boldly to the profession of Christ then they shewed how little they passed of death how much they feared God more then meÌ„ how much they loued and preferred the eternall lyfe to come aboue this short and miserable lyfe Wherfore I exhort you as well by Christes commandement as by the example of hym and his Apostles to withdraw your selfe from the malice of yours gods enemies into some place where God is most purely serued which is no slaunderyng of the truth but a preseruyng of your selfe to God and the truth and to the societie comfort of Christes little flocke And that you will doe doe it with speede least by your owne folly you fall into the persecutors hands And the Lord send his holy spirite to lead and guide you where so euer you goe and all that be godly will say Amen ¶ Unto these former letters of D. Cranmer Archbishop written by hym vnto others it seemeth to me not much out of place to annexe withall a certaine Letter also of Doc. Taylor written to hym and his fellow prisoners the tenor of which letter here followeth ¶ To my deare fathers and brethren Doctor Cranmer Doctor Ridley and Doctor Latimer prisoners in Oxford for the faithful testimony of Gods holy worde RIght reuerend fathers in the Lord I wish you to enioy continually Gods grace and peace through Iesus Christ God be praysed againe for this your most excellent promotioÌ„ which ye are called vnto at this present that is that ye are counted worthy to be allowed amongst the number of Christes recordes and witnesses England hath had but a few learned Bishops that would sticke to Christ ad ignem inclusiuè Once againe I thanke God hartily in Christ for your most happy onset most valiaunt proceeding most constant suffryng of all such infamies hissings clappyngs tauntes open rebukes losse of liuyng and liberty for the defence of Gods cause truth and glory I cannot vtter with pen how I reioyce in my hart for you three such captaines in the foreward vnder Christs crosse banner or standerd in such a cause and skirmish when not onely one or two of our deare redemers strongholds are besieged but all his chiefe castles ordeyned for our safegard are traiterously impugned This your enterprise in the sight of all that be in heauen and of all Gods people in earth is most pleasaunt to behold This is another maner of nobilitie then to be in the forefront in worldly warrefares For Gods sake pray for vs for we fayle not daily to pray for you We are stronger and stronger in the Lord hys name be praysed and we doubt not but ye be so in Christes owne sweet schoole Heauen is all wholy of our side therefore Gaudete in domino semper iterum gaudete exultate i. Reioyce alwayes in the Lord and agayne reioyce and be glad Your assured in Christ Rowland Taylour ¶ De Tho. Cranmeri Archiepiscopi qui carcere detinebatur palinodia Te Cranmere grauis sontem prope fecerat error Sed reuocas lubricos ad meliora pedes Te docuit lapsus magis vt vestigia firmes Atque magis Christo consociere tuo Vtque tuae melius studeas haerescere causae Sic mala non rarò causa fuere boni Et benè successit nam ficta adultera turba Illudens alijs luditur arte pari Nempè pia sic est frustatus fraude papismus Et cessit summo gloria tota Deo ¶ In mortem D. Cranmeri Cant. Archiepiscopi Infortunatè est foelix qui numine laeso Cuiusuis gaudet commoditate boni Infoelix ille est verò feliciter orbi Inuisus quisquis tristia fata subit Hoc Cranmere probas vitae praesentis amore Dum quaeris sanctâ—m dissimulare fidem Et dum consilijs tandem melioribus vsus Praeponis vitae funera saeua tuae ¶ Persecution in Suffolke Agnes Potten and Ioane Trunchfield Martyrs IN the story of Robert Samuel mention was made before of two godly women in the same Towne of Ipswich which shortly after hym suffered likewyse and obtained the crowne of Martyrdome the names of whome was Agnes the wife of Robert Potten and another wife of Michaell Trunchfield a Shomaker both dwellyng in one Towne who about the same tyme that the Archbishop aforesayd was burned at Oxford suffered likewyse in the foresayd Towne of Ipswich eyther in the same moneth of March or as some say in the ende of February the next moneth before Their opinion or perswasion was this that in the sacrament was the memoriall onely of Christes death and passion for sayd they Iesus Christ is ascended vp into heauen and is on the right hand of God the father according to the scriptures and not in the sacrament as he was borne of the Uirgin Mary For this they were burned In whose sufferyng their constancie worthily was to be wondered at who beyng so simple women so manfully stoode to the confession and testimony of Gods worde and veritie In so much that when they had prepared and vndressed themselues redy to the fire with comfortable wordes of the Scripture they earnestly required the people to credite and to lay hold on the word of God and not vpon mans deuises and inuentions despising the ordinances and institutioÌ„s of the Romish Antichrist with all his superstitions and rotten religion and so continuyng in the torment of fire they held vp their handes and called vnto God constantly so long as lyfe did endure This Pottens wife in a night a little before her death beyng a sleepe in her bed saw a bright burnyng fire ryght vp as a pole on the side of the fire she thought there stood a nuÌ„ber of Queene Maries friends lookyng on Then beyng a sleepe she seemed to muse with her selfe whether her fire should burne so bright or no and in deed her suffryng was not farre vnlike to her dreame ¶ The burnyng of two Women * Persecution in the Dioces of Salisbury AFter these two women of Ipswich succeeded iij. men which were burnt the same moneth at one fire in Salisburye who in the like quarell with the other that went before them and led the daunce spared not theyr bodyes to bring their soules to the celestiall felicity whereof they were throughly assured in Christe Iesus by his promises as soone as the furious flames of fire had put their bodyes and soules a fonder * Their names were Iohn Spicer free Mason William Coberly Taylor Iohn Maundrell husbandman ¶ The story of Iohn Maundrell William Coberley and Iohn Spicer Martyrs FIrst Iohn Maundrell which was the sonne of Robert MauÌ„drell of Rowd in the CouÌ„ty of Wiltshyre Fermer was from his childhood brought vp in husbandry after he came to mans state did abide dwell in a Uillage called Buchamton in the Parish of Keuel within the CouÌ„ty of Wiltshyre aforesaid where he had wife and children being of good name and fame Which Iohn Maundrell
denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
worshipping of God suche as God requireth of his that is in spirite and truth can neuer agree together But ye wil say where so great a company is gathered together it is not credible but there be two or three gathered in the name of Christ. I aunswere if there be one hundred good and two hundreth bad forasmuch as the decrees and ordinaunces are pronoūced according to the greater number of the multitude of voyces what can the lesse number of voyces auayle It is a knowen thing and a common prouerbe Oftentimes the greater part ouercommeth the better As touchyng general councels at this present I haue no more to say then you haue sayd Onely I referre you to your owne experience to thinke of our country parliamentes and conuocations howe and what ye haue seene and heard The more part in my tyme did bryng forth sixe articles for then the king would so haue it being seduced of certayne Afterward the more part did repell the same our good Iosias willing to haue it so The same articles now agayne alas another great but woorse parte hath restored O what an vncertaynty is thys But after thys sorte most commonly are mans proceedings God be mercifull vnto vs. Who shall deliuer vs from such tormentes of minde Therefore is death the best phisition but vnto the faythfull whome she together and at once deliuereth from all griefes You must thinke this written vpon this occasion because you woulde needes haue youre paper blotted If the matter should goe thus that in generall counsailes men shoulde not stand to the more number of the multitude I meane of them whiche ought to geue voyces then should no certaine rule be left vnto the Church by the which controuersies in weighty matters might be determined but it is not to be beleued that Christ woulde leaue his Church destitute of so necessary a helpe and safegarde Christ who is the most louing spouse of his espouse the church who also gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctify it vnto himselfe did geue vnto it aboundantly all things which are necessary to saluation but yet so that the church should declare it selfe obedient vnto hym in all things and keepe it selfe within the boundes of hys commaundemēts and further not to seeke any thing which he teacheth not as necessary vnto saluation Now further for determination of all controuersies in Christes Religion Christ him selfe hath left vnto the Church not onely Moses and the Prophetes whom he willeth his Church in al doubtes to go vnto and aske counsell at but also the Gospelles and the rest of the bodye of the newe testament in the whiche what soeuer is heard of Moses and the Prophetes and whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne vnto saluation is reuealed and opened So that now we haue no neede to say who shal clyme into heauen or who shall goe downe into the depth to tel vs what is needefull to bee done Christe hath done both and hath commended vnto vs the word of fayth whiche also is aboundantly declared vnto vs in his word written so that hereafter if we walke earnestly in this way to the searching out of the truth it is not to be doubted but thorough the certayne benefite of Christes spirite whiche hee hath promised vnto his wee may finde it and obtayne euerlasting life Shoulde men aske counsell of the dead for the liuing sayth Esay Let them go rather to the law and to the testimony c. Christ sendeth them that be desirous to know the truth vnto the scriptures saying searche the scriptures I remember a like thing well spoken of Hierome Ignoraunce of the scriptures is the mother and cause of all errours And in an other place as I remember in the same author The knowledge of the scriptures is the foode of euerlasting life But nowe me thinketh I enter into a very broad sea in that I begin to shew either out of the scriptures themselues or out of the ancient writers how muche the holy scripture is of force to teache the truth of our religiō But this is it that I am now about that Christ would haue the church his spouse in al doubts to aske counsell at the word of his father written faythfully left and commended vnto it in both Testaments the olde and the new Neither doe we read that Christ in anye place hath layde so great a burthen vppon the members of his spouse that he hath commaunded them to go to the vniuersall Churche What soeuer things are written saith Paule are written for our learning And it is true that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepheardes and teachers to the edifying of the sayntes till we come all to the vnity of fayth c. But that all men should meete together out of all partes of the world to define of the articles of our fayth I neither finde it commaunded of Christe nor written in the word of God There is diuersitie betwixt things pertayning to god or fayth and politicke and ciuill matters For in the first we must stand onely to the scriptures whiche are able to make vs all perfect and instructed vnto saluation if they be well vnderstāded And they offer themselues to be well vnderstanded onely to them which haue good willes and geue themselues to study and prayer Neither are there any men lesse apte to vnderstand them then the prudent wise men of the world But in the other that is in ciuil or politicke matters oftentimes the magistrates do tolerate a lesse euil for auoyding of a greater as they whiche haue this saying oft in their mouthes Better an inconuenience then a mischiefe And it is the property of a wise man saith one to dissemble many thinges and he that cannot dissēble cannot rule In whiche sayinges they bewray themselues that they do not earnestly weigh what is iust what is not Wherefore forasmuch as mans lawes if it be but in this respect onely that they be deuised by men are not able to bring any thing to perfectiō but are inforced of necessitie to suffer many thinges out of square and are compelled sometime to wincke at the worst things seeing they know not how to mayntayne the common peace and quiet otherwise they do ordayne that the more part shal take place You know what these kindes of speaches meane I speake after the maner of men yea walke after the maner of men al men are lyers And that of S. Augustine if ye lyue after mans reason yee do not lyue after the wyll of God If ye say the councels haue sometime erred or may erre how then should we beleue the catholicke Church For the councels are gathered by the authoritie of the Catholicke Churche From may be to be in deed is no good argument but from being to may be no man doubteth but it is a moste sure argument But
Gods cause and in Christes quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O maÌ„ it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God geuen onely to the true elects and derely beloued childreÌ„ of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen For the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause S. Peter saith If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ that is in Christes cause and for hys truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vpon you If for rebukes sake suffred in Christes name a maÌ„ is pronounced by the mouth of that holy Apostle blessed happy How much more happy blessed is hee that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that bee my true louers and friends reioyce and reioyce with mee againe render with me hartie thanks to God our heaueÌ„ly father that for his sonnes sake my sauiour redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me beyng els without his gracious goodnes in my selfe but a sinnefull a vyle wretch to call me I say vnto this high dignitie of hys true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles of his holy elect chosen Martyrs that is to dye and to spend this temporall lyfe in the defence maintenance of his eternal and euerlasting truth Ye know that be my Countreymen dwelling vppon the borders where alas the true man suffereth oftentymes muche wrong at the thieues hande iâ— it chaunce a man to be slayne of a thiefe as it oft chanceth there which went out with his neighbour to helpe him to rescue hys goods agayne that the more cruelly he bee slayne and the more stedfastly he stucke by his neighbour in the fight agaynst the face of the thiefe the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slayne mans sake of all them that be true as long as the memory of his fact and his posteritie doth endure Euen so ye that be my kinsefolke and countreymen know ye how so euer the blynd ignorant wicked world hereafter shall rayse vppon my death which thyng they caÌ„not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our Sauiour of his holye Prophets Apostles Martyrs know ye I say that both before God all them that be godly and that truly knâ—w follow the lawes of God ye haue and shall haue by gods grace euer cause to reioyce to thanke God highly and to thinke good of it and in God to reioyce of me your fleshe bloud whom God of his gracious goodnes hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed coÌ„pany of his holy Martyrs in heauen and I doubt not in the infinite goodnes of my Lord God nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect chosen people but at both their hands in my cause ye shall rather finde the more fauour and grace For the Lord saieth that he will be both to them and theyrs that loue him the more louyng agayne in a thousand generations the Lord is so full of mercy to them I say and theirs which doe loue hym in deed And Christ saith againe that no maÌ„ can shew more loue then to geue his lyfe for his friend Now also knowe ye all my true louers in God my kinsfolke and Countreymen that the cause wherefore I am put to death is euen after the same sort and condition but touching more neere Gods cause in more waightie matters but in the general kynd all one For both is gods cause both is in the maintenance of right and both for the common wealth both for the weale also of the ChristiaÌ„ brother although yet there is in these two no small difference both concernyng the enimies the goods stolne the maner of the fight For know ye all that lyke as there wheÌ„ the poore true maÌ„ is robbed by the thiefe of his own goods truly gotten whereupon he and his househould should lyue he is greatly wronged the thiefe in stealing robbyng with violence the poore maÌ„s goods doth offend god doth transgres his law and is iniurious both to the poore man and to the common welth so I say know ye all that euen here in the cause of my death it is with the Church of England I meane the congregation of the true chosen children of GOD in this Realme of England whiche I knowledge not only to be my neighbours but rather the congregation of my spirituall brethren sisters in Christ yea members of one body wherein by Gods grace I am and haue bene grafted in Christ. This Church of England had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunt grace of almighty God great substaunce great riches of heauenly treasure great plenty of Gods true and sincere worde the true and wholesome administration of Christes holy Sacramentes the whole profession of Christes Religion truely and plainely set foorth in Baptisme the playne declaration vnderstandyng of the same taught in the holye Catechisme to haue bene learned of all true Christians This Church had also a true and sincere forme maner of the Lordes Supper wherein accordyng to Iesus Christes owne ordinaunce and holy institution Christes commaundementes were executed and done For vpon the bread and wyne set vppon the Lordes Table thankes were geuen the commemoration of the Lords death was had the bread in the remembrance of Christes body torne vpon the crosse was broken and the cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloud shed was distributed and both communicated vnto all that were present and would receyue them and also they were exhorted of the Minister so to doe All was done openly in the vulgar tong so that euery thyng might be both easily heard plainly vnderstand of all the people to Gods high glorye and the edification of the whole Church This Church had of late the whole diuine seruice all common and publike prayers ordeined to be said and heard in the common congregation not onely framed and fashioned to the true vayne of holy scripture but also set foorth accordyng to the commaundement of the Lord and S. Paules doctrine for the peoples edification in their vulgare tong It had also holy and wholesome Homelies in commendation of the principall vertues which are commended in Scripture and likewyse other Homelies agaynst the most pernicious and capitall vices that vseth alas to raigne in this Realme of England This Church had in matters of controuersie Articles so penned and framed alter the holy Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstandyng of Gods word that in short tyme if they had bene vniuersally receiued they should haue bene able to haue set in Christes Church much concorde and vnitie in Christes true religion and to haue expelled many false errors and heresies wherewith this Church alas was almost ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of the heaueÌ„ly treasure of these godly riches are entred in theues that
to be euill and euill good lyght to be darknesse and darknesse lyght superstition to be true religion and Idolatry to be the true worship of God and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wyne to bee none other substaunce but onelye the substaunce of Christ the liuyng Lord both God and man And with this their falshoode craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in Courte and in Towne and feare neyther hangyng nor headyng as the poore theeues of the borders doe but stout and strong lyke Nembroth dare condemne to bee burned in flamyng fire quicke and alyue whosoeuer wil go about to bewray their falshood The kynd of fight against these Churchrobbers is also of another sort and kynd then is that which is agaynst the theeues of the borders For there the true men go forth agaynst them with speare and launce with bow and hyll and all such kynd of bodily weapons as the true mē haue but here as the enemies be of another nature so the watch men of Christes flocke the warrioures that fight in the Lordes warre must be armed fight with another kynd of weapons and armour For here the enemies of GOD the souldiours of Antichrist although the battaile is set foorth agaynst the Church by mortall men beyng flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of their father the deuill yet for that their graund maister is the power of darknesse their members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirits of errors of heresies of all deceit and vngodlinesse spirits of Idolatry superstition hypocrisy which are called of S. Paule Principates and powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darkenes of this world spirituall subtleties concernyng heauenly thyngs and therfore our weapons must be fitte and meete to fight agaynst such not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare launce but spirituall and heauenly we must fight agaynst suche with the armour of God not entendyng to kill their bodies but their erroures their false craft and heresies their idolatry superstition and hypocrisie and to saue as much as lyeth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as s. Paul teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloud that is we fight not with bodily weapon to kil the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errors vice to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faith hope charitie righteousnes truth patience prayer vnto God our sword wherwith we smite our enemies we beat and batter and beare downe all falshood is the worde of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight euer hauing our eye vpon our graund maister Duke and captaine Christ then we reckon our selues to triumphe to win the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduryng in this battail without any shrinking or yeldyng to the enemies after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our maister after the example of his holy prophets Apostles Martyrs when I say we are slaine in our mortal bodies of our enemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a many of sheepe And the more cruell the more painful the more vile spiteful is the kind of the death whereunto we bee put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdome to be And thus much dere louers friends in God my coūtreyman kinsfolke I haue spoken for your comfort lest of my death of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie pleasures commodities ye might be abashed or thinke any euill wheras ye haue rather cause to reioyce if ye loue me in deed for that it hath pleased God to cal me to a greater honor and dignitie thē euer I did enioy before eyther in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected named yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to dye in hys cause whereof I nothing doubt then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honor that can be geuen to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods to be Christes quarel of his Gospell to be the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kyngdome of heauen who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods worde and the testimony of hys owne conscience as I thorough the infinite goodnesse of GOD not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my selfe to doe who is hee I saye that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth GOD in deed and in truth loueth and beleeueth his maister Christ and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhoode the chosen children of God and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting lyfe who is he I say agayne that would not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be content to die The Lord forbidde that any such should bee that should forsake this grace of God I trust in my Lord God the GOD of mercies the Father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mynd will affection by his holy spirit in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance yea and of my lyfe too then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me ayde mee and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the end and to the yeldyng vp of my spirit soule into hys holy hands whereof I most hartily beseech his most holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countriemen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lend me lyfe and geueth me laisure I will bid my other good friends in God of other places also farewell And whom first or before other then the Uniuersitie of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer found more faithfull and hartie friendes receyued more benefits the benefits of my naturall parents onely excepted then euer I did euen in myne own natiue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambridge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I should not acknowled thy manifold benefits yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee agayne truly I were to be counted to vngrate vnkynde What benefites hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vppon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest too good for me Thou didst bestowe on mee all thy schoole degrees of thy common offices the Chaplaynship of the vniuersitie the office of the Proctorship of a common Reader of thy priuate commodities emoluments in colledges what was it that
shrining of reliques from any kinde of wickednes if you will pay well for it cleare absolution a poena culpa with thousandes of yeares yea at euery poore Bishops hand and suffragan ye shall haue halowing of Churches Chappels aulters superaulters chalices and of all the whole housholde stuffe and adornamēt which shal be vsed in the church after the Romish guise for all these thinges must be estemed of such high price that they may not be done but by a consecrate bishop onely O Lorde all these thinges are suche as thy Apostles neuer knew As for coniuring they call it halowing but it is cōiuring in deede of water and salt of christening of belles and such like thinges what neede I to speake for euerye priest that can but read hath power they say not onely to do that but also hath suche power ouer Christes body as to make both God and man once at the least euery daye of a wafer cake After the rehearsall of the said abhominations and remembraunce of a number of many moe which the Lorde knoweth irketh me to thinke vpon and were to longe to describe when I consider on the other side the eternall word of God that abideth for euer and the vndefiled law of the Lord which turneth the soule from all wickednes and geueth wisedome vnto the innocent babes I meane that milk that is without all guile as Peter doth call it that good word of God that word of trueth whiche must be grauen within the hart and then is able to saue mens soules that wholesome seede not mortall but immortall of the eternal and euerliuing God wherby the man is borne a new and made the childe of God that seed of God wherby the man of God so being borne can not sinne as Iohn sayeth hee meaneth so long as that seede doth abide in him that holy scripture which hath not bene deuised by the wit of man but taught from heauen by the inspiratiō of the holy ghost which is profitable to teache to reprooue to correct to instruct and geue order in all righteousnesse that the man of God may be whole sound ready to performe euery good worke when I say I consider this holy and wholesome true word that teacheth vs truely our bounden duety towardes our Lorde God in euerye poynt what his blessed will and pleasure is what his infinite great goodnes and mercy is what he hath done for vs how he hath geuē hys owne onely dearely beloued sonne to death for our saluation and by him hath sent vs the Reuelation of his blessed will and pleasure what his eternall word willeth vs both to beleue and also to doe and hath for the same purpose inspired the holy Apostles with the holy ghost sent them abroad into all the world and also made them other disciples of Christ inspired by the same spirite to write leaue behinde them the same thinges that they taught which as they did proceed of the spirit of trueth so by the confession of all them that euer were endued with the spirite of God were sufficient to the obteining of eternall saluation and likewise when I consider that al that man doth professe in his regeneration when he is receiued into the holy catholicke church of Christ and is now to be accoūted for one of the liuely mēbers of Christes owne body all that is groūded vpon Gods holy word and standeth in the profession of that fayth obedience of those commaundements whiche are all conteined and comprised in Gods holy word furthermore when I consider whom our Sauiour Christ pronoūceth in his gospell to be blessed and to whom Moses geueth his benedictiōs in the law what wayes the law the Prophets the Psalmes and all holy Scriptures both newe and olde doth declare to be the wayes of the Lorde what is good for man to obteine and abide in Gods fauor which is that fayth that iustifieth before God and what is that charity that doth passe and excell all whiche be the properties of heauenly wisedome and whiche is that vndefiled religion that is allowed of GOD which thinges Christ himself called the weighty matters of the law what thing is that which is onely auayleable in Christ what knowledge is that that Paule esteemed so much that he counted himself onely to know what shall be the maner of the extreme iudgement of the latter day who shall iudge by what he shall iudge what shall be required at our handes at that fearefull day howe all thinges must be tried by the fire and that that onely shal stand for euer which Christes wordes shall allow which shal be the iudge of all flesh to geue sentēce vpon all flesh and euery liuing soule either of eternall damnation or of euerlasting saluation from which sentence there shall be no place to appeale no witte shal serue to delude nor no power to withstand or reuoke when I say I consider all these thinges and conferre to the same agayne and agayne all those wayes wherein standeth the substaunce of the romishe religion wherof I spake before it may be euident and easy to perceaue that these two wayes these two religions the one of Christ the other of the Romishe sea in these latter dayes be as farre distaunt the one from the other as light and darckenes good and euill righteousnes and vnrighteousnes Christ and Beliall He that is hard of beliefe let him note and weigh well with himselfe the places of holy Scriptures which be appoynted in the margent wherupon this talk is grounded by Gods grace he may receyue some light And vnto the contemner I haue nothing now to say but to rehearse the saying of the Prophet Esay which Paule spake to the Iewes in the end of the Actes of the Apostles After he hadde expounded vnto them the trueth of Gods word and declared vnto them Chryst out of the Lawe of Moses and the Prophetes from morning to night all the day long he sayd vnto them that would not beleue Well sayd he spake the holy Ghost vnto our fathers saying go vnto this people and tell them ye shall heare with your eares and not vnderstande and seeing you shall behold and not see the thing for the hart of this people is waxed grosse and dulle and wyth their eares they are hard of hearing and they haue shut together their eyes that they shoulde not see nor heare with theyr eares nor vnderstand with their hartes that they might returne and I should heale them sayth the Lord God All as Englande alas that this heauy plague of GOD shoulde fall vpon thee Alas my dearely beloued country what thing is it now that may doe thee good Undoubtedly thy plague is so great that it is vtterly vncurable but by the bottomlesse mercy and infinite power of almightye God Alas my deare country what hast thou done that thus hast prouoked the wrath of God and caused him to poure out his vengeaunce
