B. of Ascalon to appeare at Rome About which tyme Thomas Caietanus Cardinall y e popes Legate was then lieger at the Cittie of Augusta who before had beene sent downe in commission with certayne mandates from Pope Leo The vniuersitie of Wittenberge writeth to the Pope for Luther vnto that Citty The vniuersitie of Wittenberg vnderstanding of Luthers citation eftsoones directed vp their letters with their publique seale to y e pope in Luthers behalfe Also an other letter they sent to Carolus Miltitius the popes chamberlayne beyng a Germayne borne Furthermore good Fridericke ceased not for his part to sollicitate the matter with his letters earnest suit with Cardinall Caietanus that the cause of Luther might be freed from Rome and remooued to Augusta in the hearing of the Cardinall Caietanus at y e suyt of the Duke wrote vnto the Pope from whome he receaued this answer again the 23. of the foresayd month of August The Popes charge to his Legate against M. Luther that he had cited Luther to appeare personally before him at Rome by Hieronimus Bishop of Ascalon Auditour of the chamber whiche byshop dilligently had done that was commaunded hym but Luther abusing and contemning the gentlenes offered did refuse not onely to come but also became more bold and stubborne continuing or rather increasing in his former heresie as by hys writing did appeare Wherfore he wold that the Cardinal should cite and call vp the sayd Luther to appeare at the city of Augusta before him adioyning withall the ayd of the princes of Germany of the Emperour if neede required so that when the sayd Luther shoulde appeare he shoulde lay hand vpon him commit him to sate custody and after he should be brought vp to Rome and if he perceaued him to come to any knowledge or amendment of hys faulte he should release him and restore hym to the church again or els he shuld be interdict with al other his adherents abetters mayntainers of what soeuer estate or coÌdition they were whether they were Dukes Marqueses Earles Barons c. Against all which persons and degrees he willed hym to extende the same curse and malediction onely the person of the Emperour excepted interdicting by the censure of the church all such landes Lordships Townes tenementes villages as should minister any harbour to the sayd Luther were not obedient vnto the sea of Rome Contrariwise to all such as shewed themselues obedient he should promise full remission of all theyr sinnes Likewise the pope directeth other letters also the same tyme to Duke Friderick complayning with many grieuous wordes agaynst Luther The Cardinall thus being charged with iniunctions from Rome according to his commission sendeth with all speede for Luther to appeare at Augusta before hym Luther obedient to the Sea of Rome About the beginning of October Martin Luther yealding his obedience to the Church of Rome came to Augusta at the Cardinals sending at the charges of the noble Prince Electour and also hys letters of commendation where he remayned 3. dayes before he came to his speache for so it was prouided by his frendes that he shoulde not enter talke with the Cardinall before a sufficient warrant or safe conduct was obtained of the Emperour Maximilian Which being obteyned eftsoones he entred Luther appeareth before Cardinall Caâeâanus offeringe himselfe to the speach of the Cardinal and was there receyued of the cardinall very gently who according to y e popes commandement propounded vnto Martin Luther three thinges or as Sleaden sayth but 2. to witte 1. That he should repent and reuoke hys erroures 2. That he shoulde promise from that tyme forward to refrayne from the same 3. That he shoulde refrayne from all thinges that myght by any meanes trouble the Church When Martin Luther required to be informed wherin he had erred Three thinges put to Luther by the Pope the Legate brought forth the extrauagants of Clement which beginneth Vnigenitus c. because that he contrary to that Canon had held taught in his 58. proposition that the merites of Christ are not the treasure of indulgences or pardons Secondly the cardinall contrary to the seuenth proposition of Luther affirmed that fayth is not necessary to him that receaueth the sacrament Furthermore an other day in the presence of 4. of the Emperours Counsaile hauing there a Notary and witnesses present Luther protested for himselfe and personally in this maner following In primis I Martine Luther a Fryer Augustine protest that I do reuerence and followe the Church of Rome in all my sayinges and doings present past and to come Protestation of M. Luther before the Cardinall And if any thing haue bene or shal be said by me to the contrary I count it and will that it be counted and taken as though it had neuer beene spoken But because the Cardinall hath required at the commaundement of the Pope three thinges of me to be obserued 1 That I should returne againe to the knowledge of my selfe 2 That I should beware of falling into the same agayne here after 3 That I shoulde promise to abstayne from all thinges which might disquiet the church of God I protest here this day that whatsoeuer I haue sayde seemeth vnto me to be sound true and Catholicke Yet for the further profe therof I doe offer my selfe personally eyther here or elswhere publikely to geue a reason of my sayinges And if this please not the Legate The aunswere of Luther with his propositions to the Cardinal I am ready also in writing to aunswere hys obiections if he haue anye agaynst me And touching these thinges to heare the sentence and iudgement of the Uniuersities of the Empyre Basill Friburge and Louane Hereof when they had receiued an answere in writing they departed After thys Luther by and by prepareth an aunswere to the Legate teaching that the merites of Christ are not committed vnto men that the popes voyce is to be heard when he speaketh agreably to the Scriptures that y e pope may erre that he ought to be reprehended Act. 15. Moreouer he shewed that in the matter of fayth not onely y e generall councell but also euery faythfull christian is aboue the Pope if he leaue to better authoritie and reason that the Extrauagant containeth vntruthes that it is an infallible veritie that none is iust that it is necessary for hym that commeth to the receiuing of the sacrament to beleue that fayth in the absolution and remission of sinnes is necessary that he ought not nor might not decline from the veritie of the Scripture that he sought nothing but the light of the truth Proteus was a monster noted in Poetes which could chaunge him selfe into al formes likenes c. But the Cardinall would heare no scriptures he disputed without scriptures deuised gloses and expositions of his owne head and by distinctions wherewith the Diuinitie of the Thomistes is full like a very Proteus he
soules be already iudged and of our Ladye either to bee or not to bee in heauen and that there is yet no iudgement geuen vpon the soules departed 7. Whether that a man may beleue without spot of heresie that our Lady remayned not alwayes a virgin 8. Whether holy dayes fastyng dayes ordeined and receiued by the Church may be broken by any priuate man Breaking of fasting dayes sinne at his will and pleasure without sinne or obstinacie 9. Whether we are bound to be obedient vnto Prelates Byshops and Kynges by Gods commauÌdement as we are vnto our parentes 10. Whether they beleue that the Churche doth well and godly in praying to the Saintes 11. Whether they thinke that Christ onely should be prayd vnto and that it is no heresie Christ not onely to be prayed to if any man affirme that Saintes should not be prayed vnto 12. Whether they doe thinke all true Christians to be by like right Priestes and all those to haue receiued the keyes of bindyng and loosing at the hands of Christ which haue obteined the spirite of God and onely such whether they be lay men or Priestes 13. Whether they beleue with their hart that fayth may be without workes and charitie 14. Whether they beleue that it is more agreable to the fayth that the people should pray in their owne tongue Prayer in a learned tongue theÌ in a learned vnknowen tongue whether they commende the prayer in a straunge tongue or no. 15. Whether they would haue the Masses and Gospels openly to be read in Churches in the vulgare tongue rather then in the Latin tongue 16. Whether they commend that children should onely be taught the Lordes prayer and not the Salutation of the virgine or Creede 17 Whether they do thinke the woodden beades which the common people doth vse Beades worthy to be denyed or not 18 Whether they do thinke the whole Scripture ought to be translated into English or that it should be more profitable for the people then as it is now read 19 Whether they would haue the Orgaines and all maner of songs to be put out of the Church of God Orgaines 20 Whether they do thinke that it perteyneth to the Byshops to punishe any man with bonds or imprisonment or that they haue any temporall power and authoritie 21 Whether they thinke that coÌstitution to be godly that no man should preach in another maÌs dioces w tout letters of commendation and licence obteyned of the Byshop 22 Whether they thinke the vowes of religious men and priuate religion Purgatory to be constitute and ordeined by the spirit of God neyther by any meanes to be repugnant to a free and perfect Christian life 23 Whether they beleue that we should pray for the dead or beleeue that there is a Purgatorie or that we are bound by necessitie of faith to beleeue neyther of them but that it is free without sinne either to beleue it or not to beleue it 24 Whether they beleue that moral Philosophy and natural Philosophy to preuaile any thing for the better vnderstanding of the scriptures for the exposition and defence of the truth 25 Whether they thinke that the Popes indulgences and pardons are rather to be reiected then receiued 26 Whether it be contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles that Christians shoulde by any meanes contend in the law to seeke any maner of restitution 27 Whether they beleeue all things perteining to saluation and damnation to come of necessitie and nothing to be in our owne willes 28 Whether they beleeue God to be the authour of euill as well of the fault as of the punishment 29 Whether they thinke Masse onely to be profitable to him which saith it Masse whether euery maÌ may alter or leaue out the rite and order of the Masse without hurt of fayth 30 Whether they beleeue that there can be any morall vertues without the grace of Christian liuing or that the vertues which Aristotle hath set out or rather fayned 31 Whether they thinke it heresie to teache the people that it is free to geue tythes vnto Priestes or to any other poore man Images 32 Whether they do thinke it more Christianlike to take away the Images out of the Churches or to permit them to adorne them and honour them 33 Whether they thinke it the part of a Christian man that preachers should exhort men to pilgrimage or to the worshipping of reliques 34 Whether that thou Thomas Bilney being cited vpoÌ heresie to appeare before my Lord Cardinall and before y e day of thy apparance Reliques not hauing made thy purgatioÌ vpon those poyntes that thou wast cited hast preached openly in diuers Churches of the City and dioces of London without sufficient licence from the Byshop or any other Concerning the answeares vnto these Articles gentle Reader for so muche as in the most part of them Bilney with Arthur seemed to consent and agree although not fully and directly but by way and maner of qualifying yet because he did not expressely denie them it shall not be needefull heere to recite them all saue onely suche wherein he seemed to dissent from them To the first and second Articles he answered affirmatiuely Answers to the Interrogatories aforesaide To the third he sayd I beleeue that many of the Popes Lawes are profitable and necessary and doo preuayle vnto godlynesse neyther in anye poynte are repugnant vnto the Scriptures nor by anye meanes are to be abrogate but of all men to bee obserued and reuerenced But touching all those Lawes I can not determine for as for such as I haue not read I trust notwithstanding they are good also and as for those that I haue read I did neuer reade them to the ende and purpose to reprooue them but according to my power to learne and vnderstande them And as touching the multitude of Lawes S. Augustine in his time did much complayne Against the multitude of lawes and Gerson also who marueiled that we could by any meanes lyue in safetie amongst so many snares of constitutions when as our forefathers being pure before their fall could not obserue one onely precept To the fourth Article he sayde that the Catholique Church can by no meanes erre in fayth The true church can not erre in faith for it is the whole congregation of the elect and so knowen only vnto God which knoweth who are his otherwise no man shoulde be ascertayned of an other mans saluation or of his owne but onely through fayth and hope For it is written No man knoweth whether he be woorthy of hatred or loue Eccle. 5. It is also sensible and may be demonstrate so farre âoorth as it is sufficient to establish vs in all thyngs that are to be beleeued and done For I maye truely saye of the generall Councell being congregate in the holy Ghost Beholde heere the Catholique Churche denominating the whole
also conferring with Iohn Frith The causeâ mouing Tindall to translate the Scripture into the Englishe tongue thought wyth him selfe no way more to conduce therunto then if the Scripture were turned into the vulgar speach that the poore people might also reade and see the simple plaine woord of God For first hee wisely casting in hys minde perceiued by experience how that it was not possible to stablish the lay people in any truth except the Scripture were so plainly layde before theyr eyes in theyr mother tongue that they myght see the processe order and meaning of the text For els what so euer truth shuld be taught them these enemies of the truth would quenche it againe either wyth apparant reasons of Sophistrie and traditions of their own making founded without all ground of Scripture either els iuggling with the text expouÌding it in such a sense as impossible it were to gather of the text if the right processe order meaning thereof were seene Againe right wel he perceiued and considered this only or most chiefly to be y e cause of all mischief in the church Hiding of Scripture the cause of mischiefe that the Scriptures of God were hidden from the peoples eyes For so long the abhominable doings and idolatries maintained by the Pharisaicall Clergie could not be espied and therefore al theyr labour was wyth might maine to keepe it downe so that eyther it should not be red at all or if it were they would darken the right sense with y e misâ of theyr Sophistrie and so entangle them whych rebuked or despised theyr abhominations wyth arguments of philosophie and with worldly similitudes and apparant reasons of naturall wisedom and with wresting the scripturâ vnto their owne purpose contrary vnto the processe order and meanyng of the texte woulde so delude them in descanting vppon it with Allegories and amaze them expounding it in many senses layed before the vnlearned lay people that though thou felt in thy hart were sure that all were false that they said yet couldest not thou solue their subtle ridles For these and such other considerations this good man was moued and no doubt styrred vp of God to translate the Scripture into his mother tongue The newe testament and the 5. bookes of Moyses translated with Tindalls prologues for the publicke vtility and profit of the simple vulgar people of the country first setting in hand with the newe Testament whiche he first translated about the yeare of our Lord 1527. After that he tooke in hand to translate the olde Testament finishing the fiue bookes of Moyses with sondry most learned and godly prologues prefixed before euery one most worthy to be read and read againe of all good Christians as the lyke also he did vpon the new Testament Hee wrote also diuers other woorkes vnder sundry titles among the which is that most worthy monument of his intituled The obedience of a Christian man wherin with singulare dexteritie he instructeth all men in the office and duetie of Christian obedience wyth diuers other treatises as The wicked Mammon The practise of Prelates wyth expositions vppon certaine partes of the Scripture and other Bookes also aunswearing to Syr Thom. More and other aduersaries of the truthe no lesse delectable then also most fruitfull to be read which partly before beyng vnknowen vnto many partly also being almost abolished and worne out by time the Printer heereof good Reader for conseruing and restoring such singulare treasures hath collected and set foorth in Print the same in one generall volume all and whole together as also the woorkes of Iohn Frith Barnes and other as are to be seene most special and profitable for thy reading These bookes of W. Tyndal being compiled published sent ouer into England it cannot be spoken what a dore of light they opened to the eies of the whole English nation which before were many yeres shut vp in darkenesse At his first departing out of y e realme he toke his iorny into y e further parts of Germany as into Saxony Tindal weââ into Saxony where he had conference w t Luther and other learned meÌ in those quarters Where after y t he had continued a certen season he came down from thence into the netherlands Tindal came to Antwerpe had his most abiding in the town of Antwerp vntil y e time of hys appreheÌsioÌ wherof more shal be said god willing hereafter Amongst his other bokes which he compiled one work he made also for the declaration of the sacrament as it was then called of the alter the which he kept by him considering how the people were not as yet fully persuaded in other matters tending to superstitious ceremonies grose idolatry Wherefore he thought as yet time was not come to put forth that work but rather that it should hinder the people from other instructions supposing that it woulde seeme to them odious to heare any such thing spoken or set foorth at that time sounding againste their great Goddesse Diana that is againste their Masse being had euery where in great estimation as was the Goddesse Diana amongest the Ephesians whom they thought to come from heauen Wherfore M. Tindall being a man both prudent in his doings and no lesse zealous in the setting foorth of Gods holy truth Tindal bearing with âyme after such sort as it might take most effect wyth the people did forbeare the putting forth of that work not doubting but by Gods mercifull grace a time shuld come to haue that abhomination openly declared as it is at this present day the Lorde almighty be alwaies praised therefore Amen These godly bookes of Tindall and specially the newe Testament of his translation after that they begaÌ to come into mens handes and to spread abroad as they wroughte great and singuler profite to the godly Darckenes hateth light so the vngodly enuying and disdaining that the people should be any thing wiser then they againe fearing least by the shining beames of truth their false hypocrisie workes of darkenesse should be discerned began to stirre with no small ado like as at the birth of Christ Herode al Ierusalem was troubled with him Sathan an enemye to all good purposes especially to the Gospell But especially Sathan the prince of darkenes maligning y e happy course and successe of the Gospel set to his might also how to empeache and hinder y e blessed trauailes of that man as by this and also by sondry other wayes may appeare For at what time Tindall had translated the fift booke of Moises called Deuteronomium minding to Printe the same at Hamborough hee sailed thereward where by the way vpon the coast of Holland he suffred shipwracke by the which he loste all his bookes wrytings and copies and so was compelled to begin al againe a new to his hinderaÌce and doubling of his labors Thus hauing lost by that ship both money his copies and time he
of heresy and so prohibited by Bishops for to preach the worde of God Wrongfull prohibytion oughte not to stoppe the preaching of Gods worde that they ought for no mans commaundement to leaue or stop though they do neuer purge themselues afore them for such will admitte no iust purgation many times but iudge in theyr own causes and that as they lust which me thinketh is not all comely Therfore in the old law the priestes and other Iudges do sit together hearing of matters that were in controuersy Yet this I thinke reasonable that a man iustly and not causelesse suspect Popish prelates iudges in their owne causes and namely if he be so found faultye of heresy ought to cease from preaching after he is inhibited vntill he haue made his purgation before some Iudge But in my rude opinion it were necessary and conuenient that our heades should not be ouer ready of suspition Swiftnes of suspition reproued and so inhibiting men approued from preaching specially in this Session when the people doth suspect them to doe it more for loue of themselues and mainteining of their priuate lucre or honor then to do it for loue of God and maintenance of his honor In the xxij where you demaund whether I beleue that it is lawfull for all Pristes freely to preache the woorde of God or no Answere to the 22. article and that in all places at all seasons to al persons to whom they shall please although they be not sent I say that priestes are called in Scripture by two distinct wordes that is to wit Praesbiteri Sacerdotes The fyrst is to say auncient men Seniors or elders and by that word or vocable Priestes whether they ought to preach though they be not sent are the seculer iudges or such like head officers sometime also signified as we reade in Daniel that they were called which defamed and wrongfully accused Susanna that this is seldome and nothing so customably as those to be called Praesbiteri which are set to be Prelates in the Church to guide the same by the word of God and his blessed doctrine Episcopi and Praesbyteri all one that is the roode of direction and the foundation of Christes fayth And Priestes thus called Praesbiteri in the Primitiue Church what time were but few traditions and ordinaunces to let vs from the strayt trade or institution made by Christ and his Apostles were the very same and none other but Bishops as I shewed you in the first part of mine aunswere by authoritye of Saynt Hierome Paul also recordeth the same right euidently in the first to Titus in this fourme I left thee Titus quoth blessed Paule behinde me in Crete that thou shouldest set in a due order such thinges as lacke or be not els perfectly framed and that thou shouldest set priestes in euery towne Priestes haue two names in Scripture Presbyteri Sacerdotes like as I did appoynt thee if any be without reproche or blamelesse the husbande of one wife hauing faythfull children not geuen to ryote or that be not vnruely for so ought a Bishop to be c. These are not my words but S. Paules in the Epistle to Titus Tit. 1. Where you may see that a priest called Praesbiter shuld be the same that we call a byshop whom he requireth a litle after to be able by wholesome doctrine of Gods Scripture Descripââââ of a ãâã Priest Gainesayâââ of truth ãâã to be ãâã by scriptures ãâã by authority only oâ traditions of men made in generall Councels What miââsters be ãâã to exhort the good to âolow the same doctrine if any shall speake agaynst it to reproue them thereby And marke you how he would haue a bishop otherwise called an auncient man or a priest to make exhortation by holy scripture therby to reproue them that shall speake agaynst the trueth not to condemne them by might or authority onely or els by traditions of men made in generall Councels And as many as are in this wise Priestes whiche are called commonlye Praesbiteri otherwise Bishops such as in the church are set to take cure of soule and to be spirituall pastors ought to preach freely the word of God in all places and times conuenient and to whom soeuer it shall please theÌ if they suppose and see that theyr preaching should edify and profite And where as you adde this particle Though they were not sent I say that all suche are chosen to be preachers and therfore sent for of this speaketh S. Gregorye in his Pastorals in this wise Grigor in Pastoral Praedicationis quippe officium suscipit quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit Whosoeuer taketh priesthood vpoÌ him taketh also vpon him the office of preaching Yea your lawe reporteth in like maner Distinct. 43. where it is thus sayd A Priest ought to be honest that he may shew honesty both in wordes and conditions Dist. 43. Wherfore it is sayd in the Canticles The Cheekes of the spouse that is to wit of preachers are to be compared to a Turtle doue Where is moreouer added He must also haue the gift of teaching because as sayth S. Hierome innocent coÌuersation without speach or preaching how much it is auaylable by example geuing so much doth it hurt agayn by sileÌce keping for wolues must be driueÌ away by barking of dogs by the shepheards staffe which as y e glose sheweth signifieth preaching sharpe words of the priest And this I vnderstaÌd of such as should be priestes elect both by god and men in Gods church whose office is to preach And though many of them which now doe minister in the church and are elect by bishops otherwise theÌ after the maner of Christes institution and the forme of the primitiue Church neither do ne can preach Multitude serueth for authority yet ought not the multitude of such to be layd for an authority agaynst me or other that are compelled to shew the truth and right ordinance of the apostles that was vsed afore time in the Primitiue church God bring it in agayn Neither ought we for the negligence of bishops which haue chosen such an ignorant multitude wherby the principal duty of priestes is growen out of knowledge when we do shew you therof to be so enforced by a booke othe and therfore noted as heretickes imprisoned and burned Sacerdotes Other be called priestes in the new Testament by thys word Sacerdotes that is to say I thinke sacrificers And thus as Christ was called Rex Sacerdos Kyng Prieste so be all true Christen men in the newe Testament as is testified Apocal. 1. by Christ made Kinges and Priestes The wordes in the Apocal. be thus Apoc. 1. To Iesu Christ whyche hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes through his bloud and made vs kinges and priestes vnto God euen his father vnto him be glory and rule for euer and euer Amen
haue found in scripture Then sayd the accuser thou hast preached sayd and openly taught diuers sundry other great errours and abhominable heresies against all the vij sacramentes which for shortnes of time I pretermit and ouerpasse Whether doest thou graunt thy foresayd Articles that thou art accused of or no and thou shalt heare them shortly and then repeated the accuser the three Articles aforesayd shortly ouer and asked him whether he graunted or denied them He aunswered that before he had said of his aunsweres and that he sayd nothing but agreeing to the holy word as he vnderstoode so God iudge him and his owne conscience accuse him and thereby would he abide vnto the time he were better instructed by scripture and the contrary proued The wordes of Adam Wallace to the L. Gouernour and the Lordes euen to the death and said to the Lord Gouernour and other Lords if you coÌdemne me for holding by Gods word my innocent bloud shall be required at your hands when ye shall be brought before the iudgemente seate of Christ who is mightie to defend my innocent cause before whome ye shall not denie it nor yet be able to resiste hys wrath Heb. 10 to whome I referre the vengeaunce as it is written Vengeance is mine and I will reward Then gaue they forth sentence and condemned him by the lawes Sentence of condemnation geuen agaynst Adam Wallace and so lefte him to the secular power in the hands of Sir Iohn Campbell Iustice deputie who delyuered him to the Prouost of Edenbrough to be burnt on the Castle hill who incontinent made him to be put in the vppermost house in the towne with yrons about his legs and necke Syr Hugh Terry an impe of Sathan and gaue charge to Sir Hugh Terry to keepe the key of the sayd house an ignoraunt Minister and impe of Sathan and of the Bishops who by direction sente to the poore man two Gray Friers to instructe hym wyth whome he would enter into no communing Soone after that was sent in two blacke Friers an Englishe Frier and another subtile sophister Fryers sent to instructe Adam Wallace called Arbirtromy with the which English Frier he would haue reasoned and declared his faith by the scriptures Who aunswered he had no commission to enter in disputation with him and so departed and left him Then was sent to him a worldly wise man and not vngodly in the vnderstanding of the truth The Deane of Roscalridge sent to AdaÌ Wallace the Deane of Roscalrige who gaue him Christian consolatioÌ amongst the which he exhorted him to beleue the realtie of the sacrameÌt after the coÌsecration But he would coÌsent to nothing that had not euideÌce in the holy scripture so passed ouer that night in singing landing God to the eares of diuers hearers The bookes of the good man taken from him hauing learned the psalter of Dauid w tout booke to his consolation For before they had spoyled him of his Bible which alwaies til after he was coÌdeÌned was w t him where euer he weÌt After y t sir Hugh knew that he had certaine bookes to read coÌfort his spirit who came in a rage tooke y e same froÌ him leauing him desolat to his power of all coÌsolatioÌ and gaue diuers vngodly iniurious prouocatioÌs by his diuelish venome to haue peruerted him a poore innocent froÌ the patience hope he had in Christ his sauiour but God suffered him not to be moued therwith as plainely appeared to the hearers and seers for the time So all the next morning abode this poore man in yrons and prouision was commaunded to be made for his burning against the next day Whiche daye the Lord Gouernour and all the principall both spirituall and temporall Lords departed from Edenbrough to their other busines After they were departed The Deane commeth agayne to AdaÌ Wallace came y e Deane of Roscalrige to him againe reasoned with him after his wit Who answered as before he would say nothing coÌcerning his faith but as the scripture testifieth yea though an Aungell came from heauen to perswade him to the same sauing that he confessed himselfe to haue receaued good consolation of the said Deane in other behalfes as becommeth a Christian. Then after came in the said Terry again examined him after his old manner and said Syr Hugh Terry commeth againe to Adam Wallace he would garre deuils to come forth of him ere euen To whome he aunswered you should be a godly man to geue me rather coÌsolation in my case When I knewe you were come I prayed God I might resiste your temptations which I thanke hym he hath made me able to doe therfore I pray you let me alone in peace Then he asked of one of the Officers that stoode by is your fire making ready Who tolde hym it was He answered as it pleaseth God I am ready soone or late as it shall please him then he spake to one faithful in that company bad him coÌmend him to all the faithfull being sure to meete together with theÌ in heauen From that time to his forth comming to the fire spake no man with hym At his foorth comming the Prouost with great manasing words forbad him to speake to any maÌ or any to him The Prouost of Edenbrough forbiddeth him to speake to any man The wordeâ of Adam Wallace to the people as belike he had commandement of his superiours Comming from the towne to the Castell hill the commoÌ people sayd God haue mercy vpon him And on you to sayd he Being beside y e fire he lifted vp his eyen to heaueÌ twise or thrise and said to the people Let it not offend you that I suffer the death this day for the truthes sake for the Disciple is not aboue his maister Then was y e Prouost angry that he spake Then looked he to heauen againe and sayd They will not let me speake The corde being about hys necke the fire was lighted and so departed he to God constantly and with good countenance to our sightes Ex testimonijs literis è Scotia petitis an 1550. The burning of the blessed Martyr Adam Wallace ¶ The schisme that arose in Scotland for the Pater noster AFter that Richard Mershal Doctour of Diuinitie and Priour of the blacke Friers at the new Castle in England had declared in his preachings of S. Andrewes in Scotland that the Lordes Prayer commonly called the Pater noster should be done only to God not to Saints neither to any other creature the Doctours of the Uniuersitie of S. Andrewes together with the Gray Friers who had long ago taught the people to pray the Pater noster to Saints had great indignatioÌ that their old doctrine shuld be repugned stirred vp a Gray Frier called Frier Toittis to preach again to the people that they should might pray the Pater noster to Saintes Who finding no
in diuinitie and minding well vnto you and desiring the safegard of your soule and that you should folow and beleue the doctrine of the Catholicke church as afore concerning the sayd sacrament of the aultar and whether you did not at al times since your sayd comming to me vtterly refuse to follow and beleue the sayd doctrine concerning the sayd sacrament Whether can you nowe finde in your hart and conscience to conforme your selfe in all poyntes to the said fayth and catholicke church concerning the sayde Sacrament of the aultar faythfully truely and playnely without anye dissimulation beleeuing therein as our sayd soueraignes with the Nobilitie Clergie and Laytie of this Realme and other Christian realmes and other persons aforesaid and also the sayd Catholicke Church haue and do beleue in that behalfe In case you so caÌnot what ground haue you to mayntaine your opinion and who is of the same opinion wyth you and what conference haue you had therein with any what comfort and what reliefe haue you had therein by any of them and what are their names and surnames and their dwelling place Their aunsweres to these articles were not much discrepant from Tomkins and other like Martirs aboue mentioned as here followeth to be seene ¶ The aunswere of Steuen Knight and William Pigot to the aforesayd Articles TO the first article they beleue that the contentes of this article is not agreable to scripture Answeres to the Articles aforesayd To the second they answere and beleue that their parentes and other expressed in the sayd article so beleuyng as is contayned in the same were deceiued To the thyrd they aunswere that they so beleued but they were deceiued therein as they now beleue To the fourth they say that they haue heretofore beleued as is conteined in the said article but now they do not so beleue To the fift they say that if they so beleue they are deceiued To the sixt they beleue the same to be true To the seuenth they answere and beleue the contents of the same to be true To the eight they aunswere that they can no whyt confourme themselues to the fayth and doctrine contayned and specified in this article vntill it be proued by Scripture To the ninth they say that they haue no grounde to mainteine their sayd opinions but y e truth which as they say hath bene perswaded by learned men as D. Taylour of Hadley and such other These aunsweres being made and exhibited they were commaunded to appeare agayne the next daye at eight of the clocke in the morning and in the meane while to bethinke themselues what they would do An other appearaunce of the sayd prisoners before Boner An other appearaunce THe next daye in the morning being the 9. daye of February before their open appearaunce the Bishop sent for William Pigot and Stephen Knight into his great chamber in his Pallace where he perswaded with them to recant and deny their former profession Who answered that they were not perswaded in their consciences to returne and abiure theyr opinions whereunto they had subscribed Within a while after they were all three with Thomas Tomkins and William Hunter afore named brought openly into the Consistorye the ix day of February aforesayd and there had the same articles propouÌded vnto them which were before propouÌded vnto the foresayde Thomas Tomkins as appeareth in the discourse of his historye and therto also subscribed these wordes I do so beleue Talke betweene Boner and Iohn Laurence Priest Iohn Laurence sometymes a Fryer The Bishop also vsed certayne talke vnto Iohn Laurence onely Whereunto he aunswered in this manner That hee was a Priest and was consecrated and made a Priest about eightene yeares past and that he was sometime a Blacke Fryer professed that also hee was assured vnto a mayd whome he intended to haue maryed And being agayne demaunded his opinion vppon the Sacrament he said that it was a remembraunce of Chrystes body and that many haue bene deceiued in the beleeuing the true body of Christ to be in the Sacrament of the Aultar and that all such as doe not beleue as he doth doe erre After this talke and other fayre wordes and threatninges they were all of theÌ commaunded to appeare again at after noone The third and last appearaunce AT the which houre they came thyther agayne there ãâã the accustomed manner were exhorted to recant and reuoke their doctrine and receiue the fayth To the whiche they constantly aunswered they woulde not but would sticke to that fayth that they had declared and subscribed vnto for that they did beleeue y t it was no errour whiche they beleued but that the contrary therof was very heresy When the Bishop sawe that neither his fayre flatteringes Steuen Knight William Pigot Iohn LaureÌce condemned Iohn Laurence disgraded Steuen Knight burned at Mauldon W. Pigot at Braintree March 28. nor yet his cruell threatnings would preuayle he gaue them seuerally their iudgementes And because Ioh. Laurence had bene one of theyr annoynted priestes hee was by the bishop there according to their order solemnly disgraded the maner whereof you may see in the history of Maister Hooper afore passed pag. 1435. Their sentence of condemnation this degradation once ended they were committed vnto the custodye of the Sheriffes of London who sent theÌ vnto Newgate where they remayned with ioy together vntill they were caryed downe into Essex and there the 28. daye of March the sayd William Pigot was burned at Brayntree and Stephen Knight at Mauldon who at the stake kneeling vpon the ground sayd this prayer which here followeth The Prayer that Stephen Knight sayd at hys death vpon his knees being at the stake at Mauldon O Lord Iesu Christe for whose loue I leaue willingly this life and desire rather the bitter death of his Crosse with the losse of all earthly thinges A godly prayer of Ste. Knighâ at his Marâtyrdome then to abide the blasphemye of thy moste holy name or to obey men in breaking thy holye Commaundement thou seest O Lorde that where I might liue in worldlye wealth to worship a false God and honour thine enemy I chose rather the torment of the body and the losse of this my lyfe and haue counted all thinges but vile duste and dounge that I might winne thee whiche death is dearer vnto me then thousandes of gold and siluer Such loue O Lord hast thou layd vp in my breast that I hunger for thee Psal. 42. as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soyle Send thy holy comforter O Lord to ayd comfort and strengthen this weake peece of earth whiche is emptye of all strength of it selfe Thou remembrest O Lorde that I am but dust and able to do nothing that is good Therfore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodnes and loue thou hast bidden mee to this banket and accompted mee worthye to drinke of thyne owne cup amongst thine elect euen so geue me strength
by meanes which meanes is faith in Christ Iesus crucified For so much as by hys faith in Christe a man is iustified and thereby made the childe of saluation reason must needes lead the same to be then the childe of election chosen of God vnto euerlasting life For howe can a man be iustified but he must needes be saued and howe can a man be saued but by consequence it foloweth that he must also be elected And therefore of Election it is truely sayd De electione iudicandum est à posteriore that is to say Fayth is the meanes wherby we be certified of our Election wee must iudge of election by that which commeth after that is by oure faith and beliefe in Christ which faith although in time it followeth after election yet is it the proper and immediat cause assigned by the scripture which not onely iustifieth vs but also certifieth vs of thys election of God Whereunto likewise well agreeth thys present letter of M. Bradford wherein he sayeth Election allbeit in God it be the first yet to vs it is the last opened And therefore beginning first sayth he wyth creation De electione iudicandum est a posterâore Election fiâst knowen to God and last opened to man I come froÌ thence to the redemption and iustification by faith and so to election Not that faith is the cause efficient of election being rather the effect thereof but is to vs the cause certificatory or the cause of our certification wherby we are brought to the feeling and knowledge of our election in Christe For all be it that election first be certaine in the knowledge of God yet in our knowledge Faith onely that wee haue in Christe is the thynge that geueth to vs our certificate and comfort of thys election Wherefore who soeuer desireth to be assured that he is one of the electe number of God lette hym not clyme vp to heauen to knowe but let hym descende into hym selfe and there searche hys Faith in Christe the sonne of God whyche if hee finde in hym not fained by the working of Gods holy spirite accordingly thereuppon let hym staye Euery man to stay himsâlfe vpon Gods generall promise and so wrappe hym selfe wholely both body and soule vnder Gods generall promise and cumber hys heade wyth no further speculations knowing thys that who so euer beleueth in him shall not perish Ihon. 3. shall not be confounded Ro. 9. shal not see death Ih. 8. shal not enter into iudgemeÌt Ih. 5. shall haue euerlasting life Iâ 3.7 shall be saued Mat. 28. Act. 16. shal haue remission of al his sinnes Act. 10. shal be iustified Rom. 3. Ga. 2. shal haue flouds flowing oute of him of water of life Iohn 7. shall neuer die Iohn 11. shal be raised in the last day Iohn 6 shal finde rest to hys soule and shal be refreshed Math. 11. Now then for so much as we see faith to be the ground wherupon depeÌdeth the whole coÌdition of our iustifying let vs discusse in like maner what is this faith whereof the scripture so much speaketh What fayth is Diuers kindes of fayth for the more plaine vnderstanding of the simple For many kindes there be of faith as a man maye beleeue euery thing that is true yet not euery truth doeth saue neither doth the beleeuing of euery truth iustifie a man Euery truth hath his fayth but euery truth iustifieth not no more doth euery fayth He y t beeleueth that God created all things of nought beleueth truely He that beleueth that God is a iust God that he is omnipoteÌt that he is mercifull that he is true of promise beleeueth well and holdeth the truthe So hee that beleeueth that God hath his election from the beginning and that he also is one of the same electe predestinate hath a good beliefe and thinketh wel but yet this beliefe alone except it be seasoned with an other thing wil not serue to saluation as it auailed not the olde Iewes which so thought of them selues and yet thinke to this day to be only Gods elect people Fayth the action Christ the obiect of fayth Fayth Christ correlatiues Onely the faithe whiche auaileth to saluation is that whose obiect is the body and passion of Iesus Christe crucified So that in the act of iustifying these two fayth and Christ haue a mutual relation and must alwaies concurre together faith as the action which apprehendeth Christe as the obiect which is apprehended For neither doeth the passion of Christe saue wythout faith Christ without faith saueth not Fayth without Christ helpeth not neither doeth faith helpe except it be in Christ As we see the body of man sustained by bread drinke not except the same be receiued and conueied into the stomacke and yet neither doeth y e receiuing of euery thing sustaine mans body except it be meate and drinke whych haue power to geue nourishment In like sort it is with faith for neither doth the beleuing of euery thing saue but onely faith in the bloud of Christ neither again doth y e same bloud of Christ profite vs except by faith it be receiued And as the sunne being the cause of all lighte shineth not but to them onely which haue eyes to see nor yet to them neither vnlesse they will open their eyes to receiue the light so the Passion of Christ is the efficient cause of saluation but faith is the coÌdition wherby the sayd passion is to vs effectuall Grace Election Vocation Christes death causes externe of our saluatioÌ Fayth the onely interne cause of mans saluation Fayth is an action in man but not of man Vertues and workes of charitye though they be good giftes of God in man yet they serue not to iustification Fayth taketh his dignitye of his obiect Looking vp to the brasen Serpent and beleeuing vpon the body of Christ compared The error of the Papistes peruerting the mind of Gods testament how and wherin And that is the cause why we say with the Scripture that faith only iustifieth vs not excluding thereby al other externe causes that goe before faith as grace mercy election vocation the death of Christe c. all whiche be externe causes working our saluation through faith But when we say that faith only iustifieth vs the meaning thereof is thys that of all internall actions motions or operations in man geuen to him of God there is none other that contenteth pleaseth God or standeth before hys iudgement or can helpe any thing to the iustifying of man before him but only this one action of faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God For although the action of praying fasting almes pacience charity repentance the feare and loue of God be hie giftes in man and not of man geuen of God to man yet be none of al these actions in man imputed of God to saluation but only this one action of faith in maÌ vpon Christ Iesus the sonne
