your selfe and thinke your selfe wiser then all the learned men of this Realme Phil. My Lorde I seeke not to be myne owne iudge but am conteÌ„t to be iudged by other so that the order of iudgement in matters of religion be kept that was in the primatiue Church which is first that Gods wil by his word was sought and thereunto both the spiritualty and temporaltie was gathered together and gaue theyr consentes iudgement such kind of iudgement I will stand to London My Lordes he would make you beleeue that hee were profoundly seene in auncient writers of the iudgementes of the primatiue Church and there was neuer any such maner of iudgement vsed as he now talketh of Phil. In the Epistles of S. Ciprian I am able to shewe it you London A I tell you there is no such thing fet me Cyprian hether Phil. You shall finde it otherwise when the booke commeth And D. Chedsay his Chaplayne whom he appointed to fet his booke whispered the Bishop in his care and fet not the booke by likelihoode that he should haue susteined the reproche thereof if the booke had bene fet Well my Lord quoth I mayster Doctor knoweth it is so or els he would haue fet the booke ere this Rich. You woulde haue none other iudge I see but the worde Phil. Yes my Lord I will be tryed by the word by such as will iudge according to the word As for an example if there were a controuersy betweene your Lordship and an other vpon the words of a statute must not the words of the statute iudge and determine the controuersie Rich. No mary the Iudges of the law may determine the meaning therof Load He hath brought as good an example agaynst hym selfe as can be And here the B. thought he had good handfast against me and therefore enlarged it with many wordes to the iudgement of the Church The Lordes Hee hath ouerthrowne himselfe by his owne argument Phil. My Lords it seemeth to your honours that you haue great aduauntage of me by the example I brought in to expresse my cause but if it be pondered throughly it maketh wholy
generatioÌ„ shall sit in the temple To the which Chichester replied not Dures The Church in the scripture is likened to a great fishers net which conteineth in it both good fishes bad fishes I trust you wil be of the better sort and leane to the truth Phil. My Lord it is my whole desire now to follow that which is good whatsoeuer I haue done in times past and to cleaue to gods truth Dures Do you so and then shall you do well It is almost night my L. of London I must needes be gone Lond Nay my L. of Duresme I must desire your Lordship and my L. of Chichester to tary a litle while And before he had so sayd the B. of Bathe went his way without saying any word What my L. of Bath will you be gone I pray you tary My Lordes I haue earnest matter to charge this man withall wherof I would your lordships to be made priuy and I haue them here written in a libel I pray you sit downe againe or els I will First I â—ay to him here that hee hath written in a Bible which I tooke from hym this erroneous saying Quod spiritus est vicarius Christi in terra i. The holy Ghost is Christes Uicare in earth Wilt thou abide by this saying of thine That the spirit is Christes vicar on earth Phil. My L. it is not my saying it is a better learned maÌ„s then myne For I vse not to write myne owne sayings but the notable sayings of other auncient writers as all the others be where ye find the same writen And as I remember it is euen the saying of Saint Bernard a saying that I neede not to be ashamed of neyther you to bee offended as my L. of Duresme and my L. of Chichester by their learnyng can discerne and will not recken it euill sayd Lond. No will Why take away the first syllable and it foundeth Arius Phil. That is farre fetched in deede if your Lordship will scan mens sayings in such wise you may finde out what you list Lond. But to helpe this I finde moreouer written wyth hys owne hand in another booke In me Ioanne Philpotto vbi abundauit peccatum superabundauit gratia that is In me Iohn Philpot where sinne did abound grace hath superabounded I pray you what superabundaÌ„t grace haue you more then other men So said Arius that he had the aboundance of grace aboue all other Phil. My L. you neede not to be offended with that saying more then the other for it is the saying of S. Paule hymself and I did apply it to my self for my comfort knowing that though my sinnes be huge great in the sight of God yet is his mercy grace aboue them all And concernyng Arius his adherents I defie them as it is well known I haue written against them Lond. Also I lay to thy charge that thou killedst thy father and wast accursed of thy mother in her deathbed as I can bring witnes hereof Phil. O Lord what blasphemy is this Hath your Lordship nothing of truth to charge me withall but as I may speake it with your honoures such forged blasphemous lyes If any of these can be prooued I will promise here to recant at Paules Crosse what you wil haue me I am so sure they are as great blasphemies as may bee obiected agaynst any man Ha my Lordes I pray you consider how my L. of London hath hitherto proceded against me for in deed he hath none other but such pretensed slaunderous lyes Chich. They be Parerga that is matters beside the purpose Dures My Lord I must needes bid you farewell Lond. Nay my Lord here is a letter which I shall desire your Lordship to heare ere you goe This man beyng in my kepyng hath taken vpon hym to write letters out of prison to peruert a yong Gentleman called M. Greene in my house call him hither and hath made a false report of his examination as you shall heare not beyng content to be euill himselfe but to make others as bad as himselfe He all to tare the letter when he saw my man went about to search hym but yet I haue pieced it agayne togither caused a copy to be written therof and he red the torne letter biddyng M. Christopherson and Morgan to marke the copy thereof The contents of the letter was the examination of M. Greene before the B. of London in the presence of Maister Feckenham Deane of Paules and of diuers others whose ready answers in the Scriptures and in the Doctors was wondred at of the Deane hymselfe and of many others as M. Fecknam did report and that he was committed to D. Chadsey and to haue his meat from the Bishops owne table How say you my Lords was this wel done of hym beyng my prisoner to write this And yet he hath written a shamefull lye that he was in D. Chadseys keping How say you M. Doc. Chadsey is it not a shamefull lye Chad. Yes my L. he was neuer in my keping London Art thou not ashamed to write suche shamefull lyes Come hether M. Greene did not I shew you this letter Greene. Yea forsooth my L. you shewed it me Lond. How thinke you my Lordes is not this an honest man to belye me Phil. Your Lordship doth mistake all things This letter as your Lordship may perceiue and all other that haue heard the same was not written by me but by a friend of myne certifieng me at my request how M. Greene sped at the B. of Londons hands and there is nothing in the letter that either I or he that wrote it neede to feare but that might be written as my report London Then tell me who wrote it if you dare Phil. No my L. it is not my duty to accuse my friend and specially seyng you will take all thyngs at the worst neither you shall neuer know of me who wrote it Your lordship may see in the end of the letter that my friend did write vnto me vppon the occasion of my appeale which I haue made to the whole Parliament house about such matters as I am wrongfully troubled for London I would see any so hardy to put vppe thine Appeale Phil. My L. I cannot tell what God will worke I haue written it speed as it may Lond My L. I haue vsed him with much gentlenes since he came to me How sayst thou haue I not Phil. If to lie in the vilest prison in this towne being a geÌ„tleman and an Archdeacon and in a colehouse by the space of v. or vj. weekes alredy without fire or candle bee to be counted gentlenes at your handes I must needes say I haue found gentlenes But there were neuer men so cruelly handled as we are at these dayes London Loe what a Uarlet is this Besides this my Lordes euen yesterday hee procured hys man to bryng a bladder of blacke Pouder I can
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
to dwel in the Lords tabernacle Our Christe and his heauenly companye looke for vs let vs haste and runne thereto for beholde the Lord is ready to embrace vs. Mine owne bowels in the Lorde be merry in the Lorde with your afflicted brother who daily offereth your merciful almes which most vnworthely I do receiue still of you vnto the Lorde But nowe deare mother you neede not to burden so muche your selfe as my last letters did signifie for that my chargeable imprisonment is cut off and a litle nowe serueth me wherefore I praye you sende no more vntill I sende to you for I haue sufficient and abounde Gods peace be with you for euer Out of my Lord of Londons Colehouse the last of October Your owne Iohn Philpot. An other Letter of Maister Philpot to the sayde Ladie wherin partly he complaineth of the dissimulation and periurie of English men falling againe to the Pope and partlye he expresseth his ioy in his afflictions I Cannot but ioy with you my hearty beloued in Christ of the fall of Senacherib since it is to the glory of God and to the consolation of his church to see the fall of theyr enemies before their face according as it is wrytten The iust shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeaunce of the wicked God make this your ioy perfite for as cōcerning my self I counte not to see those good dayes whereof you haue a glimmering in this life For although the Cockatrice be dead yet his pestilent chickens with the whore of Babylon yet liueth But a great hope there is of their shorte confusion because god doth not prosper their doings according to their expectation Most happiest shal he be whome the Lorde shall moste soonest take out of this life that he may not see the plagues which the manifest periurie and the manifolde idolatrie and detestable dissimulation and that of such as do know the truth do threaten to come The Lord is iust all vnrighteousnes displeaseth him either heere or els in an other world he will punish this grosse infidelity of the worlde but his elect and such as he loueth wil he punish here that they should not be condēned heereafter with the world eternally we haue nothing so much to reioyce in as in the crosse of Iesu Christ and in that we are partakers of his afflictions which be the earnest penie of that eternall kingdome which he vppon the crosse for vs hathe purchased For as Paule hys faithfull witnes saith If we suffer with him we shall raigne with him If we die with him we shall liue with him Wherefore mine owne deare bowels praise God with me moste intirely that it hath pleased him now mercifully to visite the sinnes of my youth my huge vnthankfulnes and by the same doth geue me such consolation that he assureth me of his great goodnesse mercy and turneth his fatherly castigation into my crown of glory O good God what am I on whome he should shew this great mercy To him that is immortal inuisible and onely wise be all honor praise and glory therfore Amen This is the day that the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in the same This is the way though it be narrow which is ful of the peace of God leadeth to eternal blisse O how my heart leapeth for ioy that I am so neare the apprehēsion therof God forgiue me mine vnthākfulnes and vnworthines of so great glory The swordes whyche pearced Maries hart in the passion of our Sauiour whych daily also go through your faithful hart be more glorious and to be desired then the golden Scepters of this world O blessed be they that mourne in this world to Godwarde for they shall eternally be comforted God make my stony heart to mourne more then it doth I haue so muche ioy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darknes mourning yet I cā not lament but both night day am so ioyfull as though I were vnder no Crosse at all yea in all the dayes of my life I was neuer so merry the name of the Lorde be praised therfore for euer euer and he pardon mine vnthankfulnes Our enemies do freat fume and gnash their teeth to see and heare that we vnder this grieuous affliction in the world can be so mery We are of them counted as desperate persones for the certaine hope feeling which we haue of our euerlasting saluation and it is no maruell for the worldly man can not perceiue the things of God it is meere foolishnesse and abhomination to them Be thankefull vnto our God mine owne deare helper for his wonderous working in his chosen people Praye instantly that this ioy be neuer taken from vs for it passeth all the delightes of this worlde This is the peace of God which surmounteth all vnderstanding this peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feele therfore can not faint neither for fire neither for water Lette vs pray for our weake brethren sisters sake that it may please God to alleuiate the greeuous and intollerable burden of these cruel daies But touching our selues let vs hartily besech our sauiour to vouchsafe to geue vs this glorious gifte to suffer for hys Gospels sake and that we may thincke the shame of the world to be our glory as it is in deede God increase our faith and open our eyes to beholde what is prepared for vs. I lack nothing praise be to God I trust my marriage garment is ready I will send you my examinations as soone as I can get them wrytten if you be desirous of them God of his mercy fill your mercifull heart with all ioy and consolation of the hope to come Out of the colehouse the 19. of Nouember Your owne louer Iohn Philpot. A Letter of M. Philpot to a frende of his prisoner the same time in Newgate wherein is debated and discussed the matter or question of Infants to be baptised THe God of all lighte and vnderstanding lighten your heart wyth all true knowledge of his word and make you perfect to the day of our Lorde Iesus Christ wherevnto you are nowe called through the mighty operation of his holy spirite Amen I receiued yesternight from you deare brother S. and felow prisoner for the truth of Christes Gospell a Letter wherein you gently require my iudgement cōcerning the Baptisme of infantes which is the effect thereof And before I doe shewe you what I haue learned out of Gods word of his true infallible church touchyng the same I thinke it not out of the matter first to declare what vision I had the same night whiles musing on your letter I fell a sleepe knowing that God doth not without cause reueale to his people who haue their mynds fixed on him speciall and spirituall reuelations to their comfort as a tast of their ioy and kingdome
Circumcision to be a seale of the couenaunt after that Abraham was circumcised But hee when he perceiued the infantes also to pertaine to the couenant and that Circumcision was the sealyng vp of the couenant did not only circumcise Ismael his sonne that was 13. yeres of age but all other infantes that were borne in his house among whom we recken Isaac Euen so faythfull people which were conuerted from Heathen Idolatry by the preaching of the gospel and coÌ„fessing the faith were baptised when they vnderstood their children to be counted among the people of God and that Baptisme was the token of the people of God they procured also their children to be baptised Therefore as it is written Abraham circumcised all the male children of hys house Semblably we read in the Actes and writyngs of the Apostles that after the Maister of the house was turned to the fayth all the whole house was baptised And as concernyng those which of olde tyme were compelled to confesse their fayth before they receyued baptisme whiche were called Cathecumeni they were such as with our forefathers came from the Gentiles to the Church who beyng yet rude of fayth they did instruct in the principles of their beliefe and afterward they did baptise them but the same auncient Fathers notwithstandyng dyd baptise the children of faythfull men as I haue already partly declared And because you doe require a hasty aunswer of your letter of one that is but a dull writer I am here enforced to cease particularly to go through your letter in aunswering thereto knowyng that I haue fully answered euery part thereof in that I haue already written although not in such order as it had bene meet and as I purposed But forasmuch as I vnderstand that you will be no contentious man neither in this matter neither in any other contrary to the iudgement of Christes Primatiue Churche which is the body and fulnesse of Christ. I desire you in the entire loue of hym or rather Christ desireth you by me that your ioy may be perfect whereto you are now called to submit your iudgement to that Church and to bee at peace and vnitie with the same that the coate of Christ which ought to be without seame but now alas most miserably is torne in pieces by many daungerous sectes and damnable opinions may appeare by you in no part to haue bene rented neither that any giddy head in these dog dayes myght take an example by you to dissent froÌ„ Christes true Church I beseech thee deare brother in the Gospell follow the steps of the faith of the glorious Martirs in the Primatiue Church and of such as at this day folow the same decline not from them neither to the right hand nor to the left Then shall death be it neuer so bitter bee more sweeter then this lyfe then shall Christ with al the heauenly Hierusalem triumphantly embrace your spirite with vnspeakeable gladnes and exaltation who in this earth was content to ioyne your spirit with their spirites accordyng as it is commaunded by the word that the spirite of Prophets should be subiect to the Prophetes One thyng aske with Dauid ere you depart and require the same that you may dwell with a full accorde in hys house for there is glory and worship and so with Simeon in the temple embracing Christ depart in peace to the whiche peace Christ bryng both you and me and all our louyng brethren that loue God in the vnity of fayth by such wais as shall please hym to his glory Let the bitter passion of Christ which he suffred for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ haue endured before vs and also the inestimable reward of your lyfe to come which is hidden yet a little whyle from you wyth Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Your yoke fellow in captiuitie for the veriâ—ie of Christes Gospell to lyue and dye with you in the vnitie of fayth Iohn Philpot. ⧠Diuers other letters were written by M. Philpot to diuers but these as most principall I haue excerpted and inserted Amongest which I thought here not much impertinent to the place to adioyne an other certayne letter of a godly zealous Gospeller whose name in her writyng doth not appeare who in defendyng and commendyng the quarell of this M. Iohn Philpot Christes most famous and worthy Martyr was therefore troubled and brought before B. Boner And therefore beyng appoynted by the sayd bishop to appeare vpon a certayne day to aunswer for her selfe In deede kept not her day with the Bishop but in stead of her appearance sent hym this letter here followyng ¶ Wo be vnto the Idolatrous Shepeherds of England that feede themselues Should not the Shepeherdes feede the flocke but ye haue eaten the fatte ye haue clothed you with the wooll the best fed haue ye slayne but the flocke haue ye not nourished the weake haue ye not holden vp the sicke haue ye not healed the broken haue ye not bound together the outcastes haue ye not brought agayne the lost haue ye not sought but churlishly and cruelly haue ye ruled them Ezech. 34. FOr as much my Lord as my busines is such that I can not come vnto your Lordshippe accordyng to my promise I haue bene so bold to write these few wordes vnto you partly to excuse myne absence and partly to answere your Lordships demaunds at my last most happy departure from you As touchyng the breache of my promise with you in not commyng agayne at the hower appoynted your Lordship shall vnderstand that I take the counsaile of the Angell which warned the wyse men not to come agayne to Herode accordyng to their promise but to turne home agayne another way Now my Lord I perceiuyng your Lordship to be a more cruell tyraunt then euer was Herode and more desirous to destroy Christ in hys poore members then euer was he which to destroy Christ killed hys owne sonne I thought good to take the Angels counsaile and to come no more at you for I see that you are set all in a rage lyke a rauenyng wolfe agaynst the poore lambs of Christ appoynted to the slaughter for the testimonye of the truth In deed you are called the common cut throte generall slaughter slaue to all the Bishops of Englande and therefore it is wisedome for me and all other simple sheepe of the Lord to keepe vs out of your butchers stalle as long as we can especially seyng that you haue suche store alredy that you are not able to drinke al their bloud least you should breake your belly and therefore let them lye still and dye for hunger Therefore my L. I thought it good to tary a tyme vntill your Lordships stomacke were come to you a little better for I do perceyue by your great fat cheekes that you lacke no lambes fleshe yet and belike
