exhorted every one of them in her own Language filled with couragious spirit and stirred up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach she said unto them I cannot tell how you came into my womb for I neither gave you breath nor life neither was it I that formed the members of every one of you but doubtless the Creator of the world who formed the Generation of man and found out the beginning of all things will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again as you now regard not your own selves for his Laws sake Now Antiochus thinking himself despised and suspecting it to be a reproachful speech whilst the youngest was yet alive did not only exhort him by words but also assured him with Oathes that he would make him both a rich and a happy man if he would turn from the Laws of his Fathers and that also he would take him for his Friend and trust him with affairs but when the young man would in no case hearken unto him the King called his Mother and exhorted her that she would counsel the young man to save his life and when he had exhorted her with many words she promised him that she would counsel her Son but she bowing her self towards him laughing the cruel Tyrant to scorn spake in her Country language on this manner O my Son have pity upon me that bare thee nine Months in my Womb and gave thee suck three Years and nourished thee and brought thee up unto this age and endured the troubles of Education I beseech thee my Son look upon the Heaven and the Earth and all that is therein and consider that God made them of things that were not and so was mankind made likewise fear not this Tormentor but being worthy of thy Brethren take thy death that I may receive thee again in mercy with thy Brethren While she was yet speaking these words the young man said Whom wait ye for I will not obey the Kings commandment but I will obey the Commandment of the Law that was given unto our Fathers by Moses and thou that hast been the author of all mischeif against the Hebrews shalt not escape the hands of God for we suffer because of our Sins and though the living Lord be angry with us a little while for our chastning and correction yet shall he be at one again with his Servants But thou O Godless man and of all other most wicked be not lifted up without a cause nor puffed up with uncertain hopes lifting up thy hands against the Servants of God for thou hast not yet escaped the Judgment of Almighty God who seeth all things for our Brethren who now have suffered a snort pain are dead under Gods Covenant of everlasting Life but thou through the Judgment of God shalt receive just punishment for thy Pride but I as my Brethren offer up my Body and Life for the Laws of our Fathers beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our Nation and that thou by Torments and Plagues mayest confess that he alone is God and that in me and my Brethren the wrath of the Almighty which is justly brought upon all our Nation may cease Then the King being in a rage handled him worse then all the rest and took it grievously that he was mocked so this man dyed undefiled and put his whole trust in the Lord last of all after the Sons the Mother dyed When her Sons were apprehended she exhorted them in the Hebrew Tongue saying O my most dear and loving Children let us hasten to that Agony which may credit our profession and be rewarded by God with Eternal Life let us fearlessly present our Bodies to those Torments which aged Eleazar endured let us call to mind our Father Abraham who having but one only Son willingly sacrificed him at Gods command and feared not to bring him to the Alter whom with many prayers he had obtained in his old age Remember Daniel the three Children c. Antioch being enraged against her caused her to be stript naked hanged up by the Hands and cruelly whipt then were her Dugs and Paps pulled off and her self put into the Red-hot Frying-pan where lifting up her Hands and Eyes to Heaven in the midest of her Prayers she yielded up her chaste Soul unto God But God suffered not the cruel Tyrant to escape unpunished for in his Wars against the Persians the Lord struck him with Madness his Intrals were devoured with Worms and stinking like a Carrion in the Extreamity of his Torments he gave up the Ghost Part II Containing an Account of the great Persecutions and Martyrdoms of the Christians after the coming of Christ and before the Apostacy and Darkness wholy spread over the Church AFter the Jews who were once the People of God and had the Laws Statutes Ordinances and Commands of God made known to them as is before related had apostatized from the holy Spirit or Life they provoked God and soon forgat him shamefully entreated and killed the Servants and Messengers of God yet the Lord had Compassion to mankind and remembred his Promise and in love to the World sent forth his Son who said when he was come he was the true Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world yet the world knew him not but God sent his Messenger to prepare his Way and the Voice of one cryed in the Wilderness prepare ye the Way of the Lord and make strait Paths for our God and when this Messenger whose name was John was come the hand of the Lord was with him and he preached repentance for the remission of sins and for reproving Herod of his Evils he was shut up in Prison and though Christ testified of him that among those that were born of women there was not a greater Prophet then John Yet this Herod who had married Herodias his brothers wife to whom John said it is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife John Baptist beheaded therefore the persecuting spirit arose in Herodias and she would have killed him but could not yet afterwards she was the cause of John Baptists being beheaded in Prison And when Christ Jesus appeared who is the Light of the world whom John called the Lamb of God Christ Jesus Persecuted and put to death who testified against the apostatized Jews their false worship in their dead Forms saying God a is Spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and and truth yet him these Jews rejected and would not receive him that they might have Life and when he said I am the bread of life and I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever and the bread that I shall give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world the Jews in their ignorance reasoned saying How can this be can this man give us his flesh to eat and
THE Spirit of the Martyrs REVIVED In a Brief COMPENDIOUS COLLECTION Of the Most Remarkable PASSAGES and Living Testimonies OF THE True Church Seed of God AND FAITHFUL MARTYRS In All AGES Contained in several Ecclesiastical Histories Chronological Accounts of the Succession of the TRUE CHURCH from the Creation the Times of the Fathers Patriarchs Prophets CHRIST and the Apostles Call to Remembrance what Acts our Fathers did in their time so shall ye receive great Honour and an everlasting Name 1 Mac. 2.51 Their Seed shall remain forever and their Glory shall not be blotted out but their Name liveth forevermore the People will tell of their Wisdom Eccles 44.13 14 15. Thy Testimonies are my Delight and Councellor Psal 1 19. Go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come TO THE READER Reader I Have hear Collected and brought together that which hath been scattered in divers great Vollums writ by several Authors judging these my Labours may prove more profitable to such who have a desire to be informed in these things those great Books being too Voluminous and costly for the generality to read or buy I have therefore for the sake of such who have but little leisure and cannot read much brought the History of these things into a nearer compass that so the meanest capacity may easily comprehend the Lords dealings with the Sons of men in all Generations and my chief aim in this work is for the good and information of all People that they may see how the Lord preserved his Church in all times and what great things he hath done for them who led the Ancient Fathers Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles by his mighty Power in which they served and worshipped him whereby they left a sweet Savour behind them as the Reader may see at large in the ensuing Treatise which containeth a Cloud of Witnesses to the Lords Work and Power And though these Testimonies may be slighted and dis-esteemed by the sensual wisdom which is from below yet I know it will be acceptable and a confirming and strengthening to the Faith of some who are Innocent and Upright to the Lord and have a delight in reading and meditating upon his Wayes and of his tender dealings with his Church and People who in all Ages preserved his little Remnant whom he raised up as righteous Branches to bring forth Fruits of Holiness in the middest of a perverse Generation And on the other hand the Reader many see in this ensuing Tract Satan's cruelty the great Enemy to mans good who hath in all Ages used all his Power to stop the increase and growth of this holy Seed by Persecuting Murdering and Destroying their Bodies and using his utmost indeavours by Cruelties to stop the least good Inclination that might at any time stir in any and this hath been the work of the Evil one ever since he got footing in mens hearts he hath alwayes sought to extinguish the Work of God and hath deceived Nations and all the World wondered after the Beast and John in his time saw a Terrible Day was to come on the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devil was come down having great Wrath and when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the Earth he Persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man Child the Woman fled into the Wilderness for a time and times and half a time and the Earth helped