the Ordinarye neyther whether I were before him acquitted or condemned shoulde it take awaye the former fault Then my Lord affirming that I was not brought before him but for heresie and the other Gentleman saying that doubtles I was discharged of my former matter my desire was that I might bee charged according to the order of the lawe to heare my accusers Then Doctour Chadsey was sent for who reported that in the presence of Mayster Mosley the Lieuetenant of the Tower I spake agaynst the reall presence and the sacrifice of the Masse and that I affirmed that theyr Church was the Churche of Antichrist Is not this true quoth my Lord I sayde yea Will you continue therein quoth he Yea sayde I. Wilt thou then mayntayne it by learning sayd he Therein quoth I I should shewe my selfe to haue little witte knowing myne owne youth and ignoraunce if I would take on me to mayntayne any controuersie agaynste so many graue and learned men But my conscience was satisfied in the truth which was sufficient to my saluation Roper Conscience quoth M. Roper so shall euerye Iewe and Turke be saued We had hereafter much talke to no purpose and especiallye on my part who felt in my selfe through colde and open ayre muche dullnesse of witte and memorye At the length I was asked what conscience was and I sayde the certifying of the trueth M. Welch With that M Welch rose vp desiring leaue to talke with me alone So he taking me aside into an other chamber said that he was sory for my trouble and woulde gladly see me at libertie he maruayled that I being a young man would stande agaynst all the learned men of the realme yea and contrary to the whole determination of the Catholicke Churche from Chrystes time in a matter wherin I could haue no great learning I ought not to thinke mine owne wit better then all mennes but shoulde beleue them that were learned I promise you quoth hee I haue read all Peter Martyrs booke and Cranmers and all the rest of them and haue conferred them with the contrary as Roffensis and the Byshop of Winchester c. and could not perceiue but that there was one continuall truth whiche from the begynning had bene mayntayned and those that at anye time seuered from this vnitie were aunswered and aunswered agayn This was the summe of hys tale whiche lacked neyther witte nor eloquence M. Greene. Then spake I. For asmuche as it pleaseth youre Maystership to vse me so familiarly for hee so behaued hymselfe towardes me as though I had bene hys equall I shall open my mind freely vnto you desiring you for to take it in good worth I consider my youth lack of wit and learning which would god it were but a little vnder the opinion that some men haue of me But God is not bounde to time witte or knowledge but rather choseth infirma mundi vt confunderet fortia Neyther can men appoynt bondes to Gods mercy For I will haue compassion sayth he on whome I will shew mercy There is no respecte of persons with God whether it be olde or young riche or poore wise or foolish Fisher or Basket maker God geueth knowledge of hys truth through hys free grace to whome he liste Iames. i. Neither doe I thinke my selfe onely to haue the trueth but steadfastly beleue that Christ hath hys spouse the Catholicke and vniuersall Church dispersed in many realmes where it pleaseth him spiritus vbi vult spirat no more is hee addicted to any one place then to the person and qualitie of one man Of this Church I nothing doubt my selfe to be a member trusting to be saued by the fayth that is taught in the same But how this Church is knowne is in a maner the end of all controuersie And the true markes of Christes Church is the true preaching of his worde and ministering of his sacramentes These markes were sealed by the Apostles and confirmed by the auncient fathers till at the length they were through the wickednes of men and the deuill sore worne and almost vtterly taken away But God bee praysed that he hath renewed the print that hys truth may be knowne in many places For my selfe I call God to witnesse I haue no hope in mine owne wit and learning whiche is very small but I was perswaded thereto by hym as by an instrument that is excellent in al good learning and liuing And God is my record that chiefly I sought it of hym by continuall prayer with teares Furthermore what I haue done herein it is not needefull for me to speake but one thing I say I wish of God with all my hart that all men which are of contrary iudgement woulde seeke the truth in like maner Now I am â—rought hether before a great many of Byshops and learned men to be made a foole and laughing stocke but I waygh it not a rushe For God knoweth that my whole study is to please hym Besides that care I not for mannes pleasure or displeasure M. Welch No M. Greene quoth he thinke not so vncharitably of any man but iudge rather that men labour for your soules health as for theyr owne And alas how will you condemne all our forefathers Or how can you thinke your selfe to bee of the catholicke Church without anye continuaunce and contrary to the iudgement of all learned men Greene. Then sayde I Syr I haue no authoritie to iudge anye manne neuerthelesse I doubte not but that I am of the true catholicke Church howe soeuer our learned men here iudge of me Welche Why then sayd he do you suppose your own wyt and learning better then all theirs if you doe not geue credite onely to them other learned men shall resort vnto you that shal perswade you by the Scriptures and Doctours Greene. Sir ê™ I God knoweth that I refuse not to learn of any childe but I would embrace the trueth from the mouth of a naturall foole in any thing wherein I am ignorauÌ„t and that in all thinges sauing my faith But concerning the truth wherein I am throughly perswaded I cannot submit my selfe to learne vnlesse it be as youre maistership sayd that I perused the bookes on both sides For so might I make my selfe an indifferent iudge otherwise I may be seduced And here we fell out agayne in a long talke of the Churche wherein his learning and wit was much aboue myne but in the ende I told hym I was perswaded and that hee did but lose his labour Welch Why then ê™ he what shall I report to my Lord Greene. Euen as pleaseth you ê™ I or els you may say that I would be glad to learne if I had bookes on both sides So he going in the Bishoppes euen then risen and ready to depart asked how he liked me He aunswered in fayth my Lord he will be glad to learne whiche wordes when they were taken least they
such in our consciences as euery Christian man is bound to confesse to be the truth of God and euery member of Christes church here in England must needes embrace the same in heart and confesse it with mouth if need require loose and forsake not onely house land possessions riches wife children and friends but also if God will so call them gladly to suffer all manner of persecution and to loose their liues in the defence of GODS worde and trueth set out amongest vs. For our Sauiour Christ requireth the same of vs saying Who soeuer shal be ashamed of me and my worde before this adulterous and sinfull generation the sonne of man will also be ashamed of hym when he shall come in the glorye of his father with the holye Aungels And agayne sayth he Who soeuer will confesse me before men I will confesse him before my father that is in heauen And who soeuer will deny me before men I will also deny hym before my father that is in heauen And whosoeuer shall speake a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him but who soeuer shall rayle against the holy ghost it shall not be forgeuē him We humbly beseeche the Queenes Maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners bee not offended with vs for confessing this truth of God so straightly geuen vs in charge of Christ neither bring vppon vs that great sinne that neuer shall be forgeuen and shall cause our Sauiour Iesu Christ in the great day of iudgement before his heauenly Father all his Aungels to deny vs to take frō vs the blessed price and raunsome of his bloudshed wherwith we are redeemed For in that day neither the Queenes highnes neither you nor any man shal be able to excuse vs nor to purchase a pardon of Christ for this horrible sinne and blasphemye of casting aside and condemning his word We can not agree nor consent vnto this so horrible a sinne but we beseeche God for his mercy to geue vs and all menne grace moste earnestly to flee from it and rather if the will of God be so to suffer all extremitie and punishment in thys world then to incurre such damnation before God Manasses who restored agayn the wickednes of idolatrous religiō before put down by Ezechias his father brought the wrath of God vpon the people so that the scriptures sayth Notwithstanding the reformation made by Iosias the Lord turned not from the fiercenes of his great wrath wherwith hee was angrye agaynst Iuda because of the prouocation with the which Manasses prouoked him And the Lord said euen Iuda will I take away from my presence as I cast away Israell I will cast away this Citty of Ierusalem and the house whereof I sayd my name shall be there Ieroboam who at Bethel and Dan erected vp a new found seruice of God and not onely sinned himselfe but also made all Israel to sinne with him so that not onely he was damned for commaunding but the wrath of God came vppon all Israell for obeing that his vngodly commandement Yet was it not so heynous offence to bring man Idolatry neither yet heard of as after reformation made by the godly kinges and princes by the vertuous and holy Bishoppes by the Prophets and seruaunts of God to reiecte and cast of the word and true Religion of GOD and to receaue againe a damned impietie This moste heynous offence is now offered vnto vs although the same be paynted and coloured with the name of reformation restoring of religion auncient fayth wyth the name of the catholicke Churche of vnitie Catholicke truth with the cloke of fayned holines These are sheepe skinnes vnder the which as Christ saith rauening Wolues couer themselues But Christ willeth vs to looke vpon their fruites whereby we may know them and truely this is no good fruite to cast aside Gods word and to bānish the English seruice out of the Churches and in the place of it to bring in a latine tongue vnknowne vnto the people Which as it edifieth no man so hath it bene occasion of all blindnes and errour amonge the people For afore the blessed reformation begun by the most noble Prince of godlye memory the queenes good father and by our late holy and innocent king her good brother finished it is not vnknowne what blindnes errour wee were all in when not one man in all this realme vnlearned in the latine could say in English the Lordes prayer or knew any one article of his beliefe or rehearse any one of the x. cōmandementes And that ignoraunce mother of mischiefe was the very roote and well spring of all Idolatry Sodomiticall Monkery and whorish chastitie of vnmaryed priests of all whoredome dronkennes couetousnes swearing blasphemie with al other wicked sinfull liuing These brought in the seuere wrathe and vengeance of GOD plaging sinne with famine and pestilence and at last the sword consumed and auenged all theyr impietie and wicked liuing As it is greatly to be feared the same or more greuous plagues shall now agayne follow We cannot therefore consent nor agree that the worde of God and praiers in our English tongue which we vnderstand should be taken away from vs and for it a latin seruice we wote not what for none of vs vnderstande it to be agayne brought in amongest vs specially seeing that Christ hath sayd My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me I geue to them euerlasting life The seruice in Englishe teacheth vs that wee are the Lords people and the sheep of his pasture and commandeth that we harden not our hartes as when they prouoked the Lordes wrathe in the wildernes least hee sweare vnto vs as he did sweare vnto them that they should not enter into his rest The seruice in Latine is a confused noyse which if it be good as the say it is yet vnto vs that lack vnderstāding what goodnes can it bring S. Paule commaundeth that in the Churches all thinges shoulde bee done to edifying which we are sure is Gods commaundement But in the Latine seruice nothing is done to edifying but contrarily al to destroy those that are already edified and to driue vs from Gods word and truth and from beleuing of the same and so to bring vs to beleue lyes and fables that tempting and prouoking God we shoulde be brought into the iudgement that blessed Paule speaketh of saying Antichrist shall come according to the working of Satan with all manner of power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes in those that pearish because they haue not receyued the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therfore God wil send them strong delusion that they should beleue lyes be damned as many as haue not beleued the truth but haue approued vntighteousnesse Thus altogether drawne from God we shall fal into his wrath through vnbeliefe till
you as good authoritye agaynst me in my cause now as Ireneus had agaynst those heretickes But the church of Rome hath swarued from the truth and simplicitye of the Gospell whiche it mainteined in Ireneus time and was vncorrupted from that whiche it is nowe wherefore your Lordships can not iustly apply the authority of Ireneus to the Church of Rome now which is so manifestly corrupted from the Primitiue Church Boner So will you saye still it maketh nothinge for the purpose whatsoeuer authority wee bring and will neuer be satisfied Phil. My Lorde when I doe by iust reason proue that the authorities which be brought agaynst me doe not make to the purpose as I haue alredy proued I trust you will receiue mine aunswere Worc. It is to be prooued most manifestly by all auncient writers that the Sea of Rome hath alwayes folowed the truth and neuer was deceiued vntill of late certayne heretickes had defaced the same Phil. Let that be proued and I haue done Worcest Nay you are of suche arrogancy singularitye and vayne glory that you will not see it be it neuer so wel proued Phil. Ha my Lordes is it nowe time thinke you for me to folow singularity or vayne glory since it is now vpon daunger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come and I know if I dye not in the true fayth I shall dye euerlastingly and agayne I knowe if I do not as you would haue me you will kill me and many thousandes moe yet had I leuer perish at your handes then to perishe eternally And at this time I haue lost all my coÌ„modities of this worlde and now lye in a colehouse where a man would not lay a dog with the whiche I am well contented Cole Where are you able to prooue that the Churche of Rome hath erred at any time and by what Historye certayne it is by Eusebius that the Church was stablished at Rome by Peter and Paul and that Peter was bishop 25. yeares at Rome Phil. I know well that Eusebius so writeth but if we coÌ„pare that which saynt Paul writeth to the Galathians the first it will manifestlye appeare the contrarye that he was not halfe so long there He liued not past 35. yeres after he was called to be an Apostle and Paul maketh mention of his abiding at Hierusalem after Christes death more then 18. yeares Cole What did Peter write to the Galathians Phil. No I say Paule maketh mention of Peter writing to the Galathians and of his abiding at Hierusalem And further I am able to proue both by Eusebius other Historiographers that the church of Rome hath manifestly erred and at this present doth erre because shee agreeth not with that which they wrote The primitiue Church didde vse according to the Gospell and there needeth none other proofe but compare the one with the other Bon. I may compare this man to a certayne man I reade of which fell into a desperation weÌ„t into a wood to hang himselfe and wheÌ„ he came there he went vewing of euery tree and could find none on the which he might vouchsafe to hange himselfe But I will not apply it as I mighte I pray you M. Doctor go forth with him Cole My Lord there be on euery side on me that be better able to answere him and I loue not to fall in disputation for that now a daies a man shal not but susteine shame and obloquy thereby of the people I had leuer shewe my mind in writing Phil. And I had leuer that you should do so then otherwise for then a man may better iudge of your words then by argument and I beseeche you so to do But if I were a rich man I durst wager an hundred pouÌ„des that you shal not be able to shew that you haue sayde to be decreed by a generall Counsell in Athanasius time For this I am sure of that it was concluded by a generall Councell in Africa many yeares after that none of Africa vnder payne of excommunication should appeale to Rome the which Decree I am sure they woulde not haue made if by the scriptures by an vniuersall Councell it had bene decreed that al meÌ„ should abide folow the determination of the churche at Rome Cole But I can shew that they reuoked that error again Phil. So you say M. Doctour but I pray you shewe me where I haue hitherto heard nothing of you for my conteÌ„tation but bare wordes without any authority Boner What I pray you ought we to dispute with you of our fayth Iustinian in the law hath a title De fide Catholica to the contrary Phil. I am certayne the Ciuill lawe hath such a constitution but our fayth must not depend vpon the ciuil law For as saynt Ambrose sayth Non lex sed fides congregauit Ecclesiam Not the lawe but the Gospell sayth hee hath gathered the church together Worcest M. Philpot you haue the spirit of pride wherewith ye be led which will not let you to yelde to the truth leaue it for shame Phil. Syr I am sure I haue the spirite of fayth by the which I speake at this present neyther am I ashamed to stand in my fayth Glocest. What do you thinke your selfe better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Phil. Elias alone had the truth when they were foure huÌ„dreth priestes agaynst him Worcest Oh you would be counted now for Helias And yet I tel thee he was deceiued for he thoght there had bene none good but himselfe and yet he was deceiued for there were seuen hundred besides him Phil. Yea but he was not deceiued in doctrine as the other seuen hundred were Worcest By my fayth you are greatly to blame that you can not be conteÌ„t to be of the Church which euer hath â—en of that faythfull antiquity Phil. My Lord I know Rome and haue bene there wher I saw your Lordship Worcest In deede I did flee from hence thither and I remember not that I saw you there But I am sory that you haue bene there for the wickednesse which you haue seene there peraduenture causeth you to do as you do Phil. No my Lord I doe not as I do for that cause for I am taught otherwise by the Gospell not altogether to refuse the minister for his euill liuing so that he bring sound doctrine out of Gods booke Worc. Doe you thinke that the vniuersall Church may be deceiued Phil. S. Paul to the Thessalonians prophesieth that there should come an vniuersall departing from the faith in the latter dayes before the coÌ„ming of Christ saying Non veniet Christus nisi venerit defectio prius that is Christ shal not come till there come a departing fyrst Cole Yea I pray you how take you the departyng there in S. Paule It is not meant of fayth but of the departing from the Empyre For it is in
say you woulde you haue come to Masse or no if the doores had sooner bene opened Phil. My Lord that is an other maner of question Lon. Loe maister Chauncellour I tolde you we shoulde haue a froward fellow of him he will answere directly to nothing I haue had him before both spiritual Lords and the temporall and thus he fareth stil yet he reckeneth him selfe better learned then all the realme Yea before the temporall Lordes the other day he was so foolish to chalenge the best he woulde make him selfe learned and is a verye moraunt foole in deede Phil I recken I answeared your Lordshippe before the Lordes plaine enough London Why answearest thou not directly whether thou wouldest haue gone to Masse with vs or no if thou haddest câ—me in time Phil. Mine answere shall be thus that if your Lordship can prooue your masse whereunto you would haue me to come to be the true seruice of God wherunto a Christian ought to come I will afterward come with a good will London Loke I pray you the King and the Queene and all the Nobilitie of the realme doe come to Masse and yet he will not By my faith thou art too well handled thou shalt be worse handled hereafter I warrant thee Phil. If to lie in a blind Colehouse may be counted good handling both without fire candle then may it be sayd I am well handled Your lordship hath power to entreat my body as you list Lond. Thou art a foole and a very ignoraunt foole Maister Chauncellour in good faith I haue handled hym and his fellowes with as much gentlenesse as they can desire I lette their frends come vnto them to relieue them And wot ye what the other day they had gotteÌ„ themselues vp into the top of the leades with a many of preutises gasing abroad as though they had bene at libertie but I shall cut of your resort and as for the prentises they were as good not to come to you if I take them Philpot. My Lord we haue no such resorte to vs as your Lordship imaginâ—th and there commeth very fewe vnto vs. And of prentises I know not one neither haue we any leades to walke on ouer our Colehouse that I wot of wherfore your Lordship hath mistaken your marke Lond. Nay nowe you thinke because my Lorde Chauncellour is gone that we wil burne no mo yes I warrant thee I will dispatch you shortly vnlesse yoâ— do recant Phil. My lord I had not thought that I shuld haue ben 〈◊〉 now neither so raw as I am but wel rosted to ashes Chaunc Case not your selfe wilfully away M. Philpot. Be content to be ruled by my lord here and by other learned men of this realme and you may do wel inough Phil. My conscience beareth me recorde that I seeke to please God that the loue and feare of God causeth me to do as I doe and I were of all other creatures most miserable if for mine owne will onely I did loose all the commodities I might haue in this life and afterward to be cast to damnation But I am sure it is not my wil wheron I stande but Gods will which will not suffer me to be cast away I am sure Chaunc You are not so sure but you may be deceiued Lon. Well since thou wilt not be conformable by no faire meane I will procede against thee Ex officio and therefore harken here to such articles as I haue heere wrytten and I charge thee to make answere to them and with that he red a liâ—ell which hee had in his hand of diuers Articles and when he had done he bad me answere Philpot. Your libel my lord containeth in summe 2. speciall poyntes The first pretendeth that I should be of your dioces and therefore your lordship vpon diuers suspectes infamies of heresie going vpon me is moued to procede against me by your ordinarie office the which first is not true for that I am not of your Lordships diocesse as the libel doth preteÌ„d And the second is that I being baptised in the catholicke church and in the catholicke faith am gone from them the which is not so for I am of that catholicke faith and church as I was baptised vnto London What art thou not of my Dioces Where are ye now I pray you Phil. My lord I can not deny but I am in your cole house which is your diocesse yet am I not of your diocesse Lond. You were sent hether vnto me by the Queenes maiesties commissioners and thou art nowe in my diocesse wherefore I will proceede against thee as thy Ordinarie Phil. I was brought hether through violence and therefore my present being now in your diocesse is not inough to abridge me of mine owne ordinary iurisdiction neither maketh it mee vnwillingly subiecte to your iurisdiction since it commeth by force and by such men as had no iust authority so to doe no more then a sanctuarie man being by force brought forth of his place of priuiledge doth ther by lose his priuiledge but alwaies may chalenge the same where soeuer he be brought Chadsey Hath not the Queenes maiestie authoritie by her commissioners to remoue your body whether shee will and ought you not to obey heerein Phil. I graunt that the Queenes maiestie of her iust power may traÌ„spose my body whether it shall please her grace to commaunde the same But yet by your lawes Spiritualia non sunt subiecta Imperatoris potestati i. Spiritual causes be not subiect to the temporal power As for example you M. doctor if the Queenes maiestie woulde appoynt two temporall men to be iudges ouer you in certaine spirituall matters might not you alledge the priuiledge of a clearke demaund competent spirituall iudges in your causes London Doth not a man I pray you sortiri forum ratione delecti Phil. My Lord your rule is true in temporal matters but in spirituall causes it is not so which be otherwise priuiledged London What sayest thou then to the seconde article and to the other Phil. My Lord I say that I am not bound to answere the second neither the rest vnlesse the first be prooued London Well suppose the first may be prooued as it will be what wil you say then to the second that you are not of the same catholicke faith neither of the same church now as you were baptised in Phil. I am of the same catholicke faith and of the same catholicke church which is of Christ the piller and stablishment of truth London Nay that you are not Phil. Yes that I am London Your Godfathers and Godmothers were of an other faith then you be now Phil. I was not baptised neither into my Godfathers faith nor my Godmothers but into the faith into the church of Christ. London How know you that Phil. By the word of God which is the touchstone of faith and the limites of the Church Lon. Howe
to come which fleshe and bloud can not comprehend Being in the middest of my sweete rest it seemed me to see a great beautifull Citie all of the colour of Azure and white foure square in a marueilous beautifull composition in the middest of the skie the sight whereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to expresse the consolation I had thereof yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my hart to leape for ioy and as charitie is no churle but would others to bee pertakers of his delight so mee thought I called to others I cannot tel whom whiles they came and we together beheld the same by and by to my great griefe it vaded away This dreame I thinke not to haue come of the illusion of the senses because it brought with it so much spirituall ioy and I take it to be of the workyng of Gods spirite for the contentation of your request as he wrought in Peter to satisfy Cornelius Therfore I interprete this beautifull Citie to be the glorious Church of Christ and the appearance of it in the skie signifieth the heauenly state thereof whose conuersation is in heauē and that according to the Primitiue Church which is now in heauen men ought to measure and iudge the church of Christ now in earth for as the Prophet Dauid sayth The foundations thereof be in the holy hils and glorious thyngs be spoken of the city of God And the maruelous quadrature of the same I take to signifie the vniuersal agreement in the same and that all the Church here militant ought to consent to the Primitiue Church throughout the foure parts of the worlde as the Prophete affirmeth saying God maketh vs to dwell after one maner in one house And that I conceyued so wonderfull ioy at the contemplation therof I vnderstand the vnspeakeable ioy which they haue that bee at vnitie wyth Christes Primitiue Church For there is ioy in the holye Ghost and peace which passeth all vnderstanding as it is written in the Psalmes As of ioyful persons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee And that I called others to the fruition of this vision and to behold this wonderfull city I conster it by the will of God this vision to haue come vppon me musing on your letter to the ende that vnder this figure I might haue occasion to mooue you with many others to behold the Primatiue church in all your opinions concernyng fayth and to conforme your selfe in all poynts to the same which is the piller and stablishment of truth and teacheth the true vse of the sacraments and hauyng with a greater fulnesse then we haue now the first fruits of the holy Ghost did declare the true interpretatiō of the scriptures accordyng to all veritie euen as our Sauiour promised to send them an other comforter whiche should teach them all truth And since all truth was taught reuealed to the Primitiue church which is our mother let vs all that be obedient children of God submit our selues to the iudgement of the Church for the better vnderstanding of the Articles of our faith and of the doubtful sentences of the scripture Let vs not go about to shew in vs by followyng any priuate mans interpretation vpon the word an other spirite then they of the Primitiue Church had least we deceyue ourselues For there is but one fayth and one spirit which is not contrary to hymselfe neyther otherwyse now teacheth vs then he did then Therefore let vs beleue as they haue taught vs of the Scriptures and be at peace with them accordyng as the true Catholicke Church is at this day and the God of peace assuredly will be with vs deliuer vs out of all our worldly troubles and miseries make vs partakers of their ioy and blisse through our obedience to sayth with them Therefore God commaundeth vs in Iob to aske of the elder generation and to search diligently the memory of the Fathers For we are but yesterdayes children and be ignorant and our dayes are like a shadowe and they shall teach thee sayth the Lorde and speake to thee and shall vtter wordes from their hartes And by Salomon w◠are commaunded not to reiecte the direction of our mother The Lorde graunt you to direct your steppes in all thinges after her and to abhorre all contention with her For as S. Paule writeth If any man be contentious neither we neither the Church of God hath any such custome Hitherto I haue shewed you good brother S. my iudgement generally of that you stande in doubt and dissent frō others to the which I wishe you as myne owne harte to be conformable and then doubtles you can not erre but boldly may be glad in your troubles and triumph at the houre of your death that you shall dye in the Church of God a faythfull Martyr and receiue the crowne of eternall glory And thus much haue I written vpon the occasion of a vision before God vnfayned But that you may not thinke that I goe about to satisfie you with vncertain visions onely and not after Gods word I will take the ground of your letter and specially answere to the same by the scriptures and by vnfallible reasons reduced out of the same proue the Baptisme of Infantes to be lawfull commendable and necessary whereof you seeme to stand in doubt In deed if you looke vppon the papisticall Synagogue onely which hath corrupted gods word by false interpretations and hath peruerted the true vse of Christes sacraments you might seeme to haue good handfast of your opinion agaynst the Baptisme of Infants But forasmuch as it is of more antiquitie and hath his beginning from gods worde and from the vse of the Primatiue Church it must not in respect of the abuse in the popish Church be neglected or thought not expedient to be vsed in Christs church Auxentius one of the Arrians sect with hys adherentes was one of the first that denied the Baptisme of children and next after hym Pelagius the heretike and some other there were in S. Bernardes tyme as it doth appeare by hys writyngs and in our dayes the Anabaptists an inordinate kynd of men stirred vp by the deuill to the destruction of the Gospel But the Catholike truth deliuered vnto vs by the Scriptures playnly determineth that al such are to be baptised as whom God acknowledgeth for hys people and voucheth them worthy of sanctification or remission of theyr sinnes Therefore since that Infants be in the number or scroll of Gods people and be partakers of the promise by theyr purification in Christ it must needes follow thereby that they ought to be baptised as well as those that can professe their fayth For we iudge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promise of GOD as by the confession of fayth For to whome so euer God promiseth hymselfe to be theyr God whom