my poore afflicted heart by your meanes my moste deare and faithful brother Truely me thinketh your woords or rather Gods woordes by you vttered haue a wonderfull power and efficacie woorking in my heart at the hearing or readyng of them Reioyce therfore my deare brother and be thankfull vnto God for verily he both is will be mightely magnified in you and that diuers and manye waies both to the strengthening of them that stand in his truth and also to the raising vp of such as are fallen from the same God make me thankefull for you on your behalfe for verily great is the goodnesse of God towardes me in geuing me acquaintance in faithfull loue and amitye with you Gods name for euer be praised therfore and he perfourme all his mercifull promises vpon you as I doubt not but he will for his sake in whome you trust I thanke my God most hartely also you my good brother for that you are carefull for me in your faithfull praiers remembring my iust deserued sorowes as though they were your own and laboring so much to solace the same Ah my gracious good God what am I for whom thou thy deare children should be so carefull Oh sweete Lord forgeue me my great ingratitude sinne and grauÌ„t that I neuer abuse thy great benefits Oh let the loue of thine elect which loue me for thy sake be a sure signe token yea a most firme testimony a seale to my sinfull conscience of thine euerlasting loue and mercy towards me in Christ as verely it would and ought to be if mine infidelity did not let it Oh circumcise therefore the foreskin of my heart that I may with liuely faith behold thy great loue towardes me in all thine elect that I may alwaies be thankeful for the same and loue thee and them againe most heartely and vnfainedly Ah my deare heart how sweetely and how truely yea howe godly how coÌ„fortably haue you rehersed the swete saying of Salomon concerning prosperity with true godly frends I wil ioine with it the sentence which goeth a little before for doubtlesse it may be well verified on you A sure frend sayeth the wise man wil be vnto thee euen as thine owne soule and deale faithfully with thy houshold folke If thou suffer trouble and aduersitye he is with thee and hideth not his face from thee A faythful friend is a strong defence who so finedeth such a one finedeth a treasure A faithfull friend hath no peere the waight of golde is not to bee compared to the goodnesse of his faith A faythfull frend is a medicine of life and they that feare the Lord shal finde him c. Loe my deare heart in the Lord here is a liuely image or description of you for verely such a one haue I alwaies fouÌ„d you vnto me not onely sorrowing for my great sorrow but also oftentimes making me merry and ioyfull with such ioyes as the world can not feele Nowe let the worlde bragge of hys fained frendship but I will boast of this true frendship in God and esteeme it a more treasure then all transitorye things And as for my mourning deare brother God hathe made you to tourne it vnto mirth for God hath put you in the stead of them to be my comfort whome he hath in hys great mercy taken away I trust hencefoorth to leaue the mourning for my greate losse and to praise God for gaining vnto him selfe so great glory by his chosen children God make me a true mourner of Syon bothe for mine owne sinne and wickednesse and also to see his honoure defaced that I may be made meete and apte to beare the ioyfull and comfortable message that your beautifull feete shall brynge me God blesse thee my deare heart and faithful louing brother and increase his good giftes of grace in thee as he hathe moste happely begonne that you may daily more effectually feele and liuely perceiue the certaintie of Gods grace wherin you stand and firmely to testifie the same to the conuersion or confouÌ„ding of all gainsayers and to the comfort confirmation of al Gods deare children Amen Farewell mine owne sweete brother fare well as mine owne heart Your owne in Christ Iohn Careles· An other letter of Iohn Careles to a certaine godly faithfull sister by the name of E.K. THe grace and free mercy of God in Iesus Christ the sweete consolations of the holy Ghost the guide of all Gods deare children he with you strengthen and comfort you my dearely beloued sweete sister E.K. now and euer Amen Albeit my dearely beloued sister in Christe that as yet wee did neuer see one an other personally to any knowledge yet by the vertuous reporte that I haue hearde of you and also by the large louing token that I haue receiued from you mee thincke that I do euen presently see you and behold your person faâ—thfully walking in the fear and loue of God ioying and reioycing with you in the spirite as thoughe we were sweetely talking together of Christes veritie The Lord God doe I humbly beseeche in the bowels and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe that he wil strengthen vs both with hys holy and mighty spirit that we may constantly continue in the confession of his truthe vnto the ende that like as we now see one an other presently in spirite we may also see one an other personally in the glorious presence of God and his holy Aungels where vndoubtedly we shall know one an others personage to oure great ioy felicitye and endlesse comfort And now therfore deare sister K be strong in the Lorde our God for doubtlesse the time of triall is at hand a great persecution with cruell murthering of Gods deare Saintes is like to be very shortly in this wofull wicked Realme of Englande Therefore deare sister for the loue of God prepare you to the Crosse with all diligence and make your selfe ready to die with Christ that you may also liue with him for euer There is no remedye if you will be Christes Disciple you must needes take vppe youre crosse and followe him for the Disciple must not looke to be aboue his maister nor the seruant to be better intreated then his Lord. If we were of the worlde good sister no doubt the world woulde loue vs. But for as much as Christe hath chosen vs out of the worlde to serue God in spirite and veritie lette vs be wel assured the worlde will hate vs and persecute vs as it hath done our Lorde and maister Christ. But yet let vs be of good cheare for Christe hath ouercome the worlde The paine is but shorte that we can feele heere but the pleasure is perpetuall that wee shall feele elsewhere Let vs set before vs the example of Christe which abode the Crosse and despised the shame in respecte of the ioy that was set before him Euen so let vs consider for whose
first what he will say to his owne handy worke Ieffrey Ye say truth Tell me Palmer art thou he that wrote this faire volume Looke vpon it Palmer I wrote it in deede and gathered it out of the scripture Ieffrey Is this doggish rime yours also Looke Palmer I wrote this I deny not Ieffrey And what say you to these Latine verses entituled Epicidion c. Are they yours too Palmer Yea sir. Ieffrey Art thou not ashamed to affirme it It came of no good spirit that thou didst both raile at the dead slander a learned and Catholike man yet alyue Palmer If it be a slander he hath slandered hymselfe For I do but report hys owne writyng open the folly therin declared And I recken it no railyng to inuey agaynst Annas and Caiphas beyng dead Ieffrey Sayest thou so I will make thee recant it and wryng Peccaui out of your lying lyppes ere I haue done with thee Palmer But I know that although of my selfe I bee able to do nothyng yet if you and all myne enemies both bodily and ghostly should do your worst you shall not be able to bryng that to passe neither shall ye preuaile agaynst Gods mighty spirit by whom we vnderstand the truth and speake it boldly Ieffrey Ah are you ful of the spirit Are you inspired with the holy ghost Palmer Sir no man can beleeue but by the inspiration of the holy ghost Therfore If I were not a spirituall man and inspired with Gods holy spirite I were not a true christian Qui spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius i. He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his Ieffrey I perceyue you lacke no words Palmer Christ hath promised not onely to geue vs store of words necessary but with them such force of matter as the gates of hell shall not be able to confound or preuayle agaynst it Ieffrey Christ made such a promise to his Apostles I trow you will not compare with them Palmer With the holy Apostles I may not compare neyther haue I any affiaunce in myne owne wit or learnyng which I know is but small yet this promise I am certain pertaineth to all such as are appoynted to defende Gods truth against hys enemies in the tyme of their persecution for the same Ieffrey Then it pertaineth not to thee Palmer Yes I am right well assured that thorough hys grace it pertaineth at this present to me as it shal I dout not appeare if you geue me leaue to dispute wyth you before this audience in the defence of all that I haue there written Ieffrey Thou art but a beardlesse boy starte vp yesterday out of the schooles and darest thou presume to offer disputation or to encounter with a Doctor Palmer Remember M. Doctour Spiritus vbi vult spirat And agayne Ex ore infantium c. And in another place Abscondisti haec a sapientibus c. i. The spirit breatheth whē it pleaseth hym c. Out of the mouth of Infants c. And thou hast hidden these thyngs from the wyse c. God is not tyed to tyme wit learnyng place nor person And although your wit and learnyng be greater then myne yet your beliefe in the truth and zeale to defend the same is not greater then myne Register Sir if you suffer hym thus impudently to trifle with you he will neuer haue done Ieffrey Wel ye shal vnderstand that I haue it not in commission at this present to dispute with you neither were it meete that we should call againe into question such Articles as are already discussed and perfectly defined by our mother the holy Church whom we ought to beleue without why or wherefore as the Creede telleth vs. But the cause why ye be now called hither is that ye might be examined vpon such articles as are ministred against you such matter as is here conteined in your hand writyng that it may be seene whether you will stand to it or nay How say you to this Palmer By your holy church you meane the Sinagogue of Rome which is not vniuersall but a perticular Church of shauelyngs The catholike church I beleeue yet not for her owne sake but because she is holy that is to say a Church that groundeth her beliefe vpon the word of her spouse Christ. Ieffrey Leaue railing answer me directly to my questiō Will ye stand to your writing or will ye not Palmer If ye prooue any sentence therein comprised not to stand with Gods word I will presently recant it Ieffrey Thou impudent fellow haue I not told thee that I came not to dispute with thee but to examine thee Here the parson of Inglefield pointing to the pixe said What seest thou yonder Palmer A canapie of silke brodered with gold Person Yea but what is within it Palmer A piece of bread in a clout I trow Person Thou art as froward an heretike as euer I talked with all Here was much spoken of Confiteor and other partes of the Masse Person Do you not beleeue that they which receiue the holy Sacrament of the aultar do truly eate Christes natural body Palmer If the Sacrament of the Lordes supper bee ministred as Christ did ordaine it the faithfull receiuers do in deed spiritually and truely eate and drinke in it Christes very naturall body and bloud Person The faithfull receiuers ye cannot bleare our eies with such Sophistry Doe not all maner receiuers good bad faithfull and vnfaithfull receiue the very natural body in forme of bread Palmer No sir. Person How prooue you that Palmer By this place Qui manducat me viuet propter me i. He that eateth me shall lyue for me Person See that fond fellow whiles he taketh himselfe to be a Doctor of the law you shall see me prooue him a stark foolish dawe Do you not read likewise Quicunque inuocauerit nomen domini saluus erit id est Whosoeuer inuocateth the name of the Lord shall be saued Ergo Doe none but the godly call vppon hym therefore you must marke how S. Paul answereth you He sayth that the wicked do eate the true body to their condemnation As Palmer was bent to aunswere him at the full the Person interrupted hym crying still what sayest thou to S. Paule Palmer I say that S. Paule hath no such wordes Person See the impudent fellow denieth the playne text Qui edit bibit corpus Domini indignè reus erit Iudicij i. He that eateth and drinketh the body of the Lord vnworthily is guiltie of iudgement Palmer I beseech you lend me your booke Person Not so The Shiriffe I pray you lend hym your booke So the booke was geuen ouer to hym Palmer Your owne booke hath Qui manducat hunc panem c. i. He that eateth this bread Person But S. Hieromes translation hath Corpus Palmer Not so M. Parson and God bee praysed that I haue in the meane season shut
idolatrye and superstition whiche then was vsed as also that he had by preaching entised oothers to do the like Being then hereupon examined he confessed that hee comming into hys parishe Churche of Bentley and seing the people sitting there either gasing about or els talking together exhorted them that they would fall vnto prayer and meditation of Gods most holy worde and not â—it styll idlely Whereunto they willingly consented Then after prayer ended he read vnto them a chapiter of the New testament and so departed In which exercise he continued vntill Candlemas then being enformed that he might not so doe by the lawe for that he was no priest or minister he lefte of and kepte himselfe close in his house vntill Easter then nexte after At what time certayne sworne men for the inquiry of such matters came vnto hys house and attached him for reading in the Parish of Welley But when they vnderstood that he had red but once that it was of obedience whereunto hee earnestly moued the people they let hym for that tyme depart Notwythstanding for feare of their cruelty hee was not longe after constrayned to forsake his owne house and keepe himselfe in woodes barnes and other solitary places vntill the time of his apprehension After this examination the Lord Darcy sent him vp to the Counsell but they not minding to trouble them selues with him sent him vnto Boner Who by threateninges and other subtill meanes so abused the simple and fearfull hart of thys man as yet not throughly stayed vpon the ayd and helpe of God that within shorte tyme hee won him vnto his most wicked will and made him opeÌ„ly at Paules crosse to reuoke and recante his former profession and thereupon set him at libertie of body Whiche yet brought such a bondage and terrour of soule and conscience and so cast him downe that except the Lord whose mercies are immeasurable had supported and lifted hym vp agayne he had perished for euer But the Lord who neuer suffereth his elect Children vtterly to fall castinge his pittifull eyes vppon this loste sheepe with his mercifull and fatherly chastisment dyd with Peter rayse hym vp agayne geuing vnto him not only harty and vnfayned repentaunce but also a moste constant boldnes to professe agayne euen vnto the death hys most holy name and glorious gospel Wherefore at the procurement of one Thomas Tie priest sometime an earnest professor of Christ but now a fierce persecutour of the same as appeareth more at large before in the history of William Munt and his wife page 1979 he was againe apprehended and sent vp againe vnto Boner before whome he was the 8. day of Aprill and sondry other times else examined The report of which examination wrytten by his owne hand with bloud for lacke of other incke heereafter followeth The examination of Rafe Allerton at his seconde apprehension appearing before the Bishop of London at Fulham the 8. day of Aprill An. 1557. wrytten by him selfe wyth his owne bloud BOner Ah syrrha howe chaunceth it that you are come hether againe on this fashion I dare say thou art accused wrongfully Rafe Yea my Lord so I am For if I were guilty of such things as I am accused off then I would be very sorie Boner By sainct Marie that is noâ— wel done But let me heare Art thou an honest man for if I can proue no heresie by thee then shall thine accusers doe thee no harme at all Goe too lette me heare thee For I did not beleeue the tale to be true Rafe My Lorde who doeth accuse me I pray you let me know and what is mine accusation that I may answere thereunto Boner Ah wilt thou so Before God if thou hast not dissembled then thou needest not to be afraide nor ashamed to aunswer for thy selfe But tell me in faith hast thou not dissembled Rafe If I cannot haue mine accusers to accuse me before you my conscience doth constrain me to accuse my self before you For I confesse that I haue grieuously offended God in my dissimulatioÌ„ at my last being before your lordship for the which I am right sorrie as God knoweth Boner Wherein I pray thee diddest thou dissemble when thou wast before me Rafe Forsooth my Lord if your lordsh remeÌ„ber I did set my hand vnto a certain writing the contents wherof as I remember were that I did beleue in all things as the catholike churche teacheth c. In the which I did not disclose my minde but shamefully dissembled because I made no difference betwene the true church and the vntrue church Bon. Nay but I pray thee let me heare more of this gear For I fear me thou wilt smel of an hereticke anone Which is the true church as thou saiest Dost thou not call the heretikes church the true church or the catholike church of Christ Now which of these 2. are the true church saiest thou Go too for in faith I will know of thee ere I leaue thee Rafe As concerning the church of heretikes I vtterly abhorre the same as detestable and abhominable before God with all their enormities and heresies and the church catholicke is it that I onely embrace whose doctrine is sincere pure and true Boner By s. Augustine but that is wel said of thee For by God almighty if thou haddest allowed the church of heretikes I would haue burned thee with fire for thy labour Morton Then said one Morton a Priest My Lorde you know not yet what church it is that he calleth catholicke I warrant you he meaneth naughtely enough Boner Thinke you so Now by our blessed Lady if it be so he might haue deceiued me How say you syrrha which is the catholicke church Rafe Euen that which hath receiued the wholsome sound spoken of Esay Dauid Malachie and Paule with many other moe The which sounde as it is wrytten hath gone throughout all the earthe in euery place vnto the endes of the worlde Boner Yea thou sayest true before God For this is the sound that hath gone throughout all Christendom and he that beleeueth not the sound of the holy church as S. Cyprian saith doth erre For he saieth that whosoeuer is out of the Churche is like vnto them that were out of Noes ship when the flud came vpon al the whole world so that the Arke of Noe is likened vnto the church and therefore thou hast wel said in thy confession For the churche is not alone in Germanie nor was here in England in the time of the late schismes as the heretikes doe affirme For if the church should be there alone then were Christe a lier For he promised that the holy Ghost should come to vs leade vs into all truth yea and remaine with vs vnto the ende of the world So now if we wil take Christ for a true sayer then must we needes affirme that the waye whyche is taught in Fraunce Spaine Italie Flanders Denmark Scotland and all Christendome ouer must
mentioned pag. 1555. woulde not suffer bishop Farrer when he was at the stake to bee burnt to speake his mynd and about halfe a yeare after the said Doc. Leison died and when he would haue spoke himselfe he could not The trouble and examination of Thomas Hitton Martyr with his examinations answers condemnation and Martyrdome An. Dom. 1529. the 20. of February THomas Hitton of Martham in the Diocesse of Norwich an honest poore man and religious euer fearyng God from his youth and louyng his worde When persecution for the same word in the dayes of king Henry the 8. grew to bee somewhat hote tooke his iourney toward Rochester in Kent intendyng to haue gone to Douer so to haue crossed the seas into Fraunce and other countries for a tyme where reposing himself a while he might be free from the heat of persecution As he was goyng on his intēded iourny one Thomas Swainesland Baily to William Warrham Archbish. of Canterbury meting him by the way and suspecting him to be as they called them an heretike caused him to be staied and brought before the said William Archb. of Cant. his maister who demanded of him from whence he came and whether he intended to haue gone if he had not bene intercepted The sayd Tho. answered that he came out of the Dioces of Norwich and purposed to haue gone beyond the seas if God had so permitted Then the Bishop asked him if he had euer bene beyond the seas before and what bookes he had brought ouer He answered that he had bene once beyond the seas before and had brought certaine bookes with hym from thence namely two new Testaments and one Primer in English The Bishop asked him to whome hee gaue the sayde bookes He aunswered he would not declare For saieth he such is your bloudy crueltie that you woulde neuer sleepe quietly till you had sucked their bloude as you meane to do myne The Bishop seyng he could extort no more out of him and perceiuyng his constant spirite and feruent zeale to the truth commanded hym to prison till further oportunitie might serue for the shedding of his bloud The second appearance of Thomas Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant. WIthin a while after the bishop commanded the sayd Thomas to be brought before him agayne who demanded of him how he iudged and beleued of the religion then in force and of the authoritie of the bishop of Rome The said Thomas answered that the religion then vsed was most abhominable idolatry and contrary to the holy word of God And as for the Pope quoth he he is Antichrist the first borne of Sathan and hath no more power or authoritie then any other bishop hath in his owne diocesse nor so much neither The Bishop hearing this was in such a peltyng chafe that at that tyme he would talk no more with hym but returned hym from whence he came namelye to Bocardo with commaundement to appere before him agayne vpon the 13. day of the same month folowyng at his Manor of Knoll to aunswer to such Articles and Interrogatories as should be obiected ex officio against hym The third appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant. THe sayd Thomas Hitton at the day prefixed made his personall appearance before the bishop at the place appointed to whom the Bishop ministred certaine articles and interrogatories for him to aunswer vnto commaundyng him to sweare to answer truly and vnfainedly vnto them and euery part of them The sayd Tho. Hitton refused to sweare saying It is against Gods lawes and good conscience for any man to sweare to shed hys owne bloud for so he should be a murtherer of hymselfe and become guiltie of his owne death But yet notwithstādyng that he refused to sweare to aunswer yet he answered truly and directly to euery perticular Article and Interrogatorie propounded vnto hym but so as was finally to their contentation yet no doubt to the great glory of God and comfort of the godly This done the Bishop brake of hys session for that tyme and commaunded him to prison agayne and to appeare before hym in the place aforesayde vpon the Friday next followyng to aunswer further as should be demaunded of hym granting him liberty withall to adde too or subtract from his former aunswers eyther els vtterly to deny and reuoke the same The fourth appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant. THe day and tyme approching the sayd Thom. Hitton appeared agayne accordingly and hauing heard hys former aunswers and confessions distinctly by the Notarie red vnto hym hee reformed them in certaine pointes to some he added from other some he subtracted but none he denied Then the Bishop perceiuyng his vnmoueable constancie in the truth setting learnyng and reason apart beyng not able to conuince him by arguments and truth nor yet to improoue the spirite which spake in hym fell to exhortyng of him to haue respect to his soules health and not so wilfully as he termed it to cast away himselfe for euer but to repent and to abiure his errors and in so doyng he would be good vnto him he sayd When the bishop with all his perswasions could doe no good with hym to withdraw him from the truth of gods word then the doctors and other the assistants attempted the lyke all which notwithstanding the said Thomas Hitton would not desist nor shrinke one iote from the truth but both affirmed and confirmed his former articles and confessions to the ende Inferring withall that they sinned against the holy Ghost in as much as they knew that Gods worde was the truth and that the Masse and all popish religion is nothing els but Idolatry lies and open blasphemy against the maiestie of God and his word and contrary to Gods word in euery respect and yet they would allowe and maintaine the same contrary to their owne consciences whereat all the Bench was greatly offended commaunded him to prison agayne assignyng him a day to come before them agayne The fift appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant. AT the day appointed the said Tho. Hitton appeared to whom the bishop sayd Thomas doest thou beleeue that any man either spirituall or temporall is of sufficient authoritie to set forth any lawe or sanction of himselfe the breach whereof is Mortall or Ueniall sinne To whome Tho. Hitton answered that no man either spirituall or temporall might make any lawe or sanction the breache whereof is mortall or veniall sinne except the same lawe or sanction bee drawen out of the worde of God or els grounded vppon the same with a good conscience And therfore neither the church cannot set forth any lawe the breach whereof is Mortall or Ueniall sinne vnlesse it bee grounded vpon the word of God also But if any man or the church of God it selfe do set forth any lawe grounded vpon the word of God good conscience the breach thereof to
himselfe in it and calling on the name of the Lord Iesus he was quickely out of payne c. After the martyrdome was ended that he was fallen a sleepe in the Lord there were some superstitious old women did blasphemously say that the Deuill was so stronge with him and all such hereticks as he was that they could not feele any payne almost nor yet be sory for theyr sinnes * The history and examinations of Robert Smith constantly maynteining the trueth of Gods word and suffering for the same in the moneth of August RObert Smith was brought vnto Newgate the fifte of Nouember in the first and second yere of the king and queene by Ioh. Mathew yeomā of the gard o◠the quenes side by the commaundemēt of the Counsell This Smith first gaue himselfe vnto seruice in the house of sir Thomas Smith knight being thē Prouost of Eton from thence he was preferred to Windsore hauing there in the colledge a clerkship of x. poūd a yere Of stature he was tall slēder actiue about many things but chiefly delighting in the art of Painting which many times rather for his minds sake thē for any liuing or lucre he did practise excercise In religion he was feruent after he had once tasted the trueth wherin he was much confirmed by the preachings readings of one M. Turner of Windsore others wherupō at the comming of Queene Mary he was depriued of hys Clerkship by her visitors not long after he was apprehended and brought to examinatiō before Boner as here foloweth written and testified with his owne hand ¶ The first examination of Robert Smith before Bishop Boner ABout nine of the clocke in the morning I was among the rest of my brethren brought to the Bishops house and I first of al was brought before him into his chamber to whom the bishop sayd as foloweth after he had asked my name Boner How long is it agoe since the time that ye were cōfessed to any priest Smith Neuer since I had yeres of discretion For I neuer saw it needfull neither cōmaūded of God to come to shew my faultes to any of that sinfull nūber whō ye call priests Boner Thou shewest thy selfe euen at the first chop to be a ranke heretick which being wery of painting art entred into Diuinity and so fallen through thy departing frō thy vocation into heresy Smith Although I haue vnderstanding in the said occupation yet I prayse God I haue had litle need all my life hitheyto to liue by the same but haue liued without the same in mine own house as honestly in my vocation as ye haue liued in yours and yet vsed the same better then euer you vsed the Pulpit Boner How long is it ago since ye receiued the sacrament of the aultar and what is your opinion in the same Smith I neuer receiued the same since I had yeres of discretion nor neuer will by Gods grace neither do esteeme the same in any poynt because it hath not gods ordinance neither in name nor in other vsage but rather is set vp erected to mocke God withall Boner Do ye not beleue that it is the very body of Christe that was borne of the virgin Mary naturally substantially and really after the wordes of consecration Smith I shewed you before it was none of Gods ordynaunces as ye vse it thē much lesse to be God or any part of his substance but onely bread wine erected to the vse aforesaid yet neuerthelesse if ye can approue it to be the body that ye spake of by the word I will beleue it if not I will as I do accoūt it a detestable Idol not God but contrary to God and truth Boner Thē after many raging words vayne obiectiōs he sayd there was no remedy but I must be burned Smith Ye shall do no more vnto me then ye haue done to better mē then either of vs both But thinke not therby to quench the spirit of god neither therby to make your matter good For your sore is too well sene to be healed so priuily with bloud For euē the very childrē haue al your deedes in dirision so that although ye patch vp one place with authority yet shall it breake out in forty to your shame Boner Then after much ado many railing sentences he sayd throwing away the paper of mine examinatiō wel euē now by my truth euen in good earnest if thou wilt go and be shriuen I will teare this paper in peces Smith To which I aunswered It would be too much to his shame to shew it to men of discretion After which aunswere I was caried downe into the garden with my Gaoler there remayned vntill my brother Harwood was examined thē being agayn brought vp before the sayd Bishop he demaunded if I agreed with Harwood in his confession vpon these articles folowing Boner What say you to the Catholicke church Do ye not confesse there is one in earth Smith Yes verely I beleue that there is one Catholicke Church or faythfull Congregation which as the Apostle sayth is builded vpon the Prophets and Apostles Christ Iesus being the head corner stone which church in all her wordes and workes mainteineth the word and bringeth the same for her authority without it doth nothing nor ought to doe of which I am assured I am by grace made a member Boner Ye shall vnderstand that I am boūd when my brother offendeth will not be reconciled to bring him before the congregation now if your Church be the same where may a man finde it to bring his brother before the same Smith It is written in the Actes of the Apostles that whē the tyranny of the Bishops was so great agaynst the churche in Iewry they were fayne to congregate in houses priuy places as they now do and yet were they neuerthelesse the Church of God and seing they had theyr matters redressed being shut vp in a corner may not we do the like now a dayes Boner Yea theyr Church was knowne full wel For saint Paul writ to the Corinthians to haue the man punished excommunicate that had committed euil with his fathers wife Whereby wee maye well perceiue it was a knowne church but yours is not knowne Smith Then could ye not persecute it as ye do but as ye say the Churche of God at Corinth was manifest both to God and Paul euē so is this Church of God in England whome ye persecute both knowne to God and also euen to the very wicked although they know not nor will not know theyr truth nor conuersation yea and your sinneful number haue professed theyr verity and maineteyned the same a long season Boner Well thou sayest that the church of God was onely at Corinth when Paul writ vnto them and so will I put in writing shall I Smith I do maruell greatly my Lord that ye are not ashamed to lay