the Woman and the Earth opened her Mouth and swollowed up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth and the Dragon was Wrath with the Woman and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and have the Testimonies of Jesus Christ but they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and the Lord still preserv'd a Remnant that bow'd not their knees to Baal And the Lord said David shall never want'a man to sit upon the Thrown of the House of Israel and this hath been fulfilled in that the Lord hath from time to time raised up his Living Witnesses both to testifie to and suffer for his Name and Truth as will appear in this Book to which I refer the Reader for satisfaction and remain a Lover of all the Upright in Heart Ellis Hookes The Author to the Book it self GO forth O Book and let the World reveiw The Blood-shed by a Persecuting Crew Let Popish Bishops and the Prelates see The dying Martyrs Words revived be Who though their Bodies for the Truth were slain Their Living Testimonies still remain Their Souls under the Altar still do Cry How long O Lord most just that rules on High Ere thou avenge our Cause who for thy sake Foyfully imbrace the Fire and the Stake Fear not O Book the Frowns of Mortal Foes Who alwayes did the blessed Truth oppose Though Foes enough thou shalt be sure to find 'Mong Priests that have the Souls of many pin'd And scornful Prelates too who will not preach Nor suffer those that carefully would teach Gods Truth and give Christs Sheep their wholesom Food All such Restrainers make the sinful Brood And of that Rank not one of them is found That feeds the Flock in wholsome Pasture Ground The Food they give they Poyson give withall Which proveth worse then Wormwood mixt with Gall They suffer not the Milk of Gods Word pure To work upon the Souls of men a Cure Though sincere Milk the same is it Which wakes for God the Soul of each man sit It made the Martyrs witnessing the same Rejoyce when that they suffered in the Flame Part I. The year of the World Sheweth how God under the several Dispensations of himself to Mankind alwayes led and guided his Church and Seed by his Spirit and Power to Worship and Serve him and to bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness which was acceptable to him And how the Serpent and Evil-One hath from the beginning made it his work to deceive and lead man from God to Sin and work wickedness which alwayes brought the Wrath and Judgments of God upon Man AFter that God had Created Heaven and Earth Man at first created in Innocency and all things in them at last he created Man in his own Image that is to say pure holy and innocent giving him Power to Govern and Rule the Creation to God's Glory and God said It is not good for man to be alone I will make him an Help Meet for him and he caused a deep Sleep to fall upon Adam and he took one of his Ribs Woman made to be a help meet for man and closed up the Flesh thereof and of the Rib he made Woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said This is now Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh she shall be called Woman And the Lord placed them in the Garden of Eden there to live in a blessed
constancy and so embracing the Fire she sweetly slept in the Lord. Thus near the space of three hundred years was the Church of Christ assaulted on every side had small rest no joy nor outward safety in this present World but in much bitterness of Heart in continual tears and mourning under the Cross passed over their days being spoiled imprisoned contemned reviled famished tormented and martyred every where by night assembling to sing Praises to God in all which their dreadful dangers and sorrowful afflictions notwithstanding the goodness of the Lord left them not desolate but the more their outward Tribulations did increase the more their inward Consolations did abound and the farther off they seemed from the joyes of this Life the more present was the Lord with them with Gracâ— and fortitude to confirm and rejoyce their Souls and though their possessions and riches in this World were lost and spoiled yet were they inriched with heavenly Gifts and Treasures from above an hundredfold then was true Religion truely felt in the Heart then was Christianity not in outward appearance shewed only but in inward affection received then was the Name and Fear of God true in Heart not in Lips alone dwelling Faith then was fervent Zeal ardent Prayer not swiming in the Lips but groaned out to God from the bottom of the Spirit then was no Pride in the Church nor leisure to seek riches nor time to keep them contention for Trifles was then so far from Christians that well were they when they could meet to pray together against the Devil the author of all dissention But after this the Christians coming to be in favour with the Emperours and riches and worldly wealth crept into the Clergy and the