Gentleman He shall be sure cast away if we once bring him to CroydoÌ„ surely quoth the Gentleman before God I speake it if thou Perlebeane were of my mind we would neuer bring him thither Say you so quoth the Porter I knowe that you be of a great deale more credit then I am in this matter and therfore if you can deuise honestly or finde some reasonable excuse wherby we may let him goe prouide for himselfe I will with all my hart condescend to your deuise As for that quoth the gentleman it is already inueÌ„ted how which waies he shall conuey himselfe without any great daunger or displeasure taken towardes vs as the matter shal be handled You see quoth the gentlemaÌ„ yonder hill before vs named bristow cawsy 2. miles froÌ„ LoÌ„don there are great woodes on both sides when we come there we will permit Frith to go into the woodes on the left hand of the way wherby he may coÌ„uey himselfe into kent amoÌ„g his frends for he is a kentish man borne wheÌ„ he is gone we will linger an houre or twayn about the high way vntill that it somewhat draw towardes the night Then in great hast we will approch vnto Streatham which is a myle and a halfe of and an outcry in the Towne that our prisoner is broken from vs into the woodes on the right hand towardes Waynisworth so that we will drawe as manye as wee may of the Towne to search the country that way for our prisoner declaring that wee followed aboue a myle and more and at length loste him in the woodes because wee hadde no more companye and so wee wyll rather then fayle lye out one night in searching for him and sende worde from Stretham to my Lorde of Canterbury at Croyden in the euening of the prisoners escape and to what Coast hee is fledde So that by the morning if hee haue any good lucke at all hee will so prouide for himselfe that the Byshoppes shall fayle of their purpose I assure you quoth Perlebeane I like very well the deuise herein and therefore goe ye to Frith and declare what wee haue deuised for hys deliuery for nowe we are almost at the place When my Lorde of Caunterburyes gentleman came nyghe to the hill he ioyned himselfe in companye wyth the sayd Frith and calling him by hys name sayd Now Mayster Frithe let vs twayne commune together an other whiles you must consider that the iourney whiche I haue nowe taken in hande thus in bringing you to Croyden as a sheepe to the slaughter so it greeueth me and as it were ouerwhelmeth me in cares and sorrowes that I little passe what daunger I fall in so that I could finde the meanes to deliuer you oute of the Lyons mouthe And yet yonder good fellowe and I hâ—ue so deuised a meanes whereby you maye bothe easily escape from this great and Imminent daunger at hande and wee also bee rydde from any vehement suspicion And thereupon declared vnto Fryth the full processe discoursed before how euery thing in order should be handled When Frith had dilligently heard all the matter concerning hys deliuery he sayd to the gentleman Oh good Lorde wyth a smiling countenaunce is this the effecte of youre secret consultation thus longe betweene you twayne Surely surely you haue loste a great deale more labour in tymes past and so are you lyke to doe this for if you should both leaue me here and goe to Croyden declaring to the Byshoppes that you had lost Fryth I would surely follow as fast after as I might and bring them newes that I hadde founde and brought Fryth agayne Do you thinke quoth he that I am afrayde to declare my opinion vnto the Byshoppes of Englande in a manifest trueth You are a fonde manne quoth the Gentleman thus to talke As thoughe youre reasoning with them might do some good But I doe much maruell that you were so willing to flye the Realme before you were taken and nowe so vnwilling to saue youre selfe Mary there was and is a great diuersitie of escaping betweene th one and thother quoth Frith Before I was in deede desirous to escape because I was not attached but at libertie which liberty I woulde fayne haue enioyed for the maynteynance of my study beyond the See where I was a reader in the Greeke tong according to S. Paules Counsaile Howbeit now being taken by the higher power and as it were by almightye gods permission and prouidence deliuered into the hands of the Bishops only for religion doctrines sake namely such as in conscience and vnder paine of damnation I am bound to maynteyne and defend if I should now start aside and runne away I should runne from my God and from the testimony of his holy worde worthy then of an 1000. hels And therfore I most hartily thanke you both for your good willes towards me beseching you to bring me where I was appointed to bee brought for els I will go thether all alone And so with a chearfull mery countinance he went with them spending the time with pleasant godly communication vntil they came to Croyden where for that night he was wel entertained in the Porters lodge On the morow he was called before certayn Bish. and other learned men sitting in commission with my Lorde of Cant to be examined where he shewed himself passing ready ripe in answering to all obiections as some then reported incredible and contrary to al mens expectatioÌ„s And his allegations both of S. Augustine other ancient fathers of the Church was such that some of them muche doubted of S. Augustines authoritie in that behalf Insomuch that it was reported of suche as were nigh and about the Archbishop of Caunterbury who then was not fully resolued of the sincere truth of that article that when they had finished their examination with Frith the Archbyshoppe conferring wyth Doctour Heathe priuately betwene themselues sayd This man hath wonderfullye trauayled in this matter and yet in mine opinion hee taketh the Doctours amisse Well my Lord should D. Heth say there was no man that coulde auoyd his authorityes of S. Augustine Wherein sayd my Lord. Then Doctour Heth began to repeate the sayd authorities of Saynt Augustine againe inferring and applying them so strayghtly agaynst my Lord of Caunterbury that my Lord was driuen to this shotte anker and sayd I see by it quoth he to Heth that you with a little more studye will bee easely brought to Frythes opinion or such like wordes in effect And some Chapleines there were of my Lorde of Caunterburyes which openly reported that Doctor Heth was as able to defend Frythes assertion in the Sacrament as Fryth was himselfe This learned young man being thus throughly sifted at Croydon to vnderstand what he could say or do in his cause there was no man willing to preferre hym to aunswere in open disputation as poore Lambart was But nowe without regarde of learning or good knowledge hee
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
Baptisme is a marke of Christes Church a seale and confirmation of our acception into the grace fauour of God for Christes sake For his innocencie his righteousnesse his holinesse his iustice is ours geuen vs of God and our sinnes and vnrighteousnesse by his obedience and abasing of him selfe to the death of the crosse are his whereof Baptisme is the signe seale and confirmation Baptisme is also a signe of repentaunce to testifie that we be borne to the waues of pearils and chaunges of life to the intent that we should die continually as loÌ„g as we liue from sinne and rise againe like new men vnto righteousnesse Rom. 6. The other Sacrament which is the supper and holy Maundie of our Sauiour Christ whereby the church of Christ is knowen I beleeue to be a remembraunce of Christes death and passion a seale and confirmation of his moste precious bodye geuen vnto death euen to the vile death of the crosse wherewith wee are redeemed and deliuered from sinne death hell and damnation It is a visible woorde because it worketh the same thing in the eyes which the worde worketh in the eares For like as the worde is a meane to the eares whereby the holy Ghost mooueth the heart to beleue Romanes 10. so this sacrament is a meane to the eyes whereby the holy Ghost moueth the hart to beleue it preacheth peace betweene God and man it exhorteth to mutuall loue and all godly life and teacheth to contemne the world for the life to come when as Christ shall appeare which now is in heauen and no where els as concerning his humane body Yet do I beleeue assuredly that his very body is present in his moste holy Supper at the contemplation of oure spirituall eyes and so verely eaten with the mouth of our faith For as soone as I heare these most comfortable and heauenly woordes spoken and pronouÌ„ced by the mouth of the Minister This is my body which is geuen for you when I heare I say this heauenly harmonie of Gods vnfallible promises and truthe I looke not vppon neyther doe I beholde breade and wine for I take and beleue the wordes simply and plainly euen as Christe spake them For hearing these wordes my senses be rapt and vtterly excluded for faith wholely taketh place and not flesh nor the carnall imaginations of our grosse fleshly and vnreuerent eating after the maner of our bodily foode whiche profiteth nothinge at all as Christe witnesseth Iohn 6 but with a sorrowfull and wounded conscience an hungry and thirsty soule a pure and faithfull mind do fully embrace beholde and feede and looke vppon that most glorious body of Christ in heauen at the right hande of God the father very God and very man which was crucified and slaine and his bloud shed for our sinnes there nowe making intercession offering and geuing his holy body for me for my body for my raunsome for my full price and satisfaction who is my Christ and all that euer hee hath and by this spirituall and faithfull eating of this liuelye and heauenlye breade I feele the moste sweete sâ—ppe and taste of the fruites benefites and vnspeakeable ioyes of Christes deathe and passion fullye disgested into the bowelles of my soule For my minde is quieted from all worldly aduersities tormoylinges and trouble my conscience is pacified from sinne deathe hell and damnation my soule is full and hathe euen enough and will no more for all things are but losse vile dounge and drosse vayne vanitie for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesu my Lord and Sauiour Thus nowe is Christes flesh my very meate in deede and hys bloud my very drinke in deede I am become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Nowe I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in me yea I dwell in him and he in mee for thorough faithe in Christe and for Christes sake we are one that is of one consente minde and fellowshippe with the Father the Sonne and the hol Ghost Iohn 17. Thus am I assured and fullye perswaded and on this rocke haue I builded by Gods grace my dwelling and resting place for body and soule life and death And thus I commit my cause vnto Christe the righteous and iust iudge who will an other day iudge these debates and controuersies whome I humbly beseeche to cast his tender and mercifull eyes vppon the afflicted and ruinous Churches and shortly to reduce them into a godly and perpetuall concorde Amen Thus do I beleeue and this is my faith and my vnderstanding in Christ my Sauiour and his true and holy religion And thys whosoeuer is ashamed to doe among this adulterous and sinnefull generation of hym shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels Robert Samuel William Allen Martyr NExt after the suffering of Robert Samuel aboute the beginning of September was burned William Allen in Walsingam labouring man seruaunte sometime to Iohn Houghton of Somerton He being broughte before the Bishop and asked the cause why he was imprisoned aunsweared that he was put in prison because he woulde not followe the Crosse saying that he woulde neuer go on Procession Then being willed by the Bishoppe to returne againe to the Catholicke Churche he aunsweared that he would turne to the Catholicke Churche but not to the Romishe Church and said that if he saw the King and Quene and all other folowe the crosse or kneele downe to the crosse he would not For the which sentence of condemnation was geueÌ„ against him the 12. of August and he burned at Walsingham about the beginning of September who declared suche constancie at hys Martyrdome and hadde suche credite wyth the Iustices by reason of hys vprighte and well tried conuersation among them that he was suffered to goe vntied to hys suffering there being fastened with a chaine stoode quietly without shrinking vntill he dyed The Martyrdome of Roger Coo of Melforde in Suffolke Shereman first examined before the Byshop of Norwich and by him condemned Anno 1555. August 12. ROger Coo broughte before the Bishop first was asked why he was imprisoned Coo· At the Iustices commaundement Bishop There was some cause why Coo. Heere is my accuser let hym declare And his accuser sayde that hee woulde not receyue the Sacrament Bish. Then the Bishop sayde that he thought he had transgressed a lawe Coo. But Coo answered that there was no law to transgresse Bish. The Bishop then asked what he sayd to the law that then was Coo. He answered how he had bene in prison a long time and knew it not No sayd his accuser nor wilt not My Lord aske him when he receiued the Sacrament Coo. When Coo heard him say so he sayde I pray you my Lord let him sit downe and examine me him selfe Bish. But the Bishoppe woulde not heare that but sayde Coo why will ye not receiue
Doctour Fuller you must vnderstand that Christ spake to the Scribes and Phariseys Nay Mayster Doctour sayth Wolsey Christ spake eueÌ„ to you and your felowes here present to al other such like as you be Away Mayster Doctor saith Christopherson for you can do no good with this man Yet sayth D. Fuller I will leane thee a booke to read I promise thee of a learned maÌ„s doing that is to say of Doctor Watsons doing who was then Bishop of Lincolne Wolsey receiuing the same booke did diligently reade it ouer which in many places did manifestly appeare contrary to the knowne trueth of Gods word At the length a fourtnight or three weekes folowing the sayde Doctour Fuller resorting agayne to the prison house to confer with the sayd Wolsey did aske him how he liked the sayd booke thinking that he had won him by the reading of the same who aunswered him and sayd Syr I like the booke no otherwise then I thought before I should find it Wherupon the Chauncellor taking his booke departed home At night when D. Fuller came to his chamber to looke on it he did finde in many places coÌ„trary to his minde the booke raced with a pen by the sayd Wolsey The which hee seing and being vexed therwith sayd Oh this is an obstinate hereticke and hath quite marred my booke Then the Syse holden at Wisbich drawing nye Doctor Fuller commeth agayne to the sayd Wolsey and speaketh vnto him on this maner Thou doest much trouble my coÌ„science wherfore I pray thee depart rule thy 〈◊〉 so that I heare no more complaint of thee and come to the Church when thou wilt and if thou be complayned vpon so farre as I may I promise thee I will not heare of it Mayster Doctour quoth Wolsey I was brought hyther by a law and by a law I will be deliuered Then being broughte to the Sessions before named Wolsey was layd in the Castle at Wisbich thinking to him and al his freÌ„des that he should haue suffered there at that present time but it proued nothing so Then Robert Pygot the painter being at liberty was there presented by some euill disposed persons sworne meÌ„ as they called them for not comming to the Church The sayd Pygot being called in the Sessions woulde not absent himselfe but there did playnely appeare before Syr Clement Hygham being Iudge who sayd vnto him Ah are you the holy father the Paynter How chaunce ye came not to the Churche Syr quoth the Paynter I am not out of the Church I trust in God No Syr sayd the Iudge this is no Churche this is a Haule Ye sir sayd Pygot I know very wel it is a Haule but he that is in the true faith of Iesus Christ is neuer absent but present in the Church of God Ah Syrha sayd the Iudge you are to high learned for me to talke withall wherfore I will send you to them that be better learned then I strayght wayes commaundynge him to the Iayle where Wolsey lay So the SessioÌ„s being broken vp and ended the sayd Wolsey and Pigot were caryed agayne to Eley into yrison where they both did remayne till the day of theyr death In the meane time certaine of theyr neighbors of Wisbych aforesayd being at Eley came to see how they did There came thither also a Chapleine of Bishop Gooderikes a Frenchman borne one Peter Ualentius who said vnto the said Wolsey and Pygot My brethren according to mine office I am come to talk with you for I haue bene Amner here this xx yeares and aboue Wheerfore I must desire you my brethren to take it in good parte that I am come to talke with you I promise you not to pull you from your fayth But I both requyre and desire in the name of Iesus Christ that you stande to the truth of the Gospell and worde and I beseech the almighty God for his sonne Iesus Christes sake to preserue both you me in the same vnto the end For I knowe not myselfe my brethreÌ„ how soone I shal be at the same point that you now are Thus with many other like wordes he made an end causing all that were there present to water theyr cheekes contrary to al the hope they had in him god be praysed therfore Then within short time after Pygot and Wolsey wer called to iudgement about the ix daye of October before Doctor Fuller then Chauncellor with old Doctor Shaxton Christopherson and others in Commission who layd earnestly to theyr charge for theyr belief in diuers articles but especially of the Sacrament of the aultar Whereunto theyr auÌ„swere was that the Sacrament of the aultar was an Idoll and that the naturall body and bloud of Christe was not present really in the sayd Sacrament and to this opinion they sayd they would sticke beleuing perfectly the same to be no heresye that they had affirmed but the verye truth wherupoÌ„ they would stand Then said the Doctors that they were out of the Catholicke fayth Then Doctor Shaxton sayd vnto them good brethren remember your selues and become new men for I my self was in this â—ond opinion that you are nowe in but I am now become a new man Ah sayd Wolsey are you become a new man Wo be to thee thou wicked new man for God shal iustly iudge thee Doctour Fuller then spake saying this Wolsey is an obstinate felow and one that I could neuer do good vpon But as for the Paynter hee is a man quiet and indifferent as farre as I perceiue and is soone reformed and maye very well be deliuered for any euill opinion I find in him Then Christopherson called for penne and yncke and wrote these wordes folowing I Robert Pygot do beleue that after â—he wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest thâ—re remaineth no more bread and wine but the very body and bloud of Christ really substauntially the selfe same that was borne of the virgine Mary and reading it to the Paynter he sayd thus doest thou beleue all this according as it is written Pygot No Syr sayd the Paynter that is your fayth and not mine Christopher Loe Mayster Doctor Fuller you would haue letteÌ„ this felow go he is as much an heretick as the other And so immediately iudgemeÌ„t was geuen vpon theÌ„ to dye Which done after the seÌ„teÌ„ce read they were sent again to the prison where they did lye till the day of theyr death At which day one Peacocke Bachelor of diuinity being appoynted to preach took his text out of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corin. 5. chap. of one that had liued vnordinately by abusing his fathers wife likening the sayd Pygot and Wolsey to the same man often times saying that such members must be cut of from the congregation most maliciously reporting the sayd Wolsey to be cleane out of the fayth and in many places quite denying the Scripture So his Sermon being ended the forenamed Pygot
worshipping of God suche as God requireth of his that is in spirite and truth can neuer agree together But ye wil say where so great a company is gathered together it is not credible but there be two or three gathered in the name of Christ. I aunswere if there be one hundred good and two hundreth bad forasmuch as the decrees and ordinaunces are pronoūced according to the greater number of the multitude of voyces what can the lesse number of voyces auayle It is a knowen thing and a common prouerbe Oftentimes the greater part ouercommeth the better As touchyng general councels at this present I haue no more to say then you haue sayd Onely I referre you to your owne experience to thinke of our country parliamentes and conuocations howe and what ye haue seene and heard The more part in my tyme did bryng forth sixe articles for then the king would so haue it being seduced of certayne Afterward the more part did repell the same our good Iosias willing to haue it so The same articles now agayne alas another great but woorse parte hath restored O what an vncertaynty is thys But after thys sorte most commonly are mans proceedings God be mercifull vnto vs. Who shall deliuer vs from such tormentes of minde Therefore is death the best phisition but vnto the faythfull whome she together and at once deliuereth from all griefes You must thinke this written vpon this occasion because you woulde needes haue youre paper blotted If the matter should goe thus that in generall counsailes men shoulde not stand to the more number of the multitude I meane of them whiche ought to geue voyces then should no certaine rule be left vnto the Church by the which controuersies in weighty matters might be determined but it is not to be beleued that Christ woulde leaue his Church destitute of so necessary a helpe and safegarde Christ who is the most louing spouse of his espouse the church who also gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctify it vnto himselfe did geue vnto it aboundantly all things which are necessary to saluation but yet so that the church should declare it selfe obedient vnto hym in all things and keepe it selfe within the boundes of hys commaundemēts and further not to seeke any thing which he teacheth not as necessary vnto saluation Now further for determination of all controuersies in Christes Religion Christ him selfe hath left vnto the Church not onely Moses and the Prophetes whom he willeth his Church in al doubtes to go vnto and aske counsell at but also the Gospelles and the rest of the bodye of the newe testament in the whiche what soeuer is heard of Moses and the Prophetes and whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne vnto saluation is reuealed and opened So that now we haue no neede to say who shal clyme into heauen or who shall goe downe into the depth to tel vs what is needefull to bee done Christe hath done both and hath commended vnto vs the word of fayth whiche also is aboundantly declared vnto vs in his word written so that hereafter if we walke earnestly in this way to the searching out of the truth it is not to be doubted but thorough the certayne benefite of Christes spirite whiche hee hath promised vnto his wee may finde it and obtayne euerlasting life Shoulde men aske counsell of the dead for the liuing sayth Esay Let them go rather to the law and to the testimony c. Christ sendeth them that be desirous to know the truth vnto the scriptures saying searche the scriptures I remember a like thing well spoken of Hierome Ignoraunce of the scriptures is the mother and cause of all errours And in an other place as I remember in the same author The knowledge of the scriptures is the foode of euerlasting life But nowe me thinketh I enter into a very broad sea in that I begin to shew either out of the scriptures themselues or out of the ancient writers how muche the holy scripture is of force to teache the truth of our religiō But this is it that I am now about that Christ would haue the church his spouse in al doubts to aske counsell at the word of his father written faythfully left and commended vnto it in both Testaments the olde and the new Neither doe we read that Christ in anye place hath layde so great a burthen vppon the members of his spouse that he hath commaunded them to go to the vniuersall Churche What soeuer things are written saith Paule are written for our learning And it is true that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepheardes and teachers to the edifying of the sayntes till we come all to the vnity of fayth c. But that all men should meete together out of all partes of the world to define of the articles of our fayth I neither finde it commaunded of Christe nor written in the word of God There is diuersitie betwixt things pertayning to god or fayth and politicke and ciuill matters For in the first we must stand onely to the scriptures whiche are able to make vs all perfect and instructed vnto saluation if they be well vnderstāded And they offer themselues to be well vnderstanded onely to them which haue good willes and geue themselues to study and prayer Neither are there any men lesse apte to vnderstand them then the prudent wise men of the world But in the other that is in ciuil or politicke matters oftentimes the magistrates do tolerate a lesse euil for auoyding of a greater as they whiche haue this saying oft in their mouthes Better an inconuenience then a mischiefe And it is the property of a wise man saith one to dissemble many thinges and he that cannot dissēble cannot rule In whiche sayinges they bewray themselues that they do not earnestly weigh what is iust what is not Wherefore forasmuch as mans lawes if it be but in this respect onely that they be deuised by men are not able to bring any thing to perfectiō but are inforced of necessitie to suffer many thinges out of square and are compelled sometime to wincke at the worst things seeing they know not how to mayntayne the common peace and quiet otherwise they do ordayne that the more part shal take place You know what these kindes of speaches meane I speake after the maner of men yea walke after the maner of men al men are lyers And that of S. Augustine if ye lyue after mans reason yee do not lyue after the wyll of God If ye say the councels haue sometime erred or may erre how then should we beleue the catholicke Church For the councels are gathered by the authoritie of the Catholicke Churche From may be to be in deed is no good argument but from being to may be no man doubteth but it is a moste sure argument But