all this audience yea the Heathen speake shame of your fact For a City saith our sauiour that is builded on a hill can not be hid if they therefore haue the truth let it come to light For al that wel do come to the light and they that do euill hate the light Then my Lorde Maior hanginge downe his head sayd nothing but the Byshop tolde me I shoulde preache at a Stake and so the Shiriffe cryed with the Byshop away with me Thus came I in before theÌ„ foure times desiring Iustice but could haue none and at length my frendes requiring with one voyce the same coulde not haue it we had sentence and then â—eing caried out were brought in agayne and had it euery man seuerally geuen But before the Bishop gaue me sentence he told me in derision of my Brother Takerfielde a tale betweene a Gentleman and his Cooke To whiche I aunsweared My Lorde yee fill the peoples eares with fantasies and foolish tales and make a laughing matter at bloud but if ye were a true byshop ye should leaue these railing sentences and speak the wordes of God Boner Well I haue offred to that noughty felow mayster Speaker your companion the Cooke that my Chancellor should here instruct him but he hath here with great disdaâ—ne forsaken it How sayest thou wilt thou haue him instruct thee and lead thee in the right way Smith My Lorde if your Chauncellour shall doe me any good and take any paynes as ye say let him take mine articles in his handes that ye haue obiected agaynst me and either proue one of them heresy or any thing that you doe to be good and if he be able so to doe I stand here wyth all my hart to heare him if not I haue no neede I prayse God of his sermon for I come to answere for my life and not heare a sermon Then beganne the sentence In Dei nomine To whiche I answered that he beganne in a wrong name requiring of him where hee learned in Scriptures to geue sentence of death agaynste any man for his conscience sake To the which he made no aunsweare but went forwarde to the end and immediately cryed Away with me Then I turned me to the Maior and sayde Is it not enough for you my Lord Maior and ye that are the shiriffes that ye haue left the strayt way of the Lord but that ye must condemne Christ causeles Boner Well Mayster Controller nowe ye can not say but I haue offered you fayre to haue instruction And now I pray thee call me bloudy Bishop and say I seeke thy bloud Smith Wel my Lord although neither I nor any of this congregation do report the truth of your fact yet shal these stones cry it out rather then it shall be hidden Boner Away with him away with him Woodrofe Away with him take him away Smith Well good frendes yee haue seene and hearde the great wrong that we haue receiued this day ye are al recordes that we haue desired the probation of our cause by Gods booke and it hath not bene graunted but we are coÌ„demned and our cause not heard Neuerthelesse my Lord Maior for as much as here ye haue exercised Gods sword causelesse and will not heare the righte of the poore I committe my cause to almighty God that shall iudge all men according vnto right before whoÌ„ we shall both stand without authority and there will I stand in the right and haue true iudgement to your great confusion except ye repent which the Lord grauÌ„t you to do if it be his will And then was I with the rest of my brethren caryed awaye to Newgate Thus gentle Reader as neare as I can I haue set out the truth of my examination and the verity of mine vniust condemnation for the truth requiring god that it may not be layd to the charge of thee O England requiring your harty prayers vnto God for his grace spirit of boldnes with hope euen shortlye to set to my seale at Uxbridge the 8. of August by Gods grace pray that it may be to his honor my saluation and your consolation I pray you Da gloriam Deo Robert Smith Thus hast thou good Reader not onely to note but also to folow in this man a singular example of Christian fortitude which so manâ—ully and valâ—auntly did stande in the defence of his maysters cause And as thou seest hym here boldly stand in examination before the Bishoppe and Doctours so was he no lesse comfortable also in the pryson among his felowes Whiche also is to be obserued no lesse in his other prison felowes who being there together cast in an outward house within Newgate had godly coÌ„ference with themselues with dayly praying and publick reading whiche they to theyr greate comforte vsed in that house together amongst whom this foresayd Smith was a chiefe doer Whose industry was alwayes solicitous not onely for them of his owne company but also his diligeÌ„ce was carefull for other prisoners whom he ceased not to dehort and diswade from theyr olde accustomed iniquity and many he conuerted vnto his Religion Diuers letters he wrote there in the prison to suÌ„dry his frendes partly in metre partly in prose And first in metre as followeth ⧠A Picture describing the maner and place of them which were in bondes for the testimony of the truth conferring together among themselues ¶ O ye that loue the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is euill THe God that geueth life and light And leadeth into rest That breaketh bondes and bringeth out The poore that are opprest And keepeth mercy for the meeke His treasure and his store Increase the life in perfect loue Both now and euermore That as thou hast begun to ground In fayth and feruent loue Thou mayest be made a mighty mount That neuer may remoue That thine ensample may be shewed Among all thine encrease That they may liue and learne the like And passe theyr time in peace Thy salutations that were sent I hartely retayne And send thee seuenty times as much To thee and thine agayne And for because I know the gole That thou doest most desire I send thee here a paper full Is fined in the fire In hope thou wilt accept it well Although it be but small Because I haue none other good To make amendes with all For all thy free and frendly factes Which thy good will hath wrought I send the surely for a shift The thing that cost me nought Absteyne from all vngodlines In dread direct your dayes Possesse not sinne in any wise Beware of wicked wayes Hold fast your fayth vnfaynedly Build as ye haue begon And arme your selfe in perfect fayth To do as ye haue done Least that the wicked make a mocke That ye haue take in hand In leauing of the perfect rocke To build vpon the sand Beware these filthy Pharisies Their building is in bloud Eate not with
God To holde you in hys hand Fare well my children from the world Where ye must yet remayne The Lorde of hostes be your defence Till we do meete againe Fare well my loue and louing wife My Children and my frendes I hope to God to haue you all When all thinges haue their endes And if you doe abide in God As ye haue now begonne Your course I warrant will be short Ye haue not farre to runne God graunt you so to end your yeares As he shall thinke it best That ye may enter into heauen Where I do hope to rest Written at the request of a Lady in her booke IF you will walke the way That Christ hath you assignde Then learne this little verse Which I haue left behinde Be feruent in the truth Although it beare the blame And eke apply your youth To sticke vnto the same That when the age is come And death beginneth to call The truth may be your staffe To stay you vp withall And though it bryng rebuke And cause you kisse the crosse Yet is it a reward To all that suffer losse For here we doe lay out The thinges that be but vayne But we are sure to reape The thinges that doe remayne For all that ye do lose Is but a sinnefull slime And lyke vnto a Rose That taryeth but a tyme. But if ye carry Christ And walke the perfect way Ye shall possesse the gold That neuer shall decay And all your fathers goodes Shal be your recompense If ye confesse the worde With double diligence Not onely for to heare His pure and perfite word But also to embrace The fire and eke the sword And if ye keepe this path And do not runne a croke Then shall ye meete the man That write this in your booke In that eternall Ioye That alwayes shall remayne Thus fare well faythfull frend Till we do meete agayne Legem pone TEache me O Lorde to walke thy waies My liuing to amend And I shall keepe it all my dayes Euen to my liues end Geue me a minde to vnderstand So shall I neuer starte But I shall keepe all thy preceptes Euen wholly with mine hart Make me to go a perfect pace In that I haue begonne For all my loue and my delight Is in thy wayes to runne Encline my hart vnto thy wayes Set thou thereon my thought And let me not consume my dayes To couet that is naught O quicken me in all thy wayes The world for to despise And from all fond and foolish toyes Turne thou away mine eyes O plant in me thy perfect word Which is to me so deare Lay vp thy lawes within my hart To keepe me still in feare And robbe me of that great rebuke Which I do feare full sore For all thy iudgementes and thy law Endure for euermore Behold O Lord in thy preceptes Is all my whole delight O quicken me in all my wayes That I may walke aright To hys brother AS nature doth me binde Because thou art my bloud According to my kinde To geue thee of my good That thou mayest haue in minde How I haue runne my race Although thou bide behynde But for a little space I yeaue thee here a pearle The price of all my good For whiche I leaue my life To buy it with my bloud More worth then all the world Or ought that I can note Although it be yclad In such a simple cote For when I had obtayned This pearle of such a price Then was I sure I gayned The way for to be wise It taught me for to fight My flesh for to despise To sticke vnto the light And for to leaue the lyes In sending out my seede With bondes and bitter teares That I might reape with Ioye In euerlasting yeares And haue for all my losse My trauayle and my payne A thousand tymes and more Of better goodes agayne And for because the good That hath bene gotte and gayned And that the Lordes elect Hath euermore obtayned Is closed in this booke Which I do geue to thee Wherein I haue my parte As thou thy selfe mayest see In which I hope thou hast A stocke also in store And wilt not cease to sayle Till God haue made it more I will thee to beware Be sure thou keepe it well For if thou do it lose Thy part shal be in hell And here I testifie Before the liuing God That I detest to doe The thinges that are forbod And as in iudgemente is My body to be brent My hart is surely sette Therewith to be content And sith it is his will To put in me his power Vpon his holy hill To fight agaynst this whore Full well I am content If he allowe it so To stand with all my might The whore to ouerthrow Euen with a willing minde The death I will outface And as I am assured The battayle to embrace That they which heare the truth How I haue past the pike May set aside theyr youth And learne to do the like And though it be my lotte to let her suck my bloud Yet am I well assured it shall do her no good For she is set to kill The thinges she thinkes accurst And shall not haue her fill of bloud vntill she burst And when that thou shalt see or heare of my disease Pray to the liuing God that I may passe in peace And when I am at rest and rid out of my paine Then will I do the like for thee to God agayne And to my woefull wyfe and widow desolate Whome I doe leaue behynd In such a simple state And compassed with teares and morninges many one Be thou her staying staffe when I am dead and gone My mouth may not expresse the dolours of my minde Nor yet my heauines to leaue her here behinde But as thou art my bone my brother and my bloud So let her haue thy hart if it may do her good I tooke her from the world and made her like the crosse But if she hold her owne she shall not suffer losse For where she had before a man vnto her make That by the force of fire was stranged at a stake Now shall she haue a king to be her helpyng hand To whom pertayne all thinge that are within the land And eke my daughter deare whome I bequeath to thee To be brought vp in feare and learne the A.B.C. That she may grow in grace and ruled by the rod To learne and lead her lyfe within the feare of God And alwayes haue in minde thy brother beyng dead That thou art lefte behynde a father in my stead And thou my brother deare and eke my mothers sonne Come forth out of all feare and do as I haue done And God shall be thy guide and geue thee such encrease That in the flames of fire thou shalt haue perfect peace Into eternall ioy and passe out of all payne Where we shall meete with mirth and neuer part agayne If thou wilt do my daughter good Be mindfull
And as hee neuer ceaseth to be man so doth he neuer lose the similitude of man hys body there hath hys liniamentes hee leaueth them not so hath that body there hys highnesse and shrinketh not and hys manly shape he altereth not at any tyme. He is in that he tooke of the virgin Mary a naturall man in all conditions except sinne And what he tooke of hys blessed Mother by the workyng of the holye Ghost he tooke it for euer and will not exchaunge the same for anye other He tooke the shape of a man with the substaunce of hys manhoode in one sacred wombe There were they coupled together by the holy ghost neuer to be deuyded a sunder He retayneth the one with the other in seperablye As he will not altar the substaunce of hys fleshe into the substaunce of bread no more will hee altar the shape of hys bodye into the forme of bread There cannot be a greater absurditie agaynst the truth then to thinke that he would leaue the shape that he tooke in the virgins womb being an accident vnto hys manhoode and ioyne vnto the same a wafer cake baken in an ouen or betwene a payre of yrons As he is in heauen very man one onely mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Chryst Iesus hee it is that is the propitiation for our sinnes Be bolde therefore to confesse thys most pure and Apostolicall doctrine and also that all fauoure mercy and forgeuenesse commeth onely by him He onely of God the father was made for vs all wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption All these are the giftes of God the father freely geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus God and man through fayth in his bloud and not by the merites of men Giftes they are I say freely geuen vnto vs of fauoure wythout our deserte by beleeuing and not by deseruing To this doe the lawe and the Prophetes beare witnesse This doctrine haue all the blessed Martyrs of Christes church wytnessed wyth theyr bloude to bee true To thys trueth haue all the consciences of all true beleuers subscribed euer since the Ascension of Christ. This witnesse is not of man but of God What better quarrell can ye thē haue to geue your liues for then the trueth it selfe That man that geueth his lyfe for the truth taketh the rediest way to lyfe He that hath the Popes curse for the truth is sure of Christes blessing Well then my brethren what shall now lette but that ye goe forward as ye haue begon Nay rather runne wyth the runners that ye maye obtayne the appoynted glorye Holde on the right waye looke not back haue the eye of youre heart fixed vppon GOD and so runne that ye may get holde of it Cast awaye all your worldly pelfe and worldly respects as the fauour of friendes the feare of men sensuall affection respect of persons honour prayse shame rebuke wealth pouertie riches landes possessions carnall fathers and mothers wife and children with the loue of your own selues and in respect of that heauenly treasure ye loooke for let al these be denyed vtterly refused of you so that in no cōditiō they do abate your seale or quenche youre loue towardes God In this case make no acōpt of thē but rather repute thē as vile in comparison of euerlasting life Away with them as thornes that choke the heauenly seede of the Gospel where they be suffered to grow They are burdens of the fleshe which encomber the soule exchaunge them therefore for aduauntage Doth not he gayne that findeth heauenly and immortall treasure for earthly corruptible riches Loseth that man any thing whiche of his carnall father and mother is forsaken when therefore he is receaued of God the father to be his childe and eyre in Christ Heauenly for earthly for mortall immortall for transitory thinges permanēt is great gaynes to a Christian conscience Therefore as I beganne I exhort you in the Lorde not to be afrayd Shrinke not my brethren mistrust not God bee of good comforte reioyce in the Lord hold fast your fayth and continue to the end Deny the world and take vp your crosse and follow him whiche is your loadesman and is gone before If you suffer with him yea you shall raygne with him What way can you glorifie the name of your heauenly father better then by sufferyng death for his sonnes sake What a spectacle shal it be to the world to beholde so godly a fellowship as you seruauntes of God in so iust a quarrell as the Gospell of Christ is with so pure a conscience so strong a fayth and so liuely a hope to offer your selues to suffer most cruell tormentes at the handes of Gods enemyes and so to end your dayes in peace to receaue in the resurrection of the righteous life euerlasting Be strong therfore in your battayle The Lord God is on your side and his truth is your cause and against you be none but the enemies of the crosse of Christe as the serpent and his seede the Dragon with hys tayle the marked men of the Beast the ofspring of the Pharisees the congregation malignant the generation of Vipers murtherers as theyr father the deuill hath bene from the beginning To conclude such are they as the Lorde God hath alwayes abhorred and in all ages resisted and ouerthrowne God from whome nothing is hid knoweth what they are Hee that searcheth the heartes of men he hath found them out to be crafty subtill full of poyson proud disdainefull stiffenecked deuourers raueners and barkers against the truth filthy shamelesse and therefore doth the spirite of God by the mouthes of hys holy Prophetes and Apostles call them by the names of Foxes serpentes Cockatrices Lyons Leopardes Bulles Beares Wolues Dogs Swine Beasts teachyng vs therby to vnderstād that their natural inclinatiō is to deceaue poison and destroy as much as in them lyeth the faythfull and elect of God But the Lord with his right arme shal defend his little flocke agaynst the whole rabblement of these worldlings which haue conspired against him he hath numbred all the heares of his childrens heades so that not one of thē shal pearish without hys fatherly wil. He kepeth the sparrowes much more will he preserue them whom he hath purchased with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Hee will keepe them vnto the houre appointed wherein the name of God shal be glorified in his saynctes In the meane tyme let them woorke theyr willes let them enuy let them maligne let thē blaspheeme let them curse banne betray whippe scourge hang and burne for by these meanes God will try his elect as gold in the furnace and by these fruites shall they also bring themselues to be knowen what they be for all their sheepes skinnes For as he that in suffering paciently for the Gospell of God is thereby knowne to be of Christ euen so in likewise is
the persecutor of him knowne to be a member of Antichrist Besides this their extreme cruelty shall be a meane the sooner to prouoke God to take pittie vpon his seruauntes and to destroy them that so tyrannously entteate his people as we may learne by the historyes as well in the bondage of Israell vnder Pharao in Egypt as also in the miserable captiuitie of Iuda in Babilon Where as when the people of God were in most extreeme thraldome theÌ„ did the Lord stretch forth his mighty power to deliuer his seruauntes Though God for a tyme suffer them to be exalted in theyr owne pryde yet shal they not scape his vengeaunce They are hys roddes and when hee hath worne them to the stumpes then will he cast them into the fire this shal be theyr final reward Our duetye is in the meane while paciently to abide the wil of God which worketh al thinges for the best Thus dealeth he with vs partly for our tryall and partly also for our sinnes which we most greeuously haue committed to the great slaunder of hys gospell whereby the name of God was euil spoken of among hys enemies for the whiche he now punisheth vs with his fatherly corrections in this worlde that wee shoulde not be dampned with the world By thys meanes seeketh hee his sheep that were lost to bring theÌ„ home to the fold agayn By this wâ—y seeketh he to reform vs that we may be lyke vnto him after the image of his son Iesus christ in al holines righteousnes before him Finally this way vseth his godly wisedome to make vs therby to know him our selues in him that afore time had in a manner forgotten him praysed be hys name therefore And as for these Balaamites whiche nowe do molest vs commit them to the handes of GOD geue him the vengeaunce and hee will reward them Fall ye to prayer and let these belly GODS prate For he is in heauen and sleepeth not that keepeth Israell He is in heauen that made the seas calme and when the Disciples were afrayd Let vs nowe faythfully call vppon him and hee wyll heare vs. Let vs cry vnto the Lorde for he is gracious and mercifull When we are in trouble he is with vs he will deliuer vs and he will glorifie vs. If we come vnto him we shall find him turned vnto vs. If we repent vs of our wickednes done agaynst hym theÌ„ shall he take away the plague that he hath deuised agaynst vs. Let vs therefore earnestly repent and bring forth the worthy fruites of repentaunce Let vs study to be hys then shall we not neede to feare what these hipocrites do agaynst vs whiche wyth theyr pretensed holines deceiue the harts of the simple and abuse the authoritie of God in his Princes causing them by theyr procurement to testify their ambicious prelacye and to erect vpp theyr Idoll agayne with the Romish Masse God in whose hands are the hartes of kinges open the hart of the Queenes highnesse to espy them out what they be and so to wede theÌ„ out that they no longer be suffered to trouble the congregation of God and to poyson the realme with Pope holy doctrine God almightye for hys sonne Iesus Christes sake deliuer the Queenes highnes and this her church realme froÌ„ these proud prelates which are as profitable in the Churche of Christ as a polecatte in the middest of a Warran of connies To conclude my brethren I commit you to God and to the power of his worde whiche is able to establishe you in all truth His spirite be with you and worke alway that ye may be mindfull of your dueties towards hym whose ye are both body and soule Whome see that ye loue serue dread and obey aboue al worldly powers and for nothing vnder the heaueÌ„s defile your conscieÌ„ce before God Dissemble not with his word God will not be mocked nay they that dissemble with hym deceiue themselues Such shal the Lord deny cast out at the last day such I say as beare two faces in one hoode such as play on both hands suche as deny the knowne trueth such as obstinately rebell against him All such with their partakers shall the Lord destroy God defend you from all such and make you perfite vnto the end Your sorrowe shall be turned into ioy ¶ An other letter sent to hys wife THe God and father eternal which brought again from death our Lord Iesus christ keep thee deare wife now and euer amen and al thy parentes and friendes I praise God for his mercy I am in the same state that ye lefte me in rather better then woorse looking dayly for the liuing God before whome I hunger full sore to appeare and receaue the glory of whiche I trust thou art willing to be a partaker I geue God most harty thankes therefore desiring thee of all loues to stand in that faith which thou hast receiued and let no man take away the seed that almighty God hath sowne in thee but lay hands of euerlasting lyfe which shall euer abide when both the earth and all earthly frends shall perish desiring them also to receaue thankfully our trouble whiche is momentane and light and as S. Paule sayth not worthy of the thinges whiche shall be shewed on vs that we patieÌ„tly carying our crosse may attayne to the place where our sauiour Christ is gone before to the which I beseeche God of his mercye bryng vs speedely I haue bene much troubled about your deliuerance fearing muche the perswasions of worldlinges and haue founde a friend whiche will I trust finde a meane for you if you bee not alreadye prouyded desirynge you in anye case to abide suche order as those my friendes shall appoint in God And beare well in mind the wordes which I spake at our departing that as god hath found vs and also elected vs worthy to suffer with hym We may endeuour our selues to follow vprightly in thys our vocation desiring you to present my hartye commendations to all our friendes and in especiall to youre Parentes keeping your matter close in any wise Geue most harty thankes to my frend whiche onely for oure cause is come to Windsor Continue in prayer Do well Be faultles in all thinges Beware abhominations Keepe you cleane from sinne Praye for me as I doe for you I haue sent you a peece of golde for a token and moste entierlye desire you to send me word if ye lacke any thing The lord Iesu preserue you and yours Amen From Newgate the 15. of Aprill By your husband here and in heauen Robert Smith This foresayde Robert Smith the valiaunt and constant martyr of christ thus replenished as ye haue heard with the fortitude of Gods spirite was condemned at LoÌ„don by Boner there Bishop the xii day of Iulye and suffered at Uxbridge the 8. day of August who as he had bene a comfortable instrument of God before to
