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A07225 Christs victorie ouer Sathans tyrannie Wherin is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithfull souldiers that the Diuell either by his grand captaines the emperours, or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the popes, haue most cruelly martyred for the truth. With all the poysoned doctrins wherewith that great redde dragon hath made drunken the kings and inhabitants of the earth; with the confutations of them together with all his trayterous practises and designes, against all Christian princes to this day, especially against our late Queen Elizabeth of famous memorie, and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King Iames. Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of martyrs, and diuers other books. By Thomas Mason preacher of Gods Word.; Actes and monuments Foxe, John, 1516-1587.; Mason, Thomas, 1580-1619? 1615 (1615) STC 17622; ESTC S114403 588,758 444

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to know kéep Gods commandements fearing to offend him and louing to please him hoping stedfastly in his mercy continuing in Charity gladly suffering persecutions by the example of Christ and his Apostles all these haue their names written in the Booke of life The gathering together of these that be aliue is the Church fighting against the fi●nd the prosperity of the World and the fleshly lus●s and I wil submit my selfe only to the rule and gouernance of them whom after my knowledge I may perceiue by the hauing and vsing of the foresaid vertues to be members of the holy Church These Articles and all other that I ought to beléeue by the word of God I verily beléeue in my Soule and I beleeue that the word of God is sufficient to saluation if I haue erred that I submit my selfe to be ●econciled and I beleeue the authorities of Saints and Doctors as farre as they may be approued by the word of God and no further for any earthly power or dignity Sir I pray shall I lay my hand on the Booke to sweare by it yea said he wherefore else Sir I say a Booke is a thing coupled together of diuers Creatures and Gods and Mans Law is against swearing by any Creature but I will sweare vnto you as I ought by Gods Law but for Charity tell me wherein I shall submit my selfe and wherein you will correct m● Bishop I will that you swear to forsake all the opinions of the Sect of Lollards which I shall rehearse after you haue sworne and that you will neither priuily nor openly teach none of them nor fauour none of that opinion but withstand them and them that will not yéeld make knowne to the Byshop of the Diocesse and that thou preach no more vntill I do know that thy hart and mouth accord Thorp If I consent vnto you here●n I should be euery Bishops spy Sommoner of al England yea I should deceiue many persons and be y ● cause of their death bodily and ghostly for many of them that stand now in the truth and are in the way of saluation would rather chuse to forsake the way of truth then to be scorned slandered and punished as Byshops and their Ministers now vse to d ee and I finde not in the Scripture that this office you would now enfeoff me with accordeth to any Priest or Christian therefore to do thus were to me a full noyous band for many trust so mickle in me that I would not doe it to saue my life and they might well account me a Traytor to God and man and that I had fa●sly and cowardly forsaken the truth and slandered shamefully the Word of GOD If I doe thus for feare of bondcheefe and mischeefe in this life I deeme in my conscience I were worthy to bee cursed of GOD and all his Saints from which keepe me and all Christians Almighty God Bishop Thy heart is full hard indurate as the hart of Pharaoh the Diuell hath blinded thy wits that thou hast no grace to know the truth nor the measure of mercy that I haue pro●●ered thee but I say to thee lewd Lossell eyther quickly consent to me or by Saint Thomas thou shalt be disgraded and follow thy fellow ●o Smithfield Thorp I thought with my selfe God did me great grace if of his mercy he would bring me to such an end and my heart was not afraid of his menasing but I considered in him that he was not sorrowfull that he had burned William Santry wrongfully and that he thi●steth to shed more innocent blood and I was fast mooued to hold him to be no Priest of God and mine inward Man was departed from him to haue no feare of him and I was right heauy that there was no audience of seculer men by and I prayed the Lord to comfort me against them that were against the sothfastnesse and I purposed to speake no more then my neede behooued All the while I prayed God for his grace to speake with a méeke and easie Spirit and that I might haue authorities of Scriptures or open reason for my words and his Clearks said Why muse you do as my Lord commands you Byshop Hast thou not yet bethought thee whether thou wilt doe as I haue said Thorp My Parents spent mickle Mony about my learning to make me a Priest but I had no will to be a Priest wherefore they were right heauy to mee that I thought to leaue thē at length I desired that I might go to such as were named wise and of vertuous conuersa●ion to haue the●● Councell so I communed with such till I perceiued their honest and charitable workes to passe their fame wherefore 〈◊〉 by the example of the Doctrine of them after my cunning and power I haue exercised me to know perfectly Gods Law hauing a desire to liue thereafter and that others exercised themselues faithfully there abouts Then he sheweth the reasons aforesaid and what would follow if he should forsake so suddenly the learning that he had exercised this 30. winters according to the example of some whose name I wil now recite and according to the present doing of Phillip Rampington now Bishop of Lincolne by Gods grace I will learne by them to fly such slander as th●y haue defiled themselues with and as much as