hym at hys cōmandement but to your Masse sayd I I haue small affectiō At which aunswer he was displeased sore sayd I should be fedde with bread and water And as I followed hym through the great hall he turned backe and beat me with his fist first on the one cheeke and then on the other as the signe of my beatyng did many dayes appeare And then he led me into a little salthouse where I had no straw nor bed but lay two nightes on a table and slept soundly I thanke God Then vpon the Friday next after I was brought to my L. and he then gaue me many fayre words and said he would be good to me And so he goyng to Fulham committed me to Doct. Harpsfield that he and I in that after noone should common together and drewe out certayne Articles whereunto if I would subscribe I shoulde bee dismissed But D. Harpsfield sent not for me til night and then perswaded me very sore to forsake my opinions I answered I held nothing but the truth therfore I could not so lightly turne therefrom So I thought I should at y◠time haue had no more ado but he had made a certaine bill whiche the Register pulled out of his bosom red it The bill in deed was very easily made and therefore more daungerous for the effect therof was to detest all errours and heresies against the sacrament of the aultar and other sacramentes to beleue the fayth of the catholicke church and liue accordingly ¶ The copy of this bill here mentioned if it please the gētle reader to peruse so as it came to our hands we haue hereunto adioyned written and conteined in theyr owne wordes as foloweth to be sene ¶ The Bill of submission offered to Thomas Whittell to subscribe I Thomas Whittell Prieste of the Dioces of London knowledge and confesse with my mouth agreeing wyth my hart before you reuerend father in God Edm. bishop of London my Ordinary that I do detest and abhorre all maner of heresies and errours agaynst the Sacrament of the aulter or any of the Sacramentes of the Church whiche heresies and errours haue heretofore bene condemned in any wise by the catholicke church and I do protest and declare by these presents that I do both now hold and also entēd by gods grace alwayes hereafter to hold obserue and keepe in all poyntes the Catholicke fayth and beliefe of Christes Church according as this church of England being a member of the sayd Catholicke Church doth now professe and keepe and in no wise to swerue decline or go from the sayd faith during my naturall life submitting my selfe fully and wholly to you reuerend father my sayd Ordinarye in all thinges concerninge my reformation and amendement at all times In witnesse whereof I the sayde Thomas Whittell Prieste haue hereunto subscribed my name written c. To this Bill I did in deed set to my hand being much desired and counselled so to do and the flesh being alwaies desirous to haue libertye I considered not throughly the inconuenience that might come thereupon and respite I desired to haue had but earnestlye they desired me to subscribe Now when I had so done I had litle ioy thereof For by and by my mind and conscience tolde me by Gods worde that I had done euill by such a sleighty meanes to shake of the sweete Crosse of Christ and yet it was not my seking as God he knoweth but altogether came of them O the crafty subtlety of Sathan in his members Let euery man that God shall deliuer into theyr hands take good heede and cleaue fast to Christ for they will leaue no corner of his conscience vnsought but will attempt all guilefull and subtle meanes to corrupt him to fall both frō God and his trueth But yet let no man dispayre of Gods help for Peter did fall and rise agayne And Dauid sayeth A righteous man though he fall he shall not bee cast away for the Lorde vpholdeth him with his hande For I for my part haue felt my infirmities and yet haue I found Gods present helpe and comfort in time of neede I thanke hym therfore The night after I had subscribed I was sore greeued and for sorrowe of conscience coulde not sleepe For in the deliueraunce of my body out of bondes whiche I mighte haue had I could finde no ioy nor comfort but still was in my conscience tormented more and more being assured by Gods spirit and his word that I through euill councell aduisement had done amisse And both with disquietnesse of minde and with my other cruell handeling I was sickly lying vpon the ground when the keeper came and so I desired him to pray Doctour Harpsfield to come to me and so he did And when he came and the Register with him I told him that I was not well at ease but especially I told him I was greued very much in my conscience and minde because I had subscribed And I sayd that my conscience had so accused me through the iust iudgement of God and hys word that I had felt hell in my conscience and Sathan ready to deuoure me and therefore I pray you M. Harpsfield sayd I let me haue the bill agayne for I wyll not stande to it So he gentlye commaunded it to be fetched and gaue it mee and suffered mee to pull out my name whereof I was right glad when I had so done although death should folow And hereby I had experience of gods prouidence and mercy towardes me who trieth his people and suffereth them to fall but not to be lost for in the middest of this temptation and trouble he gaue me warning of my deed and also deliuered me his name be praysed for euermore Amen Neither deuill nor cruell tyrant can plucke any of Christes sheepe out of his hand Of the which flock of Christes sheepe I trust vndoubtedly I am one by meanes of hys death and bloudshedding which shall at the last day stand at his right hand and receiue with other his blessed benediction And now being condemned to dye my conscience and minde I prayse God is quiet in Christ and I by hys grace am very well willing and content to geue ouer this body to the death for the testimony of his truth pure religion agaynst Antichrist and all his false Religion doctrine They that report otherwise of me speake not truely And as for Fountayne I saw not him all that while By me Thomas Whittell Minister ¶ Concerning the troubled mind of this Godly man and tearing of his name out of the bill here followeth the report of the same written in the letters both of the sayde Harpsfield and also of Iohnson the Register beyng then present thereat and reporters of the same vnto the bishop as in theyr letters hereto annexed is to be sene * The Copy of Nich. Harpsfieldes Letter touching Mayster Whittell written to Boner Byshop
which conteineth worthy matter agaynst the Romish authority Unto the which booke you made a Preface inueying largely agaynst the Bishop of Rome reprouing hys tyranny and falshood calling his power false and pretēced The booke is extant and you cannot deny it Then was the Bishoppe somewhat abashed and looking vpō such as were presēt spake very gētly saying Lo here is a goodly matter in deed My Lord of Winchester being a great learned man did write a booke agaynst the supremacy of the Popes holynes and I also did write a preface before the same booke tending to the same effect And thus did we because of the perilous world that then was For then was it made treason by the Lawes of this realme to mainteine the Popes authority and great daunger it was to be suspected a fauourer of the See of Rome and therefore feare compelled vs to beare with the time for otherwise there had bene no way but one You know when any vttered his conscience in mainteining the Popes authority he suffered death for it And then turning his tale vnto Tyms he sayd But since that time euen sithence the cōming in of the queenes maiesty when we might be bold to speake our conscience we haue acknowledged our faults and my Lord of Winchester himselfe shamed not to recant the same at Paules Crosse. And also thou thy selfe seest that I stande not in it but willingly haue submitted my selfe Do thou also as we haue done My Lord quoth Tyms that which you haue written agaynst the supremacy of the pope may be wel approued by the scriptures But that which you now do is against the word of God as I can well proue Then an other I suppose it was Doctor Cooke sayd Tyms I pray thee let me talke with thee a little for I thinke we two are learned alike Thou speakest much of the scripture and yet vnderstandest it not I will tell thee to whom thou mayest be compared Thou art like to one which intending to goe on hunting riseth vp earely in the morning taketh his houndes and forth he goeth vp to the hils and downe into the vallyes he passeth ouer the fieldes ouer hedge and ditch he searcheth the woods and thickets thus laboureth he all the whole day without finding any game At night home he cōmeth weery of his trauell not hauing caught any thing at all and thus fareth it by thee Thou labourest in reading of the Scriptures thou takest the letter but the meaning thou knowest not and thus thy reading is as vnprofitable vnto thee as hūting was vnto the man I spake of euen now Syr quoth Tyms you haue not well applyed your similitude for I prayse God I haue not read the scriptures vnprofitably but God I thanke hym hath reuealed vnto me so much as I doubt not is sufficient for my saluation Then said the Bishop You brag much of knowledge yet you know nothing you speake much of scripture you know not what scripture is I pray thee tel me How knowest thou that thing to be the worde of God whiche thou callest Scripture To this aunswered Rob. Drakes that he did know it to be the word of God for that it doth shew vnto thē theyr saluation in Christ and doth reuoke call backe all mē frō wicked life vnto a pure and vndefiled conuersation The bishop replied that the heathē writers haue taught precepts of good liuing as wel as the scripture yet theyr writings are not estemed to be Gods word To this answered Tyms saying the olde Testament beareth witnes of those things which are writtē in the new for quoth he there is nothing taught in the new Testament but it was foreshewed in the law and Prophets I will denye all quoth the Bishop I wyll denye all what sayest thou then Then Robert Drakes alledged a sentence in Latin out of the Prophet Esay in the 59. chap. of his prophecy Spiritus meus qui est in te c My spirit whiche is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not departe out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hence forth euen for euer meaning therby to proue that he which had the spirit of God could thereby discerne and iudge truely which was Gods word but before he could explicate his minde he was interrupted by the bishop who spake vnto Doctor Pendleton saying Mayster Doctor I pray you say somewhat vnto these folkes that may do them some good Then D. Pendleton as hee leaned nere vnto the Bishop couered his face with both his handes to the end he might the more quietly deuise what to say but other talke was presently ministred so that for that time he sayd nothing And thus much William Alesbury witnesse hereof being present thereat so farre as he heard hath faythfully recorded and reported What more was spokē and there said for they made not yet an end a good while after because he departed then out of the house he doth not know nor dyd not heare Then the bishop after this and such like communicatiō thus passed betwene them proceding at length in forme of law caused both his articles and aunsweres to the same there and then to be openly read the summe of which hys confession recorded and left by his owne hand writing tēded to this effect as foloweth * The Articles for the which William Tyms of Hockley in Essex was condemned in the Consistory in Paules the xxviij day of March with his aunsweres and confession vpon the same FFrst I did truely confesse and beleeue that I was baptised in the true Catholicke Church of Christ for when I was baptised there was the Element and the word of God according to Christes institution And my Godfathers and Godmother did promise for me and that I shoulde forsake the Deuill and all his workes and that I shoulde keepe Gods commaundements and beleue al the articles of the Christian fayth the which I doe beleue at this day and with Gods help I trust to do while I liue for it was not the wickednes of the Minister that made the Sacrament of none effect c. Item I confessed two Sacramentes and but two in Christes true Churche that is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and that Christ is present with his sacraments as it pleaseth him Item I confessed that Christe hath a visible Churche wherin the word of God is truely preached and the sacramentes truely ministred Item I confessed the See of Rome to be as the late bishop of Winchester hath written in his bookes De vera obediencia to the which I sayde vnto the Bishop of London that he had made a godly Preface also Iohn Bale hath plainly declared in his book called the Image of both churches euen so much as I beleue therof Item
that he may exalt you when the time is come Cast all youre care on him for he careth for you Be sober and watche for your aduersarye the Deuil like a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whō hee may deuour whom resist steadfast in fayth remembring that ye do but fulfill the same afflictions that are appoynted to youre brethren that are in the worlde The God of all grace that called you vnto his eternall glory by Christe Iesus shall his owne selfe after you haue suffered a little affliction make you perfect shall settle strengthen and stablish you To him be glory and dominiō for euer and while the world endureth Amen Greete one an other with an holy kisse of loue Peace be with you all which are in Christ Iesus I pray you all say Amen These be in the same prison where I am the Bishop of S. Dauids Doctor Taylor of Hadley maister Philpot and my singular good father M. Bradford with fiue other of Sussex lay men I desire some good brother to write this newe for I wrote it as I do many times with feare For if the kepers had found me they would haue taken it from me my pen and inke also Good brethren I am kept alone and yet I thank God he comforteth me past all the comfort of anye man for I thanke him I was neuer meryer in Christ. By me William Tyms prisoner in the Kinges Benche About this time or somewhat before came down certayne Commissioners assigned by the Queene and Counsayle to Northfolke and Suffolke as to other countryes els besides to enquire of matters of Religion vnto the which Commissioners there was a Supplicatiō then exhibited by some good and well disposed men as by the same may appeare dwelling about those parties Which Supplication as I thought it not vnworthy to bee read bearing the date of thys presēt yeare to be printed so I thought it was not to be omittted nor vnworthy here to bee placed in consideration of the fruite which thereof might ensue to the reader ¶ A certayne godly Supplication exhibited by certayne inhabitauntes of the Country of Northfolke to the Commissioners comming downe to Northfolke and Suffolke fruitfull to be read and marked of all men IN most hūble and lowly wise we beseeche your honors right honorable Commissioners to tender and pitty the humble sute of vs poore men and true faythfull and obedient subiectes who as we haue euer heretofore so intend we with Gods grace to continue in Christian obedience vnto the end and according to the word of God with all reuerend feare of God to do our boundē duety to all those superiour powers whom God hath appoynted ouer vs doing as S. Paule sayth Let euery soule be subiect to the superiour powers For there is no power but of God but those powers that are are ordayned of God Wherefore whosoeuer resisteth the powers the same resisteth God they that resist get themselues iudgement These lessons right honorable Cōmissioners we haue learned of the holy word of God in our mother tongue First that the authoritie of a king Queene Lord and other theyr officers vnder them is no tyrannicall vsurpation but a iust holy lawfull and necessary estate for man to be gouerned by and that the same is of God the fountayne and authour of righteousnes Secondly that to obey the same in all thinges not against God is to obey God and to resist them as to resist God Therefore as to obey God in his Ministers Magistrates bringeth life so to resist God in them bryngeth punishment and death The same lesson haue we learned of S. Peter saying Be ye subiect to all humayne ordinaunces for the Lordes sake whether it be to the king as to the moste highest or to the Lieutenaunts sent from him to the punishment of euill doers but to the prayse of suche as do well For so is the will of GOD that with well doyng ye should stop the mouthes of foolishe and ignoraunt men as free and not as hauing the lybertie to be a cloke to malice but as the seruauntes of God Wherfore considering with our selues both that the Magistrates power is of God and that for the Lordes sake wee be bound to Christian obedience vnto them hauing now presently a commaundement as though it were from the Queenes maiestie with all humble obedience due to the regall power and authoritie ordayned of God which we acknowledge to stād whole perfectly in her grace and with due reuerence vnto you her graces commissioners we humbly beseeche you with pacience and pittye to receaue this our answere vnto this cōmandement guen vnto vs. First right honourable Commissioners we haue considered our selues to be not onely English men but also Christians and therefore bound by the holy vow made to God in our Baptisme to preferre Gods honoure in all thinges and that all obedience not onely of vs mortall men but euen of the very Aungels and heauenly spirites is due vnto Gods word in so much that no obediēce can be true and perfect either before God or man that wholy and fully agreeth not with Gods word Then haue we weighed the commandemēt concerning the restitution of the late abolished latine seruice geuē vnto vs to discent and disagree frō gods word to cōmand manifest impietie and the ouerthrowe of godlines true religion to import a subuersion of the regall power of this our natiue country realme of Englande wyth the bringing in of the Romish Bishops supremacie with all errours superstitions and idolatry wasting of our goods bodyes destroying of our soules bringing with it nothing but the seuere wrath of God which we already feele feare least the same shall be more fiercely kindled vppon vs. Wherfore we humbly protest that wee cannot be perswaded that the same wicked commaundement shoulde come from the Queenes maiestie but rather from some other abusing the Queenes goodnes and fauour and studying to worke some feate against the Queene her crown the Realme to please with it the Romane Bishoppe at whose handes the same thinketh hereafter to be aduaunced As the Agagite Aman wrought maliciously agaynst the noble king Assuerus and as the Princes of Babell wrought agaynst the good king Darius so thinke we the queenes most gentle hart to be abused of some who seking thēselues their own vayn glory procure such cōmandements as are against the glory of God For we cannot haue so euill an opinion in her maiestie that she should subuert the most godly holy religiō so accordingly to gods worde set forth by the most noble vertuous and innocent king a very saynct of God our late moste deare king Edw. her graces brother except she were wonderfully abused who as hating reformation will rather the destruction of al others then acknowledge theyr errors to be accordynge to gods word reformed For truly the religiō lately set forth by K. Edw. is