Coo. He aunswered him that the Bishoppe of Rome had chaunged Gods ordinaunces and geuen the people bread and wine in the steade of the Gospell and the beliefe of the same Bish. Howe prooue you that Coo. Our Sauiour sayde My fleshe is meate in deede and my bloude is drinke in deede He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him and the breade and wine doth not so Bish Well Coo thou doest sclaunder our holy fathers Did not Christ take bread geue thankes and brake it and said This is my body Coo. Yes sayde hee and so he went further wyth the texte saying Which shall be geuen for you doe this in remembrance of me Bish. You haue sayde the truth Coo. Then Coo replyed further and sayde Christe willed to doe this in remembraunce of hym and not to saye thys in the remembraunce of hym neyther did the holy Ghoste so leade the Apostles but taughte them to geue thankes and to breake breade from house to house and not to saye as the Bishop sayde Bish. How prooue you that Coo. It is written in the 2. of the Acts. Then the Bish. chaplayne sayd it was true Bish. The Bish. asked hym if he could his beliefe Coo. He answered yea and so sayd part of the Creede and theÌ„ after he said he beleued more for he beleued the x. commaundements that it was meete for all such as looke to be saued to be obedient vnto them Bish Is not the holy church to be beleeued also Coo. Yes if it be builded vpon the word of God Bish. The Byshop sayd to Coo that he had charge of hys soule Coo. Haue ye so my Lord Then if ye go to the Deuill for your sinnes where shall I become Bish. Do you not beleue as your father did Was not he an honest man Coo. It is written that after Christ hath suffred There shal come a people with the Prince that shal destroy both Citie and Sanctuary I pray you shew me whether this destruction was in my fathers tyme or now Bish. The B. not answering his question asked hym whether he would not obey the kyngs lawes Coo. As farre as they agree with the word of God I will obey them Bish. Whether they agree with the worde of God or not we be bound to obey them if the kyng were an Infidel Coo. If Sydrach Mysaach and Abednago had so done Nabuchaâ—â—nosor had not confessed the liuyng God Bish. Then the B. told hym that these 22. yeares wee haue bene gouerned with such kyngs Coo. My L. why were ye then dumme and did not speake or barke Bish. I durst not for feare of death and thus they ended ⧠But after this done it was reported that I raiâ—ed wherfore I called it to memory wrote this my railing that light should not be taken for darknesse nor sinne for holynes and the deuill for God who ought to be feared honoured both now and euer Amen This Roger Coo an aged father after his sundry troubles and conflictes with his aduersaries at length was committed to the fire at Yexford in the countie of Suffolk where he most blessedly ended his aged yeares An. 1555. Mens Septemb. ¶ Thomas Cobbe of Hauerhill butcher Martyr OUer and besides this foresayd Roger Coo Wil. Allen Iames Abbes of Stokennayland Robert Samuell and other moe in the same yeare vpon the 12. of August was also with them condemned Thomas Cobbe of Hauerhill Butcher executed in the moneth of September aforesayd Who beyng brought and examined by Michaell Dunnyngs the bloudy Chauncellour of Norwich first whether he beleeued that Christ is really and substantially in the Sacrament of the aultar aunswered that the body of Christ borne of the blessed virgin was in heaueÌ„ and otherwise he sayd he would not aunswere because hee had read it in the Scripture that Christ did ascende and dyd neuer descend since and therefore sayd that he had not learned in the Scripture that Christ should be in the Sacrament Furtheymore beyng demanded whether he would obey the lawes of the realme of England made for the vnitie of fayth or no he aunswered that his body should be at the King and Queenes commaundement so farre as the law of God would suffer c. In fine the sayd Tho. Cobbe beyng condemned the same xij day of August with the other his fellowmartyrs was burned in the towne of Tetford An. 1555. Mens Septemb. * The Martyrdome of George Catmer Robert Streater Anthony Burward George Brodbridge and Iames Tutty NOwe from Northfolke and Suffolke to returne agayne into the Diocesse of Caunterbury we haue to entreat of fiue worthy Martyrs whose bloud in the same yeare and moneth of September was spilt for the true testimony of Christ and his Gospels cause The names of the which fiue Martyrs were these George Catmer of Hyth Robert Streater of Hyth Anthony Burward of Calete George Brodbridge of Bromfield Iames Tutty of Brenchley Who vppon the 3. day of August were brought before Thornton the foresaid Bish. of Douer and his complices and there were both iointly and seuerally examined vpon certaine Articles touching the Sacrament of their aultar auricular confession and other such lyke To the which the sayd Catmer being first examined made aunswere on this wise Christ quoth he sitteth in heauen on the right hand of God the Father and therefore I do not beleue him to be in the Sacrament of the aultar but he is in the worthy receiuer spiritually the Sacrament as you vse it is an abhominable Idoll Next vnto hym was called forth Rob. Streater who beyng also asked whether he dyd beleue the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the aultar sayd that he dyd not so beleeue for you doe maintayne heresie and Idolatry quoth he in that ye teach to worship a false God in the Sacrament enclosed in a boxe It is you that are the malignant Church for in your Church there are twenty thyngs vsed agaynst the law of God The like obiection was articulate also against Anthony Burward who also sayd that their Sacrament was made an Idoll After hym was George Brodbridge demanded what he sayd to those Articles Who aunswered that hee would not be confessed of a priest because he could not forgeue his owne sinnes and further sayd that in the Sacrament of the aultar there is not the real body of our sauiour Christ but bread geuen in the remembrance of him Moreouer as for your holy bread your holy water and your Masse I do quoth he vtterly defie them And last of all did also Iames Tutty make confirme their sayd former aunswers And therefore they were all fiue condemned to be burned as heretikes and so were they all in one fire at Canterbury aforesayd about the 6. day of September theÌ„ next followyng * The burnyng of fiue Martyrs at Caunterbury ¶ Thomas Hayward and Iohn Goreway Martyrs ALthough the
doe offende me in the Masse I will rehearse vnto you those thinges whiche be moste cleare and seeme to repugne most manifestly agaynst Gods worde And they be these The straunge tongue the want of the shewynge of the Lordes death The breaking of the Lordes commaundement of hauing a communion the sacrament is not coÌ„municated to all vnder both kindes according to the word of the Lord. The signe is seruilely worshipped for the thing signified Christes Passion is iniuried for asmuch as this Masse sacrifice is affirmed to remayne for the purging of sinnes to be shorte the manifolde superstitions and triflyng fondnesse whiche are in the Masse and aboute the same Better a few thinges well pondered then to trouble the memory with to much you shall preuayle more with praying theÌ„ with studying though mixture be best For so one shall alleuiate the tediousnes of the other I entend not to contend much with them in wordes after a reasonable account of my fayth geuen for it shall be but in vayne They will say as theyr fathers sayd when they haue no more to say We haue a law and by our law he ought to dye Be ye steadfast and vnmoueable sayeth Saynt Paule and agayne persistito stand fast And how oft is this repeated if ye abide if ye abide c. But we shall be called obstinate sturdy ignorant heady and what not So that a man hath need of much pacience hauing to do with such men But you knowe howe greate a crime it is to separate your selfe from the communion or felowship of the Churche and to make a schisme or diuision you haue bene reported to haue hated the secte of the Anabaptistes and alwayes to haue impugned the same Moreouer this was the pernitious errour of Nouatus and of the Heretickes called Cathari that they woulde not communicate wyth the Church I know that the vnity of the Church is to be reteyned by all meanes the same to be necessary to saluation But I doe not take the Masse as it is at this day for the communion of the Churche but a Popishe deuise whereby both the commaundement and institution of our Sauiour Christ for the ofte frequenting of the remembraunce of his death is eluded the people of God are miserablye deluded The sect of the Anabaptistes and the heresy of the Nouatians ought of right to be condemned for as muche as without any iust or necessary cause they wickedly separated themselues from the communion of the congregation for they did not alleadge that the Sacramentes were vnduely ministred but â—urning away theyr eyes from theÌ„selues wherewith according to Saynt Paules rule they ought to examine themselues and caâ—ing theyr eyes euer vpon others either Ministers or Communicantes with them they alwayes reprooued something for the whiche they absteined from the Communion as from an vnholy thing I remember that Caluin beginneth to confute the Interim after this sort with this saying of Hilary The name of peace is beautifull and the opinion of vnitye is fayre but who doubteth that to be the true and onely peace of the Church which is Christes I would you had that litle booke there should you see how much is to be geuen to vnity Saynt Paule when he requireth vnitye he ioyneth straight with al secundum Iesum Christum according to Iesus Christ no further Diotrephes nowe of late did euer harpe vpon vnity vnity Yea Syr quoth I but in verity not in popery Better is a diuersity then an vnitye in Popery I had nothing agayne but scornefull giers with commaundement to the Tower But admitte there be in the Masse that peraduenture might be amended or at least made better yea seing you will haue it so admit there be a fault if you do not consent therto Why do you trouble your selfe in vayne do not you know both by Cyprian and Augustine that communioÌ„ of sacramentes doth not defile a man but consent of deedes If it were any one trifling ceremony or if it were some one thing of it selfe indifferent although I woulde wishe nothing should be done in the Churche which doth not edify the same yet for the continuance of the common quietnesse I coulde be content to beare it But forasmuche as thinges done in the masse tend openly to the ouerthrow of Christes institution I iudge that by no meanes either in word or deed I ought to consent vnto it As for that which is obiected out of the Fathers I acknowledge it to be wel spoken if it be well vnderstanded But it is meant of them which suppose they are defiled if any secret vice be either in the ministers or in them that communicate with them is not ment of them which doe abhorre superstition and wicked traditions of men and will not suffer the same to be thrust vpon themselues or vpon the Church in stead of Gods word and the truth of the Gospell The very marowe bones of the masse are all together detestable and therefore by no meanes to be borne withal so that of necessity the mending of it is to abolish it for euer For if you take away oblation and oration which doe hang vpon consecration and transubstantiation the moste papistes of them all will not set a button by the masse as a thing which they esteme not but for the gayne that foloweth thereon For if the English communion whiche oâ— late was vsed were as gaynefull to them as the Masse hath bene heretofore they would striue no more for theyr masse from thence groweth the griefe Consider into what dauÌ„gers you cast your selfe if you forsake the chuch you cannot but forsake it if you refuse to go to masse For the Masse is the Sacrament of vnity without the Arke there is no saluation The church is the Arke and Peters ship Ye know this saying wel enough He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his mother Moreouer without the church sayth S. Augustine be the life neuer so wel spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen The holy Catholicke or vniuersall church which is the communion of saintes the house of God the City of God the spouse of Christ the body of Christ the piller and stay of the trueth this Churche I beleeue accordinge to the Creede This Church I doe reuerence and honour in the Lord. But the rule of this Church is the word of God according to which rule we goe forwarde vnto life And as many as walk according to this rule I say with S. Paul peace be vpon them and vpon Israell which perteyneth vnto God The guid of this church is the holy ghost The markes whereby this church is knowne vnto me in this darâ—ke worlde and in the middest of this crooked and froward generatioÌ„ are these The sincere preaching of Gods holy worde the due administration of the Sacramentes charitye and faythfull
heart as I graunt I haue fealt sometimes before O good brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that euer I knewe thee Farewell farewell Your brother in Christ Nicholas Ridley Brother farewell To the brethren remaining in captiuitie of the flesh and dispearsed abroad in sundry prisones but knit together in vnity of spirit and holy Religion in the bowels of the Lorde Iesu. GRace peace mercye be multiplied among you What worthy thankes can we render vnto the Lorde for you my brethren namely for the great coÌ„solation which through you we haue receiued in the Lorde who notwithstanding the rage of Sathan that goeth about by all maner of subtill meanes to beguile the worlde and also buâ—lâ— laboreth to restore and set vp his kingdome againe that of late began to decay and fall to ruine ye remaine yet stil 〈◊〉 as men surely grounded vpon a strong rocke And nowe albeit that sathan by his souldiors and wicked ministers daily as we heare draweth numbers vnto hym so that it is sayd of him that he plucketh euen the very starres out of heauen whiles hee driueth into some men thâ— feare of death and losse of all their goods and sheweth and offereth to other some the pleasaunt baites of the worlde namelye richesse wealth and all kinde of delightes and pleasures faire houses great reuenues â—at benefices and what not and all to the intent they should fall downe worship not the Lorde but the Dragon the olde Serpent whych is the deuil that great beast and his image and should be inâ—iced to commit fornication with the strompet of Babilon together wyth the kings of the earth wyth the lesser beast and with the false Prophetes and so to reioyce and be pleasant wyth her and to be drunken wyth the wine of her fornication yet blessed be God the Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe which hath geuen vnto you a manly courage and hath so strengthened you in the inwarde man by the power of his spirite that you can contemne as well all the terrours as also the vaine flatteringe allurementes of the worlde esteeming them as vanities mere trifles things of nought Who hath also wroughte planted and surely stablished in your hearts so stedfast a fayth and loue of the Lorde Iesus Christe ioyned with such constancie that by no engines of Antichriste be they neuer so terrible or plausible yee will suffer any other Iesus or any other Christ to be forced vpon you besides him whom the Prophetâ— haue spoken of before the Apostles haue preached the holy Martyrs of God haue coÌ„fessed and testified with the effusion of their bloud In thys Faith stand ye fast my brethren and suffer not your selues to be brought vnder the yoke of bondage and superstition any more For ye know brethren howe that our sauiour warned his beforehand that such shoulde come as would poynt vnto the world an other Christ and woulde set him out wyth so many fals myracles and with such deceiueable and subtill practises that euen the very electe if it were possible should be therby deceiued such strong delusion to come did our Sauiour geue warning of before But continue ye faithful and constant and be of good comfort remember that our graund captaine hath ouercome the world for he that is in vs is stronger then he that is in the world and the Lorde promiseth vnto vs that for the elects sake the daies of wickednes shall be shortned In the meane season abide ye endure with patience as ye haue begun endure I say and reserue your selues vnto better times as one of the heathen Poetes said cease not to shew yourselues valiant Soldiours of the Lorde and helpe to maintaine the trauelling faith of the Gospell Yee haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye may receiue the promises For yet a very litle while and he that shall come will come and wil not tarie and the iust shall liue by faith but if anye withdrawe him selfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him sayth the Lorde But we are not they which doe withdrawe oure selues vnto damnation but beleeue vnto the saluation of the soule Let vs not suffer these woordes of Christ to fall out of our hearts by any manner of terrours or threatnings of the worlde Feare not them which kil the body the rest ye know For I wryte not vnto you as to menne which are ignoraunt of the truth but which know the truthe and to this ende onely that we agreeing together in one faith may take comfort one of an other and be the more confirmed and strengthened thereby We neuer had a better or more iust cause either to contemne our life or shed our bloud we can not take in hande the defence of a more certaine cleare and manifest truthe For it is not any ceremonie for the which we contend but it toucheth the very substance of our whole Religion yea euen Christ him selfe Shall we either can we receiue and acknowledge any other Christe in steade of hym who is alone the euerlasting sonne of the euerlasting Father and is the brightnesse of the glory and liuely image of the substaunce of the Father in whome onely dwelleth corporally the fulnesse of the Godhead who is the onely waye the truth and the life Let such wickednesse my brethren lette such horrible wickednesse be farre from vs. For althoughe there be that are called Gods whether in heauen either in earth as there be many Gods and many Lordes yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whome are al things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and wee by him but euery man hath not knowledge This is life eternal sayth S. Iohn that they know thee to be the onely true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. If any therfore would force vpon vs any other GOD besides him whom Paule and the Apostles haue taughte let vs not heare him but let vs flee froÌ„ him and hold him accursed Brethren ye are not ignorant of the deepe and profouÌ„d subtleties of Satan for he will not cease to raunge about you seking by all meanes possible whom he may deuour but play ye the men and be of good comfort in the Lorde And albeit your enemies and the aduersaries of the truth armed with all worldly force and power that may be doe set vppon you yet be not ye faynt harted nor shrinke not therfore but trust vnto your Captayne Christ trust vnto the spirit of truth trust to the truth of your cause which as it may by the malice of satan be darckened so can it neuer be cleane put out For we haue high prayse be geuen to God therfore most playnely euidently and clearely on our side all the Prophets all the Apostles and vndoubtedly all the auncient Ecclesiastical writers which haue writtan vntill
of late yeares past Let vs bee hartye and of good courage therefore and throughlye comforte our selues in the Lorde Bee in no wise afrayd of your aduersaries for that which is to them an occasion of perdition is to you a sure token of saluatiō and that of GOD. For vnto you it is geuen that not onely ye shoulde beleeue on hym but also suffer for hys sake And when ye are rayled vppon for the name of Christe remember that by the voyce of Peter yea and of Christe our Sauiour also ye are counted with the Prophetes with the Apostles and with the holy Martyrs of Christ happy and blessed therefore for the glory and spirit of God resteth vpon you On their part our Sauiour Christe is euill spoken of but on your part he is gloryfied For what can they els do vnto you by persecuting you and working al crueltie villanie agaynst you but make your crownes more glorious yea beautifie multiply the same heape vpon them selues the horrible plagues and heauy wrath of God and therfore good brethrē though they rage neuer so fiercely against vs yet let vs not wish euill vnto thē againe knowing that whiles for Christes cause they vexe and persecute vs they are lyke mad men most outragious and cruell agaynst them selues heaping hot burning coles vpon their owne heades but rather let vs wish well vnto thē knowing that we are thereunto called in Christe Iesu that we should be heyres of the blessing Let vs pray therefore vnto God that he would driue out of their harts this darkenes of errours make the light of his truth to shine vnto thē that they acknowledging their blindnes may with al humble repentance be conuerted vnto the Lord together with vs confesse hym to be the onely true God which is the father of light his onely sonne Iesus Christ worshipping him in spirit and veritie Amen The spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ comfort your hartes in the loue of God and pacience of Christ. Amen Your brother in the Lord whose name this bearer shall signifie vnto you ready alwayes by the grace of God to liue and die with you ¶ To the breathren which constantly cleaue vnto Christ in suffering affliction with him and for his sake GRace and peace from God the father and frō our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied vnto you Amen Although brethren we haue of late heard nothing from you neither haue at this present any newes to send you yet we thought good somthing to write vnto you wherby ye might vnderstand that we haue good remembraunce of you continually as we doubt not but ye haue of vs also When this messenger comming vnto vs from you of late had brought vs good tidinges of your great constancie fortitude and patience in the Lord we were filled with much ioy gladnes geuing thankes to God the father through our Lord Iesus Christe which hath caused his face so to shine vpon you and with the light of spirituall vnderstanding hath so lightened your hartes that now being in captiuitie bandes for Christes cause ye haue not ceased as much as in you lyeth by wordes but much more by deede and by your example to stablysh and confirme that thing which when ye were at libertie in the world ye laboured to publish and set abrode by the word and doctrine that is to say holding fast the worde of life ye shine as lightes in the worlde in the middest of a wicked and crooked nation and that with so much the greater glory of our Lord Iesus Christe and profite of your brethren by how muche Satan more cruelly now rageth and busily laboureth to darken the light of the Gospel And as for the darkenes that Satan nowe bringeth vpon the Church of England who needeth to doubt therof Of late tyme our Sauiour Christe his Apostles Prophetes and Teachers spake in the Temple to the people of England in the Englishe tongue so that they might be vnderstanded playnly and without any hardnesse of the godly and such as sought for heauenly knowledge in matters whiche of necessitie of saluation perteyned to the obteyning of eternall life but now those thinges which once were written of them for the edifiyng of the congregation are read in a strange tongue without interpretatiō manifestly agaynst saint Paules commaundement so that there is no man able to vnderstand them which hath not learned that strange and vnknowen tongue Of late dayes those heauenly mysteries whereby Christe hath ingrafted vs into his body and hath vnited vs one to another whereby also being regenerate borne anew vnto God he hath nourished encreased and strengthened vs whereby moreouer eyther he hath taught and set foorth an order amongest them which are whole or els to the sicke in soule or body hath geuen as it were wholesome medicines and remedies those I say were al plainlye set foorth to the people in their owne language so that what great and exceeding good things euery man had receiued of God what duetie euery one owed to an other by Gods ordinaunce what euery one had professed in his vocation and was bound to obserue where remedy was to be had for the wicked and feeble he to whom God had geuen a desire and willing hart to vnderstand those thinges might soone perceiue and vnderstand But now all these thinges are taught set forth in such sort that the people redeemed with Christes bloud and for whose sakes they were by Christe himselfe ordeined can haue no maner of vnderstanding thereof at all Of late for as much as we knowe not how to pray as we ought our Lorde Iesus Christe in his Prayer wherof he would haue no man ignoraūt and also the holy Ghost in the Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songes which are set foorth in the Bible did teache and instructe all the people of Englande in the Englyshe tongue that they might aske such thinges as are according to the will of the Father and might ioyne their hartes and lyppes in prayer together but nowe all these thynges are commaunded to be hid and shutte vp from them in a straunge tongue whereby it must needes followe that the people neyther can tell how to pray nor what to pray for and how can they ioyne their hartes and voyce together whē they vnderstande no more what the voyce signifieth than a bruite beast Finally I heare say that the Catechisme whiche was lately set foorth in the Englyshe tongue is now in euery Pulpite condemned O deuilishe malice and most spitefully iniurious to the saluation of mankinde purchased by Iesus Christe In deede Satan coulde not long suffer that so great light should be spread abrode in the world he sawe well enough that nothing was able to ouerthrow his kingdome so much as if childrē being godly instructed in Religion should learne to knowe Christe whilest they are yet young whereby not onely chyldren but the elder sort also
geuen him by the scorneful Papistes was cast agayne into the Tower where he being assisted with the heauenly grace of Christ susteined most pacient imprisonment a long time notwithstanding the cruel and vnmercifull handlinge of the Lordlye Papistes whyche thought then theyr kingdome would neuer fall yet he shewed hymselfe not onely pacient but also chearefull in and aboue all that which they could or woulde worke agaynst him yea such a valiaunt spirit the Lord gaue him that he was able not onely to despise the terriblenesse of prisons tormentes but also to deride and laugh to scorne the doinges of his enemies As it is not vnknowne to the eares of many what he aunswered to the Lieuetenaunt beynge then in the Tower For when the Lieutenauntes man vpon a time came to him the aged Father kept without fire in the frosty winter and wellâ—ye starued for colde merely bad the man tell his Mayster that if he did not looke the better to him perchaunce he would deceiue him The Lieutenaunt hearing this he thought hymselfe of these wordes and fearing least that in deede he thought to make some escape beganne to looke more straightly to his Prisoner and so comming to him beginneth to charge him with his wordes reciting the same vnto him whiche his man had told him before how that if he were not better looked vnto perchaunce he would deceiue them c. Yea Mayster Lieutenaunt so I sayd quoth he for you looke I thinke that I shoulde burne but except you let me haue some fire I am like to deceiue your expectation for I am like here to starue for cold Many such like answeres and reasons mery but sauery comming not from a vayne minde but from a constant and quiet reasoÌ„ proceded from that man declaring a firme and stable hart litle passing for all this great blustering of theyr terrible threates but rather deriding the same Thus Mayster Latimer passing a long time in the tower with as much pacience as a manne in his case coulde do from thence was transported to Oxforde with Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury and Mayster Ridley Byshop of London there to dispute vpon Articles sent downe from Gardiner Bishop at Winchester as is before touched the maner and order of whiche disputations betwene them and the Uniuersitye Doctours is also before sufficiently expressed Where also is declared how and by whome the sayd Latimer with his otherfelow Prisoners were condemned after the disputations and so committed agayne to the Prison and there they conâ—umed from the Moneth of Aprill aboue mentioned to this present Moneth of October where they were most godly occupied either with brotherly conference or with feruent prayer or with fruitfull writing Albeit M. Latimer by reasoÌ„ of the feblenes of his age wrote least of them all in this latter time of his imprisonment yet in prayer he was feruently occupyed wherin oftentimes so long he continued kneeling that hee was not able to rise without helpe and amongst other things these were three principall matters he prayed for First that as God had appoynted him to be a preacher of his worde so also he woulde geue him grace to stand to his doctrine vntill his death that he might geue his harte bloud for the same SecoÌ„dly that God of his mercy would restore his gospell to Englande once agayne and these wordes once agayne once agayne he did so inculcate beat into the eares of the Lord God as though he had sene God before hym and spoken to him face to face The third matter was to pray for the preseruation of the Queenes Maiesty that now is whome in his prayer he was wont accustomably to name and euen with teares desired God to make her a comfort to his comfortles realme of England These were the matters he prayed for so earnestlye Neither were these thinges of him desired in vayne as the good successe thereof after following did declare for the Lord most graciously did graunt all those his requestes First concerning his constancy euen in the most extremity the Lord graciously assisted him For when he stoode at the stake without Bocardo gate at Oxford and the tormentors about to sette the fire to him and to the learned and Godly Byshop Mayster Ridley he lifted vp his eyes towardes heauen with an amiable and comfortable countenaunce saying these wordes Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tentari supra id quod possumus God is faythfull whiche doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and so afterwarde by and by shedde his bloude in the cause of Christ the whiche bloud ranne of his hart in suche aboundaunce that all those that were present being godly dyd maruell to see the most part of the bloud in his body to bee gathered to hys hart and with such violence to gush out his body being opened by the force of the fire by the whiche thing God most graciously graunted his request whiche was that he might shed his hart bloud in the defence of the Gospell How mercifully the Lord heard his second request in restoring his Gospell once agayne into this Realme these present dayes can beare record And what then shall England say now for her defence whiche being so mercifullye visited and refreshed with the word of God so slenderlye and vnthankfully considereth either her own misery past or the great benefite of God nowe present The Lorde be mercifull vnto vs. Amen Agayne concerning his third request it seemeth likewise most effectuously grauÌ„ted to the great praise of God the furtherance of his Gospell and to the vnspeakable coÌ„fort of this Realme For whether at the request of his praiyr or of other Gods holy Sayntes or whether God was moued with the cry of his whole Church the truth is that when all was deplorate and in a desperate case and so desperate that the enemies mightily florished and triumphed Gods word was banished Spanierdes receiued no place left for Christes seruauntes to couer theyr heades sodenly the Lord called to remembraunce his mercye and forgetting our former iniquity made an end of al these miseries and wroughte a maruellous chaunge of thinges at the chaunge whereof the said Queene Elizabeth was appointed and annoynted for whome this graye headed father so earnestly prayd in his imprisonment through whose true naturall and imperiall Crowne the brightnesse of Gods word was set vp agayne to confound the darcke and false visoured kingdome of Antichrist the true temple of Christ reedified the Captiuitye of sorowfull Christians released which so long was wished for in the prayers of so manye good men specially of this faythfull and true seruaunt of the Lord M. Latimer The same God which at the requestes of his holy and faythfull Sayntes hath poured vpon vs such benefites of his mercy peace and tranquility assiste our most vertuous and Christian Princesse and her Subiectes that wee may euery one in his state