is in them they haue enuenomed all the Church of God by their flaunderous reuoking at Paules Crosse and how now Phillip Rampington pursueth Christs people which will not be vnpunished of God Bishop These were fooles and heretickes when they were counted wise of thée and s●ch lose●s but now they are wise though ye deeme them vnwise Thorpe I thinke they are wise concerning this world I did thinke by their former doings that they had earnest of the wisdome of God and deserued ●●ckie grace of him to haue saued themselues and many others if they had continued faithfull and in their bu●●e f●●itfull sowing of Gods word but woe worth false couetousnesse euill councell and t●ranny by which they and many be led blindly to an euill end Bishop Which are those holy and wise men of whom thou hast taken thine information Thorpe Sir master Iohn Wicliffe holden of ●ull many the greatest Clarke then liuing ●us●ing rul● an● innocent in his liuing great men communed oft with him they so loued his learning that they wrote it and b●s●ly inforced themselues to ●ollow it and his learning is yet holden most agréeable to the learning of Christ and his Apostles and master Iohn Ayston taught and wrote accordingly and vsed himselfe right perfectly to his liues end And sometimes Phillip Rampington Nichols Herford Dauid Gotray of Pak●ing and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise and prodent taught and writ busily his foresaid learning with al● these men I was right homely and communed with them but of all other I ●hose to ●ollow Wicliffe himselfe as the most wise and godly man that I heard of or know Some of
then he was commaunded to answere Intergatories by signes and when any question was asked he strook vpon the Table so that he might be heard then he was demaunded whether he was any that were buried there then they reckoned vp diuers and at last the Mayors wife here he made a signe that he was the spirit of that woman then he was asked whether he was damned for Couetousnesse Pride Lecherie or not doing workes of Charitie or else for Lutheranisme then by striking twise or thrise vpon the Table gaue them to vnderstand that Luthers heresie was the cause of her damnation and being asked whether the bodie buried in holy ground should be digged vp and carried ●hence he made signes it should be so then the Friers desired the Citizens to set their handes to a writing testifying that which they had séene but for feare of the Mayor they refused to subscribe then the Friers took the Pixe with the Host and the Lords body and all the reliques of Saints and carried them to another place and there they said their masses then the officiall came thither and would faine haue seene the spirit coniured and one should go into the vault and sée if any spirit appeared but he could not get them to disturb the spirit any more ● Then the Mayor informed the King of the whole matter and the King sent certaine to know whether it were so or no then they put the d●ers thereof into seuerall Prisons and examined them apart and a great while they would confesse nothing at length the Iudges promising the nouice that he should haue no harme nor come no more into the Fryers hands he declared to them the whole matter in order wherupon they were committed to Orleance to prison And it was certainly reported that the King would haue plucked down the House but euen at the same time chanced a persecution against the Lutherans and they feared the punishment of these men should haue bin a reproch vnto the Order and a cause of much reioycing to the Lutherans These were Francis●an Fryers A Storie of certaine Monks of Sueuia GVnrame a noble Baron in the yeare 1130. builded an Abbey in Sueuia called Salmesuille of Cistercian Monks Amongst many Benefactors to the said House the Earles of Montfort had bestowed vpon that Monasterie many new Liberties and Priuiledges vpon condition that they should receiue with frée hospitalitie any stranger Horse-man or Foot-man for one night but this hospitalitie did not long continue through a subtile deuise of one of the Monks who would counterfeit the Diuell ratling and raging in chaynes at the lodgings where the strangers should lie and so continued this a long space At length an Earle of the house of Montfort was lodged at the Monasterie when the Earle was at his rest in the night the Monke after his wonted manner began to play the Diuell roring thundering spitting of fire and making a noyse the Earle hearing thereof tooke a good heart and taking his sword slew the Monk And thus the Diuell of the Abbey was coniured which stopped the guests from comming to the House Who lift to see more and worse pranks of Friers and Monks played in their Houses Cloysters let them resort to the Epistle of Erasmus and he shall find ynough to infect the aire IOHN BROVVNE a blessed Martyr burned at Ashford in the second yeare of Henrie the eighth Anno 1511. THe said Iohn Browne passing to Graues-end in a Barge a Priest began to swell and stomack that he should sit so neere him at length said Doest thou know who I am thou fittest so neere me and vpon my clothes No sir said the other I tell you said he I am a Priest What sir are you a Parson or Uicar or some Ladies Chaplain No said he I sing for a Soule I pray you said the other where find you the Soule when you go to Masse I cannot tel said he I pray where do you leaue it when you haue done Masse I know not said the Priest How then said the other can you saue the Soule I perceiue thou art an Heretick said the Priest Within three daies after by vertue of a Warrant ●rom the Archbishop with a Baylife and two of the Bishops men they came suddenly into the house of the said Browne as he was carrying a dish of meat to his guests for his wife was that day Churched they layd hands on him and carried him to Canterburie where they kept him fortie dayes in which time he was so pitifully entreated by Warram the Archbishop and Fisher