heart as I graunt I haue fealt sometimes before O good brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that euer I knewe thee Farewell farewell Your brother in Christ Nicholas Ridley Brother farewell To the brethren remaining in captiuitie of the flesh and dispearsed abroad in sundry prisones but knit together in vnity of spirit and holy Religion in the bowels of the Lorde Iesu. GRace peace mercye be multiplied among you What worthy thankes can we render vnto the Lorde for you my brethren namely for the great coÌ„solation which through you we haue receiued in the Lorde who notwithstanding the rage of Sathan that goeth about by all maner of subtill meanes to beguile the worlde and also buâ—lâ— laboreth to restore and set vp his kingdome againe that of late began to decay and fall to ruine ye remaine yet stil 〈◊〉 as men surely grounded vpon a strong rocke And nowe albeit that sathan by his souldiors and wicked ministers daily as we heare draweth numbers vnto hym so that it is sayd of him that he plucketh euen the very starres out of heauen whiles hee driueth into some men thâ— feare of death and losse of all their goods and sheweth and offereth to other some the pleasaunt baites of the worlde namelye richesse wealth and all kinde of delightes and pleasures faire houses great reuenues â—at benefices and what not and all to the intent they should fall downe worship not the Lorde but the Dragon the olde Serpent whych is the deuil that great beast and his image and should be inâ—iced to commit fornication with the strompet of Babilon together wyth the kings of the earth wyth the lesser beast and with the false Prophetes and so to reioyce and be pleasant wyth her and to be drunken wyth the wine of her fornication yet blessed be God the Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe which hath geuen vnto you a manly courage and hath so strengthened you in the inwarde man by the power of his spirite that you can contemne as well all the terrours as also the vaine flatteringe allurementes of the worlde esteeming them as vanities mere trifles things of nought Who hath also wroughte planted and surely stablished in your hearts so stedfast a fayth and loue of the Lorde Iesus Christe ioyned with such constancie that by no engines of Antichriste be they neuer so terrible or plausible yee will suffer any other Iesus or any other Christ to be forced vpon you besides him whom the Prophetâ— haue spoken of before the Apostles haue preached the holy Martyrs of God haue coÌ„fessed and testified with the effusion of their bloud In thys Faith stand ye fast my brethren and suffer not your selues to be brought vnder the yoke of bondage and superstition any more For ye know brethren howe that our sauiour warned his beforehand that such shoulde come as would poynt vnto the world an other Christ and woulde set him out wyth so many fals myracles and with such deceiueable and subtill practises that euen the very electe if it were possible should be therby deceiued such strong delusion to come did our Sauiour geue warning of before But continue ye faithful and constant and be of good comfort remember that our graund captaine hath ouercome the world for he that is in vs is stronger then he that is in the world and the Lorde promiseth vnto vs that for the elects sake the daies of wickednes shall be shortned In the meane season abide ye endure with patience as ye haue begun endure I say and reserue your selues vnto better times as one of the heathen Poetes said cease not to shew yourselues valiant Soldiours of the Lorde and helpe to maintaine the trauelling faith of the Gospell Yee haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye may receiue the promises For yet a very litle while and he that shall come will come and wil not tarie and the iust shall liue by faith but if anye withdrawe him selfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him sayth the Lorde But we are not they which doe withdrawe oure selues vnto damnation but beleeue vnto the saluation of the soule Let vs not suffer these woordes of Christ to fall out of our hearts by any manner of terrours or threatnings of the worlde Feare not them which kil the body the rest ye know For I wryte not vnto you as to menne which are ignoraunt of the truth but which know the truthe and to this ende onely that we agreeing together in one faith may take comfort one of an other and be the more confirmed and strengthened thereby We neuer had a better or more iust cause either to contemne our life or shed our bloud we can not take in hande the defence of a more certaine cleare and manifest truthe For it is not any ceremonie for the which we contend but it toucheth the very substance of our whole Religion yea euen Christ him selfe Shall we either can we receiue and acknowledge any other Christe in steade of hym who is alone the euerlasting sonne of the euerlasting Father and is the brightnesse of the glory and liuely image of the substaunce of the Father in whome onely dwelleth corporally the fulnesse of the Godhead who is the onely waye the truth and the life Let such wickednesse my brethren lette such horrible wickednesse be farre from vs. For althoughe there be that are called Gods whether in heauen either in earth as there be many Gods and many Lordes yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whome are al things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and wee by him but euery man hath not knowledge This is life eternal sayth S. Iohn that they know thee to be the onely true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. If any therfore would force vpon vs any other GOD besides him whom Paule and the Apostles haue taughte let vs not heare him but let vs flee froÌ„ him and hold him accursed Brethren ye are not ignorant of the deepe and profouÌ„d subtleties of Satan for he will not cease to raunge about you seking by all meanes possible whom he may deuour but play ye the men and be of good comfort in the Lorde And albeit your enemies and the aduersaries of the truth armed with all worldly force and power that may be doe set vppon you yet be not ye faynt harted nor shrinke not therfore but trust vnto your Captayne Christ trust vnto the spirit of truth trust to the truth of your cause which as it may by the malice of satan be darckened so can it neuer be cleane put out For we haue high prayse be geuen to God therfore most playnely euidently and clearely on our side all the Prophets all the Apostles and vndoubtedly all the auncient Ecclesiastical writers which haue writtan vntill
that is the very truth of Gods word wherein neuerthelesse as I trust ye your selfe will temper your owne iudgement and in a sobernes affirme no truth of your selfe whiche shoulde deuide the vnitie of the Congregation in Chryst and the receiued truth agreed vpon by holy fathers of the Churche consonaunt to the scripture of GOD euen so what soeuer ye will do therein as I thinke ye will not otherwise then ye should do I beyng vnlearned and not of the knowledge to geue sentence in this alteraâ—ion and contention must rather of good congruence shew my selfe in that you disagree with theÌ„ readyer to follow theyr doctrine in truth then yours vnlesse it may please almightye God to inspire and confirm the heartes of suche people to testify the same in some honest number as ought to induce me to geue credence vnto them Onely God knoweth the certayne trueth whiche is communicate vnto vs as our capacitie may comprehend it by fayth but that it is per speculum in enigmate And there haue bene qui zelum Dei habuerunt sed non secundum scientiam Among whiche I repute not you but to this purpose I write it that to cal this or that truth it requireth a deep and profound knowledge consideryng that to me vnlearned that I take for truth may be otherwyse not hauyng sensus exercitatos as saynct Paule sayth ad discernendum bonum malum and it is shewed me that an opinion or maner of teachyng which causeth dissension in a Christian congregation is not of God by the doctrine of S. Iohn in his Epistle where he sayth Omnis qui confitetur ChristuÌ„ in carne c. ex Deo est And like as the word of God hath alwayes caused dissension among men vnchristened wherevpon hath ensued and followed Martyrdome to the preacher so in Christes congregation amonge them that professe Christes name In vno Domino vno Baptismate vna fide they that preache and stirre rather contention then charitie though they can defeÌ„d their saying yet theyr teachyng is not to be taken as of God in that it breaketh the chayne of Christen charitie and maketh diuision in the people congregate and called by GOD into an vnitie of fayth and Baptisme But for thys poynt I would pray to God that not onely in the truth may be agreement but also suche sobernes and vniforme behauiour vsed in teachyng and preaching as men may wholy expresse as they may the charitie of God tendyng onely to the vnion in loue of vs all to the profite and saluation of our soules ¶ The aunswere of M. Latimer to the letter of Syr Edward Baynton aboue prefixed RIght worshypfull sir and my singular good mayster salutem in Christe Iesu with due commendation and also thankes for your great goodnes towardes me c. And whereas you haue communicate my last letters to certayne of your frendes whiche rather desire this or that in me c. what I thinke therein I wyll not now say not for that there could be any perill or daunger in the sayd letters well taken as farre as I can iudge but for that they were rashely and vndeuisedly scribled as yee might well know both by my excuse and by themselues also thoughe none excuse had bene made And besides that ye know right wel that wheras the Bee gathereth honey euen there the spinner gathereth venome not for any diuersity of the flower but for dyuers natures in them that sucketh the flower As in times past and in the beginning the very truth and one thinge in it selfe was to some offence to some foolishnes to other otherwise disposed the wisedome of God Such diuersitie was in the redresse of hearers therof But this notwithstandinge there is no more but eyther my wryting is good or bad if it be good the communicatynge thereof to your friendes cannot be hurtfull to me if it be otherwise why shoulde you not communicate it to them whiche both could and would instruct you in the truth and reforme my errour Let this passe I will not contend had I wyst commeth euer out of season Truely I were not well aduised if I would not eyther be glad of your instruction or yet refuse myne owne reformation but yet it is good for a man to looke or hee leapeth and God forbid that ye should be addict and sworne to me so wretched a foole that you should not rather followe the doctrine of your frendes in truth so great learned men as they appeare to be then the opinions of me hauing neuer so christen a brest Wherefore doe as you will for as I woulde not if I coulde so I cannot if I woulde be noysome vnto you but yet I saye I would my letters had bene vnwrytten if for none other cause at least way in asmuche as they cause me to more wrytynge an occupation nothyng meete for my mad head and as touching poyntes whiche in my foresayde letters mislike your friendes I haue now little leysure to make an answere thereto for the great busines that I haue in my little cure I knowe not what other men haue in their great cure seeyng that I am alone without anye Prieste to serue my cure without my scholer too read vnto me wythout any booke necessary to be looked vpon without learned men to come and counsell withall All whiche thynges other haue at hand abundantly but some thing must be done how soeuer it be I pray you take it in good worth as long as I temper myne owne iudgement affirming nothing with preiudice of better First yee mislike that I saye I am sure that I preache the truthe saying in reproofe of the same that god knoweth certayne truthe In deede alonely God knoweth al certayne truth and alonely God knoweth it as of himself and none knoweth certayne truth but God and those which be taught of God as saith S. Paule Deus enim illis patesecit And Christ himselfe erunt omnes docti a Deo And your frendes deny not but that certayne truth is communicate to vs as our capacitie may comprehend it by fayth whiche if it be trueth as it is then there ought no more to be required of any man but according to his capacitie nowe certayne it is that euery man hath not like capacitie c. But as to my presumption and arrogancye eyther I am certayne or vncertayne that it is trueth that I preache If it bee truth why may not I say so to courage my hearers to receaue the same more ardently and ensue it more studiously If I be vncertaine why dare I be so bold to preache it And if your frends in whom ye trust so greatly be preachers themselues after their sermon I pray you aske them whether they be certayne and sure that they taught you the truth or no and sende me worde what they say that I may learne to speake after them If they say
Article and required an aunswere and M. Ridley referred him to his aunswere in wryting exhybited now and also before at the time of disputation and like aunsweres were taken to all the residue of the Articles These aunsweres in maner rehearsed taken and penned of the Notaries the Byshop of Glocester began an exhortation to moue M. Ridley to turne Glo. If you would once empty your stomacke captiuate your senses subdue your reason and to gether with vs consider what a feeble ground of your religion you haue I doe not doubt but you might easely be perduced to acknowledge one Churche with vs to confesse one fayth with vs and to beleue one religion with vs. For what a weake and feeble stay in religion is this I pray you Latimer leaneth to Cranmer Cranmer to Ridley Ridley to the singularitie of his owne witte so that if you ouerthrowe the singularitie of Ridleyes wit then must needes the Religion of Cranmer and Latimer fall also You remember well M. Ridley that the Prophet speaketh most truely saying vae vae wo wo be to them which are singular and wise in their owne conceytes But you wyll saye here it is true that the Prophete sayth but how know you that I am wyse in myne owne conceyte Yes Maister Ridley you refuse the determination of the Catholike Churche you muste needes bee singular and wyse in your owne conceyte for you bryng Scripture for the probation of your assertions and wee also bryng Scriptures you vnderstande them in one sense and wee in an other Howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne interpretation then you are singular in your owne conceyte but if you say you wyll followe the myndes of the Doctors and auncient Fathers semblably you vnderstande them in one meanyng and wee take them in another howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne iudgement then are you singular in your owne conceyte then can you not auoyde the vae and woe which the Prophete speaketh of Wherfore if you haue no stay but the Catholike church in matters of controuersie except you wyll rest vpon the singularitie and wysedome of your owne brayne if the Prophet most truely sayth vae vae wo wo be to them that are wyse in their owne conceite then for Gods loue M. Ridley stand not singular be not you wyse in your owne conceite please not your selfe ouermuch Howe were the Arrians the Manicheis the FutichiaÌ„s with other diuers Heretickes which haue bene in the Church how I pray you were they suppressed and conuinced by reasonyng in disputations No truly the Arrians had mo places of Scriptures for the confirmation of their heresie then the Catholickes for the defence of the trueth Howe then were they conuinced onely by the termination of the Church And in deede except we do constitute the Churche our foundation stay and iudge we can haue no ende of controuersies no ende of disputations For in that we all bryng Scriptures and Doctors for the probation of our assertions who shoulde be Iudge of this our controuersie If we our selues then be we singular and wise in our owne conceites then can not we auoyde the woe that the Prophet speaketh of It remayneth therefore that we submitte our selues to the determination and arbitrement of the Churche with whom God promised to remayne to the worldes ende to whom he promised to sende the holy Ghost which shoulde teache it the trueth Wherefore M. Ridley if you will auoyd the wo that the prophet speaketh of be not you wyse in your iudgement if you wyll not be wyse and singular in your owne iudgement captiuate your owne vnderstanding subdue your reason and submit your selfe to the determination of the Church This is briefly the summe of the Oration of the Byshop of Glocester by the which he endeuored in many mo woordes amplyfiyng and enlargyng the matter eloquently with sundry poyntes of Rethoricke to moue affections to perswade Maister Ridley to recant and forsake his Religion To whom M. Ridley aunswered in few wordes that he sayd most truly with the Prophet wo be to him which is wyse in his owe conceite but that he acknowledged no suche singularitie in hym ne knewe any cause why he shoulde attribute so muche to him selfe And where as he sayde Maister Cranmer leaned to hym that was moste vntrue in that he was but a young Scholer in comparison of Maister Cranmer for at what tyme he was a young Scholer then Maister Cranmer a Doctor so that he conâ—essed that M. Cranmer might haue ben his Scholemaister these many yeares It seemed that he woulde haue spoken more but the Bishop of Glocester interrupted hym saying Glo. Why M. Ridley it is your owne confession for M. Latimer at the time of his disputations confessed his learnyng to lye in M. Cranmers bookes and M. Cranmer also sayd that it was your doyng Linc. Likewyse the Byshoppe of Lincolne with many woordes and gentle holding his Cappe in hand desyred him to turne But M. Ridley made an absolute aunswere that he was fully perswaded the Religion whiche he defended to be grounded vpon Gods worde and therefore without great offence towardes God great peryll and damage of his soule he coulde not forsake his Maister and Lorde God but desired the Byshop to performe his graunt in that his Lordshyp sayde the day before that he shoulde haue licence to shewe his cause why he coulde not with a salfe conscience admitte the authoritye of the Pope but the Byshop of Lincolne sayde that where as then he had demaunded licence to speake three woordes he was contented then that he shoulde speake .xl. and that graunt he would performe Then stepped forth D. Weston which sate by and sayd why my Lord he hath spoken foure hundred already M. Ridley confessed he had but they were not of his prescribed number neither of that matter The Bishop of Lincolne bad him take his licence but he shoulde speake but .xl. and he would tell them vpon his fingers and eftsoones M. Ridley began to speake but before he had ended halfe a sentence the Doctours sittyng by cryed and sayd that his number was out and with that he was put to silence After this the Bishop of Lincolne which sat in the middes began to speake as foloweth Linc. Now I perceiue M. Ridley you will not permit ne suffer vs to stay in that point of our Commission which we most desired for I ensure you there is neuer a worde in our Commission more true then dolentes gementes For in deede I for my part I take God to witnesse am sory for you Whereunto M. Ridley aunswered Rid. I beleue it well my Lord for as much as one day it will be burdenous to your soule Linc. Nay not so M. Ridley but because I am sory to see suche stubbornesse in you that by no meanes you may be perswaded to acknowledge your errours and receiue
daunger of the plague Now the causes why we shoulde flye followeth in the same place of saynct Mathewes Gospell whiche I now passe ouer thou maist read them there And in the xviii chapter of the Reuelation the angell is sayd to haue cryed mightely with a loud voyce Flye my people out of Babilon least you be infected with her faultes so be made partners of her plagues for her offences and sinnes are â—rowne so great that they swel and are come vnto the heauens â—â—â—aynely the tyme doth approche and the Lordes day is at hand Heare I beseeche you also holy Paule that bessed Apostle He playnely forbiddeth vs ducere iugum cum incredulis that is to ioyne or couple our selues with the vnfaythfull for what fellowship can there be sayth hee of righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what companie hath lighte with darckenesse or what agreement hath Christ with Beliall or what part can the faythfull haue with the vnfaythfull or how doth the temple of God agree with Images or Idols for you are the temple of the liuing God as God hath sayd I will walke and dwell in them I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore depart from amongst them and get you from them sayth the Lord and touche no vncleane thing and I will receaue you bee to you in the stead of youre father and you shal be vnto me as my sonnes and daughters sayth the almighty Lord. This councell to depart the realme I doe not maruel if it do seeme to diuers euen of them I meane that beare fauour to Godward diuersly Many I trust that bee learned shall thinke the councell good Other there be peraduenture that will thinke it rather a thinge to be more tollerable and that it may be in deede by Gods worde lawfully done rather then to bee counsayled to bee done for they will peraduenture say we shoulde counsell a man alwayes to doe that whiche is best of all and of moste perfection but boldly in Christes cause to spend a mans lyfe is best of all and of moste perfection and to flye it maye seeme to smell of cowardnes In many thinges that whiche is best for one at some tymes is not best for all at all tymes and it is not most perfection nor meete for a childe to couet to run before he can goe I will not make here a discourse in this matter what might here be obiected and what might bee aunswered agayne I leaue that to the wittie and eloquent men of the world This is my minde whiche I woulde thou shouldest know O man of God as I woulde wishe and I do pray to almighty God it may be that euery true Christian either brother or sister after they be called and brought into the wrestling place to striue in Christes cause for the best game that is to confesse the truth of the Gospell and of the Christian fayth in hope of euerlasting life shoulde not shrink nor relent one inch or giue back what soeuer shal befall but stande to theyr tackle and sticke by it euen vnto death as they wil Christ shall sticke by them at the latter day so likewise I dare not wishe nor councell any either brother or sister of theyr owne swinge to starte vp into the stage or to cast themselues eyther before or farther in daunger then tyme and neede shall require for vndoubtedly when God seeth hys tyme and his pleasure is that his glory shall be set forth and his Churche edified by thy death and confession meanes shal be found by hys fatherly vniuersall prouidence that thou without thyne owne presumptuous prouocation shalt be lawfully called to do thy feate and to playe thy part The miserable ende that one Quintus came vnto may be a warning and a feareful example for all men to beware of presumption and rashnesse in suche thinges as Eusebius writeth in Eccle. historia for euermore But a thyrd sorte of men there be whiche also wyll be counted fauourers of Gods worde and are I feare in number farre moe and worse to be perswaded to that which is yâ— godly meane I meane of such as wil peraduenture say or thinke that my former councell which was to slye the infection of the Antichristian doctrine by departing out of the Realme is more then needeth and other waies and meanes may be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresayde plague If that coulde be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresaid plague If that could be found in deed truely agreable to Gods word I woulde be as glad to heare it God is my witnesse as who is the other Yes peraduenture will some say Thus it may be Thou mayst keep thy selfe thy fayth and thy religion close to thy selfe and inwardly and priuately worship God in spirite trueth and outwardly see thou be no open medler nor talker nor transgressour of common order so mayst thou be suffered in the common wealth and yet vse thy religioÌ„ without offence of thy conscience In other countryes somewhere this peraduenture might be vsed but in Englande what shall be God wot but it was neuer yet so farre as euer I haue knowne or heard And also how can it be but eyther thou must transgresse the common order and the Romishe lawes and customes whiche haue bene vsed in England in the times past of Popery and now it is certayne they retourne agayne I say thou mayst eyther be a breaker of these rites lawes and customes and so bewraye thy selfe or els if thou be in deede a man of GOD thou shalt offend thy conscience for in obseruing of them thou shalt be compelled to breake Gods law which is the rule of conscience to the man of God For how canst thou resort euery holy day to the Churche and beare a face to worship the creature for the creatour as thou must doe peraduenture confesse it too with thy mouth and to sprinckle thy selfe with thy coniured water Thou must bee contributour also to the charges of all their popery as of books of Antichristes seruice of lights of the roode lofte of the sepulchre for settyng vp paynting of Images nay in deede of Idolles and thou muste beare a face to worship them also or els thou must be had by the backe Thou must serue the turne to geue the holye loues as they call it whiche is nothinge els but a verye mockery of the Lordes holy table Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disgised apparell that the popishe sacrificing Priest like vnto Aaron must playe hys part in Yea when the pardoner goeth about or the flattering Fryer to begge for the mayntenaunce of superstition except thou doe as thy neighbours doe looke not long to liue in rest If anye of thy housholde dye if thou wilt not pay money for ringing and singing for Requiem Masses Dirige and commendations and
thing but for present death and yet hee that rayseth the dead to lyfe agayne did bring him out of all hys troubles taught him all other that be in troubles for christes cause not to trust to theÌ„selues but in almighty God Of Gods gracious ayde in extreeme perilles toward them that put theyr truste in hym all Scripture is full bothe olde and new What daungers were the Patriarcks ofteâ— brought vnto as Abraham Isaac and Iacob but of all other Ioseph and how mercifully were they deliuered agayne In what perilles was Moises when he was fayne to flye for the sauegard of hys life And when was he sent agayne to deliuer the Israelites from the seruyle bondage Not before they were brought into extreme misery And when did the Lorde mightely deliuer his people from Pharao hys sword Not before they were broughte into such straightes that they were so compassed on euery side the mayne sea on the one side and the maine hoste on the other that they could looke for none other yea what did they els in deede looke for but eyther to haue bene drowned in the sea or els to haue fallen on the edge of Pharao his sword These iudges whiche wrought most wonderfull thinges in the deliuerye of the people were euer geuen when the people was brought to most misery before as Othoniel Aioth Saugar Gedeon Iephthe Samson And so was Saull indued with strength and boldnes froÌ„ aboue agaynst the Ammonites Philistines and Amalechites for the defence of the people of God Dauid lykewise felt Gods helpe most sensibly euer in his extreme persecutions What shall I speake of the Prophetes of GOD whome God suffered so oft to be broughte into extreame perilles and so mightely deliuered them agayne as Helâ—as Ieremy Daniell Micheas and Ionas and many other whome it were but to long to rehearse and set out at large And did the Lord vse his seruauntes otherwise in the new lawe after Christes incarnation Read the Actes of the Apostles and you shall see no. Were not the Apostles cast into Prison and brought out by the mightye hande of God Dyd not the Aungell deliuer Peter out of the stroÌ„g prison and bryng hym out by the yron gates of the Cittie and set hym free And when I pray you Euen the same night before Herod appoynted to haue broughte him to iudgement for to haue slayne hym as he had a little before killed Iames the brother of Iohn Paule and Silas wheÌ„ after they had bene sore scourged and wer put into the inner prison and there were layde fast in the stockes I pray you what appearaunce was there that the Magistrates should be glad to come the next daye themselues to them to desire them to be content and to depart in peace Who prouided for Paule that hee shoulde bee safely conducted out of all daunger and brought to Felix the Emperoures Deputie when as both the hygh Priestes the Phariseis and rulers of the Iewes had conspired to require iudgement of death agaynst hym he being fast in prison and also more then xl men had sworne eche one to an other that they would neuer eate nor drynke vntill they hadde slayne Paule A thing wonderfull that no reason could haue inueÌ„ted or man could haue looked for God prouided Paule hys owne sisters sonne a younge man that disapoynted that conspiracie and all theyr former coniuration The maner how the thing came to passe thou mayst read in the xxiii of the Actes I will not be tedious vnto thee here with the rehearsall thereof Nowe to descend from the Apostles to the Martyrs that followed next in Christes Churche and in them likewise to declare how gracious oure good God euer hathe bene to worke wonderfully with them which in his cause haue bene in extreme perilles it were matter enoughe to write a longe booke I will here name but one manne and one woman that is Athanasius the greate clarke and godly man stoutely standing in Christes cause against the Arrians and that holy woman Blandina standinge so constantly in all extreme paynes in the simple confession of Christe If thou wilt haue examples of moe looke and thou shalt haue both these and a C. moe in Ecclesiastica historia of Eusebius and in Tripartita historia But for al these examples both of holy scripture and of other historyes I feare me the weake man of God incombred with the fraylty and infirmitie of the fleshe wil haue now and then such thoughtes and quawmes as they call them to run ouer hys hart and to thinke thus All these thinges which are rehearsed out of the scripture I beleue to be true and of the rest truely I do thinke well can beleue theÌ„ also to be true but all these we must needes grauÌ„t were speciall miracles of God which nowe in our dayes are ceased we see and to require them at Gods handes were it not to tempt God Welbeloued brother I graunt such were great wonderfull workes of God and wee haue not seene many of such myracles in our tyme eyther for that our sight is not cleare for truely God worketh with hys his parte in all tymes or els because we haue not the lyke faythe of them for whose cause God wrought suche thinges or because after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by such miracles then sufficiently the time of so many myracles to bee done was expired withall Which of these is the most speciall cause of all other or whether there be any other God knoweth I leaue that to God But knowe thou this my welbeloued in God that Gods hand is as strong as euer it was he may do what his gracious pleasure is hee is as good and gracious as euer he was Man changeth as the garment doth but God our heauenly father is euen the same now that he was and shal be for euermore The world without doubt this I do beleue and therfore I say draweth towardes an end and in al ages God hath had hys owne maner after hys secrete and vnsearchable wisedome to vse hys electe sometimes to delyuer them and to keepe them safe and sometymes to suffer theÌ„ to drinke of Christes cuppe that is to feele the smart and to feele of the whip And though the fleshe smarteth at the one and feeleth ease in the other is gladde of the one and sore vexed in the other yet the Lorde is all one towardes them in both and loueth them no lesse when hee suffereth theÌ„ to be beaten yea to be put to bodily deathe then when he worketh wonders for theyr marueilous deliuery Nay rather he doth more for them wheÌ„ in anguish of the torments he standeth by them strengthneth them in theyr fayth to suffer in the confession of the truth his fayth the bitter panges of death then when he openeth the prison dore and letteth them go lose for here hee doth but respite theÌ„ to an other time leaueth theÌ„ in