in the Chapter house of the Priorie of S. Frideswide in Oxford did enioyne him that he should tary w tin the sayd Priory and not to goe out of the gates thereof without licence of the Prior for the tyme beyng vntill he had other commaundement from the Byshop vpon payn of relapse and further that he should from thenceforth vp on the lyke payne weare a signe of a Fagot vnder his vppermost garment 10. Item y t after hys abiuration and sithens the promises thus done he was yet agayne detected to the B. of LoÌdon by open fame and denounced by worshipfull and credible persons y t he had vsed like false errours and heresies had spoken and taught certaine conclusions of heresie against the Christen fayth He ment some Image or picture of the virgine set vp in some blinde place to be worshipped and determinations of holye Church and that he had fallen into the like heresies as before his abiuration both against the sacrament of the altar agaynst pilgrimages and worshipping of Images and had blasphemed our blessed Lady calling her Mably 11. Item that when he wrought with one Iohn Bates in Stratford Langthorne in Rogation weeke then 3. yeares past and beyng bidden by the sayd Bates wife to goe and heare the gospell he aunswered and sayd vnto her I wyll not come there go you if ye list ye shal haue as much meed for it as to put your finger in the fire and to burne it 12. Item that in times past for feare of abiuration he had fled from Colchester to Newbery and after that vnto Hamersham and had there damnably accompanyed with hetiques and had taught heresies among them also since y e tyme of hys abiuration he had sayd that he and hys wyfe had turned sixe or seuen hundreth people vnto those opinions which he was abiured of and others also contrary to Christes fayth and determinations of holy Church Hys aunswere vnto these Articles was that as touching the first nine hee graunted in part to be true confessing to the seconde that hee was a true Christian and did professe the true Christian faith but the contentes of the last thrée he vtterly denied to be true affirming for certaine aunswere vnto the 11. article that at the time mentioned in the same he did not worke in the towne of Stratford Upon which answere the Chauncelour called foorth two witnesses to be sworne and examined against hym False witnes willyng hym that if he had any iust matter against any of them hee should refuse them But to what purpose this his faire offer and trim shewe of vpright iustice serued I can not see For notw tstanding that hee charged the one of the witnesses with theft and adulterie for that hauing a wife of hys owne he did yet runne away wyth an other mannes wife and goodes and also alleged that the other was too young to be a sworne witnesse in case of life and death yet were they both still retained allowed by the Chauncelour and sworn not to depart away or hide themselues False witnes receiued against Thomas Man but to be alwaies ready to iustifye that which they had to say against the sayde Thomas Man and so for that time as well they as also all the rest were commanded to depart and the prisoner sent againe to hys prison And here in the order of the othe ministred vnto these witnesses I finde one note me thinketh worthy present remembrance both for that it is mentioned in this proces and also because it somewhat openeth y e foolish ridiculous and fained figuratiue Ceremonies of the Papists who do attribute a spirituall signification almost vnto all their doinges The ceremoniall maner of the popish ministring of their othe The Register discoursing at large the manner of their othe hath these wordes Ad sancta Dei Euangelia iurari fee lt tribus medris digitis erectis super librum positis in signum Trinitatis fidei Catholicae duobus videl police auriculari suppositis suppressis sub libro positis in signum damnationis corporis animae si non deposuerint veritatem in hac parte That is to say he caused them to sweare vpoÌ the holy Euangelistes with their three middle fingers stretched out right and laide vpon the booke in signe of y e Trinitie and Catholique faith and the other two to wyt the thombe and the litle finger put downewardes vnder the booke in token of damnation of body and soule if they did not depose the truth in the matter This Ceremoniall order and exposition of theirs as it is of their owne fonde inuention without any ground or example of the scriptures of God so minde I to leaue it still vnto theÌselues w t other their apish toies ridicles as things worthy to be laught at and will now further proceed with the rest of this processe which I haue in hand The xv day of February D. Hed the Chauncellour againe iudicially sitting in the consistory at Paules Tho. Man againe called by D. Hed Chancelour commaunded Thomas Man to be brought before him and there causing the articles obiected against him by the Byshop of Lincolne with his order of abiuration penaunce and also his owne articles last propounded to be first read he called forth a third witnes to be sworne and examined vpon the same But because he would seeme to do all thinges by order of iustice and nothing against law he therefore appoynted vnto the sayd Thomas Man certain Doctours and aduocates of the Arches as his counsellers to plead in his behalfe Which was euen like as if the lambe should be committed to the defence and protection of the woolfe Agnus Lupo commissus or the hare to the hounde For what good helpe could he looke for at their handes whiche were both most wicked haters and abhorrers of his Christian profession and also stout vpholders and maintainers of that Antichristian law by the which he was for the same coÌdemned And that full well appeared by the good aduice and profitable councell which they gaue him against his next examinations For aswell vppon the 20. and also the 23. dayes of the same month of February in theyr seuerall Sessions he seing his owne negations to their obiections to take no place against their sworne witnesses had no other thinge to allege for himselfe but that through his xx weekes of hard imprisonment vnder the byshop of Lincolne he was forced to recant and abiure whiche was a poore shifte of counsell God knoweth And yet D. Raynes beyng one of his chiefe assigned aduocates in steede of aduice coulde by his subtle questioning The subtile practise of the Romish churchmen then make him to confesse that certaine talke whereof one of the witnesses had accused hym was spoken about fiue yeares before past which because it was since his recantatioÌ was rather an accusation of hym selfe then an excusing and
condemnation because they haue made voyd theyr first fayth These other such like reasons being opened layd before theÌ you shal theÌ in our name exhort y e foresaid princes prelats people to awake and employ their diligeÌce how to gainestand First the iniury of these Lutherians toward God toward his holy religioÌ SecoÌdly theyr villany toward the whole nation of the Germanes their princes especially the shamefull contumely toward theyr fathers elders whoÌ in effect they condemne to hel In consideratioÌ wherof you shal cal vpoÌ theÌ to remeÌber theÌselues to proceed effectually to the executioÌ of y e apostolicall senteÌce of the Emperors edict geuing pardon to theÌ that wil amend acknowledge their fault the other which obstinatly persist in their error punishing with the rod of district seuerity according to the decrees of the Canons and lawes of the Church that by theyr example such as stand may remaine in fayth and they which are fallen may be reduced And if any shall obiect again y e Luther was condeÌned by the apostolicke see before he was heard y t his cause ought first to haue bene heard iudged before he was coÌuinced you shall aunswere that those * Here the Pope agreeth rightly with Mahomet for he will not haue his Religion reasoned vpon no more wil the Pope haue hys Graunt thys to the pope and he may play the Lord of misrule and do what he listeth thinges which perteine to faith are to be beleued for theyr owne authority not to be proued Take away sayth Ambrose argumentes where fayth is sought there the fishers not the Philosophers must bee trusted Truth it is we graunt no lesse but the lawfull defence hearing ought not to bee denyed in such cases where the question is of the fact whether it were done or not as whether he spake preached writ or not But where the matter is of Gods law or in cause of the sacramentes there must we alwayes stand to the authority of holy fathers of the Church Now all thinges almost wherein Luther dissenteth from other are reproued before by diuers Councels Neither ought those things to be called into questioÌ which haue bene defined before by general couÌcels y e vniuersal-Church but ought to be receiued by fayth For els he doth iniury to the Synode of the church who so bringeth again into controuersy things once rightly discussed setled Otherwise what certaynty can there be amongst meÌ or what end shal there be of conteÌding disputing if it shal be lawfull for euery lewd presumtuous person to decline from the things which haue bene receiued and ratified by the coÌsent not of one nor of fewe but of so many ages so many wise heades of the Catholicke church which God neuer permitteth to erre in matters vnto fayth apperteyning And how can it otherwise be chosen but that all muste bee ful of disturbance offences and confusion vnlesse the thinges which haue bene once yea many times by ripe iudgement coÌstituted be obserued of al meÌ as inuiolable Wherfore seing Luther and his felowes do coÌdemne the Councels of holy fathers do burne the holy canons do coÌfound al things at their pleasure do disquiet the whole world what remaineth but that they are to be reiected exploded as enemies and perturbers of publike peace Further this you shal say vnto them y t we confesse our selues deny not but that God suffreth this persecutioÌ to be inflicted vpon his churche Esa. 59. for the sinnes of men especially of priests and prelates of the clergie For certain it is that the hand of the Lord is not shortned that he cannot saue but our sinnes haue diuided betwene God and vs and therfore he hideth his face from vs that he wil not heare vs. The scripture testifieth that the sinnes of the people doe issue out from the sinnes of the priests And therfore saith Chrysostom Christ going about to cure the sicke citie of HierusaleÌ first entred into the temple to correct the sinnes of the priestes like a good phisitioÌ which first beginneth to cure the disease from the very rote We know that in this * And howe then can this be called an holy Sea where so many abhominable impieties manifold excesses both in spirituall masters also in eternall life are seene practised such ambitioÌ in the prelats such pryde in the Pope such auarice in the Court finally where such corruption is of all things as you your selues doe here confesse can not denye holy see there haue bene many abhominable things of long time wrought practised as abuses in matters spirituall and also excesses in life and maners and all things turned cleane coÌtrary And no maruell if the * True it is that the sicknes hath begunne in the head that is at the very triple crown and therfore the sicknes being great and hauing neede of a sharpe Phisition God hath sent Luther vnto the Pope as Erasmus writeth of him as a meete Phisition to cure his disease Yet he refuseth to be healed sicknesse first beginning at the heade that is at the high Bishops haue descended afterward to inferior prelates Al we that is prelates of the church haue declined euery one after his owne waye Neither hath there ben one that hath don good no not one Wherfore nede it is y t al we geue glory to God and that we humble our soules to him considering euery one of vs from whence hee hath fallen Cayphas himselfe could neuer prophesie more truely and that euery one doe iudge himself before he be iudged of God in the rod of his furie For the redresse wherof you shal insinuate vnto them and promise in our behalfe that in vs shall be lacking no diligence of a better reformation first beginning w t our owne court that like as this contagion first from thence descended into all the inferior partes The Pope promiseth reformation of his owne Court but when beginneth hee so reformation amendement of all that is amisse from the same place againe shall take his beginning Wherunto they shall finde vs so much the more ready for that we see y e whole worlde so desirous of the same Wee our selues as you knowe neuer sought this dignity but rather coueted if we otherwise might to lead a priuate life and in a quiete state to serue God And also would vtterly haue refused the same had not the feare of God and the maner of our election and misdoubting of some schisme to follow after haue vrged vs to take it And thus tooke we the burden vpon vs not for any ambition of dignity or to enrich our frends and kinsfolks but only to be obedieÌt to the will of God and for reformation of the catholique church and for reliefe of the pore and especially for the aduancement of learning learned men with such other things moe as
the apple After long refusing wheÌ the wofull father could not otherwise choose by force constreined but must leauill at the apple as God would he mist the child and stroke the marke This Tell being thus compelled by the tirant to shoote at his sonne had brought with him two shaftes thinking that if he had stroke the child with the one the other he would haue let driue at the tyraunt Which being vnderstand he was apprehended and led to the rulers house but by the way escaping out of the boate betweene Urania and Brun and passing thorough the mountaines with as much speede as he might Pride and tyrannye well rewarded he lay in the way secretly as the ruler should passe where he discharged his arow at the tyraunt and slue him And thus were these cruell gouernours vtterly expelled out of these three valleyes or pages aforesayd and after that such order was taken by the Emperour Henricus 7. and also by the Emperours Ludouicus duke of Bauaria that henceforth no iudge should be set ouer them but only of their owne companie Ex Sebast. MuÌst Cosmog lib. 3. and towne dwellers Ex Seb. Munst. Cosmog lib. 3. It folowed after this in the yeare of our Lord 1315. that great contention and war fell betweene Fridericke Duke of Austria and Ludouicke Duke of Bauaria striuing and fighting the space of eight yeares together about the Empire With Ludouicus held the three pages aforesayd who had diuers conflicts with Lupoldus brother to the forenamed Fridericke Duke of Austria fighting in his brothers quarell As Lupoldus had reared a mighty army of twenty thousand footemen and horsemen and was come to Egree so to passe ouer the mountaines to subdue the pages he began to take aduise of his counsaile by what way or passage best he might direct his iourney toward the Suitzers Whereupon as they were busy in consulting there stoode a foole by named Kune de Stocken which hearing their aduise A fooles bolt somtimes hits the marke thought also to shoote his bolt withall and told them that their counsaile did not like him For all you quoth he consult how we should enter into yonder countrey but none of you geueth any counsaile how to come out againe after we be entred And in conclusion as the foole said so they found it true For when Lupoldus with his hoste had entred into the straites and valleys betweene the rockes and mountaines the Suitzers wyth their neighbours of Urania and Siluania lieng in priuie waite had theÌ at such aduantage with tumbling downe stones from the rockes and sodeine comming vpon theyr backes in blinde lanes did so encomber them that neither they had conuenient standing to fight nor roome almost to flie away By reason whereof a great part of Lupoldus army there being enclosed about y e place called MorgarteÌ lost their liues many in the flight were slaine Lupoldus with theÌ that remained retired and escaped to Thurgoia This battaile was fought anno 1315. Nouember 16. After this the burgers of these three villages being continually vexed by Fridericke Duke of Austria The first league betweene the 3. Pages for that they would not knowledge him for Emperour assembled them selues in the towne of Urania an 1316. and there entred a mutuall league and bond of perpetuall societie and coniunction ioining and swearing themselues as in one bodie of a common wealth and publike administration together After that came to them Lucernates then Tugiani after them the Tigurines next to them folowed Bernates the last almost of all were the Basilians then followed after the other seauen pages aboue recited And thus haue ye the names the freedome and confederatioÌ of these Suitzârs or Cantons or pages of Heluetia with the occasions circumstaÌces therof briefly expressed Now to the purpose of our story intended which is to declare the successe of Christes Gospel and true Religion receaued amoÌg these Heluetians also touching the life doctrine of Zuinglius order of his death as heere insueth ¶ The actes and life of Zuinglius and of receauing the Gospell in Zuitzerland IN the tractation of Luthers story mention was made before of Uldricus Zuinglius Vldricus Zuinglius who first abiding at Glarona in a place called then our Lords Ermitage from thence remoued to Zuricke about the yeare of our Lorde 1519. and there began to teach dwelling in the Minster among the Canons or Priestes of that close vsing with them the same rites and ceremonies during the space of ij or iij. yeares where he continued reading and explaining the Scriptures vnto the people with great trauaile Zuinglius reading the scriptures at Zurike Zuinglius against the Popes pardons and no lesse dexteritie And because Pope Leo the same yeare had renued his pardons againe through all countreys as is aboue declared Zuinglius zelously withstood the same detecting the abuses thereof by the Scriptures and of other corruptions reigning then in the Church and so continued by the space of two yeares and more till at length Hugo Bishop of Constance to whose iurisdiction Zuricke then also did belong hearing thereof Anno. 1521. wrote his letters to the Senate of the said Citie of Zuricke The Bishop of ConstaÌce complayneth against Zuinglius complayning greeuously of Zuinglius who also wrote another letter to the colledge of Canons where Zuinglius was the same time dwelling complaining likewise of such new teachers which troubled the Churche and exhorted them earnestly to beware and to take diligent heede to themselues And forsomuch as both the Pope and the Emperours Maiestie had condemned all such new doctrine by their decrees and Edicts he willed them therefore to admit no such new innouations of doctrine without the coÌmon consent of them to whome the same did appertayne Zuinglius hearing therof referreth his cause to the iudgemeÌt and hearing of the Senate not refusing to render vnto them accompt of his faith And forsomuch as the Byshops letter was read openly in the colledge Zuinglius directeth another letter to the Bishop againe declaring that the sayd letter proceeded not froÌ the Bishop nor that he was ignoraunt who were the authors thereof desiring him not to follow their sinister counsailes for that truth said he is a thing inuincible and can not be resisted After the same tenour certaine other of the Citie likewise wrote vnto the Bishop desiring him that he would attempt nothing that should be preiudiciall to the libertie and free course of the Gospell requiring moreouer that he would forbeare no longer the filthie and infamous life of priests but that he woulde permit them to haue theyr lawfull wiues c. This was in the yeare of our Lord 1522. Besides this Zuinglius writeth to the Heluetians Zuinglius wrote also another letter to the whose nation of the Heluetians monishing them in no case to hinder the passage of sincere doctrine nor to inferre any molestation to Priests that were maried For
not after forme of lawe If we had an accuser present which according to the rule of the Scripture either should proue by good demonstration out of the olde and new Testament that wherof we are accused or if he were not able should suffer punishment due vnto such as are heretickes I thinke he would be as greatly troubled to mainteine his accusations as we to aunswere vnto the same After that the Baylife had made this answere Iohn Palenc Iohn PaleÌc answereth one of the auncients of Merindol saide that he approued all that had bene sayd by the Syndiques and that he was able to say no more then had bene said by them before The Commissioner sayd vnto him you are I see a very auncient man and you haue not liued so long but that you haue some thing to aunswere for your part in defence of your cause And the sayde Palenc aunswered seeing it is your pleasure that I shâuld say something it seemeth vnto me vnpossible that say what we can we shoulde haue either victory or vantage for our iudges be our enemies The vnder Baylife of Merindoll answereth Then Iohn Bruneroll vnderbaylife at Merindoll answered that he would very faine know the authority of y e Counseller Durandus Commissioner in this cause for as much as the said Counseller had geueÌ them to vnderstaÌd that he had authority of the high Court to make them abiure their errours which should be found by good and sufficient information and to geue them so doing the pardon conteined in the Kings letters and quite them of all punishment and condemnation Durandus the Commissioner required to shew his CoÌmission But the said Commissioner did not geue them to vnderstand that if they could not be found by good and sufficient information that they were in errour he had any power or authoritie to quite and absolue them of the sayd sentence and condemnation Wherfore it seemed that it should be more vauntage for the sayd Merindolians if it shoulde appeare that they were heretickes then to be found to liue according to the doctrine of the Gospell For this cause he required that it woulde please the sayd Commissioner to make declaration therof concluding that if it did not appeare by good and sufficient information against them that they had swarued from the faith or if there were no accuser that woulde come foorth against them they ought to be fully absolued without being any more troubled eyther in body or goodes These things were thus in debating from seauen of the clocke in the morning vntill xj Then the Commissioner dismissed them till after dinner At one of the clocke at after noone they were called for agayne and demaunded whether they woulde say any thyng else The Bailyfe Sindickes of Merindol appeare the second time touchyng that which was propounded in the morning by the said Commissioner They aunswered no. Then sayd the Commissioner what do you conclude for your defence The two Syndiques aunswered we conclude that it would please you to declare vnto vs the errours and heresies whereof we are accused Then the Commissioner asked the Byshop of Cauaillon what informations he had agaynst them The Byshop spake vnto him in his eare and would not aunswere aloude This talke in the eare continued almost halfe an houre that the Commissioner and all other that stoode thereby were weary thereof In the ende the Commissioner sayd vnto them that the Byshop of Cauaillon had told him that it was not needefull to make it apparant by information for such was the coÌmon report Herevnto they aunswered that they required the causes and reasons alledged by the Byshop of Cauaillon against them should be put in writing The Byshop was earnest to the contrary They that do the workes of darckenes hate the light and woulde haue nothyng that eyther he sayd or alledged to be put in writing Then Iohn Bruneroll required the Commissioner that at the least he would put in writing that the Byshop would speake nothing agaynst them that they could vnderstand and that he woulde not speake before the Commissioner but only in his eare The Byshop on the coÌtrarie part defended that he would not be named in processe There was great disputation vpon this matter and coÌtinued long TheÌ the CoÌmissioner asked the Merindolians if they had the Articles of their confession which they had presented to the high Court of Parliament Then they required that their confession might be read and by the readyng thereof they might vnderstand whether it were the doctrine which they held the confession which they had presented or no. Then the confession was read publickely before theÌ The confession of the Merindolians exhibited and read which they did allow and acknowledged to be theirs This done the Commissioner asked the Doctour if he did finde in the sayd confessioÌs any hereticall opinions wherof he could make demoÌstration by the word of God either out of the old or the new TestameÌt Then spake the Doctour in Latin a good while After he had made an end Andrew Mainard the Bayliffe desired the Commissioner accordyng as he had propouÌded to make the errours and heresies that they were accused of What were the articles doctrine of their confession read Sled Lib. 16. apparauÌt vnto them by good information or at the least to marke those Articles of their confession which the Byshop the Doctours preteÌded to be hereticall requiryng him also to put in Register their refusall aswell of the Byshop as of the Doct. of whoÌ the one spake in his eare and the other in Latine so that they of Merindoll could not vnderstand one word Then the Commissioner promised theÌ to put in writyng all that should make for their cause And moreouer he sayd that it was not needefull to call the rest of the Merindolians if there were no more to be sayd to them then had bene sayd to those which were already called And this is y e summe of all that was done at the after noone Many which came thether to heare these disputations supposing that they should haue heard some goodly demoÌstrations were greatly abashed to see the Byshop and the Doctour so confouÌded which thyng afterward turned to the great benefite of many for hereby they were moued to require the copyes of y e confession of their fayth by meanes wherof they were conuerted and embraced the truth and namely iij. Doctours who weÌt about diuers tymes to diswade the MerindoliaÌs from their fayth whose ministery God afterwardes vsed in the preachyng of his Gospel Three Doctours coÌuerted by the confessioÌ of the Merindolians Of whom one was Doctour Combaudi Prior of S. Maximin afterwardes a Preacher in the territory of the Lords of Berne An other was Doctour Somati who was also a Preacher in the Bailiwycke of Tonon The other was Doctour Heraudi pastour and Minister in the Countie of Newcastle After this the inhabitaunts of Merindoll were in
about their affaires Ex Ioan. Sledano âib 16. c Thus hard was the king against them notwithstanding sayeth Sleydan that he the yere before had receaued from the sayde his subiectes of Merindoll a confession of their faith and doctrine The Articles whereof were that they according to Christian faith confessed first God the father creator of all things The sonne the onely Mediatour and Aduocate of mankinde The holy spirite the comfortour and instructour of all truth They confessed also the Church which they acknowledged to be the felowship of Gods elect wherof Iesus Christ is the head The ministers also of the Churche they did allowe wishing that such which did not their duety should be remoued And as touching Magistrates they grauÌted likewise the same to be ordeined of God to defend the good The confession faith of the Waldenses in Merindoll to punish the transgressours And how they owe to him not loue onely but also tribute and custome and no man herein to be excepted euen by the example of Christ who paied tribute himselfe c. Likewise of Baptisme they confessed the same to be a visible and an outwarde signe that representeth to vs the renuing of the spirite and mortification of the members Furthermore as touching the Lordes Supper they sayde and confessed the same to be a thankesgeuing and a memoriall of the benefite receaued through Christ. Matrimonie they affirmed to be holy and instituted of God and to be inhibited to no man That good workes are to be obserued exercised of all men as holy Scripture teacheth That false doctrine which leadeth men away from the true worship of God ought to be eschewed Briefly and finally the order and rule of their faith they confessed to be the olde and newe Testament protesting that they beleeued all such things as are contained in the Apostolike Crede Desiring moreouer the King to geue credite to this their declaratioÌ of their faith so that whatsoeuer was informed to him to the contrary was not true and that they would well prooue if they might be heard And thus much concerning the doctrine and confession of the Merindolians out of Sleidan and also concerning their descent and ofspring from the Waldenses * The Historie of the persecutions and warres against the people called Waldenses or Waldois in the valleis of Angrongne Luserne S. Martin Perouse and others in the countrey of Piemont from the yere 1555. to the yere of our Lord. 1561. Persecutours Martyrs The Causes The Parliament of Thurin The President of S Iulian. Iacomell Monke an Inquisitour Monsieur de la Trinitie The Gentlemen of the Valleyes Charles Truchet Boniface Truchet The Collaterall of Corbis The Collateral de Ecclesia The Duke of Sauoy Monkes of Pigneroll and many other moe enemies of God and ministers of Sathan The Martirs of the valley of Angrogne The Martyrs of the valley of Luserne The Martyrs of S. Martin The Martyrs of Perouse and others In the couÌtrey of Piemont From the yeare 1555. vnto 1561. TO procede now further in the persecution of these Waldois Persecution in the valley of Angrongne Luserne S. Martin Perouse in Piedmont or Waldenses you haue herd hitherto first how they deuiding themselues into diuers Countreis some fled to Prouince and to Tolouse of whom sufficient hath bene sayd Some went to Piedmont and the valley of Angrogne of whom it foloweth now to entreat God willing Thus these good men by long persecution being driuen from place to place were grieuouslye in all places afflicted but yet could neuer be vtterly destroied nor yet compelled to yeelde to the superstitious and false religion of y e church of Rome but euer absteined from theyr corruption and Idolatrie as much as was possible gaue themselues to the worde of God as a rule both truely to serue him and to directe their liues accordingly They had many bookes of the old and new Testament translated into their language Theyr Minysters instructed them secretely to auoyd the furye of theyr ennemies whyche could not abide the light all be it they did not instruct theÌ wyth suche puritie as was requisite They liued in great simplicity and with the sweate of theyr browes They were quiete and peaceable among theyr neighbors absteining from blasphemy and prophaning of y e name of God by othes and such other impietie from lewde games dauncing filthy songes and other vices and dissolute life and coÌformed their life wholy to the rule of Gods word Their principal care was alwaies that God might be rightly serued and his woorde truely preached In so muche that in our time when it pleased God to set forth the light of his gospel more clearely they neuer spared any thing to establish the true and pure ministery of the worde of God and his Sacraments Which was the cause that Sathan with his ministers did so persecute them of late more cruelly then euer he did before as manifestly appeareth by the bloudy horrible persecutions which haue bene not onely in Prouince against those of Merindol Cabriers also against them of Prage and Calabria as the histories afore written doe sufficiently declare but also against them in the Countrey of Piedmont remaining in the Ualley of Angrongne and of Lucerne and also in the Ualley of S. Martine and Perouse in the sayd countrey of Piedmont Whych people of a long time were persecuted by the Papists and especially within these fewe yeares they haue bene vexed in such sort and so diuersly that it seemeth almost incredible and yet hathe God alwayes miraculously deliuered them as heereafter shall ensue Albeit the people of Angrongne had before this time certaine to preach the word of God and minister the sacramentes vnto them priuately yet in the yeare of our Lorde 1555. in the beginning of the moneth of August the Gospel was openly preached in Angrongne The ministers and the people entended at the first to kepe themselues still as secrete as they mighte but there was suche concourse of people from al parties that they were compelled to preach openly abroad For this cause they built them a Church in the mids of Angrongne where assembles were made and Sermons preached It happened about that time that one Iohn Martin of Briqueras a mile froÌ Angrongne which vaunted euery where The iust haÌd of God vpon Iohn Martin a persecutor that he wold slit the ministers nose of Angrogne was assaulted by a Wolfe which bitte of hys nose so that he died thereof madde Thys was commonly knowen to all the townes thereabout At this season the French king helde these foresaid valleis they were vnder the iurisdiction of the Parliament of Thurin In the ende of DeceÌber folowing newes was brought that it was ordeined by the sayd Parlament that certaine horsemen and footemen should be sent to spoil and destroy Angrongne Whereuppon some whych pretended great freÌdship to this people counselled theÌ not to goe forward with their enterprise but
ought to vanishe the sayde Waldoys which mainteined not the Popes religion alleging that he could not suffer such a people to dwell within his dominion without preiudice and dishonour to the Apostolique Sec. Also that they were a rebellious people against the holy ordinaunces and decrees of their holy mother the Churche And briefly that he might no longer suffer the said people being so disobedient stubbern against the holy father if he would in dede shew him selfe a louing and obedient sonne Such deuilishe instigations were the cause of these horrible and furious persecutions wherewith this poore people of the valleys and the Countrey of Piemont was so long vexed And because they foresawe the great calamities which they were like to suffer to find some remedy for the same if it were possible al the saide Churches of Piemont with one common consent wrote to the duke declaring in effect that the onely cause why they were so hated and for the which he was by their enemies so sore incensed against them was their religion which was no newe or light opinion but that wherein they and their auncitours had long coÌtinued being wholy grounded vpon the infallible worde of God conteined in the olde and new Testament Notwithstanding if it might be prooued by the same worde that they held any false or erroneous doctrine they would submit them selues to be reformed with all obedience But it is not certaine whether thys aduertisemente was deliuered vnto the Duke or no for it was sayde that he woulde not heare of that Religion But howe so euer it was in the moneth of March following there was great persecution raised against the poore Christians which wer at Carignan Amongest whom there were certaine godly persones taken burnt within foure daies after that is to saye one named Mathurine and his wife Mathurin his wife Iohn de Carquignan Martyrs and Iohn de Carquignan dwelling in the valley of Luserne taken prisoner as he went to the market at Pignerol The woman died with great constancie The good man Iohn de Carquignan had ben in prison diuers times before for religion and was alwaies deliuered by Gods singulare grace and prouidence But seeing him selfe taken this last time incoÌtineÌt he said he knew that God had now called him Both by the way as he went and in prison and also at his death he shewed an inuincible coÌstancie and maruelous vertue aswel by the pure confession which hee made touching the doctrine of saluation as also in suffering with patience the horrible torments which he endured both in prison also at his death Many at that time fled away others being afraid of that great crueltie and fearing man also more then God looking rather to the earth then vnto heaueÌ consented to returne to the obedience of the Church of Rome Within fewe daies after Persecution beginnerh in the Valleys these Churches of the sayde Waldoys that is to say Le Larch Meronne Meane and Suse were woonderfully assaulted To recite all the outrage crueltie and villany that was there coÌmitted it were too long for breuities sake we will recite onely certaine of the principal and best knowen The Churches of Meane Suse suffered great afflictions Their minister was taken amongst other Many fled away and their houses and goodes were ransackt and spoiled The Minister of Meane Martyr The Minister was a good a faithfull seruaunt of God and endued with excellent giftes and graces who in the ende was put to moste shamefull and cruell death The great pacience which hee shewed in the middes of the fire greatly astonished the aduersaries Likewise the Churches of Larche and Meronne were marueilouslye tormented and afflicted For some were taken and sent to the galleis other some consented yelded to the aduersaries and a great number of them fled away It is certainly knowen Gods secret iudgements vpoÌ them that shrinke from his truthe that those which yeelded to the aduersaries were more cruelly haÌdled then the others which coÌtinued constant in the truth Wherby God declareth howe greatly he detesteth all such as play the Apostataes and shrinke from the truth But for the better vnderstanding of the beginning of this horrible persecution against the Waldoys heere note that first of all proclamations were made in euery place that none should resort to the Sermons of the Lutherans but should liue after the custome of the Churche of Rome vpon paine of forfaiture of their goods and to be condemned to the Galleyes for euer or loose their liues Three of the most cruel persons that could be founde Cruell persecutors Thomas Iacomell a cruell Apostata were appoynted to execute this coÌmission The first was one Thomas Iacomel a Monke and Inquisitour of the Romish faith a man worthy for suche an office for hee was an Apostata and had renounced the knowen truth and persecuted mortally and malitiouslye the poore Christians againste his owne conscience and of set purpose as his bookes do sufficiently witnesse He was also a whoremonger and geuen ouer to al other villanies and filthy liuing and in the horrible sinne of Sodomitrie which he coÌmonly vsed he passed all his fellowes Briefly The rigorous handling of the Waldoys he was nothing els but a mis-shapen monster both against God and nature Moreouer he so afflicted and tormented the poore captiues of the sayd Waldoys by spoiling robbery and extortion that he deserued not only to be hanged but to be broken vpon y e whele a hundred times and to suffer so many cruell deathes if it were possible so great so many and so horrible were the crimes that he had committed The seconde was the Collaterall Corbis who in the examination of the prisoners was very rigorous cruell for he only demaunded of them whether they would go to the masse or be burnt within three dayes and in very dede executed his sayings But it is certainly reported Martyrs that hee seeing the constancie and hearing the confession of the pore Martyrs feeling a remorse and tormented in conscience protested that he would neuer meddle any more The thirde was the Prouost de la Iustice a cruell and crafty wretch accustomed to apprehende the poore Christians either by night or early in the morning or in the high way going to the market and was commonly lodged in the valley of Luserne or there aboutes Thus the poore people were alwayes as the seely sheepe in the Woolues iawes or as the shepe which are ledde vnto the slaughter house At that season one named Charles de Comptes of the valley of Luserne and one of the Lordes of Angrongne wrote to the sayde Commissioners to vse some leuitie towardes them of the valley of Lusern By reason whereof they were a while more gently entreated then the rest At that season the monks of Pignerol theyr associates tormented greeuously the churches neare about them The cruell Monkes of Pigneroll They tooke the poore Christians as
watching all the redemption of Masses and pardons being done wythout trust in Christe which onely saueth his people from theyr sinnes these I say I learned to be nothing else but euen as S. Augustin saith a hasty and swift running out of the right way Al the trauaileâ of men without Christ are but an hastie running out of the right way or els much like to the vesture made of fig leaues wherwithall Adam and Eue went about in vayne to couer theyr priuities and could neuer before obteyne quietnes and rest vntill they beleued in the promise of God that Christ the seede of the woman should tread vpon the serpentes head Neither could I be releued or eased of the sharpe stings and bitings of my sinnes before that I was taught of God that lesson which Christ speaketh of M. Bilney looking vp to the Brasen serpent Iohn 3. in the third chapiter of Iohn Euen as Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert so shall the sonne of man be exalted that all which beleue on him should not perish but haue life euerlasting As soone as according to the mesure of grace geuen vnto me of God I began to tast sauour of this heauenly lesson whiche no man can teache but onely God which reueled the same vnto Peter I desired y e Lord to encrease my faith and at last I desired nothing more then that I being so comforted by him mighte bee strengthened by his holy spirit and grace from aboue The wayes of the Lord be mercy and truth that I mighte teache the wicked his wayes which are mercy and truth and that y e wicked might be conuerted vnto him by me which somtime was also wicked whiche thing whilest that with all my power I did endeuour before my Lord Cardinall and your fatherhoode Christ was blasphemed in me and this is my onely comforte in these my afflictions whome with my whole power I do teach and set forth 1. Cor. 1. being made for vs by God his father our wisedome righteousnes sanctification redemption and finally our satisfaction 2. Cor. 5. Who was made sinne for vs that is to say a sacrifice for sinne that we through him should be made the righteousnes of God Gal. 2. Math 9. Who became accursed for vs to redeeme vs from the curse of the law Who also came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce The righteous I saye which falsely iudge and thinke themselues soe to bee for all men haue sinned and lacke the glorye of God Rom. 3. wherby he freely forgeueth sinnes vnro all beleuers through redemption which is in Christ Iesu because that all mankinde was greuouslye wounded in hym whiche fell amongest theeues betweene Ierusalem and Ierico And therfore with all my whole power I teach that all men should first acknowledge theyr sinnes and condemne them The summe of all M. Bilneys teaching and afterward hunger and thirst for that righteousnesse wherof Saint Paul speaketh The righteousnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ is vpon all them which Beleue in him Rom. 3. for there is no difference all haue sinned and lacke the glory of God and are iustified freely thoroughe his grace by the redemption which is in Iesus Christ. The which who so euer dothe huÌger or thirst for without doubte they shall at the lengthe so be satisfied that they shall not hunger thirst for euer But forsomuch as this hunger and thirst was wont to be quenched with the fulnes of mans righteousnes A difference betwene mans righteousnes and the rightâousnes of God Voluntary deuotions spoke against Deut. 4.12 which is wrought through the faith of our owne electe and chosen workes as pilgrimages buying of pardoÌs offring of candles electe and chosen fastes and oftentimes supersticious finally all kinde of voluÌtary deuotions as they call theÌ against the which gods word speaketh plainely in y e fourth of Deut. and in the 12. saying Thou shalte not doe that which seemeth good vnto thy selfe but that whiche I commaunde thee for to doe that do thou neither adding to neither diminishing any thing from it therefore I say oftentimes I haue spoken of those woorkes not condemning them as God I take to my witnesse but reprouing theyr abuse making the law full vse of them manifest euen vnto children exhorting all men not so to cleaue vnto them that they being satisfyed therewith should loath or waxe weary of Christ as many do In whom I bidde your Fatherhood most prosperously well to fare And this is the whole somme If you will appoynt me to dilate more at large the things here touched I will not refuse to do it so that you will graunt me time For to doe it out of hand I am not able for the weakenes of my body being redy alwayes if I haue erred in any thing to be better instructed An other letter or epistle of M. Bilney to Cuthbert Tonstall B of London ALbeit I do not remeÌber reuereÌt father in Christ whether I haue either spoken or written An other letter of M. Bilney that the Gospell hath not bene sincerely preached now of long time which your Lordshippe seemeth to haue gathered eyther by some Momes and sinister hearers of my Sermons who lyke Malchus hauing theyr right eare cut off onely bring theyr left eare to Sermons Malchuâ hearing of Sermons or els by some wordes or writinges of mine which haue rashly passed me rather then vppon any euill intent yet for so much as in this behalfe your reuerence doth commaund me and that of a good minde I trust for how can I thinke in Tonstal any craft or doublenes to dwell I wil briefly declare vnto you what I haue learned of God through Christ in the Scriptures howe that the Doctors euen of great name renowme haue not taught the same of late in theyr sermoÌs referring or rather submitting all things vnto your fatherly iudgemeÌt Notes and differences betwene the true and false church which is more quicke and sharpe then that it can by any meanes be blinded and so sincere that it will not in any point seek slaunder or discord Therfore I do confesse that I haue ofteÌ ben afraid that Christ hath not bene purely preached now a long time For who hath bene now a long season offeÌded through him Who hath now this many yeares suffered any persecution for the Gospels sake Where is the swoord which he came to send vpon the earth And finally where are the rest of the sincere and vncorrupt fruites of the Gospell which because we haue not a long time seene is it not to be feared that the tree which bringeth forth those fruites hath now a long time bene wanting in our region or couÌtrey much lesse is it to be beleued that it hath bene nourished amongest vs. Haue we not sene all thinges quiet and peaceable a long time Esay 38. Iere. 6.8 Luke 11. But what sayth
brought before them After certeyne Articles being repeated vnto him the Byshoppe of London brought out before him a certeine booke called the wicked Mammon asking him whether the booke was of the same impression and making as was his booke that he had sold to others Who answered and sayd it was the same Whervpon the bishop of London asked him agayn whether the booke conteined the same errors or no. Who aunswered agayne saying I pray God that the condemnation of the Gospell and translation of the Testament be not to your shame and that ye be not in perill for it for the coÌdemnatioÌ of it and of the other is all one Further he said that he had studyed holy Scripture by the space of these 17. yeares and as he may see the spottes of his face through the glasse so in reading the new Testament he knoweth the faultes of his soule Further he was examined vpon certeine points and articles extracted out of the sayd booke of the wicked Mammon as foloweth Artiâles ãâ¦ã of ãâ¦ã His opinion of Antichrist Antichrist no outward thiâg but a spirituall thing FIrst that Antechrist is not an outward thing that is to say a man that should sodenly appere with wonders as your forefathers talked of him but Antechrist is a spirituall thing Whereunto he answered and sayd that he findeth no fault in it Agayne it was demaunded of him touchyng the article whether fayth onely iustifieth a man To thys he sayd that if he should looke to deserue heauen by works he should do wickedly for workes folow fayth and Christ redemed vs all with the merites of his passion That the deuil holdeth our harts so hard that it is impossible for vs to consent to Gods law To that he answered that he findeth no fault in it No man iustified by merites That the law of God suffereth no merites neither any man to be iustified in the sight of God To that he aunswered that it is playne enough considering what the law is and he sayth that he findeth no ill in it The lawe reqâireth thiâges vnpossible That the law of God requireth of vs thinges impossible To that he answered that the law of God doth commaund that thou shalt loue God aboue all things and thy neyghbors as thy selfe which neuer man could doe and in that he doth finde no fault in his conscience That as the good tree bringeth forth fruite No lawe to the iust man so there is no law put to him that beleueth is iustified throgh faith To that he aunswered and sayd he findeth no ill in it All good workes must be done without respect of any thing or any profite to be had thereof To that he aunswered it is truth Christ with all his workes did not deserue heauen To that he aunswered that the text is true as it lyeth and findeth no fault in it The Saintes be frendes how to whom Peter and Paule and Saynts that be dead are not our frendes but theyr frendes whom they did helpe when they were aliue To that he sayd he findeth no ill in it Almes deserueth no reward of God To that he answered that the text of the booke is true The deuill not cast out by mans merites The deuill is not cast out by merits of fasting or prayer To that he answered thinking it good enough We can not loue except we see some benefite and kindnes as long as we liue vnder the law of God only The lawe worketh not in vs the loue of god where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vp on vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne We caÌnot loue God nor can not but hate him as a tyrant vnrighteous vniust and flee from him as did Cain Man by nature is condemned To that he answereth and thinketh it good playne enough We are damned by nature as a tode is a tode by nature and a Serpent is a Serpent by nature To that he answered it to be true as it is in the booke Item as concerning the article of fasting He meaneth by communicatiân not by vendicâtion and yet this pointe seemeth to be falsely gathered To that hee answered and sayd the booke declareth it selfe Euery one man is a Lord of whatsoeuer another man hath To that he answered what lawe canne be better then that for it is playnely ment there Loue in Christ putteth no difference betwixte one and another To that he aunswered and sayde it is playne enough of it selfe As concerning the preaching of the word of God and washing of dishes there is no difference as coÌcerning saluation and as touchinge the pleasing of God To that hee aunswered saying it is a playne text and as for pleasing of God it is all one That the Iewes of good intent and zeale put Christ to death To that he aunswered that it is true For if they had knowen the lord of glory they would not haue crucyfied him and the text is playne enough The sectes of S. Fraunces S. Dominicke and others be damnable To that he answered and sayd S. Paule repugneth agaynst them Loe here is no scripture broug to reueale these opynions but onely authoritye to oppresse them Which articles being so abiected answere made vnto them by Iohn Tewkesbery the sayd Bishop of London asked him whether hee woulde continue in his heresyes and errors aboue rehearsed or renouÌce and forsake them Who answered thus I pray you reforme your selfe and if there be any error in the booke let it be reformed I thinke the booke be good enough Further the Bishop exhorted him to recant his errors To the which the sayd Iohn Tewkesbery aunswered as is aboue written to witte I pray you reforme your selfe and if there be any error in the booke let it be reformed I thinke it be good enough Which thing being done the bishop appoynted him to determine better with himselfe agaynst the morow in the presence of M. Iohn Cox Uicar generall to the Archbishop of Caunterbury M. Balfride Warton Rouland Philips Wiliam Philow and Robert Ridley professors of diuinity The 13. day of Aprill An other appearaÌce of Iohn Tewkesbery in the yeare of our Lorde abouesayde in the Chappel within the Pallace of LondoÌ before Cutbert bishop of LondoÌ with his assistance Nicolas byshop of Elye c. Tewkesbery agayne appeared and was examined vpon the articles drawen out of the book called the wicked Mammon as foloweth First Christ is thine and all his deedes be thy deedes Christ is in thee and thou so knit in him inseperably neyther canst thou be damned except Christ be damned wyth thee neither caÌst thou be saued except Christ be saued with thee To this he answered that he found no fault in it Item we desire one an other to pray for vs. That done We are not saued by other mens prayers we must put our neighbour in remembraunce of his duty and that we