Bishop of Rochester that he was set bare-footed vpon hote burning coales to make him denie his Faith which he bare patiently and continued in maintaining the Lords quarrell vnremoueable then he was sent to Ashford where he dwelt the next day to be burned where he was set in the Stocks all night his wife sate all the while by him to whom he declared the whole Tragedie of his handling how they burned his ●e●t to the bones that he could not set them to the ground to make him denie his Lord here which if I should haue done he would denie me hereafter therefore good wife continue as thou hast begun and bring vp thy children in the feare of God where the next day he was burned This Iohn Browne bare a Faggot seuen yeares before this whose sonn● named Richard Browne for the like cause of Religion was imprisoned at Canterburie in the later time of Queene Marie and should haue beene burned with two more but the next day after Queene Marie died and they escaped by the Proclamation of Queen● Elizabeth THE NINTH BOOKE CONtayning the Acts and things done in the Raigne of King EDVVARD the sixt AFter the death of Henrie the eight succeeded King Edward the sixt his sonne being of the age of nine yeares Touching his commendations I leaue you to the Booke at large who because he was so young and tender was committed to sixtéene Gouernours amongst whome especially the Lord Edward Semer Duke of Somerset his vncle was assigned as Protector of him and the Commonwealth a man of noble vertues especially for his fauour to Gods 〈◊〉 thro●gh the industrie of whom that monstrous Hydra with sixe heads the 〈◊〉 Articles which deuoured so many were abolished whereby the proceedings of Gardner began to decay who storming thereat wrote to the Lord Protector in the cause thereof He restored the Scriptures to the Mother tongue and extinguished Masses and by little and little greater things followed in the reformation of Churches such as fled for the danger of the Truth were againe receiued to their Countrey the most part of Bishops were changed dumbe Pr●lates were compelled to giue place to such as would Preach and learned men were sent for out of other Countries as Peter Martyr Martin Bucer Paulus Phagius the first of whom taught at Oxford and the other two at Cambridge with great commendations Bonner Bishop of London was committed to the Marshalsie
against the aduersary part as is before recited wherefore he was called to account before Gardner and examined by him and then hée was remoued to Bonner and other Commissioners with whom he had diuers conflicts as in his examinations hereafter following may appeare when he had lien a yeere and a halfe in the Marshalsey being twice examined but no point of Religion handled then hee was committed to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house where he found a married Priest of Essex named Thomas Whittle This Minister greatly lamented his owne infirmitie for that through imprisonment hee was constrained by writing to yeelde to the Bishop of London and was set at liberty and after felt such an hell in his conscience that hee could scarce refraine from destroying himselfe and could not bee at quiet vntill he hauing got the Bishops register to see his Bill hee tore it in peeces and after he was as ioifull a man as any could be When Boner heard thereof be sent for him and buffeted him and plucked off a peece of his Beard but now he is ioyfull vnder the crosse He was thirtéene or fourtéene times in priuate and publikely examined his answeres that concerne any point of Religion heere follow The third examination Boner YOu must be of the Church for there is but one Church Phil. I am sure I am in the Church I know by the Scriptures that there is but one Doue one Spouse one beloued congregation out of the which there is no saluation This Church is builded vpon the word of God Bon. You are not in the same Faith in which you were baptized Phil. I was baptized into the Faith of Christ which I now hold Bon. You were twenty yeares agone of another Faith Phil. I was then of no Faith a wicked liuer neither hote nor cold Bon. Doe you not think we are of a true Faith Phil. I am sure Gods word throughly with the primitiue Church and all ancient writers doe agree with this Faith that I am ●ff Bon. I maruell you are so merry in prison singing and reioycing in your naughtines you should rather lament Phil. The mirth we make is but singing of Psalmes as S. Paul willeth vs to be merry in the Lord singing together in Hymnes and Psalmes wee are in a darke comfortles place therefore it becommeth vs to be merry as Salomon saith least sorrowfulnes eate vp our hearts Then I was carried to the Cole-house where I with my six fellowes rouse together in the straw as cheerefully we thank God as others doe in their Doune beds The fourth Examination Worcest BEfore he beginneth to speak it is best for him to call to God for grace to open his heart that he may conceaue the truth Phil. Then I fell vpon my knees and said Almighty God the giuer of wisedom I beséech thée of thine infinit goodnes in Christ to giue me most vile sinner the spirit of wisedome to speake and make answer in thy cause to the content of the hearers and to my better vnderstanding if I be deceiued in any thing Boner May my Lord of VVorcester you did not well to exhort him to prayer for they haue a singular pride heerein they are heerein like certaine hereticks that Pliny maketh mention off they did ●ing dayly praises to God before the dawning of the day Phil. God make me and you such hereticks for they were right Christians with whom the tyrants of the world were offended for their well doing Col. Where can you proue that the Church of Rome hath erred at any time Eusebius saith the Church was established at Rome by Peter and Paul and Peter was Bishop there 25. yeares Phil. I know Eusebius saith so but if you compare him with Saint Paul to the Galathians it will appeare manifestly