he Gentile or Iew not meanyng all at once for that were impossible And there are many examples that baptisme may be singularly ministred to one person as we haue example in Christ baptised o◠Iohn and in the Eunuch baptised of Phillip with many mo such like but so haue you not of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ but contrarywise by the expresse wordes of S. Paule you are commaunded to vse it in a Communion and participation of many together the 11. to the Corinthians Quoties conuenitis ad manducādum alius alium expectate As ofte as ye come together to eate meanyng the Lordes supper tary one for an other And also the Minister in the celebration of the sacrament speaketh vnto all that be present in Christes behalfe to cōmunicate with hym saying Take ye and eate ye Wherfore as many as bee present and doe not communicate breake Gods commandement in not receiuyng the same and the minister is no iust minister that doth not distribute the sacrament as Christ did to all that are present and where Gods word is transgressed there is not Christ present consequently it is no Sacrament Harps What would you haue it no sacrament without it be a Communion Phil. I make it not so but gods expresse word teacheth me so yea also all the auncient writers as S. Chrysostome writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians saith That the oblation is in vayne where as none doth communicate with the priest If by his iudgement the action of the priest alone is in vayne where is no Communion how can that be a sacrament which he calleth a vayne oblation and a vayne standyng at the aultar Cosins You are such another fellow as I haue not heard that will not haue the Masse to be a sacrament you are no man for me to reason withall Come let vs go poyntyng to the morrowmasse Chaplaine we will leaue you maister Archdeacon and him together and so they went away Afterward the Archdeacon fell into earnest perswasions with me saying Harps M. Philpot you and I haue bene of olde acquaintance a long tyme. We were schoolefellowes both in Winchester and in Oxford many yeares Wherefore I must wish you as well to do as my selfe I pray you so thinke of mee Phil. I thanke you for your good will towards me But if you be deceiued as I am sure you are I shall desire you not to wish me deceyued with you For afore God I tell you plainly you are highly deceiued and maintain fals religiō and be not those men you take your selues for and if you do not repent leaue of your persecuting of Christes truth you will go to the deuill for it Therefore consider it in time I geue you warning for in the day of iudgement els I shall be a witnes agaynst you that I told you this here talkyng together Harpsfield Fie that is but your owne vayne singular opinion I perceyue you are still now that man you were in Oxford Phil. I trust you can report no notorious euill that euer you knew by me there Harpsfield I can say no euill of your conuersation but I knew you to be a studious man Marry if you remember when we mette in disputation in Paruis you would not lightly geue ouer and for that cause I speake that I haue sayd Phil. M. Harpsfield you know in the Schooles at Oxford when we were young men we did striue much vpō vaine glory and vpon contention more then for the truth but now our yeares and our riper learnyng teach vs to fall to a truth which must bee our portion for euer And if I was then in my tyme of ignorance earnest in myne owne cause I ought now to be earnest in my Maister Christes cause and in his truth I knowe now that nothyng done vpon vayne glory and singularitie can please God haue it neuer so goodly a shew wherfore I pray you iudge not so of me now Harps What will you thinke your selfe better learned thē all the learned men in this realme Phil. My faith hangeth not vpon the learned of the world but vpon the learned of Gods word Harps Well I will talke with you no more as nowe but pray to God to open your hart Phil. I pray God open both our harts to do more his wil then we haue done in tymes past Harps Ho Keper take hym away with you Phil. I pray you Maister Harpesfield tell me what this Pronounce Hoc doth demonstrate and shew in this Indicatiue proposition as you call it Hoc est corpus meum This is my body Harpsfield It doth demonstrate the substaunce of breade which by the words spoken by the Priest and by the omnipotencie of God is turned into the substance of Christs very body Phil. Is the substaunce of the bread as you say turned into Christes body Harps Yea that it is Phil. Why then Christes body receyueth daily a great increase of many thousand pieces of bread into his body and that is his body become now which was not before and by this you would seeme to make that there is an alteration in Christes glorified body which is a wicked thing to thinke Harps Then he set about agayne and remembryng better hymselfe and seyng the inconuenience of his first assertion of the transubstantiation of bread into Christes body hee sayd that the substance of bread after the words spoken by the priest was euacuated or vanished away by the omnipotencie of God Phil. This is another song then you sang first And here you may see how contrary you are to your selues For in deed your scoolemen do holde that the very substaunce of bread is really turned into the substance of Christes body And now you perceiuyng of late the inconuenience which is obiected against you in that opinion you are driuen to imagine a new shift and say the substance of bread is cuacuated contrary to that your church hath first beleued and taught O what contrarietie is there among you and all to deface the sincere truth Harps Is not God omnipotent and cannot he doe as hee hath sayd Phil. But his omnipotencie wil not do as you say contrary to hys word and to hys honour It is not Gods honor to include hym bodily in a piece of bread and of necessitye to tye hym therto It is not gods honour for you to make a piece of bread God and man which you see before your face doth putrifie after a certaine tyme. Is not Gods omnipotency as able to geue his body with the Sacramentall bread as to make so many turnyngs away of the bread as you doe and that directly against the Scripture which calleth it bread many tymes after the consecration Are you not ashamed to make so many alterations of the Lords holy institution as you do and to take away the substantiall partes of the Sacrament as Take ye eate ye drinke
Chichester gone away also for he euen a little before departed also without any other word saying but he must needes be gone What is the matter you now stand vpon Morgan M. Christopherson hath shewed M. Philpot a notable place of the authoritie of the Church of Rome and he maketh nothyng of it Boner Where is the place let me see By my faith here is a place alone Come hither sir what say you to this Nay tary a little I will helpe this place with S. Paules owne testimony the first to the Romaines where he sayeth that their faith is preached throughout the world how cā you be able to answer to this Phil. Yes my L. it is soone aunswered if you will consider al the words of Cyprian for he speaketh of such as in his tyme were faithfull at Rome that folowed the doctrine of saint Paul as he had taught them and as it was notified throughout the world by an Epistle which he had written in the commendation of their fayth With such as are praised of S. Paul at Rome for followyng the true faith misbeliefe can haue no place And now if you can shewe that the faith which the church of Rome holdeth now is that faith which the Apostle praised allowed in the Romans in his tyme then wil I say that S. Cyprian then said and with you that infidelitie can haue no place there but otherwyse it maketh not absolutely for the authority of the Church of Rome as you do mistake it Christo. You vnderstand Cyprian well in deed I thinke you neuer red hym in your lyfe Phil. Yes M. Doct. that I haue I can shew you a booke noted with myne owne hand though I haue not read so much as you yet I haue read somewhat It is shame for you to wrast and wreath the Doctors as you do to maintain a fals religion which be altogether against you if you take them aright and in deede your false packing of doctors together hath geuen me and others occasion to looke vpon them wherby we find you shamefull liers and misreporters of the ancient doctors Morgan What wil you be in hand to allow doctors now they of your sect do not so I meruaile thereof you will allow them Phil. I do allow them in as much as they doe agree wyth the scriptures and so do al they which be of the truth how so euer you terme vs and I prayse God for that good vnderstandyng I haue receyued by them Christo. What you vnderstand not the Doctors you may be ashamed to say it Phil. I thanke God I vnderstand them better then you for you haue Excaecationem cordis The blindnes of heard so that you vnderstand not truely what you read no more then the wall here as the takyng of Cyprian doth wel declare And afore God you are but deceyuers of the people for all your brag you make of learnyng neyther haue ye Scripture or auncient doctour on your side being truly taken Morgan Why all the Doctors be on our side and agaynst you altogether Phil. Yea so you say when you be in your pulpits alone none to answer you But if you wil come to cast accounts with me therof I will venter with you a recantatiō that I as little sight as I haue in the doctors wil bring more authorities of ancient Doctors on my side then you shall be able for yours and he that can bring most to him let the other side yeeld Are ye so content herewith Christo. It is but folly to reason with you you wil beleue no man but yourselfe Phil. I will beleue you or any other learned man if you cā bring any thing worthy to be beleued You cannot winne me with vaine words from my fayth Before God there is no truth in you Morgan What no truth no truth ha ha he Phil. Except the Articles of the Trinitie you are corrupt in all other thyngs and sound in nothyng Morgan What say you do we not beleeue well on the sacrament Philpot. It is the thing which among all other you doe most abuse Morgan Wherein I pray you tell vs. Phil. I haue told you before M. Doct. in the Conuocation house Morgan Yea marry in deed you told vs there very well For there you fell down vpon your knees and fel to weepyng ha ha ha Phil. I did weepe in deed and so did Christ vpon Ierusalem and am not to be blamed therefore if you consider the cause of my weepyng Morgan What make you your selfe Christ ha ha Phil. No sir I make not my selfe Christ but I am not ashamed to do as my maister and sauiour did to bewaile lament your infidelitie and idolatrye which I there foresaw thorough tyranny you would bryng agayne to this realme as this day doth declare Morgan That is your argument Christo. Wherein do we abuse the Sacrament tell vs. Phil. As I may touch but one of the least abuses you minister it not in both kynds as you ought to doe but keepe the one halfe from the people contrary to Christes institution Christo. Why is there not as much conteined in one kynd as in both And what neede is it then to minister in both kyndes Phil. I beleeue not so for if it had Christ would haue geuē but one kind only for he instituted nothing superfluous and therfore you cannot say that the whole effect of the sacrament is as well in one kind as in both since the scripture teacheth otherwyse Christo. What if I can prooue it by scripture that we may minister it in one kind The apostles did so as it may appeare in the Actes of the Apostles in one or two places where it is written that the Apostles continued In orationibus fractione panis In prayers and in breakyng of breade which is ment of the Sacrament Philpot. Why Maister Doctour do you not knowe that Saint Luke by the makyng mention of the breakyng of bread meaneth the whole vse of the sacrament accordyng to Christes institution by a Figure which you haue learned in Grammer Synecdoche where part is mentioned and the whole vnderstanded to bee done as Christ commanded it Christo Nay that is not so For I can shew out of Euseb. in Eccles hist. that there was a man of God whom he named that sent the Sacrament in one kynd by a boy to one that was sicke Phil. I haue read in deed that they did vse to geue that was left of the Communion bread to children to mariners to women and so peraduenture the boy might cary a piece of that was left to the sicke man Christo. Nay as a Sacrament it was purposely sent vnto hym Phil. If it were so yet can you not precisely say that he had not the cup ministred vnto him also by some other sent vnto him but though one man did vse it thus doth it folow that all men may do the like S. Cyprian noteth many abuses
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
which say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that doth the will of the father And whosoeuer in the tyme of tryall is ashamed of me sayth Christ and of my wordes of him the sonne of man will be ashamed before his father After that wee haue built our selues into the true church of God it hath pleased him by geuing vs ouer into the hands of the wicked sinagoges to proue our building to haue it knowne as wel to the world as to our selues that we haue bene wise builders into the true church of God vpon the rock not on the sand therefore nowe the tempest is risen and the stormes doe mightily blow agaynst vs that wee might notwithstanding stand vpright and be firme in the Lord to his honor and glory and to our eternall felicitie There is no newe thing happened vnto vs for with such tāpests dangerous weathers the church of God hath continually bene exercised Nowe once agayne as the Prophet Aggeus telleth vs The Lord shaketh the earth that those might abide for euer which be not ouerthrowne Therefore my dearely beloued be stable and immoueble in the word of God and in the faythfull obseruation therof and let no man deceiue you with vayn words saying that you may keepe your faith to your selues and dissemble with Antichrist and so liue at rest and quietnes in the world as most men doe yelding to necessitie Thys is the wisedome of the fleshe but the wisedome of the fleshe is death and enmitie to God as our sauiour for ensāple aptly did declare in Peter who exhorted Christ not to goe to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passouer and there to be slayn but counselled him to looke better to himselfe Likewise the worlde woulde not haue vs to forsake it neither to associate our selues to the true churche which is the body of Christ whereof we are liuely members and to vse the sacramentes after Gods word with the danger of our liues But we must learne to answere the world as Christ did Peter and say Go behynd me Sathan thou fauourest not the thinges of God Shall I not drinke of the cup whiche the father geueth me For it is better to bee afflicted and to be slayne in the church of God then to be counted the sonne of the king and the sinagogue of false religion Death for righteousnes is not to be abhorred but rather to bee desired which assuredly bringeth with it the crowne of euerlasting glory These bloudy executioners do not persecute Christes martyrs but crowne them with euerlasting felicitie we were borne into this world to be witnesses vnto the truth both learned and vnlearned Now since the time is come that we must shew our fayth and declare whether we will be Gods seruauntes in righteousnes holines as we haue bene taught are boūd to follow or els with hipocrisie to serue vnrighteousnes let vs take good heed that we be found faithfull in the Lords couenaunt and true members of hys Churche in that which through knowledge we are engraffed from the whiche if we fall by transgression with the common sort of people it will more straightly be required of vs then many yet doe make accompt therof We cannot serue two maysters we may not halt on both sides and thinke to please God we must bee feruent in Gods cause or els hee will cast vs out from him For by the first commaundement wee are commanded to loue God with all our hart with all our mind with all our power and strength but they are manifest transgressours of this commaundement which with their heart mynde or bodely power doe communicate with a straunge religion contrary to the word of God in the papisticall Sinagogue which calleth it selfe the Church and is not As greatly do they offend God now which so doe as the Israelites did in tymes past by forsaking Ierusalē the true churche of God and by going to Bethell to serue God in a congregation of theyr owne setting vp and after theyr own imaginations and traditions for the which doyng God vtterly destroyed all Israell as all the Prophetes almost doe testifie This happened vnto them for our ensample that we might beware to haue any fellowship with any like congregation to our destruction God hath one Catholicke church dispersed throughout the world and therfore we are taught in our Creed to beleue one Catholicke Churche to haue communion therwith which catholicke churche is grounded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and of the Apostles and vpō none other as S. Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians Therfore whersoeuer we perceaue any people to worship God truly after the word there we may be certayne the churche of Christe to bee vnto the whiche we ought to associate oure selues to desire with the Prophet Dauid to prayse God in the middest of this churche But if we hehold through iniquitie of time segregations to be made with counterfayt religion otherwise then the word of God doth teach wee ought then if we be required to be companions therof to say agayne with Dauid I haue hated the Sinagogue of the malignant and will not sit with the wicked In the Apocalips the church of Ephesus is highly commended because she tried such as said they were Apostles and were not in deede therfore would not abide the company of them Further God commanded his people that they shuld not seek Bethel neither enter into Gilgal where idolatry was vsed by the mouth of his Prophet Amos. Also wee must consider that our bodyes be the tēple of God whosoeuer as S. Paule teacheth doth prophane the tēple of God him the Lord wil destroy May we thē take the tēple of Christ make it the mēber of an harlot All strange religion and Idolatry is counted whoredome with the Prophetes and that more detestable in the sight of God then the aduoutrous abuse of the bodye Therfore the Princes of the earthe in the reuelation of S. Iohn be sayd to go a whoring whē they are in loue with false religion and follow the same How then by any meanes may a christian man thinke it tollerable to be present at the popish priuate Masse which is the very prophanation of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and at other idolatrous worshippings and rites which be not after the word of God but rather to the derogation therof in setting mans traditions aboue Gods preceptes since God by his word iudgeth all straunge religion whiche is not according to his institutiō for whoredom aduoutry Some fondly think that the presence of the body is not materiall so that the hart doe not consent to theyr wicked doings But suche persons litle consider what S. Paule writeth to the Corinthians commaunding them to glorifie God as well in body as in soule Moreouer wee can doe no greater iniury to the true Church of Christ
be Pray I beseech you that I may be stil careles in my careful estate as you haue cause to be carelesse in your easier condition Be thaÌ„kful and put away all care and then I shall be ioyfull in my straite present care Commend me to all our brethren and desire them to praye for me that I may ouercome my teÌ„ptations for the deuil rageth against me I am putte in the stockes in a place alone because I would not answer to such articles as they would charge me wtall in a corner at the bishops appoyntment and because I did not come to Masse when the bish sent for me I will sic all the dayes of my life in the stockes by Gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Praise God be ioyfull that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somwhat for his names sake The deuil must rage for 10. daies Commend me to maister F. and thanke him for his lawe bookes but lawe neither equitie wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the parlament house if it might auaile God shorteÌ„ these euil daies I haue answered the bish meetely plaine already and I said to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I wil answer him as plainly as he will require otherwise I haue refused because I feare they will condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of God be with you my dear brother I canne wryte no more for lacke of light and that I haue wrytten I can not reade my selfe and God knoweth it is wrytten farre vneasily I pray God you may picke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Wrytten in a Colehouse of darkenesse oute of a paire of paynefull stockes by thine owne in Christ. Iohn Philpot. An other letter of M. Philpot to certaine godlye women forsaking their owne countrey for the Gospell full of frutefull precepts and lessons for all good women THe spirite of truthe reuealed vnto you my dearely beloued by the Gospell of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe be continually abiding with you and augmented into a perfect building of you into the liuely temple of God through the mighty operation of hys power Amen I reade in the Euangelistes of certaine Godly women that ministred vnto Christ folowing him in the daies of his Passion and neuer forsoke him but being dead in his graue brought oyl to annoynt him vntill that he had shewed himselfe vnto them after his resurrection and bidden them shewe vnto his Disciples which at his Passion were dispearsed and tell them that he was riâ—en and that they shoulde see him in Galile To whome I may iustly compare you my louinge Sisters in Christe who of late haue seene him suffer in his meÌ„bers and haue ministred to theyr necessity annoynting them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since yee haue seene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whome the tyrans haue 〈◊〉 he willeth you to go away vpon iust occasion offred you and to declare to our dispearsed brethren and sisters that he is 〈◊〉 and liueth in his electe members in Englande and by death doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see him in Galile which is by forsaking this world and by a faithful desire to passe out of this world by those waies which he with his holy Martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entire sisters directe your way as he did Abraham Tobias vnto a strange land God geue you health both of body and soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue and grow from strength to strength vntil yee may see face to face the God of Syon in his holy hil with the innumerable companye of hys blessed Martyrs and Saintes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heauen in your hearts Let there be no decrease of any vertue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iuste such as Salomon saith increaseth to the perfect day of the Lord. Let the strength of God be commended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faith and sobrietie to al that ye shal come in company with all Let your godly conuersation speake where your toung may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in praier and coÌ„tinual meditation with reuerent talking of the word of God wythout contention amongst the Saintes Lette your faith shine in a straunge countrey as it hath done in youre owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the ende This farewel I send you not as a thing nedefull which know already what your duety is be desirous to performe the same but as one that would haue you vnderstand that he is mindeful of your godly conuersation wherof he hath had good experieÌ„ce and therfore wryteth this to be as a perpetual memorial betwixt you and him vntil our meeting together before God where we shall ioy that we haue here louingly put one an other in memory of our duetie to performe it Farewell againe mine owne bowels in Christ and take me with you where soeuer you goe and leaue your selues wyth me that in spirite we may be present one with an other Commende me to the whole congregation of Christe willing them not to leaue their countrey without witnesse of the Gospell after that we al be slaine which already be stalled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the meane season to praye earnestly for our coÌ„stancie that Christ may be glorified in vs and in them bothe by life and death Farewel in the Lord. Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. An exhortation to his owne sister constantly to sticke to the truth which she had frutefully professed GOd the eternall Father who hath iustified you by the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ and called you to hallow his name through a good conuersation and profession of life he sanctifie you with daily encrease of vertue faith by his holy spirit that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the middest of this wicked peruerse generation to the laud and praise of the Gospel Amen I haue occasion mine owne deare sister to praise God in you for 2. causes the one that to your habilitie you are ready to shew your self a naturall louing sister to me your poore afflicted brother as by your geÌ„tle tokens you haue eftsoones testified being absent as also presently visiting me which wel declareth that you be a very naturall sister in dede and to be praised in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a sister to me in faith after Christes Gospell I am occasioned to thanke God so muche the more howe much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consanguinitie is more perdurable then that which is of flesh bloud