pouring the oile of his gracious spirit into your sweet hart Ah good Ieremy hath Phasure put thee in the stockes why now thou hast the right reward of a prophet Thy glory neuer began to appeare vntill now I doubt not but shortly in sted of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan Iesus the sonne of the liuing God wil come and deliuer thee foorth of the handes of all thine enemyes and will also make good agaynste them and theyr Antichristian Sinagogue all the wordes that thou hast spoken in his name The Lord hath made thee this day a strong defended Tower an yron piller and a brasen wall agaynst the whole rable of Antichrist though they fight against thee neuer so fiercely yet shall they not ouercome thee for the Lorde himselfe is with thee to helpe and deliuer thee and he will ridde thee out of the handes of the wicked and will deliuer thee out of the handes of the Tyrantes And in that you are not busy in casting pearles before swine nor in geuing the holy thinges vnto dogges you are much to be coÌ„mended in my simple iudgement And sure I am that your circuÌ„spect and modest behauiour hitherto hath bene as much to Gods glory to the shame confusion of your enemies as any mans doinges that are gone before you Wherefore mine aduise and most earnest desire is with all other of your louing frendes that you still keepe that order wyth those bloudthirsty bitesheepes bishops I should say that you haue begonne For though in conclusion they will surely haue your bloud yet shall they come by it with shame enough and to theyr perpetuall infamy whiles the world doth endure They would in deed condemne you in hugger mugger to darken Gods glory if it might be But Sathans thoughtes are not vnknowne to you the depth of his subtlety is by you well foreseene Therefore let them do whatsoeuer God shall suffer them to doe for I know all things shall turne to your best Though you lye in the darck sâ—orried with the Bishops blacke coale dust yet shall you be shortlye restored vnto the heauenly light and made as white as snowe in Salmon and as the winges of a Doue that is couered with siluer winges and her fethers like gold You know the vessell before it be made bright is soyled with oile and other thinges that it may scoure the better Oh happy be you that you be nowe in the scouring house for shortly you shal be set vppon the celestiall shelfe as bright as aungels Therfore my deare hart I will now according to your louing request cast away all care and reioyce with you and prayse God for you and pray for you day and night yea I wil now with Gods grace sing Psalmes of prayse and thankesgeuing with you For now my soule is turned to her old rest agayne and hath takeÌ„ a sweet nap in Christes lap I haue cast my care vpon the Lorde which careth for me and will be Careles according to my name in that respect which you would haue me I wil leaue out my vnseemely addition as long as I liue for it can take no place where true fayth and hope is resident So soone as I had read your most godly and coÌ„fortable letter my sorowes vanished away as smoke in the winde my spirit reuiued and comfort came agayne wherby I am sure the spirit of God was author of it Oh my good M. Philpot which art a principall pot in deede filled with most precious liquor as it appeareth by the pleÌ„teous pouring forth of the same Oh pot most happy of the high Potter ordeined to honour whiche doest conteine suche heauenly treasure in the earthen vessell Oh pot thrise happy in whome Christ hath wrought a greate miracle altering thy nature and turning water into wine and that of the best whereout the mayster of the feast hath filled my cuppe so ful that I am become drunken in the ioy of the spirit through the same When Martyrdome shall break thee O vessell of honour I know the fragrant sauour of thy precious Narde will much reioyce the heauy hartes of Christes true members although the Iudasses will grudge and murmure at the same Yea and burst out into words of sclaunder saying it is but lost and waste Be not offended deare hart at my Metaphoricall speach For I am disposed to be mery and with Dauid to daunce before the Arke of the Lord and though you play vpon a payre of Organes not very comely or easy to the flesh yet the sweet souÌ„d that came from the same causeth me thus to do O that I were with you in body as presently I am in spirit that I might sing all care away in Christ for nowe the time of comforte is come I hope to be wyth you shortly if all thinges happen aright For my olde frendes of Couentry haue put the Counsell in remembraunce of me not 6. dayes agoe saying that I am more worthy to be burned then any that was burned yet Gods blessing on theyr harts for their good report God make me worthy of that dignity and hasten the time that I might set forth his glory Pray for me deare hart I beseech you and will all your company to do the same and I will pray God for you all so long as I liue And nowe farewell in Christe thou blessed of Gods owne mouth I will for a time take my leaue but not my last farewell Blessed be the time that euer I came into the kinges bench to be ioyned in loue and felowship with such deare children of the Lord. My good brother Bradford shal not be dead whiles you be aliue for verely the spirit of him doth rest on you in most ample wise Your letters of comfort vnto me in ech poynt do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you do water the Lorde geue good increase My deare Brethren and felow prisoners here haue them humbly and hartelye commended vnto you and your company mourning for your misery but yet reioysing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ. We are all chearefull and merry vnder our crosse and do lacke no necessaryes praysed bee GOD for his prouidence and great mercy towardes vs for euermore Amen ¶ To his wife AS by the greate mercy of God at the tyme of his good will and prouidence appoynted my dearelye beloued wife you and I were ioyned together in the holye and Christian state of godly Matrimony as well to our great ioy and comfor in Christ as also to the encrease of his blessed church and faythfull congregation by hauing lawfull children by in the same with the which God of his mercy hath blessed vs praised be his name therfore eueÌ„ so now by his mercifull will and diuine ordinaunce the time is come so farre as I can perceiue wherein he will for his glory
same agayne in a more ample and glorious sort Thus in hast as it doth appeare I am constrayned to make an end committing you all to Gods most mercifull defence who euer haue you in his blessed keping desiring you all to remember me in your godly and faythfull prayers as I will not forget you in mine by Gods grace The blessing of God be with you all my deare brethreÌ„ and sisters All our brethren and fellowe prisoners here haue them most hartily commended vnto you and pray for you without ceasing God sende vs a merry meeting in hys kingdome Amen By your brother and vnfayned louer Iohn Careles prisoner abiding his moste mercifull will and pleasure Pray pray pray ¶ To my deare and faythfull brother William Tymmes prisoner in Newgate THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ with the continuall ioy comfort strength of his sweete spirite be multiplied and dayly more and more encreased in your good hart my most faithfull and deare brother Tymmes to the full quieting of your conscience and beating backe of all the fiery dartes of the wicked that you may shortlye receaue the glorious crowne of victorye and in the same triumph ouer all your enemies for euermore Amen I cannot expresse the exceeding great ioy and consolation of my poore hart considering the marueilous works of God most graciously wrought vppon you not onely in prouing you and trying your fayth by his great and huge crosses both inwardly and outwardlye but also in geuing you so great consolation constancie in the middes of the same Faithfull is God true of his promises who hathe sayd That he wil neuer suffer his chosen children to be tempted aboue theyr strength but in the middes of their temptation will make an outscape for them by such meanes as maye make to his glory their euerlasting consolation My deare heart great cause haue you to be of good coÌ„fort for I see in you as liuely a token of Gods euerlasting loue and fauoure in Iesus Christ as euer I perceiued in any man In respect wherof I do euen with my hart loue honor reuerence you beseeching God for his glorious names sake in the bowels bloud of our Lord onely sauiour Iesus Christ to finish his good worke in you as I doubt not but he wil do according to his infallible promises yea I am well assured therof for asmuch as you haue so effectually receiued his holy spirit into your hart as a pledge and sure seale of your eternall redemption a testimony of your adoption in Christ Iesu. For which cause Satan so sore enuieth you that he hath nowe bent all his fierce Ordinaunce againste you thinking thereby vtterly to destroy the inuincible fort of you fayth founded moste firmely vpon the vnmoueable rocke Christ against the whiche the deuill sinne nor yet hell gates shall neuer preuaile Selah Therefore mine own bowels in the Lorde be not discoÌ„forted for this your conflict which doubtlesse shal greatly encrease your crowne of glory triumphe and victorye but take a good hart vnto you and buckle boldly with Sathan both in himselfe and his subtle members It is the very Diuine ordinaunce of God that all his regenerate children shall be tempted proued and tryed as we see by the example of our sauiour Christe who as soone as hee was baptised was strayt wayes led of the holy Ghost into the wildernes there to bee tempted of the Deuill But there got he such a glorious victory of Satan that hee coulde neuer since finally preuaile against any of his poore members but in euery assault that hee maketh either inwardly or outwardly he getteth a foyle and taketh shame so that nowe hee rageth with all the spite possible speciallye because hee knoweth his time is but short S. Iames testifieth that he is but a very coward that will soone flee if he be faithfully resisted And as for his tempting tooles the Lord hathe made them manifest vnto vs so that he cannot deceiue vs though he assault vs for as S. Paule sayth His very thoughtes are not vnknowne to vs as it doth in you largelye appeare praysed be the Lordes name therfore You see deare brother that now to molest you suche as you are that be euen passing from this vale of misery he hath but two wayes or two peeces of Ordinaunce to shoote at you with the which he cannot hurt you because you haue two Bulwarkes to defend you The first of these terrible Gunnes that Satan hath shot at you is the very same that he continually shooteth at me that is to say fear and infidelity for the vglesomnes of death and horrour of my sinnes whiche be so many greeuous and great But this pellet is easily put away with the surer shield of faith in the most precious death and bloudshedding of our dear Lord and onely Sauiour Iesus Christ whome the father hath geuen vnto vs wholy to be ours for euermore and with him hath geuen vs all things as Paule saith so that though we be neuer so great sinners yet Christ is made vnto vs holines righteousnes and iustificatioÌ„ He hath clothed vs with all his merites mercies and most sweete sufferinges hath taken vnto him all our miserie wretchednes sinne and infirmitie So that if any should nowe be condemned for the same it must needes be Iesus Christ whiche hath taken them vpon him But in deede hee hath made satisfactioÌ„ for them to the vttermost iote so that for his sake they shall neuer be imputed to vs if they were a thousaÌ„d times so many moe as they be This doe you moste effectuously feele and know deare brother a great deale better then I can tell you blessed be God therfore And now Satan seeing that he cannot preuayle wyth his boysterous battery agaynst this Bulwarke of faythe which doth so quench all his fiery dartes that they can doe you no harme but rather do you good seruice to caste you downe vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may take you vpp by his onely grace and power and so you maye render him all the glory by Iesus Christ whiche thinge the enimie cannot abide in no wise therefore hee shooteth of his other Peece most pestilent to prouoke you to put some part of your trust and confidence in your selfe and in your own holines and righteousnes that you might that way â—ob God of his glory Christe of his honour and dignitie of his death But blessed be the Lorde God you haue also a full strong Bulwarke to beat backe this pestiferous peller also euen the pure law of God whiche prooueth the best of vs all damnable sinners in the sight of God if he would enter into iudgement with vs according to the seueritie of the same and that euen our best works are polluted and defiled in such sort as the prophet describeth theÌ„ With which maner of speaking our free wil Phariseis
euer But in the meane space I saye most happy are you that so hartily mourne the absence of the bridegrome If you were not a wedding child you could neuer doe it Onely Christes true Disciples doe mourne for his absence therefore shall they doubtles reioyce at his presence which will be so muche more ioyfull by how much the absence is more sorrowfull Therfore my good brother take a good hart vnto you be of good cheare Say with the Prophet Dauid O my soule why art thou so heauy and why art thou so disquieted with in me O put thy trust in God for I will yet geue him thankes for the helpe of his louing countenance and because he is my God Read the Psal the xli and the xlij for your comfort consider that the holy kng and Prophet at the making first saying of them was euē in the same case that you are now in but he still comforted himselfe with the sweet promises of God and so do you my deare hart for to you they do as well pertayne as they did to him and as surely shall they be performed vpon you as they were vpon him for he is one God and deare father vnto you both for his mercy truth and promise sake he must needes make good vnto you all that he hath sayd If his loue towardes you stoode in the respect of your own merite or worthines you might well mourne lamēt and complayne yea you had good cause to doubt feare mistrust But seeing he loueth you onely for and in Iesus christ who is your whole holines righteousnesse and redemption lay away all mourning lamenting and complayning banish from you all feare mistrust and infidelitie and know that as long as Christ doth continue Gods sonne so lōg must the loue of the father continue towards you immutable and his good will vnchangeable and can not be altered through any of your infirmities For this is most true that as long as the cause of any thinge doth last so long must the effect remayne but Christ is the whole cause why the father loueth you and hee also continueth for euer then must I needes conclude that the loue of the father continueth towardes you for euer and as the Psalmist most ioyfully so often singeth His mercye endureth for euer and euer This is most true mine owne deare hart although the Lorde for a time hide it from your senses that you might be the more earneste in prayer to him for the feeling of it also the more thankefull for it when he doth geue the liuely tast of it as doubtles he will do ere euer it be long and then shall you be well able to comforte other in the same state that you are now in with the same comforte wherewith you are and further shal be comforted of God Therefore lifte vp youre handes that are now a little fallen downe and stretche forth the weake knees of youre troubled minde whiche now mourneth with a godly mourning and therefore shal it be full well comforted with that sweete peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and you are sure already to enioy the blessing that Christ gaue vnto the Godly mourners of Sion vppon the Mount at the first sermon that he made Oh happy U. in whose mourning company I had rather be then in the house of mirth and banqueting of such as see not what cause they haue to mourne and be sory But yet my good