to the contrarie He liued not past fiue and thirty yeares after he was called to be an Apostle and S. Paul maketh mention of his abiding aboue eighteene yeares and I am able to proue by Eusebius and others that the Church of Rome hath manifestly erred because shee agreeth not with that which the primitiue Church did vse according to the Gospel in their time as they write there need no other proofe but compare the one with the other Bon. Ought we to dispute with you of our Faith Iustinian in the Law hath a Title De fide Catholica to the contrarie Phil. That is true but our Faith must not depend vpon the ciuill Law Ambrose saith not the Law but the Gospell hath gathered the Church together Worcest You are to blame you cannot be content to be of the Church which hath euer been of that Faith full of Antiquitie Phil. I haue been at Rome where I saw your Lordship Worcest I am sory you haue been there for the wickednes which you saw there peraduenture causeth you to doe as you doe Phil. I am taught otherwise by the Gospell not altogether to refuse the Minister for his euill liuing so that hee bring forth Doctrine according to Gods word Worcest Doe you thinke the vniuersall Church may be deceiued Phil. Saint Paul prophesieth that there shall be an vniuersall falling away from the Faith in the later times Col. That is not ment of Faith but of th' empire the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so signifieth Phil. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly a departing from the Faith and thereof commeth Apostata which signifieth one that departeth from the Faith Worcest I am sory you should be against the Christian world Phil. The world commonly and such as be called Christians for the multitude hated the truth and be enemies vnto the same Worcest Doe you thinke the vniuersall Church hath erred and you onely to be of the truth Phil. The Church that you bee of was neuer vniuersall for two parts of the world Asia and Africa neuer consented to the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome not to this day neither follow his Decrees Glo. Yes in Florentines Councell they did agree Phil. It was so said by false report after they were gone home it was not so indeed as the sequell of them all hitherto doth proue the contrary Glo. By whom will you bee iudged in matters of controuersie which happen dayly Phil. By the Word of God For Christ saith in S. Iohn the word that hee spoke shall be Iudge in the latter day Glo. What if you take the word one way and I another way who shall bee Iudge Phil. The Doctors of the Primitiue Church Glo. What if you take the Doctors in one sence and I in another Phil. Then let that be taken which most agreeth to Gods Word Worcest It is wonder how he standeth with a few against a great number Phil. We haue almost as many as you We haue Asia Africa Germany Denmarke and a great part of France dayly the number of the Gospel doth increase and a multitude doth dayly come out of France through persecution that the cities of Germany are scarce able to
Lord he renounced the false coloured Religion of the Romish Sea wherein many a good man hath beene drowned he was burned at Northampton Thrée in the Castle of Cicester being in like bonds for the like cause of Christs Gospell died in Prison and were buried in the fields who had béene burned if the cruell handling of Papists had not made them away before John Clarke Dunstone Chittenden vncondemned William Foster of Stone Allice Potkins of Staplehurst Iohn Archer of Cranbroke VVeauer THe first of Nouember these fiue were macerate and pined to death by famine in the Castle of Canterbury they answered all to this effect that they beleeue the Articles of the Creed but they beleeue no more Sacraments but two that praiers to Saints or soules in purgatory profit not that faith only iustifieth they denied the Popish ceremonies in the Church that it was as good to carry a Dungfork as Candles on Candlemas day and that it is as necessary to carry the Gallowes about if ones father were hanged as to cary the Crosse that they could not come to Church with a safe conscience There was fifteene of them in prison and it seemeth the Bishops and Priests had appointed to starue them al had not a Certificate of the manner of their cruell handling bin throwne out of the Castle window wherby their doings were made manifest so the other ten were burned as after appeareth In the Months of September Nouember and December there was a great persecution in Couentry and Lichfield the cruell Bishop Radulph Bane and his cruell Chancellor Doctor Draycot and nine Priests and a number of others were compelled to recant and one Hoke was burned at Chester as thou mayst see in the Booke at large THE TVVELFTH BOOKE OF the Acts of the Church TOuching the processe and whole discourse concerning the condemning taking vp and burning the bones and bookes of Bucer Paulus Phagius by the commaundement of Cardinall Poole with all the rites and ceremonies therunto appertaining with all the ridiculous procéeding of the Commissioners whilst they were at Cambridge and also the Oration of M. Acworth Orator of the Uniuersitie at the restitution of Martine Bucer and Paulus Phagius in Quéene Elizabeths time and also the dispitefull handling and madnesse of the Papists towards Peter Martires Wife at Oxford taking her vp from her grau● at the commandement of Cardinall Poole and after buried in a Dunghil Concerning the processe of these things I refer thee if thou béest disposed to sée them to the booke at large The 18. of Ianuary the ten that remained of the aforesaid fiftéene that were in prison in the Castle of Canterbury whereof fiue of them were starued the ●ther ten were burned for the same points of Religion in effect as the other fiue held as before is expressed the names of these ten follow Iohn Philpot of Tenderden William Waterer of Bedingdy Stephen Kempe of Norgate William Hay of Hith Thomas