is a worker of that which is by nature for commonly such as be vngodly be vnnatural only louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth vs. The lyuing Lord which through the incorruptible sede of his worde hath begotten you to be my liege sister geue you grace so to growe in that generation that you may encrease to a perfect age in the Lord to be my sister with Christ for euer Looke therfore that you continue a faythfull sister as you are called and are godly entered not onely to me but to all the Church of Christ yea to Christ himselfe who voucheth you in this your vnfayned fayth worthy to bee his sister Consider this dignitie to surmount all the vayne dignities of the worlde let it accordingly preuayle more with you then all earthly delightes For therby you are called to an equall portion of the euerlasting inheritaunce of Christ if now in no wise you do shew your selfe an vnnaturall sister to him in forsaking him in trouble which I trust you will neuer for no kinde of worldly respect doe You are vnder daungerous temptations to be turned frō that naturall loue you owe vnto Christ and you shal be tryed with Gods people thorough a siue of great afflictiō for so Sathan desireth vs to be sifted that through feare of sharp troubles we might fall from the stablenes of our fayth and so be depriued of that honour ioy and reward which is prepared for such as continue faythfull brothers and sisters in the Lordes couenant to the ende Therfore the wise man in the booke of Ecclesiasticus biddeth them that come to the seruice of the Lorde To prepare them selues to suffer temptations Since then that for the glory of God and our faith we are called now to abide the brunt of them and that when our aduersary hath done all that he can yet wee may be stable and stand this Christ our first begotten brother loketh for at our handes and all our brethren and sisters in heauen desire to see our faith thorough afflictions to be perfecte that we might fulfil their number and the vniuersal church here militant reioyceth at our constancie whom al by the contrary we should make sorie to the daunger of the losse both of body and soule Feare not therfore what soeuer be threatned of the wicked world prepare your back and see it be ready to carye Christes crosse And if you see any vntowardnes in you as the flesh is continually repugnant to the will of God aske with faithfull praier that the good spirit of God may lead your sinful flesh whether it would not for if we will dwell in the flesh and folow the counsell therof we shall neuer doe the will of God neither worke that tendeth to our saluation You are at this present in the confines and borders of Babylon where you are in danger to drink of the whores cup vnles you be vigilant in praier Take hede the Serpent seduce you not frō the simplicitye of your faith as he did our first mother Eue. Let no worldly felowship make you partaker of iniquitie He that toucheth tarre can not but be defiled therby With such as be peruerse a mā shall sone be peruerted with the holy you shal be holy Therfore say continually with the Prophete Dauid Vnto the Saints that be on the earth al my wil is on them You haue bene sanctified and made pure thorough the truth take heede you be not vnholied and vndefiled lest the last be worse then the first I wryte not this because I stand in any doubt of your sincere continuance of the which I haue had so good experience but because the daies be euil and in the same it is the duety of euery one of vs to exhort an other I am bold to put you my good sister in remembrance of that which doth not a litle comfort me to remember in my troubles daily temptations Wherfore I doubt not you will take that in good part which commeth frō your brother both in spirit body who tendreth your saluation as earnestly as his owne that we might ioye together eternally with such ioy as the world shal neuer be able to take from vs. Thankes be vnto God you haue begon to run a good great time wel in the waies of the Lorde run out of the trace to the end which you haue begon then shall you receiue the crown of glory None shal be crouned but such as lawfully striueth Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euil with good the Lorde shall make you one of those faithfull virgines that shal follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth the which Christ graunt both you and me Amen Commend me to all them that loue me in the Lord vnfainedly God encrease our faith and geue vs neuer to be ashamed of his Gospell That same request which I haue made to my brother Thom. I make also to you desiring you by all meanes you can to accōplish my request that my sureties might be satisfied with that is mine owne to the contentation of my minde which can not be quiet vntill they be discharged therefore I pray you help to purchase quietnes that I might depart out of this worlde in peace My dissolution I looke for daily but the Lorde knoweth howe vnworthy I am of so high an honour as to die for the testimony of his truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath don of long imprisonment for the which his name be praised for euer Pray and looke for the comming of the Lorde whose wrath is great ouer vs and I wil pray for you as long as I liue The 9. of Iuly in the kings Bench. Your owne louing brother as well in faith as in body Iohn Philpot. An other Letter of Iohn Philpot to certaine Godly brethren THe grace of God the Father and the peace of our sauiour Iesus Christ his eternall sonne and the consolation of the holy Ghost our comforter strengthen your hearts and cōfort your mindes that you maye reioyce and liue in the truthe of Christes Gospel to the ende Amen I doe much reioyce dearely beloued in the Lord to heare of your cōstant faith in the word of God which you haue so purely receiued which doe not with the wordlings decline frō the purity therof albeit ye suffer grief trouble therby for the which I praise God most hartely and the Lord of all strength who hath begon this good woorke in you make it perfite to the ende as I doubt not but he wil for the faithful zeale ye haue to his truth to his afflicted church Therfore that ye may the better stand and beare the brunte of many temptations which you are like to be assaulted withall in these wicked and stormie daies I thought it good as it is the duety of one christian man to exhort an other in the time of trouble
Christ our redemer brother and the blessed company of Aungels and all faithfull saued soules Of the incomparable good thinges and heauenlye treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by Christ Iesu. For the obteining wherof we ought to set light by all temporall griefes and transitorye afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythfull will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength that namely in the end of our life when the tree where it falleth lieth styll as the preacher sayth when euery one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the ende he suffereth his sometime to fall but not finally to peryshe as Peter sinked vpon the Sea but yet was not drowned and sinned grieuouslye vpon the land thorow infirmity denying his Mayster but yet found mercy for the righteous falleth oftentimes And Christes holye Apostles are taught to â—ay remitte nobis debita nostra Yea though the righteous fall sayth Dauid he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God towardes vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plant in my heart true repentaunce and fayth to the obteining of remission of all my sinnes in the mercies of God and merites of Christ his sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it grieueth me to see the spoyle hauocke that Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedy This is Gods will and ordinaunce that his people shall here both be punished in the fleshe and tryed in theyr fayth as it is written Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all for by a strayt path and narrowe doore must we enter Whether Into the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen therefore blessed are you and other that suffer persecution for Christes sake for the professing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fight a good fight that we may keepe the fayth and ende our course with ioyfull gladnesse for now the time of our deliueraunce is at hand The Lord guide defend and keep vs and you and al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a shorte death passe to that long lasting life Farewell my deare and louing brother and felowe souldiour in Christ farewell I say in him who receiue our soules in peace when they shall depart from these tabernacles and he graunte vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery meeting at the last day continuall dwelling together in his eternall heauenlye kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell Minister * To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ Mayster Filles and Cutbert I wish you all welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of sinne faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with all necessary thinges for this bodely life The soule of man is immortall and therefore ought to be well kept least immortality to ioy should turne to immortality of sorow As for the body be it neuer so well kept and much made of yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay But those that are engraffed incorporated into Christe by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of theyr election and inheritaunce exciting and styrring them not onely to seek heauenly thinges but also to hate vice and embrace vertue will not onely doe these thinges but also if need requyre will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine their king theyr Sauior Iesus Christ as his poore afflicted church of England now doth agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed specially that blasphemous Masse wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted abused contrarye to his institutioÌ„ to Paules procedinges so that that which they haue in theyr Masse is neither Sacrament of Christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the Priestes falsely pretend It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible sign of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicants according to Christes example and as it was of late yeres in this realm And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified Beware of false Religion and mens vayne traditioÌ„s and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed though of wicked men ye bee hated and accursed Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon which is full of abhominations Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud with the litle flock then to goe in the wide waye folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Like as Christ suffered in the flesh sayeth S. Peter so arme ye your selues with the same minde for Christ suffred for vs leauing vs example to folow his footsteps Blessed are they that suffer for his sake great is their reward in heauen He that ouercommeth sayth S. Iohn shall eat of the tree of life he shall haue a crowne of life not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white araye not be put out of the booke of life Yea I will confesse his name sayth Christ before my father and before his Aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sitte with me on my seat And thus I bidde you farewell myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you Amen This world I do forsake To Christ I me betake And for his Gospell sake Paciently death I take My body to the dust Now to returne it must My soule I know full well With my God it shal dwel Thomas Whittell ¶ An other Letter of M. Thomas Whittell written to a certayne Godly woman OH my deare and louing sister in Christe be not dismayde in this storme of persecution for Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the Crosse because it is neuer truely taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediately and necessarily doeth folow the same and therfore it is a manifest token of Gods truth and hath bene here and is still abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christe and his members which must bee corrected for theyr sinnes in this worlde theyr fayth must be tried that after triall and pacient suffering the faythfull may receiue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of God
and he will keepe you from all euill Call vpon his holy name he will strengthen you and assiste you in all your wayes and if it please him to lay his crosse vpon you for his Gospelles sake refuse it not neither shake it off by vnlawefull meanes leaste you should as God forbidde finde a more grieuous crosse and torment of conscience if you shoulde dissemble and denye the knowen verity then is any persecution or death of body Oh howe happye are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake their rewarde is great in heauen The momentanie afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vpon vs. Oh remember the Godly weman of the old testament and new which liued in Gods seruice and feare and therefore are now in blisse and commended for euer as namely Iudith Hester Abigael the mother of the 7. sonnes Mary Elizabeth Susanna Lidia and Phebe and others Set theyr examples before your eyes and feare nothing for Sathan is conquered by our Sauiour Christe sinne is put to flight and the gate of immortality and eternall life is set wide open God graunt we may enter therein through the doore Iesus Christ Amen Thomas Whittell ¶ The Story of Mayster Bartlet Greene Gentlemanne and Lawyer Martyr AFter the Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell nexte followeth in order to speake of Bartlet Greene who the nexte day after the foresayde Whittell was likewise condemned Thys Greene was of a good house and hauinge such Parentes as both fauoured learning and were also willing to bring vp this theyr childe in the same Who after some enteraunce in other inferiour Schooles was by them sent vnto the Uniuersity of Oxforde where thorow exercise and diligent study he so profited that within short time he atteined aswell to the knowledge of sundery prophane Sciences and also now in his last yeares vnto the godly vnderstanding of Diuinitye Whereunto through ignorance in which he was trayned vp from his youth he was at the first an vtter enemy vntill such tyme as God of his mercy had opened his eyes by his often repayring vnto the commō Lectures of Peter Martyr reader of the Diuinity Lecture in the same Uniuersity so that therby as by Gods instrument he saw the true lighte of Christes Gospell Whereof when he had once tasted it became vnto hym as the fountayne of liuely water that our Sauiour Christ spake of vnto the woman of Samaria so as he neuer thirsted any more but had a well springing vnto euerlastyng life In so much as when he was called by his frendes frō the vniuersity and was placed in the Temple at London there to attayne to the knowledge of the common Lawes of the Realme he yet continued still in his former study earnest profession of the Gospell wherein also he did not a litle profite Howbeit suche is the fraylety of our corrupte nature without the speciall assistaunce of Gods holy spirit through the continuall accompanying and felowshyp of such worldly I will not say to much youthfull young gentlemen as are commonly in that and the like houses he became by litle and litle a compartner of theyr fond follies and youthfull vanities aswell in his apparell as also in banquettinges and other superfluous excesses whiche he afterward being agayne called by Gods mercifull correction did sore lament and bewayle as appeareth by his one testimonye notified and lefte in a booke of a certayne frend of his a litle before his death written with his owne hand in maner as foloweth ¶ This did Mayster Bartlet Greene write in Mayster Bartram Calthrops Booke TWo thinges haue very muche troubled me whilest I was in the Temple Pride and Glottonye whiche vnder the coulour of glorye and good felowshippe drewe me almoste from GOD. Agaynst both there is one remedye by prayer earnest and without ceasing And for as much as vayne glory is so subtle an Aduersarye that almoste it woundeth deadly ere euer a manne can perceiue himselfe to be smitten therefore we ought so muche the rather by continuall prayer to labour for humblenesse of minde Truely Glottony beginneth vnder a charitable pretence of mutuall loue and society and hath in it most vncharitablenesse When we seeke to refresh our bodies that they may be the more apte to serue GOD and performe our duetyes towardes our Neyghbours then stealeth it in as a priuye theefe and murthereth both body and soule that nowe it is not apte to to pray or serue GOD nor apte to studye or labour for our neighbours Let vs therefore watch and be sober For our aduersary the Deuill walketh about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour And remember what Salomon sayth Melior est patiens viro forti qui dominatur animo expugnatore vrbium 1. A pacient man is better then a strong warrior and he that conquereth his owne stomacke is better then hee that conquereth Townes and Cityes Bartlet Greene. Animorum in fide vnio per charitatem acta firma est amicitia Vale mi Bartrame mei memineris vt semper simillimi efficiamur Vale. Apud nouam Portam 20. Ianuarij 1556. Set sober loue agaynst hasty wrath Bartlet Greene. Thus we see the fatherly kindenesse of our moste gracious and mercifull God who neuer suffereth his electe children so to fall that they lye still in security of sinne but oftentymes quickeneth them vp by some such meanes as perhaps they thinke least of as he did here this his strayed sheepe And now therfore to returne to our history for the better maynteinaunce of himselfe in these his studyes and other his affayres he had a large exhibition of his grandfather Mayster Doctour Bartlet who during the tyme of Greenes inprisonment made vnto him large offers of great liuinges if he would recant and forsake the truth and Gospell of Christ come home agayne to the Church and Sinagogue of Rome But these his perswasions the Lord be therefore praysed tooke small effect in this faythfull hart as the sequell did declare He was a man beloued of all men except of the Papistes who loue none that loue the truth and so he well deserued for he was of a meeke humble discreete and most gentle behauiour to all Iniurious he was to none beneficiall to many especiallye to those that were of the householde of fayth as appeared amongest other by his frendly dealing with maister Christopher Goodman beeing at that present a poore exile beyond the Seas With whom this Bartlet Greene aswell for his toward learning as also for his sober and Godly behauiour had often society in Oxforde in the dayes of good king Edwarde which now notwithstanding hys frendes misery and banishment he did not lightly forget and that turned as it chaunced not without the prouidence of almightye GOD to the greate griefe of both the one of heart for the losse of his Frende and the other of body in suffering the cruell
and murthering rage of Papistes The cause hereof was a Letter which Grene did write vnto the sayde Goodman conteining aswell the reporte of certayne demaundes or questions which were cast abroad in London as appeareth hereafter in a letter of hys owne penning whiche he meant to haue sent vnto M. Philpot wherein hee declareth his full vsage before the Bishop of London and others as also an aunswere to a question made by the sayd Christopher Goodman in a letter writtē vnto him in which he required to haue the certaynetye of the report which was spread amongest them on the other side of the Seas that the Queene was deade Whereunto mayster Greene aunswered simply and as the truth then was that she was not dead These letters with manye other written to diuers of the godly exiles by theyr frendes here in Englande beyng deliuered to a messenger to carry ouer came by the apprehension of the said bearer vnto the handes of the king and Queenes Councel Who at theyr conuenient leasure whiche in those daies by some of them was quickely found out for suche matters perused the whole number of the sayde letters and amongest them espyed this letter of Mayster Greenes written vnto his frend Christopher Goodman in the contentes whereof amongest other newes and priuate matters they found these woordes The Queene is not yet dead Which wordes were onely written as an answere to certifye Mayster Goodman of the trueth of hys former demaunde Howbeit to some of the Councell they seemed verye haynous woordes yea treason they would haue made them if the Law would haue suffered Whiche when they coulde not doe and being yet verye lothe to let any such depart freely whom they suspected to be a fauourer of the Gospell they then examined him vpon his fayth in religion but vpon what poyntes it is not certaynely knowne Neuerthelesse as it semeth his aunsweres were such as litle pleased them especially the annoynted sorte and therefore after they had longe detayned him in prison as well in the Tower of London as elsewhere they sente him at last vnto Boner Bishop of London to be ordered according to his Ecclesiasticall law as appeareth by theyr Letters sent vnto the Byshop with the sayd prisoner also wherein it may appeare that Syr Iohn Bourne then Secretary to the Queene was a chiefe stirrer in such cases yea and an entiser of others of the counsell who otherwise if for feare they durst woulde haue bene content to haue let such matters alone The Lord forgeue them theyr weakenesse if it be his good pleasure and geue them true repentaunce Amen ¶ A Letter sent vnto Boner Bishop of London by the Queenes Counsell dated the 11. daye of Nouember 1555. but not deliuered vntill the 17. of the same moneth AFter our right harty commendations to your good Lordship we send to the same herewith the body of one Bartlet Grene who hath of good time remayned in the Tower for his obstinate standing in matters agaynst the Catholicke Religion whome the king and Queenes Maiesties pleasures are because he is of your Lordshippes Dioces ye shall cause to bee ordered accordinge to the Lawes in suche cases prouided And thus wee bydde your Lordship hartily farewell From Sainct Iames the xi of Nouember 1555. Your good Lordships louing friendes Winchester Penbroke Thomas Ely William Haward Iohn Bourne Thomas Wharton * I Sir Iohn Bourne will wayt vppon your Lordship and signifie further of the king and Queenes Maiesties pleasures herein Now that ye may the better vnderstand the certaynty of his handling after this hys comming vnto Boners custody I haue thought it good to put forth hys own letter contayning at large the discourse of the same Whiche letter he wrote and did meane to haue sent vnto mayster Philpot but was preuented belike eyther by Phil. death or els rather by the wily watching of hys keeper for it came by what means I know not certaynly vnto the byshops hands and being deliuered vnto his register was found in one of his bookes of recorde The copye where of here followeth A letter of Barthelet Greene written vnto Iohn Philpot contayning besides other particular matter betwixt him and M. Philpot a briefe rehearsall of his handling and certain his conferences with Boner and others at his first comming to the Bishops THat whiche was lacking in talke through my defaulte at your being here I haue supplyed by writing in your absence now at the length getting some opportunitie and leysure The 17. day of Nouember beyng brought hither by two of the clocke at after noone I was presented before my Lord of London and other two byshops Mayster Deane M. Roper M. Welche Doct. Harpsfield Archdeacon of London and other two or three all sitting at one table There were also present Doct. Dale Maister George Mordant M. Dee Then after the byshop of London had read vnto himselfe the letter that came from the Counsell hee spake with mo wordes but as I remember to this effect that the cause of theyr assembly was to heare mine examination wherevnto hee had authoritie by the Counsell and had prouided Mayster Welch and an other whose name I knowe not but wel I remember though he obtayned it not yet desired hee my Lorde that I might heare the Councels letters to be there if anye matters of the common lawe shoulde arise to discusse them he intreated my Lorde to determine all controuersies of Scriptures and as for the Ciuill law he and Doctor Dale should take it on them Wherfore he demaunded of me the cause of mine imprisonment I sayd that the occasion of myne apprehension was a letter which I wrote to one Christofer Gooodman wherein certifiyng hym of such newes as happened here amonge the reste I wrote that there were certayne printed papers of questions scattered abroad Whereupon beyng suspected to be priuye vnto the deuising or publishing of the same I was committed to the Fleete but sithens heard I nothing therof after the Commissioners had receaued my submission The summe wherof was that as I was sure there neyther coulde be true witnesses nor probable coniecture agaynst me in that behalfe so refused I no punishment if they of theyr consciences would iudge me priuy to the deuising printing or publishing of those questions But my Lord affirming that there was an other cause of mine imprisonment sithens demaunded if I had not after sith I was committed vnto the Fleete spoken or written somewhat agaynst the naturall presence of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar Then desired I his Lordship to bee good vnto me trusting that he would put me to aunswere to no new matters excepte I were first discharged of the old And when I stoode long in that M. Welch aunswered that it was procured that I shoulde so doe right well For albeit I were imprisoned for treason if during the tyme of enduraunce I had mayntayned heresie that were no sufficient allegation agaynst
not cease with continuall prayer to labour for you desiryng almighty GOD to encrease that which he hath long sith begonne in you of sober lyfe and earnest zeale towardes his Religion In fayth as sayth Sainct Paule she that is a true widowe and frendlesse putteth her trust in GOD continuyng day and night in Supplication and prayer but she that liueth in pleasure is dead euen yet aliue And verely a true widowe is she that hath maryed Christ forsakyng the vanities of the worlde and luste of the fleshe For as the maryed woman careth howe to loue please and serue her husband so ought the widowe to geue all her hart and soule thoughtes and wordes studies and labours faythfully to loue GOD vertuously to bryng vp her children and houshold and diligently to prouide for the poore and oppressed Therefore Sainct Paule first instructeth a widow how to behaue her selfe that is Not to liue in pleasure then to watche vnto prayer as the onely meanes to obtayne all our desires stedfastly laying vppe all our trust in GOD as Dauid right well sayeth First eschew euill then doe good Of Anna the prayse was written that shee neuer went out of the Temple but serued GOD with fastyng and prayer night and day so well had she espoused Christ. Iudith ware a smocke of heare continuyng in fastyng and had good report of all men The next care that belongeth to a widowe is that she bryng vppe her children and houshold godly in the nourture and information of the Lorde Whereof Saincte Paule sayeth If any haue Children or Nephewes lette them learne firste to rule their owne house Godly and to recompence their elders The incontinencie and coueteousnesse of Phinees and Ophny not corrected by Ely their Father prouoked GODS vengeaunce vppon him and all his kynred The ouer tender loue of Absolon expelled Dauid from his kyngdome The vnrebuked sinnes of Ammon encouraged Absolon to flea his brother most manifest examples agaynste the parentes for the offences of their Children Contrarywise how greatly might Hannah reioyce ouer Samuell her Sonne whome she had brought vppe in the house of the Lorde What thankes might Tobias wife giue for her Sonne Toby How happy was Salomō to be taught by the prophet Nathan But aboue all widowes thrise blessed was the happy mother of the vij Sonnes that so had instructed them by the feare of GOD that by no tormentes they would shrincke from the loue of his truth Of the last parte Saincte Paule sheweth that a widowe shoulde bee chosen If shee haue nourished her Children if shee haue been liberall to straungers if shee haue washed the Sainctes feete and if shee haue ministred to them in aduersitie Herein it is euident howe earnestly Saincte Paule would haue widowes bent towardes the poore for that as though they onely had been therefore meete hee appointed onely widowes to minister to the Sainctes and to gather for the poore Whiche vse also continued almost throughout the primitiue Churche that widowes had the charge and gatheryng for the poore men and straungers Of your neighboures I neede not to put you in remembraunce seeynge you dayly feede them with good Hospitalitie by whiche meanes also many foreners are of you relieued but of the poore Almes houses and miserable prisoners here in London many lacking their libertie wythout cause some vnder the colour of Religion some onely kept for fees and some on priuate mennes displeasure Alas that Christe so hungereth and no man will feede hym is so sore opprest with thyrst and no man will geue him to drinke destitute of all lodgyng and not relieued naked and not cloathed sicke and not visited imprisoned and not seene In tyme past menne could bestowe large summes of money on copes vestimentes and ornamentes of the Churche Why rather follow we not S. Ambroses example whiche solde the same to the reliefe of the poore or Chrysostomes commaundement which willeth first to decke and garnish the liuing temple of God But alas suche is the wickednesse of these our last dayes that nothing moueth vs neyther the pure doctrine the godlines of life nor good examples of the auncient Fathers If in any thing they erred if they haue written anye thynge that serueth for sectes and dissension that will their charitable children embrace publishe and mayntayne with sworde Fagot and fire But all in vayne they stryue agaynst the streame For though in despite of the truth by force of the oers of crafty perswasion they maye bringe themselues into the hauen of hell yet can they not make all menne bebeleue that the bankes moue whilest the shippe sayleth nor euer shall be able to turne the directe course of the streame of Gods truth Our Lord Iesus Christ strengthen you in al pure doctrine and vpright liuing and geue you grace vertuously to bring vp your children and family and carefully to prouide for the poore and oppressed Amen At Newgate the 20. of Ianuary Ann. 1556. Your assured Bartlet Greene. An other certayne writing of M. Bartlet Greene. BEtter is the day of death sayth Salomon then the daye of birth Man that is borne of woman liueth but a shorte tyme and is replenished with many miseries but happye are the dead that dye in the Lord. Man of woman is borne in trauell to liue in misery manne thorough Christe dothe dye in ioye and lyue in felicitie He is borne to dye and dyeth to liue Straight as he cōmeth into the world with cryes he vttereth his miserable estate straight as he departeth with songes hee prayseth God for euer Scarse yet in his cradle 3. deadly enemies assault him after death no aduersary may annoy him Whilest hee is here he displeaseth God when he is dead he fulfilleth his will In this lyfe here he dyeth through sinne in the life to come he liueth in righteousnesse Through many tribulations in earth he is still purged with ioye vnspeakeable in heauen is he made pure for euer Here he dyeth euery houre there hee liueth continuallye Here is sinne there is righteousnes Here is tyme there is eternitie Here is hatred there is loue Here is payne there is pleasure Here is miserye there is felicity Here is corruption there is immortalitie Here we see vanitie there shall we behold the maiestie of god with triumphant and vnspeakeable ioy in glory euerlasting Seeke therefore the thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God the father vnto whom with the sonne and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen Yours in Christ Bartlet Grene. Diuers other letters and matters there were beside which this seruaunt of God did write as namely certayn notes extractes in Latine out of the Doct. other authours for his memory wherby is declared how studious he was in the searching and knowledge of the law of God although his profession was the temporall lawe Where I would 〈◊〉 God