soone as he came vnto him Frith by and by began in the Latine tongue to bewaile his captiuitie The Schoolemaister by and by beinge ouercome wyth his eloquence did not onely take pitie and compassion vppon him but also began to loue and embrace such an excellent witte and disposition vnlooked for especially in such a state miserie Afterward they conferring more together vpon many things as touching the Uniuersities scholes and tongues fell from the Latine into the Greeke Wherin Frith dyd so inflame the loue of that Schoolemaister towardes him that he brought him into a marueilous admiration especiallye when the Schoolemaister hearde him so promptly by hart rehearse Homers verses out of his first booke of Illiades Whereuppon the Shoolemaister weÌt with all speede vnto the Magistrates greeuously complaining of the iniurie which they did shew vnto so excellent and innocent a young man Thus Frith through the helpe of the schoolemaster was freely dimitted out of the stockes Iohn Frith through the helpe of the Schoolemaister was deliuered out of the stockes set at libertie without punishment Albeit this his safetie continued not loÌg thorow the great hatred and deadly pursuit of sir Tho. More who at that time being Chauncelour of Englande persecuted him both by land and sea besetting all the waies and hauens yea promising great rewardes if any maÌ could bring him any newes or tydings of him Thus Frith beinge on euerye part beset with toubles not knowing whiche way to turne hym Syr Tho. More a deadly persecuter of Iohn Fryth seeketh for some place to hyde him in Thus fleeting from one place to an other and often chaunging both his garmentes and place yet coulde he be in safetie in no place no not long amongst his frindes so that at the last being trayterouslye taken as ye shall after heare hee was sent vnto the Tower of London wheras he had many conflicts with the bishops but specially in writyng with Syr Thomas Moore The occasioÌ of Frythes writing agaynst More The first occasion of his writyng was this Uppon a tyme hee had communicatioÌ with a certaine olde familiar freende of his touching the SacrameÌt of the body bloud of Christ. The whole effecte of which disputation consisted specially in these foure poyntes 1 FIrst that the matter of the sacrament is no necessarye article of fayth vnder payne of damnation 2. Secondly that for somuch as Christes naturall bodye in like condition hath all properties of our bodye sinne onely except it it cannot be neyther is it agreable vnto reason that he should be in two places or moe at once contrarye to the nature of oure bodye 3. Moreouer it shall not seeme meete or necessarye that wee should in this place vnderstand Christes words according to the literall sense but rather accordyng to the order and phrase of speache comparing phrase wyth phrase accordyng to the Analogie of the Scripture 4. Last of all how that it ought to be receaued accordyng to the true and right institution of Christ albeit that the order which at thys tyme is crept into the Church and is vsed now a dayes by the Priestes do neuer so much differ from it And for somuche as the treatise of this disputation seemed somewhat loÌg The occasioÌ of Frythes writyng vppon the Sacrament his frend desired hym that such things as he had reasoned vpon he would briefly committe vnto writing and geue vnto hym for the helpe of his memory Frith albeit he was vnwilling and not ignoraunt howe daungerous a thing it was to enter into suche a contentious matter at y e last notwithstanding he being ouercome by the intreaty of hys frend rather followed hys wil then looked to his owne safegard There was at that tyme in London a Taylor named William Holt which fayning a great frendshyp towarde this party William Holte a Iudas instantly required of him to geue him licence to read ouer that same writing of Frithes whiche when hee vnaduisedly dyd the other by and by caryed it vnto More being theÌ Chauncellour which thing afterward was occasion of great trouble and also of death vnto y e said Frith Syr Tho. More ChauÌcelâr For More hauing gotten a copy of this booke not onely of this Sicophant but also two other copies whiche at the same time in a maner were sent hym by other promoters he whetted his wittes and called his spirites together as much as he might meaning to refute his opinioÌ by a contrary booke This in a maner was the whole summe of the reasons of Frithes booke First to declare the Popes beliefe of the Sacrament to be no necessary article of our faith that is to say that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation The summe ãâã ârythe ãâã of the Sacrament that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Chryst. Whych he thus prooueth For many so beleue yet in so beleuing the Sacrament to bee y e naturall bodye are not thereby saued but receyue it to their damnation Agayne in beleuyng the Sacrament to bee the naturall body yet that naturall presence of his body in the bread is not that which saueth vs The not beleuâââ the coâpoâall ãâã of Christ in the Sacraments is no damnation but his presence in our harts by fayth And likewise the not beleuing of his bodyly presence in the Sacrament is not the thynge that shall damne vs but the absence of him out of our hart through vnbeliefe And if it be obiected y t it is necessary to beleue gods worde vnder payne of damnation to that he aunswereth that the woorde taken in the right sense as Christ meant mayntayneth no such bodyly presence as the Popes churche dothe teache but rather a Sacramentall presence And that saith he may be further confirmed thus ¶ Argument None of the olde fathers before Chrystes incarnation were bound vnder paine of damnatioÌ to beleue this point Ce All we be saued by the same fayth that the olde fathers were la. Ergo none of vs are bounde to beleue this point vnder paââe of damnation âent The first parte sayth he is euydent of it selfe For howe coulde they beleue that which they neuer hearde nor sawe The seconde part sayth he appeareth plainly by sainct Augustine August ad Dardanum writinge ad Dardanum and also by an hundreth places more Neither is there any thing that he doth more often inculcate theÌ this that the same fayth y t saued our Fathers saueth vs also And therfore vppon the truth of these two parts thus proued must the coÌclusion saith he nedes folowe ¶ An other Argument None of y t olde fathers before Christes incarnation did eate Christ corporally in their signes but only mistically spiritually and were saued Al we do eate Christ euen as they did and are saued as they were Ergo none of vs do eate Christe corporally but mystycally and spiritually in our signes
willingly discouer to any person The Popedome of Rome the rules of the holy fathers and the regalities of S. Peter I shall helpe and retaine and defende against all men The legate of the sea Apostolicke going comming I shall honourably entreat The rightes honours priuiledges authorities of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and hys successours I shall cause to be conserued defended augmented promoted I shall not be in counsell treatie or any acte in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Churche of Rome their rights states honours or power and if I knowe anye such to be mooued or compassed I shall resist it to my power and assoone as I can I shall aduertise him or suche as maye geue hym knowledge The rules of the holy fathers the decrees ordinances sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions and commandements Apostolike to my power I shall keepe and cause to be kept of other Heretikes schismatikes and rebels to our holy father and his successors I shall resist and persecute to my power I shal come to the Synode wheÌ I am called except I be letted by a Canonicall impediment The lights of the Apostles I shall visite personally or by my deputie I shall not aliene nor sell my possessions wythout the Popes councell so God me helpe and the holy Euangelistes ¶ This othe of the Clergie men which they were wont to make to the Bishoppe of Rome nowe Pope quondam was abolished and made voyde by statute and a new othe ministred confirmed for the same wherein they acknowledged the King to be the supreame heade vnder Christe in this Church of England as by tenor thereof may appeare here vnder ensuing The othe of the Clergie to the king I Iohn B. of A. vtterly renouÌce and clerely forsake al such clauses words sentences grants which I haue or shal haue hereafter of the Popes holines Pope quondamâ The othe of the Clergye to the king of for the bishoprike of A that in any wise hath bene is or hereafter may be hurtfull or preiudiciall to youre highnes your heirs successors dignity priuiledge or estate royal and also I doe sweare that I shal be faithful and true and faith and truth I shall beare to you my soueraigne Lord and to your heires kings of the same of life and limme and earthly worship aboue all creatures for to liue die with you and yours against al people and diligently I shal be attendant to all your nedes and businesse after my wit and power and your counsel I shall kepee and holde knowledging my selfe to hold my Bishopricke of you onely beseeching you of restitutioÌ of the temporalties of the same promising as before that I shal be faithfull true and obedieÌt subiect to your said highnes heires and successours during my life and the seruices and other things due to your highnesse for the restitution of the temporalties of the same Bishoprike I shall truely do and obediently performe so God me helpe and all Saintes These othes thus being recited and opened to the people were the occasion that the Pope lost al his interest and iurisdiction heere in Englande wythin shorte while after Upon the occasion and reason whereof Syr Tho. More the matter falling out more more against the Pope Syr Thomas More of whome mention is made before being a great maintainer of the Pope a heauy troubler of Christes people and nowe not liking well of this othe by Gods good worke was enforced to resigne vp his Chauncelorship and to deliuer vp the great seale of England into the kings hands After whom succeeded syr Thomas Audley Keeper of the great seale Tho. Audeley made Lord Chauncellour a man in eloquence and giftes of tonge no lesse incomparable then also for hys godly disposed minde and fauorable inclination to Christes religioÌ worthy of much commendation These things being done in the parlament the king w tin short time after proceeded to the mariage of the foresayd lady Anne Bullen mother to our most noble Quene now who w tout all controuersie was a special comforter aider of all the professors of Christes gospell The maryage of Queene Anne as well of the learned as the vnlearned her life being also directed according to the same as her weekely almes did manifestly declare Who besides the ordinarye of a C. crownes and other apparell that she gaue weekely a yeare before she was crowned The great almes of Quene Anne both to men and women gaue also wonderfull much priuie almes to wydowes and other pore housholders coÌtinually til shee was apprehended and she euer gaue three or foure pounde at a time to the poore people to buy them kine withall and sent her Subamner to the townes about where shee lay that the parishioners should make a bill of all the poore householders in their parish and some towns receiued 7.8 or 10. pound to buy kine withal according as the number of the poore in the Townes were Shee also maintained many learned meÌ in Cambridge Likewise did the Erle of Wilshire her father and the Lord Rochford her brother and by them these men were brought in fauour w t the king of whome some are yet aliue and can testifie the same which would to God they were nowe as great professors of the gospell of Christ as then they appeared to be which were D. Heath and D. Thirlby with whome was ioyned the L. Paget who at that present was an earnest protestant Heath Thirlby L. Paget gaue vnto one Rainolde West Luthers bookes and other bokes of the Germaines as Franciscus Lambertus de Sectis and at that time he red Melancthons Rhetorike openly in Trinitie hall in Cambridge and was w t his M. Gardiner a mainetainer of D. Barnes and all the Protestantes that were then in Cambridge Lord Paget a mainteyner of D. Barnes holpe many religious persons out of their cowles It hath bene reported vnto vs by diuers credible persons which were about this Quene and daily acquainted with her doings concerning her liberall and bountiful distribution to the pore how her grace caried euer about her a certaine little purse The praise of Quene Anne out of the which she was wont daily to scatter abroad some almes to the needy thinking no day well spent wherein some man had not fared the better by some benefite at her handes And this I write by the relation of certain noble personages which were chiefe principall of her waiting maides about her especially the Duches of Richmond by name Also concerning the order of her ladies gentlewomen about her one that was her silkwoman a Gentlewoman not nowe aliue but of great credite and also of fame for her worthy doings The name of this gentlewoman was Maistres Wilkinson did credibly report that in all her time she neuer saw better order amongst the ladies gentlewomeÌ of the Courte then was in this good Queenes
leaue vndone any part ãâã parcel of the premisses or else in the execution and setting forth of the same do coldly and fainedly vse any maner sinister addition wrong interpretation or painted colour then we straightly charge commaund you that forthwith vpon any such default negligence or dissimulation of the said Bishop or any other ecclesiasticall person of his dioces contrary to the true tenour meaning and effecte of the saide charge by vs to him appointed aforesaid yee doe make indelaidly and with all speede and dâligence declaration and aduertisement to vs and our Counsell of the saide defaulte and of the behauiour maner and fashion of the same And for as much as we vpon singular trust and assured confidence which we haue in you and for the speciall loue and zeale we suppose and thinke ye beare towards vs and the publicke and common wealth vnitie and tranquillitie of this our realme haue specially elected and chosen you among so many for this purpose and haue reputed you suche men as vnto whose wisedome discretion truth and fidelitie we might commit a matter of suche great waight moment and importance as whereupon the vnitie and tranquillity of our realme doth consist if ye shoulde contrary to our expectation and trust which we haue in you and agaynst your duety and allegeance towards vs neglect or omit to do with all your diligence and wisedome whatsoeuer shall be in your power for the due performance of our mind and pleasure to you before declared in this behalfe or hâlt or stomble at any part or specialitie of the same be yee assured that we like a Prince of iustice will so extremely punish you for the same that all the worlde besides shall take by you example and beware contrary to their allegeance to disobey the lawfull commaundement of theyr soueraigne Lord and Prince in such things as by the faithfull execution whereof ye shall not onely aduance the honor of Almightie God and set foorth the maiestie and Imperiall dignitie of youre soueraigne Lord but also bring an inestimable weale profite and commoditie vnitie and tranquillitie to all the common state of this our Realme whereunto both by the lawes of God nature and man ye be vtterly bound Geuen vnder our signet at our Pallace of Westminster the 9. day of Iune Furthermore that no man shall cauill or surmise thys fatall fall and ruine of the Pope to haue come rashly vpon the Kings owne partiall affection or by any sensuall temeritie of a few and not by the graue and aduised iudgement approbation and consent generally and publikely as well of the nobles and commons temporal as also vppon substantiall groundes and the very strength of truth by the discussion and consultation of the spiritual and most learned persons in this Realme it shall be requisite moreouer to these premisses to adioyne the words and testimonies also of the Byshops owne othes and profession made to the King yelding and rendering vnto him only the stile of supreme head next vnder Christ of the Church of England all other seruice subiection and obedience to be geuen to any other forreine Potentate which should be preiudiciall to the Kings highnes in this behalfe beeing excluded and that both frankely and freely of their own voluntary motion and also vppon the faith and fidelitie of their priesthode as by their owne words and handwriting may appeare in forme as heere vnder followeth The othe of Steuen Gardiner to the King EGo Stephanus Wintonien Episcopus pure sponte absolute in verbo pontificio profiteor ac spondeo Illustrissimae vestrae Regiae maiestati singulari ac summo Domino meo patrono Henrico Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Regi fidei defensori Domino Hiberniae atque in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae supremo immediatè sub Christo capiti quod post hac nulli externo Imperatori Regi Principi aut Prelato nec Romano pontifici quem Papam vocant fidelitatem obedientiam c. In English I Steuen Byshop of Winchester do purely of mine owne voluntary accord and absolutely The othe of Steph. Gardiner to the king in y e word of a Bishop professe and promise to your princely maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and Patrone Henry the 8. by the grace of Gdo King of England of France defendor of the fayth Lord of Ireland in earth of the Church of England supreme head immediately vnder Christ that from this day forward I shall sweare promise geue or cause to be geueÌ to no forreine PoteÌtate Emperour King Prince or Prelate nor yet to the Byshop of Rome whoÌ they call Pope any othe or feaultie directly or indirectly either by word or writyng but at all tymes and in euery case condition I shall obserue hold mainteyne to all effectes intentes the quarell cause of your royall Maiestie your successours and to the vttermost of my power shall defend the same agaynst all manner of persons whom soeuer I shall know or suspect to bee aduersaries to your Maiestie or to your successours shall geue my fayth truth obedience sincerely with my very hart onely to your royall Maiestie as to my supreme Prince I professe the Papacie of Rome not to be ordeined of God by holy Scripture but constantly do affirme and openly declare and shall declare it to be set vp onely by maÌ Stephen Gardiner aprenoun-renounceth the Pope and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publish the same Neither shall I enter any treatie with any person or persons either priuely or apertly or shall consent thereto that the Byshop of Rome shall haue or exercise here any authoritie or iurisdiction or is to be restored to any iurisdicâion hereafter Furthermore that y e sayd Byshop of Rome now being or any that shall succeede him hereafter in the sayd Sea is not to be called Pope nor supreme Byshop or vniuersall Byshop nor most holy Lord but onely ought to be called Byshop of Rome and felow brother as the old maner of the most auncient Byshops hath bene this I shall to my power openly mainteyne and defend Also I shall firmely obserue cause to bee obserued of other to the vttermost of my cunnyng witte power all such lawes and Actes of this Realme how and what soeuer as haue bene enacted established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacie and of the authoritie and iurisdiction of the sayd Byshop of Rome Neither shall I appeale hereafter to the sayd Bish. of Rome nor euer consent to any person that shall appeale to him neither shall I attempt prosecute or follow any sute in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or Iustice to be had or shall make aunswere to any plee or action nor shall take vpon me the person and office either of the plaintife or defendent in the sayd Court. And if the sayd Byshop by his messenger or by his letters shall make any meanes or
significatioÌ vnto me of any matter what soeuer it be I shall with all speede diligence make declaration aduertisement therof or cause that same to be signified either to your princely maiesty or to some of your secret couÌsaile or to your successours or any of their priuy counsell Neither shall I send or cause to be send at any tyme any writing or messeÌger to the sayd Byshop or to his Court without the knowledge coÌsent of your maiesty or your successours willyng me to send writing or messenger vnto him Neither shall I procure or geue couÌsaile to any persoÌ to procure bules brieues or rescriptes whatsoeuer either for me or for any other froÌ the sayd Bysh. of Rome or his court And if any such shall be procured agaynst my will knowledge either in generall or in speciall or els whosoeuer they shall be graunted vnto them I shall vtter disclose the same not consent thereunto nor vse them in any case shall cause them to be brought to your maiestie or your successours Furthermore for the confirmation hereof I geue my fayth truth by firme promise in the fayth of a Byshop that agaynst this my foresayd profession promise made I shall defeÌd my selfe by no dispeÌsation exception nor any remedy or cautel of law or exaÌple during this my natural life And if heretofore I haue done or made any protestatioÌ in preiudice of this my profession promise here made the same I do reuoke at this present for euer hereafter and here vtterly do renounce by these presents Whereunto I haue subscribed vnder written the name both of my selfe of my Byshopricke with my proper hand thereto also haue put to my seale in perpetual vndoubted testimony of the premisses Geuen the x. day of February an 1534. of our soueraigne Lord kyng Henry viij 26 Steph. Winton * The lyke othe of Iohn Stokesley Byshop of London I Iohn Byshop of London do purely of myne owne voluÌtary accord absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your princely maiestie my singular The othe of Stokesley and chief Lord and patrone Henry 8 by the grace of God kyng of England and of Fraunce defender of the fayth Lord of Ireland and in earth of the same Church of EnglaÌd supreme head immediately vnder Christ. c. Like to the othe before Ioan. London ¶ The like othe and handwriting of Edward Lee Archbyshop of Yorke I Edward by the permission of God Archbyshop of Yorke doo purely of mine owne voluntary accord The othe of Lee Archb. of Yorke and absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your royall Maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and patrone c. In like forme to the othe before Edovardus Eborac The like othe and handwriting of Cuthbert Byshop of Duresme I Cuthbert by the permission of God Byshop of Duresme doo purely of mine owne voluntary accord The oth of ToÌstal of Durisme and absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your royall Maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and patrone c. As before Per me Cutbertum Dulnelm And so likewise all the other Byshops after the same order and forme of othe were obliged and bound to the king as to their supreme head of the Church of England immediatly vnder Christ renouncyng and abiuryng vtterly and voluntarily the Popes too long vsurped iurisdiction in this Realme testifieng moreouer the same both with their owne hand and also with their seale Besides these coÌfirmations testimonials of y e Bishops aforesayd ye shall heare yet moreouer the decree and publicke sentence of the vniuersitie of Cambridge written likewise and subscribed signed with the publike seale of their vniuersitie the tenor of which their letter heere followeth ¶ A letter of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge against the vsurped power of the Byshop of Rome VNiuersis Sanctae matris Ecclesiae filijs ad quos praesentes literae peruenturae sunt coetus omnis regentium non regentium Academiae Cantabrigiensis salutem in omnium saluatore Iesu Christo. Cum de Romani pontificis potestate c. In English TO all and singular children of the holy mother Church to whose hands these presents shall come the whole societie of Regentes and not RegeÌtes of the Uniuersitie of CaÌbridge A letter of the vniuersitye of Cambridge sendeth greeting in our Sauiour Iesu Christ. Where as now of late it hath risen vp in question among vs concerning the power of the Bishop of Rome which he doth both claime to himselfe by the holy Scripture ouer all prouinces nations in Christendome and hath now of long time exercised in this realme of England and forasmuch as our censure concerning the cause is required to wit whether the Byshop of Rome hath any power or authoritie in this kingdome of England allotted to hym by God in the Scripture more then any other foreine Byshop or no we thought it therfore good reason our duty for the searching out of the veritie of the said question that we should employ therein our whole indeuour and study whereby we might render and publish to the world what our reason and censure is touching the premisses For therefore we suppose that Uniuersities were first prouided and instituted of Princes to the end that both y e people of Christ might in the lawe of God be instructed and also that false errours if any did rise might through the vigilant care and industry of learned Diuines be discussed extinguished and vtterly rooted out For the which cause we in our assemblies and conuocations after our accustomed maner resorting and conferring together vpon the question aforesayd and studiously debating and deliberating with our selues how and by what order we mighte best proceede for the finding out of the truth of the matter and at length choosing out certayne of the best learned Doctours and Bachelers of Diuinity and other maisters haue committed to them in charge studiously to ensearch and peruse the places of holy Scripture by the viewing and conferring of which places together they might certifie vs what is to be said to the question propounded For asmuch therefore as we hauing heard and well aduised The censure of the vniuersity of Cambridge against the Popes supremacye and throughly discussed in open disputations what may be sayd on both partes of the foresayd question those reasons and arguments do appeare to vs more probable stronger truer and more certaine sounding much more neare to the pure and natiue sense of Scripture which do deny the Byshop of Rome to haue any such power geuen him of God in the Scripture By reason force of whych arguments we being perswaded and conioining together in one opinon haue with our selues thus decreed to aunswere vnto the question aforesayde and in these writings thus resolutely do aunswere in the name of y e whole Uniuersitie
thus Steph. Winchester takyng his leane biddyng the Pope farewell endeth with a freÌdely exhortatioÌ Steph. Wint. taketh his vale of the Pope but not his ultimum vale willyng him to be wise circumspect not to striue stubburnely agaynst the truth The light of the Gospell sayth he so spreadeth his beames in all mens eyes y t the works of the Gospell be knowne the mysteries of Christes doctrine are opened both learned and vnlearned men women beyng Englishmen borne do see perceiue that they haue nothyng to doe with Rome nor with the Byshop of Rome but that euery Prince in his owne dominion is to be taken and accepted as a Uicare of God Uicegerent of Christ in his owne bouÌdes And therfore seyng this order is taken of God The office of teaching The office of of Ruling that one in the Church should beare the office of teachyng an other should beare y e office of rulyng which office is onely limited to princes he exhorteth him to consider the truth and to folow the same wherein consisteth our true and speciall obedience c. To this booke of Stephen Winchester De obedientia we will adioyne for good felowshyp y e Preface also of Edmund Boner ArchdeacoÌ then of Leycester prefixed before the same to the enteÌt that the reader seyng the iudgemeÌtes of these men as they were then agayne the sodeine mutation afterward of the sayd parties to the coÌtrary opinioÌ may learne thereby what vayne glory and pompe of this world caÌ worke in the frayle nature of man where Gods grace lacketh to susteine The Preface of Boner before the sayd booke of Winchester De obedientia proceedeth thus in effect as foloweth ¶ The Preface of Edmund Boner Archdeacon of Leycester prefixed before Stephen Gardiners booke De obedientia FOr asmuch as some there be no doubt as the iudgements of men be alwaies variable which thinke the controuersie which is betweene the Kings roiall Maiestie Boners preface beâore Winchesters booke of obedience and the Bishop of Rome consisteth in this point for that his Maiestie hath taken the most excellent and most vertuous Lady Anne to wife which in very deede is farre otherwise and nothing so to the intente therefore that all true harty fauourers of the Gospell of Christ Queene Anne which hate not but loue the truth may the more fully vnderstand the chiefe point of the controuersie and because they shall not be ignoraunt what is the whole voice and resolute determination of the best and greatest learned Bishops with all the nobles and commons of England not only in that cause of Matrimony but also in defending the doctrine of the Gospell The doctrine of the Gospell heere shall be published the Oration of the Bishop of Winchester a man excellently learned in all kinde of learning entituled DE VERA OBEDIENTIA that is See how these clawbackes can clung togeather in truth and in false hood and al to fashioÌ theÌselues to the world and the time present concerning true obedience But as touching this Bishops worthy praises there shall be nothing spoken of me at this time not only because they are infinite but because they are farre better knowne to all Christendome then becommeth me heere to make rehearsall And as for the Oration it selfe which as it is most learned so it is most elegant to what purpose should I make any words of it seeing it praiseth it selfe inough and seeing good wine needeth no tauerne bushe to vtter it But yet in this Oration whosoeuer thou art most gentle Reader thou shalt beside other matters see it notably and learnedly handled of what importaunce and how inuincible the power and excellencie of Gods truth is which as it may now and then be pressed of the enemies so it can not possibly be oppressed and darkened after such sorte but it sheweth it selfe againe at length Mens traditons The contents of Winchesters booke De vera obedientia The kinges mariage with Queene Anne more glorious and more welcome Thou shalt see also touching obedience that it is subiect to truth and what is to be iudged true obedience Besides this of mens traditions which for the most parte be most repugnaunt against the truth of Gods law And there by the way he speaketh of the Kings said highnes mariage which by the ripe iudgemente authoritie and priuiledge of the most and principall Vniuersities of the world and then with the consent of the whole Church of England Supreme head he contracted with the most excellent and most noble Lady Queene Anne After that touching the Kings Maiesties title as perteining to the supreme head of the Church of England Lastly of all The Bishop of Roomes pretensed supremacy of the false pretenced supremacie of the Bishop of Rome in the Realme of England most iustly abrogated and how all other Byshops being felowlike to him in their function yea and in some points aboue him within their owne prouinces were before time bound to the King by their othe But be thou most surely perswaded of this good Reader that the Bishop of Rome if there were no cause else but onely this mariage Boâner knewe well what morsell would best please his father of Rome that mony bribes would soone stoppe his mouthe would easely content himselfe specially hauing some good morsell or other geuen him to chaw vpon But when he seeth so mighty a King being a right vertuous and a great learned Prince so sincerely and so hartely fauour the Gospell of Christ and perceiueth the yearely and great pray ye so large a pray that it came to as much almost as all the Kings reuenues snapped out of hys hands and that he can no longer exercise his tyranny in the Kings Maiesâies Realme * Seeing thou knewest the Pope to be such a cruell tirant why then wouldest thou against thy knowledge become his slaughter man alas heeretofore too cruell and bitter nor make lawes as he hath done many to the contumelie and reproch of the Maiestie of God which is euident that he hath done in time past vnder the title of the Catholicke Church and the authoritie of Peter and Paule when notwithstanding he was a very rauening Wolfe dressed in sheepes clothing calling himselfe the seruaunt of seruaunts to the great damage of the Christen common wealth heere heere began all the mischiefe thereof rose these discords these deadly malices and so great and terrible bustling For if it were not thus could any man beleeue that this Iuppiter of Olympus which falsely hath arrogated vnto himselfe an absolute power without controlment woulde haue wrought so diligently by all meanes possible to stirre vp all other Kings and Princes so traiterously against this so good and godly and so true a Gospellike Prince as he hath done Neyther let it moue thee gentle Reader that Winchester did not before now apply to this opinion for he himselfe in this Oration sheweth
doth confesse yet it was not read nor knowne that the Bishops of Rome vsed or challenged any soueraignty in Affrike vnto this time And yet then he did not challenge it by the right of Gods worde but by the pretence of a certayne Canon supposed to be in the counsel of Nice Which article coulde neuer be found though it were then very diligently sought for through all the principall Churches of the East and South but onely was alledged of Iulius Bishop of Rome out of his owne Library And you may be well assured Vide duas epistolas ad Bonifacium pap 1. to coÌcilioruÌ Fol. 307.308 that if the scriptures had made for it neyther the Byshop of Rome woulde haue left that certayne proofe by scriptures and trusted onely to the testimony of an Article of that Counsell being in doubt and vnlikely to be found nor yet S. Augustine with his holy and learned company would haue resisted this demauÌd if it had bene either grounded vpon scriptures or determined in that or other Councelles or yet had stand with equity good order or reason Howbeit the largenes and magnificence of buildinges of that city Dist. 16. Viginti and the auncient excellency and superiority of the same in teÌporall dominioÌs was the onely cause that in the couÌsels where the Patriarchall seas were set in order the Bishop of Rome was lotted to the first place and not by any such constitution made by Christ as appeareth well by that that CoÌstantinople being at the same time of this ordering of the Patriarchall seas most amplye enlarged by the Emperors being before a small town of no renowne by theÌ most magnificeÌtly builded aduauÌced worldly with al titles prerogatiues priuiledges teÌporal like vnto Rome therfore called Noua Roma new Rome was therefore aduaunced also to the second sea and place Antiochia in the East where S. Peter first tooke the chayre before he came to Rome and where christen men had first theyr name geuen them yea and Ierusalem which was the first mother Citty of our fayth and where Christe himselfe first founded the faith also Alexandria being recited to the 3.4 and 5. places because at that time they were not in so hie estimation in the world though in the faith of Christ all they were auncientes and some of them mothers to Rome Truth it is that the Bishops of the Orient for debates in matters of the fayth amonges themselues made sutes to the Byshop of Rome but that was not for the superiority of iurisdiction ouer them but because they were greatly deuided and those couÌtries as well byshoppes as others much infected with the heresies of the Arrians whereof the West was in a manner cleare and among them of the Orient none were counted indifferent to decide those matters but were al suspected of affectioÌ for one cause or other Wherefore they desired the opinions of the Bishops of the West as indifferent and not tangled with affections of any of those partes neither corrupted with any of the Arrians as appeareth by the Epistles of S Basil written in all their names for the saide purpose In the which also it is especially to be noted that their suite was not to the Bishop of Rome singularly or by name but as the titles do shew to the whole congregation of the Bishops of Italie and Fraunce or of the whole West and sometime preferring the French and Italian Bishops saying Gallis Italis and neuer naming the Romanes The olde âathers neuer ânew the Primacye of the church âf Rome And for a cleare proofe that the auncient fathers knewe not this premacie of one aboue all we neede none other testimonie but their determination in the Councel of Nice that Alexandria and Antiochia and vniuersally all other primates should haue the whole gouernance of their confine countries like as the Bishop of Rome had of those that inhabited within his suburbes And this determination proueth also that your three Scriptures ment nothing lesse then this primacie ouer all For God forbid that we should suspect that Councel as ignorant of those plaine Scriptures to the which sith that time all Christendome hath leaned as the anker of our fayth And if you like to read the ancient Ecclesiasticall histories there you may see that Athanasius and other patriarches did execute that primacie as in making consecrating and ordering of Churches Bishops and Clerkes in their countries East and South as the Byshoppes of Rome in that time did in the West and North. And if you woulde yet any thing obiect against any of these witnesses then for to eschew contention and for a finall conclusion let the bishop of Rome stand to his owne confession made many yeres past by his predecessor Agatho to the Emperor Constantine Heraclius Tiberius in his Epistle written to them in his name and in the name of all the Synodes which he thought to be vnder the See apostolicke wherein soone after the beginning of the Epistle he comprehendeth them all vnder the name of the byshoppes dwelling in the North and West partes of their Empire So that there in his owne Epistle he confesseth all his subiectes and obedienciaries to be onely of the North and West and so it appeareth euidently by his owne confession that neyther by Gods lawe dor mans law he had to do with any person of the East or South And this his high souerainty ouer al chalenged as you and others say by Scripture as by his own confession doth appeare is brought into a litle and a straight angle And this Agatho was not a man vnlearned as appeareth by the actes of the vj. synode of Constantinople in the 4. act ân the tyme of Pope Agatho the âea of Rome had no rule ouer âhe East and South churches Peters primacy hath no successours Apoc. 21. wherein is written at large and expressed the saide Epistle and confession And the primacie of Peter which auncient doctors speake of which was only in preaching and teaching the faith of Christ which he first among all the Apostles and first of all mortall men did expresse with his mouth did after so adhere to his owne person that it was neuer deriued either to any successor or to any other apostle but chiefly to himselfe for all other afterwardes professing the same spake it according vnto him who had professed it before Moreouer al the Apostles as S. Iohn saith be foundations in the heauenlie Ierusalem and not Peter only Also Cyprian affirmeth as is aforesaid that all the apostles were of equall dignitie and power whiche all ancient authors likewise doe affirme For Christ gaue the apostles like power in the Gospell saying Go and teach all nations baptizing them c. And S. Paul as is said before knew no other primacie giuen to Peter to preache in any place Math. 28. but among the Iewes as he himselfe had among the Gentiles as he writeth to Galat. Whervpon
so were they baptised Vicar of Christ. Thus may you see that if Peter were the Uicare of Christ euen so likewise was Paule and all the other Apostles And I do not thinke contrary but that Peter and all other of the Apostles were Christes Uicares if you meane by this word Uicar a deputie or such like for to preach his Euangelie which is an office of al other most soueraigne to minister Sacramentes and to do other such diuine seruice in Gods Church And thus were they worthy to be called as the Scripture nameth them Christs true Apostles Bishops Priestes Legates or any such like Which authority was giuen theÌ by Christ after his resurrection when he sayd vnto them these wordes Luke 24. Peace be amongest you Like as my father hath sent me so do I sende you Take you the holy Ghost whose sinnes soeuer you shall forgiue are forgiuen them and whose sinnes you shall retayne are retayned And the same authoritie did they receiue when Christe spake vnto all the Church Ioh. 21. after the mind of Saint Augugustine and other in Peter saying Peter feede my sheepe ¶ In the xliiij where you aske whether I beleeue that the Pope ordinaâly chosen for a time his proper name being expressed To the 44. artycle be the successour of Peter I say that it seemeth to me a thing of no great valew whether a man beleue so or no I can not see y t it should be numbred amongst the Articles of our faith Succession of Peter How the Pope may be a successour of Peter Notwithstanding I will shewe my rude thought in it which is this The Pope may succeede in S. Peters steade or office and do the same duly diligently feeding Christes flocke and shewing vertuous ensample of liuing to the same so doing he may and ought to be thoght and named a true successour of S. Peter Euery good Bishop may be successour of Peter And thus is your Lordship S. Peters successour performing the conditions aforesaid with otherlike properties requisite to your order and duety yea and as many other as do truly their duty and duely the office of a Byshop And otherwise may not the Pope be called the successour of Peter for because he is entred into S. Peters office not regarding to do that is requisite for the same not folowing y e trace of vertue but the coÌtrary And then is he wrongfully named if at any time such be which is not vnpossible For what should men cal those Peters successors that play the pageants and folow with the conditions of Caiphas Symon Magus or Iudas Such verely if any be cannot rightwilly claime to be Peters successors The Pope rather ãâã be Peters aduersary then his âââcessouâ no more then the night may claime to be successour of the day for Peter was neuer so minded ne taught them so Yea they ought rather to be called Peters aduersaries for so much as they do not his will that is shewed by his owne actes and writing but worke against the same Of such may be saide Non Sanctorum filij sunt qurtenent loca Sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum That is to say Hierome As the ãâã is succesâââ of the day âo is the Pope successor of Peter except he follow the steppeâ of Peter they are not all Saintes children that occupy the rowms of Saintes but they are their children that exercise their works Yea of such may be said that is written of S. Hierome Al Byshops quoth he are not Byshoppes marke you well Peter but marke also Iudas Behold Stephen but behold Nicholas Ecclesiastical dignitie maketh not a Christen man Cornelius the Centurion being yet a pagan was made clean through the benefit of the holy ghost Contrariwise Daniel being a child condemneth Priestes or auncient men It is no easy thing saith he to stande in the rowme of Peter and Paul to kepe the seate of them now reigning with Christe For vnsauery salt is nought els worth but to be throwen out of the doores August and troden downe of hogges This sayth S. Hierome Wherunto agreeth wel S. Augustine Euery one quoth he that saith vnto you Pax vobis ought not to be heard or to be beleeued as a doue Crows be fedde of dead carion so is not a doue but liueth by the fruites of the earth Let vs marke not how the byrde speaketh but how he feedeth The Crow feedeth vpoÌ carion the Doue not so Her liuing is pure innocent and hurtlesse Whereby you may see that ill Bishops are no Byshops and that they which folow no Saints in vertuous liuing are not the successors of Saints but vnsauery salt that is neither of the church ne shal come in heauen to reigne there with Peter Paul but be thrown out with great conteÌpt For God knoweth a doue from a crow and an innocent liuer from a deuourer of carion But such as declare and shew good deeds as the Saints did be their childreÌ and successours and shal with them reigne in heauen So that to conclude I say How the Pope is sucsessour of Peter and how not Zach. 11. that the Pope ordinatly chosen is the successour of S. Peter folowing S. Peters godly liuing And els except he study to do diligently that he may be so called worthily it shal be but a vaine name For rather may he els be reputed an Image of a Pope or of a Bishop according as such be called of the Prophet O Pastor Idolum O Idoll shepheards ¶ In the xlv where you aske To the last article whether euer I haue promised as any time by an othe or made any confederacie or league with any person or persons that I would alway hold and defend certain conclusions or articles seeming to me and to my complices right consonant vnto the faith Ioh. Lambert required to detect his fellowes and will that I should certifie you of the course and forme of the said opinions and conclusions by row of y e names and surnames of them that were to me adherent promised to be adhereÌt in this behalf I say that I doe not remeÌber that euer I made pact or confederacie w t any person or persons ne made any promise by oth that I would alway hold and defend any conclusions or articles seming to me and other right and consonant to the faith vnlesse it hath chanced me to say in this forme that I would neuer with the ayde of God forsake ne decline from the truth neither for feare nor yet for loue of man or men Thus I haue perhaps sayd in some time or some place because I haue in deed so intended and doe entend Gods grace assisting me But I can not yet tell you whether I haue so said or no nor to what persoÌs ne at what time neither in what place Neither I do reckeÌ me to haue any coÌplices but such as