Hudson of Sellenge Mathew Bradbridge of Tenderden Thomas Stephens of Bedingham Nicholas Finall of Tenderden VVilliam Lowicke of Cranbroke VVilliam Prowting of Thorneham The 8. of February a most bloody Commission was giuen forth by King Philip and Quéene Marie to prosecute the poore members of Christ. Whereupon twenty two were apprehended in Essex and brought vp to London at once to Bonner all of them tyed to a rope by two and two and so lead in a rope through the stréetes to Bonner Now the Bishops and Councell perceiuing the number and fearing to put them to death being so many together least I some disturbance might rise vpon the same they bad them make their submission and confession as they would themselues that they might make a colour of recantation wherupon they were discharged for their names I referre thée to the Booke at large Thomas Loseby Henry Ramsey Tho Thyrtell Margaret Hyde Agnes Stanley THe twelfth of Aprill these were burned at one fire in Smithfield Bonner framed now Articles vnto them and confessing these points of his Articles they were condemned 1 For speaking against the Faith Religion and Ecclesiasticall seruice especially concerning the Masse and the seauen Sacraments saying they agréed not w●th Gods word 2 For being perswaded that the English seruice in King Edwards time was godly and Catholike 3 That they did not thinke themselues bound to come to Church to heare the Mattins Masse and Euening song 4. That they did not thinke themselues bound to go a Procession nor to beare Tapers and Candles at Candlemas nor take Ashes vpon Ashwednesday nor beare Palmes vpon Palme-sunday nor to créepe to the Crosse vpon daies accustomed not to receiue and kisse the Paxe at Masse time not to receiue holy water or holy bread nor to except or allow the Ceremonies and vsages of the Church as they are vsed in this Realme 5 For thinking they were not bound to confesse their sinnes vnto a Priest nor to receiue absolution at his hand nor to receiue the Sacrament of the Altar 6 For thinking prayers to Saints or prayers for the dead are not lawdable profitable not allowed by Gods Word and that the soules departed goe straight waies to Heauen or Hell so that there is no Purgatory 7 For thinking all those that were burned in King Henry the eights time and in Quéene Maries time as Heretickes were no Heretickes but faithfull and good people and for approuing their opinions and mis●iking their condemnations 8 For thinking the Sacrament of the Altar to bee an Idoll and to reserue it to be honoured to be Idolatry and likewise of the Masse and ●l●uation of the Sacrament After this they were conuented againe before the Bishop in the Con●●story where these being asked what they had to say against iudgement Thomas Los●by said God giue me strength to stand against you and your 〈◊〉 your Law●s a de●ouring Law I perceiue there is no way with me but death except I will beléeue in that Idoll the Masse Thomas Thirtle said If you make me an Heretick then you make Christ and al the twelue Apostles Hereticks for I am in the true faith and I will stand to it for I know I shall haue eternall life R●msey said my opinion is the very truth which I will not goe from There are two Churches and we the Martyrs of Christ are the true Church and yee be not Margaret Hide affirmed shee was in that true Faith and would neuer forsake it Agnes Stanly said if euery haire of her head were neuer so much worth I had rather they were reburned then I will for sake my true faith Then they were put off vntill the afternoone then as Loseby his answere was reading mention being made of the Sacrament Boner put off his Cap and Loseby put on his hat and he said I trust I haue the Spirit of truth which you detest for the wisedome of God is foolishnesse vnto you whereupon they had iudgement Margaret Hide saide My Lord I will not depart from my sayings till I be
burned and she said ● would sée you my Lord instruct mee with some part of Gods word and not to giue me instructions of holy Bread and holy Water for it is no part of Scripture Agnes Stanly answered I am no ●ereticke no man that is wise will beléeue as you doe I beleeue those that you haue burned bee true Martyrs I will not goe from my faith as long as I liue Thomas Thirtle said I will not beleeue your Idolatrous waies your Masse in Idolatry I wil stick to my faith as long as I liue Henry Ramsey said Your doctrine is naught and not agreeable to Gods word and I will stand to my Faith as long as I liue So they were condemned and burned as before In May William Norant Stephen Gratwicke and one King were burned in S. Georges field in Southwarke Iohn Bradbridge of Stapleherst Walter Apleby of Maydstone and Petronell his wife Edmund Allen of Fritendid and Katherine his wife Ioane Mannings of Maydstone Elizabeth a blind Maid THe 18. of Iune these seauen faithfull Martyrs of Christ were burned at Maidstone their answers were like in effect to the fiue that were famished to death in Canterbury Castle The 19. of Iune Iohn Fishcock Nicholas White Nicholas Pardue Barbara Finall Widdow Bradbregs Widdow Bendens Wife and Wilsons Wife were burned at Canterbury their Articles were as the others they ioyfully vndressed themselues vnto the fire and all of them like the Communion of Saints knéeled down and prayed with such zeale as the enemies of the Crosse of Christ could not but like it Ten they arose and went to the stake where they yéelded their soules gloriously vnto the Lord. Richard Woodman George Stephens William Maynard Alexander Hosman his Man Tomasine Awood his Maid Margery Moris Iames Moris hir Sonne Denis Burges Ashdownes wife Groues wife THese tenne blessed Martyrs were burned at Lewes in Sussex the 22. of Iune without a writ from the Lord Chancelor The first examination of RICHARD WOODMAN before the Bishop of Chichester Chichester I Am sory for you and so are all the Worshipfull of our Country you haue béene of good estimation