Devil poured his venom into the Church so that true humility began to decay and Pride to set in his Foot and after the Church through favour of the Emperours was indued with Lands Donations Possessions and Patrimonies and the Bishops feeling the smack of Wealth ease and prosperity began to swell in pomp and pride and the more they flourished in this World the more Gods holy Spirit forsook them till at last the Bishops who were for a long time kept low and persecuted as before is related now of persecuted People began to be Persecutors of others and through their pride and riches were wholy degenerated from the true Religion and became Adversaties to God and persecuted and destroyed his living Witnesses and Members as any were raised up from time to time to bear a Testimony against their Apostacy as in this following History will appear Part III Containing an Account of the grievous Sufferings Persecutions and Martyrdom of the Servants of the Lord inflicted on them by the Papists after the Apostacy from the antient Primitive Gospel of Truth preached by Christ and his Apostles IOhn saw there would be an Apostacy from the blessed Faith in his daies Rev. 13. for he saw a Beast rise out of the Sea and the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority and all the World wondered after the Beast and they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is aâ—le to make War with him And he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to Blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and it was given unto him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World After this great Darkness had spread over Nations and People for some years the Lord raised up some from time to time to bare Testimony according to their measures of light and knowledge they had received against the blindness and ignorance that the World was under as in the following instances the Reader may observe Robert Grosthead living in the year 1240 wrot sharply to the Pope especially for the evils he committed in England that he was opposite to Christ a Murderer of Souls and an Heretick and complained on his death-bed of the corruptions which were sprung up in the Church and inveighed bitterly against the manifold abominations of the Church and Court of Rome saying well may these verses be applied to them The whole World cannot suffice their greedy covetous mind Nor all their drabs and naughty pack their filthy lusting kind For his thundring against the Romish Church and for his publick reproving of the covetousness pride and manifold Tyrannies of the Pope he was excommunicated to the pit of Hell by Innocent the fourth and cited to come to his bloody Court but he appealed from the Popes Tyranny to the Eternal Tribunal of Jesus Christ and shortly after died Yea before this there were some found in England who testified against the corruptions of the Church of Rome and suffered for the same for in the year 884. John Patrick Erigena wrot a Book about the Lords Supper which was afterwards condemned by the Pope and he martyred for it In the year 960. some were braned in the Face at Oxford and banished for saying That the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babilon Monkery a stinking Carion their Vows nurses of sodomy Purgatory and Masses c. inventions of the Devil In the year 1126. there was one Arnold an English Preacher was cruelly butchered for preaching against Prelates pride and Priest wicked lives About the year 1160. about thirty Waldenses came into England one Gerrard being their Minister these People labouring to win Disciples to Christ were quickly smelt out by the Popish Clergy and great complaints were made against them to the King being Henry the Second who caused them to be brought before an Assembly of Bishops at Oxford where Gerrard speaking for them said to this effect we are Christians holding the Doctrine of the Apostles in their Examinations they would not admit of Salt Spittle and Exorcisms in Baptism and the Eucharist nor of binding with the stool in Marriage and being admonished to repent and return to the unity of the Church they despised that counsel and scorned threats saying Blessed are they which Suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Then did the Bishops excomunicate them and so delivered them over to be corporally Punished by the King who caused them to be burnt as Hereticks in the forehead and to be whipt through Oxford they singing all the while Blessed are ye when men hate you and dispitefully use you and the King further commanded that none should persume to receive them to house nor to cherish them with any comfort whereby they miserably perished with hunger and cold none affording any comfort to them These Wâ—ldenses are repâ—ted the first Reformers after the darkness of Popery had overspread the