sacrament had stande in the open confession therof according to the auncient veritie of the doctrine receaued in the Churche before he was so handled by certaine malignaunt superstitious monks that what by euill entreatie and what for feare of deathe such is the weake frailty of man he began to shrinke and afterward did in deede recant the truth Of these malicious ennemies againste Berengarius the chiefest troubler was Lancfranke Abbot of Codune afterward Archbishop of Canterbury Guimond monke likewise first of the abbey of Leufrede afterward Archb. of Auersane Algerius also monke of Corbein Fulbertus also monke and byshop and Hildebrand sometime monke of Cluniake and then Archdeacon of Turon afterward Bishop of Rome By these and such other monkes of the like fraternitie the errour and heresie of transubstantiation began firste to be defended and partes publikely in wryting to be taken about that matter Lancfrancke a persecutor of Berengarius Of the which sides and partes the firste that began to set vp that faction by wryting seemeth to be Paschasius who was a little before Berengarius aboute the time of Bertrame and likewise Lancfrancke the firste that brought it into England Paschasius the first beginner of the faction of transubstantiation On the contrary side againe the firste that was openly impugned and troubled for denying transubstantiation was this Berengarius with whom Lancfranck also was supposed at the first beginning to holde and take part but afterward to cleare himselfe he stoode openly against hym in the Councell and wrote against him It foloweth then in the Acte of the Councel that when the Synode of Archbishops Bishops Abbots and other Prelates were together assembled y e greater number saith the storie did holde that the breade and wine were turned substantially into the body and bloud of Christ. Notwithstanding sayeth he diuers there were in the sayde Councel whych helde the contrary wyth Berengarius Ex W. Malmesb but at laste were driuen to geue ouer Berengarius amonge the rest after he had long stand in the constant defence of the truth at last relented to their willes confessing his errour where none was and desired pardon of the Councell And thys was as seemeth to W. Malmesb. hys firste geuing ouer Who afterwarde returning to hymselfe agayne after the death of Pope Leo The story recantation of Berengaâius declaââd by W. Malmesb. De gestis Anglorum Lib. 3. and prickte with the stinge of conscience was driuen againe to recognise the truthe whych he before had denied The Pope sayeth Malmesb. perceauing this would not leaue him so but sent into Fraunce Hildebrande hys Cardinall Chaplaine as meete a mate for such a feate as was in all Satans courte and made him with a wany and to come againe coram nobis who so handled Berengarius and bringing hym before the face of the Councel bolden at Turon that he made him to say erraui once again against whome stoode vp in that Councell Lanfrancus and Guimundus aforesaid impugning his assertion And thus staÌdeth the narration of W. Malmesbery But by the actes of y e Councel of Rome appeareth an other declaration which is that thys latter recantation of Berengarius shoulde be at Rome vnder Hildebrand being then Pope The order of his recantation declared Ex actis Romani Concilij in the yere of our Lord. 1076. and in the moneth of February and that in the sayde Councell holden in Ecclesia Saluatoris thys recantation of Ego Berengarius was made and he enioyned by the sayd Pope Hildebrand vpon hys oth neuer hereafter to teache or dispute contrary to that faith of the Sacrament there holden c. Againe Henry Bullinger in his booke The order of the sayd recantation reported out of Henr. Bulling De origine erroris cap. 10. De origine erroris following belike some other authour expresseth the order of the foresayd recantation after thys sorte and sayeth that in the time of Pope Leo. 9. Anno. 1051. there was a Romane Councell holden at Uercellense in the whyche Councell Lanfrancke beinge then present the Booke of Ioh. Scotus was openly read and there condemned Also Berengarius was sent for Concilium Vercellenâe who seeing the preiudiciall proceeding of that Councell refused himselfe to come but sent two Clerkes which openly there defended hys cause and quarell and were for the same committed vnto prison Such is the freedome of the Popes generall Councels w t prisons and violence to defend their verities Against the doings of this Councel notwithstanding the French men stoode stiffe both at Angew and Turon ioyning and consenting wyth Berengarius Not long after this died Pope Leo and after him succeeded Pope Uictor Concilium Florentinum by whom an other Synode was kept at Florence where the Actes and doings of the foresayde Councel of Uercellense were confirmed and a Legate also appointed to be sent to Turon in Fraunce This legate was Hildebrand aboue mentioned Concilium Turonense who calling the clergy of Fraunce together in a Synode fell there in hande wyth the cause of the Sacrament Berengarius not being ignoraunt of these Romaine Councels so kept himselfe that in all his action he would geue none other answere but that he beleeued and consented with the faith of the Catholicke Churche so for that time did frustrate the purpose of the councel rather deluding the preteÌses of his ennemies then freely confessing the simple truth Againe Concilium Romanum âub Nicol. 2. after Uictor came Pope Nicholas 2. who congregating an other Councell at Rome An. 1058. sent for Berengarius there to appeare who being present argued what he could for the iustnesse of his cause but all woulde not serue In the Popes generall Councels such a stroke and mastership beareth authoritie aboue veritie Berengarius being thus borne downe on euery side by might superioritie when no remedye woulde serue Might beareth downe right but hee muste needes recant againe for the law of relapse was not yet in season he desired to know what other confession of the sacrament the Pope woulde require of him The last recantation of Berengarius Humbertus author of the decree Ego Berengarius besides y t whych hee hadde there confessed Then Pope Nicolas committed that charge to Humbart a Monke of Lotharinge and after a Cardinall y t he should draw out in formable wordes the order of his recantatioÌ after the prescription of Rome whych hee shoulde reade and publickely professe before the people The forme of which words is registred in the Decrees De consecrat dist 2. Ego Berengarius c. The effecte whereof is thys That hee pretendeth with heart and mouth to professe that he acknowledging the true catholicke De consecra Dist. 2. cap. Ego Berengarius and Apostolicall faith doth execrate all heresie namely that wherewyth hee hath lately bene infamed as holding that the bread and wine vpon the Altare after the
of the other Lordes what he had promised You shall commend me sayd he to the Kyng and tell hym By that he hath so well tryed and throughly prooued you as I haue done hee shall finde you as false a man as euer came about hym Syr Rafe Sadler the L. CroÌwels trusty frend Besides this he wrote also a letter from the Tower to the kyng whereof when none durst take the cariage vpon him sir Rafe Sadler whom he also had preferred to the kyng before beyng euer trusty faythfull vnto hym went to the king to vnderstand his pleasure whether he would permit him to bring the letter or not Which when y e kyng had graunted the sayd M. Sadler as he was required presented the letter vnto the king which he commaunded thrise to be red vnto him in so much the kyng seemed to be mooued therewith Notwithstanding by reason of the Acte of parliament afore passed the worthy and noble Lorde Cromwell oppressed by his enemies and condemned in the Tower and not comming to his answer the 28. day of Iuly an 1541. was brought to the scaffold on Tower hill where he sayd these words followyng I am come hither to die and not to purge my selfe The L. Cromwel brought ãâã the ãâã as some thinke peraduenture that I will For if I should so do I were a very wretch and a miser I am by the law coÌdemned to die and thanke my lord God that hath appointed me this death for myne offence For sithens the tyme y t I haue had yeares of discretion I haue lyued a sinner and offended my Lord God for the which I aske him hartelie forgiuenes And it is not vnknowne to many of you that I haue bene a great traueller in this world being but of a base degree was called to high estate and sithens the tyme I came thereunto I haue offended my Prince for the which I aske him hartily forgiuenes and beseech you all to pray to God with me that he will forgiue me And now I pray you that be here to beare me record I dye in the catholike fayth not doubting in any Article of my faith no nor doubting in any sacrament of the church Manye haue slaundered me and reported that I haue bene a bearer of such as haue mainteined euill opinions which is vntrue But I confesse that like as God by his holy spirit doth instruct vs in the truth so the deuill is ready to seduce vs I haue bene seduced A true Christian confession ãâã the L. Cromâwel at his death but beare me witnes that I die in the catholike faith of the holy church And I hartily desire you to pray for the kings grace that he may long lyue with you in health and prosperitie and that after him his sonne prince Edward that goodly impe may long raigne ouer you And once again I desire you to pray for me that so long as life remaineth in this flesh I wauer nothing in my faith And so making his prayer kneling on his knees he spake these words the effect whereof here followeth A prayer that the Lord Cromwell sayd at the houre of his death O Lord Iesu which art the onely health of all men liuing The prayer of the L. Cromwel at his death and the euerlasting life of them which die in thee I wretched sinner do submit my selfe wholy vnto thy most blessed will and being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed vnto thy mercy willingly now I leaue this fraile and wicked fleshe in sure hope that thou wilt in better wise restore it to me agayne at the last day in the resurrection of the iust I beseech thee moste merciful lord Iesus Christ that thou wilt by thy grace make stroÌg my soule against all temptations and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against all the assaults of the deuill I see and knowledge that there is in my selfe no hope of saluation but all my coÌfidence hope and trust is in thy most mercifull goodnesse I haue no merites nor good works which I may alledge before thee Of sinnes and euill workes alas I see a great heape but yet thorough thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes but wilt take and accept me for righteous and iust and to be the inheritour of euerlasting lyfe Thou mercifull lord wast borne for my sake thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake thou didst teach pray and fast for my sake all thy holy actions and workes thou wroughtest for my sake thou suffredst most grieuous paines and tormentes for my sake finally thou gauest thy most precious body and thy bloud to be shed on the crosse for my sake Nowe most mercifull Sauior let al these things profit me that thou frely hast done for me which hast geuen thy selfe al so for me Let thy bloud cleanse and wash away the spots and foulenes of my sinnes Let thy righteousnes hide and couer my vnrighteousnes Let the merites of thy passion and bloudsheding be satisfaction for my sinnes Geue me Lord thy grace that the faith of my saluation in thy bloud wauer not in me but may euer be firme and constant That the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me that loue waxe not cold in me Finally that the weaknes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death Graunt me mercifull Sauiour that when death hath shut vp the eyes of my body yet the eyes of my soule may still behold and looke vpon thee and when death hath taken away the vse of my tongue yet my heart may cry and say vnto thee Lord into thy hands I commend my soule Lord Iesu receaue my spirit Amen And thus his prayer made after he had godly louingly exhorted them that were about him on the scaffold The death of the â Cromwel he quietly committed his soule into the hands of God and so paciently suffred the stroke of the axe by a ragged and butcherly miser which very vngodly performed the office ¶ Of the Bible in English printed in the large volume and of Edmund Boner preferred to the Bishoprike of London by the meanes of the Lord Cromwell ABout the time and yere when Edmund Boner bishop of Hereford ambassadour resident in Fraunce begaÌ first to be nominate preferred by the meanes of the lord Cromwel to the bishoprike of London The Bibles of the ãâ¦ã Paris which was anno 1540. it happened that the said Thomas Lord Cromwell and Erle of Essex procured of y e king of england his gracious letters to the French king to permitte and licence a subiect of his to imprint the Bible in English within the vniuersitie of Paris because paper was there more meete and apt to be had for the doing therof then in the realme of England also that there were more store of good workmen for the readie dispatch of
and requested me earnestly to tel him wher master Garret was and if I would so do he promised me straightwaies to deliuer me out of prison But I told hym I could not tell where he was no more in deede I coulde Then hee departed to dinner asking mee if I woulde eate any meate and I tolde him yea right gladly He sayde hee would sende me some When he was gone hys seruaunts asked me diuers questions which I doe not now remember and some of them spake me faire and some threatened me calling me hereticke and so departed locking the doore last vpon me Thus farre Anthonye Dalaber hathe prosecuted thys storye who before the finishing departed the yeare 1562. in the Dioces of Salisbury the residue thereof as we coulde gather it of auncient and credible persones so haue we added heere vnto the same After this Garret was apprehended or taken by maister Cole the Proctor or hys men going Westwarde at a place called Hinksey a little beyond Oxforde Tho. Garret appreheÌded and brought to Oxford and so being brought back againe was committed to ward that done he was conuented before the Commissary Doctour London and Doctour Higdon Deane of Friswides now called Christes Colledge into S. Maries Churche where they sitting in iudgement D. LondoÌ D. Higdon prosecuters of Garret Garret and Dalaber ãâã faggots is Oxford conuicted him according to their law as an hereticke as they said and afterward compelled him to cary a fagot in open procession from Saint Maries Churche to Friswides and Dalaber likewise wyth hym Garret hauing his red hoode on hys shoulders like a maister of Arte. After that they were sent to Osney there to be kept in prison till farther order was taken There were suspected beside a great number to be infected with heresie as they called it for hauing such bookes of Gods truth as Garret solde vnto them as M. Clarke which died in his chamber and could not be suffered to receyue the Communion being in prisone and saying these woordes Crede manducasti Maister Somner Maister Bettes Tauerner the Musition Radley wyth other of Friswides Colledge The names of Godly brethren at Oxford of Corpus Christi Colledge as Udall and Diet wyth other of Magdalene Colledge one Eeden w t other of Glocester Colledge and two blacke Monkes one of S. Austines of Canterburye named Langporte the other of S. Edmondes Burie monke named Ioh. Salisbury two white monkes of Barnard Colledge two Canons of S. Maries Colledge one of them named Robert Ferrar afterwarde Bishop of S. Dauies Rob. Ferrar Byshop of S. Dauids and burned in Queene Maries time These two Canons because they had no place in the Uniuersitie with the other they wente on the contrarye side of the procession bare headed and a Bedel before them to be knowen from the other Diuers other there were whose names I cannot remeÌber whych were forced and coÌstrained to forsake theyr Colledges and sought their frendes Againste the Procession time there was a great fire made vpon the toppe of Carfaxe whereinto all such as were in the sayd Procession either conuicte or suspect of heresie were commaunded in token of repentaunce and renouncing of their errours euery man to cast a booke into the fire as they passed by After this M. Garret flying from place to place escaped theyr tyrannie vntill thys present time that he was againe apprehended and burned w t D. Barnes With whome also W. Hierome sometime vicare of Stepney W. Hierome burned in Smithfielde was likewyse drawne into Smithfielde and there together wyth them constantly endured martyrdome in the fire Now let vs adde also to these the storie of Hierome The life and storie of W. Hierome Vicare of Stepney and Martyr of Christ. THe third companion which suffered wyth Barnes and Garret was W. Hierome Uicare of Stepney Thys Hierome being a diligent preacher of Gods worde The story of William Hierome for the comfort and edification of the people had preached diuers and sondry sermons wherein to the entent to plante in the consciences of men the sincere truth of christen religion he laboured as much as time then serued to extirpe weede out the rootes of mens traditions doctrines dreames and fantasies In so doing it coulde not otherwise be but hee must needes prouoke much hatred against hym amongest the aduersaries of Christes gospell It so happened that the sayde Hierome preaching at Paules in the 4. Sonday of Lent last past made there a sermon The sermon ãâã W. Hierome preaââed at ãâ¦ã the 4. ãâã in ãâã wherin he recited and meÌtioned of Agar and Sara declaring what these ij signified In processe wherof he shewed further howe that Sara her childe Isaac and all they that were Isaacs and borne of the free woman Sara were freely iustified Contrary they that were borne of Agar the bondwoman were bouÌd and vnder the law and cannot be freely iustified In these words what was heere spoken but that S. Paule himselfe vttereth and expouÌdeth in his Epistle to the Galat. 4. Or what coulde heere be gathered of any reasonable or indiffereÌt hearer Gal. 4. but coÌsonant to sound doctrine and veine of the Gospel Now see what rancor and malice armed with crafty and subtile sophistry can do This sermon finished it was not long but he was charged and conuented before the kinge at Westminster there accused for erroneous doctrine Percase thou wilt muse gentle reader what erroneous doctrine here coulde be picked out Note therefore for thy learning he that listeth to study how to play the Sicophant let him here take exaÌple Quarrel picked agaynst Hieromes Sermons The knot found in thys rush was this for that he preached erroneously at Paules crosse teaching the people that all that were borne of Sara were freely iustified speaking there absolutely without any condition eyther of Baptisme or of penaunce c. Who doubteth here but if s. Paule hymselfe had bene at Paules crosse and had preached the same wordes to the Englishe men which he wrote to the Gal. in this behalfe Ipso facto he had bene apprehended for an hereticke for preachyng agaynst the sacrament of Baptisme and repentaunce Furthermore it was obiected agaynst him touchyng matter agaynst magistrates and lawes by them made Wherunto he answered agayn and affirmed as he had before preached that no Magistrate of himselfe coulde make any law or lawes priuate or otherwise W. Hierome accused for preaching agaynst Magistrates to binde the inferior people vnles it were by the power authority and commandement of his or their Princes to him or them geuen but onely the Prince And moreouer to confirme the same he added saying that if the Prince make lawes consenting to Gods lawes we are bouÌd to obey them And if he make lawes repugnant to the lawes of God and be an euill and wicked prince yet are we bound humbly to suffer him and not violently to resist or grudge against him Also
or not Which question rose vpon a certaine conteÌtion which had beene betwene them before For Barnes had affirmed that albeit God requireth of vs to forgeue our neighbour God forgeueth vs first before we forgeue our neighbour Rom. 15. to obtaine forgeuenesse of hym yet he sayd that God must forgeue vs first before we forgeue our neighboure For els to forgeue our neyghbour were sinne by the text that sayeth All that is not of faith is sinne c. Thus the matter being propounded Gardiner to proue the contrary came foorth wyth hys arguments two or three to the which argumentes sayeth Gardiner Barnes coulde not aunswere but desired to be spared that nyght Gardiners report Disputation betweene Barnes Gardiner and the next morning he would answer his arguments In the morning Gardiner wyth the hearers being againe assembled D. Barnes according to the appoyntment was present who then went about to assoil his arguments To his solutions Gardiner againe replied And thus continued they in thys altercation by y e space of two houres Steuen Gardiner in his preface to George Ioye In the ende of thys Cockfight Winchester thus coÌcludeth thys glorious tale and croweth vp the triumph declaring howe Barnes besought him to haue pitie of hym to forgeue hym and to take hym to be hys scholer whome then the sayd Winchester as he confesseth himself receiuing not as his scholer but as hys companion offred to hym a portion oute of his liuing to the summe of xl li a yere Steuen Gardiner offereth to Doct. Barnes 40. pounde a yeare Which if it be true as Steuen Gardiner himselfe reporteth why then doth this glorious Cackatrice crowe so much against Barnes afterward and cast him in the teeth bearing all the world in hand that Barnes was his scholler whereas he himselfe heere refuseth Barnes to be hys scholer but receiueth hym as hys companion fellowlyke But to the storie This done the king being aduertised of the conclusion of this matter betweene Barnes and Winchester was coÌtent that Barnes shoulde repaire to the Bishoppes house at London the moÌday folowing Which he did with a certaine other coÌpanion ioyned vnto him Who he was Winchester there doth not expresse only he saith y t it was neyther Hierome nor Garret In this next meeting betweene Barnes and the bishop vpon the foresaid monday the said bishop studying to instruct Barnes vttered to him certain articles or conclusions to the number of x. the effect wherof here followeth Winchesters Articles against Barnes THe effect of Christes passion hath a condition The fulfilling of the condition diminisheth nothing the effecte of Christes passion They that wil enioy the effect of Christes passion must fulfill the condition The fulfilling of the condition requireth firste knowledge of the coÌdition which knowledge we haue by faith Faith commeth of God and thys faith is a good gifte It is good and profitable to me it is profitable to me to do well and to exercise thys faith Ergo by the gifte of God I may do well before I am iustified Therfore I may do wel by the gift of God before I am iustified towardes the attainment of iustification There is euer as muche Charitie towardes God as faith And as faith encreaseth so doth charitie encrease To the attainment of iustification is required faith and charitie Euery thing is to be called freely done wherof the beginning is free and at liberty wythout any cause of prouocation Faith muste be to me the assuraunce of the promyses of God made in Christ if I fulfil the condition loue must accomplish the condition wherupon foloweth the attainment of the promise according to Gods truth A man being in deadly sinne maye haue grace to do the workes of penaunce whereby he may attaine to hys iustification These Articles for somuch as they be sufficiently aunswered and replyed vnto by George Ioy in his Ioynder Reioynder agaynst Winchester I shall not neede to cuÌber this work with any new adoe therewith but onely referre the reader to the bookes aforesayd where he may see matter enough to answere to these popish articles I told you before how the king was contented y e Barnes shuld resort to the house of the bishop of Winchester to be traded and directed by the bishop which Barnes then hearing the talk of y e people hauing also conference with certayne learned men within two dayes after his comming to y e bishops house waxed weary thereof so comming to the bish signified vnto him that if he would take him as one y t came to conferre he would come still but els he would come no more so cleane gaue ouer the bishop This beinge knowen vnto the king thorough sinister complaints of popish Sycophantes Barnes againe was sent for and coÌuented before the king who grieuously being incensed against him enioyned both him Hierom and Garret at the solemne Easter sermons at S. Mary spittle opeÌly in wryting to reuoke the doctrine whych they before had taught At which sermons Ste. Gardiner also himself was present to heare theyr recantation First Doctor Barnes according to hys promise made to the king solempnely and formally beganne to make his recantation whych done he wyth much circumstance and obtestation called vpon the Byshop as is aboue touched and asking of hym forgeuenes required hym in token of a graunt to holde vp hys hand to the entent that he there openly declaring his charitie before the worlde the Byshop also would declare his charitie in like maner Which when the bishoppe refused to doe at the first as he was required Barnes againe called for it desiring him to shew his charitie and to holde vp his hande Which when he had done w t much a do wagging his finger a litle then Barnes entring to his Sermon after his prayer made beginneth the processe of a matter preaching contrarye to that which before he had recanted In so much that the Maior wheÌ the Sermon was finished sittinge wyth the Bishop of Winchester asked him whether he should from the pulpit sende hym to warde to be forth comming for that his bold preaching contrary to hys recantation The like also did Hierome and Garret after hym The king had appointed before certain to make report of the sermons Besides them there was one who wryting to a frende of hys in the Court in the fauour of these preachers declared how gayly they had all handled the matter both to satisfie the recantation and also in the same Sermons to vtter out the truth that it might spread without let of the world Wherfore partly by these reporters partly by the negligent looking to this letter Barnes Garret and Hierome commaunded to the ãâã which came to the Lord Cromwels hands sayeth Gardiner Barnes wyth his other fellowes were apprehended and committed to the Tower Steuen Gardiner in his foresayde booke against George Ioye woulde needes cleare himselfe that he was in
a gentleman which before he knewe not by reason of his apparell he saw it was the same person that first examined him in the Marshalsey and did also cause him to write in the Bishoppes gallery but neuer knew his name till now he heard Doct. Oking call hym M. Knight This M. Knight helde foorth the paper to Marbecke and sayd looke vppon this and tell me whose hand it is When Marbecke had taken the paper This gentleman of Winchesters was M. Knight seene what it was he confessed it to be all his hand sauing y e first leafe and the notes in the margent TheÌ I perceiue quoth Knight thou wilt not go from thine owne hand No Sir quoth he I will deny nothing that I haue done Thou doest well in that quoth Knight for if thou shouldest we haue testimonies enough besides to trye out thy hand by but I pray thee tell me whose hand is the last leafe That I cannot tell you quoth Marbecke TheÌ how camest thou by it quoth Knight Forsooth I will tell you quoth he There was a prieste dwelling with vs vppon a v. or .vi. yeares ago called Marshall who sent it vnto me with the first leafe written desiring mee to write it out with speede because the copy could not be spared past an houre or twain and so I wrote it out and sent him both the copye and it agayne And howe came this hand in the margent quoth hee which is a contrary hand to both the other That I wyll tell you quoth Marbecke When I wrote it out at the first I made so much hast of it that I vnderstoode not the matter wherefore I was desirous to see it agayne and to read it with more deliberation and being sent to me the second tyme it was thus coted in the margent as ye see And shortly after this it was his chaunce to go beyond the seas where he liued not long by reason whereof the Epistle remayneth with me but whether the first leafe or y e notes in the margent were his hand or whose hand els Surmise agaynst D. Haynes that I cannot tell Tush quoth D. Oking to M. Knight he knoweth well enough that the notes be Heynes owne hande If you know so much quoth Marb ye knowe more then I doe for I tell you truely I knowe it not By my faithe Marbecke quoth Knyghte if thou wylt not tell by fayre meanes those fingers of thine shall be made to tell Inconstancy and little truth in Papistes By my trouth Syr quoth Marbecke if ye do teare the whole body in peeces I trust in God yee shall neuer make me accuse man wrongfully If thou be so stubburne quoth D. O king thou wilt die for it Dye M. Okyng quoth hee Wherfore should I die You told me the last day before the Byshops that assoone as I had made an ende of the peece of Concordance they tooke me I shoulde be deliuered and shall I nowe die This is a sodaine mutation You seemed then to be my frend but I know the cause ye haue red the ballet I made of Moses chayre and that hath sette you agaynst mee but when soeuer yee shall putte me to death I doubt not to dye Gods true man and the kyngs How so quoth Knight howe canst thou die a true manne vnto the kyng when thou hast offended his lawes Is not this Epistle and moste of thy notes thou hast wrytten directly against the 6. articles No syr quoth Marbecke I haue not offended the kyngs lawes therein for since the first time I began wyth the Concordance whych is almoste 6. yeares agoe I haue bene occupied in nothing els The kinges generall pardon claymed So that bothe this Epistle and al the notes I haue gathered were written a great while before the 6. Articles came foorth and are clearely remitted by the kings generall pardon Trust not to that quoth Knight for it wil not help thee No I warrant hym quoth Doct. Okyng and so going downe to the body of the church they committed him to his keeper who had him away to prison againe The sute of Filmers wife to the Bishops which sate in commission for her husband IN lyke maner y e wife of Filmer knowing her husbands trouble to be only procured of malice by Simons his old ennemie made great sute and labour vnto the Byshops which were commissioners desiring no more of them but that it would please their goodnes to examine her husband before them Filmers wife laboureth for her husband and to heare hym make his purgation Thys was her only request to euery of the Byshops from day to day wheresoeuer shee coulde finde them In so muche that two of the Byshops Ely and Harforde were verye sorye considering the importune and reasonable sute of the woman that it lay not in them to help her Thus trauailing long vp and downe from one to an other to haue her husbande examined The wordes of Filmers wyfe to the bishops it was her chaunce at the last to finde the Byshops all three together in the Byshoppe of Elye hys place vnto whom she sayd O good my Lordes for the loue of God let now my poore husbande be brought foorth before you while yee be heere all togethers For truely my Lordes there can nothing be iustly laide against hym but that of malicious enuie and spite Simons hath wroughte him this trouble And you my Lorde of Salisburye quoth the poore woman can testifie if it woulde please your lordship to say the truth what malice SimoÌs bare to my husband when they were both before you at Salisburie litle more then a yeare agoe for the Uicar of Wyndsors matter For as your Lordship knoweth when my husbande had certified you of the Priests sermone which you sayde was plaine heresie then came Symons after the Prieste hymselfe had confessed it and would haue defended the priestes error before your Lordship and haue had my husband punished At what time it pleased your Lordship to coÌmend and praise my husband for his honesty and to rebuke Symons for maintaining the Priest in his error thereupon commanded the priest to rekant his heresy at his comming home to Windsore This my Lord you knowe to be true And now my Lords quoth the woman it is most certain that for thys cause only did Symons euermore afterward threaten my husband to be euen with him Therefore good my Lordes call my husbande before you and heare hym speake and if ye finde any other matter againste hym then this that I haue tolde you let me suffer death Is thys so my Lord quoth the B. of Ely and Harforde and the other could not deny it Then they spake Latine to the B. of Salisbury and he to them so departed For the matter was so wrought betweene Doctor London and Symons that Filmer could neuer be suffred to come before the Commissioners to be examined Filmer could not come to hys aunswere The
or see there This tale was no sooner brought to Doct. London by William Symons Filmers vtter ennemie but he sent for the poore man home to his house ãâã London ãâã broâââ agâynst âââther where he chearished hym with meat and money telling him he shoulde neuer lacke so long as he liued that y e seely poore man thinking to haue had a daily frend of D. London was content to do and say whatsoeuer he and Symons would haue hym say or do against his owne brother And when D. London had thus won the pore man he retained him as one of his houshold men vntill the court day was come and then sent him vp to witnes this foresaid tale against his brother Which âale Filmer denied vtterly saying that D. London for a little meat and drinke sake had set him on and made him to say what his pleasure was âââmers own âââther ãâã agaynst ãâã wherfore my Lord quoth Filmer to the bishop I beseeche your Lordship weigh the matter indifferently ãâã witnes stand is aââânst the ãâã for as muche as there is no man in all thys towne y t can or will testifie with him that euer he heard any such talke betwene him and me and if he can bring forth any that wil witnes the same with him I refuse not to die But say what he could it would not preuaile Then Filmer seeing no remedy but that hys brothers accusemeÌt shuld take place he sayd Ah brother what cause hast thou to shew me this vnkindnes I haue alwaies ben a naturall brother vnto thee and thine and helped you all to my power from time to time as thou thy selfe knowest and is this a brotherly part ãâã cast ãâã by his ãâ¦ã thus to rewarde me nowe for my kindnesse God forgeue it thee my brother geue thee grace to repent Then Filmer looking ouer his shoulder desired some good body to let him see the booke of statutes Hys wife being at the end of the hall and hearing her husband call for the booke of statutes ran downe to the keper and brought vp the booke gat it conueied to her husbaÌd The Bishop seeing the booke in his hand starte hym vp from the bench in a great sume ãâã Bishops âââdemne ãâã not one without ãâã but ãâ¦ã that ââould not ãâ¦ã by ãâ¦ã the ãâã and ãâã do the ãâ¦ã say that ãâã did ãâã but by ãâã ãâã of ãâã iust ãâ¦ã a ãâã accuser ãâã his ãâã demanding who had geueÌ the prisoner that booke commaunding it to be taken from him and to make searche who had brought it swearing by the faith of hys body he should go to prison Some sayd it was his wife some sayd the keeper Like inough my lord quoth Symons for he is one of the same sort as worthy to be heere as the best if he were rightly serued But howsoeuer it was the truthe would not be knowen and so the Bishop sate him downe againe Then sayd Filmer O my Lord I am this day iudged by a lawe why should not I see the lawe that I am iudged by The law is I should haue two lawfull witnesses and here is but one which would not doe as he doeth but that he is forced thereunto by the suggestion of mine ennemies Nay quoth Bucklayer the kynges atturney thyne heresie is so heinous and abhorteth thine owne brother so much that it forceth him to witnesse against thee which is more then two other witnesses Thus as ye see was Filmer brought vniustly to hys death by the malice of Symons and D. London who had enticed that wretched caitiffe his brother to be their minister to worke his confusion But God which is a iust reueÌger of all falsehode wrongs would not suffer that wretch long to liue vppon earth but the next yeare followyng he beyng taken vp for a labourer to goe to Bullaine had not bene there three daies ere that in exonerating of nature a Gunne tooke him and tore him all to peeces And so was these woordes of Salomon fulfilled A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished Iohn Marbecke THen was Marbecke called and hys Inditement read The inditement of Marbecke whiche was that he shoulde say That the holy Masse when the Priest doeth consecrate the body of our Lorde is poluted deformed sinnefull and open robbery of the glory of God from the which a Christian hart ought both to abhorre and flee And the eleuation of the Sacramente is the similitude of the setting vp of Images of the calues in the Temple builded by Ieroboam and that it is more abhomination then the sacrifices done by the Iewes in Ieroboams temple to those calues And that certaine and sure it is that Christ himself is made in the masse mans laughing stocke To thys hee aunswered and sayde Marbecke aunswereth to his inditement that these woordes wherof they had indited him were not his but the wordes of a learned man called Iohn Caluine and drawn out of a certaine Epistle which the sayd Caluine had made whych Epistle he had but onely wrytten out and that long before the 6. Articles came foorth so that nowe he was discharged of that offence by the kings generall pardon desiring that he might enioy the benefite thereof Then was the Iurye called which were all Farmers belonging to the Colledge of Wyndsore Partiall dealing in calling the Iurye whereof fewe or none had euer sene those men before vppon whose life and death they went Wherfore the prisoners counting the farmers as partial desired to haue the Townes men or such as did know them and had sene their daily conuersations in the place of the Farmers or els to be equally ioyned w t them but that would not be for the matter was otherwise foreseene and determined Now when the Iury had taken theyr oth and al Bucklayer the kynges atturney began to speake Buclayer the kinges atturney a persecuter and first he alledged many reasons against Anth. Person to prooue him an hereticke Whych when Anth. woulde haue disprooued the Bishop sayd let him alone Syr he speaketh for the K. so went Bucklayer foorth with his matter making euery mans cause as hainous to the hearers as he coulde deuise And when he had done and sayd what he would then Sir Humfrey Foster spake to the Quest in the fauor of Marbecke on thys wise Maisters quoth hee Syr Humfrey Foster speaketh for Marbecke yee see there is no man here that accuseth or layeth any thyng to the charge of this poore man Marbecke sauing he hath written certaine things of other mens sayings with his owne hand wherof he is discharged by the kings generall pardon therfore ye ought to haue a conscience therin Then start vp Fachel at the lower ende of the benche and sayd Fachell a persecuter What can we tel whether they were wrytten before the pardone or after They may as well be wrytten since as afore for any thing that we
Anne Askew My faith briefly written to the kings grace I Anne Askew of good memory although God hath geuen me the bread of aduersitie and the water of trouble The beliefe of Anne Askew touching the Sacrament written to the king yet not so much as my sinnes haue deserued desire this to be knowen vnto your grace that forasmuch as I am by the law condemned for an euill doer Here I take heauen and earth to record that I shal die in my innocencie And according to that I haue sayd first will say last I vtterly abhorre and detest all heresies And as concernyng the supper of the Lord I beleeue so much as Christ hath said therein which he confirmed with hys most blessed bloud I beleeue also so much as he willed me to follow and beleue so much as the catholike church of hym doth teach For I will not forsake the commaundement of his holy lips But looke what God hath charged me with his mouth that haue I shut vp in my hart and thus briefly I ende for lacke of learnyng Anne Askew The effect of my examination and handling since my departure from Newgate ON Tuesday I was sent from Newgate to the sign of the crowne The cruell handling and racking of Anne Askew after her condemnation where as M. Rich and the B. of London with all their power and flattering words went about to persuade me from God but I did not esteme their glosing pretences Then came there to me Nich. Shaxton and counselled me to recant as he had done I sayd to hym that it had bene good for him neuer to haue bene borne with many other like wordes Then M. Rich sent me to the Tower where I remayned till three a clocke Then came Rich and one of the Counsell charging me vpon my obedience This Counceller was Syr Iohn Baker Anne Askew vrged to accuse others to shew vnto them if I knew any maÌ or woman of my secte My aunswere was that I knewe none Then they asked me of my Lady Suffolke my Lady of Sussex my Lady of Hertford my Lady Denny and my Lady Fitzwilliams I said if I should pronounce any thing against them that I were not able to proue it Then sayd they vnto me that the kyng was informed that I could name if I would a great number of my secr I aunswered that the kyng was as well deceiued in that behalf as dissembled with in other matters Then commanded they me to shew how I was maintayned in the Counter and who willed me to sticke to my opinion I sayd that there was no creature that therin did strengthen me And as for the help that I had in the counter it was by the means of my mayde For as she went abroad in the streetes she made mone to the prentises and they by her did send me money but who they were I neuer knew Then they sayde that there were diuers Gentlewomen that gaue me money Anne Askew refuseth to accuse any but I knew not their names Then they sayd that there were diuers Ladies that had sent me money I aunswered that there was a man in a blew coate which deliuered me x. shillings and sayd that my Lady of Hertford sent yt me And an other in a violet coat gaue me viij shillings and sayd my lady Denny senâ it me Whether it were true or no I cannot tell For I am not sure who sent it me but as the mayd did say TheÌ they sayd there were of the Counsell that did maintayne me And I sayd no. Anne Askew put on the racke Then they did put me on the racke because I confessed no Ladies or Gentlewomen to be of my opinion and thereon they kept me a long tyme. And because I lay still and did not cry my Lord Chancellour and M. Rich tooke paynes to racke me with theyr owne handes Wrysley and Riche racking Anne Askew tyll I was nigh dead Then the Lieftenaunt caused me to be loosed from the racke Incontinently I swounded and then they recouered me agayne After that I sate two long houres reasoning with my Lord Chauncellour vppon the bare floore whereas he with many flattering wordes Anne Askew constant in her fayth perswaded me to leaue my opinion But my Lord God I thanke his euerlasting goodnes gaue me grace to perseuer and wil do I hope to the very end Then was I brought to an house and layd in a bedde with as weary and paynefull bones as euer had pacient Iob I thanke my Lord God therefore Then my Lorde Chauncellour sent me worde if I would leaue my opinion Anne Askew threatned to be burned I should want nothing If I would not I shoulde forth to Newgate and so be burned I sent him agayne word that I would rather die then to breake my fayth Thus the Lord open the eyes of their blinde hartes that the truth may take place Farewell deare friend and pray pray pray Touching the order of her racking in the Tower thus it was The order of the racking of Anne Askew First she was led downe into a dungeon where Syr Anthony Kneuet the Liuetenant commaunded hys Gaoler to pinche her with the racke Which beyng done so much as he thought sufficient went about to take her downe supposing he had done enough But Wrisley the Chauncellour not contented that she was loosed so soone confessing nothing commaunded the Lieftenant to streine her on the racke agayne Which because he denyed to doe tenderyng the weakenes of the woman he was threatned therefore grieuously of the sayd Wrisley The L. Wrisley and M. Riche play the tormeÌtours saying that hee would signifie hys disobedience vnto the kyng and so coÌsequently vpon the same he and M. Riche throwyng of their gownes would needes play the tormenters themselues first asking her if she were with child To whome she aunswering agayne sayd ye shall not neede to spare for that but do you willes vpon me and so quietly and patiently prayeng vnto the Lord she aboade their tiranny till her bones and ioints almost were pluckt a sunder in such sort as she was caried away in a chaire When the racking was past Wrisley and his fellow tooke theyr horse toward the Court. In the meane tyme while they were making their way by land Wrisley the L. Chauncelour preuented by the Lieutenaunt the good Lieftenant eftsoones taking boate spedde hym in all hast to the Court to speake with the kyng before the other and so dyd Who there makyng his humble sute to the Kyng desired his pardon and shewed hym the whole matter as it stoode and of the rackyng of Mistresse Askew and how he was threatened by the Lord Chauncellour because at his commaundement not knowyng his highnesse pleasure he refused to racke her whiche he for compassion could not finde in his hart to do and therefore huÌbly craued his highnes pardoÌ Which when the K. had vnderstand The LiuetenauÌt pardoned of