brother vse a measure in this your godly mourning make not your faithfull frendes too much sory for you Let the perswasions of such godly louers as you do dayly company withal or rather the perswasions of the holy Ghoste by them moue you to some godly mirth and reioising Consider that you are commaunded of God by the mouth of Sainct Paule thereto Reioyce in the Lord sayth he and I say again reioyce Marke how he doubleth the sentence that wee may perceaue it is a most earnest and necessary thing he requireth Obey the commaundement of God in this behalfe wherin as you cannot but highly please him so I assure you you shall very much reioyce my poore hart and the harts of other whiche pray for you with mourning teares and make that cruell enemy Sathan and all your aduersaryes sory which will reioyce and laugh to see you mourne Oh my good brother let it manifestly appeare that the Lorde of his great mercy hath heard our faythfull and harty requestes for you Oh how would that reioyce me in the midst of my troubles Therfore now to conclude because the darkenes constrayneth me to make an end for this time I say my deare faithful brother U. in respect of the great cause you haue of your own part through Christ for the glory and honor of almighty God the comfort ioy and reioysing of your deare brethren and sisters in Christ also your owne duetie by the commaundement of God and last of all to vexe molest and greeue Satan withall reioyce in the lord and be most hartily glad in him who is wholy yours and you are his and shal be for euermore Selah Farewel mine own bowels in the Lord praise God with ioyfull lips a mery hart pray for me his most vnprofitable seruant which haue more cause concerning my selfe to lament then any one man liuing but my good bridegrome is present biddeth me cast away my mourning garmentes and therfore I must needes be merry with him and so he biddeth you to be by my mouth for hee is present with you although for sorow you cannot know him as Magdalen could not in the garden vntill he spake vnto her The Lorde God speake these wordes of comforte in your hart open the eyes of your minde that you may perfectly perceiue and feele his blessed presence so reioyce in the same for euermore Amen Comfort your hart in christ and cast your care vpon him for he careth for you Your brother in the Lord abiding his good pleasure Iohn Careles * To my deare and faythfull brother Augustine Bernher The peace of God in Iesus Christ the helpe comforte and assistance of his eternall spirite be with you my deare and faythfull brother Augustine and with all the rest of my good brethren and sisters of the houses of Baxterley Manceter which mourneth for the miserye of Gods people to your euerlasting consolation in hym Amen Right glad I am to heare my deare and faithfull brother Augustine that God of his greate mercy and infinite goodnes hath yet so graciously deliuered preserued you out of your enemyes handes beseeching almighty God also from the bottome of my hart to be your continuall defence vnto the ende as hitherto he hath most graciously bene that you may liue dye both to Gods glory the commodity of his Church and to the increase of your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in hym Knowe you deare brother
the which I truste will be shortly O hasten it good Lorde and shorten these sorrowfull and sinfull dayes for thy great mercies sake Farewell my deare and faithfull louing brother The Lorde defende keepe and preserue you from the power of youre enemies visible and inuisible and sende vs a most ioyfull and merry meeting here or elswhere as it shall please his goodnes to appoynt vs. In the meane space I shall most earnestly desire you to pray for me for I neuer had more neede in my life and doubtles you shall neuer want my poore prayer if it shall please God to accept the prayer of so sinnefull a wretch as I am The Lord impute not my sinnes to me for Iesus Christes sake vnto whose most mercifull defence I do most hartily commit you The blessing of God be with you now and euer Amen I pray you doe my most hartye commendations vnto M. Iohn Glouer I doe not forget him in my dayly prayers and I trust he doth remember me Your poore brother alwayes mindefull of you in my prayer Iohn Careles prysoner abiding Gods pleasure ¶ To my deare brother Harry Adlington prisoner in the Lolardes Tower THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christe the continuall ayde strength ioy and comforte of his moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the increase of faythe and liuely feelyng of hys mercies be most effectuously wrought in your hart my deare and faythfull louing brother Adlington and in the hartes of all your other godly prison fellowes to the full finishing of that good worke which the Lorde hath most graciously begonne in you that the same may bee to the settyng foorth of his glorye the commoditie of his poore afflicted Churche and to your owne eternall ioy and comfort in in him Amen My most deare and faythfull louing brother in oure Lorde I withall the reste of my louing brethren here with me doe moste humbly and hartily commend vs vnto you with al faithfull remembraunce of you in our dayly prayers geuing GOD earnest thankes on your moste happy behalfe for that hee hath geuen you suche hartye boldnes and Christian constancie in the faythfull confession of his euerlasting veritie Blessed bee GOD for thee my dearely beloued brother whiche hathe vouched thee worthy of so great dignitie as to suffer for his sake and settyng foorth of his glory Oh glad in hart mayest thou bee to whom it is geuen not onely to beleue in thy Lord and Christ most liuely but also to suffer for his sake as one of his seely sheepe appointed to the slaughter Bee of good comfort therefore my good brother for your callyng vnto the Crosse of Christ was after a marueilous sorte Surely it was onely the Lordes appointement and therefore hee will well performe his owne worke in and vpon you to the great magnifying of his glory and comfort of your brethren whose hartes are mightely refreshed to heare how hartely you haue behaued your selfe hetherto This present day I receaued a Letter from you at the readyng whereof my brethren and I were not a little comforted to see your conscience so quieted in Christ and your continuaunce so stedfast in him whiche thynges be the speciall giftes of GOD not geuen vnto euery man but to you his deare dearelyng electe and chosen in Christ and such as you bee And where as you doe require to knowe my simple mynde concernyng your aunswere vnto Doctour Story and the Chauncelour truely I say you did aunswere them very well for there are but two Sacramentes in deede that is to say the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ as you haue full well aunswered them praysed be GOD for his good giftes who chuseth the weake to confounde the strong and the foolishe to confounde the worldly wise If when you come before them agayne they doe aske you what a Sacrament is say you that a Sacrament beyng ministred accordyng to Christes institution is a visible signe of an inuisible grace and hath the promise of GODS mercy annexed vnto it auaylable to all such as doe worthely receaue it and not vnworthely worshyppe it as they would haue vs to doe contrary to GODS commaundement And these properties belongyng to Christes true Sacramentes can not bee applyed vnto any one of those fiue Sacramentes whiche they haue inuented of their owne brayne since Antechrist began to reigne to blinde the people withall I perceiue deare hart that vppon Friday they doe entend to condemne you and to geue you your iudgement Therefore I thinke they will haue no great reasonyng with you but bidde you aunswere them directly either yea or nay to all such thynges as they haue to charge you withall whiche they haue gathered of you since you came into their cruell handes But if they will needes make many wordes with you because you are but a simple man and therefore perchaunce they will be the busier with you to trouble you with many questions to comber your knowledge and then seeme to triumph ouer you and that truth that you do hold if I say they do this as perhappes for some euill purpose they will then bee you so playne and as short as you cā saying roundly vnto them these or such like wordes as nigh as you can Be it knowen vnto you that I in all pointes doe beleeue as it becommeth a true Christian and as I haue bene truely taught in the dayes of that good Kyng Edwarde of such godly Preachers and Prophetes sent of GOD as haue sealed their doctrine with their bloud from whom I will dissent in no poynt for I am a poore man without learnyng but am commaunded of GOD to folow the counsell of his constant Preachers and so doe I entend to doe GOD geuyng me grace and assistaunce thereto As for you I knowe you to bee none of Christes shepeheardes but rauenyng Wolues whiche come to kill and scatter the flocke of Christ as the Lorde sayd you should and doth will vs to beware of you and your poysoned doctrine biddyng vs to iudge you accordyng to your fruites whereby all men may see and knowe what you be that will not be wilfully blind But the good shepeheardes haue geuen their liues for the defence of Christes flocke and I am commaunded to folowe their faythfull and Godly example and to confesse with them one trueth euen to the fire if GOD shall see it good and this as a true Christian I haue hetherto done and hence foorth by GODS grace entend for to doe And if for the same GOD shall suffer you to take awaye my lyfe as you haue done theirs I am contented therewith his will be done for that onely is good But of this bee you sure the Lord will shortly call you to accompt for all the innocent bloud that is shedde within this Realme whiche you haue brought into a most woefull case and made many a heauie hart in the same and moe I perceaue you
all other his benefites Ah my deare heart in the Lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of his great mercy and infinite goodnes hath vsed me most miserable wretche at any tyme as his instrument to minister any thing vnto you eyther by wordes or writing that might bee an occasion of your ioy and comfort in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to prayse and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your moste louing and godly letter seemeth to importe Oh happy am I that the Lorde hath appoynted me vnto so good a ground to sowe his seede vppon but muche more happie are you whose heart the Lorde hath prepared made so meete to receiue the same so effectuously geuing therto the sweete showers and heauenly dewes of his grace and holy spirit that it may bring forth fruite in due season accordingly the increase whereof we shall shortly reape together with perfect ioye and gladnes and that continually Therefore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her deare cosin Mary Happy are you and happy shall you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most sweet and faythfull promises of your redeemer Iesus Christ you haue surely layd vp in the treasury of your hart His comfortable callinges you haue faythfully heard his faythfull admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therefore you shall neuer come into iudgement your sinnes shall neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them from you as farre as is the East from the West and hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification holynesse so that now no creature neyther in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly king Sathan is nowe iudged he is nowe cast out from you hee hath no part in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ whyche wil not loose you your stedfast fayth in him hathe ouercome that sturdy and braggyng Prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the finall victory ouer hym and al hys army that they shall neuer hurt you What woulde you haue more Oh my deare heart howe great treasures are layde vp in store for you and how gloryous a Crowne is alreadye made and prepared for you And albeit the holy Ghost doth beare wytnesse of all these thinges in your heart and maketh you more sure and certain thereof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I being certaynly perswaded and fully assured by the testimony of Gods spirite in my conscience of youre eternall and sure saluation in our sweete Sauioure Iesus Christe haue thought it good yea and my bounden duety not onely at thys tyme to wryte vnto you and to shew my ioyfull hart in that behalfe but also by the word and commaundement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of his sweete sonne Iesus chryst oure Lorde to whom all knees shall bow whom all creatures shall worshippe and also by the impulsion of the holy Ghost by whose power and strength all the faythfull bee regenerate I doe I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a Citizen of heauen The Lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for his deare sonnes sake in whom thou doest also vndoubtedly beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy sinnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and full pardoned all thine offences bee they neuer so many so grieuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As truely as he liueth he will not haue thee dye the death but hath vtterly determined purposed and eternally decreed that thou shalte lyue with him for euer Thy sore shall bee healed and thy woundes bounde vpp euen of himselfe for his owne names sake He doth not nor will not looke vpon thy sinnes in thee but he respecteth and beholdeth thee in Christ in whome thou art lyuely graffed by faith in his bloud and in whome thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a sweete vessell of his mercy and saluation and wast thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was laid In testimony and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which woorketh in thee faith loue and vnfained repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commanded me this day although a most vnwoorthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministery of hys holy woord grounded vpon the truth of his most faithfull promisses the which thou beleeuing shalt liue for euer Beleeuest thou this my deare heart I knowe well thou doest beleeue The Lorde increase thy faith and geue thee a liuely feeling of all hys mercies wherof thou art warranted and assured by the testimony of the holy Ghost who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtfull dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true children of God all that I haue sayde and by Gods grace I will as a witnesse thereof confirme and seale the same with my bloud for a most certaine truthe Wherefore my good brother praise the Lord with a ioyful heart and geue him thankes for this his exceeding great mercy casting away all dubitation and wauering yea all sorow of heart and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and most deare and louing father commandeth you to doe by me nay rather by his owne mouth woord pronounced by me But now my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I coulde finde in my heart to wryte 2. or 3. sheetes of paper declaring the ioy I beare in my heart for you mine owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so short as you do well know I am heere constrained to make an ende desiring you to pardone my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my prayer shal supply that my pen doth wāt as knoweth the almighty God to whose most merciful defence I doe heartely commit you and all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most heartely to remember me in their hearty and dailye prayers as I know right well they doe for I feele the daily comfort and commodity therof therfore I neither wil nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you al. Amē Yours for euer vnfainedly Iohn Careles A letter of thankes to a faithfull frend of his by whom he had receiued much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the father of all mercye for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred vnto