and so the poor Boy was burnt in Smithfield Persecuted at Callice By reason of the diligent preaching of Adam Damplip and one William Smith at Callice the Devil raised up his Instruments to Persecute them and others their Hearers and Letters were wrote over to the Council in England suggesting that by the means of Damplip they were infected with horrible Heresies and Errors Persons accused were Thomas Brooke Ralph Hare James Cock and James Barber who were sent for over and committed to Prison at VVestminster afterwards they were brought before the Bishops grievous Letters were written against them from Callice by their Adversaries so that if God had not preserved them they had all certainly Perished One of these viz. Ralph Hare though so unlearned that he could scarce read yet was very zealous and so holy and inofensive in his life that none of his Adversaries could accuse him of evil he was charged for speaking against Auricular Confession holy Bread holy Water as also for that he would not Swear nor use any Pastime but used to be in a Corner by himself looking on his Book when others were at Liberty Thus being charged he said to the Commissioners I take God to Witness I would not willingly maintain any Error or Heresie wherefore I beseech you let my Accusers come before me face to face for if they charge me with that I have spoken I will not deny it and if it be Truth I will stand to it if an Error I will with all my heart forsake it I mean if it be against Gods holy Word for the Lord is my Witness I daily pray to God that I may know the Truth and shun Errors and I hope God will preserve me from them The Bishop of Winchester said I perceive now thou art a naughty Fellow Alas said Hare what evil have I spoken Bishop replyed Marry Sir you said the Lord the Lord and that is Symbolum Hereticorum what is that said Hare Thou art naught thou art naught said the Bishop and further said I pity thee for I think thou art a good simple man and meanst well enough if thou hadst not bad bad School-masters and then Thomas Brook was called for who was charged with sedition and that he had contributed towards maintaining Adam Damplip and that he should say that what the Priest held up at Mass was not the Body of Christ Brook denyed the charge and after some debate was for that present dismissed The Suffering and Martyrdom of Anne Askew Anne Askew being apprehended for her Religion and examined before one Christopher Dare an Inquisitor who asked her if she did not believe the Sacrament of the Altar to be the real Body of Christ To this question she refused to answer Then he told her that she was accuâ—ed for reading that God dwelt not in Temples made with haâ—ds thereupon she shewed him the 7 and 17. Chapters of the Acts for it Then he asked her how she understood those texts she answered that she would not cast Pearls before Swine Then he charged her for saying that she had rather read five lines in her â—ible then hear a Mass she said the reason was because one did greatly edifie her and the other did not and after other questions askt her he had her before the Mayor of London The Mayor after some discourse with her ordred her to be had to Prison she askt if Sureties would not serve turn he said he would take none but after some time she was released from that imprisonment but not long after was apprehended again and carried before the Kings Council where the Chancellor askt her her Opinion about the Sacrament she said that she believed that so oft as she received the Bread in remembrance of Christs death she received therewith the frâ—â—â—s of his most glorious Passion the Bishop of Winchester bid her answer directly she answered she would not sing the Lords Song in a strange Land The Bishop told her she was a Pariat To which she replied that she was willing not only to recâ—â—ve rebukes from him but whatsoever should follow besides and that gladly after much other debate she was imprisoned until the next day at which time they asked her again what she said to the Sacrament she answered that she had said what she could say Then the Bishop of Winchester said he would speak with her familiarly she said so did Judas when he unfriendly betrayed Christ Then desired the Bishop to speak with her alone but she refused he asked hâ—r Why she said that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every matter should stand after Christ and Pauls Doctrine Then the Chancellor began to examine her again of the Sacrament Math. 18.2 Cor. 13. she askt him how long he would halt on both sides then would be needs know where she found that she said in the Scripture then he went his way Then the Bishop told her she would be burnt she answered 3 Kings 18. that she had searched all the Scriptures and could never find that either Christ or his Apostles put any Creature to death and told them God would laugh their threatings to scorn After much other arguing wherein she answered them wifely and holily they dismissed