opus est magna patientia ad sustinendas calumnias malignantis Ecclesiae Syr I haue had more busines in my little cure since I spake with you what with sicke folkes and what with matrimonies theÌ„ I haue had since I came to it or then I would haue thought a man should haue in a great cure I wonder how men can go quietly to bed which haue great cures and many and yet peraduenture are in none of them all But I pray you tell none of your frendes that I sayd so foolishly least I make a dissention in a Christian Congregation and deuide a sweete and a restfull vnion or tot quot with haec requies mea in seculum seculi Syr I had made an end of this scribling and was beginning â—o write it agayne more truely and more distinctly and to correcte it but there came a man of my Lorde of Farleys with a Citation to appeare before my Lord of London in haste to be punished for suche excesses as I committed at my last being there so that I coulde not perfourme my purpose I doubt whether ye can read it as it is If ye can well be it if not I pray you sende it me agayne and that you so doe whether you can reade it or not Iesu mercy what Worlde is this that I shall be put to so greate laboure and paynes besides great costes aboue my power for preachinge of a poore simple Sermon But I trow our Sauiour Christ sayd true Oportet pati sic intrare tam periculosum est in Christo pie viuere velle yea in a christian Congregation God make vs all Christian after the right fashion Amen Here foloweth an other letter of M. Latimer writtten to K. Henry the 8. vpon this occasion Ye heard before of two sondry Proclamations set out by the Byshops in the time of K. Henry the one in the yeare 1531. and the other set out an 1546. In the which proclamatioÌ„s bâ—ing authorised by the kinges name were inhibited all english books either conteining or tending to any matter of the scripture Where also wee haue expreâ—ed at large the whole Catalogue of all theyr errors heresies which the sayd Bishops falsely haue excerpted and maliciously imputed to Godlye writers with theyr places and quotations aboue assigned in the page aforesayd Now M. Latimer growing in some fauor with the king and seing the great decay of Christes religion by reason of these Proclamations and touched therfore with the zeale of coÌ„science directeth vnto K. HeÌ„ry this letter hereunder ensuing therby enteÌ„ding by all meanes possible to perswade the kinges mind to set opeÌ„ again the freedome of Gods holy word amongest his subiectes The copy and tenor of his letter here foloweth ¶ The Letter of Mayster Latimer written to King Henry for the restoring agayne the free liberty of reading the holy Scriptures ⧠To the most mighty Prince King of England Henrye the eight Grace mercy and peace from God the Father by our Lord Iesus Christ. THe holy Doctour Saynt Austine in an Epistle whiche he wrote to Casulanus sayth that he whiche for feare of any power hideth the trueth prouoketh the wrath of God to come vpon him for he feareth men more then God And according to the same the holy man Saynt Iohn Chrisostome sayth that he is not alonely a traytour to the truth which opeÌ„ly for truth teacheth a lie but he also which doth not freely pronounce and shewe the trueth that he knoweth These sentences moste redoubted Kyng when I read nowe of late and marked them earnestlye in the inward partes of mine hart they made me sore afrayd troubled and vexed me grieuously in my conscience and at the last droue me to this strayt that either I must shewe forth such thinges as I haue read and learned in Scripture or elles to be of the sort that prouoke the wrath of GOD vpon them and be traitors vnto the trueth the which thing rather then it shoulde happen I had rather suffer extreme punishment For what other thing is it to bee a Traytour vnto the trueth then to be a Traytour and a Iudas vnto Christe which is the very truth and cause of all trueth the whiche sayth that whosoeuer denyeth him here before men he wil deny him before his father in heauen The which denying ought more to be feared and dread then the losse of al temporall goodes honour promotion fame prison sclaunder hurtes banishmentes and all manner of tormentes and crueltyes yea and death it selfe bee it neuer so shamefull and paynefull But alas how litle do meÌ„ regard those sharpe sayinges of these two holy men and how litle doe they feare the terrible iudgemente of almightye God and specially they which boast themselues to be guides and capitaynes vnto other and chalenging vnto themselues the knowledge of holy Scripture yet will neither shewe the trueth themselues as they be bounde neither suffer them that would So that vnto theÌ„ may be sayd that which our sauior Christ said to the Phariseis Math. 23. Wo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis which shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men and neither will you enter in your selues neither suffer them that would to enter in And they will as much as in them lyeth debarre not onely the word of God whyche Dauid calleth a light to direct and shew euery man how to order his affections and lustes according to the Commaundementes of God but also by theyr subtle wylinesse they instruct moue and prouoke in a maner all Kinges in christendome to ayde succour and helpe them in thys theyr mischiefe and especially in this your Realme they haue sore blynded your Liege people and Subiectes wyth their Lawes Customes Ceremonyes and Banbery Glofes and punished them wyth Cursynges Excommunications and other corruptions corrections I woulde say and now at the last when they see that they cannot preuayle agaynst the open trueth which the more is persecuted the more it increaseth by their tiranny they haue made it Treason to your noble Grace to haue the Scripture in English Here I beseech your Grace to pardon me a while and paciently to heare me a worde or two yea and thoughe it be so that as concerning your high Maiesty and regall power whereunto almightye God hath called your Grace there is as great difference betweene you and mee as betwene God and man For you be here to me and to al your subiectes in Gods sted to defend ayde and succour vs in our right and so I should tremble and quake to speake to your grace But agayne as concerning that you be a mortall man in daunger of sinne hauing in you the corrupte nature of Adam in the which al we be both conceiued and borne so haue you no lesse need of the merites of Christes passion for your saluation then I and other of your subiectes haue whiche be all members of the misticall bodye of christ And though you be an
appoint the same to Rome that there and no where els is the foundation of Christes churche But I am fully perswaded that Christes church is euery where founded in euery place where his Gospell is truly receaued effectually followed And in that the churche of God is in doubte I vse here in the wise counsayle of Vyncentinus Lyranensis whō I am sure you will allow who geuing preceptes howe the catholicke churche maye be in all schismes and heresies knowne writeth in thys maner When sayth he one parte is corrupted with heresyes then preferre the whole worlde before that one part but if the greatest parte bee infected then preferre antyquitie In like sort now when I perceaue the greatest parte of Christianitie to be infected with the poyson of the sea of Rome I repayre to the vsage of the primitiue church which I finde cleane contrary to the Popes decrees as in that the Priest receaueth alone that it is made vnlawfull to to the Laitye to receaue in both kindes and such lyke Wherefore it requireth that I preferre the antiquitie of the primatiue church before the nouelty of the Romysh church Lincol. Mayster Ridley these faults which you charge the Sea of Rome withall are in deede no faultes For first it was neuer forbid the Laitie but that they myghte if they demaunded receaue vnder bothe kyndes You know also that Chryst after hys resurrection at what tyme he went wyth hys Apostles to Galile opened hym selfe by breaking of bread You know that saynct Paule after hys longe sayling towardes Rome brake breade and that the Apostles came together in breakyng of bread whiche declareth that it is not vnlawfull to minister the Sacrament vnder the forme of breade onely and yet the churche hadde iust occasion to decree that the laytye shoulde receaue in one kinde onely thereby to take away an opinion of the vnlearned that Chryst was not wholy both flesh and bloud vnder the forme of bread Therfore to take away theyr opinion and to establishe better the peoples faythe the holy Ghost in the churche thoughte good to decree that the Laitie woulde receaue onelye in one kynde and it is no newes for the Church vppon iust consideration to alter rites and ceremonies For you read in the Actes of the Apostles that saynct Paule writyng to certayne of the Gentiles whiche had receaued the Gospel biddeth them to abstayne a suffogato sanguine from thynges stifled and from bloud so that this seemeth to bee an expresse commaundement yet who will saye but that it is lawfull to eate bloudings how is it lawfull but by theyr permission of the Church Ridly My Lord such thinges as saynct Paule enioyned to the Gentiles for a sufferaunce by a little and little to win the Iewes to Christ were onely commandementes of tyme and respected not the successours but Chrystes commaundement do this that is that which he dyd in remembraunce which was not to minister in one kind onely was not a commaundement for a tyme but to perseuer to the worldes end But the Bishop of Lincolne not attending to this answere without any stay proceeded in his Oration So that the Churche seemeth to haue authoritie by the holy Ghost whome Christ sayd he woulde send after hys ascension whiche should teache the Apostles all truthe to haue power and iurisdiction to alter suche poyntes of the Scripture euer reseruing the foundation but wee came not as I sayd before in this sort to reason the matter wyth you but haue certayne instructions ministred vnto vs according to the tenour of the whiche wee must proceede proposing certayne articles vnto the which we require your aunswere directly eyther affirmatiuely eyther negatiuely to euery of them eyther denying them either graunting them without farther disputations or reasoning for we haue already stretched our instructions in that wee suffered you to debate and reason the matter in such sort as wee haue done the whiche articles you shall heare now and to morrow at eyght of the clocke in saynct Maryes Churche we will require and take youre aunsweres and then according to the same proceede if you require a copy of them you shall haue it pen inke and paper also all such bookes as you shall demaunde if they be to be gotten in the Uniuersitie The Articles IN dei nomine Amen Nos Iohannes Lincolne Iacobus Glocest Iohannes Bristol Episcopi per reuerendis dominum Reginaldum miseratione diuina S. Mariae in Cosmedin c. 1 We doe obiecte to the Nic. Ridley and to thee Hughe Latimer ioyntly and seuerally first that thou Nicholas Ridley in this high Uniuersitie of Oxford Anno. 1554. in the monthes of Aprill May Iune Iulye or in some one or moe of thē hast affirmed and openly defended maintayned and in many other tymes and places besides that the true and naturall body of Christe after the consecration of the priest is not really present in the sacrament of the altar 2. Item that in the yeare and monthes aforesayde thou hast publickely affirmed and defended that in the Sacrament of the altar remayneth still the substaunce of breade and wine 3. Item that in the sayde yeare and monthes thou hast openly affirmed and obstinately mayntayned that in the Masse is no propiciatory Sacrifice for the quicke and the dead 4. Item that in the yeare place and monthes aforesayd these thy foresayd assertions solemnly haue bene condemned by the scholasticall censure of this schoole as hereticall and contrarye to the Catholicke fayth by the worshipful M. Doctor Weston Prolocutour then of the conuocation house as also by other learned men of bothe the Uniuersities 5. Item that all and singular the premisses be true notorious famous and openly knowne by publicke fame as well to them neare hand as also to them in distaunt places farre of Examination vppon the sayd Articles ALl these articles I thought good here to place together that as often as hereafter rehearsall shall be of any of them the reader may haue recourse hether and peruse the same and not to trouble the storye with seuerall repeticions thereof Lincolne After these Articles were read the Bishoppes tooke counsayle togethers At the last the Bishop of Lincolne sayde these are the very same Articles whiche you in open disputation here in the Uniuersitie did mayntayn and defend What say you vnto the first I praye you aunswere affirmatiuely or negatiuely Ridly Why my Lorde I supposed your gentlenes had bene such that you would haue geuen me space vntyll to morow that vpon good aduisement I might bring a determinate aunswere Lincoln Yea M. Ridley I meane not that youre aunsweres nowe shall be preiudiciall to your aunsweres to morow I will take your aunsweres at this tyme and yet notwithstāding it shal be lawfull to you to adde diminish alter and chaunge of these answeres to morow what you will Ridly In deede in like maner at our laste disputations I hadde many thinges promised and fewe performed It was sayde
Article and required an aunswere and M. Ridley referred him to his aunswere in wryting exhybited now and also before at the time of disputation and like aunsweres were taken to all the residue of the Articles These aunsweres in maner rehearsed taken and penned of the Notaries the Byshop of Glocester began an exhortation to moue M. Ridley to turne Glo. If you would once empty your stomacke captiuate your senses subdue your reason and to gether with vs consider what a feeble ground of your religion you haue I doe not doubt but you might easely be perduced to acknowledge one Churche with vs to confesse one fayth with vs and to beleue one religion with vs. For what a weake and feeble stay in religion is this I pray you Latimer leaneth to Cranmer Cranmer to Ridley Ridley to the singularitie of his owne witte so that if you ouerthrowe the singularitie of Ridleyes wit then must needes the Religion of Cranmer and Latimer fall also You remember well M. Ridley that the Prophet speaketh most truely saying vae vae wo wo be to them which are singular and wise in their owne conceytes But you wyll saye here it is true that the Prophete sayth but how know you that I am wyse in myne owne conceyte Yes Maister Ridley you refuse the determination of the Catholike Churche you muste needes bee singular and wyse in your owne conceyte for you bryng Scripture for the probation of your assertions and wee also bryng Scriptures you vnderstande them in one sense and wee in an other Howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne interpretation then you are singular in your owne conceyte but if you say you wyll followe the myndes of the Doctors and auncient Fathers semblably you vnderstande them in one meanyng and wee take them in another howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne iudgement then are you singular in your owne conceyte then can you not auoyde the vae and woe which the Prophete speaketh of Wherfore if you haue no stay but the Catholike church in matters of controuersie except you wyll rest vpon the singularitie and wysedome of your owne brayne if the Prophet most truely sayth vae vae wo wo be to them that are wyse in their owne conceite then for Gods loue M. Ridley stand not singular be not you wyse in your owne conceite please not your selfe ouermuch Howe were the Arrians the Manicheis the FutichiaÌ„s with other diuers Heretickes which haue bene in the Church how I pray you were they suppressed and conuinced by reasonyng in disputations No truly the Arrians had mo places of Scriptures for the confirmation of their heresie then the Catholickes for the defence of the trueth Howe then were they conuinced onely by the termination of the Church And in deede except we do constitute the Churche our foundation stay and iudge we can haue no ende of controuersies no ende of disputations For in that we all bryng Scriptures and Doctors for the probation of our assertions who shoulde be Iudge of this our controuersie If we our selues then be we singular and wise in our owne conceites then can not we auoyde the woe that the Prophet speaketh of It remayneth therefore that we submitte our selues to the determination and arbitrement of the Churche with whom God promised to remayne to the worldes ende to whom he promised to sende the holy Ghost which shoulde teache it the trueth Wherefore M. Ridley if you will auoyd the wo that the prophet speaketh of be not you wyse in your iudgement if you wyll not be wyse and singular in your owne iudgement captiuate your owne vnderstanding subdue your reason and submit your selfe to the determination of the Church This is briefly the summe of the Oration of the Byshop of Glocester by the which he endeuored in many mo woordes amplyfiyng and enlargyng the matter eloquently with sundry poyntes of Rethoricke to moue affections to perswade Maister Ridley to recant and forsake his Religion To whom M. Ridley aunswered in few wordes that he sayd most truly with the Prophet wo be to him which is wyse in his owe conceite but that he acknowledged no suche singularitie in hym ne knewe any cause why he shoulde attribute so muche to him selfe And where as he sayde Maister Cranmer leaned to hym that was moste vntrue in that he was but a young Scholer in comparison of Maister Cranmer for at what tyme he was a young Scholer then Maister Cranmer a Doctor so that he conâ—essed that M. Cranmer might haue ben his Scholemaister these many yeares It seemed that he woulde haue spoken more but the Bishop of Glocester interrupted hym saying Glo. Why M. Ridley it is your owne confession for M. Latimer at the time of his disputations confessed his learnyng to lye in M. Cranmers bookes and M. Cranmer also sayd that it was your doyng Linc. Likewyse the Byshoppe of Lincolne with many woordes and gentle holding his Cappe in hand desyred him to turne But M. Ridley made an absolute aunswere that he was fully perswaded the Religion whiche he defended to be grounded vpon Gods worde and therefore without great offence towardes God great peryll and damage of his soule he coulde not forsake his Maister and Lorde God but desired the Byshop to performe his graunt in that his Lordshyp sayde the day before that he shoulde haue licence to shewe his cause why he coulde not with a salfe conscience admitte the authoritye of the Pope but the Byshop of Lincolne sayde that where as then he had demaunded licence to speake three woordes he was contented then that he shoulde speake .xl. and that graunt he would performe Then stepped forth D. Weston which sate by and sayd why my Lord he hath spoken foure hundred already M. Ridley confessed he had but they were not of his prescribed number neither of that matter The Bishop of Lincolne bad him take his licence but he shoulde speake but .xl. and he would tell them vpon his fingers and eftsoones M. Ridley began to speake but before he had ended halfe a sentence the Doctours sittyng by cryed and sayd that his number was out and with that he was put to silence After this the Bishop of Lincolne which sat in the middes began to speake as foloweth Linc. Now I perceiue M. Ridley you will not permit ne suffer vs to stay in that point of our Commission which we most desired for I ensure you there is neuer a worde in our Commission more true then dolentes gementes For in deede I for my part I take God to witnesse am sory for you Whereunto M. Ridley aunswered Rid. I beleue it well my Lord for as much as one day it will be burdenous to your soule Linc. Nay not so M. Ridley but because I am sory to see suche stubbornesse in you that by no meanes you may be perswaded to acknowledge your errours and receiue
dignitie honour and estimation so necessary members sometime accounted so many godly vertues the study of so many yeares such excellent learnyng to be put into the fire and consumed in one moment Wel dead they are and the reward of this world they haue already What reward remayneth for them in heauen the day of the Lordes glory when he commeth with his saints shall shortly I trust declare Albeit I haue differred and put ouer many treatises letters exhortations belongyng to the story of the Martyrs vnto the latter appendix in the ende of this volume thinkyng also to haue done the lyke with these farewels exhortations followyng of D. Ridley yet for certain purposes moouing me thereunto and especially consideryng the fruitfull admonitions wholesome doctrine and necessary exhortations conteyned in the same I thought best here to bestow and consequently to adioyne the sayd tractations of that learned pastour with the lyfe and story of the authour Whereof the two first be in a manner of hys farewels the one to his kinsfolks and generally to all the faithfull of the number of Christes congregation the other more speciall to the prisoners and banished ChristiaÌ„s in the gospels cause the third containeth a fruitfull and a generall admonition to the citie of London and to all other with necessary precepts of christian office as by the tenour of them here followeth in order to be seene ¶ A treatise or a letter written by D. Ridley in steade of his last farewell to all hys true and faythfull friendes in God with a sharpe admonition withall vnto the Papistes AT the name of Iesus let euery knee bow both of thynges in heauen and thynges in earth and things vnder the earth and let euery tongue confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the Father Amen As a man mynding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commonly and naturally hath a desire to bidde his frendes farewell before his departure so lykewise now I looking daylye when I should be cauled to depart hence from you O all ye my dearely beloued brethren sisters in our Sauiour Christ that dwell here in this worlde hauing a lyke mynde towardes you all and blessed be God for such tyme and leasure whereof I right hartely thanke his heauenly goodnesse to byd you all my deare brethren sisters I saye in Christ that dwell vpon the earth after such maner as I can Farewell Farewell my deare brother George Shipside whom I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louyng in all sâ—ate and conditions and now in the tyme of my crosse ouer al other to me most frendly and stedfast and that which lyked me best ouer all other thynges in Gods cause euer hartye Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am glad to heare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse which is layd now blessed be God both on thy backe and myne in good part Thanke thou God that hath geuen thee a godly and louyng husband see thou honour hym and obey hym accordyng to Gods law Honour thy mother in law hys mother and loue all those that pertaine vnto him beyng redy to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy children I doubt not of thy husband but that hee which hath geuen him an hart to loue and feare God and in God them that pertaine vnto him shall also make hym friendly and beneficiall vnto thy children euen as if they had bene gotten of his owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Ridley of the Waltoun and you my gentle and louing sister Elizabeth whom besides the naturall league of amitie your tender loue which you were sayde euer to beare towardes mee aboue the rest of your brethren doth bynde mee to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this your louyng affection and to haue acquited it with deedes and not with wordes alone Your daughter Elizabeth I bid farewell whome I loue for the meeke and gentle spirite that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the sight of God Farewell my beloued sister of Unthanke with al your children nephewes and neeces Since the departing of my brother Hugh my mynd was to haue bene vnto them in stead of their father but the Lord God must and wyll bee their father if they will loue hym and feare hym and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewel my welbeloued and worshipful Cosins M. Nich. Ridley of Willimountswike and your wyfe and I thanke you for all your kindnes shewed both to me and also to all your owne kinsfolke and myne Good Cosine as God hath set you in our stocke and kindered not for any respect of your person but of hys aboundaunt grace and goodnesse to be as it were the belweather to order conduct the rest and hath also endued you with hys manifold gyfts of grace both heauenly and worldly aboue others so I pray you good Cosin as my trust and hope is in you continue and encrease in the maintenaunce of the truth honesty righteousnesse and all true godlinesse and to the vttermost of your power to withstand falshoode vntruth vnrighteousnesse and all vngodlinesses whiche is forbidden and condemned by the worde and Lawes of God Farewell my young Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was very short with mee My mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caught in that litle time a losse but I trust it shall bee recompensed as it shall please almighty God Farewel all my whole kinred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lord which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that according to my harts desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you to haue brought with me aboundance of Christes blessed Gospell according to the duetie of that office and ministerie whereunto among you I was chosen named and appointed by the mouth of that our late peerelesse Prince K. Edward and so also denounced openly in his Court by his priuy Counsaile I warne you all my welbeloued kinsfolke countrymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thinke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my lyfe and therefore I thanke my Lord God hartily for it that it hath pleased him to call me of his great mercy vnto this high honour to suffer death willingly for his sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he hath called the holy Prophetes and dearely beloued Apostles and his blessed chosen Martyrs For know ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and the causes of the truth then I doubt that the Gospell which Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christ or that Paules Epistles are the very word of God And to haue a hart willyng to abide and stand in
haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasure away I may well complayne on these thyngs and cry out vpon them with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in haereditatem tuam c. Psal. 72. O Lord God the Gentiles Heathen nations are come into thy heritage They haue defiled thy holy Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is They haue broken beaten down to the ground thy holy Citie This Heathenish generatiō these thieues of Samaria these Sabei and Chaldei these robbers haue rushed out of their dennes and haue robbed the Church of England of all the foresayd holy treasure of God they haue caried it away and ouerthrown it and in stead of Gods holy worde the true and right administration of Christes holy Sacramentes as of Baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministerie with mens foolish fantasies and many wicked and vngodly traditions withall In stead of the Lordes holy Table they geue the people with much solemne disguising a thyng which they cal their Masse but in deed and in truth it is a very masking and mockerie of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a crafty iuglyng whereby these false theeues iuglers haue bewitched the myndes of the simple people that they haue broght them from the true worship of god vnto pernicious idolatry and make them to beleeue that to be Christ our Lord and Sauiour which in deed is neither God nor man nor hath any lyfe in it selfe but in substance is the creature of bread and wyne and in vse of the Lordes Table is the Sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud and for this holy vse for the whiche the Lord hath ordained them in hys table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs and his bloude there shed it pleased him to call them his body bloud whiche vnderstanding Christ declareth to be his true meanyng when he sayth Do this in the remembraunce of me And agayne Saint Paule likewyse doth set out the same more plainly speaking of the same Sacrament after the words of the consecration saieng As often as ye shall eat of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall set forth he meaneth with the same the Lordes death vntill his commyng agayne And here agayne these thieues haue robbed also the people of the Lordes cup contrary to the plaine words of Christ written in his Gospell Nowe for the common publike prayers whiche were in the vulgare tongue these theeues haue brought in agayne a strange tongue whereof the people vnderstande not one worde Wherein what doe they els but robbe the people of their Diuine seruice wherein they ought to pray together with the minister and to pray in a strange tong what is it but as Saint Paule calleth it barbarousnesse childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godly Articles of vnitie in religion for the wholesome Homelies what doe these Thieues place in the stead of them but the Popes Lawes and Decrees lying Legends fayned fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitie of the rude people Thus this robbery and theft is not onely committed nay sacriledge and wicked spoyle of heauenly thyngs but also in the stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolation of the tyrant Antiochus of proud Senacherib of the shamelesse faced kyng and of the Babilonicall beast Unto this robbery this theft and sacrilege for that I cannot cōsent nor God willyng neuer shall so long as the breath is in my body because it is blasphemy agaynst God hygh treason vnto Christ our heauenly kyng Lord Maister our onely Sauiour and redeemer it is playne contrary to Gods word and to Christes Gospell it is the subuersion of all true godlinesse and agaynst the euerlastyng saluation of myne owne soule and of all my brethren and sisters whom Christ my Sauiour hath so dearely bought wyth no lesse price then with the effusion and shedyng foorth of hys most precious bloud Therfore all ye my true louers in God my kinsfolke and countreymen for this cause I say knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shall willingly take with hearty thankes to God therefore in certayne hope without any doubtyng to receyue at Gods hande agayne of his free mercy and grace euerlastyng lyfe Although the cause of the true man slayne of the thiefe helpyng hys neighbour to recouer hys goods agayne and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generality is both one as I sayd before yet know ye that there is no small difference These thieues agaynst whom I do stand are much worse then the robbers and thieues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious and their kynds of fight are far diuers These thieues are worse I say for they are more cruell more wycked more false more deceitfull and crafty for those wyll but kill the body but these will not sticke to kill both body and soule Those for the generall theft and robbery be called are in deed theeues and robbers but these for their spirituall kynd of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would say Church robbers They are more wicked for those goe about to spoyle men of worldly thynges worldly riches gold and siluer worldly substance these go about in the wayes of the deuill their ghostly father to steale from the vniuersall Church and perticularly from euery man all heauenly treasure true faith true charity hope of saluation in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ yea to spoil vs of our sauior Iesus Christ of his gospel of his heauēly spirit of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauē so derely purchased vnto vs with the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ. These be the goodes and godly substance whereupon the christian before God must liue and without the which he cannot lyue These goods I saye these theeues these Church robbers go about to spoile vs of The which goods as to the man of God they excell and farre passe all worldly treasure so to withstand euen vnto the death such theeues as go about to spoyle both vs the whole Church of such goods is most high and honourable seruice done vnto God These church robbers be also much more false crafty and deceitfull then the theeues vpon the borders for these haue not the craft so to commend their theft that they dare auouch it and therefore as acknowledging themselues to be euill they steale commonly vpon the nyght they dare not appeare at iudgements and Sessions where Iustice is executed and when they are taken and brought thether they neuer hang any man but they bee oft tymes hanged for theyr faults But these Church robbers can so cloke colour their spiritual robbery that they can make the people to beleeue falshood to be truth and truth falshood good