vp your lippes with your owne booke Ieffrey It skilleth no matter whether ye write bread or body for we be able to prooue that he ment the bodye And where as you say they eate it spiritually that is but a blind shift of descant Palmer What should I say els Ieffrey As holy Church sayeth really carnally substantially Palmer And with as good Scripture I may say grosly or monstrously Ieffrey Thou speakest wickedly But tell me Is Christ present in the sacrament or no Palmer He is present Ieffrey How is he present Palmer The Doctors say modo ineffabili Therefore why do ye aske me Would God ye had a mynd ready to beleue it or I a tongue able to expresse it vnto you Ieffrey What say you to the baptisme of Infants Palmer I say that it standeth with Gods word therfore it ought of necessitie to be retayned in the Church Ieffrey Ye haue forgotten your self I wis for ye write that children may be saued without it Palmer So I write and so I say Ieffrey Then it is not necessary to be frequented and continued in the Church Palmer Your argument is not good M. Doctor Ieffrey Will ye stand to it Palmer Yea M. Doctor God willyng Ieffrey Note it Register More of his Examination in that tyme and place is not yet come to our hands whensoeuer God sendeth it I will impart and communicate the same to the Reader In the meane season we are credibly informed of this that sir Richard Abridges the same day after dinner sent for hym to his lodging and there in the presence of diuers persons yet alyue in Newbery and elsewhere friendly exhorted hym to reuoke his opinion to spare his yong yeares wit and learnyng If thou wilt be conformable and shew thy selfe corrigible and repentant in good fayth sayeth he I promise thee before this company I will geue thee meate and drinke and bookes and x. pound yearely so long as thou wilt dwell with me And if thou wilt set thy mynd to mariage I will procure thee a wyfe and a farme helpe to stuffe and frit thy farme for thee How sayest thou Palmer thanked him very curteously made him further answer concernyng his religion somewhat at large but very modestly and reuerently concludyng in the end that as he had already in two places renounced his liuing for Christes sake so he would with Gods grace be redy to surrender and yeld vp his lyfe also for the same wheÌ„ God should send tyme. When Sir Richard perceiued that hee woulde by no meanes relent Well Palmer sayth he then I perceiue one of vs twain shal be damned For we be of two faiths and certayne I am that there is but one faith that leadeth to lyfe and saluation Palmer O sir I hope that we both shall be saued Sir Rich. How may that be Palm Right well Sir For as it hath pleased our merciful Sauiour accordyng to the Gospels parable to call me at the third hower of the day euen in my flowers at the age of 24. yeres euen so I trust he hath called and wil cal you at the eleuenth hower of this your olde age and geue you euerlasting lyfe for your portion Sir Rich. Sayest thou so Well Palmer well I woulde I might haue thee but one moneth in my house I doubte not but I would conuert thee or thou shouldst conuert me Then sayd M. Winchcome Take pitie on thy golden yeares and pleasaunt flowers of lusty youth before it bee too late Palm Sir I long for those springing flowers that shall neuer vade away Winchcome If thou be at that poynt I haue done with thee Then was Palmer commanded agayne to the blynd house but the other two sillie men were ledde agayne the same after noone to the Consistorie and there were condeÌ„ned and deliuered to the secular power of the shiriffe there present by name sir Rich. Abridges It is reported also that D. Ieffrey offered Palmer a good liuyng if he would outwardly shew hymself conformable kepyng his conscience secret to hymselfe or at least declare that hee doubted which was the truest doctrine But I cannot affirme it for a suretie The next mornyng the 16. of Iuly Palmer was required to subscribe to certaine Articles which they had drawen out touching the cause of his condemnation in the front whereof were pluckt together many haynous termes as horrible hereticall damnable diuelish and execrable doctrine To these wordes Palmer refused to subscribe affirming that the doctrine which he professed was not such but good and sound doctrine Ieffrey Ye may see good people what shifts these heretikes seeke to escape burnyng when they see Iustice ministred vnto them But I tell thee this stile is agreeable to the law and therfore I cannot alter it Palmer Then cannot I subscribe to it Ieffrey Wilt thou then craue mercy if thou like not iustice and reuoke thy heresie Palmer I forsake the Pope his Popelings withall Popish heresie Ieffrey Then subscribe to the Articles Palmer Alter the Epithetons and I will subscribe Ieffrey Subscribe and qualifie the matter with thine own pen. So he subscribed Whereupon D. Ieffrey proceded to read the Popish sentence of his cruell condemnation and so was he deliuered to the charge of the secular power was burned the same day in the after noone about fiue of the clocke Within one houre before they went to the place of execution Palmer in the presence of many people comforted his fellowes with these wordes Brethren sayth he be of good â—here in the Lord and faint not Remember the words of our Sauiour Christ where he sayth Happy are you wheÌ„ men reuile you and persecute you for righteousnesse sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Feare not them that kill the body and be not able to touch the soule God is faythfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted further then we shall be able to beare it Wee shall not ende our lyues in the â—ire but make a change for a better lyfe Yea for coales we shall receiue pearles For Gods holy spirite certifieth our spirit that he hath euen now prepared for vs a sweet supper in heauen for his sake which suffered first for vs. With these and such lyke wordes he did not only comfort the hartes of his sillie brethren that were with hym appoynted as sheepe to be slaine but also wrested out pleÌ„tifull teares from the eyes of many that heard him And as they were singyng a Psalme came the shiriffe Sir Richard Abridges and the Bailiffes of the Towne wyth a great company of harnessed and weaponed men to conduct them to the fire When they were come to the place where they should suffer they fell all three to the ground and Palmer with an audible voyce pronounced the xxxj Psalme but the other two made their prayers secretly to almighty God And as Palmer began to arise there
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
her first comming into this place she did greuously bewaile with great sorrowe lamentation and reasoned with her selfe why her Lorde God did with his so heauy iustice suffer her to be sequestred from her louing fellowes into so extreeme miserie In these dolorous mournings did shee continue til on a night as shee was in her sorrowful supplications in rehearsing thys verse of the Psalme Why arte thou so heauie O my soule And againe The right hande of the most highest can chaunge all shee receiued comforte in the middest of her miseries And after that continued very ioyfull vntill her deliuerie from the same About the 25. day of March in the yeare of our Lorde 1557. shee was called before the Bishop who demaunded of her whether shee would nowe goe home and go to the church or no promising her great fauour if she woulde be reformed and doe as they did To whom she answered I am throughly perswaded by the great extremitie that you haue already shewed me that you are not of God neither can your doings be godly and I see sayeth she that you seeke my vtter destruction shewing how lame she then was of cold taken for lacke of foode while she lay in that painful prison whereby shee was not able to mooue her selfe without great paine Then did the bish deliuer her frō that filthy hole and sent her to Westgate whereas after she had bene changed and for a while ben cleane kept her skin did wholy so pill scale off as if she had bene with some mortal venome poysoned Heere she continued till the latter end of Aprill At which time they called her before them and with others condemned her committing her then to the prisone called the Castle Where shee continued till the slaughter daye which was the 19. day of Iune when by terrible fire they tooke away her life When she was at the stake she cast her handkerchiefe vnto one Iohn Bankes requiring him to kepe the same in the memorie of her and from about her middle she tooke a white lace which she gaue to the keeper desiring him to geue the same to her brother Roger Hall and to tell hym that it was the last band that she was bound with except the chaine A shilling also of Phillip and Mary shee tooke foorth which her father had bowed and sent her when shee was first sent to prison desiring that her said brother should with obedient salutations render the same to her father againe shew him that it was the first peece of mony that he sent her after her troubles begon which as shee protested she had kept now sent him to do him to vnderstand that shee neuer lacked money while shee was in prison With this Alice Benden were burned also the residue of the other blessed Martyrs aboue named being seuen in number Who being brought to the place where they shuld suffer for the Lordes cause at Canterbury vndressed them selues ioyfully to the fire and being ready thereto they all like the communion of Saints kneled downe and made their humble praiers vnto the Lorde with such zeale and affection as euen the enemies of the Crosse of Christ coulde not but like it When they had made inuocation together they roase and went to the stake where being compassed with horrible flames of fire they yeelded their soules and liues gloriously into the handes of the Lord. The burning of seuen Martyrs at Caunterburie The troubles and examinations of Mathew Plase VNto these holy martyrs of Kent aboue specified wher of seuen suffered at Maidstone and seuen at Canterb. I thought not vnmeete heere also to be adioyned the examination of Mathew Plase a Weauer of the same Countie of Kent and a faithful christian Who being apprehended and imprisoned likewise for the testimonie of a good conscience in the Castell of Canterbury was brought to examination before the Bishop of Douer and Harpsfield the Archdeacon as here is to be red and seene The examination and answeres of Mathewe Plase Weauer of the Parish of Stone in the Countie of Kent before Thornton Bishop of Douer Harpesfield Archdeacon Collins Commissarie other Inquisitours An. 1557. FIrst when I came before the bishop he asked me whether I were not of that Dioces and where I dwelt for that was my first Article Ans. I aunsweared I was of the Parishe of Stone in Kent and subiect vnto the King Queene of England Bish. Then he sayd I was indicted by xij men at Ashford at the Sessions for heresie Auns I sayd that was sooner sayd then prooued Bish. Then he sayde it was the truthe that he had spoken to me for he had whereby to prooue it Auns Then I desired him to let me heare it and I would answere to it Bish. But he sayd he would not so do but I should aunswere to my Article yea or nay Auns I said he could not for I was not at Ashforde and therfore he had nothing to lay to my charge But nowe I perceiue you goe about to lay a net to haue my bloud Arch. After many woordes betwixt the bishop and me the Archdeacon said peace peace we do not desire thy bloud but we are glad to heare that thou art no hereticke wyth many flattering woordes and said yet I was suspected of heresie and if I woulde be content to confesse howe I did beleeue as concerning those Articles they woulde gladly teache me Auns But I sayd I did not so thinke for I talked wyth one of your doctors and after long talke he would nedes know how I did beleeue in the Sacrament and I recited vnto him the text and because I would not make him an exposition he would teach me nothing yet I praied hym for my learning to wryte his minde if it were the truth I would beleeue him and this I did desire him for the loue of God but it would not be Arch. Then sayd he it was not so he durst sweare vpon a booke Auns I sayd it would be so prooued Arch. Then he stoode vp with a long processe and sayd he would tell me the truth and was sure that the same Doctour did beleeue as he did Auns I asked him how he knew that seing S. Paul doth say that no man knoweth what is in man but the spirite which dwelleth in him but if you wist what Christ meant by these woords I require mercy and not sacrifice you wold not kill innocents Bishop The Bishop began with me againe and charged me in the king and Queenes name and the Lord Cardinals to answere yea or nay to the Articles that followed Auns Then I commanded him in his name that should come in flaming fire with his mighty Aungels to render vengeance to the disobedient and to all those that beleued not the gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which should be punished with euerlasting damnation that he should speake nothing but the truth grounded vpon Christ and
if I might be in choice and not displease God Chichest The sheriffe tooke paine to come to me of loue he sayd which he bare to you as to himselfe and sayd you were desirous to speake with me Wood. I thought it mete to appeale to my Ordinarie For they goe about to shed my bloud vnrighteously For they haue laid many vniust things to my charge Wherefore I thoughte it meete to appeale to you that if you can finde any fault in me meete to be reformed by Gods woorde I stād to be reformed and likewise if my bloud shal be shed vnrighteously that it mighte be required at your handes because you haue taken vppon you to be the Phisition of our countrey Story Is not this a peruerse felow to lay to your charge that his bloude shal be required at your hands Thinkest thou that thou shalt be put to death vniustly that thy bloude should be required No if he should condemne a hundred such heretickes as thou art I helped to ridde a good sort of you And I promise thee I will helpe to ridde thee too the best that I can Wood. Then I would haue answeared him but the Bishop desired vs both to geue him place Chichest Well neighbour Woodman I call you neyghbour because you be one of my Diocesse and you are sent to me that I should geue you spirituall counsell for I am your spiritual Pastour Therefore heare what I shall say to you Wood. First I desire you to heare me a few woordes You haue said you wil geue me spiritual counsell Be you sure that you haue the spirite of God Chichest No I am not sure of that Wood. No be you not sure of that Chich. So by S. Mary I dare not be so bold to say so I doubt of that Wood. Then you be like the waues of the sea as saith S. Iames that be tossed about with the wind and be vnstable in all your wayes and can looke for no good thyng at the Lordes hand Yea yee are neither hote nor colde and therefore God will spew you out of his mouth as sayeth S. Iohn Then they were in a great furie especially doc Storie saying Storie What a peruerse fellow is this he hath the Deuil within him and is madde Hee is woorse then the Deuill Nowe I perceiue that it is true that is reported by thee and it is the pride of all suche heretickes to boaste themselues Chich. Yea surely hee is sent to mee to learne and taketh vpon him to teache me Wood. I seeing their blindnesse and blasphemie it made my heart melt and mine eies gush oute with teares saying The Iewes saide to Christ he hadde the Deuill and was madde as you haue said heere by me But I knowe the seruant is not aboue his maister And God forbid that I should learne of him that confesseth that he hath not the Spirite of God Chich. Why doe you thinke that you haue the Spirite of God Wood. I beleeue verely that I haue the spirite of God Chich. You boast more then euer Paul did or any of the apostles the which is great presumption Wood. I boast not in my selfe but in the gift of God as Paule did for he sayd he beleued verily that he had the spirit of God makyng thereof no doubts in the 1. to the Cor. the 7. chap. Chich. It is not so you belye the text Wood. If it be not so let me be burned to morow Story Thou shalt not be burned to morow but thou shalt be burned within these 6. dayes I promise thee Chich If it be so it is wrong translated as it is in a thousand places more Wood. Then one looked in a Latine Testament and another in a Greeke Testament and they said it was in them both that Paul supposed that he had the spirit of God but he was not sure Chich. Euen so I hope and suppose that I haue the spirite of God but I am not sure Wood. If that place be wrong trāslated and so many places of the Bible as you say then I may say with Christ it cannot be auoyded but offences must be geuen But woe vnto them by whom they come I may say woe vnto false Translaters For cursed are they that adde or take away But take you heed that you belie not the Translaters I beleeue they had the feare of God more before their eies then you report of them And yet if that place bee wrong translated I can prooue places enough that Paule had the spirit of God as I my selfe and all Gods elect haue Chich. How prooue you that Wood. No man can beleeue that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost First to the Corrinth the 7. chap. I do beleeue that Iesus Christ is my redeemer and that I shall bee saued from all my sinnes by his death and bloudsheding as Paule and all the Apostles did and as all faithfull people ought to do which no man can doe without the spirite of God And there is no damnation to thē that are in Christ Iesus so is there no saluation to them that are not in Christ Iesu. For he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his but is a cast away as he saith in the same text And againe We haue not receyued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but we haue receyued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father The same spirit certifieth our spirites that we are the sons of God Here are proofes enough that Paule was sure that he had the spirite of God Also S. Iohn sayth He that beleeueth not that Christ is come in the flesh is an Antichrist denieth both the Father and the sonne which is sinne against the holy Ghost which shall neuer bee forgeuen in this world nor in the world to come Besides all this Hee that beleeueth in God dwelleth in God and God in hym So is it impossible to beleue in God vnlesse God dwell in vs. Oh good God what more iniurie can be done vnto thee then to mistrust that we haue receyued thy holy spirite by thy gift Thus may all men see their blindnes and whose seruants they be as they do declare themselues both by their words and deeds Story Oh my Lord what an heretike is this same Why heare you hym Sende hym to prison to his fellowes in the Marshalsee and they shall bee dispatched within these xij dayes Wood. When I heard hym say so I reioyced greatly in my hart desiring God if it were his will to keepe hym in that mynd For I looked surely to haue gone to the B. of Londons colehouse or to Lollards tower yea I thoght my selfe happy if I might haue gone to Lollardes tower but it pleased God to put in the hartes of them to send me to the Marshalsee amongst our brethren and my olde prison fellowes So mercifully hath God delt with mee in casing of my