her a few dayes after she was taken very sick like to die in which extremity of her sickness they sent her â—o Newgate After a time she was brought to her Tryal at Guild-hall where she was required to recant or else she was condemned by the Law for an Heretick she answered she was no Heretick neither deserved death by the Law of God Then they asked if she would deny the Sacrament to be Christs Body and Blood she said yea They wished her to shrive her self to a Priest at which she smiled and said she would confess her faults to God for she was sure he would bear her with favour Then they would know of her whether the Bread in the Box were God or no she said God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth After she was Condemned she wrot a few liâ—es to the King to this effect I Anne Askew of good memory although God hath given me the Bread of Adversity and the Water of Trouble yet be it known that for asmuch as I am by the Law condemned as an Evil Doer here I take Heaven and Earth to record that I shall die in my innocency and as I said at first I say at last I utterly abhor and detest all Heresies and concerning the Supper of the Lord I believe so much as Christ hath said therein which he confirmed with his most blessed Blood I believe so much as he willed me to follow for I will not forsake the Commandment of his holy Lips but look what God hath charged me with his Mouth that have I shut up in my Heart and thus briefly I end Anne Askew Shortly after she was sent from Newgate to the sign of the Crown where she said one
hand This John Fortune was a man of a Zealous Spirit and ready in the Scriptures in Christs Cause Stout and Valiant and no less patience in his wrongful Suffering then constant in his Doctrine The Examination is as followeth First Doctor Parker asked How I believed in the Catholick Faith Fortune I asked him which Faith he meant whether the Faith that Stephen had or the Faith of them that put Stephen to death Parker being moved said What a naughty Fellow is this you shall see anon he will deny the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and said How sayest thou by the blessed Mass Fortune And I stood still and made no answer Then said one Foster Why speakest thou not and make the Gentleman an answer Fortune I said Silence is a good answer to a foolish Question Parker I am sure be will deny the blessed Sacrament of the Altar Fortune I said I knew none such Parker You deny the order of the seven Sacraments and why dost thou not believe in the Sacrament of the Altar Fortune Because it is not written in Gods Book Foster You shall be Whipped and Burnt for this Fortune If you knew how these words do rejoyce my heart you would not have spoken them Away with him said he for he is ten times worse then Samuel and so he was carried away to Prison again At the second Examination Bishop asked me If I did not believe in the Catholick Church Fortune I believe that Church whereof Christ is the head Bishop Dost thou not believe that the Pope is Supream head of the Church Fortune No Christ is Head of the true Church Fortune Then I asked him whether the Pope were a Spirtual Man To which he said Yea. Fortune I said They are spightfull men for in seventeen Months there were three Popes one Poisoned another for that presumptous seat of Anti-chhist Bishop It is Malishiously spoken for thou must obey the power and not the man well said he What say you to the Ceremonies of the Church Fortune All things that are not planted by my heavenly Father shall be blucked up by the roots saith Christ Bishop They are good and godly and necessary to be used Fortune Paul called them weak and beggerly At the third Examination Bishop How believest thou in the Sacrament of the Altar Dost thou not believe that after the Consecration there is the real substance of the Body of Christ Fortune That is the greatest Plague that ever came into England Bishop Why so Fortune If I were a Bishop and you a poor man as I am I would be ashamed to ask such a Question for a Bishop should be apt to teach and not to learn Bishop Is it Idolatry to Worship the blessed Sacrament or no Fortune God is a Spirit and will be Worshipped in Spirit and Truth At another Examination Bishop asked me If I would stand to my Answers that I had made him before Fortune Yea for I have spoken nothing but the Truth And after that he made a great Circumstance upon the Sacrament Then I desired him to keep to the Text and he read the Scripture which said I am the Bread which came down from Heaven believest thou not this Fortune Yea truly Bishop Why dost thou deny the Sacrament Fortune Because your Doctrine is false Bishop How can that be false which is spoken in the Scripture Fortune Christ said I am the Bread and you say the Bread is he therefore your Doctrine is false Bishop Dost not thou believe the Bread is he Fortune No. Bishop I will bring thee to it by the