you as good authoritye agaynst me in my cause now as Ireneus had agaynst those heretickes But the church of Rome hath swarued from the truth and simplicitye of the Gospell whiche it mainteined in Ireneus time and was vncorrupted from that whiche it is nowe wherefore your Lordships can not iustly apply the authority of Ireneus to the Church of Rome now which is so manifestly corrupted from the Primitiue Church Boner So will you saye still it maketh nothinge for the purpose whatsoeuer authority wee bring and will neuer be satisfied Phil. My Lorde when I doe by iust reason proue that the authorities which be brought agaynst me doe not make to the purpose as I haue alredy proued I trust you will receiue mine aunswere Worc. It is to be prooued most manifestly by all auncient writers that the Sea of Rome hath alwayes folowed the truth and neuer was deceiued vntill of late certayne heretickes had defaced the same Phil. Let that be proued and I haue done Worcest Nay you are of suche arrogancy singularitye and vayne glory that you will not see it be it neuer so wel proued Phil. Ha my Lordes is it nowe time thinke you for me to folow singularity or vayne glory since it is now vpon daunger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come and I know if I dye not in the true fayth I shall dye euerlastingly and agayne I knowe if I do not as you would haue me you will kill me and many thousandes moe yet had I leuer perish at your handes then to perishe eternally And at this time I haue lost all my coÌ„modities of this worlde and now lye in a colehouse where a man would not lay a dog with the whiche I am well contented Cole Where are you able to prooue that the Churche of Rome hath erred at any time and by what Historye certayne it is by Eusebius that the Church was stablished at Rome by Peter and Paul and that Peter was bishop 25. yeares at Rome Phil. I know well that Eusebius so writeth but if we coÌ„pare that which saynt Paul writeth to the Galathians the first it will manifestlye appeare the contrarye that he was not halfe so long there He liued not past 35. yeres after he was called to be an Apostle and Paul maketh mention of his abiding at Hierusalem after Christes death more then 18. yeares Cole What did Peter write to the Galathians Phil. No I say Paule maketh mention of Peter writing to the Galathians and of his abiding at Hierusalem And further I am able to proue both by Eusebius other Historiographers that the church of Rome hath manifestly erred and at this present doth erre because shee agreeth not with that which they wrote The primitiue Church didde vse according to the Gospell and there needeth none other proofe but compare the one with the other Bon. I may compare this man to a certayne man I reade of which fell into a desperation weÌ„t into a wood to hang himselfe and wheÌ„ he came there he went vewing of euery tree and could find none on the which he might vouchsafe to hange himselfe But I will not apply it as I mighte I pray you M. Doctor go forth with him Cole My Lord there be on euery side on me that be better able to answere him and I loue not to fall in disputation for that now a daies a man shal not but susteine shame and obloquy thereby of the people I had leuer shewe my mind in writing Phil. And I had leuer that you should do so then otherwise for then a man may better iudge of your words then by argument and I beseeche you so to do But if I were a rich man I durst wager an hundred pouÌ„des that you shal not be able to shew that you haue sayde to be decreed by a generall Counsell in Athanasius time For this I am sure of that it was concluded by a generall Councell in Africa many yeares after that none of Africa vnder payne of excommunication should appeale to Rome the which Decree I am sure they woulde not haue made if by the scriptures by an vniuersall Councell it had bene decreed that al meÌ„ should abide folow the determination of the churche at Rome Cole But I can shew that they reuoked that error again Phil. So you say M. Doctour but I pray you shewe me where I haue hitherto heard nothing of you for my conteÌ„tation but bare wordes without any authority Boner What I pray you ought we to dispute with you of our fayth Iustinian in the law hath a title De fide Catholica to the contrary Phil. I am certayne the Ciuill lawe hath such a constitution but our fayth must not depend vpon the ciuil law For as saynt Ambrose sayth Non lex sed fides congregauit Ecclesiam Not the lawe but the Gospell sayth hee hath gathered the church together Worcest M. Philpot you haue the spirit of pride wherewith ye be led which will not let you to yelde to the truth leaue it for shame Phil. Syr I am sure I haue the spirite of fayth by the which I speake at this present neyther am I ashamed to stand in my fayth Glocest. What do you thinke your selfe better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Phil. Elias alone had the truth when they were foure huÌ„dreth priestes agaynst him Worcest Oh you would be counted now for Helias And yet I tel thee he was deceiued for he thoght there had bene none good but himselfe and yet he was deceiued for there were seuen hundred besides him Phil. Yea but he was not deceiued in doctrine as the other seuen hundred were Worcest By my fayth you are greatly to blame that you can not be conteÌ„t to be of the Church which euer hath â—en of that faythfull antiquity Phil. My Lord I know Rome and haue bene there wher I saw your Lordship Worcest In deede I did flee from hence thither and I remember not that I saw you there But I am sory that you haue bene there for the wickednesse which you haue seene there peraduenture causeth you to do as you do Phil. No my Lord I doe not as I do for that cause for I am taught otherwise by the Gospell not altogether to refuse the minister for his euill liuing so that he bring sound doctrine out of Gods booke Worc. Doe you thinke that the vniuersall Church may be deceiued Phil. S. Paul to the Thessalonians prophesieth that there should come an vniuersall departing from the faith in the latter dayes before the coÌ„ming of Christ saying Non veniet Christus nisi venerit defectio prius that is Christ shal not come till there come a departing fyrst Cole Yea I pray you how take you the departyng there in S. Paule It is not meant of fayth but of the departing from the Empyre For it is in
it hath bene frō the beginning from time to tyme as it appereth by stories as Christes true religion is now to be found here in Englād although hypocrisie hath by violence the vpper hād And in the Apocalyps you may see it was prophesied that the true Church should be driuen into corners and into wildernes and suffer great persecution Morgan A are you seene in the Apocalyps there are many strange thyngs Phil. If I tel you the truth which you are not able to refel beleeue it dally not out so earnest matters Me thinke you are liker a scoffer in a play then a reasonable doctor to instruct a man you are bare arsed dance naked in a net and yet you see not your owne nakednes Morgan What I pray you be not so quicke with me Let vs talke a little more coldly together Philpot. I will talke with you as mildely as you can desire if you wil speake learnedly and charitably But if you go about with taunts to delude truth I will not hyde it from you Morgan Why will you not submit your iudgement to the learned men of this Realme Phil. Because I see they can bring no good ground whereupon I may with a good conscience settle my fayth more surely then on that which I am now grounded vppon by Gods manifest word Morgan No do that is maruell that so many learned men should be deceyued Phil. It is no maruell by S. Paule for he sayeth That not many wyse neither many learned after the world bee called to the knowledge of the Gospell Morgan Haue you then alone the spirite of God and not we Phil. I say not that I alone haue the spirite of God but as many as abide in the true faith of Christ haue the spirit of God as well as I. Morgan Howe knowe you that you haue the Spirite of God Phil. By the fayth of Christ which is in me Morgan A by faith do you so I ween it be the spirit of the buttry which your fellowes haue had that haue ben burned before you who were dronk the night before they wēt to their death and I weene went dronken vnto it Phil. It appeareth by your communication that you are better acquainted with the spirit of the Buttry then with the spirit of God Wherefore I must now tell thee thou painted wall hypocrite in the name of the liuing Lord whose truth I haue told thee that God shal raine fire and brimstone vpon such scorners of his worde and blasphemers of his people as thou art Morgan What you rage now Phil. Thy foolish blasphemies hath compelled the spirit of God which is in me to speake that which I haue said vnto thee thou enemy of all righteousnes Morgan Why do you iudge me so Phil. By thine owne wicked words I iudge of thee thou blynd and blasphemous Doctour for as it is written By thy words thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned I haue spoken on Gods behalfe now haue I done with thee Morgan Why then I tel thee Philpot that thou art an heretike and shalt be burnt for thine heresy and afterwards go to hell fire Phil. I tel thee thou hypocrite that I passe not this for thy fire and fagots neither I thanke God my Lord stande in feare of the same my faith in Christ shall ouercome thē But the hel fire which thou threatnest me is thy portion and is prepared for thee vnlesse thou spedily repent and for such hypocrites as thou art Morgan What thou speakest vpon wyne thou hast tipled well to day by likelihood Phil. So said the cursed generation of the Apostles beyng replenished with the holy Ghost speaking the wōdrous works of God they said they were dronk when they had nothing els to say as thou doest now Morgan Why I am able to answer thee ywis I trow Phil. So it seemeth with blasphemies and lyes Morgan Nay euen with learnyng say what thou canst Phil. That appeared well at my disputation in the Conuocation house where thou tookest vpon thee to aunswer those few arguments I was permitted to make and yet wast not able to aunswere one but in thyne aunsweres did fumble and stammer that the whole house was ashamed of thee and the finall conclusion of all thine answers was that thou couldst answer me if I were in the scholes at Oxford Morgan What did I so thou beliest me Phil. I do not belye thee the booke of the report of the disputation beareth record therto and al that were present then can tell if they list thou saydst so And I tell thee playne thou art not able to answer that spirit of truth which speaketh in me for the defence of Christes true Religion I am able by the might therof to driue thee roūd about this gallery before me and if it would please the queenes maiesty and her Councell to heare thee and me I woulde make thee for shame shrinke behinde the doore Morgan Yea would you so Phil. Thou hast the spirite of Illusion and Sophistrye which is not able to counteruaile the spirit of truth Thou art but an Asse in the true vnderstanding of thinges pertayning vnto God I cal thee Asse not in respect of malice but in that thou kickest agaynst the trueth and art voyde of all godly vnderstāding not able to answere to that thou braggest in Morgan Why haue I not answered thee in all things thou hast sayd vnto me I take them to record Phil. Aske of my felow whether I be a theefe Cosins Harke he maketh vs all theeues Phil. You know that phrase of the Prouerbe that like will holde with like And I am sure you will not iudge with me against him speake I neuer so true and in this sense I speake it The strongest answere that he hath made against me is that you will burne me Morgan Why we doe not burne you it is the Temporall men that burne you and not we Phil. Thus you woulde as Pilate dyd washe your handes of all your wicked doinges But I pray you Inuocate seculare brachium call vpon the secular power to be executioners of your vnrighteous iudgementes And haue you not a title in your law De haereticis comburendis for to burne heretickes Harps I haue hearde you both a good while reason together and I neuer hearde so stout an hereticke as you are M. Philpot. Cosins Neither I in all my life Phil. You are not able to proue me an heretick by one iote of Gods word Harps You haue the Spirite of arrogancy I will reason with you no more And so he was departing and M. Cosins also And with that the bishop and Christoforsō came in agayne and sayd Boner Mayster Doctour howe doeth this man and you agree Morgan My Lord I doe aske him where his church was fifty yeares agoe Boner Are you not halfe agreed as one man sayd once to tway parties of whō the one was
then to seeme to haue forsaken her and disalow her by cleauing to her aduersary whereby it appeareth to others which be weake that we allow the same so contrary to the word do geue a great offence to the church of God and do outwardly sclaunder as much as menne may the truth of Christ. But woe be vnto hym by whom any such offence commeth Better it were for him to haue a milstone tyed about his necke and to bee caste into the bottome of the sea Such be traytors to the truth like vnto Iudas who with a kisse betrayed christ Our god is a gelous God and cannot be content that we should be of any other then of that vnspotted church whereof he is the hed onely and wherin he hath planted vs by baptisme Thys gelousy which God hath towards vs will cry for vengeance in the day of vengeance against al such as now haue so large consciences to do that which is contrary to Gods glory and the sinceritie of hys worde excepte they doe in time repent and cleaue vnseperable to the Gospel of christ how much soeuer at this present both men and women otherwise in theyr owne corrupt iudgement do flatter theÌ„selues God willeth vs to iudge vprightly and to allow follow that which is holy and acceptable in hys sight and to abstayne from all maner of euill and therfore Christ coÌ„maundeth vs in the Gospell to beware of the leauen of the Phariseis which is hipocrisie S. Paule to the Hebrues sayth if any man withdraw hymselfe from the fayth his soule shal haue no pleasure in hym therefore he sayth also That we are none suche as doe withdraw our selues into perdition but wee belong vnto sayth for the attaynment of life S. Iohn in the Apocalips telleth vs playnly that none of those who are written in the book of lyfe doe receaue the marke of the beast which is of the Papisticall Sinagogue eyther in theyr foreheades or els in theyr hands that is aparantly or obediently S. Paule to the Philippians affirmeth that wee may not haue any fellowship with the works of darkenes but in the middest of this wicked and froward generation we ought to shyne lyke lightes vpholding the word of truth Further hee sayth that wee may not touch anye vncleane thing Which signifieth that our outward conuersation in forreigne thinges ought to be pure and vndefiled as well as the inward that with a cleane spirite and rectified body we might serue God iustly in holines and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Finally in the 18. of the Apocalips God biddeth vs playnely to depart from this Babilonicall Synagogue not to be partakers of her trespasse S. Paule to the Thessalonians commaundeth vs in the name of the Lorde Iesus Chryst to withdraw our selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately and not according to the institution whych he had receaued of hym Ponder ye therfore well good brethren sisters these scriptures whiche be written for your crudition and reformation wherof one iot is not written in vayne which bee vtterlye agaynste all counterfait illusion to bee vsed of vs with the papysts in theyr phantastical religion and be aduersaryes to all them that haue so light coÌ„sciences in so doing and if they do not agree wyth thys aduersary I meane the word of God which is contrary to theyr atteÌ„pts he will as it is signified in the Gospell deliuer them to the Iudge which is Chryst and the Iudge will declare them to the executioner that is the deuill the deuil shal commit theÌ„ to the horrible prison of hell fire where is the portion of al hypocrites with sulphure and brimstone wyth waylyng gnashyng of teech world wythout ende But yet manye wyll say for theyr vayne excuse God is mercifull and hys mercy is ouer al. But the scripture teacheth vs that cursed is he that sinneth vpon hope of forgeuenes Truth it is that the mercy of God is aboue all his workes yet but vpon such as feare him for so is it written in the Psalmes The mercy of God is on theÌ„ that feare him and on such as put theyr trust in him Wher we may learn that they only put theyr trust in God that feare hym to feare God is to turne from euil and to do that is good So that such as do looke to be partakers of Gods mercy may not abide in that which is known to be manifest euil and detestable in the sight of god An other sort of persons doe make them a cloke for the rayne vnder the pretence of obedience to the Magistrates whome we ought to obey although they bee wicked But such must learne of Christ to geue to Caesar that is Cesars and to God that is due to God and with saint Peter to obey the hyher powers in the Lord albeit they bee euill if they commaund nothing contrary to Gods word otherwise we ought not to obey theyr commaundementes although we shoulde suffer death therefore as wee haue the Apostles for our example herein to follow who aunswered the magistrates as we ought to do in this case not obeying their wicked preceptes saying Iudge you whether it be more righteous that we should obey man rather then God Also Daniell chose rather to be cast into the denne of Lions to be deuoured theÌ„ to obey the kings wicked coÌ„mandements If the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch There is no excuse for the transgression of Gods worde whether a man do it voluntarily or at commaundement although great damnation is to theÌ„ by whom the offence commeth Some other there be that for an extreme refuge in their euil doings do ruÌ„ to gods predestinatioÌ„ electioÌ„ saying that if I be elected of god to saluation I shal be saued whatsoeuer I do But such be great tempters of GOD and abhominable blasphemers of GODS holy election and cast them selues downe from the pinacle of the temple in presumption that God may preserâ—â— them by his aungels through predestination Suche verily may recken themselues to be none of Gods elect children that will doe euill that good may ensue whose damnation is iust as S. Paule sayth Gods predestination and election ought to be with a simple eye coÌ„sidered to make vs more warely to walke in good godly coÌ„uersation according to Gods word not to set cocke in the hoope and put all on Gods backe to do wickedly at large for the elect childreÌ„ of God must walk in righteousnes holynes after that they be once called to true knowledge For so sayth S. Paule to the EphesiaÌ„s That God hath chosen vs before the fouÌ„datioÌ„s of the world were layd that we should be holy blameles in his sight Therfore S. Peter willeth vs through good workes to make our vocation electioÌ„ certaine to our selues which we know not but by the good workyng of
be Pray I beseech you that I may be stil careles in my careful estate as you haue cause to be carelesse in your easier condition Be thaÌ„kful and put away all care and then I shall be ioyfull in my straite present care Commend me to all our brethren and desire them to praye for me that I may ouercome my teÌ„ptations for the deuil rageth against me I am putte in the stockes in a place alone because I would not answer to such articles as they would charge me wtall in a corner at the bishops appoyntment and because I did not come to Masse when the bish sent for me I will sic all the dayes of my life in the stockes by Gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Praise God be ioyfull that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somwhat for his names sake The deuil must rage for 10. daies Commend me to maister F. and thanke him for his lawe bookes but lawe neither equitie wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the parlament house if it might auaile God shorteÌ„ these euil daies I haue answered the bish meetely plaine already and I said to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I wil answer him as plainly as he will require otherwise I haue refused because I feare they will condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of God be with you my dear brother I canne wryte no more for lacke of light and that I haue wrytten I can not reade my selfe and God knoweth it is wrytten farre vneasily I pray God you may picke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Wrytten in a Colehouse of darkenesse oute of a paire of paynefull stockes by thine owne in Christ. Iohn Philpot. An other letter of M. Philpot to certaine godlye women forsaking their owne countrey for the Gospell full of frutefull precepts and lessons for all good women THe spirite of truthe reuealed vnto you my dearely beloued by the Gospell of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe be continually abiding with you and augmented into a perfect building of you into the liuely temple of God through the mighty operation of hys power Amen I reade in the Euangelistes of certaine Godly women that ministred vnto Christ folowing him in the daies of his Passion and neuer forsoke him but being dead in his graue brought oyl to annoynt him vntill that he had shewed himselfe vnto them after his resurrection and bidden them shewe vnto his Disciples which at his Passion were dispearsed and tell them that he was riâ—en and that they shoulde see him in Galile To whome I may iustly compare you my louinge Sisters in Christe who of late haue seene him suffer in his meÌ„bers and haue ministred to theyr necessity annoynting them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since yee haue seene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whome the tyrans haue 〈◊〉 he willeth you to go away vpon iust occasion offred you and to declare to our dispearsed brethren and sisters that he is 〈◊〉 and liueth in his electe members in Englande and by death doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see him in Galile which is by forsaking this world and by a faithful desire to passe out of this world by those waies which he with his holy Martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entire sisters directe your way as he did Abraham Tobias vnto a strange land God geue you health both of body and soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue and grow from strength to strength vntil yee may see face to face the God of Syon in his holy hil with the innumerable companye of hys blessed Martyrs and Saintes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heauen in your hearts Let there be no decrease of any vertue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iuste such as Salomon saith increaseth to the perfect day of the Lord. Let the strength of God be commended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faith and sobrietie to al that ye shal come in company with all Let your godly conuersation speake where your toung may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in praier and coÌ„tinual meditation with reuerent talking of the word of God wythout contention amongst the Saintes Lette your faith shine in a straunge countrey as it hath done in youre owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the ende This farewel I send you not as a thing nedefull which know already what your duety is be desirous to performe the same but as one that would haue you vnderstand that he is mindeful of your godly conuersation wherof he hath had good experieÌ„ce and therfore wryteth this to be as a perpetual memorial betwixt you and him vntil our meeting together before God where we shall ioy that we haue here louingly put one an other in memory of our duetie to performe it Farewell againe mine owne bowels in Christ and take me with you where soeuer you goe and leaue your selues wyth me that in spirite we may be present one with an other Commende me to the whole congregation of Christe willing them not to leaue their countrey without witnesse of the Gospell after that we al be slaine which already be stalled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the meane season to praye earnestly for our coÌ„stancie that Christ may be glorified in vs and in them bothe by life and death Farewel in the Lord. Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. An exhortation to his owne sister constantly to sticke to the truth which she had frutefully professed GOd the eternall Father who hath iustified you by the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ and called you to hallow his name through a good conuersation and profession of life he sanctifie you with daily encrease of vertue faith by his holy spirit that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the middest of this wicked peruerse generation to the laud and praise of the Gospel Amen I haue occasion mine owne deare sister to praise God in you for 2. causes the one that to your habilitie you are ready to shew your self a naturall louing sister to me your poore afflicted brother as by your geÌ„tle tokens you haue eftsoones testified being absent as also presently visiting me which wel declareth that you be a very naturall sister in dede and to be praised in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a sister to me in faith after Christes Gospell I am occasioned to thanke God so muche the more howe much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consanguinitie is more perdurable then that which is of flesh bloud
is a worker of that which is by nature for commonly such as be vngodly be vnnatural only louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth vs. The lyuing Lord which through the incorruptible sede of his worde hath begotten you to be my liege sister geue you grace so to growe in that generation that you may encrease to a perfect age in the Lord to be my sister with Christ for euer Looke therfore that you continue a faythfull sister as you are called and are godly entered not onely to me but to all the Church of Christ yea to Christ himselfe who voucheth you in this your vnfayned fayth worthy to bee his sister Consider this dignitie to surmount all the vayne dignities of the worlde let it accordingly preuayle more with you then all earthly delightes For therby you are called to an equall portion of the euerlasting inheritaunce of Christ if now in no wise you do shew your selfe an vnnaturall sister to him in forsaking him in trouble which I trust you will neuer for no kinde of worldly respect doe You are vnder daungerous temptations to be turned frō that naturall loue you owe vnto Christ and you shal be tryed with Gods people thorough a siue of great afflictiō for so Sathan desireth vs to be sifted that through feare of sharp troubles we might fall from the stablenes of our fayth and so be depriued of that honour ioy and reward which is prepared for such as continue faythfull brothers and sisters in the Lordes couenant to the ende Therfore the wise man in the booke of Ecclesiasticus biddeth them that come to the seruice of the Lorde To prepare them selues to suffer temptations Since then that for the glory of God and our faith we are called now to abide the brunt of them and that when our aduersary hath done all that he can yet wee may be stable and stand this Christ our first begotten brother loketh for at our handes and all our brethren and sisters in heauen desire to see our faith thorough afflictions to be perfecte that we might fulfil their number and the vniuersal church here militant reioyceth at our constancie whom al by the contrary we should make sorie to the daunger of the losse both of body and soule Feare not therfore what soeuer be threatned of the wicked world prepare your back and see it be ready to carye Christes crosse And if you see any vntowardnes in you as the flesh is continually repugnant to the will of God aske with faithfull praier that the good spirit of God may lead your sinful flesh whether it would not for if we will dwell in the flesh and folow the counsell therof we shall neuer doe the will of God neither worke that tendeth to our saluation You are at this present in the confines and borders of Babylon where you are in danger to drink of the whores cup vnles you be vigilant in praier Take hede the Serpent seduce you not frō the simplicitye of your faith as he did our first mother Eue. Let no worldly felowship make you partaker of iniquitie He that toucheth tarre can not but be defiled therby With such as be peruerse a mā shall sone be peruerted with the holy you shal be holy Therfore say continually with the Prophete Dauid Vnto the Saints that be on the earth al my wil is on them You haue bene sanctified and made pure thorough the truth take heede you be not vnholied and vndefiled lest the last be worse then the first I wryte not this because I stand in any doubt of your sincere continuance of the which I haue had so good experience but because the daies be euil and in the same it is the duety of euery one of vs to exhort an other I am bold to put you my good sister in remembrance of that which doth not a litle comfort me to remember in my troubles daily temptations Wherfore I doubt not you will take that in good part which commeth frō your brother both in spirit body who tendreth your saluation as earnestly as his owne that we might ioye together eternally with such ioy as the world shal neuer be able to take from vs. Thankes be vnto God you haue begon to run a good great time wel in the waies of the Lorde run out of the trace to the end which you haue begon then shall you receiue the crown of glory None shal be crouned but such as lawfully striueth Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euil with good the Lorde shall make you one of those faithfull virgines that shal follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth the which Christ graunt both you and me Amen Commend me to all them that loue me in the Lord vnfainedly God encrease our faith and geue vs neuer to be ashamed of his Gospell That same request which I haue made to my brother Thom. I make also to you desiring you by all meanes you can to accōplish my request that my sureties might be satisfied with that is mine owne to the contentation of my minde which can not be quiet vntill they be discharged therefore I pray you help to purchase quietnes that I might depart out of this worlde in peace My dissolution I looke for daily but the Lorde knoweth howe vnworthy I am of so high an honour as to die for the testimony of his truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath don of long imprisonment for the which his name be praised for euer Pray and looke for the comming of the Lorde whose wrath is great ouer vs and I wil pray for you as long as I liue The 9. of Iuly in the kings Bench. Your owne louing brother as well in faith as in body Iohn Philpot. An other Letter of Iohn Philpot to certaine Godly brethren THe grace of God the Father and the peace of our sauiour Iesus Christ his eternall sonne and the consolation of the holy Ghost our comforter strengthen your hearts and cōfort your mindes that you maye reioyce and liue in the truthe of Christes Gospel to the ende Amen I doe much reioyce dearely beloued in the Lord to heare of your cōstant faith in the word of God which you haue so purely receiued which doe not with the wordlings decline frō the purity therof albeit ye suffer grief trouble therby for the which I praise God most hartely and the Lord of all strength who hath begon this good woorke in you make it perfite to the ende as I doubt not but he wil for the faithful zeale ye haue to his truth to his afflicted church Therfore that ye may the better stand and beare the brunte of many temptations which you are like to be assaulted withall in these wicked and stormie daies I thought it good as it is the duety of one christian man to exhort an other in the time of trouble