to receaue the Masse she began to be troubled in consciēce waxed very vnquiet because her house was euen hard by M. Iohn Glouers house of whome mention was made before pag. 1614. and 1620. a man of blessed memory and of a singular example of his vnfayned godlines and manifold troubles whiche he suffered for the Gospell shee did oftentimes resort to him and desired him to tel her the faultes that were in the Masse and other thinges that at that time were vrged as necessary to saluation Now he perceiuing both her vnquiet minde also the desire she had to know the truth dyd most dilligently instruct her in the wayes of the Lord approuing vnto her out of Gods holy word that the Masse with all other papisticall inuentions was odious in Gods sight and besides this reproued her for that she delighted in the vanities of this world so much By the which godly counsell geuē by him it happened that she began to waxe weery of the world throughly sorrowfull for her sinnes being inflamed with the loue of God desirous to serue him accordyng to hys word purposing also to flee from those thinges the whiche did displease the Lord her God And because she had learned the masse to be euil abhominable she began to hate it And when at a time she was compelled by the furiousnes of her husband to come to the Churche at the same tyme when the holy water was cast shee turned her backe towardes it and shewed her selfe to be displeased with their blasphemous holy water iniurious to the bloud of christ Whereupon she was accused before the Bishop for the despising of theyr sacramentals Immediately a Citation was sent for her to her husbandes house to appeare before the bishop incontinently The Summer that brought the Citation deliuered it to her husband who looking vpō it perceauing what it was was moued with anger willing the sumner to take the Citation with him agayne or els he woulde make him to eate it The Sumner refused to take it agayne for he thought no man durst haue bene so bold to trouble him But in the ende Lewes compelled the sayd sumner to eate the Citation indeed by setting a daggar to his hart when hee had eaten it he caused him to drinke to it so sent him away But immediately after the sayd Lewes with his wife were commaunded to appeare before the B. where the sayd Lewes by by submitted himself desired the Bish. to be good to him excusing himselfe after the best fashion he could Wherupon the B. was content to receiue his submission with condition that his wife shoulde submit her selfe also But shee stoutly told the byshop that by refusing of the holy water she had neither offended God nor any part of hys lawes At the which words the bish being greeuously offended because she was a Gentlewomā he would not take her at the worst as he sayd he gaue her one monthes respite binding her husband in an hundred pound to bring her again vnto him at the monthes end and so they were both let go When they came to their owne house the sayde Maystresse Ioyce Lewes gaue her selfe to most dilligent praier and inuocating of the name of God resorting continually to the aboue named man of God Maister Iohn Glouer who did most dilligently instruct her with Gods worde willing her in any wise not to meddle with that matter in respect of vayne glory or to get her selfe a name shewyng her the great daungers shee was like to cast her selfe in if shee shoulde meddle in Gods matters otherwyse then Christ doth teach When the moneth was nowe almost expired and the time at hand that shee shoulde be brought before the Bishop her husband being aduertised by the sayde Mayster Iohn Glouer and others not to carry her to the Byshop but to seeke some wayes to saue her or if the worst should come to be content to forfeit so much money rather then to cast his own wife into the fire He answered hee woulde not loose or forfeit anye thinge for her sake and so lyke a murtherer of his owne wife caryed her to the bloudye B. where she was examined and found more stout then shee was before death was threatned And to begin withal she was sent to such a stincking prison that a certayn mayde which was appoynted to keep her companye did sownd in the same prison Being thus kept in prison and oftentimes examined and euer founde stoute at the length shee was brought in iudgement pronounced an hereticke worthy to be burned When the Bishop reasoned with her why she would not come to the masse and receiue the sacramentes and sacramentals of holy Church she answered Because I find not these thinges in Gods worde which you so vrge and magnifie as thinges moste needefull for mens saluation If these thinges were in the same word of God commended I would with all my hart receiue esteeme and beleue them The Bishoppe aunswered if thou wilt beleeue no more then is in the scripture concerning matters of religion thou art in a damnable case At the whiche wordes she was wonderfully amased and being moued by the spirite of God tolde the Bishop that hys wordes were vngodly and wicked After her condemnation she cōtinued a whole twelue moneth in prison because she was committed to the Sheriffe that was of late chosen who coulde not be compelled to put her to death in his tyme as he affirmed for y◠which thing after her death he was sore troubled and in daunger of his life All that time shee was in prison her behauiour was such both in wordes and deedes that al they that had any sparke of godlines or ciuile honesty did greatly lamēt her case that she should be put to death Now when the tyme did drawe neare the which God had appoynted for her deliueraunce the writte De comburendo as they terme it beyng brought down from London she desired certaine of her frends to come to her with whom when they came shee consulted how shee might be haue her self that her death might be more glorious to the name of God cōfortable to his people and also most discomfortable vnto the enemies of God As for death sayd shee I do not greatly passe when I behold the amyable countenance of Christ my deare Sauiour the vglesome face of death doth not greatly trouble me In the which time also shee reasoned most comfortably out of Gods worde of Gods election and reprobation In the euenyng before the daye of her suffering two of the priests of the close of Lichfield came to the vnder Sheriffes house where shee laye and sent worde to her by the Sheriffe that they were come to heare her confession for they would be sory shee shoulde dye without it She sente them word agayne shee had made her confession to Christ her sauiour at whose hands she was sure to haue forgeuenes of her sinnes
As concerning the cause for the whiche she should dye she had no cause to confesse that but rather geue vnto God most humble prayse that he did make her worthy to suffer deathe for his worde And as concerning that absolution that they were able to geue vnto her being authorised by the pope she did defie the same euen from the bottome of her hart The which thing when the priests heard they said to the Sheriffe Well to morow her stoutnes will be proued and tryed For although perhaps shee hath now some friendes that whisper her in her eares to morow will we see who dare be so hardy as to come neare her and so they went theyr wayes with anger that theyr confession and absolution was nought set by All that night she was wonderfully chearefull mery with a certaine grauitie in so much that the maiestie of the spirit of God did manifestly appeare in her who did expel the feare of deathe out of her heart spending the tyme in prayer reading talking with them that were purposely come vnto her for to comfort her with the word of God About three of the clocke in the morning Satan who neuer sleepeth especially when death is at hand began to stirre himselfe busily shooting at her that fierye darte the whiche he is wont to doe agaynst all that are at defiaunce with him questioning with her how shee coulde tell that she was chosen to eternal life and that Christ dyed for her I graunt that he dyed but that he dyed for thee howe canst thou tell with this suggestion when shee was troubled they that were about her did councell her to follow the example of Paule Galathians 2. where he sayth Which hath loued me and geuen hymselfe for me Also that her vocation and calling to the knowledge of Gods word was a manifest token of Gods loue towards her especially that same holy spirite of God working in her hart that loue and desire towardes God to please him and to bee iustified by him through Christ c. By these and like perswasions especially by the comfortable promises of Christ brought out of the scripture Satan was put to flight and she conforted in Christ. About eight of the clocke maister Sheriffe came to her into her chamber saying these wordes Maistres Lewes I am come to bring you tidings of the Queenes pleasure the whiche is that you shall liue no longer but one houre in this world therefore prepare your selfe therunto 〈◊〉 stādeth you in hand At which wordes being so grosely vttered and so sodaynly by such an officer as he was she was somewhat abashed Wherefore one of her friendes and acquayntaunce standing by sayde these words Maistresse Lewes you haue great cause to prayse GOD who wyll vouchsafe so speedily to take you out of this worlde and make you worthy to be a witnesse to his truth to beare record vnto Christ that he is the onely sauiour After the which words spoken thus she sayde maister Sheriffe your message is welcome to me and I thanke my God that he will make me worthye to aduenture my life in his quarrell And thus maister Sheriffe departed and within the space of one houre he came agayn cum gladiis fustibus and when he came vp into the chamber one of her friendes desired him to geue him leaue to goe with her to the stake to comfort her the whiche the Sheriffe graunted at that time but afterwardes he was sore troubled for the same when she was dead Nowe when shee was brought throughe the towne with a number of bill menne a great multitude of people being present she being led by two of her frends whiche were M. Michaell Reniger and M. Augustine Bernher she was brought to the place of execution and because the place was farre off and the throng of the people great and she not acquaynted with the fresh ayre being so long in prison one of her frendes sent a messenger to the Sheriffes house for some drinke and after she had prayed three seuerall times in the whiche prayer she desired God most instantly to abolish the idolatrous Masse and to delyuer this realme from Papistry at the end of the whiche prayers the most parte of the people cryed Amen yea euen the Sheriffe that stoode harde by her readye to cast her in the fire for not allowing the Masse at this her prayers sayde with the rest of the people Amen when she had thus prayed she tooke the cup into her handes saying I drynke to all them that vnfaynedly loue the Gospell of Iesus Christ and wish for the abolishment of Papistry When she had dronken they that were her frends dranke also After that a great number specially the women of the towne dyd drynke wyth her which afterward were put to open penaunce in the Churche by the cruel Papistes for drinking with her When she was tyed to the stake with the chayne shee shewed such a cheerefulnes that it passed mans reason beyng so well coloured in her face and being so patient that the most part of them that had honest hartes did lament and euen with teares bewayle the tyranny of the Papistes When the fire was sette vppon her she neither struggled nor sturred but onely lifted vp her handes towardes heauen being dead very speedely for the vnder Sheriffes at the request of her friendes had prouided such stuffe by the whiche shee was sodenly dispatched out of this miserable worlde This amongest other thinges may not bee forgotten that the Papistes had appoynted some to rayle vppon her openly and to reuile her both as shee went to the place of Execution and also when she came at the stake Amongest others there was an olde Prieste whiche hadde a payre of writing tables to note bothe the names of the women that dranke of her cuppe as before you heard and also described her friendes by their apparell for presentlye hee could not learne their names and afterwardes enquyred for their names and so immediately after processe was sente out for them bothe to Couentrye and other places but God whose prouidence sleepeth not did defende them from the handes of these cruell tyrauntes Unto the whiche God with the sonne and the holy Ghost bee honour and glory for euer Amen * The Martyrdome of Rafe Allerton Iames Austo Margery Awstoo and Richard Roth burned at Islington IN searching out the certayne number of the faythfull Martyrs of God that suffered within the tyme raygne of Queene Mary I finde that about the 17. day of September wer burned at Islingtō nigh vnto London these 4. constant professours of christ Rafe Allerton Iames Awstoo Margery Austoo his wife and Richard Roth. Amongest the which it first appeareth that this Rafe Allerton was more then a yeare before his condemnation apprehended and brought before the Lorde Darcy of Chich. and was there accused aswell for that he woulde not consent and come vnto the
to speake he sayd Doest thou answer my Archdeacon so thou naughty boy I shall handle thee well enough be assured so he sent for a couple of rods and caused him to kneele agaynst a long bench in an arbor in his garden where the sayd Thomas without any enforcement of his part offered hymselfe to the beatyng did abide the fury of the sayd Boner so long as the fat panched B. could endure with breath and til for werines he was fayne to cease geue place to his shamefull act He had two willow rods but he wasted but one and so left of Now after this scourgyng the sayd Thom. Hinshaw notwithstandyng did sustaine diuers conflictes and examinations sundry tymes At last beyng brought before the sayd Bishop in his chappell at Fulham there hee had procured witnesses and gathered Articles agaynst hym which the yong man denied and woulde not affirme or consent to any interrogatory there and then ministred do what they could ¶ The Articles were these COncernyng Palmes Ashes Holy bread Holy water Auriculer confession receiuyng the Sacrament at Easter hearyng deuine seruice then set forth c. Whether he had receiued all these or whether he would receiue them or no. Item what he thought of the seruice set forth in K. Edwards tyme in his latter dayes and in especiall what he thought of the veritie of Christes body in the sacrament In which all his answers the sayd Tho. Hinshaw kept an vpright conscience and entangled himselfe with none of their ceremonies so mercifull was the Lord vnto hym Not long after this his examination about a fortnight or such a thyng the foresayd Examinate fell sicke of a burnyng agâ—â— wherby he was deliuered vpon entreatie vnto his maister Martin Pugson in Paules Churchyard aforesayd for the bishop thought verily he was more like to dye then to lyue The whiche hys sickenesse endured a twelue month or more so that in the meane tyme Queene Mary dyed Then he shortly after recouered health and escaped death beyng at the writyng of this yet alyue both witnesse and reporter of the same the Lord therefore bee praysed Amen The scourging of Iohn Milles by B. Boner BEsides the aboue named was scourged also by the haÌ„ds of the sayd B. one Iohn Milles a Capper a right faith full and true honest man in all his dealyngs and conditions Who was brother to the foresayd R. Milles burned before at Brainford as is aboue signified pag. 1967. Who also was apprehended in the same number with them at Islington as is mentioned also before pag. 1969. and beyng brought before Boner and there examined was commaunded to the Colehouse with the foresayde Tho. Hinshaw where they remained one night in the stocks From thence he was sent to Fulham where hee with the sayde Hinshaw remayned 8. or 10. dayes in the stockes during which tyme hee susteined diuers conflictes with the sayde Boner who had hym oft tymes in Examination vrgyng hym and with a sticke which he had in his hand oft times rappyng him on the head and flirting him vnder the chin on the eares saying he looked downe like a thiefe Moreouer after he had assaied all maner of wayes to cause him to recant and could not at length hauyng him to his Orchard there within a little arbor with his owne handes beat hym first with a willowe rod and that beyng worne well nigh to the stumps he called for a birchin rod which a lad brought out of his chamber The cause why hee so beat him was this Boner asked hym when he had crept to the crosse He answered not since he came to the yeares of discretion neither would to be torne with wyld horses Then Boner bade him make a crosse in his forehed which he refused to do Whereupon he had him incontinently to his Orchard and there callyng for rods sheweth his crueltie vpon hym as he did vppon Tho. Hinshaw as is aboue declared This done he had hym immediately to the Parishe Church of Fulham with the sayd Tho. Hinshaw wyth Rob. Willis to whom there beyng seuerally called before hym he ministred certaine Articles asking if they would subscribe to the same To the which the sayd Iohn Milles made his answer according to his conscience denying theÌ„ all except one article which was coÌ„cernyng K. Edwards seruice in English Shortly after this beating Boner sent to him in prison a certain old priest lately come froÌ„ Rome to coniure out the euill spirite from hym who laying hys hand vpon his hed began with certaine words pronounced ouer hym to coniure as hee had bene woont before to do Milles meruailing what the Priest was about to doe sayd he trusted no euill spirit to be within hym laughed hym to scorne c. As this Iohn Milles was diuers tymes and oft called before Boner so much communication and talke passed betwene them which to recite all it were too long And yet it were not vnpleasaunt for the Reader that lusteth to laugh to see the blynd and vnsauorie reasones of that B. which he vsed to perswade the ignorant withall As in the processe of his other talke with this Milles Boner going about to perswade hym not to meddle with matters of the scripture but rather to beleeue other mens teachyng which had more skill in the same first asked if he dyd beleue the scripture Yea sayd he that I do Then the Bish. Why quoth he S. Paul saith if the man sleepe the woman is at libertye to goe to another man If thou were a sleepe hauing a wyfe wouldst thou be content thy wyfe to take another man And yet this is the scripture Item if thou wilt beleue Luther Zuinglius and such then thou canst not go right But if thou wilt beleue me c thou canst not erre And if thou shouldst erre yet thou art in no peril thy bloud should be required at our hands As if thou shouldst go to a far country meete with a fatherly man as I am for these were his termes and aske the way to the head citie and he should say go this way and thou wilt not beleeue hym but follow Luther and other heretikes of late dayes and go a contrary way how wiâ—te thou come to the place thou askest for so if thou wilt not beleeue mee but followe the leadyng of other heretickes so shalt thou bee brought to destruction and burne both body and soule As truly as thou seest the bodies of them in Smithfield burnt so truly their soules doe burne in hell because they erre from the church Oft tymes speaking to the sayde Iohn Milles hee would say they call me bloudy Boner A vengeaunce on you all I would faine â—e rid of you but you haue a deâ—ire in burnyng But if I might haue my will I would sowe your mouthes and put you in sacks and drowne you Now somewhat to say concerning the deliueraunce of the said Iohn
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