present And thus Bishop Brokes finishing his Oration sate downe After whom Doctor Martin taking the matter in hand beginneth thus * The Oration of Doctor Martyn ALbeit there be two Gouernmentes the one spirituall the other tēporal the one hauing the keyes the other the sword yet in all ages we read that for the honour and glory of GOD both these powers haue bene adioyned together For if we read the olde Testament we shall finde that so did Iosias and Ezechias So did the king of the Niniuites compell a generall fast thorow all the whole Citty So did Darius in breaking the greate Idoll Bell and deliuered Godly Daniel out of the denne of Lions So did Nabuchodonosor make and institute lawes agaynste the blasphemers of God But to let passe these examples with a great number more and to come to Christes time it is not vnknowne what great trauayle they tooke to set forth Gods Honour and although the rule and gouernement of the Church did onely apperteine to the spiritualty yet for the suppression of heresyes schismes Kinges were admitted as ayders thereunto First Constantinus the great called a councell at Nyce for the suppression of the Arrians secte where the same time was raysed a greate contention among them And after long disputation had when the Fathers could not agree vpon the putting downe of the Arrians they referred theyr iudgement to Constantine God forbid quoth Constantine you ought to rule me and not I you And as Constantine did so did Theodosius against the Nestorians so did Martianus agaynst Manichaeus Iouinian made a law that no man shoulde marrye with a Nunne that had wedded her selfe to the Church So had king Henry the 8. the title of Defender of the fayth because he wrote against Luther his cōplices So these 900. yeres the kinges of Spayne had that title of Catholicke for the expulsion of the Arrians and to say the truth the king and the Queenes maiesties do nothing degenerate from their auncetry taking vpon them to restore agayne the title to be Defender of the faith to the right heyre thereof the Popes holinesse Therefore these two princes perceiuing this noble Realme how it hath bene brought from the vnitye of the true and Catholicke Church the which you and your confederates do and haue renounced perceyuing also that you doe persist in your detestable errours and will by no meanes bee reuoked from the same haue made theyr humble request and petition to the Popes holynesse Paulus 4. as supreme head of the church of Christ declaring to him that where you were Archbishop of Caunterbury Metropolitane of England and at your consecration tooke two solemne othes for your due obedience to bee geuen to the Sea of Rome to become a true preacher or Pastour of his flock yet cōtrary to your othe and alleagiaunce for vnitie haue sowed discord for chastity mariage and adultery for obedience contention and for fayth ye haue bene the author of all mischiefe The Popes holines considering their request and petition hath graūted them that according to the Censure of this Realme processe should be made agaynst you And where as in this late time you both excluded Charity Iustice yet hath his holinesse decreed that you shall haue bothe Charity and Iustice shewed vnto you Hee willeth you shoulde haue the lawes in most ample maner to answere in your behalfe and that ye shall here come before my Lord of Glocester as high Commissioner from his holynesse to the examination of such articles as shal be proposed agaynst you that we should require the examination of you in the King and Queenes Maiestyes behalfe The King and Queene as touching themselues because by the law they cannot appeare personally Quia sunt illustris personae haue appoynted as theyr atturneys Doctor Storie and me Wherefore here I offer to your good Lordship our Proxie sealed with the broad seale of England and offer my selfe to be Proctor in the Kings Maiesties behalfe I exhibite here also certayne Articles conteining the manifest adultery periury Also bookes of heresy made partly by him partly set forth by his authority And here I produce him as partly principal to aunswere to your good Lordship Thus when Doc. Martin had ended his Oration the Archbishop beginneth as here foloweth Cran. Shall I then make mine aunswere Mart. As you thinke good no man shall let you And here the Archbishoppe kneeling downe on both knees towarde the West sayde first the Lordes Prayer Then risinge vppe he reciteth the Articles of the Creede Which done he entreth with his protestation in forme as foloweth * The Fayth and Profession of Doctour Cranmer Archbishop of Cant. before the Commissioners THis I do professe as touching my fayth and make my protestation which I desire you to note I will neuer consent that the Bishop of Rome shall haue any iurisdiction within this Realme Story Take a note thereof Mart. Marke M. Cranmer how you answer for your self You refuse and denye him by whose lawes ye yet doe remayne in life being otherwise attaynted of high treason but a dead man by the lawes of this Realme Cran. I protest before God I was no traytor but in deed I confessed more at my arraignment then was true Mart. That is not to be reasoned at this presēt You know ye were condemned for a Traytor and Res iudicata pro veritate accipitur But proceed to your matter Cran. I will neuer consent to the Bishop of Rome for thē should I geue my selfe to the Deuill for I haue made an othe to the king I must obey the king by Gods lawes By the Scripture the king is chiefe and no forreigne person in his owne Realme about him There is no Subiect but to a king I am a Subiect I owe my fidelitye to the crowne The pope is contrary to the crowne I cannot obey both for no mā can serue two maisters at once as you in the beginning of your Oration declared by the sword the keyes attributing the keies to the Pope and the sword to the king But I say the king hath both Therfore he that is subiect to Rome the lawes of Rome he is periured for the Popes and the Iudges Lawes are contrary they are vncertayne and confounded A Prieste indebted by the Lawes of the Realme shall be sued before a temporall Iudge by the Popes Lawes contrary The Pope doth the king iniury in that he hath his power from the Pope The king is head in his owne realm But the Pope claimeth all Bishops Priests Curates c. So the Pope in euery Realme hath a Realme Agayne by the lawes of Rome the Benefice muste bee geuen by the Bishop by the lawes of the Realme the patron geueth the Benefice Herein the lawes be as contrary as fire and water No man can by the lawes of Rome proceed in a premunire and so is the law of the Realme expelled and the
church 2 To the second they aunswered that they beleeued that in the true Catholike church of Christe there be but two sacraments that is to say the sacrament of Baptisme and the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. 3 To the third article they al agreed confessing that they were Baptised in the Faith and beliefe of the Catholicke church and that their Godfathers and Godmothers had professed and promised for them as is contained in the same Article 4 To the fourth they answered that they alwaies were and yet then did coÌ„tinue in the faith and profession wherin they were baptised Richarde Nicols adding also that he had more plainely learned the truth of his profession by the doctrine set forth in king Edward the 6. his daies and thereupon he had builded his faithe and would coÌ„tinue in the same to hys liues ende God assisting him 5 To the fifth they answeared that they neither swarâ—ed nor went away from the Catholicke faith of Christ. Howbeit they confessed that within the time articulate and before they hadde misliked and earnestly spoken against the sacrifice of the Masse and against the sacrament of the altare affirming that they woulde not come to heare or bee partakers therof because they hadde and then did beleeue that they were set foorth and vsed contrary to Gods woord and glory And moreouer they did graunt that they hadde spoken against the vsurped authoritye of the B. of Rome as an oppressor of Christes Church and Gospell and that he ought not to haue any authoritye in Englande For all which sayings they were no whit sorie but rather reioyced and were glad 6 To the sixt they answered that they neuer refused nor yet then presently did refuse to be reconciled to the vnitye of Christes Catholicke church but they said they had and then did and so euer woulde heereafter vtterlye refuse to come to the churche of Rome or to acknowledge the authority of the seat hereof but did vtterly abhorre the same for putting downe the booke of God the Bible and setting vp the Babylonicall Masse wyth all other of Antichristes marchaundise 7 To the seuenth article the effect therof they all graunted And Symonde Ioyne declared further that the cause of hys refusing to be partaker of theyr trumperie was for that the commandements of God were there broken and Christes ordinaunces chaunged and put oute and the B. of Romes ordinances in steade thereof put in Moreouer as touching the sacrament of Christes body Christopher Lister affirmed that in the sayde Sacrament there is the substance of breade and wine as well after the woordes of consecration as before and that there is not in the same the very body and bloud of Christ really substaÌ„tially and truely but onely Sacramentally and spiritually by Faith in the faithfull receiuers and that the Masse is not propiciatorie for the quicke or for the dead but meere Idolatrie and abhomination 8 To the eight they sayde that they were sent to Colchester prison by the king and Queenes Commissioners because they would not come to theyr parish Churches and by them sent vnto the bishop of London to be therof further examined 9 To the ninth they al generally agreed that that which they had saide in the premisses was true that they were of the Diocesse of London These aunsweres thus made the Bishop did dismisse them for that present vntill the after noone At which time hauing firste their articles and aunsweres red vnto them againe and they standing most firmly vnto theyr Christian profession they were by diuers waies and meanes assaied and tried if they would reuoke the same their professed faith and returne to the vnitie of Antichristes church The burning of the foresayde sixe men at Colchester Which thing when they refused the bishop stoutly pronounced the sentence of coÌ„demnation against them committing them vnto the temporall power Who vppon the receit of the king and Quenes wryt sent them vnto Colchester where the 28. day of Aprill moste chearefully they ended theyr liues to the glory of Gods holy name and the great incouragement of others Hugh Lauerocke an olde lame man Iohn Apprice a blinde man Martyrs burned at Stratford the Bowe IN the discourse of thys parcell or parte of Hystorie I knowe not whether more to maruaile at the greate and vnsearchable mercies of God wyth whome there is no respecte in degrees of parsones but he choseth as well the poore lame and blinde as the rich mighty and healthful to sette foorth hys glory or els to note the vnreasonable or rather vnnaturall doings of these vnmerciful catholickes I meane B. Boner and his complices in whome was so little fauour or mercye to all sortes and kindes of men that also they spared neither impotente age neither lame nor blinde as may well appeare by these poore creatures whose names and stories heere vnder followe Hugh Lauerocke of the parish of Barking Painter of the age of 68. a lame creple Iohn Apprice a blinde man These 2. poore and simple creatures beinge belike accused by some promoting neighbor of theirs vnto the bish and other of the K. and Queenes Commissioners were sent for by their Officer and so being brought deliuered into the handes of the sayd bishop were the 1. day of May examined before him in his pallaice at London Where he first propounded and obiected againste them those 9. Articles wherof meÌ„tion is made before ministred as wel vnto Bartlet Grene as also vnto many others To the which they aunsweared in effecte as Christopher Lister Iohn Mace and other before mentioned had done Wherupon they were againe sent to prison and beside other times the 9. day of the same moneth in the consistorie of Pauls were againe openly producted and there after the olde order trauailed with all to recant theyr opinions against the Sacrament of the altare Wherunto Hugh Lauerocke first sayd I will stand to mine answers and to that that I haue coÌ„fessed and I can not finde in the scriptures that the Priestes should lift vp ouer theyr head a cake of bread The bishop then turned him vnto Iohn Apprice and asked what he would say To whom he answeared Your doctrine sayd he that yee set foorth teache is so agreeable wyth the world and embraced of the same that it can not be agreeable with the scripture of God And ye are not of the catholicke church for ye make lawes to kil men and make the Queene your hangman At which woordes the bishop belike somewhat tickeled and therfore very loth to delay theyr condeÌ„nation any longer such was now his hote burning charitie coÌ„manded that they shoulde be brought after him vnto Fulham whether he before dinner did goe and there in the afternoone after his solemne maner in the open church he pronounced the definitiue sentence of condemnation againste them and so deliuering them into the hands of the temporall officer thoughte
Lorde of all mercy and Father of all comfort through the merites and mediation of his deare sonne thy onely Lord and Sauiour hath clearely remitted and pardoned all thy offences whatsoeuer they bee that euer hitherto thou hast committed agaynst his maiesty and therefore he hath geuen to thee as to his childe deare Brother Iohn Careles in token that thy sinnes are pardoned he I say hath geuen vnto thee a penitent and beleuing hart that is a hart which desireth to repent and beleue For suche a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleuing hart in deed Wherefore my good Brother be mery gladde and of good cheare for the Lorde hath taken away thy sinnes thou shalt not dye Goe thy wayes the Lord hath put away thy sinnes The East is not so farre from the West as the Lord now hath put thy sinnes from thee Looke how the heauēs be in comparison of the earth so far hath his mercy preuayled towardes thee his deare chylde Iohn Careles through Christ the beloued Say therfore with Dauid prayse the Lord oh my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name for he hath forgeuen thee all thy sinnes as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a witnesse God make me worthy to heare from you the like true message for my selfe Myne owne dearly beloued you haue great cause to thanke God moste hartily that he hath geuen you such repētance and fayth the lord encrease the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose hart is harder then the Adamant stone or elles I coulde not thus long haue stayed from writing vnto you If I liue and may I purpose and promise you to make amendes Praye for me my moste deare brother I hartely beseech you and forgeue me my long silence God our father be with vs for euer Amen Yours in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To my most deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to dye for the testimony of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength and comfort of his most pure holy mighty spirite with the increase of fayth liuely feeling of his eternall mercy be with you my most deare faythfull louing brother Tyms with all the rest of my deare hartes in the Lord your faithfull felow souldiers most constant cōpanions in bonds yea of men condēned most cruelly for the sincere testimony of Gods euerlasting truth to the full finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begon in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most sweet and louing brethrē and dearest hartes in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write vnto you in the least poynt or part to vtter the great ioy that my poore hart hath cōceiued in God through the most godly example of your christian constancy and sincere confession of Christes verity Truely my tongue can not declare nor my pen expresse the aboūdance of spirituall myrth and gladnes that my minde and inward man hath felte euer since I heard of your harty boldnes and modest behauior before that bloudy butcher in the time of al your crafty examinations especially at your cruell condēnation in theyr cursed Consistory place Blessed be God the Father of all mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciously performed vpon you his deare darlinges his most sweete and comfortable promises in not onely geuing you the cōtinuall aide strength and comfort of his holye and mighty spirite to the faythfull confession of his Christ for whose cause O most happy mē ye are condemned to dye but also in geuing you such a mouth wisedom as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were fayne to cry Peace peace not suffer you to speake As truely as God liueth my deare brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euident probation that God is on our side and a sure certainty of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather gods cursed enemies a plaine demōstration of their iust eternall woe damnatiō which they shal be full sure shortly to feele whē ye shal ful sweetly possesse the place of felicity pleasure prepared for you frō the beginning Therefore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to prayse the Lord with a lusty courage for that of his great mercy and infinite goodnesse he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the losse of goodes wife and childrē long imprisonment cruell oppressiō c. but also the very depriuation of this mortall life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire The which is the greatest promotion that GOD can bring you or any other vnto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue yet hath the Lord for his dere sonne Christs sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many other which haue both long looked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the handes of the Lorde in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the sweete saying of Salomon or rather of the holye ghost shall be full well verified vpon thee yea and all thy faythfull fellowes Better is the day of death sayth hee then the day of byrth This saying cannot be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and suche as thou art whose death is most precious before God full deare shal your bloud be in his sight Blessed be God for thee my deare brother Tymmes and blessed be God agayn that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came first into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God will once vouch me worthye of that great dignitie whereunto he hath now brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth now nigh vnto God of whom you haue receiued the same ful glad may you be that euer God gaue you a life to leaue for his sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wife Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I beseeche you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my sins of that great dignitie whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly brethren whome I beseech you to comfort in the Lorde as you can full well praysed be God for his giftes which you haue hartily applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the commoditie of his
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
life or els hee will make suche an outscape for you as shall be to the setting foorth of hys glorye the whych aboue all other thinges we that are his chosen children oughte for to seeke yea euen with the losse of oure owne lyues beyng yet well assured that the same shall not be shortned one minute of an houre before the time that God hathe appoynted Cast therefore deare sister all your care vppon the Lorde whych as S. Peter sayeth careth for you Great is his prouidence for you and mighty is his loue and mercy towardes you Wyth his grace hee will defende you and with his holye spirite he will euermore guide you wherewith hee hath surely sealed you vnto the day of redemption hee hathe also geuen you the same in earnest for the recouerye of the purchased possession whych hee hath prepared for you before the foundation of the worlde was layed Be strong therefore and take a good heart as I heare say you be God for euer be blessed for you whych hath graft hys loue in your good heart that nothing is able to separate you from the same but will rather chuse to suffer aduersitie wyth the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sinne for a little season Oh happye woman that canst finde in thine heart to esteeme the rebukes of Christe to be greater richâ—sse then all the treasures of the world as good Moyses did Doubtles great is your reward in heauen which you shall shortly receiue of his free gift and not of any deseruing Thus deare mother Glascocke I haue bene bolde to trouble you wyth my rude and simple letters desiring you to take them in good woorthe being done in great haste as it doeth appeare but yet proceeding from a poore hearte whych floweth ouer in loue towardes you as my dailye prayers for you can testifie whych I truste shall supplye that parte of my duetye towardes you that my penne nowe wanteth I thanke you deare hearte for all your louing tokens and for the great kindnesse you haue hetherto shewed vnto my poore brother Tymmes and hys wife and children wyth all other of Gods people to whom you daily doe good the Lorde recompence the same seuenfolde into your bosome as I doubte not but hee will according to hys vnfallible promises I praye you haue my hearty commendations vnto your husbande I beseeche the Lorde strength hym in the confession of hys truthe as my tâ—ust is that he will that we may all ioyfully rest with Abraham Isaac Iacob in the kingdome of God vnto the whych he bryng vs that with his most precious bloud hath bought vs. The blessing of God bee wyth you nowe and euer Amen Your daily Oratour and vnfayned louer Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lord. Pray pray pray A briefe admonition wrytten to Mistres Agnes Glascocke in a booke of hers when shee came to the prisone to visite him THere is nothyng that the holye Scripture throughout dothe so muche commende vnto vs as true Faithe and stedfaste trust in the promyses of Gods eternall mercies towardes vs in Iesus Christe For from the same as foorthe of the chiefe fountaine and well sprynge of life doe flowe all kindes of vertues and godlye fruites speciallye true loue towardes God in the whyche wee oughte purelye to serue hym all the dayes of oure lyfe and also Christian charitye towardes oure neyghbours as well to helpe them at all needes as also not to hurte them by any meanes Therefore praye earnestly for the increase of Faythe and liuely feelinge of Gods mercie for all thinges are possible vnto him that can vndoubtedly beleue Faith is that thing which assureth vs of Gods mercye and whereby we vanquishe all the fierye dartes of the deuill oure victorie that ouercommeth the worlde the knife that killeth and mortifieth the flesh and finally that whiche setteth vs at peace wyth God and quieteth oure consciences alwaies before him and maketh vs merry and ioyfull vnder the crosse wyth many moe things then I can now expresse Pray therefore for faith in faith And for the Lordes sake beware of Popery and Popish Idolatrye the Idol of the wicked Masse and other idolatrous seruice Make not your body which is a member of Christ a member of Antichrist Remember that we shall receiue of god according to that we do in the body be it good or euil Therfore glorifie god in your body which is derely bought Betray not the truthe least the Lorde deny you If God be God followe hym You can not serue two maisters I wryte not thys as doubting you but by the way of admonition God keepe you from all euill My sister deare God geue you grace With stedfast faith in Christes name His Gospell still for to embrace And liue according to the same To die therefore thinke it no shame But hope in God with faithfull trust And he will geue you praise with fame When you shall rise out of the dust For which most sweete and ioyfull day To God with faith your prayer make And thinke on me I do you pray The which did wryte this for your sake And thus to God I you betake Who is your castell and strong rocke He keepe you whether you sleepe or wake Farewell deare Mistres A Glascocke ¶ An other Letter of Iohn Careles to Mistres A.G. to comfort her in her repentaunce after shee had bene at Masse fruitefull for all them to be reade which haue fallen and are to be raised vp againe THe peace of God in Iesus Christe the eternall comfortes of hys sweete spirit be with you and strength and comfort you my deare and faithfull sister Amen Although the pearillous dayes be come wherof Christ prophesied that if it were possible the very elect should be deceyued yet let the true faithfull Christians reioyce and be gladde knowing that the Lorde him selfe is theyr keeper who will not suffer one haire of theyr heades to pearish wythout his almighty good will and pleasure neyther wil suffer them to be further tempted then hee will geue them strengthe to beare but will in the middest of theyr temptation make away for them to escape out So good and gracious a God is hee to all his chosen children And though sometimes he doe lette hys elect stumble and fall yet no doubt hee will raise them vppe againe to the further encrease of theyr comforte and to the setting foorth of hys glory and praise Which thing my deare and faithfull louing sister I trust shall be well verified on you For I doe heare say that by the manifolde allurementes inticements procurementes yea and enforcements that you deare hart haue had your fote hath chaunced to slippe foorth of the way to the greate discomfort of your soule and the heauinesse of your heart but my good sister be of good cheare for the Lorde wil not so leaue you but he will raise you vppe againe and make you stronger then euer you were so that