to dwel in the Lords tabernacle Our Christe and his heauenly companye looke for vs let vs haste and runne thereto for beholde the Lord is ready to embrace vs. Mine owne bowels in the Lorde be merry in the Lorde with your afflicted brother who daily offereth your merciful almes which most vnworthely I do receiue still of you vnto the Lorde But nowe deare mother you neede not to burden so muche your selfe as my last letters did signifie for that my chargeable imprisonment is cut off and a litle nowe serueth me wherefore I praye you sende no more vntill I sende to you for I haue sufficient and abounde Gods peace be with you for euer Out of my Lord of Londons Colehouse the last of October Your owne Iohn Philpot. An other Letter of Maister Philpot to the sayde Ladie wherin partly he complaineth of the dissimulation and periurie of English men falling againe to the Pope and partlye he expresseth his ioy in his afflictions I Cannot but ioy with you my hearty beloued in Christ of the fall of Senacherib since it is to the glory of God and to the consolation of his church to see the fall of theyr enemies before their face according as it is wrytten The iust shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeaunce of the wicked God make this your ioy perfite for as cōcerning my self I counte not to see those good dayes whereof you haue a glimmering in this life For although the Cockatrice be dead yet his pestilent chickens with the whore of Babylon yet liueth But a great hope there is of their shorte confusion because god doth not prosper their doings according to their expectation Most happiest shal he be whome the Lorde shall moste soonest take out of this life that he may not see the plagues which the manifest periurie and the manifolde idolatrie and detestable dissimulation and that of such as do know the truth do threaten to come The Lord is iust all vnrighteousnes displeaseth him either heere or els in an other world he will punish this grosse infidelity of the worlde but his elect and such as he loueth wil he punish here that they should not be condēned heereafter with the world eternally we haue nothing so much to reioyce in as in the crosse of Iesu Christ and in that we are partakers of his afflictions which be the earnest penie of that eternall kingdome which he vppon the crosse for vs hathe purchased For as Paule hys faithfull witnes saith If we suffer with him we shall raigne with him If we die with him we shall liue with him Wherefore mine owne deare bowels praise God with me moste intirely that it hath pleased him now mercifully to visite the sinnes of my youth my huge vnthankfulnes and by the same doth geue me such consolation that he assureth me of his great goodnesse mercy and turneth his fatherly castigation into my crown of glory O good God what am I on whome he should shew this great mercy To him that is immortal inuisible and onely wise be all honor praise and glory therfore Amen This is the day that the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in the same This is the way though it be narrow which is ful of the peace of God leadeth to eternal blisse O how my heart leapeth for ioy that I am so neare the apprehēsion therof God forgiue me mine vnthākfulnes and vnworthines of so great glory The swordes whyche pearced Maries hart in the passion of our Sauiour whych daily also go through your faithful hart be more glorious and to be desired then the golden Scepters of this world O blessed be they that mourne in this world to Godwarde for they shall eternally be comforted God make my stony heart to mourne more then it doth I haue so muche ioy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darknes mourning yet I cā not lament but both night day am so ioyfull as though I were vnder no Crosse at all yea in all the dayes of my life I was neuer so merry the name of the Lorde be praised therfore for euer euer and he pardon mine vnthankfulnes Our enemies do freat fume and gnash their teeth to see and heare that we vnder this grieuous affliction in the world can be so mery We are of them counted as desperate persones for the certaine hope feeling which we haue of our euerlasting saluation and it is no maruell for the worldly man can not perceiue the things of God it is meere foolishnesse and abhomination to them Be thankefull vnto our God mine owne deare helper for his wonderous working in his chosen people Praye instantly that this ioy be neuer taken from vs for it passeth all the delightes of this worlde This is the peace of God which surmounteth all vnderstanding this peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feele therfore can not faint neither for fire neither for water Lette vs pray for our weake brethren sisters sake that it may please God to alleuiate the greeuous and intollerable burden of these cruel daies But touching our selues let vs hartily besech our sauiour to vouchsafe to geue vs this glorious gifte to suffer for hys Gospels sake and that we may thincke the shame of the world to be our glory as it is in deede God increase our faith and open our eyes to beholde what is prepared for vs. I lack nothing praise be to God I trust my marriage garment is ready I will send you my examinations as soone as I can get them wrytten if you be desirous of them God of his mercy fill your mercifull heart with all ioy and consolation of the hope to come Out of the colehouse the 19. of Nouember Your owne louer Iohn Philpot. A Letter of M. Philpot to a frende of his prisoner the same time in Newgate wherein is debated and discussed the matter or question of Infants to be baptised THe God of all lighte and vnderstanding lighten your heart wyth all true knowledge of his word and make you perfect to the day of our Lorde Iesus Christ wherevnto you are nowe called through the mighty operation of his holy spirite Amen I receiued yesternight from you deare brother S. and felow prisoner for the truth of Christes Gospell a Letter wherein you gently require my iudgement cōcerning the Baptisme of infantes which is the effect thereof And before I doe shewe you what I haue learned out of Gods word of his true infallible church touchyng the same I thinke it not out of the matter first to declare what vision I had the same night whiles musing on your letter I fell a sleepe knowing that God doth not without cause reueale to his people who haue their mynds fixed on him speciall and spirituall reuelations to their comfort as a tast of their ioy and kingdome
to come which fleshe and bloud can not comprehend Being in the middest of my sweete rest it seemed me to see a great beautifull Citie all of the colour of Azure and white foure square in a marueilous beautifull composition in the middest of the skie the sight whereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to expresse the consolation I had thereof yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my hart to leape for ioy and as charitie is no churle but would others to bee pertakers of his delight so mee thought I called to others I cannot tel whom whiles they came and we together beheld the same by and by to my great griefe it vaded away This dreame I thinke not to haue come of the illusion of the senses because it brought with it so much spirituall ioy and I take it to be of the workyng of Gods spirite for the contentation of your request as he wrought in Peter to satisfy Cornelius Therfore I interprete this beautifull Citie to be the glorious Church of Christ and the appearance of it in the skie signifieth the heauenly state thereof whose conuersation is in heauē and that according to the Primitiue Church which is now in heauen men ought to measure and iudge the church of Christ now in earth for as the Prophet Dauid sayth The foundations thereof be in the holy hils and glorious thyngs be spoken of the city of God And the maruelous quadrature of the same I take to signifie the vniuersal agreement in the same and that all the Church here militant ought to consent to the Primitiue Church throughout the foure parts of the worlde as the Prophete affirmeth saying God maketh vs to dwell after one maner in one house And that I conceyued so wonderfull ioy at the contemplation therof I vnderstand the vnspeakeable ioy which they haue that bee at vnitie wyth Christes Primitiue Church For there is ioy in the holye Ghost and peace which passeth all vnderstanding as it is written in the Psalmes As of ioyful persons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee And that I called others to the fruition of this vision and to behold this wonderfull city I conster it by the will of God this vision to haue come vppon me musing on your letter to the ende that vnder this figure I might haue occasion to mooue you with many others to behold the Primatiue church in all your opinions concernyng fayth and to conforme your selfe in all poynts to the same which is the piller and stablishment of truth and teacheth the true vse of the sacraments and hauyng with a greater fulnesse then we haue now the first fruits of the holy Ghost did declare the true interpretatiō of the scriptures accordyng to all veritie euen as our Sauiour promised to send them an other comforter whiche should teach them all truth And since all truth was taught reuealed to the Primitiue church which is our mother let vs all that be obedient children of God submit our selues to the iudgement of the Church for the better vnderstanding of the Articles of our faith and of the doubtful sentences of the scripture Let vs not go about to shew in vs by followyng any priuate mans interpretation vpon the word an other spirite then they of the Primitiue Church had least we deceyue ourselues For there is but one fayth and one spirit which is not contrary to hymselfe neyther otherwyse now teacheth vs then he did then Therefore let vs beleue as they haue taught vs of the Scriptures and be at peace with them accordyng as the true Catholicke Church is at this day and the God of peace assuredly will be with vs deliuer vs out of all our worldly troubles and miseries make vs partakers of their ioy and blisse through our obedience to sayth with them Therefore God commaundeth vs in Iob to aske of the elder generation and to search diligently the memory of the Fathers For we are but yesterdayes children and be ignorant and our dayes are like a shadowe and they shall teach thee sayth the Lorde and speake to thee and shall vtter wordes from their hartes And by Salomon w◠are commaunded not to reiecte the direction of our mother The Lorde graunt you to direct your steppes in all thinges after her and to abhorre all contention with her For as S. Paule writeth If any man be contentious neither we neither the Church of God hath any such custome Hitherto I haue shewed you good brother S. my iudgement generally of that you stande in doubt and dissent frō others to the which I wishe you as myne owne harte to be conformable and then doubtles you can not erre but boldly may be glad in your troubles and triumph at the houre of your death that you shall dye in the Church of God a faythfull Martyr and receiue the crowne of eternall glory And thus much haue I written vpon the occasion of a vision before God vnfayned But that you may not thinke that I goe about to satisfie you with vncertain visions onely and not after Gods word I will take the ground of your letter and specially answere to the same by the scriptures and by vnfallible reasons reduced out of the same proue the Baptisme of Infantes to be lawfull commendable and necessary whereof you seeme to stand in doubt In deed if you looke vppon the papisticall Synagogue onely which hath corrupted gods word by false interpretations and hath peruerted the true vse of Christes sacraments you might seeme to haue good handfast of your opinion agaynst the Baptisme of Infants But forasmuch as it is of more antiquitie and hath his beginning from gods worde and from the vse of the Primatiue Church it must not in respect of the abuse in the popish Church be neglected or thought not expedient to be vsed in Christs church Auxentius one of the Arrians sect with hys adherentes was one of the first that denied the Baptisme of children and next after hym Pelagius the heretike and some other there were in S. Bernardes tyme as it doth appeare by hys writyngs and in our dayes the Anabaptists an inordinate kynd of men stirred vp by the deuill to the destruction of the Gospel But the Catholike truth deliuered vnto vs by the Scriptures playnly determineth that al such are to be baptised as whom God acknowledgeth for hys people and voucheth them worthy of sanctification or remission of theyr sinnes Therefore since that Infants be in the number or scroll of Gods people and be partakers of the promise by theyr purification in Christ it must needes follow thereby that they ought to be baptised as well as those that can professe their fayth For we iudge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promise of GOD as by the confession of fayth For to whome so euer God promiseth hymselfe to be theyr God whom
Then Whittell in the middest of the ceremonies whē he saw them so busy in disgrading him after theyr father the Popes Pontifical fashion sayd vnto them Paule and Titus had not so much ado with theyr priestes and bishops And farther speaking to the bishop he sayd vnto him My Lord your Religion standeth most with the church of Rome and not with the catholicke church of Christ. The Bishop after this according to his accustomed formall procedinges assayed him yet agayne with words rather then with substantiall arguments to conforme him to his Religion Who then denying so to doe sayd As for your religion I cannot be perswaded that it is accordyng to Gods worde The Bishop then asked what fault he found in the administration of the Sacrament of the Aultar Whittell aunswered and sayde it is not vsed according to Christes institution in that it is priuately and not openlye done And also for that it is ministred but in one kinde to the lay people which is agaynst Christes ordinaunce Farther Christ commaunded it not to be eleuated nor adored For the adoration and eleuation cannot be approued by Scripture Well quoth Boner my Lords here and other learned men haue shewed great learning for thy cōuersion wherfore if thou wilt yet returne to the fayth and religion of the catholicke Church I will receiue thee thereunto and not cōmit thee to the secular power c. To make short Whittell strengthened with the grace of the Lord stood strong vnmoueable in that he had affirmed Wherfore the sentēce being readde the next day folowing he was committed to the secular power and so in few dayes after brought to the fire with the other sixe aforenamed sealing vp the testimony of his doctrine with his bloud which he willingly and chearefully gaue for witnes of the truth ¶ Letters of Thomas Whittell ¶ A letter of Thomas Whittell to Iohn Careles prisoner in the kinges bench THe peace of God in Christ bee with you continuallye dearely beloued bother in Christ with the assistaunce of Gods grace and holy spirit to the working and perfourming of those thinges which may comfort and edefye hys Churche as ye dayly doe to the glory of his name and the encrease of your ioye and solace of Soule in this lyfe and also your reward in heauen with Christ our Captain whose faythfull Souldiours ye are in the life to come Amen I haue greatly reioyced my deare hart with thankes to God for you since I haue hearde of your fayth and loue which you bare towardes God and his Sayntes wyth a most godly ardent zeale to the verity of Christs doctrine and religion which I haue heard by the report of manye but specially by the declaring of that valiaunt captayne in Christes church that stout Champion in Gods cause that Spectacle to the worlde I meane our good brother Philpot who now lyeth vnder the Aultar and sweetly enioyeth the promised reward And specially I and my cōdemned fellowes gene thankes to God for your louyng and comfortable Letter in the deepenesse of our trouble after the flesh sent vnto vs to the consolation of vs al but most specially to me most sinnefull miser on mine own behalfe but happye I hope through Gods louing kindnesse in Christ shewed vnto me who suffered me to faynt fayle through humaine infirmity by the working of the Archenemy in his sworne Souldiours the Bishops and Priestes In whom so liuely appereth the very visage shape of Sathan that a man if it were not preiudice to Gods word might well affirme them to be Deuils incarnate as I by experience do speake Wherefore who so shall for cōscience matters come in theyr handes had need of the wylynesse of the Serpent to saue his head though it be wyth the wounding of his body and to take diligent heede how he consenteth to theyr wicked writings or setteth his hād to theyr conueyances Sore did they assault me and craftely tempt me to their wicked wayes or at least to a denegation of my fayth and true opinions though it were but by colour and dissimulation And alas something they did preuaile Not that I did any thing at all like theyr opinions and false papisticall religion or els doubted of the truth wherein I stand but onely the infirmity of the fleshe beguiled me desiring liberty by an vnlawfull meanes GOD lay it not to my charge at that daye and so I hartely desire you to praye Howbeit vncertayne I am whether more profite came therby profite to me in that God suffered Sathan to buffet me by his foresayd minister of mischiefe shewinge me myne infirmity that I should not boast nor reioyce in my selfe but onely in the Lord who whē he had led me to hell in my conscience through the respect of his feareful iudgementes agaynst me for my fearefulnes mistrust and crafty cloking in such spirituall and weighty matters in the which mine agonye and distresse I founde this olde verse true Non patitur ludum fama fides oculus yet he brought me from thence agayne to the magnifiyng of his name suspecting of flesh and bloude and consolation of mine owne soule or els that I might feele disprofite in offending the congregation of God which peraduenture wil rather adiudge my fall to come of doubtfulnesse in my doctrine and religion then of humaine imbecility Well of the importune burden of a troubled conscience for denying or dissembling the knowne verity I by experiēce could say very much more which perhaps I will declare by writing to the warding of other if God graunte time For now am I and my felowes ready to go hence euen for Christs cause Gods name be praysed who hath hitherto called vs. Pray I pray you that we maye ende our course with ioy at your appoynted time you shall come after But as the Lorde hath kept you so will he preserue your life still to the intent you should labour as you do to appease and conuince these vngodlye contentions and controuersies which now do too much raygn brawling about termes to no edificatiō God is dishonored the church disquieted occasiō to speake euill of the gospel ministred to our aduersaries But such is the subtlety of sathan that whom he cannot winne with grosse Idolatry in open religion thē he seeketh to corrupt and deceiue in opinions in a priuate profession But here I will abruptly leaue lest with my rude simple veyne I should be tedious to you desiring you my louing brother if it shall not seeme grieuous vnto you to write vnto me my fellowes yet once agayne if you haue leysure and we tune to the same Prouide me M. Philpots 9. examinations for a friend of mine and I shall pay you therefore by the leaue of almighty God our heauenly Father who correcteth all hys deare children in this world that they should not be damned with the world and tryeth the fayth of his Saynctes through many
likewise after diuers examinations vppon the articles aforesayde in the Consistory attempted the lyke maner of perswasions with hym as he did to the other to recant and returne To whome in fewe wordes the sayde Went aunswered agayne he woulde not but that by the leaue of God he would stand firme and constant in that he had sayd And when the Bishop yet notwithstanding did still vrge and call vpon him with words and fayre gloses to geue ouer himselfe to theyr opinion he could haue no other answer of hym but this No I say as I haue sayd c. Whereuupon being condemned by the Bishops sentence he was committed vnto the Sheriffes whom that shameles shaueling at yâ— time abused for hys seruile Butchers and so brought to hys martyrdome which he with no lesse constancie suffered to the ende with the rest of that blessed societie of Martyrs aboue named 6. Isabell Foster Martyr WIth these fiue persons aboue recited and condemned were also two women in the foresayd company condemned the same tyme and likewise burned for the same cause the one a wife called Isabell Foster the other a mayde named Ioane Warne or otherwise Lashford This foresayd Isabell was borne in Grafestocke in the Dioces of Carlill and afterward maried to one Iohn Foster Cutler of the Parish of S. Brides in Fleetstreete beyng of the age of Lv. yeares She likewise for not commyng vnto the Churche beyng sent vnto Boner and so imprisoned was sundry tymes examined by the sayd Byshop but neuer ouercome nor remoued from the constant confession of Christes Gospell At length commyng vnto her finall examination before the Byshop in the Consistory the xv day of the sayd moneth of Ianuary she was moued agayne whether she would yet goe from her former aunsweres Whereunto she gaue a resolute aunswere in few wordes I will not sayth she goe from them by Gods grace and thereunto did adhere neither beyng cast downe by the manacyng threates of the Byshop nor yet yeldyng thorough his alluryng enticementes promising both lyfe and libertie if she would associate her selfe in the vnitie of the Catholicke Churche Whereunto she sayd agayne in this wise that she trusted she was neuer out of the Catholicke Church c. and so persisting in the same continued constaunt till the sentence diffinitiue was pronounced and theÌ„ she was committed by commaundemeÌ„t of the Byshop to the secular power and so brought a fewe dayes after to the stake the 27. day of the foresayd moneth where she like a faythfull witnesse of the Lordes truth with the other fiue aforesayd ended her troubles here to finde a better rest in the kyngdome of Christ our Sauiour 7. Ioane Lashford alias Ioane Warne Martyr IN a certaine place of these Actes and Monumentes heretofore meÌ„tion was made of one Elizabeth Warne pag. 1608. col 2. who with her husband Iohn Warne as is aforesayd in the begynnyng of Queene Maries Reigne was apprehended in Bowe Churchyard for beyng there at a CoÌ„munion and both suffered for the same first the man in the moneth of May then the wife in Iuly after and now the daughter in the moneth of Ianuary followed her parents in the same martyrdome Furthermore in the same place and page mention was made also of D. Storie who there we sayde was somewhat neare vnto the sayd parties eyther in kindred or alliance albeit as I vnderstande since of some there was no kindred betweene them but only that she was his seruant Yet notwythstanding the said D. Storie as it is aboue specified before he was Commissioner made intercession for the parties to D. Martine then Commissioner but afterwarde being placed in Commission hymselfe so farre forgat him selâ—e and hys olde seruaunt that hee became no small procurer of theyr deathes I will not heere expostulate wyth the hard heart of that man nor with hys incoÌ„stancie Who â—et notwythstanding after he had brought them to death was rested him selfe for lx pounde charged wyth dette in theyr behalfe which if it be true it may thereby appeare that he was in some peece of kindred ioyned or allied vnto them But leauing that persone vnto the good pleasure of the Lord let vs returne vnto that we haue in hand Thys Ioane Lashforde borne in the parishe of little Hallowes in Thames streete was the daughter of one Robert Lashford Cutler and of the foresayde Elizabeth who afterward was married to Iohn Warne vpholster who as is sayde was persecuted for the Gospell of God to the burning fire and after him his wife and after her thys Ioane Lashford theyr daughter Who about the age of xx yeares ministring to her father and mother in prisone suspected and knowen to bee of the same doctrine and religion was sent vp to Boner bishop of London by D. Storie as is aboue in her answeres to the articles declared and so committed to the Counter in the Poultrie where shee remained the space of 5. wekes and froÌ„ thence had to Newgate where shee continued the space of certaine moneths After that remaining prisonner in the custodie of the sayd Boner her confession was being examined that the whole xij moneth before and more she came vnto no popish masse seruice in the church neither would doe eyther to receiue the Sacrament of the aultare or to be confessed because her conscience would not suffer her so to doe confessing and protesting that in the sacrament of the aultar there is not the reall presence of Christes body and bloud nor that auricular coÌ„fession or absolution after the popish sort was necessary nor the Masse to be good or according vnto the scripture but sayd that both the sayd sacrament confession absolution and the Masse with all other theyr superfluous sacrameÌ„ts ceremonies and diuine seruice as then vsed in thys Realme of Englande were moste vile and contrary to Christes woordes and institution so that neyther they were at the beginning nor shal be at the latter ende Thys godly damosell feeble and tender of age yet strong by grace in this her Confession and faith stoode so firme that neyther the flattering promises nor the violent threates of the Byshops could â—ourne her but being mooued and exhorted by the Byshoppe to retourne to the catholicke vnitie of the church sayth boldly to him againe If yee wil leaue off your abhomination so I wil returne and otherwyse I will not Whereupon the Bishop yet againe promised her pardon of all her errours as he called them if shee would be conformed To thys shee answeared againe saying vnto the Bishop Doe as it pleaseth you and I pray God that you may doe that whych may please God And thus shee constantly perseueryng in the Lordes holy truthe was by the sentence definitiue coÌ„demned and committed vnto the Sheriffes by whom the foresayd 27. day of Ianuarie shee with the rest being brought vnto the stake there washed her clothes in the bloud of the lambe