to the Tower of London and there remained vntill Queene Elizabeth was proclaimed Queene at whych time he being deliuered fell sicke and dyed The common talke was that if he had not so sodēly ended his life hee woulde haue opened and reuealed the purpose of the chiefe of the Cleargy meaning the Cardinall whyche was to haue taken vp K. Henries body at Windsore and to haue burned it And thus much of doctor Weston The residue that remained of the persecuting Clergy and escaped the stroke of deathe were depriued and committed to prisones the Catalogue of whose names heere followeth In the Tower Nicholas Death Archbishop of Yorke and Lord Chauncellour Thomas Thurlby B. of Ely Thomas Watson B. of Lincolne Gilbert Burne B. of Bath and Welles Richard Pates B. of Worcester Troublefield B. of Exetor Iohn Fecknam Abbot of Westminster Iohn Boxal Deane of Windsore and Peterborough Of Dauid Poole B. of Peterborough I doubte whether he was in the Tower or in some other prisone Ran away Goldwell B. of S. Asse Maurice Elect of Bangor Edmunde Boner B. of London in the Marshalsea Thomas Wood B. Elect in the Marshalsea Cutbert Scothish of Chester was in the Fleete from whence he escaped to Louane and there died In the Fleet. Henry Cole Deane of Paules Iohn Harpesfield Archdeacon of London and Deane of Norwich Nicholas Harpesfield Archd. of Cant. Anthony Draycot Archdeacon of Hūtington W. Chadsey Archdeacon of Midlesex ¶ Concerning which Doctour Chadsey here is to be noted that in the beginning of king Edwards raigne he recanted and subscribed to 34. Articles wherein hee then fully consented and agreed with his owne hand wryting to the whole forme of doctrine approoued allowed then in the church as well concerning iustification by faith only as also the doctrine of the two sacramentes then receaued denying as well the Popes supremacie transubstantiation Purgatory Inuocation of Saints eleuation and adoration of the Sacrament the sacrifice veneration of the Masse as also all other like excrements of Popish superstition according to the kings booke then set foorth Wherefore the more maruel it is that he being counted such a famous and learned Clearke would shew himselfe so fickle and vnstable in hys assertions so double in hys doinges to alter hys Religion according to time and to maintein for truth not what he thought best but what he myght most safely defend So long as the state of the lord Protectour and of hys brother stoode vprighte what was then the conformitie of this D. Chadsey hys owne Articles in Latine wrytten and subscribed wyth hys owne hand doe declare which I haue to shewe if he will denye them But after the decay of the kings vncles the fortune of them turned not so fast but his Religion turned withall and eftsoones he tooke vppon hym to dispute agaynste Peter Martyr in vpholding Transubstantiation at Oxforde which a little before with his owne hād wryting he had ouerthrowen After this ensued the time of Queene Mary wherein doctor Chadsey to shew hys double diligence was so eger in his commission to sit in iudgement to bring poore mē to their death that in the last yeare of Quene Mary when the Lord Chauncellor Syr Thomas Cornwalles Lorde Clinton diuers other of the Counsell had sent for hym by a special letter to repaire vnto London out of Essex he wryting againe to the bishop of London sought meanes not to come at the Counsels bidding but to continue still in his persecuting progresse The Copie of whose letter I haue also in my handes if neede were to bring foorth Mention was made not long before of one William Mauldon who in king Henries time suffered stripes and scourgings for confessing the veritie of Gods true religion It happened in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth that the sayd W. Mauldon was bound seruaunt with one named Maister Hugh Aparry then a wheat taker for the Quene dwelling at Grenewich Who being newly come vnto him and hauing neuer a booke there to looke vpon being desirous to occupie himself vertuously loked about the house and founde a Primer in English whereon hee read in a winters euening Whiles he was reading there sat one Iohn Apowel that had ben a Seruing man about 30. yeres of age borne toward Wales whom the said M. Hugh gaue meat and drink vnto til such time as he could get a seruice And as the foresayd William Mauldon read on the Booke the sayde Iohn Apowell mocked hym after euery worde with contrary gaudes and flouting wordes vnreuerently in so muche that he coulde no longer abide him for grief of hart but turned vnto him and sayd Iohn take heede what thou doest Thou doest not mocke mee but thou mockest God For in mocking of his word thou mockest hym and thys is the word of God though I be simple that read it and therfore beware what thou doest Then Mauldon fell to reading agayne and still hee proceeded on in hys mocking and when Mauldon had redde certayne Englyshe Prayers in the ende he redde Lorde haue mercye vppon vs Christe haue mercye vpon vs. c. And as Mauldon was reciting these wordes the other with a start sodenly sayd Lord haue mercy vpon me With that Mauldon tourned and sayde what ailest thou Iohn He sayee I was afraide Whereon wast thou afraide said Mauldon Nothing now sayd the other and so he would not tel hym After thys when Mauldon and he went to bedde Mauldon asked him whereof he was afraide He sayde when you red Lord haue mercye vppon vs Christ haue mercy vppon vs me thought the haire of my head stoode vpright with a great feare which came vpon me Then sayd Mauldon Iohn thou mayest see the euill spirite could not abide that Christ should haue mercy vppon vs. Wel Iohn said Mauldon repent and amend thy life for God will not be mocked If we mocke and iest at his woord he will punish vs. Also you vse rebauldry woordes and swearing verye much therfore for Gods sake Iohn amend thy life So I will sayd he by the grace of God I pray God I may Amen said the other with other words and so went to bed On the next day about 8. of the clocke in the morning the foresaid Iohn came running downe out of his chamber in his shirt into the Hall and wrasteled with hys mistresse as he would haue throwen her downe Wherat she shriked out and her seruauntes holpe her and tooke hym by strength and caried him vp vnto his bed bound him downe to his bed for they perceiued plainely that he was out of his right minde After that as he lay almoste day and night his toung neuer ceased but he cried out of the deuill of hell and hys woordes were euer stil O the deuill of hell now the deuill of hell I would see the deuill of hell thou shalt see the deuil of hel there he was there he goeth with other words but
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
of the matters All this was fully agreed vpon with the Archb. of Yorke and so also signified to both parties And immediately hereupon diuers of the Nobilitie and states of the realme vnderstanding that such a meting and conference shoulde bee and that in certaine matters whereupon the Courte of Parliament consequently followyng some lawes might be grounded They made ernest meanes to her Maiestie that the parties of this conference might put and read their assertions in the English tongue and that in the presence of them of the Nobilitie and others of her Parliament house for the better satisfaction and enabling of their owne iudgements to treat and conclude of such lawes as might depend hereupon This also beyng thought very reasonable was signified to both parties and so â—ully agreed vpon and the daye appoynted for the first meetyng to bee the Friday in the forenoone beyng the last of March at Westminster church At which foresayd day and place both for good order for honour of the conference by the Queenes maiesties commandement the Lordes and others of the priuy counsaile were present and a great parte of the nobilitie also And notwithstanding this former order appoynted and consented vnto by both partes yet the Bishop of Winchester his Colleagues alledging they had mistaken that their assertions and reasons should be written and so onely recited out of the booke sayd their booke was not ready theâ—â— written but they were ready to argue and dispute and therefore they would for that tyme repeate in speache that which they had to say to the first probation This variation from the former order and specially from that which themselues had by the sayde Archbishop in writyng before required adding thereto the reason of the Apostle that to contend with wordes is profitable to nothyng but to subuersion of the hearer seemed to the Queenes maiesties counsaile somewhat strange and yet was it permitted without any great reprehension because they excused themselues with mistakyng the order and agreed that they would not faile but put it in writing and accordyng to the former order deliuer it to the other part and so the sayd Bishop of Winchester and hys Colleagues appoynted Doctour Cole Deane of Paules to be the vtterer of their myndes woo partly by speech onely and partly by readyng of authorities written and at certaine tymes beyng enformed of his Colleagues what to say made a declaration of their meanynges and their reasons to their first proposition which being ended they were asked by the priuy Counsaile if any of them had any more to be sayd and they sayd no. So as the other parâ—e was licenced to shewe their myndes which they dyd accordyng to the first order exhibityng all that whiche they ment to be propounded in a booke written which after a prayer and inuocation made most humbly to almightye God for the enduyng of them with his holy spirite and a protestation also to stand to the doctrine of the Catholike Church builded vpon the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles was distinctly red by one Robert Horne Bacheler in Diuinitie late Deane of Duresme and after Bishoppe of Winchester The Copye of which their Protestation here followeth accordyng as it was by him penned and exhibited with their preface also before the same as is here expressed FOrasmuch as it is thought good vnto the Queenes most excellent Maiesty vnto whom in the Lord all obedience is due that we should declare our iudgement in writyng vpon certaine propositions we as becommeth vs to doe herein most gladly obey Seeâ—ng that Christ is our onely maister whome the father hath commaunded vs to heare and seyng also hys worde is the truth from the which it is not lawfull for vs to depart not one haire bredth and against the which as the Apostle saith we can do nothing we doe in all thinges submitte our selues vnto this truth and doe protest that we will affirme nothyng agaynst the same And forasmuch as we haue for our mother the true and catholike Church of Christ which is grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes and is of Christ the head in all things gouerned we do reuerence her iudgement we obey her authoritie as becommeth children and we do deuoutly professe and in all points follow the faith which is conteined in the three Creedes that is to say of the Apostles of the Councell of Nice and of Athanasius And seyng that we neuer departed neither froÌ„ the doctrine of God which is contained in the holy Canonicall Scriptures nor yet from the fayth of the true and catholike church of Christ but haue preached truely the worde of God and haue sincerely ministred the sacraments accordyng to the institution of Christ vnto the which our doctrine and fayth the most part also of our aduersaries did subscribe not many yeares past although now as vnnaturall they are reuolted from the same wee desire that they render accompt of their backsliding and shewe some cause wherefore they do not only resist that doctrine which they haue before professed but also persecute the same by all meanes they can We do not doubt but through the equitie of the Queenes most excellent maiesty we shall in these disputations be entreated more gently then in yeres late past when we were handled most vniustly scantly after the common maner of men As for the iudgement of the whole controuersie we referre vnto the most holy scriptures and the catholike church of Christ whose iudgement vnto vs ought to be most sacred notwithstanding by the catholike church we vnsterstand not the Romish church whereunto our aduersaries attribute suche reuerence but that which S. Augustine other fathers affirme ought to be sought in the holy scriptures and which is gouerned and led by the spirite of Christ. It is against the worde of God and the custome of the Primitiue Church to vse a tong vnknowen to the people in common praiers administration of the sacraments By these words the word of God we meane only the written word of God or canonicall scriptures And by the custome of the primitiue church we meane the order most generally vsed in the church for the space of 500. yeres after Christ in which times liued the most notable fathers as Iustine Ireneus Tertullian Cyprian Basill Chrysostome Hierome Ambrose Austine c. This assertion aboue written hath two partes Fyrst that the vse of the tongue not vnderstanded of the people in common prayers of the Church or in the administration of the Sacramentes is agaynst Gods worde The second that the same is agaynst the vse of the primatiue Church The first parte is most manifestly prooued by the 14. chapiter of the Epistle to the Corinthians almost thorow out the whole chapter In the whiche chapter Saynt Paule intreateth of this matter ex professo purposely And although some do cauel that Saint Paule speaketh not in that chapter of praying but
be vnto you a strong defence and refuge in the needfull time Bow downe thine eare O Lorde sayth Dauid and heare me for I am poore and in misery Bee mercifull vnto me O Lord for I will call dayly vpō thee comfort the soule of thy seruaunt for vnto thee O Lord do I lift vp my soule For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy vnto all thē that call vpon thee Geue eare Lorde vnto my prayer and ponder the voyce of my humble petition All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee O Lord shall glorify thy name For thou art great and doest wonderfull things thou art God alone Teach me thy wayes Oh Lord and I will walke in thy truth O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name I will thanke thee O my God with all my hart and will prayse thy name for euer O you Christen people of Hadley comfort your selues one another in these notable psalmes of dauid the whole bible Embrace the notable iewell of our Lord God the bible endeuor your selues to walke the way that it doth teach you My good brethren we as helpers sayth S. Paule doe exhort you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vayne For behold now is the accepted time now is the daye of saluation Let vs beware that we take sure hold while we haue time for time will away While wee haue the lighte walke in it least when ye would desire it ye can not haue it Understand the light to be the knowledge of Christe to obey that is to haue the light For that cause came our Sauiour Iesus Christe to make himselfe knowne vnto those that did receiue him He gaue power to be the sonnes of God and so to bee made inheritours of his kingdome which shal neuer haue end who would not be glad to become the kinges sonne that he therby might be partaker of the kingdome that neuer shall haue end O vayne man what art thou that will refuse euerlasting life for a day or two or an hower thou canst not tell howe short Open thine eies see thine owne cōfort refuge to christ O flie refuse this worldly wisedōe for worldly wisedom doth shut out the wisedome of God For the word of the crosse is foolishnesse vnto them that perish but vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Where are the wise where are the Scribes where are the disputers of this worlde hath not god made the wisedom of this world foolishnes For in so muche as the worlde by the wisedome thereof knew not God in his wisedome it pleased God through foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleue For the Iewes require tokens and the Greekes aske after wysedome but we preach Christ crucified sayth S. Paule to the Iewes an occasion of falling and vnto the Greekes a people that are wise in theyr owne conceites to them is the preaching of Christ crucified foolishnesse But vnto them that are called both Iewes and Greekes we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God For the foolishnes of God is wiser then men and the weaknes of God is stronger then men Brethren looke vpon your calling how that not many wise men after the fleshe not many mighty not many of high degree are called But that which is foolish before the world hath God chosen that he might confound the wise and that which is despised before the worlde hath he chosen and that whiche is nothing that he might destroy that which is ought that no flesh should reioyce Of the same are ye also in Christe Iesu whiche is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and sanctifying and redemption according as it is written he that reioyseth should reioyce in the Lorde that your fayth should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God We speake of this wisedome among them that are perfecte not the wisedome of thys world nor the rulers of this world which go to nought but we speake of the wisedome of God which the carnall man doth not vnderstand The naturall man perceiueth nothing of the spirite of God It is foolishnes with hym But God hath opened it to vs by his spirite For the spirite searcheth out all thinges Wherefore my deare Brethren trye your selues well whether ye haue the spirite of Christ or no. If you haue the spirite of Christ then are ye dead concerning sinne but ye are aliue vnto god through Iesus Christ. If this spirite dwell in you then will ye increase and go forward in your profession not feare what flesh may do vnto the carkasse Therefore stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and bee not wrapped vp agayne in the yoake of bondage that is to say to go from God by wicked life or serue God an other way then he hath commaunded in his holy word I truste you go forward my deare Brethren and Sisterne in your promise that you made to your Lorde God in your baptisme I pray God open vnto you the knowledge of hym selfe and lighten the eyes of your vnderstanding that ye may know what is the hope of your calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritaunce is vpon the Sayntes For ye are the chosen generation the kingly Priesthoode that holy nation that peculiar people that should shewe the vertues of him which hath called you out of darcknes into his maruellous light that is to say to feare God and to worke righteousnesse and so to receiue the end of your fayth the saluation of your soules This is a true saying if we be dead with Christ we shall liue with him also If we be patient we shall also reigne with him If we denye him he also shall denye vs. If we beleue not yet he abydeth faythfull he can not deny himselfe The very God of peace sanctify you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soule and bodyes be kept blameles vnto the cōming of our Lord Iesus Faythfull is he that hath called you which will also do it Brethren pray for vs and great all the brethren among you By me your brother in the Lord and Sauiour Christ Iohn Alcocke Prisoner in the Lorde at Newgate ⧠Geue glory to God GOd be mercifull to thee O England send thee great number of such faythfull Fathers and godly Pastors as Doctor Taylour was to guide thee feede thee and cōfort thee after thy great miseries and troubles that thou hast suffered vnder the tyrannous captiuitye and rage of the Romaine Antichrist and such rauening Wolues as haue without all mercy murdered thy godly and learned preachers and geue all men grace to consider that suche horrible plagues and mutations haue iustly