Thornton Well doe yee not beleeue that hee is there really New No I beleue it not Thornton Well will ye stand to it New I must needes stande to it till I bee perswaded to a further truth Thornton Nay yee will not bee perswaded but stande to your owne opinion New Nay I stand not to mine owne opinion GOD I take to witnesse but onely to the scriptures of God and that can all those that stand here witnes with me and nothing but the scriptures and I take God to witnes that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my conscience and if there be a further trueth then I see excepte it appeare a trueth to me I cannot receiue it as a truth And seeing fayth is the gifte of God and commeth not of man for it is not you that can geue me fayth nor no man els therfore I trust ye will beare the more with me seing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receiue it with all my hart and embrace it Thornton had many other questions which I did not beare away but as I doe vnderstand these are the chiefest as for tauntes foolish and vnlearned hee lacked none Prayse GOD for his giftes and GOD increase in vs strength * The argument of Iohn Newman If the body of Christ were really and bodily in the sacrament then who soeuer receiued the sacrament receiued also the body The wicked receiuing the sacrament receiue not the body of Christ. Ergo the bodye of Christe is not really in the Sacrament * Argument Ca They which eate the fleshe and drinke the bloude of Christ dwell in him and he in them mes The wicked dwell not in Christ nor he in them tres Ergo The wicked eate not the fleshe nor drinke the bloud of Christ. * Argument Ca They that haue Christ dwelling in them bring foorth much fruite Iohn 15. Hee that dwelleth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruite c. mes The wicked bringeth forth no fruit of goodnes tres Ergo they haue not Christes body dwelling in them ¶ Argument Da Where remembrrunce is of a thing there is imported the absence thereof ti Remembraunce of Christes body is in the sacrament Do this in remembraunce of me c. si Ergo Christes body there is imported to be absent Mary they will say we see him not with our outward eyes but he is commended vnder the fourme of breade wine and that that we see is nothing but a quallitie or an accidence But let them shew me a quallitie or an accidence without a substaunce and I will beleue them And thus much concerning Newmans examinations and argumentes whose Martyrdome is before expressed ¶ The Martirdome of Ioane Wast a blynde woman in the Towne of Darbye THe first day of August in the yeare aboue specified suffered likewise at the Towne of Darby a certaine poore honest godly woman being blinde from her birth and vnmaryed about the age of xxii named Ioane Wast of the Parish of Alhallowes Of them that sate vpon this innocent womans bloude the chiefest was Raâ—e Bayne Bishop of the Dyoces Doctour Draycot hys Chauncellour sir Iohn Port Knight Henrye Uernon Esquire Peter Finshe officiall of Darby with the assistaunce also of diuers other Richard Warde and William Bembrige the same time being Bayliffes of the Towne of Darby c. First after the aboue named Byshoppe and Doct. Draycot had caused the sayd Ioane Waste to be apprehended in the Towne of Darby suspecting her to bee guilty of certayne heresies she was diuers times priuily examined as well in prison as out of Prison by Finsh the Officiall aforesayd After that brought to publicke examination before the Bishop at last was there burnt in Darby as is aboue sayd Touching whose life bringing vp conuersatioÌ„ somewhat more amply we mynd to discourse as by faythfull relation hath come to my handes First this Ioane Wast was the daughter of one William Wast an honest poore man and by hys science a Barber who some time also vsed to make Ropes His wife had the same Ioane and one other at one byrth and shee was borne blinde And when shee was about xij or xiiii yeares old she learned to knitte hosen and sleeues and other thinges which in time she could do very well Furthermore as time serued she would help her father to turn ropes and do such other thinges as she was able and in no case would be idle Thus continued she with her father and mother during their liues After whose departure then kept she with one Roger Wast her brother who in the time of king Edw. the 6. of blessed memory gaue her selfe dayly to go to the church to heare Diuine seruice read in the vulgar tongue And thus by hearing Homilies and sermons she became merueilously well affected to the Religion then taught So at length hauing by her labour gotten and saued so much mony as would buy her a newe testameÌ„t she caused one to be prouided for her And though she was of herselfe vnlearned and by reason of her blindnes vnable to read yet for the great desire shee had to vnderstand and haue printed in her memory the sayinges of holy scriptures conteined in the new Testament shee acquaynted her selfe chiefly with one Iohn Hurt then prisoner in the common Hall of Darby for debtes The same Iohn Hurt being a sober graue man of the age of three score and ten yeares by her earnest intreatie and being Prisoner and many times idle and without coÌ„pany did for his exercise dayly read vnto her some one chapter of the new Testament And if at any time he wer otherwise occupied or letted through sickenes she woulde repayre vnto one Iohn Pemerton Clarke of the Parishe Churche of all sayntes in the same towne of Darby or to some other person which could read and sometimes shee would geue a penny or two as shee might spare to suche persons as woulde not freely read vnto her appoyntyng vnto them aforehand how many Chapiters of the newe Testament they should read or how often they should repeate one Chapiter vpon a price Moreouer in the sayde Ioane Wast this was notoryous that she being vtterly blinde could not withstanding without a guide go to any Church within the sayd town of Darby or to any other place or person with whom she had any such exercise By which exercise shee so profited that she was able not onely to recite many Chapiters of the new testament without book but also could aptly impugne by diuers places of scriptures as well sinne as suche abuses in Religion as then were to much in vse in diuers and sondry persons As this godly woman thus dayly increased in the knowledge of Gods holy worde and no lesse in her life expressed the vertuous fruites and exercise of the same Not long after
were as the waues of the sea and so the B. made an end deliuered me into the hands of the sheriff to be caried prisoner to the Marshalsey againe And when I was condemned I desired God with a loud voice that he would not lay my bloud to their charges if it were his good will so then they refused my praier and sent me away Then I beganne to talke as I went and they cried cut out his toung or stop his mouth and so I was broughte to the Malshalsey and lapped in yron bandes Therefore I pray vnto God that they vnto whom this present wryting shal come may take example by my death and souldiour fare So be it By me Steuen Gratwicke condemned for Gods euerlasting truth HEere for want of time I haue left out many matters because the Lord hath hastened the time so that I haue wrytten but the briefnes of the matter in probation of faith and the reward of faith the which the bish of Roch. I debated vpon the whych matter I wold haue ben very glad to haue set down in wryting Also much more talke there was that the B. of Winch. and I had concerning my worldly frendes personable estate for he plaied sathan with me hee caried me vp to the mountaines and there told me my learning was good and my eloquēce and also my knowledge saue that I did abuse it saide he and then he fell to praising of my person that it was comely worthy to serue a Prince Thus Sathan flattered with me to make me aunsweare vnto such obiections as he woulde lay against me that I mighte fall into his Diocesse Thus Steuen Gratwicke this Christian Martyr being wrongfully condemned by the bish of Winchester as ye haue heard was burned with William Moraunt and one King in s. Georges field about the latter end of May. Seuen godlye Martyrs v. women and ij men burned at Maidstone for the word of truth and professing of sincere religion of Christ. I Shewed a litle before how after the vnmerciful proclamation was sent set forth by the K. and Quene in the month of Febr. last the storme of persecution began in all places to rise whereof some part also is declared before but yet in no place more thē in the country dioces of Cāt. by reason of certaine the aforesaid inquisitors being now armed with authority but especially by reasō of Ric. Thornton Suffragan of Douer and the Archd. of Cant. who of their owne nature were so furious and fierye against the harmles flocke of Christ that there was no nede of any proclamation to stir vp the coles of their burning crueltie by reason wherof many a godly Saint lieth slaine vnder the altare as in diuers places of this booke wel may appeare And now to returne to the said dioces of Cant. againe in the next moneth following being the month of Iune the 18. day of the same were 7. Christian true faithfull martirs of christ burned at Maidst whose names here folow Ioane Bradbridge of Stapleherst Walter Appelbie of Maidstone Petronil his wife Edmund Alen of Fritenden Katherine his wife Ioane Mannings wyfe of Maidstone Elizabeth a blinde Maiden As concerning the generall Articles commonly obiected to them in the publicke Consistory the order of theyr cōdemnation it differeth not much from the vsuall maner expressed before pag. 1585. neither did their aunsweares in effect much differre from the other that suffered vnder the same Ordinarie in the foresaid dioces of Canterburie Now as touching their accusers and maner of apprehension and their priuate cōflicts with the aduersaries I finde no great matter comming to my hands saue only of Edmund Alen some intimation is geuē men how his trobles came what was his cause and aunsweres before the Iustices as here consequently ye shall vnderstand The examination of Edmund Alen. THis Allen was a milner of the parish of Frytenden in Kent and in a deare yere when as many poore people were like to starue he fed them and solde his corne better cheape by halfe then others did and did not that only but also fedde them with the foode of life reading to them the scriptures and interpreting them This being known to the popish priests there abou ts dwelling by the procurement of them namely of Iohn Tailor parson of Fritenden and Thomas Henden parson of Stapleherst he was eftsones cōplained off to the Iustices and brought before syr Iohn Baker Knight who first sending for them committed both him and his wife to Ward but not long after they were let out I know not how so went ouer vnto Calice Whereafter that he had continued a certaine space he began to be troubled in conscience there meeting with one Iohn Web of the same parish of Fritēden who was likewise fled from the tirāny of sir Iohn Baker and parson Tailor said vnto him that he could not be in quiet there what soeuer the cause was for God saide he hadde some thing to do for him in Englād thus shortly he returned home again to the parish of Fritenden Where was a cruel Priest there Parson called Iohn Tailor This parson Tailor being infourmed by his brother Sertan that Edmund Allen the Miluer his wife were returned and were not at masse time in the churche as he was the same time in the midst of his masse vpon a Sonday a little before the eleuation as they terme it euen almost at the lifting vp of his Romish God he turned him to the people in a great rage and commanded them with all spede to go vnto their house and apprehend them and he wold come to them with as much hast as might be possible Which promise he well performed For he had not so soone made an end of Ite missa est and the vestments of his back but by and by he was at the house and there laying hande of the said Alen caused him againe to be brought to sir Ih. Baker with a greuous complaint of his exhorting reading the scriptures to the people and so was he his wife sent to Maidstone prison Witnessed by Richard Fletcher Uicare of Crambroke and Iohn Webbe of Fritenden They were not so soone in prisone but maister Baker immediately sent vnto their house certaine of his mē Ih. Doue Thomas Best Thomas Linley Perciuall Barbel with the foresaide Iohn Tailor parson of Fritenden and Thomas Henden Parson of Stapleherst to take an inuentorie of all the goodes that were in the house Where they found in the bedstraw a casket locked with a padlocke so cutting the wist therof opened it and founde therein a sackecloth bagge of money containing the summe of 13. or 14. pound partly in gold partly in siluer Which money after they had told and putte in the bagge againe like good caruers for themselues they caried away with them Besides also they found
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
many promoters and vnneighborly neighbors to help them forwards By which kinde of people it is not vnlike these two godly yokefellowes were accused and taken and being once deliuered into the pitiles haÌ„dling of Boner their examinations ye may be sure were not long deferred For the 16. day of Iuly 1557. they were brought before him into hys palace at London Wher first he demaÌ„ded of the said Iames Austoo amongst other questions where he had bene confessed in Lent and whether he receiued the sacrament of the altare at Easter or not To whom he answered that in dede he had ben confessed of the curate of Aâ—halowes Barking â—e to the tower of London but that he had not receiued the sacrament of the altar for he defied it from the bottome of his heart Why quoth the Bishop doest thou not beleeue that in the sacrament of the altare there is the true body bloude of Christ. No sayd Austoo not in the Sacrament of the altar but in the Supper of the Lorde to the faithfull receiuer is the very body and bloud of Christ by faith Boner not well pleased with this talke asked then the wife how she did like the religion then vsed in this courâ—h of England Shee answered that shee beleeued that the same was not according to Gods word but false and corrupted and that they which did goe thereunto did it more for feare of the law then otherwise Then hee againe asked her if shee woulde goe to the Churche and heare Masse and pray for the prosperous estate of the king being then abroad in his affaires Whereunto she said that she defied the Masse with all her heart and that she would not come into any Churche wherein were Idols After this the Bish. obiected vnto them certaine articles to the number of 18. The tenor whereof because they touch only such common trifling matters as are already mentioned in diuers sondry places before I do here for breuitie sake omit and passe ouer geuing you yet this much to vnderstand that in the maters of faith they were as souÌ„d and answered as truly God be therfore praised as euer any did especially the woman to whom the Lord had geuen the greater knowledge and more feruentnes of spirit Notwithstanding according to the measure of grace that God gaue them they both stood most firmly vnto the truthe And therefore to conclude the 10. day of Sept. they were with Rafe Allerton of whoÌ„ ye haue heard brought againe before the bishop within his chappell at Fulham where he speaking vnto them said first on this wise Austoo doest thou knowe where thou art nowe and in what place and before whom and what thou hast to doe Yea quoth Austoo I knowe where I am For I am in an idols temple After which wordes their articles being againe red their constancie in faith perceiued Boner pronounced against either of them seuerally the sentence of coÌ„demnation and deliuering them vnto the sheriff there present did rid his hands as he thought of them but the Lorde in the ende will iudge that to whome I referre his cause It so happened vpon a night that as this Margerie Austoo was in the bishops prisone which prison I suppose was his dogge kennel for it was as is reported vnder a paire of staires by the bishops procurement there was sent a stoute champion as appeared about 12. of the clocke at nighte who suddenly opened the doore and with a knife drawen or ready prepared fell vppon her to the intent to haue cut her throte Which she by reason of the clearnes of the Moone perceiuing and calling vnto God for helpe he but who it was she knewe not geuing a grunt and fearing belike to commit so cruel a dede departed his waies without any more hurt doing The next night following they caused a great rumbeling to be made ouer her head which semed to her to haue bene some great thuÌ„der which they did for to haue feared her out of her wittes but yet thanks be to God they missed of their purpose Richard Roth. IN the godly felowship of the forenamed three Martyrs was also this Rich. Roth as is alreadye specified Who being apprehended and brought vp vnto the bish of London was by him examined the 4. day of Iuly at what time the bish did earnestly trauel to induce him to beleeue that there were 7. sacraments in Christes churche and that in the sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration duely spoken there remained the very substance of Christes body and bloud and none other Wherunto at the present he made only this aunsweare that if the scriptures did so teach him and that he might be by the same so perswaded he would so beleue otherwise not But at another examination which was the 9. day of Sept. he declared plainly that in the said sacrameÌ„t of the altar as it was then vsed there was not the very body and bloud of Christ but that it was a dead God and that the Masse was detestable and contrary to Gods holy woorde and will from the which faith and opinion he would not goe or decline The next daye being the 10. day of the same moneth of September the Bishop at his house at Fulham by waye of an article laid and obiected against him that he was a comforter and boldener of hereticks and therefore hadde wrytten a letter to that effect vnto certaine that were burned at Colchester the copie whereof ensueth A letter wrytten by Rich. Roth vnto certaine brethren and sisters in Christ condemned at Colchester and ready to be burned for the testimonie of the truth O Deare brethren and sisters how much haue you to reioyce in God that he hath geuen you such faith to ouercome thys bloud thirsty tyrants thus far and no doubt he that hathe begon that good worke in you wil fulfil it vnto the end O deâ—◠〈…〉 in Christ what a crowne of glory shall ye receiue with Christe in the kingdom of God Oh that it had bene the good will of God that I had ben ready to haue gon with you For I lie in my 〈◊〉 little ease in the day and in the night I lie in the Colehouse froÌ„ Rafe Allerton or any other and we loke euery day wheÌ„ we 〈◊〉 be condemned For he said that I shoulde be burned wythin 〈◊〉 daies before Easter but I lie still at the pooles brinke and euery man goeth in before mee but we abide paciently the lordes lâ—isure with many bandes in setters and stockes by the whiche we haue receiued great ioy in God And nowe fare you well deare brethren and sisters in this worlde but I trust to see you in the heauens face to face Oh brother Munt with your wife and my deare sister Rose how blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake with all the rest of my deare brethren sisters knowen vnknowen O be ioyful euen
prouision had not preuented her with death In the number of them which suffred the same month when Queene Mary died were three that were burned at Bury whose names were these Phillip Humfrey Iohn Dauid Henry Dauid his brother Concernyng the burnyng of these three here is to bee noted that sir Clement Higham about a fortnight before the Queen died did sue out a writ for the burning of these three aforesayd godly and blessed Martyrs notwithstandyng that the Queene was then known to be past remedie of her sicknesse The trouble and Martyrdome of a godly poore woman which suffred at Exeter ALthough in such an innumerable company of godlye Martyrs which in sundry quarters of this Realme were put to torments of fire in Q. Maries time it be hard so exactly to recite euery perticular person that suffred but that some escape vs eyther vnknowen or omitted yet I can not passe ouer a certaine poore woman and a sely creature burned vnder the sayd queenes reigne in the City of Exeter whose name I haue not yet learned who dwelling sometime about Cornewall hauing a husbande and childrē there much addicted to the superstitious sect of popery was many times rebuked of thē driuē to go to the church to their Idols and ceremonies to shrift to follow the Crosse in Procession to geue thankes to God for restoryng Antichrist agayne into this Realme c. Which when her spirit could not abide to do she made her prayer vnto God calling for helpe and mercy and so at length lying in her bed about midnight she thought there came to her a certaine motion and feeling of singuler comfort Wherupon in short space she beganne to grow in contempt of her husband and children and so taking nothing from them but euen as she went departed from them seeking her lyuing by labor spinning as well as she could here there for a time In which time notwithstanding she neuer ceased to vtter her minde as well as she durst howbeit she at that time was brought home to her husband agayn Wher at last she was accused by her neighbours and so brought vp to Exeter to be presented to the Bishop and his Clergy The name of the Bishop which had her in examination was Doctour Troubleuile His Chauncellour as I gather was Blackstone The chiefest matter whereupon she was charged and condemned was for the Sacrament which they call of the Aultar and for speaking against Idols as by the declaration of those which were present I vnderstand which report the talk betwene her and the bishop on this wise Bishop Thou foolish woman quoth the Byshop I heare say that thou hast spoken certayne words of the most blessed Sacrament of the Aultar the body of Christ. Fye for shame Thou art an vnlearned person and a woman wilt thou meddle with such highe matters whiche all the Doctours of the worlde can not define Wilt thou talke of so high misteryes Keepe thy worke medle with that thou hast to do It is no womans matters at cardes and towe to be spoken of And if it be as I am infourmed thou art worthy to be burned Woman My Lord sayde she I trust your Lordship will heare me speake Bish. Yea mary quoth he therfore I send for thee Woman I am a poore woman do liue by my hands getting a peny truely of that I get I geue part to the poore Bish. That is well done Art thou not a mans wife And here the Bishop entred into talke of her husband To whom she answered againe declaring that she had a husband and children and had them not So long as she was at liberty she refused not neyther husband nor children But now standing here as I doe sayd she in the cause of Christ his trueth where I must either forsake Christ or my husband I am contēted to sticke onely to Christ my heauenly spouse and renounce the other And here she making mention of the words of Christ He that leaueth not father or mother sister or brother husband c. the Byshop inferred that Christ spake that of the holy martyrs which dyed because they would not doe sacrifice to the false Gods Woman Sikerly syr and I will rather dye then I will do any worship to that foule Idoll whiche with your Masse you make a God Bish. Yea you callet will you say that the sacrament of the aultar is a foule Idoll Wom. Yea truly quoth she there was neuer such an Idoll as your sacramēt is made of your priestes cōmaūded to be worshipped of al mē with many fōd phantasies where Christ did commaund it to be eaten drunken in remembraunce of his most blessed passion our redemption Bish. See this pratling woman Doest thou not heare that Christ did say ouer the bread This is my body ouer the cup This is my bloud Wom. Yes forsooth he sayd so but he meant that it is hys body and bloud not carnally but sacramentally Bish. Loe she hath heard pratling among these new preachers or heard some peeuish book Alas poore womā thou art deceiued Wom. No my Lorde that I haue learned was of Godly preachers of godly books which I haue heard read And if you will geue me leaue I will declare a reason why I will not worship the sacrament Bish. Mary say on I am sure it will be goodly geare Woman Truely such geare as I will loose this poore life of mine for Bish. Then you will be a martyr good wife Woman In deed if the denying to worshippe that bready God be my martyrdome I will suffer it with all my hart Bish. Say thy minde Wom. You must beare with me a poore woman quoth she Bish. So I will quoth he Woman I will demaunde of you whether you can denye your creed which doth say that Christ perpetually doth sit at the right hand of his father both body soule vntill he come againe or whether he be there in heauē our aduocate do make prayer for vs vnto God his father If it be so he is not here in the earth in a piece of bread If he be not here if he do not dwel in temples made with hands but in heauen what shall we seeke him here if he did offer his body once for all why make you a new offering if with once offring he made al perfect why do you with a false offring make al vnperfect if he be to be worshipped in spirite and truth why doe you worship a piece of bread if he be eaten drunkē in faith truth if his flesh be not profitable to be among vs why do you say you make his body and fleshe and say it is profitable for body soule Alas I am a poore woman but rather then I would do as you doe I would liue no longer I haue sayd syr Bish. I promise you you are a iolly protestant I pray you in what schooles haue you
immediatly and I am sure you receiued them for I committed the truste of them to no worsse man but to Mayster Solicitour and I shall make you an example to all Lyncolnshyre for your obstinacy M. Berty denying the receipt of any humbly prayed his Lordship to suspend his displeasure the punishment till he had good trial therof then if it pleased him to double the payne for the fault if any were Well quoth the Byshoppe I haue appoynted my selfe this day according to the holines of the same for deuotion and I will not further trouble me with you but I enioyn you in a thousand pouÌ„d not to depart without leaue and to be here againe to morow at 7. of the clocke M. Berty well obserued the houre and no â—ote â—ayled At whiche time the B. had with him M. Seriant Stampford to whoÌ„ he moued certayn questions of the sayd M. Berty because M. Serieaunt was towardes the Lorde Wriothesley late Earle of Southhampton and Chauncellour of England with whom the said M. Berty was brought vp M. Seriant made very frendly report of M. Berty of hys owne knowledge for the time of theyr conuersation together Wherupon the Bishop caused M. Berty to be brought in and first making a false trayne as God would without fire before he woulde descend to the quarrell of Religion he assaulted him in this maner Winch. The Queenes pleasure is quoth the Byshoppe that you shall make present payment of 4000. pound due to her father by Duke Charles late husband to the Duchesse your wife whose executor she was Bert. Pleaseth it your Lordshippe quoth M. Berty that debt is estalled and is according to that estallement truly aunswered Winch. Tush quoth the Byshop the Queene will not be bounde to estallementes in the time of Kettes gouernement for so I esteme the late gouernement Bert. The estallement quoth M. Berty was appoynted by king Henry the 8. besides the same was by speciall coÌ„missioners confirmed in king Edwardes tyme and the Lord treasurer being an executor also to the Duke Charles soly and wholly tooke vpon him before the sayd Commissioners to discharge the same Winch. If it be true that you saye quoth the Byshoppe I will shew you fauor But of an other thing M. Berty I will admonish you as meaning you well I heare euill of your Religion yet I hardly can thinke euil of you whose mother I know to be as Godlye and Catholicke as any within this Lande your selfe brought vp with a mayster whose education if I should disallow I might be charged as author of his errour Besides partly I know you my selfe and vnderstande of my frendes enough to make me your frend wherefore I will not doubt of you but I pray you if I may aske the question of my Ladye your wife is she now as ready to set vp the Masse as she was lately to pull it downe when she caused in her progresse a dog in a Rochet to be caried called by name or doth she think her lambes now safe enough which sayd to me wheÌ„ I vailed my bonnet to her out of my chamber window in the tower that it was mery with the lambes now the Wolfe was shut vp Another time my Lord her husband hauing inuited me and diuers Ladies to dinner desired euery Lady to choose him whom she loued best and so place themselues My Ladye your wife taking me by the hande for that my Lord would not haue her to take himselfe sayd that for so much as she could not sit downe with my Lord whom she loued best she had chosen me whom she loued worst Of the deuise of the Dogge quoth M. Berty she was neither the author nor the allower The wordes though in that season they sounded bitter to your Lordship yet if it should please you without offence to know the cause I am sure the one will purge the other As touching setting vp of Masse which she learned not onely by strong perswasions of diuers excellent learned men but by vniuersall consent and order whole vj. yeares past inwardly to abhorre if she should outwardly allowe she should both to Christ shew her selfe a false Christian and to her prince a masquing subiect You know my Lord one by iudgemeÌ„t reformed is more worth then a thousand transformed teÌ„porizers To force a confession of Religion by mouth coÌ„trary to that in the hart worketh damnation where saluation is pretended Yea mary quoth the Bishop that deliberation would do well iâ— she neuer required to come from an old Religion to a new But now she is to returne from a newe to an auncient Religion Wherin when she made me her gossip she was as earnest as any For that my Lord sayd M. Berty not long sithen she aunswered a frend of hers vâ—ing your Lordships speach that Religion went not by age but by truth and therefore she was to be turned by persuasion and not by commaundement I pray you quoth the Bishop thinke you it possible to persuade her Yea verely sayd M. Berty with the truth for she is reasonable enough The bishop thereunto replying sayd it will be a maruellous griefe to the Prince of Spayne and to all the nobility that shall come with him when they shall finde but two noble personages of the spanish race within this laÌ„d the Queene and my Lady your wife and one of theÌ„ gone from the fayth M. Berty aunswered that he trusted they should find no fruites of infidelity in her So the Bishop perswading M. Berty to trauell earnestly for the reformation of her opinion and offring large frendship released him of his bande from further appearaunce The Duchesse and her husband dayly more and more by their frendes vnderstanding that the Bishop meant to call her to an accouÌ„t of her fayth whereby extremity might followe deuised wayes how by the Queenes licence they might passe the Seas M. Berty had a ready meane for there rested great summes of mony due to the old Duke of Suffolke one of whose executers the Duches was beyond the Seas the Emperour himselfe being one of those debters M. Berty communicated this his purposed sute for licence to passe the Seas and the cause to the Bishop-adding that he tooke this time most meet to deale with the Emperour by reason of likelyhoode of Mariage betwene the Queene and his sonne I like your deuise well quoth the bishop but I think it better that you tary the Princes comming and I will procure you his letters also to his father Nay quoth M. Berty vnder your Lordships correction and pardon of so liberall speache I suppose the tyme will then be lesse conuenient for when the Mariage is coÌ„suÌ„mate the Emperour hath his desire but till then he will refuse nothing to win credit with vs. By S. Mary quoth the Bishoppe smiling you gesse shrewdly Well proceed in your sute to the Queene and it shall not lacke my helping hand M.