Scriptures Fortune Hold that fast for that is the best Argument you have yet Bishop Thou shalt be burnt like an Heretick Fortune Who shall give Judgment upon me Bishop I will judge a hundred such as thou art and never be shreven for it Fortune Is not there a Law for the Spirituality as well as for the Temporality Clement Higham said Yes what meanest thou by that Fortune When a man is perjured by the Law he is cast over the Bar and sitteth no more in judgment and the Bishop is a perjured man and ought to sit in Judgment of no man Bishop How provest thou that Fortune Because you took an Oath in King Henry's dayes to resist the Pope so both Spiritual and Temperal are perjured that here can be no true Judgment Bishop Thinkest thou to escape Judgment by that no for my Chancellor shall judge thee he took no Oath for he was then out of the Realm Clement Higham It is time to Weed out such Fellows as you be indeed The Bishop commanded the Bailiff to take him away thus much touching the Examination of this man but whether he died by Fire or were otherwise prevented by Death is not recorded only his Sentence of Condemnation was drawn up and registred by the Register of Norwich but most certain it is he never recanted John Careless Examined before Doctor Martin Martin askt him Where he was born Careless said John Careleses Examination At Coventry Martin said How camest thou hither Careless By a Writ Martin Thou art a hansom man and its pity but thou shouldest do well and play the Wise mans part Careless I put you out of doubt that I am most sure and certain of my Salvation by Christ Jesus so that my Soul is safe already whatsoever pains my Body suffer here for a little time After much more discourse between them about predestination Martin said The Lord knows that I would gladly make some means to preserve thy life but thou speakest so much of the Lord the Lord How sayest thou wilt thou be content to go into Ireland and serve the Queen there Careless I am ready to do service to the Queen or her Officers but if they require me to do any thing contrary to Christs Religion I am ready also to do my service in Smithfield for not observing it as other my Brethren have done He endured Imprisonment two whole years in Coventry and the Kings-Bench where at last he died and was buried in a Dunghill in the Fields Sentences taken out of a Letter written by John Careless in the time of his Suffering and Imprisonment To my most dear and faithful Brethren in Newgate condemned to die for the Testimony of Gods Everlasting Truth The Everlasting Peace of God in Christ Jesus the continual Joy Strength and Comfort of his most pure Holy and Mighty Spirit with the increase of Faith and lively feeling of his Eternal Mercy be with you my most dear and faithful loving Brother Tyms with all the rest of my dear hearts in the Lord you faithful fellow Souldiers and most constant Companions in bonds yea of men Condemned most cruelly for the sincere Testimony of Gods Everlasting Truth to the full finishing of that good work which he hath so gratiously begun in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your Everlasting comfort in him
am in the true Faith and will never forsake it and I do wish I were more stronger in it and the second time being called before the Bishop she said I will not depart from my sayings till I be burned Agnes Stanley said I had rather every hair of my head were burned if it were never so much worth then that I should forsake my faith which is the true Faith After they had been twice called and Examined they were condemned and about the 12th day of the Moneth called April were all burnt in one Fire in Smithfield After these in the Moneth called May three others suffered in Georges-fields in Southwark viz. William Morrant Stephen Gratwick and one King This St. Gratwick in his Examination was very hardly and illegally deal with for first he was condemned by the Bishops of Winchester and Rocester to whose Diocess he did not belong Secondly when he made his appeal from these incompetent Judges to the Bishop of the Diocess he lived in his appeal would not be allowed when they had no other shift to colour their inordinate proceedings withall they procured a Priest to counterfeit himself to be Bishop of Chester and brought him to sit as Judge over him When he was before the Bishop of Winchester in Mary-Overs Steeple-house because the People cryed out God strengthen thee the Bishop threatned saying Now let me see him here that dare open his Mouth to bid God strengthen thee he shall die the death that thou shalt die Gratwick answered I know your cruelty doth extend more largly then your pity They further shewed their injustice against him in that they brought in Articles against him which were not grounded upon his own Examinations and Confessions and because he refused to answer to them though they had no other just matters against