amongst the poore and rich wherefore looke well to your selfe your Wife and Children and bee ruled thinke not your selfe wiser then all the Realme Woodman I will be willing to learne of euery man the truth and I know I haue giuen no iust offence to rich nor poore and God knoweth how deare I loue my Wife and Children in him but my life my wife and Children are all in Gods hands and I haue them all as I had them not but regard the pleasing of God more then al other things I thought good to appeale to you mine Ordinary for som goe about to shed my blood wrongfully that if you can finde I hold any thing contrary to Gods word I will be reformed and if my blood bee shed vnrighteouslie that it may be required at your hands because you haue taken vpon you to bee the Phisition of soules of our Country Story Thou art a peruerse fellow thinkest thou that thou shalt be put to death vniustly that thy blood shall be required No if he should condemne a hundred such Hereticks I haue helped to rid a good many of you and will doe the best I can to rid thee Chich. I am your spirituall Pastor you must heare me and I will giue spirituall Councell Wood. You say you will giue mee spirituall Councell are you sure you haue the Spirit of God Chichest No by Saint Mary I dare not bee so bold to say so I doubt of that Wood. Then you be like the waues of the Sea tossed with the winde and vnstable in all your wayes as Saint Iames saith and can looke for no good thing at the Lords hands You are neither hote nor cold Therefore God will spue you out Story Hee hath the Diuell in him hee is worse then the Diuel thus all heretickes boast themselues Wood. The Iewes said to Christ he had a Diuell and was mad as you haue said to me but the Seruant is not aboue his Master God forbid I should learne of him that confesseth he hath not the Spirit of God Chich. Doe you beleeue you haue the Spirit of God it is more then Paul or any of the Apostles durst doe which is great presumption Wood. I beleeue I haue the Spirit and boast not my selfe but of the gift of GOD as Paul did in 1. Cor. 7. He said he beleeued verily that hee had the Spirit of GOD no man can beleeue that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost I beleeue Christ is my Redeemer therefore I haue the Holy Ghost and hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is a cast-away and none of his and wee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare but we haue receiued the Spirit of Adoption which cryeth Abba Father The same Shirit testifieth with our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God Héere are proofes enough that Paul was sure he had the Spirit of God And Iohn saith He that beleeueth in God dwelleth in God and God in him So it is impossible to beleeue in God except God dwell in vs Chich. He bade me dine with him and at dinner he asked me whether Priests may marry and whether Paul had a Wife Wood. Paul and Barnabas were not married but all the Apostles else-were For in the 1. Cor. 9. Paul saith am I not an Apostle am I not free haue I not seene Christ Mine answere to them that aske me this Haue wee not power to eat and to drinke or to leade about a Sister to Wife as well as the other Apostles and the Brethren of the Lord or haue not Barnabas and I power thus to do So this Text proueth that Paul and Barnabas were not married but Paul declareth that the rest had wiues and they had power likewise to haue wiues but they found no neede thereof But Paul in the seuenth to the Corinthians said that hee that hath not power ouer his flesh may marry for it is better to marry then to burne wherefore to auoid fornication let euery one haue his VVife and euery woman her Husband Therefore Bishoppes and Priests may haue Wiues because they are men rather then burne and commit Fornication Paul declareth to Timothy the first and niuth that Bishops and Deacons should haue wiues The second Examination before the Bishop of Winchester and others Wine LAst time you were with vs you were in an heresie in saying Iudas receiued bread vnlesse you will tell what more then bread Wood. I say he receiued more then bread for he receiued the Diuell because hee presumed to eate the Sacrament without Faith as Christ saith after he eat the sop the Diuell entred into him Hereby appeareth that the Sacrament is not the body of Christ before it be receiued in Faith Winc. What is thy Faith in the Sacrament Wood. I beleeue when I receiue the body and bloud of Christ if it
Sa●nts departed and we beléeue as a Man departeth this life he is either blessed or damned for euer by reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala Caeli Trentals and such suffrages as the popish Church doth obtrude as necessary to be the Doctrine of Antichrist And wee beleeue two Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lordes Supper and that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ and that they bée no longer Sacraments then they were in vse and vsed to the end for which they were instituted and the mutilation of the one kind from the Lords Supper from the Lay people is Antichristian and so is the transubstantiation and so is the adoration of the Sacrament and the reseruation and carrying about of the ●ame and so is the Doctrine of the Masse it to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead or a worke that pleaseth God and so of the inhibition of marriage in any state as vnlawfull we doubt not but we shall be able to proue all these our verities by Gods word and the Church which hath followed Gods word and Spirit and we hartily desire all men to be obedient with vs vnto all that bee in authority and not to cease to pray to God for them that he would gouerne them with his Spirit of wisedome and not to consent in any kind of rebellion against the Quéens Highnesse but where they cannot obey but they must disobey God there to suffer with all patience the pleasures of the higher powers as we are