adherents do pursue therefore the Pope Byshops and Cardinals and their adherents are Antichrists I weene our Sillogismus be well made fol. 9. The place annexed The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuela is this I will shew thee an euident reason that thou mayst know without doubting which is the very Antichrist and this argument may be grounded of their furious persecution which Paul doth confirme writing to the GalathiaÌs We deare brethren are the children oâ promise as Isaac was not the sonnes of the bond woman as Ismaell but as he that was borne aâter the flesh did persecute him that was borne after y e spirite euen so is it now Mark Paules reason By Isaac are signified the elect and by Ismaell the reprobate Isaac did not persecute Ismaell but contrarye Ismaell did persecute Isaac Now let vs make our reasoÌ Bar All they that do persecute are Ismaell be reprobates and Antichristes ba But all the popes Cardinals bishops Maior and theyr adherentes do persecute ra Therefore all the popes cardinals bishops Minor their adherents be Ismaell reprobates and Antichristes I weene our Sillogismus is well made and in the first figure Read the place and see how he proueth the partes of this argument more at large Conclusio 13 I thinke verily that so long as the successours of the Apostles were persecuted and martyred 13. article there were good Christen men and no longer fol. 10. The Bishops of Rome in the primitiue Churche were vnder persecution the space welneare of 300. yeares vnder y e which persecution as good as 30. of them and moe dyed martyrs Since that time haue succeeded 204. popes whiche haue liued in great wealth and aboundance amongest whom if the booke of Reuelation thinke that there is not 4. to be found good christen men I thinke no lesse but that he may so thinke without any heresie 14 It is impossible that the worde of the Crosse shoulde be without affliction and persecution fol. 10. 14. article S. Paule sayth 2. Tim. 3. who soeuer will liue vertuously in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution And how then caÌ this be true in Paule and in this man heresie 15 That the Apostles did curse euer anye man 15. article truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them fol. 11. Upon what good ground of the ReuelatioÌ this heresie is wroung out let the place be conferred The place annexed which is written in these wordes following They are as mercifull as the Woolfe is on his pray They were ordeyned to blesse men but they curse as the deuill were in them Paule sayth that he hath power to edifie and not to destroy 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. But I wot not of whom these bloudy beastes haue their authority which do so much reioyce in cursing destruction We reade how Paule did excoÌmunicate the Corinthian and y t for a great transgressioÌ to the entent that he might be ashamed of his iniquity 1. Cor. 5. and desired agayne the Corinthians to receaue hym with all charitie 2. Cor. 2. but that the Apostles did curse anye man truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them and to pray for those that persecuted them c. 16 By workes superstitions and ceremonies we decay from the faith which alone doth truely iustifie and make holy fol. 15. 16. article Note here good reader how peruersly corruply this article is drawne For where the place of this book which is written fol. 15. expresly speaketh of trusting to workes meaning that we should put no confidence in workes but onely in fayth in Christ Iesus False wrasting this article to make it appeare more infamous and hereticall leaueth out the false trust and speaketh simply as though workes should decay fayth Read the place which is written in these wordes folowing Daniell calleth not this word Peschaim any maner of sinne but those speciall and chiefe sinnes whiche resist and fight agaynst the truth and the fayth as at the trusting in workes superstitions and ceremonies by y e which we decay from the fayth c. 17 The abusion of the Masse with all his solemnityes with vigils yeare mindes foundations burials 17. article and all the busines that is done for the dead is but a face and a cloke of godlynes and deceiuing of the people as they were good workes rather for the dead then for the quicke fol. 24. True godlines consisteth in fayth that is in the true knowledge of the sonne of God whom he hath sent and in y e obseruation of Gods coÌmaundements All their rites additions instituted by man are no part of true godlines And who so putteth trust and confidence therein as being thinges meritorious for the dead is deceiued Suche funerals S. Austen calleth rather refreshinges of the liuing then releuinges and helpes of the dead 18 To keep and obserue one day to fast an other to abstaine to forbeare such a meate vpon the fasting day to deserue heauen therby is a wicked face and cloke agaynst Paul fol. 29. 18. Article The trueth of this article is manifest enough to be voyd of all errour and heresie vnlesse it be heresie to beleue and hold w t the scripture s. Paule sayth Galat. 2. if heauen our righteousnes come by the law then Christ died in vayne Gal. 2. 19. article 19 The multiplication of holydayes of feastes of Corpus Christi of the visitation of our Lady c. is a wicked face and colour and in deede foolish vnprofitable and vayne fol 30. This Article likewise nedeth no declaration conteining in it a true and necessary complaint of suche superfluous holydayes of the Popes making Which as they bring with them much occasion of wickednes idlenes dronkennesse and vanitie so hauing also ioined vnto them opinion of religion and meritorious deuotion and Gods seruice they gender superstition nourish the people in the same 20 Keeping of virginitie and chastitie of religion is a diuelishe thing 20 article fol. 30. The place cited in the booke of the Reuelation of Antichrist A other place falsly depraued by the Papistes doth sufficiently open it selfe speaking and meaning onely of those Monkishe vowes whiche by the canonicall constitution of the Pope are violeÌtly forced vpon Priests and Monkes the coaction whereof S. Paule doth rightly call the doctrine of deuils And here note by y e way another tricke of a Popishe cauiller For where the wordes of the booke speake plainely of the chastitie of the religious fraudulently turning it to an vniuersalitie sayeth the chastitie of Religion whereby it might seeme to the simple reader more odious hereticall The words of the place be these Keeping of virginitie chastitie of the religious semeth to be a godly and a heauenly thing but it is a
by good reasoÌ ãâã The wordes be these Playnely I thinke that y e whole is takeÌ away sith I see manifestly the one part gone for y e bread the wine is but one sacrameÌt the other is left only for a laughing stocke For he that in one part offendeth against god is gilty in al. Therfore it were better to receiue neither of the partes then the one alone for so we might y e more suâely eschue the transgression of that which Christe did institute â5 Article c. 35. The law of the Pope that commaundeth euery man to communicate together vpon one day is a most cruell law constrayning men to theyr owne destruction fol. 73. The place ãâã The place is this He the Pope he meaneth setting a most cruell and deadly snare to tangle the consciences suffereth not the vse of this Sacrament to be free but coÌpelleth all together on one certayne day once in the yeare to communicate ãâã ought ãâã be ãâã to the ãâã Here I pray thee ChristeÌ brother how many doest thou thinke do communicate onely by the coÌpulsion of this precept which truely in theyr hart had leuer not to communicate And all these sinne for they doe not communicate in spirite that is to say communion agaynst their willes but to be exhorted and left to their owne disposition neither in fayth nor will but by the compulsion of this letter and law sith that this bread requireth a hungry and not a full hart muche lesse a disdayning hateful minde And of all these sinnes the Pope is author constrayning all men by his most cruell lawe to theyr owne destruction where as he ought to leaue this communion free to euery man and onely call exhort them and not compell and driue them vnto it c. 36 The spirit would that nothing should be done but that which is expressely rehearsed in scripture· fol. 81. 36. Article In thinges appertayning to Gods worship and seruice true it is that he is not to be worshipped In things perteyning to gods worship it is true but only according to that which he hath reuealed expressed vnto vs in his owne word And this is the meaning of the author as by his wordes doth playnely apppeare 37 Saynt Thomas de Aquino sauoreth nothing of the spirite of God fol. 83. 37. Article The doctrine of Thomas Aquine referreth the greatest or a very great part of our righteousnes to opus operatuÌ and vnto merites Tho. Aquine The spirit of God referreth al our righteousnes before God onely to our fayth in Christ. Nowe how these sauor together let any indifferent reader iudge 38 The Pope did condemne the truth of the word of God openly at Constance in Io. Hus 38. Article perseuering vnto this day in the same stubbernnes fol. 86. Iohn Hus. Touching the condemnation of Iohn Hus the maner of his handling the cause of his death read his storye before beginning pag. 602. and consider moreouer his prophecy of the hundreth yeares after him expyred pag. 770. how truly the sequele did folow in M. Luther theÌ iudge of his cause good reader as the truth of Gods worde shall lead thee And thus much concerning these slauÌderous articles * Here follow other heresyes and errors Articles out of the Summe of the Scripture collected by the Byshops out of the booke named the Summe of the Scripture with the places of the booke annexed to the same THe water of the fount hath no more vertue in it then hath any other water fol. 1. 1. Article 2 The water of Baptisme lyeth not in halowed water or in other outward thing but onely in fayth fol. 6. The place of these two articles gathered out of y e suÌme of the Scripture is this 2. Article The water of Baptisme taketh not away our sinne for then were it a precious water and then it behoued vs dayly to wash our selues therin The place annexed Neyther hath the water of the Fount more vertue in it selfe theÌ the water that runneth in the riuer of Rhene WheÌ Philip baptised the Eunuch the seruant of Candace the Queene of Ethiope there was then no halowed water nor candle nor salte nor creame neither white habite Actes 8. but he baptised him in the first water they came to vpoÌ y e way Here mayst thou perceiue that the vertue of Baptisme lyeth not in halowed water or in the outward thinges that we haue at y e Fount but in the fayth onely c. Christ hath healed vs sayth S. Paule by the bath of regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 3 Godfathers and Godmothers be bound to helpe theyr childreÌ that they be put to schole that they may vnderstand the Gospel 3. Article and the Epistles of S. Paule fol. 15. The place of this article gathered out of the sayd booke is this The Godfathers and Godmothers be bounde to helpe the children that they be put to schole to the entent The place annexed y t they may vnderstand the Gospell the ioyfull message of God with the Epistles of S. Paule God hath commaunded to publish to shew the Gospel not onely to priestes but to euery creature Goe ye sayth Christ vnto his Disciples into the vniuersall world and preach the Gospel to euery creature Marke 16. For we be all equally bound to knowe the Gospell and the doctrine of the new testament c· And S. Paule writing to the Corinthi confesseth that hee sendeth hs Epistles to all the Churche that is to say to all the assemble of Christen men to all them that call ân the name of Iesus c. 4 We thinke when we beleue that God is God can our creed that we haue the fayth that a christian man is bound to haue 4. Article but so doth the deuill beleue fol. 17. 5 To beleue that the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost be one God is not the principall that we must beleue our fayth dooth not lye principally in that for so beleueth the deuill fol. 18. 5. Article This place out of the which these two articles are collected is this We thinke when we beleue that God is God The place annexed and can our Creede that we haue the fayth which a Christian is bound to haue The deuill beleueth also that there is a God and life euerlasting and a hell Iam. 2. but hee is neuer the better for it and he trembleth alway for this fayth as sayth Saint Iames The deuils beleue and they tremble A man might aske What true fayth is that iustifieth what shall I then beleue Thou shalt beleue playnely and vndoubtedly that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost is one only God c. But this likewise beleue the wicked spirites and are nothing the better therfore There is yet an other fayth which Christ so much requireth
Antichrist the other not Idols were worshipped of both nations y e profauatyng of the Supper and Baptisme was lyke vnto them both wicked superstition raigned on both partes and true worship was deformed and defaced with detestable hipocrisie Truely it is most false that they do affirme and say that I had subscribed vnto such kynde of heresies as though they had bene conformable vnto the law of God when as nothyng is more aduerse or repugnaunt therevnto for euen now of late God of hys goodnesse and mercy had opened my daâelyng eyes and hath drawen me out of the filthy slow of Idolatry and superstition in the which amongest others I haue so long tyme wallowed and tumbled Neither is it any lesse absurde that they affirme me to haue allured many to embrace the same except peraduenture they do vnderstand that I haue oftentymes wished that the yoke of Antichrist should be shaken and cast off from the neckes of the Scottes as it is from the Englishe men whiche thyng with a sincere and vpright heart and with an earnest mynd I do now also wish and desire The 5. Article That the Scottish nation and their Clergy be altogether blynded 5. Article whome he did also say and affirme that they had not the true Catholike fayth And this he dyd openly teach and preached also that hys fayth was much better more excellent then the faith of all the clergy in the realme of Scotland Borthwike No man will deny that people to be blynded which neyther heareth Christ nor his Apostles Such is the people of Scotland I speake of those vnto whom the veritie and truth of Christ hath not yet opened or manifested it selfe There is no cause therefore why they should accuse me of heresy Furthermore how farre of the nation and people of Scotland be from the hearyng of Christ albeit the premisses do sufficiently declare in that they do chalenge vnto the Romishe Antichrist the autoritie which Christ and hys Apostles do declare Antithesis oâ comparison betweene the religioÌ of Scotâââh men and the religion of Christ. Christ himselfe to be endued with all and that contrary to the worde of GOD they forbid priests to marry I will adde some thing more unto it where by the matter may be more euident Christ calleth himselfe the dore whereby all men ought to enter in at Iohn the x. chapter Contrariwise the Scottes doe say and affirme that we must enter in by the virgine Mary and Saint Peter Christ in the fourth of Iohn sayth The tyme shall come when as the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth the Scottes builde themselues hye temples and chappels for Idols in the which euen as Israell in tymes past they commit fornication Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrews and x. chapter sayth That Christ by one onely oblation hath made perfect all those for euermore which are sanctified which saying confirmeth also the wordes of Christ hangyng vppon the Crosse saying it is finished signifieng that by hys death there was a finall ende set vnto all sacrifices which are offered vp for sinnes But the Scottish church men as they are blasphemers in deede so do they bragge and boast that they daily offer vp Christ for the sinnes both of the quicke and of the dead God commaundeth vs that we shall not worship any grauen Image The Scottes do not onely fall downe flatte before Images but also offer vp incense vnto them Saint Paule teacheth vs that Christ is made our wisedome righteousnesse satisfaction and redemption The Scottes beyng wyse men in theyr owne conceites preferre and embrace traditions fayned inuented out by mans head before the lawe of God they stablish righteousnesse in their owne workes sanctification in holy water and other externall things redemption in pieces of lead which they doe buy of their great Antichrist who then will quarell with me that I doe lye that the people of Scotland are blind and that my faith which doth onely behold the word of God to be much more better and excellent then theirs The 6. Article Agreeably to the ancient errors of Iohn Wickliffe and Iohn Hus Archheretikes condempned in the Councell of Constance 6. Article he hath affirmed and preached that the clergy ought not to possesse or haue any temporall possessions neyther to haue any iurisdiction or authoritie in temporalties euen ouer theyr owne subiectes but that all these things ought to be taken from them as it is at this present in England Borthwike The Lord in the xviij chapter of the booke of Numbers sayd thus vnto Aaron The Leuiticall law is no necessary rule now binding But he meaneth here of excessiue landes possessions of Abbeyes and religious he uses addict to them but the princes may diminish or conuert theÌ otherwise vpon considerations thou shalt possesse nothyng in theyr land neyther shalt thou haue any portion amongest them I am thy portion and inheritage amongst the children of Israell for vnto the sonnes of Leuy I haue geuen all the tithes of Israel that they should possesse them for their ministery which they do execute in the tent of ordinaries Albeit I do not doubt but that the order of the Leuites and of our clergy is farre different and variable For the administration of theyr sacred and holy thyngs after theyr death passed vnto their posterity as it were by right of inheritaunce which happeneth not vnto the posteritie of our clergy in these dayes Furthermore if any heritage be prouided or gotten for them I doe not gaynesay but that they shall possesse it But still I doe affirme that all temporall iurisdiction should bee taken from them for when as twise there rose a contention amongst the Disciples which of them should be thought the greatest Christ aunswered The kyngs of nations haue dominion ouer them and such which haue power ouer them are called beneficiall you shall not do so For he which is greatest amongst you shall be made equall vnto the yongest or lest and he which is the prince or ruler amongst you shall be made equall vnto hym which both minister mynding thereby and willyng vtterly to debarre the ministers of hys word from all terrene and ciuill dominion and Empire For by these poyntes he doth not onely declare that the office of a pastor is distinct and deuided from the office of a prince and ruler Ciuill dominion ââfering from Ecclesiasticall but that they are in effect so muche different and seperate that they cannot agree or ioyne together in one man Neither is it to be thought that Christ did set or ordaine an harder law then he himself before did take vpon hym Forsomuch as in the 12. of Luke certayne of the company sayd vnto hym Maister commaund my brother that he deuide his inheritaunce with me He aunswered Man who made me a Iudge or deuider amongest you We see therefore that Christ euen simply did reiect and refuse the office of a Iudge
mocked them so do ye Oliph Thou denyest the sacrament of the aultar to be the very body of Christ really in flesh and bloud Oliphant Mylle The Sacrament and sacrifice of the Masse Mille. The scripture of God is not to be taken carnally but spiritually and standeth in faith only as for the Masse it is wrong for Christ was once offered on the Crosse for mans trespasse and will neuer be offered agayne for then he ended all sacrifice Oliph Thou deniest the office of a Byshop Mille. Oliphant Mylle Byshops no Byshops I affirme that they whome ye call Byshops do no Bishops workes nor vse the offices of Bishops as Paul biddeth writing to Timothy but liue after their owne sensuall pleasure and take no care of the flocke nor yet regard they the word of God but desire to be honored and called my Lords Oliph Olyphant Thou speakest against pilgrimage and callest it a pilgrimage to whoredome Mille. I affirme that and say that it is not commaunded in the scripture Mylle and that there is no greater whoredome in no places then at your pilgrimages except it be in common brothels Oliph Thou preachedst quietly and priuatly in houses and openly in the fields Mille. Yea man and on the sea also sailing in ship Oliph Walter Mylle constant in the truth Sentence pronounced against Walter Mylle Wilt thou not recant thine erroneous opinioÌs and if thou wilt not I will pronounce sentence against thee Mille. I am accused of my life I know I must die once therfore as Christ sayd to Iudas Quod facis fac citius Ye shal know that I will not recant the truth for I am corne Patricke Learmonâ the Archbyshopâ stuard ãâã Prouost âââfuseth to his tempâârall iudgeâ Also the Archbishops chamberlaine refuseth to be his iudge The townâ offended wâth the condemâââtion of Walter Mille. No corde all the towne could be bought to tye him to the stake Alexander Symmerâwaill the Bishops seruant made teââporal iudââ for Walteâ Mille. The miraculous weââ king of ãâã in Walter Mille. W. Millâ denyed by the Byshoââ to speake W. Mille permitted by the ãâã men to speake I am no chaffe I wil not be blowne away with the wind nor burst with the flaile but I will abide both These thinges rehearsed they of purpose with other light trifles to augment their final accusation and then sir Andrew Oliphant pronounced sentence against him that he shuld be deliuered to the temporall iudge and punished as an hereticke which was to be burnt Notwithstanding his boldnes and constancie moued so the hartes of many that the Byshops Stuard of his regalitie Prouost of the towne called Patrike Learmond refused to be his temporall iudge to whome it appertained if the cause had bene iust Also the Bishops chamberlaine being therwith charged would in no wise take vpon him so vngodly an office Yea the whole towne was so offended with his vniust coÌdemnation that the Bishops seruauntes could not get for their money so much as one cord to tie him to y e stake or a tarre barrell to burne him but were constrained to cut the cordes of their maisters own pauilion to serue their turne Neuerthelesse one seruaunt of the Byshops more ignoraunt and cruell then the rest called Alexander Symmerwayll enterprising the office of a temporall iudge in that part conueyed him to the fire where against all naturall reason of man his boldnes and hardines did more and more increase so that the spirit of God working miraculously in him made it manifest to the people that his cause and Articles were iust and he innocently put downe Now when all things were ready for his death and he conueyed with armed men to the fire Oliphant had him passe to the stake and he said nay but wilt thou put me vp with thy hand and take part of my death thou shalt see me passe vp gladly for by y e law of God I am forbiddeÌ to put hands vpon my selfe TheÌ Oliphant put him vp with his hand and he ascended gladly saying Introibo ad altare Dei and desired that he might haue place to speake to y e people the which Oliphant and other of the burners denyed saying that he had spoken ouer much for the Byshops were altogether offended that y e matter was so long continued Then some of the yong men committed both the burners and the Byshops their maysters to the Diuell saying that they beleeued that they should lament that daye and desired the sayd Walter to speake what he pleased The Martyrdome of Walter Mille. Epitaphium Non nostra impietas aut actae crimina vitae Armarunt hostes in mea fata truces Sola fides Christi sacris signata libellis Quae vitae causa est est mihi causa necis After this by the iust iudgement of God in the same place where Walter Mille was burnt the Images of the great Church of the Abbey which passed both in number and costlines were burnt in time of reformation Ex fideli testimonio è Scotia misso And thus much concerning such matters as happened and such Martirs as suffered in the Realme of Scotland for the faith of Christ Iesus and testimonie of his truth ¶ Persecution in Kent IN reuoluing the Registers of William Warrham Archbyshop of Canterbury I finde moreouer besides these aboue comprehended Ex Regist. W. Warrham Archiepisc Cant. in the time and reigne of king Henry the names of diuers other wherof some suffered Martyrdome for the like testimonie of Gods worde and some recanted which albeit heere do come a little out of order and shoulde haue bene placed before in the beginning of King Henries reigne yet rather then they should vtterly be omitted I thought heere to geue them a place though somewhat out of time yet not altogether I trust without fruit vnto the Reader being no lesse worthy to be Registred and preserued from obliuion then other of theyr fellowes before them ¶ A Table of certayne true seruants of God and Martyrs omitted which were burned in the Dioces of Cant. vnder William Warrham Archbyshop of Canterbury with the names of theyr persecuters and accusers an 1511. Persecuters and Iudges Accusers and witnesses The Martyrs Wyllyam Warrham Archbishop of Caunterbury D. Cutbert Tonstall Doctour of both lawes and Chauncelour of the Archbyshop D. Syluester Lawyer D. Wellys Doctour Clement Browne Doctor Iohn Collet Deane of Paules Doctour Wodyngton Martirs in Kent before the tyme of M. Luther Willyam Rich of Benynden Agnes Iue of Canterbury Robert Hilles of Tenterden Steuen Castelyn of Tenterden Io. Grebill of Tenterden husband to Agnes Grebill the Martyr Christopher Grebill the naturall sonne of Agnes Grebill the Martyr Io. Grebill the yonger the naturall sonne of Agnes Grebill the Martyr Wil. Oldbert of Godmersham Laur. CheterdeÌ Tho. Harwood of Rowenden Ioane Harwood his wife Phill. Hardwod WilliaÌ Baker of Cramebroke Edw. Walker Robert Reinold of Benynden Williem Carder of Tenderden
the one nor the other And as for tumult none could reasonably be feared of any thing spoken agreable to the kings maiesties lawes as there did folow none nor the people or any man did offer my person any wrong or make tumult against me not withstanding players iesters rimers ballademakers did signify me to be of the true catholike faith Winchesâââ agaynst Players ãâã bâllademââkers which I according to my dutie declared to the kings maiesty from whoÌ I may hide no truth that I thinke expedient for hym to know And as the name of God cannot be vsed of any creture agaynst God no more can the kings name beyng vsed of any subiect against his highnes Wherfore seyng the abuse of this holy sacrament hath in it a danger assured by scripture of body soule whosoeuer is perswaded in y e catholike faith as I am findeth himself so burdened to vtter that vnto his maiesty as no worldly losse caÌ let him to do his duty in that behalfe and much lesse my Lordes priuate letters written without other of the counsails hands The 11. Article Item that after the premisses viz. in the month of May or Iune or one of them in the 3. yeare of his hyghnes raigne 11. ãâã his maiestye sent eftsoones vnto you to know your conformitie towards hys sayd reformations and specially touchyng the booke of common prayer then lately set foorth by hys maiestie whereunto you at the same tyme refused to shew your selfe conformable Winchester To the xi article for answer and declaration thereof he sayd The next day at after noone after he had preached Answeââ the 11. ãâã when he looked for no such matter came to his house the right worshipfull Sir Anthony Wingfield and Sir Rafe Sadler knights accompanied wyth a great nomber of the gard and vsed themselues for their part according to theyr worships and I doubt not as they were appoynted Sir Rafe Sadler begaÌ thus w t me My L. said he ye preached yesterday obedience but ye did not obey your selfe went forth w t his message very soberly as he can and discretely I asked him wherein I obeied not He sayde touching my L. of Somersets letter Maister Sadler quoth I I pray you say to my Lords grace I would he neuer made mention of that letter for the loue I beare him And yet quoth I I haue not broken that letter I was mineded quoth I to haue wrytten to my L. vpon the receipt of it and loe quoth I ye may see how I begaÌ and shewed him because we were then in my study the beginning of my letter and reasoned with him for declaration of my selfe and told him therwith I wil not spend quoth I many wordes w t you for I caÌ not alter this determination And yet in good faith quoth I my maner to you and this declaration may haue this effecte that I be gently handled in the prisone and for that purpose I pray you make sute on my behalfe Wynchester ãâã Wynchester committed ãâã the tower Maister Wingfield laide his hand on my shoulder and arested me in y e kings name for disobedience I asked them whether I shoulde They sayde to the Tower Finally I desired them that I might be spoken wyth shortly heard what I could say for my selfe and praied them to be suters in it and so they saide they would After y t I was once in the tower vntill it was within 6. dayes of one whole yere I could heare no maner word message comfort or relief sauing once when I was sicke and me thought some extremity towardes me my Chaplaine had licence to come to me for one time then denied againe being aunswered that my feuer was but a tertian which my said Chaplaine tolde me when he came to me at the Easter followinge and there beinge wyth me from the morning till night on Easter day departed and for no suâe could neuer haue him since To M. Lieftenant I made diuers sutes to prouoke the duke of Somersets grace to hear me And if I might haue the liberty of an English man I would plainly declare I had neither offended law statute acte proclamation nor his own letter neither but al wold not help I shal report me to M. LieftenaÌt whether in al this time I maligned grudged or vsed any vnsemely wordes euer demanding iustice to be heard according to iustice When I had bene thus in the tower one whole yeare within 6. daies or 7. as I remember The Lord Chauncellour and Secretary Peter commeth to Wynchester in the tower came to the Tower the Lord Chancellor of England now being the L. Treasurer and master Secretarye Peter who calling me vnto them as I remember entred this They sayde they hadde brought with them a booke passed by the parlament which they would I should looke on and say my minde to it and vpon my conformitie in it my Lord of Somerset would be suter to the kings maiestie for mercy to be ministred to me Wherunto I answered that I trusted if I might be heard the kings Maiesties iustice would releue me which I had longsued for and could not be heard And to sue for mercy quoth I when I haue not in my conscience offended and also to sue out of thys place Wynchester denyeth to sue for mercy wher asking of mercy emploieth a further suspition then I woulde be for all the worlde touched in it were not expedient And therefore quoth I not guiltie is and hath bene allowed a good plee for a prisoner Then my Lord sayd why quoth he were ye not commaunded to preache of the kings authoritie in his younge age yet did not I told him I was not commaunded Is not quoth he that Article in the papers yee had deliuered you I assured him no. And after communication of the kings Maiesties authority wherein was no disagrement Take betweene the Lord ChauÌcellour and Wynchester in the tower then my lord Chancellor said I had disobeied my Lordes graces letter I told him I thought not and if the matter came to iudgement it should appeare And then I sayd to him my Lord howe many open iniunctions vnder Seale and in open Courte haue bene broken in this Realme the punishment wherof hath not ben handled after this sort yet I would stande in defence y t I had not broken his letter waying the words of the letter wherein I reasoned with M. Peter Secretarie what a controuersie was and some part what I could say further But what so euer I canne saye quoth I you must iudge it and for the passion of God do it and then let me sue for mercy when the nature of the offence is known if I will haue it Wynchester will acknowledge no offence But when I am quoth I declared an offender I will with humilitie of suffering make amendes to the kings Maiestie so farre as I am able for I shoulde neuer
with his relatiue must be applied of necessitie vnto his geuing of his body vpon the Crosse. Nor we do finde in the whole Scripture where Christ did fulfill his sayde promise made in y e 6. of Iohn but at those said two times Wherefore if we be deceiued in this matter of Transubstantiation we may well say O Lord thou hast deceaued vs. But God forbid that we should once thinke such wickednes of him He must also be vniust of his promise if it be not performed at any season as it is not indeede if it were not at both the said times Then if it were performed as the Catholique Churche of Christe dothe holde determine and beleeue then must it needes be graunted that he gaue at his last Supper his owne body and flesh indeede and verely which he gaue vpon the Crosse for the life of the world though not in so fleshly a manner and bloudie yet the very same flesh and âloud really after an vnbloudy sort and spiritually He said not This bread is my body nor yet heere with the bread is my body but This is my body which shall be geuen for you Nor he said not this wine is my bloud nor with this wine is my bloud whiche circumstance of plaine speach he would haue vsed if the pure creatures should haue remained but he sayde This is my bloud which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes that is to say the substance hidden vnder these visible formes of bread and wine are my very proper fleshe and bloud I pray you where do you find in the whole body of the Scripture expressed or iustly vnderstanded that Christ gaue but only a bare and naked signe figure or sacrament Or where finde you that he gaue his body wyth bread Anno 1549. it remayning bread still And if you thinke to finde it I pray you shewe me here whether that bodye that hee gaue with materiall bread were his true body or not If not then it was phantasticall if it were his true body as you doe graunt then must there needes be two very true bodyes in one place together Now that it was his verye true body and bloud it is certayne by the playne wordes of the text saying thus Which is betrayed or geuen and which is shedde for you and for many But I will let all this passe ouer and I do requyre of you this one question whether that the sacramentes of the old law and of y e new law be all one Madew If you doe consider the thinges themselues they be all one but if you respecte the onely signes figures and sacramentes outwardly then they be diuers Glin. I doe perceiue your aunswere very well then further to our purpose was Christ then after the same maner in the bread that came from heauen In the paschall lamb and in Isaac as he is in this Sacrament Which if you do graunt me then these propositions were true for Christ to say this Manna is my body this Lambe is my body this Isaac is my bodye Moreouer if the Sacramentes of the olde law and of the law of grace be all one in very deede effect as you seeme to grauÌt theÌ what difference is betweene the shew bread in Moyses law and the bread that we doe breake that Saynt Paule speaketh of They then had that bread which signified Christ and so doth ours as you say that was bread so is ours and so by your reason there is no difference betweene them yea theyr Manna because it came from heauen was better then this earthly bread that commeth from beneath which is contrarye to the truth for Saynt Paule sayth that the law was geuen by Moyses but the verity was geueÌ by Iesus Christ. Wherefore that which Christ gaue was not onely a signe but also the veritye that is to saye the liuing breade that came from heauen the true Lambe that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world and Isaac himselfe which is Christ or els you must graunt me that we christians doe receiue lesse then the Iewes did For they receiued the breade called Manna from heauen and we onely a poore morsel of bread from the earth Theyrs was called Aungelles foode and ours is as you holde little better then common breade Me seemeth that you doe distrust the doctrine of the fayth of Christendome for these fiue hundreth yeares euen as though Christ had forsaken his Catholique Church after one thowsande yeares but that is not so for he promised his holy spirite to assist his spowse the Church and to lead her continually into all trueth from time to time as neede should require Adoration of the Sacrament mainteyned by Glyn. As I remember you sayd that adoration did followe vpon transubstaunciation but the fathers for one thowsand yeares past doe graunt adoration of the sacrament therefore transubstantiation also The minor I proue by the most cleare testimonies of S. Austen S. Ambrose S. Deuise S. Basile and S. Chrisostome Madew I denye mayster Doctour that I sayde any suche thing and therwith I say that the Fathers do vnderstand by adoration a certeine reuerent maner that we should receiue the Lordes supper with which may be called a certeÌ veneration but no adoration Glin. No may S. Austen de ciuitate Dei witnesseth that the Ethnikes and Paynims doe esteme the Christians to worship and adore the gods of wheat and barly called Caeres and the God of wyne called Bacchus And agayne S. Austen saith thus Lo no man eateth of that bread except he first adore and worship it Madew By your pacience S. Austen in that place speaketh of the honoring of Christes body now sitting in heauen Glin. Math 26. Marc. Yea mayster Doctor thinke you so And why not also of his blessed body in the sacrament Seing that he saith it is there this is my body which is geuen for you sayth he More playnely he needed not to speake for the reall preseÌce of his blessed body being both able willing to verify his word For if a cunning Lapidary should say to you or me thys is a true right diamoÌd Real preâânce ãâã by the Papistes a perfecte carbuncle saphyre emrode or any such precious stone we would beleue him though we were ignorant of theyr natures Wherefore we ought much more to beleue our Sauiour Christ God and man in that he sayth this is my body And why then ought we not to honor it in the sacrament Or how many bodies hath Christ seeing you do graunt his body in heauen to be honored but not his body here in the sacrament Madew Forsooth he hath but one very body no moe but the same is sacramentally in the sacrament and substancially in heauen here by fayth and there in deed Glin. Well yet once agayne to you thus The very true body of Christ is to be honored Argument but the same very true body is in the Sacrament ergo the
this bread or vnder this bread or by this bread but sayd plainly This is my body And this he prooued by these reasons First for that it was prefigured before Secondly Three vaine reaâsons to proue thâ bread to ãâã transubstâââciate for that it was promised Thirdly for that it was geuen The transubstaÌtiation of the bread was prefigured by the Manna which came downe from heauen all that bread was heauenly and without any earthly matter or substance adnexed Secondly it was promised in those wordes of Christ y e bread that I will geue is my flesh c. Thirdly it was geuen by Christ and exhibited in hys last supper sayeng Take eate this is my body Here they were forced to breake of through the want of tyme yet Parker replied thus agaynst Doct. Perne WE geue thee thanks most holy Father that thou hast hid these thyngs from the wyse and prudent and hast reuealed them to babes for pryde is the roote of al heresies whatsoeuer And on the other side to acknowledge our owne infirmitie and imperfection is the first steppe to the true vnderstandyng of the truth Nestorius the heretike affirmed that there were two persons in Christ one that was man another that was God therefore he sayd that in the Eucharist was contayned true flesh but onely of hys pure manhoode Agaynst hym did the counsell of Ephesus conclude sayeng That there was the reall fleshe of the sonne of God c. This he proued by the words of Christ My flesh is meate in deede and what flesh that is he teacheth vpon the sixt of Iohn that is quoth he the fleshe vnited to the deitie and quickened by the holy Ghost c. Now that that flesh is in the Sacrament it is playnâ by Hillarius lib. 8. de Trinitate he prooued the same also out of Chrysostome homil 45. vpon Iohn Hillârius li. 8. de trinitat Chrisost. ho. 45. We are one bodye with hym meÌbers of his flesh and bones of his bones c. Agayne in the same homilie we are ioyned to hys flesh not onely by fayth and loue but also in very deede and truely And agayne it pleased me to become your brother and by the same thyngs wherin I was ioyned to you haue I geuen my selfe agayne vnto you c. Perne I graunt vnto you that Christ is in the sacrament truely wholy verely Christ is ãâã the Sacrament realâ after a ãâã after a certaine propertie maner I deny not hys presence but hys reall and corporall presence I vtterly deny for doubtles hys true and natural body is in heauen and not in the sacrament notwithstaÌdyng he dwelleth with vs and in vs after a certaine vnitie And also in the 6. chapter of Iohn he speaketh not of the flesh of Christ crucified c. Parker The flesh of Christ as it is in the sacrameÌt is quick and geueth lyfe Ergo his reall and substantiall fleshe is in the sacrament Perne The flesh of Christ in that it is vnited to the deitie doth viuifie and geueth lyfe but not otherwyse How Christes fleshe geueth lyfe Rochest Christ dwelleth in vs by fayth and by fayth we receiue Christ both God and man both in spirit and flesh that is this sacramentall eatyng is the meane and waye whereby we attayne to the spirituall eatyng and in deede for the strengthenyng of vs to the eatyng of this spirituall foode was this sacrament ordeyned How theââ wordes this is my body are ment There is a vnion betweene ãâã and womaâ yet no tranâsubstantiation And these words This is my body are ment thus by grace it is my true body but not my fleshly body as some of you suppose Parker We are ioyned to Christ not onely by faith but also in very deede ergo c. Rochest We are ioyned to Christ that is we are made pertakers of his flesh and of immortalitie And so lyke case is there a vnion betweene man and woman yet is there no transubstantiaâion of eyther or both c. Pollard The sacrament is not bare bread and nothing els onely because it is called bread so often in the Scriptures Why it is called bread so often and that I prooue by three reasons First it is called bread because of the similitude Secondly because of the mutation Thirdly for the matter whereof it is made and compact as the Angels are called men the holy ghost a tonge the rod of Aaron a serpent and such lyke The wordes of Christ do teach the same thyng as appeareth in the healyng of the woman of Canaans daughter Iairus sonne and many others c. Ergo c. Then he prooued agaynst Rochester that somewhat els was in the Sacrament besides power and grace by this reason The euill receyue the body of Christ as is playne out of Augustine homil 21. de verbis domini but the euill and wycked receyue not the vertue or grace Ergo there is not onely grace and vertue in the sacrament Rochest The euill do not receyue the Lord in Sacrament but the sacrament of the Lord as Iudas who in deed eate not the true body of the Lord. Pollard In the sacrament be three thyngs to wit an outward signe the matter of the Sacrament and the fruite of the same the euill receyue the outward signe and the subiect of the Sacrament but not the fruite of the Sacrament Ergo there is somewhat els in the Sacrament than onely grace Also euery Sacrament ought to haue a certaine similitude with the matter of the Sacrament but the materiall bread hath not such similitude with the body of Christ which is the matter of the Sacrament Ergo materiall bread is not a Sacrament Perne I deny your Minor for materiall breade doth so nourish the bodye as the fleshe of Christ doth the soule Here he beyng requested gaue place to others M. Vauisor THorough the shortnesse of tyme I am so constrayned that neyther I can speake without losse of my reputation nor yet hold my peace without offence to God For in speakyng as I doe without great premeditation before this honourable worshipfull and learned audience I shall but shewe foorth my childishnesse herein and if I should hold my peace I myght be thought to betray the truth of Gods cause And therfore whilest I can neyther speake for the breuitie of tyme nor yet hold my peace gods truth beyng in controuersie I haue determined although with the impairyng of my good name to render a reason of my fayth which if I cannot affourd probably in words yet wyll I not faulte in sayeng nothyng at all For it seemeth better that I be esteemed altogether foolish and vnlearned amongst so many graue learned Fathers Doctours then to forsake the iust defence of the truth which euery good christian man throughout the world hath euer holden inuiolable For who so forsaketh the manifest knowen truth had neuer any true fayth therein Which thyng that I may ouerpasse in
the deuill and defendeth meÌ from deceptions of phantasy c. Thus ye haue heard the author and father of holly water which some also ascribe to Pope Sixtus which succeeded Alexander But as y e Papists do not agree in the fyrst authour or institutor of this hallowing of Elementes so I thinke the same vntruely to be ascribed to either but leauing the probation of this to farther leasure let vs nowe heare in our owne tongue theyr owne words which y e vse in this theyr coniuration The forme and wordes vsed of the Priest in coniuring Salt I coniure thee thou creature of Salte by the â liuyng God Salt coniured by the â true God by the holy God c. That thou mayest be made a coniured Salte to the saluation of them that beleue And that vnto all suche as receiue thee thou mayest be health of soule and body and that from out of y e place wherein thou shalt be sprinckled may flie away and depart all phantasy wickednes or craftines of the deuils subtlety and euery foule spirit c. The forme of coniuring water Water coniured I coniure thee thou creature of water in the name of â God the father almighty and in the name of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue â of the holy Ghost that thou become a coniured water to expell all power of the enemy c. Who seeth not in these wordes blasphemye intollerable how that which only is due to the bloud of Christ and promised to fayth onely in him the same is transferred to earthly and insensate creatures to be saluation both to bodye and spirite inwardlye to geue remission of sinnes to geue health and remedy agaynst euils and deuils against all phantasies wickednesse and all foule spirites and to expell the power of the enemy c. If this be true whereto serueth the bloud of Christ and the vertue of Christian fayth Therfore iudge thy selfe gentle Reader whether thou thinke this trompery rightly to be fathered vpon those ancient fathers aforenamed or els whether it may seme more like trueth that Iohn Sleydan writeth whose woordes in his second booke de Monarchijs are these Ioan ãâã danuâ ãâã de 4. ââânarch Horum decreta sunt in libris inserta conciliorum sed ex his plaeraque tam sunt leuicula tam nugatoria tam aliena prorsus a sacris literis vt credibile sit ab alijs longo post teÌpore fuisse conficta c. That is The decrees of these foresaid Bishops and Martyrs be inserted in the booke of Counsels but of these decrees many therof be so childish so trifling and so farre disagreeing from the holy scripture Many ãâ¦ã imputeâ the oldâ theââ which ãâã none oâ theirs that it is very like that the same were fayned and counterfayted of others long after theyr time c. Thus muche sayth Sleydane with moe woordes in that place Unto whose testimony if I might be so bolde also to adde my coniecture I would suppose the coniuration of this foresayd water and Salte to spring out of the same fountayne from whence proceeded the coniuring of flowers and braunches because I see the order and manner of them both to be so like and vniforme as may appeare The maner of halowing flowers and braunches I coniure thee thou creature of flowers and brauÌches in the name of â God the father almighty Floures braunch hallowâ and in the name â of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue of the holy â Ghost Therfore be thou rooted out and displaÌted from this creature of flowers and braunches all thou strength of the aduersary all thou host of the deuill and all the power of the enemy eueÌ euery assault of the deuils c. And thus much concerning the antiquity of holy bread and holy water wherby thou mayst partly coniecture the same not to be so olde as Steuen Gardiner in hys Letter agaynst mayster Ridley aboue mentioned woulde haue Pag. 753. being both deceiued himselfe and also goyng about to seduce other Furthermore as touching the reseruing of reliques the memoriall of sayntes brought into the masse Ex Actiâ Rom. ãâã in ãâã Gregoriââ Gregory the thyrd is the author therof who also added to the canon therof this clause Quorum solennitates hodie in coÌspectu diuinae maiestatis tuae celebrantur c. Finally it were to long to recite euery thing in order deuised and brought in particularly to the masse and to y e Church For after that mans brayne was once set on deuising it neuer coulde make an end of heaping rite vppon rite and ceremony vpon ceremonye till all religion was turned well nighe to superstition Thereof commeth oyle and creame brought in by Pope Siluester not wont to be hallowed but by a byshop Oyle ãâã creame The ãâã onelâ linnen That the corporas shuld not be of silcke but onely of fine linnen cloth That the Psalmes should be song on sides the one side of the quier singing one verse the other an other with gloria patri c. That baptisme should be ministred at no other time in the yere but onely at Easter and at whitsontide saue onely to infantes and such as were in extreame infirmity and that it should be requyred 40. dayes before Autor ãâã Conciliââ Tomo ãâã Hallow of the ãâã at Easteââ Whitsoââtide Christ iâ of bellâ Ex ponâ cali ãâ¦ã No beaââ so determined by Pope Siricius and therfore was it that fontes were halowed onely at these two seasons the which hallowing they keep yet still but the ordinaunce they haue reiecte Item that belles also were Christened Item no Prieste shoulde weare a beard or haue long hayre so appoynted by Pope Martine the first Item that auriculare confession shoulde be made that the booke of decrees and decretals should be stablished and transubstauntiation confirmed in whiche three Actes Pope Innocentius the thyrd was the chiefest doer Transuââstantiatââ about the yeare of our Lord. 1215. And thus haue ye in sum the gatheringes of the masse with the Chanon and all the appurtenaunce of the same which not much vnlike to the Crow of Esope being patched with the feathers of so manye byrdes was so long a gethering that the temple of Salomon was not so long in building as the Popes Masse was in making Whereby iudge now thy selfe good Reader whether this Masse did proceede from Iames and other Apostles or no. And yet this was one of the principall causes for which so much turmoyle was made in the Church with the bloudshed of so many Godly men suffering in so many quarters of this realme some consumed by fire some pined away with huÌger some hanged some slayne some racked some tormented one way some another and that onely or chiefelye for the cause of this aforesayd popish Masse as by the reading of this story folowing by the grace of Christ our Lord shall appeare more