of Richard White Condemnation of Iohn Hunt Richard White The Christen zeale of M. Clifford Example of Christian pietye in a Shrieffe to be noted A note to be obserued concerning the Papists dealinges The Papistes charged with manifest dissimumulation Burning without a sufficient Writtâ— Rich. White now Vicar of Malbrough in Wilshire M. Miâ—hell vnder Sheriffe bâ—â—neth the writte Gods 〈◊〉 kinges 〈…〉 the death 〈◊〉 D. Geffrey Chauncellour of Salisbury The story of Iohn Fetty and Martyrdome oâ— his childâ— Gods dreadfull hand vpon a wife seeking the destruction of her husband The wyfe persecuting her husband Iohn Fetty agayne apprehended The strayte handling of Iohn Fetty by Syr Iohn Mordant Richard Smith dead in prison through cruell handling The cruell handling and scourgâ—â—â— of Iohn Fettyes childe The miserable tyrranny of the Papists in scourging a 〈◊〉 The childe all bloudy brought to his father in prison Cluny caryeth the 〈◊〉 agayne to the Byshops houâ—e The wordes betweene Boner and Iohn Fetty Boners Crucifixe B. Boner compared to Cayphas B. Boner for feare of the law in murdering a childe deliuered the father out of prison The Martyrdome of a childe scourged to death in Boners house The story of Nicholas Burton Martyr in Spayne Nicholas BurtoÌ„ Londoner Nich. Burton layd in prison they hauing no cause to charge him with Nich. Burton caryed to Ciuilâ— Nich. Burton brought to iudgement after a disguised maner The trouble of Iohn FrontoÌ„ Citizen of Bristow in Spaine Note the rauening extortion of these Inquisitours The vyle procedingâ—â— of the Inquisitors of Spayne Iohn Fronton imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisitors for asking his owne goodes Anno 1558. Iâ—hn Fronton iudged 〈◊〉 an heretike for not reding to Aue Maria 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 Scripâ—â—re hath 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Maâ—chaunt 〈…〉 of his goodes An other â—â—â—lishe 〈◊〉 burnt 〈◊〉 Spayne 〈◊〉 afore 〈◊〉 907. 〈◊〉 Baker 〈◊〉 â—urgate 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 Marke Burges burnt in Lushborne The scourging of Richard Wilmot and Tho. Fayrefaxe D. Cromeâ— Sermon D Cromes recantation D. Crome caused to recant the second tyme. Richard Wilmot Prentise in Bow lane Lewes one of the Garde a Welchman a Popishe persecutour Wilmot defendeth D. Cromeâ— Sermon The Lord Cromwell wrongfully accused The doinges of the Lord Cromwell defended The common reason of the Papistes why the Scriptures sâ—ould not be in Englishe Gods truth goeth not alwayes by tytle fame of great learning Learned men how farre they are to be credited Wilmot complayned of to his Mayster M. Daubnies seruaunt called Thomas Fayrefaxe taketh Wilmots part Wilmot and Thomas Fayrefaxe sent for to the Lord Mayor Rich. Wilmot and Thomas Fayrefaxe examined before the Lord Mayor and M. Cholmley S. Paules doctrine made heresie with the Papistes Wilmot Fayrefaxe committed to prison Sute made bâ— the company of Drapers for Richard Wilmot and Thomas Fayrefaxe M. Brooke Maâ—ster of tâ—e compaâ—â— of Drapers â—â—ch Wilâ—â—t and â—â—â—mas â—â—â—refaxe â—â—â—urged in Drapers 〈◊〉 The scourâ—â—â—â— of â—â—â—mas Grâ—ene The Master promoteth the serâ—â—â—nt Thomas Greene put in the stockes Thomas Greene examined before Doctour Story D. Story scoffeâ—â— at Christes seruauntes An other examination of Tho. Greene before D. Story Mistres Story sheweth her charitable hart Greene agayne examined before Doctour Story Greene xamined of his belief D. Stories blasphemous scoffing in matterâ— of our fayth The Masse Greene sent agayne to the Colehouse The strayte handling of Greene in prison Talke betweene Thomas Greene and B. Boner Two prisoners brought to B. Boners Salthouse Cruelty shewed vpon prisoners for singing Psalmes Thomas Greene brought before D. Storye and the Commissioners This woman was one Youngs wyfe Thomas Greene examined before M. Hussey Dixon in Bâ—â—chin Lane Iohn Beanâ— Prentise with M. Tottle Thomas Greene adiudged to be whipped Thomas Greene brought to the Gray Fryers Thomas Greene agayne appeareth before D. Story and two gentlemâ—n The scourging of Tho. Greene before Doct. Story 〈…〉 his brother Stephen Cotton twise beatâ—n by Byshop Boner Iames Harâ—â—â— scourged â—eade before pag. 1804. Iames Harris repenteth his comming to the Popish Church The cause of Iames Harris â—courging The scourging of Robert Williams B. Boner causeth certayne boyes to be beaten Boners pityfull hart Boners deuoute Orâ—â—ons A poore begger whipt at Salisbury for not receiuing with the Papistes at Easter Actes 5. A treatise of Gods mercy and prouidence in preseruing good men women in the tyme of this persecution The deliuerance of W. Liuing his wyfe and of Iohn Lithall Deane Constable George Hancocke Beadle persecutors Talke betweene Darbyshire and W Liuing Priest Cluny playeth the theefe Note the couetous dealing of these Papistes W. Liuing layd in the Lollardes tower William Liuing deliuered Talke betweene Darbyshire Liuingeâ— wyfe Liuinges wyfe commaunded to the Lollardes Tower Dale a Promotor Marke the hope of the Papistes The Constable of S. Brides surety for Iulian Liuing Liuing and his wyfe deliuered 〈◊〉 the death of Q. Mary Ioh. Lithall brought to examinatioÌ„ by Iohn Auales Lithall brought before D. Darbyshire Chauncellour Talke betweene Lithall and the Chauncellour Iustification â—y fâ—yth 〈◊〉 Lithall denyeth to kneele before the Roode Lithals neighbours make sute for him S. Iames expounded Esay 65. Actes 16. Heb. â—â— Lithall refuseth to 〈◊〉 in â—onde Apoc. 13. Math. 18. His neighbours 〈◊〉 into bonde for him Edward Grew and Appline his vvyfe M. Browne of Suffolke Robert Blomefield persecutor Edward Goulding vnder Shâ—â—â—ffe Syr Thomas Corn 〈◊〉 high Shrieffe M. Browne persecuâ—â—â—â— and taken M. Browne deliuered Example of Gods punishment vpon a parsecutor The first examination of Elâ—zaâ—beth YouÌ„g Elizabeth Young refuseth to go to masse Elizabeth Young denyeth to sweare and 〈◊〉 The 2. examination of Elizabeâ—h YouÌ„g Elizabeth Young for bringing ouer bookes D. Martyn â—â—reatneth her with the racke Elizabeth Young charged for speaking agaynst the Queene Elizabeth YouÌ„g and her husband deliuered by D. Martyn Elyzabeth YouÌ„g commaunded to close prison to haue one day bread an other day water The 3. examination of Elizabeth Young D. Martyn seeketh to know how many gentlemen were fled ouer the Sea Elizabeth YouÌ„g againe threatned with the racke Shee agayne refuseth to sweare to accuse other Elizabeth YouÌ„g commaunded agayne to the Clinke The 4 examination of Elizabeth Young D. Martyn presenteth her to the Commissiners The booke called Antichrist Elizabeth Young a great while in the Clinke Elizabeth Young refuseth to sweare and why Elizabeth Young thought to be no womaÌ„ Sacrament of the Aultar The confession and fayth of Elizabeth Young The Sacrament to be receaued in spirite and fayth Cholmley cannot abyde spirite and fayth Institution of the Sacrament by Christ onely once for all Confession of Cholmleys fayth Elizabeth Young caryed into the stockhouse The 5 examination of Elizabeth Young Elizabeth Young offereth agayne to declare her beliefe Really Corporally Substantially Fayth commeth of God Ergo no vntruth ought to be beleued Christ is fleshe of our fleshe but not in our fleshe Iohn 6. This man dare not
because they gaue me the occasion And whereas you sayd I was desirous to speak with you and that Maister Sheriffe and his brother and other of my frendes willed me to talke with you and that I fare nowe as though I had nothing to doe with you and as though I were sent to prison for nothing the truth is I know no more wherefore I am sent to prison theÌ„ the least child in this towne knoweth And as for me I desired not M. Sheriffe to speake with you but in deede he desired me that I would speake with you to vtter my fayth to you For he supposed that I did not beleeue well he reported you to bee learned But I refused to talke with you at the first For I remeÌ„bred not that you were the parsoÌ„ of Buxted wherfore I sayd to him I would not vtter my faith to any but to the bishop I sayd he is mine Ordinary wherfore I appeale vnto him I am commaunded by S. Peter in the first Epistle the thyrd chap. to render account of my hope that I haue in god to him that hath authority wherfore I will talke with none in that matter but with hym Wherefore send me to him if you will or els there shall no man know my fayth I tell you playnely These wordes then made the Sheriffe angry and he went his way and when he was gone from me I remeÌ„bred that it was you that he would haue me to talke with and then I remembred that I had made a promise to my father and goodman Day of Uefield not past a fournight before I was taken that when so euer you came into the country I would speak with you by Gods helpe because they praysed you so muche that yee were learned and they would fayne here vs talke So al these thinges called to remeÌ„brance I desired my keeper which was the Sheriffes man to shew his maister that I would fayne speake with him for I had remeÌ„bred things that were not in my mind before when I spake to him So he went to his maister shewed him the matter and he came to me and then I told him my mind what promise I had made and he said he would send for you on the morow as he did and the messeÌ„ger brought word you could not come you preached before the Queene he sayde Wherupon the Sheriffe came vp himselfe and spake to the Bishop that he should come downe but he was sicke So when he came home agayne he sent me to the Bishop and I haue talked with him twise already and I am sure he can find no fault in me if he say iustly and yet I know not wherefore I was sent to prison For I was not guilty of that whiche was layde to my charge that I had baptised children the which I neuer did as God knoweth wherefore I haue wrong to be thus handled D. Lang. In deed it hath bene reported that you haue christened children that you christened your owne child but since I heard say you would not haue the child christened which is a damnable way if you deny baptisme and they sayd your child was not christened in a fourtnight or three weekes after it was borne and the chiefest of the Parishe were fayne to fetch it out of your house agaynst your wyll Wherefore you wrote rayling wordes agaynst the Prieste and them for theyr good will the which declareth that you allowe not baptising of children And if the childe had dyed it had bene damned because it was not Christened and you shoulde haue bene damned because you were the lette thereof Wood. What abhominable lies haue you told Be you not ashamed to speake such wordes as you haue done Fyrste you say I christened mine owne childe and by and by you sayd I denyed baptising of childreÌ„ and that my child was a fortnight or three weekes old ere it was baptised What abhominable lyes be these I neither baptised my child my selfe neither held agaynst the baptising of it but did moste gladlye allowe it for it was baptised as soone as it was borne and I was glad therof therfore you be to blame to report so of me Lang. I pray you who baptised it some vnthrift of your prouiding Wood. Nay surely the Midwife baptised it Lang. But it was your mind that it should be so Wood. Nay sure I was not me home by almost xx miles nor heard that my wife was brought to bed four dayes after the child was christened For it was not like to liue therfore the Midwife baptised it Lang. Would you haue had it to church to haue bene christened if it had not bene christened Wood. That is no matter what I woulde haue yone I am sure you can not denye but it is sufficiently done if the Midwife do it and I hold not agaynst the doing of it neither did I it my selfe as you sayd I did Lang. Wherfore were you displeased with them that fet it to Church Wood. First tell me whether the child were not truely baptised by the Midwife Langd Yes it was truely Baptised if shee Baptised it in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holye Ghost Wood. Yes that I am sure shee did and you graunte that was sufficient and the cause that I blamed them for was because they did more to it then neede was by your owne saying Yea they fet it out of my house without my leaue the which was not well done Lang. They had it to Church to confirme that was done Wood. Yea but thâ—â— was more then needs But God forgeue them if it be his will But let that matter passe But I would you should not say that I hold agaynst baptising of children for I doe not I take God to recorde but doe allowe it to be most necessary if it be truely vsed But me thought you spake wordes euen now that were vncomely to be spoken if a childe die be not baptised it is damned How thinke you be all damned that receiue not the outward signe of baptisme Lang. Yea that they be Wood. How proue you that Lang. Goe sayth Christ and baptise in the name of the father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and he that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shal be damned These be the wordes of Christ which are my warrant Wood. Then by your saying baptisme bringeth fayth and all that be Baptised in the water shall be saued shall they how say you Lang. Yea that they shall if they die before they come to discretioÌ„ they shal be saued euery one of them and all that be not baptised shall be damned euery one of them Wood. Then my spirite was moued with him to reprooue him sharply because I had manifest scriptures fresh in my mind agaynst his saying Then sayd I. O Lord God how dare you speake suche blasphemye agaynst God and
his word as you doe howe dare you for your life to take vpon you to preache teach the people vnderstand not what you say For I protest before GOD you vnderstande not the scriptures but as far as naturall reason can comprehēd For if you did you would be ashamed to speake as you do Lang. Wherein haue I spoken amisse take heede you haue a toy in your head wil make you dispayre I dare say you can not tell what you say Wherefore reproue you me as you do Wood. Because you blaspheme GOD and as for dispayring take heed to your selfe For I can not see but you be out of your wit alreadye· and as for me I prayse God I can tell what I say and what you haue sayd the whiche shall turne to your shame if you wil talke the Scriptures with me So when hee perceiued that I spake earnestlye and challenged hym to talke by the woorde his colour began to chaunge and his fleshe beganne to tremble and quake And I sayd Proue your sayinges true if you can for I will proue them false by Gods helpe You sayd All children or other that be not baptised with water all shall be damned I dare not say so for all the good in the worlde And you brought in the saying of Christ for your warrant In the xvi of Marke it is written Who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued which words be very true and who so beleueth not shal be damned Which words be very true also He sayeth He that beleueth not shal be damned Yea S. Iohn sayeth He that beleueth not is condemned already because he beleueth not But neither of these two scriptures nor no other scriptures in all the newe Testament sayth that he that is not baptised shal be damned or is damned already But if he beleue not he shal be damned and is damned already as is aforesayd Then he woulde haue interrupted me would haue layd to my charge that I was an Anabaptist But I wold geue him no place to speake but sayd Let me make an end and then say what you can You shall haue as much to doe by Gods helpe with this matter as euer you had to aunsweare thing in your life You knowe I am sure it is no maner to plucke a tale out of a mans mouth nor it is not the order of reasoning as you know that better then I can tell you Then Doctor Langdale bade me say on Wood. My saying was that they that beleue not shall be damned and be dāned already But I dare not say for all the goods vnder heauen that all they that receiue no materiall baptisme by the water shall be damned as you haue sayd yet I would you should not gather of these wordes that I denye Baptisme as you were aboute to laye to my charge or euer I had halfe told my tale But I would not haue you nor no man so rash in iudgement to cōdemn the thing that they are not able to proue by the worde to make it seme to the simple that the outward washing of the water were the cause of fayth Langd Why is it not so will you denye it Howe say you Will you denye it I say the childe hath no fayth before it is baptised and therefore the baptising bringeth the fayth How say you to it Make me a playne answere to this question Wood. Nowe I perceiue you goe about nothing els but to take vauntage of my wordes But by Gods helpe I will aunswere you so that you shall well see your sayings vntrue And yet I will not speak mine owne wordes but the wordes of the holy Ghost out of the mouth of the prophets and Apostles and then aske them whether they wil deny it You sayd that fayth commeth by Baptisme had by the vse of material water I must be so bold to aske you where Iacob was baptised before he had fayth S. Paule sayth in the ninth chapter to the Romanes Or euer the childrē were borne or euer they had done eyther good or bad that the purpose of God which is by election might stand not by the reason of workes but by the grace of the caller the elder shall serue the younger Iacob I haue loued and Esau I hated How think you had this childe fayth or euer he were borne or no answere to this if you can Lang. What you speake of the olde Lawe Iacob was not christened but circumcised I speake of Baptisme and you are gone from baptising to the time of Circumcision answere me to the baptising And me thinke by your talk you deny originall sinne and free will by the wordes that you brought in of S. Paule For if children can bee saued without baptisme then it must needes follow that children haue no originall sinne the which is put away in the baptising But I thinke you know not what originall sinne is nor free will neyther me thinke by your talke Wood. Yes I prayse God I thinke I can tell them all better then you can me thinke euē by your words First I pray you what free will hath man to doe good of himselfe Tell me this first then I will answere to all your other questions that you haue obiected agaynst me Lang. I say that all men haue as much free will nowe as Adam had before his fall Wood. I pray you how proue you that Lang. Thus I prooue it that as sinne entred into the world by the meanes of one that sinned all men became sinners the whiche was by Adam so by the obedience of man righteousnesse came vpon all men that had sinned sette them as free as they were before theyr fall the whiche was by Iesus Christ. Rom. v. Wood. Oh Lorde what an ouerthrowe haue you geuen your selfe here in originall sinne and yet can not see it For in prouing that we haue free wil you haue denied quite original sinne For here you haue declared that we be set as free by the death of Christ as Adam was before his fall I am sure Adam had no originall sinne before his fall If we be as free nowe as he was then I maruell wherefore Paul complayned thrise to God to take away the sting of it God making him aunswere and saying My grace is sufficient for thee These wordes with diuers other approueth originall sinne in vs but not that it shall hurt Gods electe people but that his grace is sufficient for all his But you saye in one place it is not without baptisme and in an other place you put it away quite by the death of Christ and in verye deed you haue spokē truer in the matter thē you be aware of For all that beleue in Christ are baptised in the bloude of Christ that he shed on the Crosse in the water that he swet for payne putting away of our sinnes at his death And yet I say with Dauid in the