Christ. 63 Examination of Stephen Gratwicke Martyr with his aunsweres 1977.1978 Exam Battayle with the successe thereof 713 Example notable of a souldiour biting off his tongue and spitting it in the face of an harlot 63 Examples of Gods plagues vpon the deniers of his sacred trueth 64 Example of Peter slaying of Ananias and Saphira falsely wrested by the Papistes 490 Exaltation of the Pope aboue kinges and princes 782 Excommunicatiō of Henricus the Emperor by Hildebrand 179 Excommunication the seconde of Hildebrand agaynst the Emperour 180 Excommunication was in the olde time the greatest punishment in matters of fayth and conscience that could be 1854 Excommunication how to be feared and when 612 Excommunication requireth consent of the church 1113 Excommunication abused by the papistes manifolde wise 19.193 Excommunication in the Churche of Rome abused 860 Exeter Colledge built 372 Execution at Norwich 339 Exiles in Queene Maryes tyme for religion how many 800 Exorcising of Priestes 497 Extreame vnction reproued 725 F. A. FAbian chosen bishop of Rome miraculously 60. Fathers their testimonies against Images 2130.2131 Fabianus martyr .60 hys ordinances suspected ibid. Fachell geueth iudgement agaynst faynting of certaine Christians 46. Fayth recouereth that which was lost by the law .22 Fayth why it onely iustifieth 22.977 Fayth in Christ what it is 977. Fayth of the godfathers and godmothers sanctifieth not the child but theyr dilligence may helpe in seeing him catechised 1995. Fayth the meane wherby we are known to be elected .1658 what it is .1656 whereof it taketh his force and strength ibid. Faith planted in Rome in the days of Tiberius before Peter came there .1758.1803 faith the foundation of the church ibid. not grounded on the ciuill Law 1802. Fayth of the Pope hangeth vppon the multitude .1805 was neuer vniuersall 1804. Fayth ought not to be compelled 1817. Fayth wherein it consisteth 1824. Fayth sometimes to bee couered with loue 1933. Fayth onely iustifieth 26.21.22.1116.1117.1658 Fayth in Souldiers notable 78. Fyyth defined 677.1659 Fayth first planted in Englande whether it came from Rome or not 106 Fayth came out of Britayne not from Rome 480. Fayth of the Turkes Iewes and Papistes 22. Fayth of the olde Romaynes good 20. Faith iustifieth 3. maner of wayes 23. Fayth not babtisme in water saueth 1994. Fayth cause of good workes 26. Fayth and iustification falsly applied by the Papistes 25.26 Farrar Bishop hys tragicall story with articles agaynst hym exhibited .1544 hys aunswere to the same .1546 hys condemnation and Martyrdome .1555 hys letters 1556 Famyne and death in Englande 369. Fast to be perswaded not coacted 1110. Fayrefaxe scourged for the Gospel 2058.2059 Fathers how farre they ought to be followed 1823. Faustinus Martyr 41. Fasting straight of Alcibiades corrected 50. Faustus Martyr 73. Faukes de breut rebelleth agaynst king Henry 258. F. E. Feast of the speare of the nayles 393. Feastes ordayned by the Pope 557 Feast of Corpus Christi by whome inuented 507. Feastes of all soules Alhallowes by whome 1404. Feete of the Pope kissed of the Emperoures 129. Feare of sinne death and distrust in Gods promises two pellettes wherwith the Deuill assaulteth Gods seruauntes .1925.1926 the remedies therof 1926. Fetties wife strocken by Gods hād for persecuting of his saints 2103. Feare of God consisteth in three thinges 357. Fecknam hys talke with the Lady Iane. 1419. Felicitas with her 7. Children martyred 44. Felix B. of Rome Martyr 75 Felix 5. Pope hys coronation royaltie valuation of hys Crowne 690. Ferdinandus king of Hungary .748 hys decree at Spires 872. Fetty with the martyrdome of hys childe 2055.2056 Fewrus Martyr hys story martirdome 914. F I. Fire in hell whether materiall or not 1741. Fire thought to be in S. Maries Church in Oxford 1208. Figuratiue speache howe to bee knowne .1393 what it is 1950. Filmer Testwood Marbeck and Bennet their story 1219. Fisher Bishop of Rochester persecutor hys end 2101 Filmer hys trouble and persecution .1213 his wife her suite for hym .1217 hys death 1220. Finall Martyr his story and martyrdome 1970. First fruits brought in by the pope 352. denied to be paid vnto him ibid. First fruites and impropriations brought in by the pope and abused 5. Fishcock Martyr his story martyrdome 1980.1981 Fish Author of the booke called the supplication of beggers 1013 1014 Fisher Bishop of Rochester an enemy to Christes Gospell .1068 beheaded 1069 Fifte parte of all the goodes of the Cleargy graunted to the Pope 285. Fitziames Bishop of London hys death 804 Fiue Martyrs burnt at Canterb. 1708 Fiuetene Martyrs and confessors imprisoned at one time in Caunterbury for the truth .1954 fiue famished ibid. F L. Flauia a Consuls daughter banished for the Christian fayth 48 Flying in time of persecution whether it be lawfull or not 1781 1782 Florence a Turner his trouble and displing 656 Flower Martyr his story and persecution .1574 his communicatiō with Robert Smith ibid. Articles agaynst him .1575 his condemnation and martyrdome 1577 Floyd Martyr his story 2037.2038.2039 F O. Foreman Martyr 1949 Formosus .1 Pope of Rome 145 Forme of prayers appoynted by Constantine to his souldiours 104 Forret Martyr his story with other his companions 1206 Forrest Martyr 982 Fortune his story 1918.1919 Forme of disgrading an Archbyshop after the maner that the papistes vse it 2133.2134.2135 Fonte halowing after the maner of the Papistes 1405 Foster Martyr famished for the Gospell 1954 Foster Lawyer of Suffolke with Iohn Clearke of Hadley Papistes 1519 Foster Martyr his story persecucution and cruell Martyrdome 1917.1918 Foure thinges considered in the church of Rome title iurisdictiō life and doctrine 1 Foure thinges to bee considered of all men vnder affliction of the Crosse. 1646 Foxford Doctor and Chauncellor to Byshop Stokesley hys sodeyne death 2101 Fox Byshop of Herford .1183 his Oration to the Byshops ibid. Foure Martyrs at Mayfield 1953 F R. Frances the French K. his death 2112 Franciscus 2. burned at Auinion 391 Frances San Romaine Martyr his godly story .928.929 his cōstant death and martyrdom 930 France interdicted and why 200 Frebarne his trouble and persecution 1184 French kyng a persecuter slayne in iustyng by Montgomery 2110 Frebarnes wyfe her story who beyng with child longed for a piece of meat in Lent cast into pryson for eatyng thereof with her husband also their extreme misery in the prison 1184. Friers in France their tragicall history 1291 Frederike the Emperour relieueth the French army 293.265 Frederike cursed of the Pope but God blesseth hym 204.2947 Frederike 2. his contention wyth Honorius 3. Pope .298.299 hys voyage towardes Ierusalem to warre agaynst the Turke .300 hys sicknesse .301 he is excommunicate by the Pope purgeth hymselfe writeth to the kyng of England and is crowned kyng of Ierusalem 301.302 Fredericus 1. called Barbarossa holdeth the Popes stirrop and is blamed for holdyng it on the left side 202.789.174 Frederike 2. Emperor crowned in Ierusalem .302 hys letter to all the world agaynst the
1742. fell out of the pulpit and brake his legge 1743 Hudson Martyr his story and persecution 1970. Hudson Martyr his story 2035. Hugh Foxe Martyr his story and martyrdome 2033.2034 Hugo Bishop of Lincolâ—e redeemeth hys Byshoppricke for a 1000. markes 258. Hugo de sancto victore 201. Hugh Lauerocke martyr 1910 Hugh Pye Priest 660. Hugh Spencer hys sonne there exceeding and far surmounting pride .371 executed as they well deserued 373. Hugh Latimer martyr his actes doinges 1730. first a Papist conuerted by M. Bilney ibid. his exellente sermon in Cambridge of the Cardes .1731.1732.1734 his story in sauing a poore woman .1735 his reply to a certayne barking frier in Cambridge .1734 1735. cited 1736. his letter to the archbishop of Canterbury 1736.1737 Articles deuised by the bishop for him to subscribe vnto 1737. made Bishop of Worcester 1738. preacheth before K. Edw. 6. 1739. cast into the Tower .1740 his letter to M. Morice .1741 writ agaynst by Sherwoode .1743 hys aunswere .1744 his other godly letters to sondry persons .1746.1748.1750 1752.1755 his appearaunce before the Commissioners .1762 hys examination and answeres .1763.1766 hys martyrdome death in Oxford 1769.1770 Huggard meeter to eate a puddyng rather then to dispute of Scripture 1591. Hulderiche byshop of Ashborough his exile in defence of Priestes mariage 137. Hull seruaunt to Doctor Taylour 1520. Hullier his story and martyrdome .1907.1908.1909 a note of hym further 2004. Hullier martyr hys story 1906.1907 Humfrey Duke Lord protectour agaynst the Cardinall of Winchester 703. hys articles exhibited agaynst the sayde Cardinall 704. his story and death 704.705.706 Humfrey Middleton Martyr hys story and persecution .1673 hys martyrdome 1676 Humfrey Mummouth hys story 997. Humanitie of Christe cannot be in many places at once 1687.1951 Humilitie the porâ—er of Chrystes schoole 1788. Hunne martyr hys story 805. articles obiected agaynst him with hys aunsweres .806 murthered in prison .806.807 burned after hys death .808 hys defence agaynst Syr Thomas More and Ala. Copus 811. Hunter hys letter to hys mother 2150. Huniades gouernour of Hungary 720. Huniades hys victoryes agaynst the Turkes 740. Hunt confessor his story 2054. Hunter martyr hys excellent story 1536.1577 Hurst deliuered by Gods prouidence 2075.2076.2077 Hurst Martyr 1914.1915 Hurly burly betweene Popes 200 Hus his publique defence of Wickliffe 451.452.453 Hus hys excellent story cited by the pope and excommunicate .588 banished Prage .590 hys obiections agaynst the Doctours degrees .599.590 his safe conduct with hys letters certificatory of hys goyng vpp to the Councell .596 hys personall appearaunce before the Pope and Cardinals 599. falleth sicke in prison hathe articles obiected agaynst hym with his aunsweres 600. hys books writteÌ„ in prison .601 his protestation .604 hys false accusations .606 hys appeale from the Councell .611 his degradation .623 hys sentence definitiue of condemnation .622.624 hys deathe and martyrdome for the gospell of Iesus Christ .624 his letters 626.627.628 Hutt martyr her story and martyrdome 1910.1911 I A. IAcobus Latomus enemy to the gospel brought to madnes and desperation 2106 Iacobus Misnensis an olde auncient writer agaynst the Pope 420 Iacobus priest Martyr 98 Iackson his story 1950.1949 Iackson Martyr his story martyrdome 1914.1915 Iacke Cade 711 Iacke Straw his rebellion in england 434 Iacke Upland 261.264 Iames Abbes Martyr hys story 1683 Iames Ashley Martyr hys storye and martyrdome 2047 Iames Austoo Martyr his story and martyrdome 2013.2014.2016.2017.2018.2019 Iames Bainham Martyr .1027 articles ministred agaynst hym he submitteth hymselfe .1028 his abiuration and penance .1030 he returneth to the truth again and is condemned .1029 hys godly death and martyrdome 1030 Iames Brewster Martyr 818. Iames George his death in prison and buried in the fields 1482 Iames Gore his trouble for the gospell died in prison 1795 Iames Harris scourged 2062 Iames Morden martyr his story and martyrdome 774 Iames Morton martyr 1207 Iames Morris Martyr his story and martyrdome 1983.1984 Iames the apostle elected bishop of Ierusalem .32.33 cast downe from the pynacle of the Church and Martyred for the trueth of Iesus Christ. ibid. his accuser conuerted martyred with him ibid. Iames the apostle how it chanceth that he is thought of some to bee the setter vp of the masse 1401 Iames Pilkington his sermon at the restoring of Mar. Bucer Paulus Phagius again 1966.1967 Iames Tuttie Martyr 1708 Iames Tyrrell a bloudy murtherer 728 Iames Treuisam buried in the fieldes and summoned after hys death 1665 Iane daughter to Henrye Lorde Gray Duke of Suffolk proclaimed Queene .1406 beheaded immediatly after .1422 her Epitaph 1423. her godly letters 1420 Iane Lady her lamentable storye trouble and death 1419.1420.1422 Iane Lady wife to the Lord Gilford brought into displeasure with the Lady Mary for her Godlye zeale by Lady Anne Wharton 2128 Iane Queene maried to K. Henry the 8. 1083. her death in child-bed 1087 Ianizarie amongest the Turkes what they be 741.730 I D. Idle and vayne swearing pestiferous 538 Idolatry offensiue to Infidels 1001 Idoll and Image their difference 1588 I E. Iewes destroyed .235 one baptised and after reuolted agayne ibid. they slayne theyr houses burnt in London ibid. they crucifye a childe at Lincolne .327 at Norwich another 201 banished out of England and Fraunce 327 Iew through his owne superstitioÌ„ drowned in a Priuy 327 Theyr fayth 22 Iewes burnt at Northhampton 327 Iew martyred in Turky kept still his colour sauor lying 3. dayes in the streetes 972 Iewes destroyed by Titus Uaspasion .31 their second destruction .41 euer enemies to Christians 43 Ieffrey Hurst deliuered by Gods prouidence 2075.2076.2077 I G. Ignatius his martyrdome deuoured with wilde beastes His godly life and Christian zeale 40.41 Ignoraunce of the trueth will not excuse any man 1775 I L. I le of Wight last conuerted to the fayth of Christ. 124 Ile of Ely assaulted by Prince Edward 335 I M. Imber fast first ordeyned by whoÌ„ and where 58.197 Images in England abolished 1095.1096 Image of the Trinity an abhominable thing 508.534 Images with theyr false lying miracles reproued 534. Images not to be worshipped 470 563.564.1110 Images subuerted by Emperours and maynteined by the Pope 129 Images of God what be 1111 Images suppressed by kinge Edward the 6. 1300 Image maker burned in Spayne for the trueth of Christes Gosspell 930 Images are not to be worshipped adored ne to be placed in Churches or oratories 2128.2129.2130.2131.2132 Images good to roste a shoulder of mutton by but good for nothing els 2144 Images destroyed at Zuricke 869 Images of the Gentiles and of the Christians 868 Image of the Crucifix at ConstaÌ„tinople 742 Image worship who first decreed 130 Images in England abolished 1095.1096 Image of the Trinity an abhominable thing 508.534 Images defended to be laye mens bookes by Pope Adrian 130 Imprisonment perteyneth not to the Clergy 354 Images reproued by Thorpe 534 Image of Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God 784 Immunity of the Clergy 860 Images
No man so 〈◊〉 but he may learne The copy of Syr Edward BayntoÌ„s letter to M. Latimer These friendes of M. Bayâ—toÌ„ seeme to be some Popish Priestes and enemyes to the Gospell as Powell Wilson Sherwood Hubberdine c. The Papistes will not haue vnity disturbed Papistry coloured with authority of holy fathers M. BayntoÌ„ will follow the most number Note the proceedynge of the Popeâ— Church which would not haue the people certayne of Gods truth and religion Errour and false doctrine would fayne lye still in peace and noâ— be stirred Vnity in the Lord in Baptisme in fayth The Chayne of christen charity Answere of M. Latimer to M. BayntoÌ„s letter The Bee The Spinner Euery thing as it is taken Had I wist Example of a true diligent pastor M. Latimer vnfurnished with outward helpe M. Latimer blamed for saying he was sure of the truth which he preached As God alone knoweth all truth so some truth he reuealeth to be certaine to his seruauntes 〈◊〉 presumption in a Preacher being certayne of that which he Preacheth to shew it to the people Let not man Preach except that he be certayne of that which he preacheth Euery true christian ought to be certayne of his fayth The doubting doctrine of the Catholickes Argumentes Aunswere i. The 〈…〉 the most 〈◊〉 certayn◠〈◊〉 Certaâ—ne knowledge Clâ—are knowledge M. Latimer not 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Which 〈…〉 had knowledg without any 〈…〉 while thâ—y knowing the will of God doe nothing theâ— after 1. 〈…〉 that alâ—o which he 〈…〉 as not to haue it And also seing it is true that Gods 〈…〉 will not dwell in a body subiect to sinne albeit he abound in carnall wisedome to much yet the same â—â—rnall and Philosophicall vnderstanding of Gods 〈◊〉 is not the wisedome of God which is hidde from the wiâ—e and iâ— reuealed to litle ones Euery Preacher ought to be suâ—e of the truth There be many truthes whereof a good man may well be ignoraunt There be many thinges in Scripture in the profundities whereof a man may wade to farre Agaynst preachers which take vpon theÌ„ to define great subtilties and highe matters in the Pulpit Vayne subtilties and questions to be declined Simple and playne preaching of faith and of the fruites thereof Foolishe humilitye A meane betweene to hie and to low Not euery thing wherâ—â—pon disseÌ„tion comâ—eth iâ— the 〈…〉 He 〈…〉 Pope and his Papists which 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 K. Henry and 〈◊〉 brâ—thers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken where 〈◊〉 is geuen The church of the Galathians Erasmus in 〈◊〉 epistle set before the Paraâ—â—rase in â—â— Cor. To pretend vnitye vnder the title of one Lord is not inough Chrisost. Hom. 49. in Mat. cap. 24. To be in vnity of fayth except the fayth be sound is not inough i. If we beleeue we shew the truth in working i. He that beleueth God attendeth to his commaundementes Hieron Tom. 5. in Hierem. Cap 26. How true preachers should order themselues when the wicked Priestes be against them Hieron Tom. 6. in Naum cap. 30. i. The people which before were brought a sleepe by their Maners must goe vp to the mountaynes not such mouÌ„taines which smoke when they are touched but to the mountaines of the old and new testament the Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes And when thou art occupyed with reading in those mountaines yf then thou find no instructors for the haruest is great and the workemen be few yet shall the diligent study of the people be flying to the mountaines and the slouthfulnes of the Maisters shal be rebuked i. Which witâ— mouth onely confesse Christ to come in flesh Naughty seruauntes not feeding but smitting their fellow seruauntes eating and drinking with the drunken which shall haue their portion with hypocrites i. Because they confesse Christ in flesh and naughty they are called because they deny him in their deedes not geuing meat in due season and excercising maistershippe ouer the flocke August in Ioan. Tract 3. Both Christians and Antichristians confesse the name of Christ. i. Let vs not stand vpon our talkes but attend to our doinges and conuersation of life whether we not onely do not put our indeuour thereto but also perswade our selues as though it were not necessary for vs to accomplish such thinges c. but that it is inough to beare rule and authoritye ouer them and to bestow our selues wholy vpon secular matters pleasures pompe of this world In the people is required a iudgmeÌ„t to discerne whether they tooke of their ministers chalke for cheese The blind eateth many a flye Intollerable secularitye and negligence in Churchmen Better is in the Church a deforme disagreement so that Christ be truely preached then vniforme ignorance agreeing in Idolatrye i. If ye loue me keepe my commaundementes i. He that knoweth my preceptes and doth them he loueth me The state of Curates what it is The true honour of Christ turned to Piping playing and Singing He that wilâ— be busie with Vâ— Vobis let him looke shortly for coraÌ„ nobis Iohannes do tuâ—â—e Cremata The Pope great Maister Lord and king ouer all the world i. He came into his owne and his owne receaued him not Iohn 1. The Popes dominion Purgatory Worshipping of Saintes i. I shall haue neede of great patience to beare the false reportes of the malignaÌ„t church A priuye nippe to such as haue many cures and are resident to none i. I must needes suffer and so enter so perilous a thing it is to liue vertuously in Christ. An other â—â—tter of M. â—aâ—imer to â— Henry August ad Caâ—ulaâ—uÌ„ Chrisost. M. Latimer tâ—uched in conscience 〈◊〉 write to the king 〈…〉 to truth Math. 23. The subtile wilines and practises of the prelats 〈…〉 2. 〈…〉 12. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 12. Math. 7. The rule of Christ. The pouerty of Christes life expressed The poore conâ—dition of Christs life is an example to vs to cast down our pride nor to set by riches It is not agaynst the pouertye of the spirite to be rich What is to be poore in spirite and what not Priuy enemyes to spirituall pouertye Against Monkes and Fryers and Prelates of the spiritualtye Math. 17. Subiection to superiour powers Ambition of the spiritualtye Math. 7. Math. 15. Christ promiseth no promotions but persecution to his followers Math. 1â— Iohn 16. Math. 10. Gods word only is the weapon of Spirituall Pastors The Apostles were persecuted but neuer no persecutors Phillip 1. Persecution a sure marke of true preaching The worde of the Crosse. Iohn 3. Crafty pretenses of the Prelates to stoppe the reading of holy Scripture Belly wisedome Perswation to let the Scripture to be read in Englishe Sinister counsell about Princes Wicked 〈…〉 his owne deâ—struction Vnder the 〈…〉 Christes Gospell Obiection preuented and aunswered The cause and causeâ—s of 〈◊〉 kinges Proclamation against â—he reading of Scripture booke in 〈◊〉 He meaneâ—h oâ— Cronmer Cromwell one or two moâ— agaynst whom the Bishop of Winchester his faction