ridden 40. miles on horsebacke as their busines doth sometime require they should not be able to say at night that they sawe their horses all y e day but only the colour of theyr horsses and by hys reason Christe must go to schole learne of Aristotle to speake For when he saw Nathanaell vnder the fig tree if Aristotle had stand by he would haue said no Christe thou sawest not him but the colour of him After this Watson sayde what if it were graunted that Theodoret was on the other side whereas they had one of that opinion there were an hundred on the other side Then the Prolocutor called for M. Morgan to helpe and sayd Morgan is called for ãâã helpe at ãâã pinche that Theodoret did not more then he might lawfully do For first he graunted the truthe and then for feare of suche as were not fully instructed in the faythe he spake ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is couertly and in a mysterie and thys was lawfull for him to do for first he graunted the trueth and called them the body of Christ bloud of Christ. Then afterward he seemed to geue somwhat to the sences and to reason but that Theodorete is of the same minde that they were of the words folowing quoth he do declare For that which followeth is a cause of that whiche went before and therefore he sayth The immortalitie c. Morgan is taken with false alleaâging of thâ texte Whereby it doth appeare that he meante the diuine nature not the humane Then was Morgan taken w t misalleging of the text For the booke had not this word for For the Greeke word did rather signify truly not for so that it mighte manifestly appeare that it was the beginning of a newe matter not a sentence rendring a cause of that he had sayd before Then was it said by Watson again suppose that Theodoret be wyth you whych is one that we neuer hearde ãâã printed but two or three yeres ago Yet he is but one and what is one against the whole consent of the church After this M. Cheyney inferred that not only Theodorete was of that minde that the substance of bread and wine doe remaine but diuers other also speciallye Irenaeus who making mention of this sacrament sayth thus when the cuppe whych is mingled with wine and the breade that is broken Irenaeus Lib. 5. contra Valenââum doe receiue the worde of God it is made the Euchariste of the bodye and bloude of Christ by the whiche the substaunce of our flesh is nourished and doeth consist If the thankes geuing doe nourish our body then ther is some substance besides Christes body To the which reason both Watson and Morgan aunsweared that Ex quibus By the whych Watson in the sentence of Irenaeus was referred to the next antecedent that is to the body and bloud of Christ and not to the wine which is in the cup and the bread that is broken Master Cheiney replied M. Cheynââ that it was not the bodye of Christ which norished our bodies And let it be that Christes flesh norisheth to immortalitie yet it doth not answere that argument although it be true no more then that aunswere which was made to my allegation out of S. Paule The bread which we breake c. w t certaine other like whereunto you answered that bread was not taken there in hys proper signification but for that it had bene no more then the rod of Aaron which was taken for the serpent because it had beene a serpent After this M. Cheyney broughte in Hesechius Anno 1553. and vsed the same reason that hee did of the custome of burning of Symboles and hee asked them what was burnt Master Watson sayd we must not enquire nor aske but if there were any faulte impute it to Christ. Then sayde M. Cheiney whereof came those ashes not of a substance or can anye substance arise of accidents Then was M. Harpsfield called in to see what he could say in the matter Harpesfield calleâ ãâã to helpe watson Who told a faire tale of the omnipotencie of God and of the imbecilitie and weaknesse of mans reasons not able to attaine to godly things And he sayde that it was conuenient whatsoeuer we sawe felt or tasted not to trust our sences And he tolde a tale out of S. Cyprian how a woman sawe the Sacrament burning in her cofer Here is goodly ãâã as if ãâã were out of the Legends of âyes and that which burned there quoth Harpsfielde burneth heere and becoÌmeth ashes But what that was that burnt he could not tell But M. Cheiney continued still and forced them with this question what it was that was burnt It was eyther sayde he the substance of breade or els the substaunce of the body of Christe which were too much absurditie to graunt At length they answeared that it was a miracle wherat M. Cheiney smiled and sayd that he could then say no more Then D. Weston asked of the company there whether those menne were sufficiently answeared or no Westââ woulde know whether they were sufficiently answered when he and his had answered no argument Certaine Priestes cried Yea but they were not heard at all for the great multitude which cried No no. Which cry was heard and noised almost to the ende of Paules Whereat D. Weston being much mooued answered bitterly that hee asked not the iudgement of the rude multitude vnlearned people but of them which were of the house Then asked he of M. Haddon and his fellowes whether they woulde aunswere them other three dayes Haddon Cheiney and Elmar sayd No. But the Archdeacon of Winchester stoode vp and sayde that they should not say but they should be aunsweared and though all other did refuse to answer yet he would not M. Philpot. but offered to answere them all one after another Marke Westonâ impudencie wyth whose profer the Prolocutor was not conteÌted but raised on him and sayd that he should goe to Bedlem to whome the Archdeacon soberly made this answer that he was more worthy to be sent thether who vsed himselfe so ragingly in that disputation without any indifferent equalitie Then rose D. Weston vp and sayde All the company hath subscribed to our Article sauing only these men which you see A strong argument of Weston Where he is not able to answere he would out face What their reasons are you haue heard We haue answeared them 3. daies vppon promise as it pleased him to descaÌt wythout truth for no such promise was made that they should answer vs againe as long as the order of disputation doeth require and if they be able to defend theyr doctrine let them so doe Then M. Elmar stood vp prooued how vaine a man Weston was M. Elmers reason why they would not answer for hee affirmed that they neuer promised to dispute but only to open testifye to
he doth communicate to vs hys owne nature Ex exâââplari ãâã Cranmer descriptoâ and so is Christ made one with vs carnally and corporally because he tooke our nature of the Uirgine Mary And Hillary doth not onely say that Christ is naturally in vs but that we also are naturally in him and in the father that is that we are partakers of their nature which is eternitie or euerlastingnes For as the worde receiuing our nature did ioyne it vnto himselfe in vnitie of person and did coÌmunicate vnto that our nature the nature of his eternitie Naturallâ expoundââ that is ãâã bodyes to participatâ the naturâ propertâ of Christ holy iââmortall bââdy that like as he being the euerlasting word of the Father had euerlasting life of the Father euen so he gaue the same nature to hys flesh Likewise also did he communicate with vs the same nature of eternitie which he and the father haue and that we should be one with them not onely in wil loue but that we should be also partakers of y e nature of euerlasting life West Hilary where he saith Christ coÌmunicated to vs his nature he meaneth y t not by his natiuity but by y e sacrament Cranmer He hath communicated to vs his flesh by hys natiuitie West We haue communicated to him * Then ãâã Christ a sinfull flesh our flesh when he was borne Cran. Nay he communicated to vs his flesh wheÌ he was borne and that I will shew you out of Cyrill vppon this place Et homo factus est West Ergo Christ being borne gaue vs his flesh Cran. In his natiuity he made vs * That is made vs partakers the propeââties life iâânocencye resurrectioâ of his bodâ D Chadââ agayne dâââputeth Hillar 8. ãâã Trinitate partakers of his flesh West Write Sirs Cran. Yea write Ched This place of Hilary is so dark that you were compelled to falsifie it in your booke because you coulde not draw it to confirme your purpose If Christ haue taken verily the flesh of our body and the man that was verely borne of the Virgin Mary is Christ and also wee receaue vnder the true mistery the fleshe of his body by meanes wherof we shal be one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shall that be called the vnitie of will when the naturall propertie brought to passe by the Sacrament is the Sacrament of vnitie we must not speake in the sence of man or of the worlde in matters concerning God neither must wee peruersly wrast anye straunge or wicked sence out of the wholesome meaning of the holy scripture through impudent and vile contentioÌ Let vs read those thinges that are written and let vs vnderstand those thinges that wee read and then wee shall performe the duetie of perfect fayth For as touching that naturall and true being of Christ in vs except wee learne of him wee speake foolishly and vngodly that thing that we doe speake For he sayth My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him As touching the veritie of his fleshe and bloud there is left no place of doubt for now both by the testimonie of the Lord and also by our fayth it is verily flesh and verily bloud Here you haue falsified Hillary Thus ãâã was their talke in Englishe Seing M Cranmeâ had twyââ veré ãâã once verâ they had cause to ãâã greeued ãâã that they were ãâã to ãâã a knot in rushe for you haue set verò sub mysterio for verè sub mysterio we receiue truly vnder a mystery Hillary thrise reporteth verè sub mysterio and you interprete it twise verè sub mysterio but the third tyme you haue verò for verè Cran. Assuredly I am not guilty of any deceite herein It may be that the copy which I followed had Sub vero mysterio i. vnder a true mysterye although touching y e sense it differeth little God I call to witnesse I haue alway hated falsifieng and if you had laisure and lust to heare false citations I could recite vnto you vj. hundred West Here shall be shewed you two copies of Hilary the one printed at Basill the other at Paris Cran. I suppose that D. Smiths bookes hath vero Weston Here is Doctour Smith let him aunswere for hymselfe M. Smith M. Doctor what say you for your selfe speake if you know it ¶ Here Doctor Smith eyther for the truth in hys booke alledged or els astonied with Doctor Westons hasty calling stayd to answer For he onely put of his cappe and kept silence West But your owne booke printed by Wolfe your owne Printer hath vero Cran. That Booke is taken from me which easily myght haue ended this controuersie I am sure the booke of Decrees hath vero Cole Now you admit the booke of Decrees when it maketh for you Cran. Touching the sence of the matter there is little difference The chaunge of one letter for an other is but a small matter West Noâs Pastor as you know signifieth a Byshop and Pistor signifieth a Baker But Pastor shal be Pistor a Bishop shall be a Baker by this your chaunge of one letter If verè and vero doe nothing chaunge the sence Cran. Let it be so that in Pistor and Pastor one letter maketh some difference Yet let Pistor be either a Baker or maker of bread ye see here the change of a letter and yet no great difference to be in the sence Young This disputation is taken in hand that the truth myght appeare I perceiue that I must goe an other waye to worke then I had thought It is a common saying againste hym that denyeth principles we must not dispute Therfore that we may agree of the principles I demaund whether there be any other body of Christ then his instrumentall body Cran. There is no naturall body of Christe but his organicall body Young Againe I demande whether sence reason ought to geue place to faith Cran. They ought Yong. Thirdly whether Christ be true in all his wordes Cran. Yea he is most true and trueth it selfe Yong. Fourthly whether Christ at his supper mineded to doe that which he spake or no Cran. Dicendo dixit non fecit dicendo sed fecit Discipulis Sacramentum That is In saying he spake but in sayinge hee made not but made the sacrament to his disciples Yong. Answer according to the truthe whether did Christ that as God and man ãâã Yonges ââophisticall ãâã whych he spake when he sayde This is my body Cran. This is a sophistical cauillation go plainly to work There is some deceite in these questions You seeke subtlenesse leaue your craftie fetches Young I demaunde whether Christe by these woordes wrought any thing or no Cran. He did institute the Sacrament Yong. But answere whether did he worke any thing Cran. He did worke in instituting the
like yours which thing doth manifestly appeare in his writings which are agaynst it in euery place And Augustine is a reasonable man he requireth to be beleued no further then he bringeth scripture for his proofe and agreeth with Gods word West In the same place he proueth a propiciatorie sacrifice and that vpon an aulter and no Oyster boord The blasphemous mouth of D. Weston calling the Lordes table an Oyster bord Lat. It is the Lords table and no Oyster boord It may be called an aultar and so the doctors call it in many places but there is no propiciatorie sacrifice but only Christ. The doctors might be deceiued in some points though not in all things * I beleeue them when they say well Cole Is it not a shame for an old man to lye You say Doctores legenâi sunt cum venia you are of the old fathers fayth where they say well and yet ye are not Lat. I am of their faith when they say well I referre my selfe to my L. of Caunterburies booke wholy herein Smyth Then are you not of Chrysostomes faith nor of S. Augustines fayth Lat. I haue said when they said well and bring scripture for them I am of their faith and further Augustine requireth not to be beleeued West Origen Hom. 13. vpon Leuiticus Latimer I haue but one worde to say Panis Sacramentalis the Sacramentall bread is called a Propitiation because it is a Sacrament of the Propitiation What is your vocation West My vocation is at this tyme to dispute otherwise I am a Priest and my vocation is to offer Lat. Where haue you that authorttie geuen you to offer West Hoc facite Do this for facite in that place is taken for offerte that is offer you Lat. Facere for sacrificare with D. Weston Is Facere nothing but sacrificare to sacrifice Why then no man must receiue the sacrament but priestes onely for there may none offer but priests Ergo there may none receiue but priests West Your argument is to be denied Lat. If Christ offered himselfe at the Supper and the next day vpon the Crosse then was Christ twise offered Did Christ then offer himselfe at his supper Pye Yea he offred himselfe for the whole world Latimer Then if this worde Facite Do ye signifie Sacrificate Sacrifice ye it followeth as I sayd that none but Priestes onely ought to receiue the Sacrament to whom it is onely lawfull to sacrifice and where find you that I pray you West Fourty yeare agone whether could you haue gone to haue found your doctrine Lat. The more cause we haue to thanke God that hath now sent the light into the world West WestoÌs rayling The light Nay lite and lewd Preachers for you could not tell what you might haue Ye altered changed so often your communions and altars and all for this one end to spoile and rob the Church Latimer These things pertayne nothyng to mee I must not aunswere for other mens deedes but onely for myne owne West Well M. Latimer this is our entent to wyll you well and to exhort you to come to your selfe and remember that without Noes Arke there is no health Remember what they haue bene that were the beginners of your doctrine none but a few flying Apostataes runnyng out of Germany for feare of the fagot Remember what they haue bene which haue set forth the same in this Realme A sort of flyngbraines and light heads which were neuer constant in any one thyng as it was to be seene in the turnyng of the Table where lyke a sort of Apes they coulde not tell which way to turne their tailes D. Westons Apes haue tayles looking one day West and another day East one that way and an other this way They will be lyke they say to the Apostles they wyll haue no Churches A houell is good enough for them They come to the Communion with no reuerence They get them a Tankard and one sayth I drinke and I am thankfull Blasphemous lyes of D. WestoÌ sitting in Cathedra pestilentiae the more ioy of thee sayth another And in them was it true that Hyllary sayth Annuas meÌstruas de deo fides facimus id est We make euery yere and euery month a fayth A runnagate Scot did take away the adoration or worshipping of Christ in the Sacrament by whose procurement that heresie was put into the last CoÌmunion booke Who be these or where be they M. Oblocutor that will be lyke the Apoâtles that will haue no Churches that be runnagates out of Germany that get them tancardes that make monthly faythes that worship not Christ in all his Sacramentes Speake truth maÌ and shame the deuill so much preuayled that one mans authoritie at that tyme. You neuer agreed with the Tygurines or Germaines or with the Churche or with your selfe Your stubbornnesse commeth of a vayne glory which is to no purpose for it will do you no good when a fagot is in your beard And we see all by your owne confession how little cause you haue to be stubborn for your learning is in scoffers hold The Queenes grace is mercifull if ye will turne Lat. You shall haue no hope in me to turne I pray for the Queene daily euen from the bottome of my hart that she may turne from this religion West Here you all see the weakenes of heresie against the truth he denieth all truth and all the old fathers HEre all good Readers maye see how this glorious Prolocutor triumpheth but whether he hath the victorye or no that I suppose they haue not yet neyther heard nor seene And geue that he had the victory yet what great meruayle was it disputyng as hee dyd Non sine suo Theseo that is not without his tipplyng cuppe standing at his elbow all the time of his disputation notwithout a priuy notyng and smilyng of them that beheld the matter but specially at that tyme when Doctour Ridley disputyng with one of the Opponentes the sayd Prolocutor tooke the cuppe and holding it in hys hand sayd to the Opponent Vrge hoc vrge hoc Nam hoc facit pro nobis In which wordes as he mooued no little matter of laughter to the beholders thereof Vrge hoc quoth Weston with his berepot so I thought here also not to leaue the same vnmentioned somwhat also to delight the Reader withal after his tedious wearines in reading the story therof ¶ To the Reader And thus hast thou louyng Reader the whole action and stage of this Doctourly disputation shewed foorth vnto thee against these three woorthy Confessours and Martyrs of the Lorde wherein thou mayest behold the disordered vsage of the Uniuersitie men the vnmannerly manner of the Schoole the rude tumult of the multitude the fiercenes and interruption of the Doctors the full pith and ground of all their argumeÌts the censures of the Iudges the railyng language of the Oblocutor with his blast of
if hereby we doe enioy all good thinges it followeth that we must needes possesse haue and enioy you most reuerend Fathers who be no small part of our ioy and good thinges geuen vs of God We heretofore haue had the fruition of you by bodily presence to our inexplicable benefite praysed be that oure gracious God therfore And nowe in spirite we haue the experience of vnspeakeable coÌfort by your reuereÌt fatherhoodes for y t in this so glorious sort Math. 5. ye become a towne set vpon a hill a candle vpon a candlestick a specktacle vnto y e world both to the Angels vnto men So y t as we to our great coÌfort do feele 1. Cor. 4. Phil. 1. you also may assuredly say with saint Paule y t the things which happeÌ vnto vs do chance vnto y e great furtherance of the Gospell so y t our bonds in christ are manifest not onely throughout all the iudgement hall but in all wholl Europa in so much that many of the brethren in the Lord being incouraged through our bondes dare more boldly speake the word without feare And here in as you haue with s. Paule greatly to reioyce so we doe reioyce with you and we do in deed with you geue thaÌks for this worthy excelleÌt fauour of our God towards you that christ is thus magnified in you yea and hereafter shal be magnified in your bodies Phil. 1. Phil. 1. whether it be through life or death Of which thing truely wee are assured in our prayers for you and ministring of the spirite And although for your owne partes Christ is vnto you life and death aduantage and that your desire is as in deede it were better for you to be loosed and to be w t Christ yet for the Church of Christ were it much more necessary that ye shuld abide in the fleshe Yea that mercifull God euen for his Christes sake graunt that ye may abide and continue for the furtheraunce of the Churche and reioysing of fayth that the reioysing therof may be the more aboundant through Iesus Christ by your restoring Amen Amen But if it seeme better otherwise vnto the diuine wisedome y t by speedy death he hath appoynted you to glorifie him y e Lords wil be done Yea euen as we do reioyce both on your behalfes also on our own that God is magnified by life and shuld be more aboundantly glad for the continuance thereof so we shall no lesse reioyce to haue y e same wrought by death We shall geue thankes for this honour geuen vnto you reioysing that ye are accounted worthye to suffer for the name of Christ and that it is geuen to you of God not onely that ye shoulde beleue in him but also that ye should suffer for his sake And herein we shal haue to reioyce in the behalfe of the Churche of Christ whose faith may be the faster fixed vpon Gods veritie being confirmed with three such worthy witnesses Oh thankes be to God for this his vnspeakeable gift And now most reuerend Fathers that you may vnderstand the trueth of vs and our estate howe we stand in the lord I do assure your reuerences partly by y t I perceaue by such of our brethren as be here in bondes w t me partly by that I heare of them which be in other places partly by that inward experieÌce which I most vnworthy wretch haue of Gods good comfort more aboundance whereof I knowe there is in others you may be assured I say by Gods grace that you shall not be frustrate of your hope of our constaunt continuance in the cheerefull confession of Gods euerlasting veritie For euen as we haue receyued the word of truth euen the Gospell of our saluation wherin we beleeuing are sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritaunce the which spirite certifieth our spirit The constant minde of a christian souldiour Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. Galat. 4. that we are the children of God and therefore God hath sente the spirite of his Sonne into our harts crying Abba Father so after such portion as God measureth vnto vs we with the whole Church of Christ and with you reuerend fathers receiuing the same spirite of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore I haue spoken 2. Cor. 4. Psal. 116. We also beleeue and therefore speake For the which we in this dangerous bondage and other afflictions hauing euen such a fight as we haue seene in you and haue heard of you Phil. 1. are in no wise afraid of our aduersaries And forasmuch as we haue such an office euen as God hath had mercy on vs 1. Cor. 4. we go not out of kind but eueÌ with you after our little power we labour to maintain the faith of the Gospell knowing most certainely that though we haue this treasure in earthen vessels 2. Cor 4. that the excellency of thys power might be Gods and not ours yet shall we not be dashed in pieces For the Lord will put his hand vnder vs. When we are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift when we are in pouerty we are not vtterly without some thing when we suffer persecution we are not forsaken therein when we are cast downe yet we shall not perish but to communicate with our sweete Sauiour Christ in bearing the crosse it is appointed vnto vs that euen with him also we shall be glorified For it is a true saying If we be dead with him 2. Tim. 2. we shall also liue with him If we be patient we shall also raigne with him If we deny him he shall also deny vs. Wherefore be we of good cheere 3. Cor. 4. alwayes bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might appeare also in our body For we know that he which raised vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus and shall ioyne vs to himselfe together with you Wherefore we are not weeried but though our outward man perish yet the inwarde man is renued day by day For our tribulation which is momentane and light prepareth an exceeding and eternall weight of glory vnto vs while we looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Esay 12. We testifie vnto you Reuerend fathers that we drawe these waters with ioy out of the Wels of the sauiour And I trust we shall coÌtinually with you blesse the Lord Psal. 48. giue thanks to the Lord out of the wels of Israell we trust to bee merry together at that greate Supper of the Lambe whose spouse we are by faith and there to sing that song of euerlasting Haleluyah Amen Yea come Lorde Iesu. The grace of our Lord Iesu Christ be with you Amen Another letter written
yet I testify vnto you that the comfort of my sweete Christ doth driue from my phantasy the feare of death But if my deare husband Christ doe for my triall leaue me alone a little to my selfe alas I know in what case I shal be theÌ but if for my proofe he do so yet am I sure he will not be long or far from me Though he stand behind the wal hide himselfe as SalomoÌ saith in his mistical ballet yet will he peep in by a crest to see how I do He is a very tender harted Ioseph though he speak roughly to his brethren handle theÌ hardly yea threateÌ greuous bondage to his best beloued brother Beniamin yet can he not conteyne hymselfe from weeping with vs vpon vs with falling on our neckes and sweetly kissing vs. Such Christ a sweete brother vnto vs. such a brother is our Christ vnto vs all Wherfore hasten to go vnto him as Iacob did with his Sonnes and family leauing theyr country and acquayntaunce Yea this our Ioseph hath obteined for vs that Pharao the Infidell shall minister vnto vs chariots wherin at ease we may be caryed to come vnto him as we haue experience how our very aduersaries do help vs vnto our euerlasting blisse by theyr spedy dispatch yea how all thinges haue bene helpinges hereunto blessed be our God Be not afrayde of fraybugges which lye in the way Feare rather the euerlasting fire feare the Serpent which hath that deadly sting of which by bodely death they shall be brought to taste which are not grafted in Christ wanting fayth and a good conscience and so are not acquaynted with Christ the killer of death But oh my deare wyfe and frends we we whom God hath deliuered from the power of darcknes and hath translated vs into the kingdom of his deare sonne by putting of the old man by fayth putting on the newe euen our Lord Iesus Christ his wisedome holines righteousnes redeÌption we I say haue to triumph agaynst the terrible spitefull Serpent the Deuill sinne hell death damnation For Christ our brasen Serpent hath pulled away the sting of this serpeÌt The sting of death pluckâ out 1. Cor. 15. so that now we may boldly in beholding it spoyled of his sting triuÌph with our Christ al his elect say Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to God who hath geuen vs Vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherfore be mery my deare wife all my deare felow heyres of the euerlasting kingdome alwayes remeÌber the Lord. Reioyce in hope be pacient in tribulation continue in prayer pray for vs now appoynted to the slaughter y t we may be vnto our heauenly father a fat offering and an acceptable sacrifice I may hardlye write to you Wherfore let these few words be a witnes of commendations to you and all them which loue vs in fayth To this his flocke the parish of Alhallowes in Bredstreate He wrote also a fruitefull letter exhorting and charging them to beware of the Romish religioÌ and constantly to sticke to the truth which they had confessed and namely vnto my flocke among whom I am resident by Gods prouidence but as a prisoner And although I am not so amoÌg them as I haue bene to preach to them out of a pulpit yet doth god now preach vnto them by me by this my imprisonment and captiuity which now I suffer among them for Christes Gospelles sake bidding them to beware of the Romish Antichristian religion and kingdome requiring and charging them to abide in the trueth of Christ which is shortly to be sealed w t the bloud of theyr Pastor who though he be vnworthy of such a ministery yet Christ there high pastor is to be regarded whose truth hath bene taught theÌ by me is witnessed by my chaynes shall be by my death through the power of that hye pastor Be not carefull good wife cast your care on the Lord commend me vnto him in repentant praier as I do you and our Samuell whom euen at the stake I will offer as my selfe vnto God Fare ye wel all in Christ in hope to be ioyned w t you in ioy euerlasting This hope is put vp in my bosome Amen Amen Amen Pray pray * An other Letter to Maystres Lucy Harington a Godly Gentlewoman and frendly to him in his troubles YOur most gentle commendations An other comfortable letteâ of M. Saunders whereof this messenger made remembraunce vnto me was for two causes very comfortable First for that thereby I vnderstood of the state of your health bodely welfare for the which I geue thankes vnto god who graunt the long continuaunce thereof to his honour and fatherly good will whereunto I will dayly say Amen And farther I was refreshed by the expressing of your mindefull frendship towardes me farre vnworthy thereof Wherein I take occasion of much reioysing in our so gracious a God and mercifull Father who as he hath in his vnmeasurable mercy by fayth handfasted vs his chosen childreÌ vnto his deare sonne our Christ as the spirituall spouse of such an heaueÌly husband so he linketh vs by loue one vnto an other being by that bond coÌpact together with charitable readines to doe good one vnto another so that first to the glory of our God his Christ theÌ to our owne ioying in the testimony of a good coÌscience and last of all to the stopping of the mouthes and confusioÌ of our aduersaries we beare the badge as the right spouse of our Christ which himselfe noted in this saying Herein shall all men know that ye be my Disciples if ye loue one another Then farther by this bond of mutuall loue The true badge of Christ. Iohn 13. is sette forth the fatherly prouidence of God towardes vs his children that though it be he that careth for vs in whome we liue mooue and be who feedeth all flesh with bodely sustenaunce yet hath he appoynted vs in these present necessities to stand in his sted one vnto another Wherein is not onelye sette forth our dignitye but also that vnspeakeable accorde and vnitye among vs the many members in his mysticall body And though that either for lacke of ability or els through distaunce of place power and oportunity of helping one another doe fayle yet wonderfull is the working of Gods children through the spirite of prayer as wherby they fetch all heauenly influence froÌ Christ theyr celestiall head by his spirite to be measured seuerally as maye serue to the mayntenaunce of the whole body Thus doth our faythfull prayer which we make one for another distribute and scater Gods bountiful blessinges both ghostly and bodely Iohn 15. when ordinary ability lacketh and when the arme may not reach forth such Gods riches According herunto I well perceiue and vnderstand your readines to do good vnto all and especially I haue experience of your
the Wardens owne chamber where he remayned sixe days and in the meane tyme his former chaÌber was searched by D. Martin and others for writyngs and bookes which M. Hooper was thought to haue made but none was found ¶ Here followeth another examination of M. Hooper An other examination of M. Hooper before the Bishop of Winchester and his fellowes THe 28. of Ianuary Winchester and other the Commissioners sate in iudgement at S. Mary Oueries whereas M. Hooper appeared before them at after noone agayne and there after much reasonyng and disputation to and fro hee was commaunded aside tyll M. Rogers which was then come had bene likewise examined Examinations beyng ended the two Shiriffes of London were commaunded about foure of the clocke to cary them to the Counter in Southwarke there to remayne vntill the morow at ix a clocke to see whether they would relent and come home agayne to their Catholicke Church So M. Hooper went before with one of the Shiriffes and M. Rogers came after with the other and beyng out of the Church doore M. Hooper looked backe and stayed a little tyll M. Rogers drewe neare M. Hoopers wordes to M· Rogers vnto whom he sayd Come brother Rogers must we two take this matter first in hand and beginne to fry these fagots Yea Sir sayd M. Rogers by Gods grace Doubte not sayde M. Hooper but God wyll geue strength So goyng forwardes there was such a prease of people in the streetes which reioyced at theyr constauncie that they had much adoe to passe By the way the Shiriffe sayd to M. Hooper I woonder that ye were so hastie and quicke with my L. Chancellour M. Hooper earnest in his Maysters cause and dyd vse no more pacience He aunswered M. Shiriffe I was nothyng at all impacient althogh I was earnest in my maisters cause and it standeth me so in hand for it goeth vpon life and death not the life and death of this world only but also of the world to come Then were they committed to the Keeper of the Counter and apointed to seueral chambers with commaundement that they should not be suffred to speake one with another neyther yet any other permitted to come at them that night Upon the next day followyng the 29. of Ianuary at the houre appoynted they were brought agayne by the Shiriffes before the sayd Bishop and Commissioners in the Churche The thyrd and last exâmination of M. Hooper where they were the day before And after long and earnest talke when they perceyued that M. Hooper would by no meanes condescend vnto them they condemned hym to be disgraded and read vnto hym his condemnation M. Hooper condemned That done M. Rogers was brought before them and in lyke maner entreated and so they deliuered both of them to the secular power the two shirifs of London who were willed to cary them to the Clinke a prison not far from the B. of Winchesters house and there to remayne till night When it was darke M. Hooper was led by one of the Shiriffes with many bils and weapons first through the B. of Winchesters house and so ouer London bridge thorough the Citie to Newgate And by the way some of the Sergeaunts were wylled to goe before and put out the Costerdmongers candles who vse to sit with lyght in the streetes eyther fearyng of lykelihoode that the people would haue made some attempt to haue taken him away from them by force Darkeâ best for Papistââ if they had seene hym goe to that prysonne or els beyng burdened with an euill conscience they thought darckenesse to be a most fitte season for such a businesse But notwithstandyng this deuise the people hauyng some foreknowledge of his comming The ãâã reioysinâ the ãâã of Mâ Hooper M. Roâââ M. ãâã sent to Newgatââ many of them came foorth of their dores with lights and saluted hym praysing God for his constancie in the true doctrine which he had taught them and desiring God to strengthen hym in the same to the ende M. Hooper passed by and required the people to make their earnest prayers to God for hym and so went through Chepeside to the place appoynted was deliuered as close prisoner to the Keeper of Newgate where he remained sixe dayes no body beyng permitted to come to him or to talke with him sauyng his Keepers and such as should be appoynted thereto During this tyme Boner B. of London and others at his appoyntment as Fecknam Chedsey B. Boneâ his Chaââlaynes ãâã with Hooper prison and Harpsfield c. resorted diuers tymes vnto hym to assay if by any meanes they could perswade him to relent and become a member of their Antichristian church All the ways they could deuise they attempted For besides the disputations and allegations of testimonies of the Scriptures and of auncient writers wrasted to a wrong sense accordyng to their accustomed maner they vsed also all outward gentlenes and significations of friendship with many great profers and promises of worldly commodities not omittyng also most grieuous threatnyngs if with geâtlenesse they could not preuaile but they found hym alwayes one man stedfast and immoueable When they perceiued that they could by no means reclayme him to their purpose with such perswasions and offers as they vsed for his conuersion False ruââmors of Hoopers recantatâââ then went they about by false rumours and reports of recantations for it is well knowen that they and their seruaunts dyd spread it first abroade to bring hym and the doctrine of Christ which he professed out of credite with the people So the brute beyng a little spread abroad and beleeued of some of the weaker sort by reason of the often resort of the Byshop of London and other it encreased more at the last came to M. Hoopers eares Wherewith he was not a little greued that the people should geue so light credite vnto false rumors hauyng so simple a ground as it may appeare by a letter which he wrote vpon that occasioÌ the copy wherof followeth * A letter of Maister Hooper for the stoppyng of certayne false rumours spread abroad of hys recantation THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee wyth all them that vnfainedly looke for the comming of our Sauiour Christ Amen A ãâã of M. Hoâper agayâââ false ãâã spread oâ his recanâââtion Deare brethren and sisters in the Lord and my fellowe prisones for the cause of Gods gospell I do much reioice and geue thankes vnto God for your constancie and perseuerance in affliction vnto whom I wish continuaunce vnto the end And as I do reioyce in your fayth and constancie in afflictions that be in prison eueÌ so do I mourne and lament to heare of our dere brethren that yet haue not felt such dangers for gods truth as we haue and do feele and be daily lyke to suffer more yea the very extreme and vile death of the fire yet such is the report abroade as I am
our selues and say our soules serue him whatsoeuer our bodoyes doe the contrary for ciuill order and pollicy But alas I know by my selfe what troubleth you that is the great daunger of the worlde that will reuenge ye thinke your seruice to God with sword and fire with losse of goodes and landes But deare brethren way of the other side that your enemies and Gods enemies shal not do so much as they would but as much as God shall suffer them who can trap them in their own counsels Gods enemies can do no more then he geâeth them leaue Math. 20. and destroy them in the midst of their furies Remember ye be the workemen of the Lord and called into his Uineyard there to labour till euening tide that ye may receaue your peny which is more worth then al the kinges of the earth But he that calleth vs into hys vineyard hath not told vs how sore and how feruently the sunne shall trouble vs in our labour But hath bid vs labour and committe the bitternes thereof vnto him who can and will so moderate al afflictions that no man shall haue more layd vppon him then in Christ hee shall be able to beare Unto whose mercifull tuition and defence I commend both your soules and bodyes 2. September 1554. Yours with my poore prayer Iohn Hooper To a Marchant of London by whose meanes he had receaued much comfort in his great necessitie in the Fleete GRace mercy and peace in Christ Iesus our Lorde I thanke God and you for the great helpe and consolation I haue receaued in the time of aduersity by your charitable meanes but most reioice that you be not altered from trueth An other letter of M. Hooper to a helper of his although falshoode cruelly seeketh to distayne her Iudge not my brother truth by outward appearaunee for truth now worse appeareth and more vilely is reiected then falshoode Leaue the outwarde shewe and see by the worde of God what truth is Truth is not to be esteemed by outward appearaunce and accept truth and dislike her not though man call her falshoode As it is now so hath it bene heretofore the truth reiected and falshode receaued Such as haue professed truth for truth haue smarted and the frendes of falshode laughed them to scorne The tryall of both hath bene by contrary successe the one hauing the coÌmendation of truth by man but the condemnation of falshode by God flourishing for a tyme with endles destruction the other afflicted a little season but ending with immortall ioyes Wherfore deare brother aske and demaund of your book the Testament of Iesus Christ in these woefull and wretched dayes what you should thinke and what you should stay vpon for a certayne truth and whatsoeuer you heare taught try it by your booke whether it be true or false The dayes be dangerous and full of perill not only for the world and worldly things but for heauen and heauenly things It is a trouble to lose the treasures of this life but yet a very payne if they be kept with the offence of God Cry call pray and in Christ dayly require helpe succour mercy wisedome grace and defence that the wickednes of thys world preuayle not against vs. We began well God preserue vs vntill the end I would write more often vnto you but I do perceaue you be at so much charges with me that I feare you would thinke when I write I craue Send me nothing till I send to you for it and so tell the good men your partners and when I neede I will be bold of you 3. December 1554. Yours with my prayer Iohn Hooper ¶ To Maistres Wilkinson a woman harty in Gods cause and comfortable to his afflicted members THe grace of God and the comforte of his holy spirit be with you Amen This Misteries WilkinsoÌ afterward âyed in Exile at Franckford I am very glad to heare of your health and do thanke you for your louing tokens But I am a great deale more glad to heare how Christianly you auoyd Idolatry prepare your selfe to suffer y e extremity of the world rather theÌ to endaunger your selfe to God You doe as you ought to do in this behalfe and in suffering of traÌsitory paynes you shall auoyd permanent tormeÌts in the world to come Use your life Gaynes with Gods displeasure is beggary and keepe it with as much quietnes as you can so that you offende not God The ease that commeth wyth his displeasure turneth at length to vnspeakeable paynes and the gaynes of the world with the losse of his fauour is beggery and wretchednes Reason is to be amended in this cause of Religion For it will choose and follow an errour with the multitude if it may be allowed rather then turne to faith and folow the truth with the people of God Moyses found the same fault in himselfe and did amende it choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God then to vse the libertie of the kings daughter that accounted him as her sonne Heb. 11. Math. 5. Pray for contentation and peace of the spirit and reioyce in such troubles as shall happen vnto you for the truthes sake for in that part Christ saith you be happy Pray also for me I pray you that I may do in all things the will of our heauenly father to whose tuition and defence I commend you * To my deere frendes in God Mayster Iohn Hall and his wyfe THe grace of God be with you Amen I thanke you for your louing and gentle frendship at all times An other letter exhorting to stand fast in the truth praying God to shew vnto you such fauour that whatsoeuer trouble and aduersitie happen yâ go not backe from him These dayes be daungerous and full of perill but yet let vs comfort our selues in calling to remembrance the dayes of our forefathers vpon whom the Lord sent such troubles that many hundrethes yea many thousandes dyed for the testimonie of Iesus Christ both men and women suffering with patience and constancie as much cruelty as Tyrants could deuise and so departed out of this miserable world to the blisse euerlasting where as now they remaine for euer lookyng alwayes for the end of this sinfull world when they shall receiue their bodies againe in immortalitie and see the number of the elects associated with them in full and consummate ioyes Heb. 11. And as vertuous men suffering Martyrdome and tarying a little whyle in this world with paynes by and by rested in ioyes euerlastyng and as their paynes ended their sorowes and began ease Consolation taken by the example of the ancient martyrs so dyd their constancie and stedfastnes animate and confirme all good people in the truth and gaue them encouragement and lust to suffer the like rather then to fall with the world to consent vnto wickednes and Idolatry Wherefore my deare frends seeing God of his part hath illuminated you with the