ready to do rather then we will consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse wee shall be iustly conuinced thereof The Lord indue vs with his Spirit of truth and grace of perseuerance Upon the twentith day of Iuly the Prince of Spaine landed at Southampton He was the first that landed and presently he drew his Sword and carryed it naked in his hand a prettie way the Mayor of the Towne met him and deliuered him the Keyes which he receiued in his right hand and put his sword into his left then met him the Earle of Arundell and Lord Williams and brought him to his lodging The twenty fiue day He and Quéene Mary were married at Winchester by the Bishop there then they came to Windsor and from thence to Southwarke and from thence through the Citty of London to White-hall by the way many Pageants and glorious sights were made Upon the Cunduit in Gracious-stréet was painted King Henry the eight ●n harnesse with a Sword in one hand and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei deliuering the Booke to his Sonne Edward painted by him Whereupon the Bishoppe of Winchester sent for the Painter and called him ●naue ranke Traytor and villaine for painting a Booke in King Henries hand and writing Verbum Dei thereon he should rather to haue put the Booke in Quéene Maries hand that was there also pictured for that she had reformed the Church and Religion Against this time Bonner in his Royalty and all his Prebendaries about him the doores of Pauls being shut a new Roode being laid vpon the Pauem●●ts they sung diuers Prayers by the Roode then they annointed it with Oyle in diuers places After they crept vnto it and kissed it after they wayed it vppe into his accustomed place and the while the whole Quire sang Te D●um and then the Bels rang for ioy From White-hall they went to Richmond then all the Lords had leaue to depart and there remained no English Lord at the Court but the Bishop of Winchester from thence to Hampton-Court where the Hall doore was continually kept shut that no man might enter vnlesse his arrand were first knowne which séemed strange to English-men Upon the fourth day of Nouember ●●ue Priests did pe●●ance at Paules Crosse which were content to put away their Wiues and take vpon them againe to minister euery one of them had a taper in his hand and a rod wherewith the Preacher did disple them The twenty seauen day of Nouember Cardinall Poole being but a littl● before come into the Realme came to the Parliament-House the King and Quéene sitting vnder the Cloath of Estate and the Cardinall sitting on the right hand The Cardinall made a long Oration shewing first how this Realme had euer béene forward to receiue Religion first in the time of the Brittaines and then in the time of the Saxons and that the meanes came from Rome in the Faith of which Church we haue euer since continued and shewed what deuotion this Iland hath had to Rome that King Offa and Adulphus thought their obedience to the Sea not sufficient but in their owne persons went to the place where they receiued so great grace And when Carolus Magnus founded Paris hee sent into England for Alcui●us which first brought learning to that Uniuersity I will not rehearse the benefits this Realme hath receiued from Rome nor the miseries this Realm hath suffered by swaruing from that Unity so all Countries that haue refused the Unity of the Catholike Faith hath had the like plagues as Asia and the Empire of Gréece by swar●ing from Rome are brought into the subiection of the Turke And Germany by swaruing from this vnity are afflicted with diuers Sects and factions then hee pra●●ed the King for his greatnésse and riches and the Quéen as one in whose hart God had preserued the Catholike truth when all light of the truth séemed vtterly to be extinct whom GOD had most miraculously brought vnto the Crowne being a helplesse Uirgin naked and vnarmed had the victory of all pollicies and armed powers prepared to destroy her and God hath appointed her to raigne ouer you for the restitution of true Religion and exterpation of errors and Sects God hath deuided his power vnto two parts heare in Earth that is into th● Imperiall and Ecclesiasticall power the Seculer Princes and Ministers of God to execute vengeance vpon transgressors and to preserue well doers which is represented in these two most excellent Princes the King and Quéene The other power is the power of the Keyes which belongeth by prerogatiu● to the Sea Apostlike of Rome from which Sea I am deputed Legate hauing the Keyes committed to my hands I confesse I haue the Keyes not as mine owne Keyes but as the keyes of him that sent mee but certaine impediments in you to receiue it must be taken away before my Commission can take place I came to reconcile and not to condemne and not to compell but to call againe My Commission is of Grace and clemency to all such as will receiue it touching the matter● past they shall be as things cast into the Sea of forgetfulnesse the meanes wherby you shall receiue this benefit is by reuoking the lawes wherby you haue disseuered yourselues from the vnity of Christs Church therefore you as prouident men for the weale of your soules and bodies pouder what is to be done