him but only for saying these words viz. That which I have said I have said they proceeded to read the Sentence of Death against him When he was asked whether he would recant he said My Faith is grounded more stedfastly then to change in a moment it s no process of time can alter me unless my faith were as the Waves of the Sea When the Sentence was read the Bishop delivered him into the hands of the Sheriff to be carried Prisoner to the Marshalsea whereupon the Prisoner with a loud voice desired God that he would not lay his blood to their charge if it were his will and as he was passing away because he spake to the People his Persecutors cryed out Cut his Tongue out Stop his Mouth and so he was had to to the Marshalsea and put in Irons and shortly after was burnt in Georges-Fields with one Morrant and one King about the later end of the Moneth called May. Seven persons burnt at Maidstone in Kent By reason of a Proclamation published in the Moneth called February the Storm of Persecution grew rather greater in many places then before but especally in the Diocess of Canterbury whereupon the 18th day of the Moneth called June seven Persons were burnt at Maidstone the Relation of whose Apprehension Examination and Execution is not registed excepting something concerning Edmund Allen of Frytenden in Kent Miller who for reading the Scriptures and expounding upon them was complained of by John Taylor Parson of the Parish to the Justice who sending for him committed both him and his Wife to Prison but not long after they were set at liberty and went over to Callice where his Conscience being troubled after some time the Lord discovered to him that he had work for him to do in England and thereupon he and his Wife shortly after returned home to Kent Parson Taylor hearing of their return although he was in the midst of his Mass when the News was brought him he turned to the people and commanded some with all speed to go and apprehend them when his Mass was over he went and apprehended the said Allen and had him before one called Sr. John Baker a Justice who sent him to Prison and caused an Inventory to be made of his Goods and they took thirteen pounds in Money away from him when he was brought before Baker the Justice The Justice said Who gave thee Authority to Preach Allen Give me leave to answer I am perswaded that God hath given me this Authority as he hath given to all other Christians Why are we called Christians if we do not follow Christ nor read his Laws Is not Christ our Father shall not the Son follow the Fathers steps Is not Christ our Master and shall the Scholler be hindered from Learning and Preaching his Precepts Is not Christ our Redeemer and shall we not praise his Name and serve him that hath Redeemed us from Sin and Damnation did not Christ being but of twelve years of Age dispute with the Doctors and interpret the Prophet Isaiah although he was not of the Tribe of Levi which were Priests but of the Royal Tribe of Judah neither had taken any outward Priesthood wherefore if we be Christians we must do the same One Collins standing by said to the Justice What a Knave is this that compareth himself with Christ Justice Baker Let him alone he will pump out an infinite heap of Heresies hast thee any more to say for thy self Allen Yea that I have Adam was Licensed of God and Abraham was commanded to teach his Children and Posterity and David teacheth in divers Psalms and Soloman also preached to the People as the Book of the Preacher proveth where he teacheth that there is no immortal felicity in this Life and Noah taught them that were disobedient in his days and therefore is called the eighth Preacher of Righteousness Moses chose seventy Elders to help him to teach and Rule the People Eldad and Medad preached in their Tents wherefore Josuah being Offended complained to Moses that Eldad and Medad did preach without License to whom Moses answered I would all the People could do the like Justice Baker Thou saidst thou didst feed the People both Bodily and Spiritually Allen We are all Kings to rule our Affections Priests to Preach out the virtues of God and lively Stones to give light to others for as out of Flint-Stones cometh forth that that is able to set all the World on fire so out of Christians should spring the Beams of the Gospel which should inflame all the World what availeth it a man that hath Meat and will eat none and Apparel and will ware none Is not every Christian a Follower of Christ And doth not Paul forbid quenching the Spirit Doth he prohibit any man that hath gifts that they shall not exercise the same The Justice askt him Why he refused to Worship the Sacrament of the Altar Allen Because it is an Idol Baker Away with him and then was he carried to Prison and shortly after burnt at Maidstone The 30th day of the Moneth called June there were four men and three Women more burnt at Canterbury Alice