same gift and knowledge of true fayth wherein the Apostles the Euangelistes and all Martyrs suffered most cruell death thanke him for his grace in knowledge and pray vnto him for strength and perseuerance that through your owne fault you be not ashamed nor afeard to confesse it Ye be in the truth and the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it nor Antichrist with all his impes proue it to be false They may kill and persecute but neuer ouercome Be of good comfort and feare more God then man This life is short and miserable happy be they that can spende it to the glory of God Pray for me as I do for you and commende me to all good men and women 22. December 1554. Your brother in Christ Iohn Hooper ¶ To my dearely beloued sister in the Lord Maistres Anne Warcop An other letter written to one Maisteries Warcop by Maister Hooper THe grace of God be with you Amen I thanke you for your louing token I pray you burden not your selfe too much It were meete for me rather to beare a payne then to be a hinderaunce to many I did reioice at the comming of this bearer to vnderstand of your constancie and how y t you be fully resolued by Gods grace rather to suffer extremitie then to go froÌ that truth in God which you haue professed He that gaue you grace to begin in so infallible a truth will folow you in the same vnto the end But my louing Sister as you be traueling this perilous iourney take this lesson with you practised by wise meÌ wherof ye may reade in the second of S. Mathewes Gospell Such as traueled to finde Christ followed only the starre and as long as they saw it they were assured they were in the right way and had great mirth in their iourney But when they entred into Ierusalem where as the starre led them not thether but vnto Bethelem and there asked the Citizens the thing that the starre shewed before as loÌg as they taried in Hierusalem and would be instructed where Christ was borne The surest way is eueâ to follow the Starâe they were not only ignorant of Bethelem but also lost the sight of the starre that led them before Whereof we learne in any case whiles we be going in this life to seeke Christ that is aboue to beware we loose not the starre of Gods word that onely is y e marke that sheweth vs where Christ is and which way we may come vnto him But as Ierusalem stood in y e way Ierusalem signifieth the vision of peace and was an impediment to these wise men so doth the sinagogue of Antichrist that beareth the name of Ierusalem which by interpretation is called the vision of peace and amoÌgst the people now is called the Catholicke Church stand in the way that pilgrimes must go by thorough this world to Bethelem the house of saturitie and plentifulnes Bethelem signifieth ãâã much as thâ house of bread or of saturitie and is an impediment to all Christian trauellers yea and except the more grace of God be will keepe the pilgrimes still in her that they shal not come where Christ is at all And to stay them in deede they take away y e starre of light which is Gods word that it can not be sene as ye may see how the celestial star was hid froÌ the wise men wheÌ they asked of the Phariseis at Hierusalem where Christ was borne Ye may see what great dangers hapned vnto these wise men whiles they were a learning of liers where Christ was First they were out of their way and next they lost their guide conductour the heauenly starre Christ is mounted froÌ vs into heauen there we seeke him as we say let vs therfore go thetherward by the star of his word beware we happen not to come into Hierusalem the Church of men and aske for him If we do Christ is not to be sought not asked for but onely by the scripâtures we go out of the way lose also our coÌductour and guide that only leadeth vs straight thether The Poets write in fables that Iason when he fought with the Dragon in the I le of Colchis was preserued by the medicines of Medea and so wan the golden fleese And they write also that Titan whome they faine to be sonne and heyre of the high God Iupiter would needes vpon a day haue the conduction of y e sunne round about y e world but as they faine he missed of the accustomed course wherupon wheÌ he went too high he burned heaueÌ Example of Iason and Titon and when he went too low he burned the earth the water These prophane histories do shame vs that be Christian men Iason against the poyson of the dragon vsed only the medicine of Medea What a shame is it for a Christian man against the poyson of the deuill heresie sinne to vse any other remedy then Christ his word Titan for lacke of knowledge was afeard of euery signe of the Zodiacke that the Sunne passeth by wherfore he now went too low now to high and at length fell downe and drowned himselfe in the sea Christian men for lacke of knowledge and for feare of such daungers as christian men must needes passe by go cleane out of order and at length fall into the pit of hell Sister take heede you shall in your iourney towardes heauen meete with many a monstrous beast Letters in the way to the kingdome of heauen haue salue of Gods word therfore ready You shal meete husbaÌd children louers and frends that shall if God be not with them as God be praysed he is I would it were with all other alike be very lettes and impedimentes to your purpose You shall meete with sclaunder and coÌtempt of the world and be accoumpted vngracious vngodly you shal heare meete with cruell tiranny to do you all extremities you shall now and then see the troubles of your own coÌscience and feele your owne weakenes you shall heare that you be cursed by the sentence of the Catholicke Church wyth such like terrours but pray to God and follow the starre of his word and you shall ariue at the port of eternall saluation by the merites only of Iesus Christ to whome I commend you and all yours most hartily Yours in Christ Iohn Hooper ¶ Unto these letters of Maister Hooper heeretofore recited we thought not inconuenient to annexe also another certaine Epistle not of Maister Hoper but writteÌ to hym by a famous learned man Henry Bullinger chiefe superintendent in the Citie of Zuricke Of whose singulare loue and tender affection toward Maister Hooper ye heard before in the beginning of Maister Hoopers life discoursed Now how louingly he writeth vnto him ye shall heare by this present letter as followeth ¶ To the most reuerend father M. Iohn Hooper Byshop of Worcester and Glocester and now prisoner for the
the Gard were so busy about him that as soone as he opened his mouth one or other thrust a tip staff into his mouth and would in no wise permit him to speake Then desired he licence of the Shiriffe to speake D. Taylour could not be suffered to speake to the people but y e Shiriffe denyed it to him and bad him remember hys promise to the Counsell Well quoth Doctour Taylour promise must be kept What this promise was it is vnknown but the common fame was that after he and others were condemned the Consell sent for them and threatned them they would cut theyr tongues out of theyr heades except they would promise that at theyr deathes they would keep silence and not speake to the people Wherefore they desirous to haue the vse of theyr tonges to call vpoÌ God as long as they might liue promised silence For the Papistes feared muche least this mutation of religion from truth to lies from Christs ordinances to the Popish traditions should noâ so quietly haue bene receiued as it was especially this burning of y e Preachers but they measuring others myndes by theyr own feared lest the tumult or vprore might haue bene stirred the people hauyng so iust a cause not to bee contented with theyr doinges or els that they most feared y e people should more haue bene confirmed by their godly exhortatioÌs to stand stedfast agaynst their vaine Popish doctrine idolatry But thanks to God which gaue to his witnesses fayth and pacience with stout and manly hartes to despise all tormentes The Gospellers are not seditious as the Papistes commonly bee neither was their so much as any one man that once shewed any signe of disobedience toward y e magistrates They shed theyr bloud gladly in the defeÌce of y e trueth so leauing example vnto all men of true perfect obedience which is to obey God more then meÌ and if need require it to shed theyr owne bloud rather then to depart from Gods truth Doctor Taylor perceiuing that he could not be suffred to speake sat down and seing one named Soyce Soyce pulleth of his bootes he called him and sayd Soice I pray thee come pull of my bootes take them for thy labor Thou hast long looked for theÌ now take them TheÌ rose he vp D. Taylour confesseth the truth and put of his clothes vnto his shirt and gaue theÌ away Which done he saide with loud voyce Good people I haue taught you nothing but Gods holye word and those Lessons that I haue taken out of Gods blessed booke the holy Bible Homes a cruell Tyrant and I come hyther this day to seale it with my bloud With that woorde Homes yeoman of the Gard aforesayd who had vsed doctour Taylour very cruelly all the waye D. Taylour prayeth gaue him a great stroke vpon the head with a waster and sayd Is that the keeping of thy promise thou hereticke Then he seyng they would not permit him to speak kneled down and prayed a poore woman that was among the people A good woomaÌ comming to pray with him could not be suffered stepped in prayed with him but her they thrust away and threatned to tread her down with horses notwithstaÌding she would not remoue but abode and prayed with him When he had prayed he went to the stake and kissed it and set hymselfe into a pitch barrell which they had set for him to stand in and so stood with his backe vpright agaynst the stake with his handes folded together and his eyes toward heauen so he continually prayed Then they bound him with chaynes and the Shiriffe called one Richard Doningham a Butcher and commauÌded him to set vp Fagots but he refused to do it and sayd I am lame Syr and not hable to lift a Fagot Richard Donningham The Shyrriffe threatned to send him to prison notwithstanding hee would not do it Then appoynted he on Mulleine of Carsey a man for his vertues fit to be a hang man and Soice a very dronkard and Warwicke who in the commotion time in king Edwardes dayes lost one of his eares for his sedicious talke amongest whoÌ was also one Robert King a deuiser of Enterludes The tormentourâ Warwicke a cruell tormentour This king was also one of them which went with his halbert to bring them to death which were burnt at Bery D. Taylor is pacient who albeit was there present had doyng there with the gunnepouder what he ment and did therin he himselfe sayth he did it for the best and for quicke dispatch the Lord knoweth which shal iudge al more of this I haue not to say These foure were appoynted to set vp the Fagots and to make the fire which they most diligently did and this Warwicke cruelly cast a Fagot at him which lyght vpon his head and brake his face that the bloud ran downe his visage Then sayd Doctour Taylour Oh frend I haue harme enough what needed that Furthermore Syr Iohn Shelton there standing by as Doct. Taylour was speaking and saying the Psalme Miserere in Englishe stroke him on the lippes ye knaue Syr Iohâ Shelton sayd he speake Latine I will make thee At the last they set to fire and Doctour Taylour holding vppe both hys handes called vpoÌ God and sayd D. Tayloââ last worâ Mercifull father of heauen for Iesus Christ my Sauiours sake receiue my soule into thy handes Soyce ãâ¦ã downe with an Holbard So stood he still without either crying or mouing with his handes folded together till Soice with an Halberd stroke him on y e head that the braynes fell out and the dead corpes fell downe into the fire Thus rendred the man of God his blessed soule into the handes of his mercifull father and to his most deare and certeine Sauiour Iesus Christ whome he most entyrelye loued faithfully and earnestly preached obediently folowed in liuing and constantly glorified in death ⧠The Martyrdome of Doctour Taylour burned at Hadley for the testimony of the Gospell February 9. Anno. 1555. The same morning when he was called vp by the shiriffe to goe to his burning about three of the clocke in the morning being sodenly awaked out of his sound sleepe he sat vp in his bed and putting on his shyrt had these wordes speaking somewhat thicke after his accustomed maner Ah horson theeues ah horson theues robbe God of his honor robbe God of his honor Afterward being risen and tying his poyntes hee cast his armes about a balke whiche was in the chamber betwene Mayster Bradfordes bed his D. Taylor careles of his death and there hanging by the handes sayde to M. Bradford O Maister Bradford quoth he what a notable sway should I geue if I were hanged meaning for that he was a corpulent and bigge man These thinges I thought good here to note to set forth and declare to those that shall read this history what a notable and singuler
force of suche authoritie visite anye Deanrie of the sayde Diocesse nor gaue anye monition to the Chauntour and Chapiter there by force of that Commission for any like intent or purpose but onely offered in y e kings Maiesties name and authoritie to the said Bysh. committed for to enter visitation of the Chaunter and Chapter of the Cathedrall Churche at an other daye to be executed by the Byshoppe himselfe for reformation of the Chapiter Churche and Ministers there accordinge to the kings gracious ordinaunces and Iniunctions in that behalfe But the aforesayd Chanter and Canon of the church before the sight of any Commission stubbornely answeared the sayde Chauncellour that they woulde not receyue him nor any other to visit them except he were one of their Chapter And further desiring to see his Commission deââuered the same into their handes and would not deliuer it him again And so it may appeare that he did nothing by force of that Commission To the seconde Article hee sayeth that they opened not vnto hym the danger of any statute to hys knowledge and remembraunce Neuerthelesse hee not knowing anye defaulte in the sayde Commission and certainely minedynge wyth all diligence the faithfull execution of hys Office of preachinge and visitinge the whole Diocesse in hys owne persone by the kings Maiesties authoritie for the conseruation of Gods peace and the kings in that daungerous time of rebellion then beginning to arise in other places did neglect and lay apart the stubborne behauiour and vngodly doings of the sayde Chaunter and Canon and agreed wyth them omitting all contemptes and reproches towardes him and his sayde Chauncellor and all manner of contention by them done fearing els that through theyr vnquietnesse some tumult mighte haue risen amonges the people there and did also make the sayd Chanter his ChaÌcellour and Canon hys Commissarie according to theyr ambitious desires to appease their malice in that daungerous time And further he sayeth that he made a Collation to syr Ioh. Euans of the Uicarage of Pembrin what day or time he remembreth not not by any olde forraine vsurped authoritie but by the kinges authoritie onely making full mention of the kinges stile and authoritie in the same Collation To the thirde and fourth hee sayeth that whereas hee hadde graunted to George Constantine the office of a Register who brought vnto hym a Commission for the ChaÌcellourshippe to be sealed and deliuered to the foresayde Chaunter of Saint Dauids desiring the sayde Byshoppe to Seale it hee vtterlye refused so to doe because the sayde George hadde put therein a clause of admitting Clearkes into benefices the which authority the said Bishop would not in any wise graunte reseruing the examination and admission of Clearkes onely to hymselfe for the auoiding of wicked briberie and parcialitie Whereuppon the sayde George and the Chaunter promised the said Byshoppe by their faith and trouthe afore three or foure honest witnesses not to execute that clause of Institution into benefices but onely to those Clearkes whome the Bishop did firste examine and admitte and send vnto them for to be instituted and inducted vppon whych promise the Byshop sealed the sayde Commission And after that time the parsonage of Haskarde being voyde and by the reason of laps deuolued to the Byshoppes gifte for that time hee conferred it to one Sir Henrie Godherd wyth a Collation or Institution by the kings authoritie not extolling any forreine vsurped authoritie In the which collation or institution is fully mentioned the renuntiation of the Byshop of Rome and all forreine powers and authoritie wyth the full stile of hys Maiesties supremacie And this collation of the Churche of Haskarde he gaue before he vnderstoode or knewe that hys Chauncellour had geuen oute the lyke and hee surely thinketh his Collation was the firste That notwythstanding the sayde George Constantine and the sayde Chaunter hauing a vowson determined by reason of laps admitted and instituted one Iohn Gough to the sayde personnage of Haskarde by vertue of their expired vowson and sealed hys institution wyth a wronge Seale because they hadde not the right seale of office to that purpose contrary to theyr former earnest promesse and the Bishoppes ryghte and wythout any manner of warning or foreknowledge thereof to hym geuen whych thynge by them vntruely done the sayd George Constantine neuerthelesse came to the Byshoppes house and there did wryte wyth hys owne hand the letters of Induction for the said Sir Henrye Godherd Prieste comprising in the same the whole summe of the Institution or Collation whyche the sayde Byshoppe hadde made and the same George did seale the sayde letters of induction wyth his owne hande fineding no maner of fault therein nor making any worde or mention of hys and the Chauntours former wrong doings but so departed for that time And afterward he came againe and shewed the Byshoppe what they hadde done before concerning the Parsonage aforesayde And further the sayde Defendant sayeth that he did not molest the sayd Iohn Gough but lawfully did call him in the kings Maiesties name not for any title of Patronage but to knowe whether he were Parson of Haskarde and howe hee was thereto admitted and instituted and inducted and by what authoritie he presumed to preach there wythout the kings Maiesties licence wyth other like lawfull demaundes whereunto he sturdely refused to geue answere and sayeth that the Article contained in hys accusation sayinge thus Item interrogetur quo titulo tenet rectoriam de Haskarde was not ministred vnto the partie in that sorte so farre as hee knoweth but in these woordes or lyke Quomodo intrauit in Rectoriam c. To the fifth he sayth that all be it George Constantine Register did wilfully wythdrawe hys bounden seruice due to the Kings highnesse and to the sayde defendaunt in the Kings name refusing to attende either by hymselfe or hys sufficient Deputie for wryting of Recordes and other Instruments yet the sayd Defendant made his CollatioÌs and Institutions in hys owne name not by his owne authoritie nor by any others saue onely the Kings authoritie according as hee hath declared in hys aunsweare to the first Article expressing in them the kings supremacie with the Byshops owne name and seale of office as hee oughte to doe according to the prouision of the kinges Statute in suche a case To the sixth he sayeth that the Uicarie of Pembrin being voyde he as righte patrone thereof to his knowledge conferred it to Iohn Euans Clearke wyth letters of institution and induction and after when the kings presentation came to him for one Dauid Ieinkin clearke he desired fourtene daies respite at that time either to shew auncient recorde for hys right and then the matter to stande to the determination of the lawe or elles if hee shewed not bothe he and hys clarke to geue place to the kings Clarke Whych condition was by Syr Thomas Ioanes Knight Doctour M. and the sayde Dauid Ieinkin receyued and an Institution wyth an Induction
institute a sacrament there And to the other part of this article videlicet willyng that his bodye really and truely should be conteyned in the sayd sacrament no substance of bread and wyne there remayning but onely the accidents thereof he answereth that he doth not beleeue the same to be true By me Iohn Cardmaker M. Cardmaker calling to mynd afterwards the redy cauillings of the papists and thinking himself not to haue fully and according to his true meaning answered the latter part of the last eight article did the next day after the foresaid answers exhibite vnto the Bish. in a schedule this here after followyng Where in my answer to your articles I deny the presence of Christ in the Sacrament I meane not his sacramentall presence for that I confesse but my deniall is of his carnall presence in the same But yet further because this word is oftentymes taken of the holy fathers A more full answere to the second part of the eight article not only for the bread and wyne but also for the whole administration and receiuyng of the same accordyng to Christes institution so I say that Christ is present spiritually too and in all them which worthily receiueth the Sacrament Sacramentall presence in the Sacrament Carnal presence in the SacrameÌt denyed so that my deniall is still of the reall carnall and corporall presence in the sacrament and not of the sacramentall nor spirituall presence This haue I thought good to adde to my former aunswer because no man should misunderstand it By me Iohn Cardmaker Next to these articles of M. Cardmaker I thought best to inferre the articles and answers likewise of Iohn Warne his martyr fellow in maner as followeth ¶ Articles ministred agaynst Iohn VVarne Vpholster of the parish of S. Iohn in Walbrooke with his answers to the same Articles agaynst Iohn Warne vpholster in Walbroke FIrst that thou Iohn Warne beyng of the age of xxix yeres of the parish of S. Iohn of Walbrooke in London hast beleeued and doest beleeue firmely and stedfastly that in the Sacrament commonly called the SacrameÌt of the aultar there is not the very true and naturall body of our Sauiour Christ in substaunce vnder the formes of bread and wyne Item that thou hast beleued and doest beleue that after the words of consecration spoken by the priest Agaynst transubstantiation there is not as the church of England doth beleue and teach the body of Christ but that there doth only remayne the substance of material bread as it is before the consecration or speaking of the wordes of consecration and that the sayd bread is in no wyse altered or changed Item that thou hast sayd and doest beleeue that if the Catholike church do beleue and teach Agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse that there is in the masse now vsed in England and in other places of Christendome a sacrifice wherein there is a sacrament conteinyng the body and bloud of Christ really and truly then that beliefe and fayth of the church is naught and agaynst Gods truth and the scripture Item that thou hast said that where about a twelue moneths agone more Heresye for laughing at a Spaniell shorne on the head a great rough water Spaniell of thyne was shorne in the hed had a crowne like a Priest made in the same thou diddest laugh at it like it though thou didst it not thy selfe nor knowest who did it Item that thou neither this Lent last past nor at any tyme since the Queenes Maiesties raigne hast come into the church or heard masse or bene confessed or receiued the sacrament of the aultar and hast said that thou art not sory that thou hast so done but thou art glad because thou hast not therewith defiled thy conscience which otherwise thou shouldest so haue done Upon all which articles Iohn Warne being examined by the said Boner in presence of diuers witnesses the 23. of May ann 1555. did confesse and beleue the same subscribe hereunto his name with his owne hand By me Iohn Warne Also it was obiected against the said Iohn Warne by the B. aforesayd as followeth A nother addition of Articles Item that thou Iohn Warne wast in tyme past here in the city of London conuented in the Guildhal for heresie against the sacrament of the aultar according to the order of the lawes of this Realme of England in the time of king Henry the 8. and when Alderman Barnes was shirife the Thursday after that Anne Askew was burnt in Smithfield Iohn Warne about the tyme of Anne Askew was condemned to be burned and had his pardon and therupon thou wast sent as a prisoner to Newgate to whom Edmond B. of London did repayre with his chaplens to instruct thee in y e true faith of Christ touchyng the said Sacrament of the aultar to bring thee from thy error which was that in the Sacrament of the altar there is not the body of Christ nor any corporal preence of Christes body bloud vnder the formes of bread wyne but that in the sayd sacrament there is onely materiall bread wyne without any substance of Christs body and bloud at all because thou wouldst not leaue for sake thy sayd heresie therin but persist abide obstinately and wilfully therein thou wert according to y e said lawes condemned to death ââhn Warne âârdoned by K. Henry 8. to be burnt and thereupon labour beyng made for thee to the king and other in the Courte thou hadst a pardon of king Henry the 8. and so thereby didst saue thy lyfe Neuerthelesse in thy heart conscience and mynd thou didst both then and also afore beleeue no otherwyse then at this present thou doest beleeue that is to say that in the Sacrament of the aultar there is neyther the very true body or bloud of Christ Iohn ãâã denyeâ ãâã transubâtâation nor no other substace but the substaunce of materiall bread and wyne and to receiue the sayd materiall bread and wyne and to breake it and to distribute it among the people onely is the true receiuyng of Christes body and no otherwise so that thy fayth and beliefe is that in the sayd sacrament there is no substance of Christes material body and bloud but all the thyng that is there is materiall bread and the receiuyng thereof as afore and that the substance of the natural and true body of Christ borne of the Uirgine Mary is only in heauen and not in the sacrament of the aultare In which thine opinion thou hast euer hitherto since continued and so doest continue at this present thou confessing all this to be true and in witnes therof subscribing thy name thereunto as followeth By me Iohn Warne Iohn Warne beyng examined vpon these foresaid articles by the Bish. before certaine witnesses The ãâã aunsweââ Iohn ãâã to the ãâã whose names were Iohn Boswel Iohn Heywood Robert Rauens the
into his kingdom The triumph victory ouer death where he now sitteth at his fathers right hand that is to say in power glory equall in maiesty coeternall From thence he shal come to iudge the quicke the dead He shal appeare againe in great glory to receiue his elect vnto himselfe to put his enemies vnder his feete chaunging all liuyng men in a moment and raising vp al that be dead that all may be brought to his iudgement In this shall he geue ech man according to his deedes They which haue folowed him in regeneratioÌ which haue their sinnes washed away in hys bloud are clothed with hys righteousnes shall receiue the euerlasting kingdome and raigne with him for euer and they which after the race of the corrupt generation of Adam haue followed fleshe and bloud shall receiue euerlasting damnation with the deuill and hys angels I beleeue in the holy ghost I do beleue that the holy ghost is God the third person in Trinitie in vnitie of the Godhed equal with the father the sonne geuen through Christ to inhabite our spirites by which we are made to feele and vnderstand the great power vertue louing kindnes of Christ our lord For he illumineth quickneth and certifieth our spirit that by him we are sealed vp vnto the day of redemption by whom we are regenerate and made new cretures so that by hym and through hym we do receyue all the aboundaÌt goodnes promised vs in Iesus Christ. The holy Catholike Church This is an holy number of Adams posteritie elected gathered The Church washed and purified by the bloud of the Lambe from the beginning of the world and is dispersed through the same by the tiranny of Gog Magog that is to say the Turke and his tiranny and Antichrist otherwyse named the Bish. of Rome and hys aungels as this day also doth teach The Communion of Saints Which most holy congregation beyng as Paule teacheth builded vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ beyng the head corner stone though it be by the tyranny of Satan and his ministers persecuted some by imprisonment some by death and some by other afflictions painful torments yet doth it remayne in one perfect vnitie both in faith and fellowship which vnity is knit in an vnspeakable knot as well of them which are departed from this mortal life as of them which now be liuyng and hereafter shall be in the same and so shall continue vntill they all do meete in the kyngdome where the head Iesus Christ with all hys holy members of which number thorough Christ I assuredly beleeue that I am one shall be fully complete knit and vnited together for euermore The forgeuenesse of sinnes I do beleeue that my sinnes and all their sinnes which do rightly beleeue the holy Scripture Remission only through Christ. are forgeuen onely thorough that Iesus Christ of whom onely I do professe that I haue my whole and full saluation and redemption which S. Paule saith commeth not through our workes and deseruyngs but freely by grace lest any should boast hymselfe Thorough the bloud of his Crosse all thyngs in heauen and earth are reconciled and set at peace wyth the Father without him no heauenly lyfe is geuen nor sinne forgeuen The resurrection of the body I do beleue that by the same my sauiour Christ I and all men shall rise againe from death for he as Paul sayth is risen agayne froÌ the dead and is become the first fruits of them which sleepe Resurrection For by a man came death and by a man commeth the resurrection from death This man is Christ through the power of whose resurrection I beleue that we all shall rise agayne in these our bodyes the elect clothed with immortalitie to liue with Christ for euer the reprobate also shall rise immortall to liue with the deuill and his angels in death euerlasting And the life euerlasting Through the same Iesus by none other I am sure to haue life euerlasting He onely is the way and entrance into the kingdome of heauen Iohn 3. For so God loued the world that he did geue his onely sonne Iesus Christ to the ende that so many as do beleue in him might haue euerlasting lyfe The which I am sure to possesse so soone as I am dissolued Life and Saluation onely by fayth in Christ. departed out of this tabernacle in the last day shall both body and soule possesse the same for euer to the which God graunt all men to come I beleue that the sacramentes that is to say of Baptisme and of the Lordes supper are seales of Gods moste mercyfull promises towardes mankind Two sacraments of the new Testament In Baptisme as by the outward creature of water I am washed from the filthines which hangeth on my flesh so do I assuredly beleue y t I am by Christes bloud washed cleane froÌ my sins through which I haue sure confidence of my certaine saluation In the partaking of the Lordes supper as I receyue the substance of bread wyne the nature of which is to strengthen the body so do I by faith receyue the redemption wrought in Christes body broken on the crosse life by his death resurrection by his resurrection and in summe all that euer Christ in his body suffered for my saluation to the strengthening of my faith in the same And I beleeue that God hath appointed the eatyng drinking of the creatures of bread and wine in his holy supper according to his word to mooue and to stirre vp my mynd to beleue these articles aboue written This is my faith this I do beleue and I am content by Gods grace to confirme and seale the truth of the same with my bloud By me Iohn Warne ¶ A letter of Iohn Cardmaker to a certaine friend of his The peace of God be with you YOu shall right well perceiue A ãâã M. Cââââmakeâ ãâ¦ã that I am not gone backe as some men do report me but as ready to geue my lyfe as any of my brethren that are gone before me although by a pollicie I haue a little prolonged it and that for the best as already it appeareth vnto me and shortly shall appeare vnto all That day that I recant any poynt of doctrine I shall suffer twenty kyndes of death the Lord beyng myne assistance as I doubt not but he wil. Commend me to my friend and tell hym no lesse This the Lorde strengthen you me and all his elect My riches and pouertie is as it was woont to be and I haue learned to reioyce in pouertie as well as in riches for that count I now to bee very riches Thus fare ye well in Christ. Salute all my brethren in my name I haue conferred with some of my aduersaries learned men and I finde that they be but Sophistes and shadowes ¶ A note concerning M. Cardmaker MAister Cardmaker beyng condemned in
talke they departed ¶ The talke of Doctor Heth Archbishop of Yorke and day Byshop of Chichester with Maister Bradford THe xxiii of the same moneth the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Chichester came to the Counter to speake with Bradford When hee was come before them Talke bââtweene Byshopâ Bradford they both and especially the Bishop of York vsed him very gently they would haue him to sit downe and because he would not they also would not sit So they all stode whether he woulde or not they would needes he shoulde put on not only his night cap but his vpper cap also saying vnto him that obedience was better then sacrifice Now thus standing together my Lord of Yorke began to tell Bradford howe that they were not sent to him but of loue charitie they came to him and he for that acquayntance also whiche he had with Bradford more then the Bishoppe of Chichester had then after commending Bradfordes godly life he concluded w t this question how he was certaine of saluation and of his Religion Brad After thankes for theyr good will Bradford aunswered by the word of God euen by the Scriptures I am certayne of saluation and Religion Yorke Uery well sayd but how do ye know the worde of God and the scriptures but by the Church Bradford In deede my Lorde the Churche was and is a meane to bring a man more speedely to knowe the Scriptures and the worde of God as was the woman of Samaria a meane that the Samaritans knewe Christ but ⧠Certayne Bishops talking with Maister Bradford in prison as when they had heard him speake they sayde nowe we know that he is Christ not because of thy wordes but because wee our selues haue heard him so after we came to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures shewed vnto vs and discerned by the Church we doe beleue them and knowe them as Christes sheepe not because y e Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same spirite whiche wrote and spake them Yorke You knowe in the Apostles time at the first the word was not written Bradford True if you meane it for some books of the new Testament but els for the old Testament Peter telleth vs Firmâorem sermonem propheticum habemus We haue a more sure worde of prophecie not that it is simply so but in respect of the Apostles which being aliue and compassed w t infirmitiâ attributed to the worde written mâre firmitie as wherewith no fault coulde be found where as for the infirmitie of their persons men perchaunce might haue found some faulte at their preaching albeit in very deede no lesse obedience and fayth ought to haue bene geuen to the one then to the other for all proceedeth foorth of one spirite of truth Yorke That place of Peter is not so to be vnderstand of the word written Brad. Yea syr that it is and of none other Chic Yea in deede Maister Bradford doth tell you truely in that poynt Yorke Well you know that Irenaeus and others doe magnifie much and alleage the Church agaynst the heretickes and not the scripture Bradford True for they had to do with such heretickes as did deny the scriptures and yet did magnifie the Apostles so that they were inforced to vse the authoritie of those Churches wherein the Apostles had taught and whiche had still retayned the same doctrine Chic You speake the very truth for the heretickes dyd refuse all scriptures except it were a peece of Lukes Gospel Brad. Then the alledgyng of the Church cannot be princially vsed agaynst me whiche am so farre from denying of the Scriptures that I appeale vnto them vtterly as to the onely iudge Yorke A pretty matter that you will take vppon you to iudge the Churche I pray you where hath your Churche bene hetherto For the church of Christ is Catholicke and visible hetherto Brad. My Lord I doe not iudge the Church when I discerne it from that congregation those whiche be not the Church I neuer denyed the Church to be Catholicke visible althought at some times it is more visible then at some Chic I pray you tell me where the Church which allowed your doctrine was these foure hundreth yeares Brad. I will tell you my Lord or rather you shal tell your selfe if you will tell me this one thing where the Churche was in Helias his time when Helias sayde that hee was left alone Chic That is no aunswere Bradford I am sory that you say so but this will I tell your Lordship that if you had the same eyes wherwith a man might haue espied the Churche then you woulde not say it were no answere The true ãâ¦ã euery man hath not eyes to see it The fault why the Church is not seene of you is not because the Churche is not visible but because your eyes are not cleare inough to see it Chic You are much deceaued in making this collation betwixt the Church then and now Yorke Uery well spoken my Lord for Christ sayde aedificabo Ecclesiam I will build my Church and not I doe or haue built it but I will build it Bradford The âishops ãâã to an ãâ¦ã My Lordes Peter teacheth me to make thys collation saying as in y e people there were false Prophetes which were most in estimation afore Christes comming so shall there be false teachers amongest the people after Christes comming and very many shall follow them And as for your future tense I hope your grace will not therby conclude christes Church not to haue bene before but rather that there is no building in the Church but by Christes worke onely for Paule and Apollo be but watterers Chichester In good fayth I am sory to see you so light in iudging the Church Yorke He taketh vpon him as they all doe to iudge the Church A man shall neuer come to certaintie that doth as they do Brad. My Lordes I speake simply what I thinke desire reason to aunswere my obiections Your affections sorrowes can not be my rules If that you consider y e order and case of my condemnation I can not thinke but y t it should somethyng moâe your honours You knowe it well enough for you heard it no matter was layd against me but what was gathered vpon mine owne confession Because I did denye Transubstantiation and the wicked to receaue Christes body in the Sacrament therefore I was condemned and excoÌmunicate but not of the churche although the pillers of the church as they be taken did it Chichester No. I heard say the cause of your imprisonmeÌt was for that you exhorted the people to take the sword in the one hand and the mattocke in the other Brad. My Lord I neuer ment any such thing nor spake any thing in that sort False surmââe agaynst Bradford Yorke Yea and you behaued your selfe before the Counsel so stoutly at the
in their owne sapience which is playne foolishnes amongest the wise indeede that is amongest such as haue heard Gods worde and doe followe it for they onely are counted wise of the wisedome of God our Sauiour In deede if I should simply consider my life with that whiche it ought to haue bene He confesseth his sinnes before God and as God in his lawe requireth then could I not but cry as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera i. Righteous art thou O Lord and all thy iudgemeÌts are true For I haue much greeued thee and transgressed thy holy preceptes not onely before my professing the Gospell but sithen also yea euen sithen my comming into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before God and al his Church that I haue greeuously offended my Lord God I haue not loued his Gospell as I should haue done I haue sought my selfe and not simply and onely his glory and my brethrens commoditie I haue bene to vnthankefull secure carnall hipocriticall vayneglorious c. All which my euils the Lord of mercy pardon me for his Christes sake as I hope and certaynly beleeue he hath done for his great mercy in Christ oure redeemer But when I consider the cause of my condemnation I cannot but lament that I doe no more reioyce then I doe For it is Gods veritie and trueth The Papistes condemne not Bradford but Christ. So that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his trueth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whome Christe and his doctrine is condemned And therefore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thankes with me and for me that euer God did vouchsafe so great a benefite to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthye I meane my selfe to be one in whome it would please him to suffer any kinde of affliction muche more this violent kinde of death whiche I perceiue is prepared for me with you for his sake All glory and prayse be geuen vnto God our father for his great exceeding mercy towardes me through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen But perchaunce you will saye vnto me what is the cause for the whiche you are condemned we heare say that ye denye all presence of Christ in his holy Supper and so make it a bare signe and common bread and nothyng els My dearly beloued what is sayde of me and what will be I cannot tell It is tolde me that Pendleton is gone doune to Preach with you not as he once recanted for you all knowe hee hath preached contrary to that hee was wont to preach afore I came amongest you but to recant that which he hath recanted D. Pendleton recanted first in K. Edwardes tyme and now agayne in Q. Maryes tyme. Howe hee will speake of me and report before I come when I am come and when I am burned I muche passe not for he that is so vncertayne and wil speake so often agaynst him selfe I can not thinke hee will speake well of me except it make for hys purpose and profite but of this inough The causes why M. Bradford was coÌdemned In deede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an hereticke is because I deny in the sacrament of the aultar whiche is not Christes supper but a playne peruerting of it being vsed as the papistes now vse it to be a reall naturall and corporall presence of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes and accidences of bread and wine Transubstantiation the deuills darling and daughter of Antichrist that is because I deny transubstantiation whiche is the dearling of the Deuill and daughter and heyre to Antichristes religion whereby the Masse is mayntayned Christes supper peruerted his sacrifice and Crosse imperfited hys Priesthood destroyed the ministery taken away repentaunce repelled and all true godlynes abandoned In the supper of our Lord or sacrament of Christes body and bloud I confesse and beleeue that there is a true and very presence of whole Christ God and man to the fayth of the receiuer but not of the stander by and looker on as there is a verye true presence of bread and wine to the sences of him that is partaker thereof This fayth this doctrine whiche consenteth with the worde of God and with the true testimony of Christes Church whiche the Popishe Churche doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I condemned as an hereticke and shall be burned But my dearely beloued this trueth whiche I haue taught and you haue receiued I beleued and do beleue and therein geue my life I hope in God shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shall triumphe haue victorye and be at libertye maugre the head of all Gods aduersaries For there is no counsayle agaynst the Lord nor no deuise of man can be able to defeate the veritie in anye other then suche as be children of vnbeliefe whiche haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lyes FroÌ which plague the Lord of mercies deliuer you and all the realme my deare harts in the Lord I humblie beseeche his mercy Amen M. Bradfordes farewell to the countrey of Lankeshire And to the ende you might be deliuered from thys plague right deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my fare well with you for euer in this present lyfe hartely desire you all in the bowels and bloud of our most mercifull Sauiour Iesus Christ to attend vnto these things which I now shall shortly write vnto you out of the holy scriptures of the Lord. You knowe an heauy plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs Gods manifold plagues vpon England in Q. Maryes dayes in takyng away our good Kyng Gods true Religion Gods true Prophetes and Ministers c. And setting ouer vs such as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuours GOD prospereth wonderfully to the tryall of many that his people may bothe better knowe themselues The cause of Gods plagues is our iniquities and not knowing the tyme of Gods visitation and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is our iniquities and greeuous sinnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto God we contemned the Gospell carnally abused it to serue our hipocrisie our vaynglory our viciousnes auarice idlenes securitie c. Long did y e Lord linger and tary to haue shewed mercy vppon vs but we were euer longer the worse Therefore most iustly hath God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy whereto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed For if the Lord should deale with vs after our desertes alas howe coulde we abide it In his anger therfore seeyng hee doeth remember his mercye vndeserued yea vndesired on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more speedily to goe out to meete him not with force