receiue them Therefore your Lordship may be sure the word of God will one day take place doe what you can to the contrarie The fift Examination Couen DOe you not beléeue your Créed I beléeue in the Catholick Church Phil. Yes but I cannot vnderstand Rome to be the same nor the like to it S. Asse S. Peter builded the Catholick Church at Rome And Christ saith thou art Peter and vpon this Rock I will build my Church and the succession of Bishops can be proued in Rome from time to time as it can be of no other place so well which is a manifest proofe of the Catholick Church as diuers Doctors do● write Phil. You cannot proue the Rock that Christ would build his Church on to bee Rome and though you can proue the succession of Bishops it is not sufficient to proue Rome the Catholick Church vnlesse you can proue the succession of Peters Faith where vpon the Catholick Church is builded to continue in his successors at Rome and at this present to remaine there Couen What meaneth this word Catholick Phil. The Catholick Faith or Catholick Church is not that which is most vniuersall or of men receiued wherby you d●e infer your Faith to hang vpon the multitude which is not so We iudge saith S. Augustine the Catholick Faith of that which hath been is and shall be so that if you can proue your Catholick Church and Faith hath been taught from the beginning and is and shall be then may you count your selues Catholicks otherwise not Catholick in Gréeke is compounded of ● which signifieth according and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summe or principle or whole so that Catholick Church or Faith is as much to say as the first hole sound chéefest faith Boner Doe you thinke the Catholick Church hath erred vntill within these few yeares some haue swarued from the same Phil. I doe not thinke the Catholick Church hath erred but I require you to proue the Church of Rome the Catholick Church Curtop Ireneus who was within a hundred yeares after Christ came to Victor Bishop of Rome to aske his aduice about excommunication of certaine hereticks which he would not haue done if hee had not taken him to bee supreme head and Couentry bad him marke this Argument Phil. This fact of Ireneus proueth no more for the supremacie then mine hath done for I haue béen at Rome as well as he and could haue spoken with the Pope and if I would yet would there were none in England fauoured his supremacie more then I And it is not like that Ireneus or the primatiue church so take him for I can shew 7. generall Councels after Ireneus time wherin he was neuer so taken in many hundred y●eres after Christ These be the Councels the Nicentine Ephesine the first second Calcedone Constantinopolitane Carthagenense Auilence Couen Wherefore will you not admit the Church of Rome to be the Catholick Church Phil. Because it followeth not nor agréeth with the Primitiue Church no more then an Apple is like a Nut it were too long to name all the disagréements I will name but two The Supremacie and Transubstantiation Curtop Although transubstantiation were decréed for an Article of the Faith not aboue 300. yeares yet it was alwaies beléeued Boner said that was well said Phil. It is true it was but lately planted by the Bishop of Rome and you cannot shew any ancient writer that the primitiue Church did beleeue any such thing with that Master Curtop shrunke away Couen Can you disproue the Church of Rome not to be the Catholick Church Phil. Yes that I can but I desire rather to heare you proue it First it doth not agree with the Primitiue Church neither in Doctrine nor in the vse of Sacraments And as you describe Catholick to be vniuersall the Church of Rome was neuer vniuersall For the world being diuided into three parts Asia Africa Europe Two parts Asia and Africa professing Christ as well as wee did neuer consent to the Church of Rome and the most part of Europe doth not agrée nor allow the Church of Rome As Germany Denmarke the Kingdome of Pole a great part of France England and Zeland which is a manifest probation that your Church is not vniuerfall Doctor Sauer I am sory to sée you commune with so many learned men and are no more conformable vnto them then you be Phil. I will be conformable vnto them that be conformable to Christ his word I pray Master Doctor be not so conformable to please men more then God contrarie to your learning for worldly estimation you are led away from the truth for promotion sake as many Doctors be now adaies Sauer Saint Cyprian an ancient Writer doth allow the Bishop of Rome to be supreme head of the Church Phil. I am sure he doth not for he writing to Cornelius Bishop of Rome called him his companion and fellow Bishop and calleth him not Pope nor any other vsurped termes which are now ascribed vnto the Bishop of Rome Then they brought forth Cyprian and turned vnto the third Epistle where hee saith it goeth not well with the Church when the High Priest is not obayed which supplieth the steed of Christ after Gods word and the consent of the Bishops and the agreement of the people Sauer How can you auoid this place which maketh so plaine for the Bishop of Rome his Supremacie Phil. It maketh not so plaine First heare you may see that he calleth Cornelius his fellow Bishop as he doth also in other places you do misconstrue that same to make the high Priest onely for the Bishop of Rome and otherwise then it was in his time for there were by the Nicen● Councell foure Patriaches appointed The Patriarke of Ierusalem and the Patriarke of Constantinople The Patriarke of Alexandria and the Patriarke of Rome of which foure the Patriarch of Rome was lowest placed in the Councell and so continued many yeares for the time of seuen or eight generall Conncels Therefore Cyprian writeth vnto Cornelius Patriarck of Rome because certaine hereticks as the N●uatians which were excommunicated by him went from his Dioces to the Patriarcks of Rome or of Constantinople and there were receiued in the Communion of there congregation in derogation of good discipline and maintaining of schismes in that obedience is not giuen vnto the Priest of GOD being in Christs steede not meaning the Patriarck of Rome onely but euery Patriarck in his precinet who had euery one of them a Cathedrall Church of learned Priests in hearing of whom by a Conuocation of all his fellow Bishops with the consent of the people all heresies were determined by the Word of GOD and this is the meaning of Cyprian Sauer I wonder you will stand so stedfast in your errour to your owne destruction Phil. I am sure we are in no errour by the promise of Christ to the faithfull that he will giue them such a spirit of wisedome that