¶ To Mistres M. H a godly gentlewoman comfortyng her in that common heauinesse and godly sorrowe which the feelyng and sense of sinne worketh in Gods children I Humbly and hartily praye the euerlasting good God and Father of mercy An other ghostly letter of M. Bradford to Mistres M. H. to blesse and keepe your harte and minde in the knowledge and loue of his truthe and of his Christ through the inspiration and working of the holye spirite Amen Anno 1555. Iuly Although I haue no doubt but that you prosper and goe forwardes dayly in the way of godlinesse more and more drawing towardes perfection and haue no neede of anye thinge that I can write yet because my desire is that you might be more feruent and perseuer to the ende I coulde not but write something vnto you beseechinge you both often and diligently to call vnto your minde as a meane to stirre you hereunto yea as a thing which God most straitly requireth you to beleeue that you are beloued of God and that he is your deare father in through and for Christ and his deathes sake This loue and tender kindnes of God towardes vs in Christe is aboundantly herein declared and that he hath to y e Godly work of creation of this world made vs after his image redeemed vs being lost called vs into his Churche sealed vs with his marke and signe manuell of Baptisme kept and conserued vs all the dayes of our lyfe Gods benefites to be declared fed nourished defeÌded and most fatherly chastised vs and now hath kindled in our hartes the sparcles of his âeare fayth loue and knowledge of his Christ and truthe and therefore wee lament because we lament no more our vnthankfulnes our fraylnes our diffidence and wauering in thinges wherein we should be most certayne All these thinges wee shoulde vse as meanes to confirme our fayth of this that God is our God and father to assure vs that he loueth vs as our father in Christ to this end I say we should vse the thinges before touched especially in that of all thinges GOD requireth thys faythe and fatherly perswasion of his fatherly goodnesse The chiefest seruice of God is to thinke well of his fatherly goodnes in Christ. as his chiefest seruice For before he aske anye thing of vs he sayth I am the Lorde thy God geuing himselfe and then all he hath to vs to be our owne And this he doth in respect of himselfe of his owne mercy and and truthe and not in respect of vs for then were grace no grace In consideration whereof when he sayth Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me thou shalt loue me with all thy harte c. though of duetie we are bound to accomplishe all that he requireth and are culpable and giltie if we doe not the same yet he requireth not these thinges further of vs then to make vs more in loue and more certayne of this his couenaunt that he is our Lord and GOD. In certayntye wherof as he hath geueÌ this whole world to serue to our neede and commoditie so hath he geuen his sonne Chryst Iesus and in Christe hymselfe to be a pledge and gage whereof the holy Ghost doth now and then geue vs some taste and sweete smell to our our eternall ioy Where feeling fayleth yet obedience is required Therefore as I sayde because God is your father in Christ and requireth of you straitly to beleue it geue your selfe to obedience although you doe it not with suche feelyng as you desire First must faithe goe before and then feeling will follow If our imperfection frayltie and many euils shoulde be occasions whereby Sathan woulde haue vs to doubte as muche as we canne let vs abhorre that suggestion Let no suggestion make vs doubte of Gods fauour in Christ. as of all others most pernicious for so in deede it is For when we stande in a doubte whether God be oure Father we cannot be thankefull to God we can not hartily pray or thinke anye thyng wee doe acceptable to God we can not loue our neighboures and geue ouer our selues to care for them and doe for them as we should do and therefore Sathan is most subtile hereaboutes knowing full well that if we doubt of Gods eternal mercies towardes vs through Christ we cannot please God or do any thing as we should do to man Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfectioÌ frayltie falles and offences that we should doubte of Gods mercie and fauour towardes vs. Therefore my good sister wee must not be sluggishe herein To stay vpon Gods promise to christs bloud but as Sathan laboureth to loosen our faythe so must we labour to fasten it by thinking on the promyses and couenaunte of God in Christes bloude namely that God is our God with all that euer hee hath whiche couenaunte dependeth and hangeth vppon Gods own goodnes mercy and trueth onely and not on our obedience or worthines in any poynt for then should we neuer be certayne In deede God requireth of vs obedience and worthines but not that thereby we might be his children and he our father Obedience geueth not to vs to ãâã Godschildren but Gods âhildren geueth obedience but because he is our father and we his children through his owne goodnes in Christe therefore requireth he fayth and obedience Now if we want this obedience worthines which he requireth shuld we doubt whether he be our father Nay that were to make our obedience and worthines the cause and so to put Christ out of place for whose sake God is our father But rather because he is our father and we feel our selues to want such things as he requireth we shuld be styrred vp to a shamefastnes and blushing because we are not as we should be and thereupon should we take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this maner Deare father thou of thyne owne mercye in Iesus Chryst hast chosen me to be thy childe and therefore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy Churche and faythfull companye of thy children wherein thou hast kept me hetherto How a ãâã should ãâã wheÌ feelinâ of Gods comfort lacketh thy name therfore be praysed Now I see my self to want fayth hope loue c. whiche thy children haue and thou requirest of me wherthrough the deuill would haue me to doubt yea vtterly to dispayre of thy fatherly goodnes fauour and mercy Therefore I come to thee as to my mercifull father through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me good Lorde helpe me and geue me fayth hope loue c. and graunt that thy holy spirite may be with me for euer and more and more to assure me that thou art my father that this mercifull couenaunt that thou madest with them respect of thy grace in Christ and for Christ and not in respecte of any my worthines is alwayes to me c. On this
religion set vp amongest vs agayne but come away come away as the Angell crieth from amongst them in their idolatrous seruice Apoca. 18. lest you be partakers of their iniquitie Harken to your preachers as the Thessalonians did to Paule that is conferre their sayings with the scriptures if they sound not thereafter the morning light shall not shyne vpon them Esay 8. Vse much and hearty prayer for the spirite of wisedome knowledge humblenes meekenes sobrietie and repentaunce which we haue great need of because our sinnes haue thus prouoked the Lordes anger against vs but let vs beare his anger and acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowfull sighes and doubtles he will be mercifull to vs after his wonted mercy The which thyng he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse and euerlastyng thankes from this tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lord to commaund Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter to M. George Eaton ALmighty God our heauenly Father recompence aboundantly into your bosome my dearely beloued here and eternally A letter aâ M. Bradford to M. George Eaton the good which froÌ him by you I haue continually receiued sithen my comming into prison Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after this lyfe by witnessing your fayth declared to me by your fruits wheÌ we shall come and appeare together before the throne of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thanke God I am euen now a goyng euer looking when officers wyll come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I can not complayne because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth thousand deaths at gods hands by reason of my sinnes yet I may and must reioyce because the Prâlates do not persecute in me myne iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ. And because they can do hym no hurt for he sitteth in heauen The Prelates persecute and hate the Martirs not for their iniquities but for hatred of Christ of his veritye in them and laugheth them and their deuises to scorne as one day they shall feele therfore they turne their rage vpoÌ his poore sheepe as Herode their father did vpon the infants Math. 2. Great cause therefore haue I to reioyce that my dere Sauiour Christ wil vouchsafe amongst many to chuse me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shall be a vessell of honour in whom he will be glorified Therfore my right deare brother in the Lord reioice with me geue thankes for me and cease not to pray that God for his mercies sake would make perfect the good he hath begun in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed and preached I do confesse vnto you in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering Iohn Bradford geueth testimony of his doctrine that it is the very true doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Church of his Prophets Apostles and all good men so that if an Angell should come from heauen and preach otherwise the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but be confirmed in it and as your vocation requireth wheÌ God so will confesse it though it be perillous so to do The end shall euidently shew an other maner of pleasure for so doyng then tong can tell Bee diligent in prayer and watch therein Use reuerent readyng of Gods worde Set the shortnesse of this tyme before your eyes and let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memory Practise in doing that you learne by reading and hearing Decline from euill and pursue good Remember them that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellow heires of grace Forget not the afflictions of Syon and the oppression of Ierusalem and God our Father shall geue you hys continuall blessyng thorough Christ our Lorde who guide vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you deare brother for euer in this present lyfe till wee shall meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and Father bryng vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Out of pryson this viij of February Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford ¶ An other Letter to Maistresse Anne Warcuppe ALmighty God our heauenly father for his Christes sake encrease in vs fayth An ãâã letter Mistreâ Anne ãâã by which we may more more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all theÌ that beleeue with the hart and confesse Christ his truth wyth the mouth Amen My dearely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I write my farewel to you in this lyfe in deed vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the shiriffe to come for me and I thanke God I am ready for him Now goe I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hill it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is steepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feeble pray therfore to the Lord for me that as I haue now thorough his goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by his grace be strengthened not to rest till I come where I should bee Oh louing Lord put out thy hand and drawe me vnto thee for no man commeth but he whoÌ the father draweth See my derely beloued Gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath great weakenes As he sent for Helias in a firy chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my drosse must be purified that I may bee fine gold in his sight Oh vnthankfull wretch that I am Lord do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In deed I confesse right deare to me in the Lord that my sinnes haue deserued hell fire much more then this fire But loe so louyng is my Lord God ãâã the âââserued ãâã death of his to a gloâââous testiâââniall of his truth that he conuerteth the remedy for my sins the punishment for my transgressions into a testimoniall of his truth and a testification of his veritie which the Prelates do persecute in me not my sinnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubt not will take my part vnto the very end Amen Oh that I had so open an hart as could so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakeable dignitie which God my father offreth to me Now
the same constancie as dyd the other and therfore were both deliuered vnto the sheriffes who were there present but afterwards were conueyed to the places aboue named there moste ioyfully gaue their houses to bee burned in the fire and their soules into the handes of Almighty God by Iesus Christ who hath assured them to a better hope of life This Diricke was a man whome the Lorde had blessed as well with temporall riches as with hys spirituall treasures which riches yet were no clogge or let vnto hys true professing of Christe the Lord by his grace so woorking in him of the which there was such hauocke made by the greedye raueners of that time that hys poore wyfe and children had little or none thereof During his imprisonment although he was well stricken in yeares and as it were past the time of learning yet he so spente his time that being at hys firste apprehension vtterly ignoraunt of any letter of the booke he coulde before his death read perfectly any Printed English Whos 's diligence and zeale is worthy no small commendation and therefore I thought it good not to lette it passe ouer in silence for the good encouragement and example of others Moreouer at his comming into the towne of Lewes to be burned the people called vpon him beseeching God to strengthen him in the faith of Iesus Christe Hee thanked them and prayed vnto God that of hys mercye hee woulde strengthen them in the lyke Faith And when hee came to the signe of the Starre the people drew neare vnto hym where the Sheriffe sayde that he had founde him a faithfull man in all hys aunsweres And as he came to the stake hee kneeled downe and made hys prayers and the Sheriffe made haste Then hys Booke was throwne into the barrell and when he had stript him selfe as a ioyfull member of God he went into the barrell him selfe And as soone as euer hee came in he tooke vp the booke and threw it among the people and then the Sheriffe commaunded in the Kynge and Queenes name in paine of death to throw in the booke againe And immediately that faithful member spake with a ioyfull voyce saying Deare brethren and sisterne witnes to you all that I am come to seale with my bloude Christes Gospell for because I know that it is true it is not vnknowen vnto all you but that it hath bene truely preached heere in Lewes and in all places of Englande and nowe it is not And for because that I wil not deny heere Gods Gospel and be obedient to mans lawes I am condemned to die Dear brethren and sisterne as many of you as doe beleeue vpon the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste vnto euerlasting life see you do the woorkes appertaining to the same And as many of you as doe beleeue vppon the Pope of Rome or any of his lawes which he sets foorth in these daies you do beleeue to your vtter condeÌnation and except the great mercy of God you shall burne in hell perpetually The Martyrdome of Diricke Caruer And then spake hee againe to all the people there present with a loude voyce saying deare brethren Horrible prouoking of Gods iudgement and all you whom I haue offended in woordes or in deede I aske you for the Lordes sake to forgeue mee and I heartely forgeue all you which haue offended me in thought word or dede And he sayd further in his praier Oh Lord my God thou hast wrytten Hee that wil not forsake wife children house Dirickes prayer at his death and all that euer he hath and take vp thy crosse and folow thee is not woorthy of thee But thou Lorde knowest that I haue forsaken all to come vnto thee Lord haue mercy vppon me for vnto thee I commend my spirit and my soule doth reioyce in thee These were the last wordes of that Faythfull member of Christe before the fire was put to hym And afterward that the fire came to him he cried Oh Lorde haue mercy vpon me and spronge vp in the fire calling vppon the name of Iesus and so ended Thomas Iueson Martyr AT Chichester Tho. Iueson of Euerson apprehended with Diricke and other suffered at Chichester about the same moneth was burned one Thomas Iueson of Godstone in the Countie of Surrey Carpenter whose apprehension examination and condemnation for as much as it was at one time and in one forme with Diricke Caruer and Iohn Launder I doe here omit referring the reader to their hystorie processe before mentioned sauing onely this his seuerall confession and priuate answers made before B. Boner at hys last examination in the Consistorie I thought not to pretermit who being examined vppon the foresayd Articles answered as followeth The aunsweres of Thomas Iueson to the obiections of Boner bishop of London in a chamber at his house in the moneth of Iuly 1. FIrst that he beleued that there is but one Catholike Aunsweres of Thomas Iueson vniuersall and whole Church of Christ thorough the whole worlde which hathe and holdeth the true faith and all the necessarye Articles of Christen beliefe all the Sacraments of Christe with the true vse and administration of the same 2. Item that he is necessarily bounden to beleeue geue credite in all the sayd faith Articles of the beliefe religion and the Sacraments of Christe and the administration of the same 3. Item that that faithe religion and administration of Sacraments which now is beleeued vsed taught and set forth in this our church of England is not agreeing wyth the truth and faith of Christ nor with the faith of the sayde Catholicke and vniuersall Church of Christ. 4. Item concerning the Sacrament of the aultar he beleueth that it is a very Idol and detestable before God as it is now ministred 5. Item that the Masse is nought and not of the institution of Christ but y t it is of mans inuention and demaunded whether any thing vsed in the Masse be good he sayde that he would answere no further 6. Item that hee had not receiued the Sacrament of the aultar since it hath ben ministred as now it is in England neither was confessed at any time within this seuen yeres nor he hath not heard Masse by the same space 7. Item that auricular confession is not necessarye to be made to a priest for that he caÌnot forgeue nor absolue him from sinnes 8. Item concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme that it is a signe and token of Christe as circumcision was and none otherwise and he beleeueth that his sinnes are * He meaneth not by the mere vertue of the element Two Sacramentes not washed away thereby but his body onely washed for his sinnes be washed away onely by Christes bloud 9. Item that there be in the Catholike Church of Christ onely two Sacraments that is to saye the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord and no
omnipotency of Christ doth not proue him to be really in the Sacrament he may doe all thyngs and there is nothyng vnpossible for hym to do New I know God is almighty and can do all that he wil but he cannot make his sonne a lyer he cannot deny himself nor he cannot restore virginity once violated defiled Thornt What is that to your purpose God doth not defile virginity we speake but of thyngs that God doth New Why Absurdity in the Popes doctrine will ye haue the humanity of Christ in all places as the deitie is Thornt Yea he is in all places as the deitie is if it please hym New I wil promise you that semeth to me a very great heresie for heauen and earth are not able to containe the diuine power of God for it is in all places as here and in euery place yet ye wil say that wheresoeuer the deitie is there is also the humanitie and so ye wil make him no body but a fantasticall body and not a body in deed Thornt Nay we do not say he is in all places as the deitie is but if it please him he may be in all places w t the deitie New I promise you that it semeth to me as great an heresie as euer I heard in my life and I dare not grant it lest I should deny Christ to bee a very man and that were agaynst all the scriptures Thornt The humanitye of Christ may not be in all places Tush what shall we stand reasoning with him I dare say he doth not beleue that Christ came out of his mother not openyng the matrice Do you beleue that Christ rose from death and came through the stone New I doe beleue that Christ rose from beath but I doe not beleue that he came through the stone neither doth the Scripture so say Thornt Loe how say you hee doth not beleue that Christ came through the stone if he doth not beleue this howe shall he beleue the other If he could beleeue this it were easie for hym to beleeue the other New Note the grosse ignoraunce of this Suffragane The scripture doth not say he went through y e stone but it sayth the angels of God came downe and rolled away the stone for feare of him the keepers be came euen as dead men Thornt A foole foole that was because that women should see that he was risen agayne from death New Well the scripture maketh as much for me as it doth for you and more too Thornt Well let vs not staÌd any longer about him Back agayne to the reall presence How say ye is the bodye of Christ really in the sacrament or no New I haue answered you already Thornt Wel do ye not beleue that he is there really New No I beleeue it not Thornt Well will ye stand to it New I must deeds stand to it til I be perswaded by a further truth Thornt Nay ye will not be perswaded but stande to your owne opinion New Nay I stand not to myne owne opinion GOD I take to witnes but only to the Scriptures of God 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 only my coÌscience if there be a further trutht hen I see except it appeare a truth to me I cannot receiue it as a truth And seing faith is the gift of God commeth not of man for it is not you that can geue me faith nor no man els therefore I trust ye wil beare the more w t me seing it must be wroght by God when it shal please God to open a further truth to me I shal receiue it with all my hart and embrace it ¶ Thornton had many other questions which I did not beare away but as I do vnderstand these are the chiefest as for taunts foolish vnlearned he lacked none Prayse God for his gifts and God increase in vs strength The Arguments of Iohn Newman Arg in the 2. figure If the body of Christ were really and bodily in the sacrament then whosoeuer receiued the Sacrament receiued also the body The wicked receiuyng the Sacrament receiue not the body of Christ. Ergo the body of Christ is not really in the sacrament Argument Ca They which eate the flesh and drinke the bloude of Christ dwell in hym and he in them mes The wicked dwell not in Christ nor he in them tres Ergo the wicked eate not the flesh nor drinke y e bloud of Christ. Argument Ca They that haue Christ dwelling in them bring forth much fruit Iohn 15. He that dwelleth in me and I in hym bringeth forth much fruit c. mes The wicked bryng forth no fruit of goodnes tres Ergo they haue not Christes body dwelling in them Argument Da Where remembrance is of a thing there is imported the absence thereof Arg in the 3. figure ti Remembrance 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 wil say we see hym not with our outward eies but he is commended vnder the forme of bread and wyne and that that we see is nothing but a qualitie or an accidence But let them shew me a qualitie or an accidence without a substance I wil beleue them And thus much concernyng Newmans examinations and arguments * The fayth of Iohn Newman dwelling at Maydstone in Kent who was by occupation a Peuterer The Lord is the protector of my lyfe The iust shall lyue by fayth and if he withdrawe hymselfe Abac 1. Hebru â my soule shall haue no pleasure in hym MY fayth is that there is one God which is wythout beginnyng and without endyng Gen. 1.1 This God created al things visible and inuisible And after that he had made both heauen and earth with all other creatures hee made man set him in the place which he had prepared for him which place he called Eden he gaue to Adam hys commandements precepts and sayd when so euer thou doest the thyng which I forbid thou shalt surely die y e death yet did man for all this disobey God his creator after his sinne he fled from God hid hymselfe was in a miserable desperate case But God seeing maÌ in this miserable estate Gen. 3â because he all his posteritie should not continue in deth promised AdaÌ that the womans seed shold breake the serpents head wherby is ment y t the son of God shold become man destroy the deuil Which by his subtill perswasions had deceiued Adam Then did AdaÌ by faith take hold of gods promise and became the seruaÌt of righteousnes through the faith which he had in the promise of y e womans seed So did Abel Seth Henoch Noe with faithful Abraham Isaac
Iacob and the rest of the faythfull vntil Christes tyme as S. Paul sayth they did all eate of one spirituall meat did all drinke of one maner of spirituall drinke They did drinke of that spirituall rocke that followed theÌ which rocke was Christ that saueth vs. 1. Cor. â And when the tyme was ful come God sent his sonne made of a woman that is he tooke flesh of the virgin Mary became man not the shadow of a man nor a fantasticall maÌ Gala. 4. as some falsly faine but a very natural man in all points sinne onely excepted which God man is Christ the promised womans seed This Christ was here conuersant among men for the space of 30. yeres more Luke 22. and when the tyme was come that he should goe to hys father he gaue vnto vs the mistery of our redemption that we thorough fayth should eate his body and drinke hys bloud that we myght feed on hym through fayth to the end of the world After this Christ offred vp hys body on the crosse 1. Cor. ââ to pacify his father to deliuer vs from the thraldome of the deuill in the which we were through sinne original actuall And with that one sacrifice of his body once offered on the crosse Heb. 1â hee hath made perfect for euer all them that are sanctified He descended into hell the third day he rose agayne from death was conuersant at certaine tymes w t his disciples for the space of 40. dayes after he rose from death Then in the sight of all his disciples he ascended into heauen as hys disciples stood lookyng vpward Actes 1. beholding hym how he went into heauen two men stood by them in white apparell which also sayd ye men of Galilie why stand ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene hym goe into heauen Actes 3. S. Peter also sayth that the heauens must receiue hym vntill the tyme that all thynges whith God hath spoken by the mouth of all hys prophets since the world began be restored again which is the latter day when he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead I do beleeue in the holy ghost which is the spirite of God proceedyng from the father and the sonne which holy spirit is one God with them I beleeue that there is an holy church which is the company of the faythfull elect people of God dispersed abrode throughout all the world Math ââ which holy church or congregation doth not looke for Christ here nor Christ there neither in the desert nor in the secret places whereof Christ warneth vs but as S. Paule sayth in heauen where he sitteth on the right hand of GOD the father Coloss. â they set their affection on thyngs that are aboue and not on thyngs which are on earth For they are dead concernyng the thynges of this world and their lyfe is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is their lyfe shall shew hymselfe then shall they also appeare with hym in glory I beleeue that there is a communion of saints euen y e fellowship of the faythfull people which are dispersed abrode throughout all the whole world and are of one mynde they followe Christ their head they loue one an other as Christ loued them are knit together in one euen in Christ which Church or congregation hath forgeuenes of sinnes thorough Christ and shall enter without spotte before the face of God into his glory For as Christ being their head hath entred pure and cleane so they entering by hym shall be lyke hym in glory And I am certaine and sure that all they which doe dye shall rise agayne and receiue their bodies In theÌ shal they see Christ come in his glory to iudge the quicke and the dead At whose commyng all men shall appeare and geue a reckoning of their doyngs he shall seperate y e good from the bad he shall say to theÌ which are hys elect come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you froÌ the beginning but to the other that haue always resisted his will he shall say depart from me ye cursed into euerlastyng fire which is prepared for the deuil and his aungels Thus haue I briefly declared my fayth which were no fayth at all if I were in doubt of it This fayth therefore I desire God to encrease in mee Prayse God for his gyftes ⧠And thus haue you the Martyrdome with the confession of this blessed man and witnes of the Lords truth who for that gaue his lyfe as is before declared ¶ Richard Hooke LIkewise Richard Hooke about the same season for the same matter gaue his like at Chichester ¶ The examinations aunswers and condemnation of William Coker William Hopper Henry Laurence Rich. Colliar Rich. Wright William Stere before the Byshop of Douer and Harpsfield Archdeacon of Caunterbury MEntion was made a little before in the story of M. Bland and Nich. Sheterden of certaine other Kentish men who beyng the same tyme with them called forth and examined by Thornton Bish. of Douer N. Harpesfield Rich. Faucet and Rob. Collins yet notwithstandyng because the condemnation and execution of theÌ was differred a little longer till the latter end of the moneth of Aug. commyng therfore now to the tyme of their suffryng we will briefly touch some part of their examinations and aunswers as we find them in the Registers The names of these were Wil. Coker Wil. Hopper Henry Laurence Rich. Colliar Rich. Wright W. Stere. What the articles obiected to M. Bland and them were ye heard before To the which Articles they answered for themselues seuerally in effect as followeth FIrst Wil. Coker sayd he would aunswer no otherwise then he had already answered beyng offered to haue longer respite of 6. dayes after he refused to take it and so vpon the same senteÌce of condemnation was read against hym the 11. of Iuly WIl Hopper first seemed to graunt to the fayth determination of the Catholike church after callyng hymselfe better to mynd constantly stickyng to the truth he was condemned the next weeke after the 16. of Iuly HEnry Laurence examined the sayd 16. of Iuly partly differred to the 2. of August aunswered to the Articles obiected against hym first denying auricular confession and that he had not nor would receiue the Sacrament because sayth he the order of the holy Scriptures is changed in the order of the Sacrament Moreouer the sayd Laurence was charged for not puttyng of his cap when the Suffragan made mention of the sacrament did reuerence to the same the sayd Laurence answering in these words what said he ye shal not need to put of your cap for it is not so holy that you need to put of your cap thereunto Further beyng apposed concernyng the
Names of the Commissioners Will. Roper Rich. Rede Will. Cooke The history of Elizabeth VVarne widow burnt at Stratford bowe NOw seuerally to prosecute the stories of these x. Martyrs aforenamed Elizabeth Warne Martyr first we will begin with the historie of Elizabeth Warne who in this moneth of August was burned at Stratford Bowe nye vnto London widowe late the wyfe of Ioh. Warne Upholster and Martyr who also was burned in the end of the month of May last past as before in hys storye is recorded This Elizabeth had bene apprehended amongst others the first day of Ianuary in a house in Bow Church yard in London as they were gathered together in prayer and at that present was caried to the Counter as is also aboue specified where she lay as prisoner vntil the 11. day of Iune At which time she was brought vnto Newgate and remayned there in lyke case vnto the 2. day of Iuly Then shee was sent by the Kyng and Queenes Commissioners vnto Boner B. of London who the sixt day of the same moneth caused her with diuers others as Robert Smith George Tankerfield c. to be brought before hym into hys Pallace and there examined her vpon sundry Articles such as of common order be ministred vnto the poore saints Martyrs of God as ye may more playnely perceyue by other more large and ample processes as well before as hereafter mentioned The chiefest obiection that he vsed Elizabeââ Warne broughâ ãâã eyther towardes her or the most of those was touchyng the reall and corporall presence of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament of the aultar as the chiefest ground profitablest foundation for their Catholike dignitie Many other matters he obiected agaynst them as for not commyng to the Church for speakyng agaynst the masse for despising their ceremonies and new founde Sacramentes with dyuers other fonde and triflyng toyes not worthy any mentionyng In the ende when she had bene diuers tymes brought before hym and other hys adherentes and there earnestly exhorted to recant shee sayde Doe what ye will For if Christ was in an errour then am I in an errour The ãâã of Elizâââââ Warne her exaââânation Uppon which aunswere she was the xij day of the same moneth of Iuly adiudged and condemned as an heretike and so deliuered vnto the secular power as they terme it to be by them yet at the Clergies appoyntment put to death which thyng was accomplished in her the same month aboue mentioned The chiefe procurer of this her death was D. Story beyng as it is thought of some alliaunce eyther to her the sayd Elizabeth or els to her late husband Who A story ãâã D. Story written ãâã the ãâã of D. Mâââtin owââ wordes thogh he was at the first apprehension of his sayd kinswoman a very earnest suiter for her deliueraunce to Doctor Martin then one of the Kyng and Queenes Commissioners in matters of Religion hymselfe beyng as yet not made Commissioner and had by his sute obteyned her deliueraunce for that present as Doct. Martin hymselfe the authour hereof hath reported yet afterwards vpon what occasion God onely knoweth except vpon some burning charitie the sayd Doctor Story D. Story ãâã his kinââfolkes obteyning now the roome of one of the Commissioners caused not onely the sayde Iohn Warne but also hys wyfe afterwards his daughter to be agayne apprehended neuer leauyng them vntyll hee had brought them all to ashes Such was the rage of that deuout catholike and white chyld of y e mother church that neyther kinred nor any other consideratioÌ could preuaile with hym although it dyd at hys request wyth others who in respect of hym were but straungers vnto them The Lord if it be hys will turne hys hart or els rid hys poore Church from such an Hibra as thanked bee the Lord now he hath ¶ George Tankerfield a faythfull Martyr and witnesse of the Gospell constantly suffering for the testimonie of the same GEorge Tankerfield of London Cooke borne in the Citie of Yorke about the age of xxvij or xxviij yeres was in king Edwards daies a very papist til the time Queene Mary came in and then perceiuing the great crueltye vsed of the Popes side was brought into a misdoubte of theyr doings and begaÌ as he said in his heart to abhorre them And as concerning the masse whereof he had but a doubtful opinion before and much striuing with him self in that case at length hee fell to prayer desiring God in mercye to open to him the truth that he might be thorowly perswaded therein whether it were of God or no If not that he might vtterly hate it in his hearte and abhorre it whiche according to his prayer the Lorde mercifully heard woorking daily more and more in him to detest and abhorre the same and so was mooued to read the Testament whereby as is sayd the Lord lightened his minde with the knowledge of the truthe woorking liuely faith in him to beleeue the same and vtterly to detest all papistrie and so he came no more to their doings And not onely that ãâã but also thys liuely faith sayd he kindled such a flame in him as would not be kept in but vtter it selfe by confession therof reprouing his owne former doings to his friendes exhorting them likewise to conuert and turne to the truth with him and thus he began to be smelled out among them til at the last he was sent for as followeth It pleased God to strike him w t sicknesse whereby hee lay long sicke and on a certaine day to take the air abroad he rose vp and went and walked into the Temple fieldes to see y e shooters In the meane season came Bearde home to his house and inquired for him pretending to his wife that he came only for to haue hym to come and dresse a baÌket at the Lord Pagets The wife because of his apparell which was very braue tooke him to be some honeste Gentleman and with all speede prepared her selfe to fetch her husband hauing a good hope he should now erne some mony and least this gentleman should not be noyed with tarying she fet him a cushin to set him soft and said a fayre napkin before him and set breade thereon and came to her husband who wheÌ he heard it sayd a banket woman In deed it is such a banquet as wil not be very pleasant to the flesh but Gods will be done And when he came home hee saw who it was and called him by his name which when his wife perceiued wherfore he came like a tall woman would play Peters part and in sted of a sword took a spit and had runne him thorow had not the Constable which Bearde had sent for by his man come in withall who rescued him yet she sent a brickebatte after him and hit hym on the backe And so Tankerfield was deliuered to y e Constable and brought
father that speaketh within you Euen the very heaâes of your head are all numbred Lay vp treasure for your selues sayth he where no theefe commeth nor moth corrupteth Feare not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but feare hym that hath power to destroy both soule and body If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne Iohn 15. but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Let these and suche like consolations taken out of the Scriptures strengthen you to godward Let not the examples of holy men and women go out of your minde as Daniel and the rest of the prophets of the three children of Eleazarus that constaÌt father of the vij of the Machabies children of Peter Paule Steuen and other Apostles and holy Martyrs in the beginning of the Church As of good Symeon Archbishop of Seloma and Zetrophone with infinite other vnder Sapores the King of the Persians and Indians who contemned all torments deuised by the tyraunts for their sauiours sake Returne returne agayne into Christes warre Ephes. 6. and as becommeth a faithfull warriour put on that armour that S. Paule teacheth to be most necessary for a Christian man And aboue all things take to you the shield of fayth and be you prouoked by Christes own example to withstand the diuell to forsake the world and to become a true and faythfull member of his mysticall body who spared not his owne body for our sinnes Throw downe your selfe with the feare of his threatned vengeaunce for this so great and haynous an offence of Apostasie and comfort your selfe on the other part wyth the mercy bloud and promise of him that is ready to turne vnto you whensoeuer you turne vnto him Disdayne not to come agayne with the lost sonne seing you haue so waÌdred with him Be not ashamed to turne againe with hym from the swill of straungers to the delicates of your most benigne and louing father acknowledging that you haue sinned against heauen and earth Against heauen by stayning the glorious name of God and causing his most sincere and pure word to be euill spoken of through you Against earth by offending so many of your weake brethren to whom you haue bene a stumbling blocke through your sodaine sliding Be not abashed to come home againe with Mary and weepe bitterly with Peter not only with sheding the teares of your bodily eyes but also powring out the streames of your hart to wash away out of the sight of God the filth and mire of your offensiue fall Be not abashed to say with the Publicane Luke 1â Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner Remember the horrible hystory of Iulian of olde and the lamentable case of Spyra of late whose case me thinke should be yet so greene in your remembrance that being a thing of our time you should feare the like inconuenience seeing you are falne into the like offence Last of all let the liuely remembrance of the last day be alwayes afore your eyes remembring the terrour that suche shall bee in at that time with the runnagates and fugitiues from Christ which setting more by the worlde then by heauen more by theyr lyfe then by him that gaue them lyfe dyd shrinke yea did cleane fall away from him that forsooke not them and contrarywise the inestimable ioyes prepared for them that fearing no perill nor dreading death haue manfully fought and victoriously triumphed ouer all power of darkenesse ouer hell deathe and damnation thorough theyr most redoubted Captaine Christ who nowe stretcheth out his armes to receaue you ready to fall vppon your necke and kysse you and last of all to feast you with the deynties and delicates of his owne precious bloud which vndoubtedly if it might stand with his determinate purpose he woulde not set to shed againe rather then you should be lost To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour prayse and glory euerlasting Amen Be constant be constant feare not for no payne Christ hath redeemed thee and heauen is thy gayne ¶ A Letter written by the Lady Iane in the ende of the new Testament in Greeke the which she sent vnto her sister Lady Katherine the night before she suffered I Haue heere sent you good Sister Katherine a booke which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold ãâ¦ã of the ââdy Iane the âady ãâ¦ã yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Sister of the law of the Lord. It is his Testament and last will which he bequeathed vnto vs wretches which shall leade you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good minde reade it and with an earnest mind do purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortall and euerlasting life It shall teache you to liue and learne you to die It shall winne you more then you should haue gained by the possession of your wofull fathers landes For as if God had prospered him you should haue inherited his landes so if you apply diligently this booke seeking to direct your lyfe after it you shall be an inheritour of such riches as neither the couetous shall withdrawe from you neither theefe shall steale neyther yet the mothes corrupt Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstande the lawe of the Lorde your God Liue still to dye that you by death may purchase eternall life ãâã liue to ãâã that by ãâã you ãâã liue And trust not that the tendernesse of your age shall lengthen your life For as soone if God call goeth the yong as the olde and labour alwayes to learne to dye Defye the world denie the deuill and despise the fleshe and delite your selfe onely in the Lorde Be penitent for your sinnes and yet despayre not be strong in fayth and yet presume not and desire with S. Paule to be dissolued and to be wyth Christ with whome euen in death there is lyfe Be like the good seruaunt and euen at midnight be waking least when death commeth and stealeth vpon you like a theefe in the night you be wyth the euill seruaunt found sleeping and least for lacke of oyle you be found like the fyue foolish women and lyke hym that had not on the wedding garment and then yee be cast out from the marriage Reioyce in Christ as I do Follow the steps of your mayster Christ and take vp your Crosse lay your sinnes on hys backe and alwayes embrace hym And as touching my death reioyce as I do good Sister that I shall be deliuered of this corruption and put on incorruption For I am assured that I shall for losing of a mortall life winne an immortall life the which I pray God graunt you and send you of his grace to liue in hys feare and to dye in the true Christian fayth from the which in Gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarue
neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if ye will denie his truth to lengthen your lyfe God will denie you and yet shorten your dayes And if you will cleaue vnto him he will prolong your dayes to your comfort and his glory to the which glory God bring me now and you heereafter when it pleaseth him to call you Fare you well good Sister and put your only trust in God who only must helpe you * Heere followeth a certayne effectuall prayer made by the Lady Iane in the time of her trouble O Lord thou God and father of my life heare mee poore and desolate woman A prayer of the Lady Iane. which flyeth vnto thee onely in all troubles and miseries Thou O Lord art the onely defendour and deliuerer of those that put their trust in thee and therefore I beeyng defiled wyth sinne encombred with affliction vnquieted wyth troubles wrapped in cares ouerwhelmed with miseries vexed with temptations and greeuously tormented wyth the long imprisonment of this vile masse of clay my sinfull body do come vnto thee O mercifull Sauiour crauing thy mercy and helpe without the which so little hope of deliueraunce is lefte that I may vtterly despayre of any libertie Albeit it is expedient that seeyng our life standeth vpon trying we should be visited sometyme wyth some aduersitie whereby we might both be tryed whether we be of thy flocke or no and also knowe thee and our selues the better yet thou that saydest that thou wouldest not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power be mercifull vnto me now a miserable wretch I beseech thee which with Salomon do cry vnto thee humbly desiring thee that I may neyther be too much puffed vp with prosperitie neither too much pressed down wyth aduersitie least I beeyng too full should denie thee my GOD or beeyng too lowe brought should despayre and blaspheme thee my Lord and Sauiour O mercifull GOD consider my miserie best knowne vnto thee and be thou now vnto me a strong tower of defence I humbly require thee Suffer me not to be tempted aboue my power but eyther be thou a deliuerer vnto me out of thys great miserie eyther else geue me grace paciently to beare thy heauie hand and sharpe correction It was thy righte hande that delyuered the people of Israell out of the handes of Pharao which for the space of foure hundred yeares did oppresse them and keepe them in bondage Let it therefore lykewyse seeme good to thy fatherly goodnes Psal. ââ to delyuer mee sorrowfull wretch for whome thy Sonne Christ shedde hys precious bloud on the Crosse out of thys miserable captiuity bondage wherein I am now Howe long wilt thou be absent for euer Oh Lord hast thou forgotten to be gracious and hast thou shut vp thy louing kindnes in displeasure wilt thou be no more entreated Is thy mercy cleane gone for euer and thy promise come vtterly to an end for euermore why doest thou make so long tarying shall I despaire of thy mercy O God farre be that from me I am thy workmanship created in Christ Iesu geue me grace therefore to tary thy leysure and patiently to beare thy woorkes assuredly knowing that as thou canst so thou wilt deliuer me when it shall please thee nothing douting or mistrusting thy goodnes towardes me for thou wottest better what is good for me then I do Therefore do with me in all thinges what thou wilt plague me what way thou wilt Onely in the meane time arme me I beseech thee with thy armour that I may stand fast my loynes being girded about with veritie hauing on the brest plate of righteousnes shod with the shoes prepared by the Gospell of peace Ephes. 6. aboue all thinges taking to me the shield of fayth wherewith I may be able to quench all the fiery dartes of the wicked and taking the helmet of saluatioÌ the sword of the spirit which is thy most holy word praying alwaies with al maner of praier supplicatioÌ that I may refer my selfe wholy to thy wil abiding thy pleasure and comforting my selfe in those troubles that it shall please thee to send me seeing such troubles be profitable for me and seeing I am assuredly perswaded that it can not be but well all that thou doest Heare me O mercifull father for his sake whoÌ thou wouldest shoulde be a sacrifice for my sinnes to whome with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen After these thinges thus declared it remayneth nowe comming to the end of this vertuous Lady next to inferre the maner of her execution with the words and behauiour of her in time of her death ¶ These are the wordes that the Lady Iane spake vpon the Scaffold at the houre of her death FIrst when she mounted vpon the Scaffold The wordââ and behauiour of the Lady Ianâ vppon the Scaffold she sayde to y e people standing thereabout good people I am come hether to dye and by a lawe I am condemned to the same The fact against the Queenes highnes was vnlaw full and the consenting thereunto by me but touching the procurement and desire therof by me or on my behalfe I doe wash my handes thereof in innocency before God and the face of you good Christian people this day and therewith she wrong her handes wherein she had her booke Then said she I pray you all good Christian people to beare me witnes that I dye a true Christian woman and that I do look to be saued by no other meane but onely by the mercy of God in the bloud of his only sonne Iesus Christ and I confesse that when I did know the word of God I neglected y e same loued my selfe and the world therfore thys plague and punishment is happily and worthily happened vnto mee for my sinnes and yet I thanke God of hys goodnes that hee hath thus geuen me a time and respite to repent and now good people while I am aliue I praye you assist me with your prayers And then kneeling down she turned her to Fecknam saying shall I say this psalme and he sayd yea Then sayd she the Psalme of Miserere mei Deus in English in most deuoute maner throughout to y e end and then she stoode vpp and gaue her mayden Maistresse Ellen her gloues and handkerchefe and her book to Maister Bruges and then she vntyed her gowne and the hangman pressed vpon her to helpe her off with it but she desiring him to let her alone turned towardes her two Gentlewomen who helped her of therwith and also with her frowes past and neckerchefe geuing to her a fayre handkerchefe to knit about her eyes Then the hangman kneeled downe and asked her forgeuenesse whom she forgaue most willingly TheÌ he willed her to stand vpon the straw which doing she sawe the blocke Then shee sayd I pray you dispatche me quickely Then she kneeled downe saying wil you take it off before I lay