dying most constantly for hys woord and truth to whom most louingly shee espoused her selfe And thus muche concerning the life storie condemnation of these vij Martyrs afore specified ⧠Seuen godly and constant Martyrs suffering at one fire together in Smithfield Fiue other Martyrs in Caunterburie foure women and one man at two stakes and one fire all together burned AFter these seuen aboue rehearsed Martyred together in Smithfielde shortly after in the same moneth the â—â—â—â— day of Ianuarie followed an other like fellowship of godly Martyrs at Caunterburie four women and one man whose names be these Iohn Lomas a yong man Anne Albright Ioane Catmer Annes Snoth widowe Ioane Sole wife 1 Iohn Lomas Martyr IOhn Lomas of the parish of Tenterden detected and presented of that religion which the papists call heresie and cited vpon the same to appeare at Canterburie examined there of the first article whether he beleued the catholicke church or no answeared thus that he beleeued so much as is contained in Gods booke and no more Then being assigned to appeare againe vnder the pain of lawe the next Wednesday seuennight after which was the xvij day of Ianuarie the said Lomas examined whether he would be confessed of a priest or no answeared and sayde that he founde it not wrytten that he should be confessed to any Priest in Gods booke neither would be confessed vnlesse hee were accused by some man of sinne Againe examined whether he beleeued the body of Christe to be in the Sacrament of the Altare really vnder the formes of bread and wine after the consecration or no he answeared that he beleeued no realtie of Christes body to be in the Sacrament neither founde hee wrytten that hee is there vnder forme or tressell but he beleeued so muche as is wrytten Being then demaunded whether he beleeued that there is a catholicke churche or no and whether hee would be content to be a member of the same he answeared thereunto that he beleeued so muche as was wrytten in Gods booke and other aunsweare then this hee refused to geue c. Whereuppon the sentence was geuen and red against hym the xviij day of Ianuarie and so committed to the seculare power hee constantly suffered for the conscience of a true Faith wyth the other fower women here following 2 Agnes Snoth Martyr AGnes Snoth widowe of the Parishe of Smarden likewise accused cited for the true profession of Christes religion was diuers times examined before the Pharisaicall fathers Who there compelled to answere to suche Articles and Interrogatories as should be ministred vnto her firste denied to be confessed to a Priest notwithstanding shee denied not to confesse her offences as one to an other but not auricularlye to anye Priest And as touching the Sacrament of the aultare shee protested that if shee or any other did receiue the Sacrament so as Christe and as his Apostles after him did deliuer it then shee and they did receiue it to their comfort but as it is nowe vsed in the church shee sayd that no man coulde otherwise receiue it than to his damnation as she thought Afterward being examined againe concerning penaunce whether it were a Sacrament or no she plainly denied the same and that the Popish manner of their absolution was not consonant to the woorde nor necessary to be taken with suche other like agreeing with the aunsweres and confession of Iohn Lomas before mentioned Whereupon the sentence likewise being red she was committed to the sheriffes of Canterbury and so suffering Martyrdome with the rest declared her selfe a perfect and constant witnesse of Christ and of his truth the xxxj day of Ianuarie 3 Anne Albright alià s Champnes Martyr AGainst Anne Albright likewise appearing before the Iudge and his Colleagues it was also obiected concerning the same matter of Confession Whereunto shee answeared in these woordes saying that shee woulde not be confessed of a priest and added moreouer speaking vnto the Priests You Priests sayde shee are the children of perdition and can doe no good by your Confession And likewise speaking vnto the Iudge and his assistants shee tolde them that they were subuerters of Christes truth And as touching the Sacrament of the aultar she said it was a noughty and abhominable idoll and so vtterlye denied the same sacrament Thus persisting and perseuering in her former sayings answers shee was condemned the sayd 18. day of the sayde moneth with the other aboue mentioned with whom also she suffered quietly and with great comfort for the right of Christes religion Ioane Sole IN like maner Ioane Sole of the parish of Horton was condemned of the same Phariseis and Priestes for not allowing confession ariculare and for denyinge the reall presence and substaunce of Christ to be in the sacrament of the aultare Who after their Pharisaicall sentence beynge promulgate was brought by the Sheriffes to the stake with the other fower and sustained the like Martyrdome with them through the assistaunce of Gods holy grace and spirite mightely woorking in her to the glorye of his name and confirmation of his truth Ioane Catmer THe fift and last of this heauenly company of Martyrs was Ioane Catmer of the parish of Hith wife as it should seeme of George Catmer burned before Who being asked what shee sayde to Confession made to a Priest denyed to be confessed to any suche priest And moreouer the Iudge speaking of the sacrament of the altar she sayd and affirmed that shee beleeued not in that sacrament as it was then vsed for that it was made sayd shee a very idoll In this her confession she remaining and persisting was by the like sentence cruelly of them condemned and so suffered with the foresayd Thomas Lomas and the other three fellow Martyrs ratifying and confessing wyth their bloud the true knowledge and doctrine oâ— the glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus our Sauiour The burning of the foresayd man and foure women These 5. persones were burnt at 2. stakes and one fire together at Canterbury as is before sayd Who when the fire was flaming aboute their eares did singe Psalmes Whereat the good Knight Syr Iohn Norton being there present wept bitterly at the sight thereof The Iudges and the other assistantes which sate vppon her and the other foure aboue mentioned were Richard Faucet Iohn Warren Iohn Milles Robert Collins and Iohn Baker the Notarie ⧠The life state and storie of the Reuerend Pastour and Prelate Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterburie Martyr burned at Oxforde for the Confession of Christes true Doctrine vnder Queene Marie An. 1556. March 21. AS concerning the life and estate of that moste reuerend father in God and woorthy Prelate of godlye memorie Thomas Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterburie and of the originall cause and occasion of his preferment vnto hys Archiepiscopall dignitie who of many hath bene thought to haue procured the same
thought I may erre but hereticke I can not be for as much as I am ready in all things to followe the iudgement of the most sacred worde of God and of the holy catholicke church desiring none other thing then mekely and gently to be taughte it any where which God forbid I haue swarued from the truth And I protest and openly confesse that in all my doctrine and preaching both of the Sacrament of other my doctrine what soeuer it be not onely I meane and iudge those things as the catholicke churche and the moste holy fathers of olde with one accorde haue meant and iudged but also I would gladly vse the same wordes that they vsed and not vse any other woordes but to set my hande to all and singulare their speaches phrases wayes formes of speache which they doe vse in theyr treatises vppon the Sacrament and to keepe still their interpretation But in thys thing I onely am accused for an hereticke because I allowe not the doctrine lately broughte in of the Sacrament and because I consent not to woordes not accustomed in scripture and vnknowen to the ancient Fathers but newly inuented and broughte in by men and belonging to the destruction of soules and ouerthrowing of the pure and olde religion Yeuen c. This appeale being put vp to the B. of Ely he sayde My Lorde our Commission is to proceede agaynste you Omni appellatione remota and therefore we cānot admit it Why quoth he then you doe mee the more wrong for my case is not as euery priuate mans case The matter is betweene the Pope and mee immediatè and none otherwise and I thincke no man oughte to be a Iudge in hys owne cause Well quoth Ely if it may be admitted it shall and so receiued it of hym And then beganne he to perswade earnestly with the Archbyshop to consider hys state and to weigh it wel while there was time to doe hym good promising to become a suter to the K. and Queene for hym and so protested his great loue frendship that had beene betweene them hartily weeping so that for a time he coulde not go on with his tale After going forward he earnestly affirmed that if it hadde not bene the King and Queenes cōmandement whome he could not deny els no worldly cōmoditye should haue made him to haue done it concluding that to be one of the sorowfulst things that euer hapned vnto him The Archb. gently seeming to cōfort him sayd he was very well content withall and so proceeded they to his degradation the perfect forme wherof withal the rites ceremonies therto appertaining taken out of the popes Pontifical because it is already described at full in our first booke of Monuments I shall refer the reader to the same which he shall finde pag. 1493. Heere then to be short when they came to take of hys Pall which is a solemne vesture of an Archb. then sayde he Which of you hathe a Pall to take off my Pall Whych imported as much as they being his inferiors coulde not disgrade him Whereunto one of them said in y◠they were but Bishops they were his inferiors and not competent iudges but being the popes Delegates they myght take his Pal so they did and so proceeding tooke euery thing in order from him as it was put on Then a Barbar clipped his heare round about and the Bish. scraped the tops of hys fingers where he had bene annoynted wherein B. Boner behaued him selfe as roughly and vnmanerly as the other Bishop was to him soft and gentle Whiles they were thus doing All this quoth the Archbishop needed not I had my selfe done wyth this geare long ago Last of all they stripped him out of his gown into his iacket and put vpon him a pore yeoman Bedles gowne ful bare and nearely worne and as euil fauouredly made as one might lightly see and a townes mans cap on hys head and so deliuered him to the secular power After this pageant of degradation all was finished then spake Lord Boner saying to him Nowe are you no Lord any more and so when soeuer he spake to the people of him as hee was continually barking against him euer he vsed this terme This Gentleman heere c. And thus with great compassion and pitie of euery man in this euil fauored gown was he caried to prison Whom there followed a gentleman of Glocestershire with the archbishops owne gowne who standing by being thought to be toward one of the Bishops had it deliuered to him who by the way talking with him said the B. of Ely protested his frendship with teares Yea sayde he he myght haue vsed a great deale more frendship towarde me neuer haue bene the worse thought on for I haue wel deserued it and going into the prison vp wyth him asked hym i◠he would drinke Who answeared him saying if he had a peece of saltfish that he had better wil to eate for he had beene that day somewhat troubled with this matter and had eaten little but now that it is past my heart sayd he is wel quieted Whereupon the gentleman sayd he would giue him mony withal his heart for he was able to do it But he being one toward the lawe and fearing M. Farmers case durst therfore geue him nothing but gaue mony to the bailifs that stood by said that if they were good men they would bestowe it on hym for my L. of Cant. had not one peny in his purse to help him and so left him my Lord bidding him earnestly farewell cōmending him selfe to his praiers and all his friendes That nyght thys gentleman was staide by Boner and Ely for geuing him this mony and but by the help of friends he had bene sent vp to the counsaile Such was the cruelty and iniquity of the time that men could not do good without punishmēt Here foloweth the recantation of the Archbishop wyth his repentance of the same IN this meane time while the Archbishoppe was thus remaining in durance whom they had kept now in prison almost the space of 3. yeares the doctours and diuines of Oxford busied thēselues all that euer they could about M. Cranmer to haue him recante assaying by all craftye practises and alluremēts they might deuise how to bring theyr purpose to passe And to the intent they myghte win him easily they had him to the Deanes house of Christes church in the said Uniuersity where he lacked no delicate fare plaied at the bowles had his pleasure for walking all other things that might bring him from Christ. Ouer and besides all thys secretely and sleightly they suborned certaine men which when they could not expugne him by arguments and disputation should by entreaty and faire promises or any other meanes allure him to recantation perceiuing otherwise what a great wounde they shoulde receiue if the Archb. had stoode stedfast in his sentence and
me thinketh your apparell doth as much vary from an Apostle So then there spake one of the Bishops Gentlemen My Lord sayd he in mockadge geue him a chaire a toste and drinke and he wil be lusty But the Byshop bad haue him away and cōmaunded him to come before him agayn the next day at an houre appoynted But winchester for lacke of leasure or because of sickenes growing vpon him or for what cause els I know not either would not or could not attend vnto him but returned him agayne to his Ordinary Bishop from whence he came So william Tyms being put of agayne to Bishop Boner was placed together and coupled with the other fiue Martyrs aboue named and with them brought together to publicke examination before the Bishop the 21. day of March first in the Bishops Palace of London where the sayd Bishop after his accustomed maner proceeding agaynst them enquyred of them theyr fayth vpon the Sacrament of the aultar To whom they aunswered that the body of Christ was not in the sacrament of the aultar really and corporally after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Prieste of the whiche opinion they had bene of long time some later some sooner euē as God of his mercy dyd call them vnto the knowledge of his Gospell Then the Bishops Chapleines began to reason with thē but with no great authorities either of the scriptures or of the auncient fathers ye may be sure as other theyr large conferences with the learned do already declare An other examination of Tyms and Drakes and the rest before the Bishop of London THe xxiij day of the same moneth next after the Bishop sent agayne for Tyms and Drakes and Ex officio did obiect vnto them certayne Articles the summe and maner wherof were the same which before obiected to Whittell Greene Tudson Went Burn Eliza◠Foster Lashford looke pag. 1589. And the 26. day of the same month he sent for the other foure ministring vnto thē also the same generall articles Unto the which they all in effect answered in matters touching theyr fayth as did the sayd Bartl Grene and the rest Other appearinges they had as the Bishops common maner of proceding was more as I haue often sayd for order and forme of law thē for any zeale of iustice But in conclusion the xxviij day of this Moneth of March William Tyms and Robert Drakes with the other 4. aboue named were brought to the open Consistory in Paules before the sayd Bishop of London to be condēned for heresy The bishop first began in this or like sort Tyms quoth he I will begin with thee firste for thou art and hast bene the ringleader of these thy companions thou hast taughte them heresies confirmed them in their erroneous opinions and hast indeuored as much as in thee lyeth to make them like vnto thy selfe If thy faulte had not tended to the hurt of other I would thē haue vsed thee more charitably and not haue brought thee to this open rebuke I woulde according to the rule of Christ in the 18. of Mathew haue told thee thy fault betwene me thee if thou wouldest not haue heard me I would not so haue lefte thee but I wyth two or thre other would haue exhorted thee if that would not haue serued then woulde I haue told the Church c. But for that thy fault is open manifest to the world and thou thy selfe remainest stout in thine error this charitable dealing is not to be extended towardes thee I haue therfore thought good to proceed by an other rule whereof S. Paule speaketh 1. Tim. 5. Such as sinne rebuke thē openly that other may feare For this cause art thou brought before me in the face of this people to receiue iudgemēt according to thy deserts Let me see what thou canst say why I should not proceed agaynst thee as thine Ordinary My Lord quoth Tyms will you now geue me leaue to speake yea quoth the Bishop Then sayde Tyms My Lord I maruell that you will begin with a lye You call me the ringleader teacher of this cōpany but how vntruly you haue sayd shall shortly appeare for there is none of all these my brethren whiche are brought hither as prisoners but when they were at liberty and out of prison they dissented from you and your doinges as much as they do at this present and for that cause they are now prisoners So it is euident that they learned not their Religiō in prison And as for me I neuer knew them vntil such time as I by your commaundement was prisoner with them how could I then be their ringleader and teacher So that al the world may see how vntruly you haue spokē And as for my fault which you make so greuous whatsoeuer you iudge of me I am wel assured that I hold none other religiō thē Christ preached the Apostles witnessed the primatiue church receiued now of late the Apostolicall and Euangelical preachers of this realm haue faithfully taught for the which you haue cruelly burned them and now you seeke our bloud also Proceed on hardly by what rule you will I force not I do not refuse you for my Ordinary Then sayd the Bishoppe I perceyue thou wilt not be coūted their ringleader How sayst thou wilt thou submit thy selfe to the catholicke Church as an obedient childe in so doing thou shalt be receiued and do wel enough otherwise thou shalt haue iudgement as an hereticke Then one of the prisoners whose name is not certainly knowne sayd my Lord you are no vpright Iudge for you iudge after your owne lust But if you will iudge vs according to the holy Testament of Christe whiche is the word of truth we will accord to your iudgement for vnto that word we wholy submit our selues But as for your iudgement without that truth God shall condemne And this prisoner was very earnestly in hand with the bishop that they might be iudged by the word of God With this the Bishop was offended calling him busye knaue and commaunded him to holde his toung or els he should be had away to a place of smaller ease Then Tyms aunswered and sayd My Lord I doubt not but I am of the Catholicke Church whatsoeuer you iudge of me But as for your Church you haue before this day renounced it and by corporall oth promised neuer to consēt to the same Contrary to the which you haue receyued into this realme the Popes authority therefore you are falsly periured forsworne all the sort of you Besides this you haue both spoken and written very earnestly agaynst that vsurped power now you do burne men that will not acknowledge the Pope to be supreme head Haue I quoth the bishop Where haue I written any thing agaynst the church of Rome My Lord quoth Tyms the Bishoppe of Winchester wrote a very learned Oration intituled De vera obedientia
such in our consciences as euery Christian man is bound to confesse to be the truth of God and euery member of Christes church here in England must needes embrace the same in heart and confesse it with mouth if need require loose and forsake not onely house land possessions riches wife children and friends but also if God will so call them gladly to suffer all manner of persecution and to loose their liues in the defence of GODS worde and trueth set out amongest vs. For our Sauiour Christ requireth the same of vs saying Who soeuer shal be ashamed of me and my worde before this adulterous and sinfull generation the sonne of man will also be ashamed of hym when he shall come in the glorye of his father with the holye Aungels And agayne sayth he Who soeuer will confesse me before men I will confesse him before my father that is in heauen And who soeuer will deny me before men I will also deny hym before my father that is in heauen And whosoeuer shall speake a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him but who soeuer shall rayle against the holy ghost it shall not be forgeuē him We humbly beseeche the Queenes Maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners bee not offended with vs for confessing this truth of God so straightly geuen vs in charge of Christ neither bring vppon vs that great sinne that neuer shall be forgeuen and shall cause our Sauiour Iesu Christ in the great day of iudgement before his heauenly Father all his Aungels to deny vs to take frō vs the blessed price and raunsome of his bloudshed wherwith we are redeemed For in that day neither the Queenes highnes neither you nor any man shal be able to excuse vs nor to purchase a pardon of Christ for this horrible sinne and blasphemye of casting aside and condemning his word We can not agree nor consent vnto this so horrible a sinne but we beseeche God for his mercy to geue vs and all menne grace moste earnestly to flee from it and rather if the will of God be so to suffer all extremitie and punishment in thys world then to incurre such damnation before God Manasses who restored agayn the wickednes of idolatrous religiō before put down by Ezechias his father brought the wrath of God vpon the people so that the scriptures sayth Notwithstanding the reformation made by Iosias the Lord turned not from the fiercenes of his great wrath wherwith hee was angrye agaynst Iuda because of the prouocation with the which Manasses prouoked him And the Lord said euen Iuda will I take away from my presence as I cast away Israell I will cast away this Citty of Ierusalem and the house whereof I sayd my name shall be there Ieroboam who at Bethel and Dan erected vp a new found seruice of God and not onely sinned himselfe but also made all Israel to sinne with him so that not onely he was damned for commaunding but the wrath of God came vppon all Israell for obeing that his vngodly commandement Yet was it not so heynous offence to bring man Idolatry neither yet heard of as after reformation made by the godly kinges and princes by the vertuous and holy Bishoppes by the Prophets and seruaunts of God to reiecte and cast of the word and true Religion of GOD and to receaue againe a damned impietie This moste heynous offence is now offered vnto vs although the same be paynted and coloured with the name of reformation restoring of religion auncient fayth wyth the name of the catholicke Churche of vnitie Catholicke truth with the cloke of fayned holines These are sheepe skinnes vnder the which as Christ saith rauening Wolues couer themselues But Christ willeth vs to looke vpon their fruites whereby we may know them and truely this is no good fruite to cast aside Gods word and to bānish the English seruice out of the Churches and in the place of it to bring in a latine tongue vnknowne vnto the people Which as it edifieth no man so hath it bene occasion of all blindnes and errour amonge the people For afore the blessed reformation begun by the most noble Prince of godlye memory the queenes good father and by our late holy and innocent king her good brother finished it is not vnknowne what blindnes errour wee were all in when not one man in all this realme vnlearned in the latine could say in English the Lordes prayer or knew any one article of his beliefe or rehearse any one of the x. cōmandementes And that ignoraunce mother of mischiefe was the very roote and well spring of all Idolatry Sodomiticall Monkery and whorish chastitie of vnmaryed priests of all whoredome dronkennes couetousnes swearing blasphemie with al other wicked sinfull liuing These brought in the seuere wrathe and vengeance of GOD plaging sinne with famine and pestilence and at last the sword consumed and auenged all theyr impietie and wicked liuing As it is greatly to be feared the same or more greuous plagues shall now agayne follow We cannot therefore consent nor agree that the worde of God and praiers in our English tongue which we vnderstand should be taken away from vs and for it a latin seruice we wote not what for none of vs vnderstande it to be agayne brought in amongest vs specially seeing that Christ hath sayd My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me I geue to them euerlasting life The seruice in Englishe teacheth vs that wee are the Lords people and the sheep of his pasture and commandeth that we harden not our hartes as when they prouoked the Lordes wrathe in the wildernes least hee sweare vnto vs as he did sweare vnto them that they should not enter into his rest The seruice in Latine is a confused noyse which if it be good as the say it is yet vnto vs that lack vnderstāding what goodnes can it bring S. Paule commaundeth that in the Churches all thinges shoulde bee done to edifying which we are sure is Gods commaundement But in the Latine seruice nothing is done to edifying but contrarily al to destroy those that are already edified and to driue vs from Gods word and truth and from beleuing of the same and so to bring vs to beleue lyes and fables that tempting and prouoking God we shoulde be brought into the iudgement that blessed Paule speaketh of saying Antichrist shall come according to the working of Satan with all manner of power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes in those that pearish because they haue not receyued the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therfore God wil send them strong delusion that they should beleue lyes be damned as many as haue not beleued the truth but haue approued vntighteousnesse Thus altogether drawne from God we shall fal into his wrath through vnbeliefe till
Idole at the commandement of sir Iohn Tirrell knight of Gippyng hall in Suffolke and certaine other Iustices there who sent both hym and them to Eay dungeon in Suffolke till at length they were all three together broght before Dunnyng then Chauncellor of Norwich and M. Myngs the Register sittyng at the Towne of Beckles to be examined And there the sayd Chancellour perswading what he could to turne them from the truth could by no meanes preuaile of his purpose Whereby mynding in the ende to geue sentence on them he burst out in teares intreatyng them to remember themselues and to turne agayne to the holy mother church for that they were deceiued and out of the truth and that they should not wilfully cast away thēselues with such like wordes Now as he was thus labouryng them and semed very loth to read the sentence for they were the first that he condemned in that dioces the Register there sittyng by beyng weary belike of tarying or els perceiuyng the constant Martyrs to be at a point called vpon the Chauncellour in hast to ridde them out of the way and to make an ende At which wordes the Chauncellour read the condemnation ouer them with teares and deliuered them to the secular power ¶ Their Articles THe Articles obiected to these and commonly to all other condemned in that Diocesse by Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwich and by Dunnyng his Chauncellor were these 1. First was articulate agaynst them that they beleeued not the Pope of Rome to bee supreme head immediately vnder Christ in earth of the vniuersall Catholike Church 2. Item that they beleeued not holy bread and holy water ashes palmes and all other lyke ceremonies vsed in the Churche to be good and laudable for stirring vp the people to deuotion 3. Item that they beleeued not after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest the very naturall body of Christ and no other substance of bread and wine to be in the sacrament of the Altar 4. Item that they beleeued it to be Idolatry to worship Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar 5. Item that they tooke bread and wine in remembrance of Christes Passion 6. Item that they would not follow the Crosse in procession nor be confessed to a Priest 7. Item that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in himselfe free will to do good or euill For this doctrine and articles aboue prefixed these three as is aforesayd were condemned by Doctor Dunning committed to the secular power Syr Iohn Sylliard being the same tyme hyghe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke And the next day following vpon the same they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles Whereupon it is to be thought that the writte De comburendo was not yet come downe nor could not be the Lord Chaunlour Bish. Heath being the same time at London Which if it be true then it is playne that both they went beyond their Commission that were the executioners also the Clergy which were the instigatours thereof cannot make good that they now pretend saying that they did nothing but by a lawe But this let the Lord finde out when he seeth his tyme. In the meane tyme while these good men were at the stake had prayed they sayd there beliefe and when they came to the reciting of the Catholicke Church Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them That is well sayd Syrs quoth he I am glad to heare you say you do beleeue the Catholicke Church That is the best word I heard of you yet To which his sayinges Edmund Pole aunswered that though they beleeue the Catholicke Churche yet doe they not beleeue in their Popish Church which is no part of Christes Catholicke Churche and therefore no part of their beliefe When they rose from prayer they all went ioyfully to the stake and being bounde thereto and the fire burning about them they praysed God in such an audible voyce that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them Then one Robert Bacon dwelling in the sayd Beckles a very enemye to Gods truth and a persecutour of his people being there present within hearing thereof willed the tormentours to throw on fagots to stoppe the knaues breathes as he termed them so hotte was his burning charitye But these good men not regarding there malice confessed the truth and yelded their liues to the death for the testimony of the same very gloriously ioyfully The which their constancye in the lyke cause the Lord graunt we may imitate and follow vnto the ende Whether it be death or lyfe to glorifye the name of Christ Amen And forasmuch as we haue here entred into the persecution of Northfolke and Suffolke it commeth therefore to minde by occasion hereof brieflye to touche by the way some part for the whole matter cannot bee so exprest as it was done touching the troubles of the towns of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke raysed and stirred by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell other Iustices there of the lyke affinitye The summe and effecte of which briefly is thus signifyed to me by writing * The persecution in the Townes of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight and other of his Colleagues there were persecuted out of the Towne of Winson in Suffolke these persons hereafter following Anno. 1556. Maistresse Alice Twaites Gentlewoman of the age of three score yeres and more and two of her seruaunts Humfrey Smith and his wyfe William Katchpoole and his wyfe Iohn Maulyng and his wyfe Nicholas Burlingham and his wyfe And one Rought and his wyfe Such as were persecuted and driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke Symon Harlstone and Katherine his wife with his fiue children William Whitting and Katherin his wife Thomas Dobson and his wife Thomas Hubbard and his wife Iohn Doncon and his wife his maide William Doncon Thomas Woodward the elder One Konnoldes wife A poore widow One mother Semons maide Besides those that were constrained to do against their conscience by the helpe of the parishe Priest whose name was sir Iohn Brodish ¶ These be the chiefest causes why those aboue named were persecuted FIrst they did hold and beleeue the holy word of God to be the sufficient doctrine vnto their saluation Secondly they denied the Popes vsurped authoritie and did hold all that church of Antichrist to be Christs aduersaries And further refused the abused sacraments defied the masse and all popish seruice and ceremonies saying they robbed God of his honour Christ of his death and glory and would not come at the Church without it were to the defacyng of that they did there Thirdly they did hold that the ministers of the church by Gods word might lawfully marry Fourthly they helde the Queene to be as chiefe head and wicked rulers to bee a great plague sent of God for sinne c. Fiftly
brought thither by a writ I trowe what he was I cannot tell I thinke M. Marshall can tell you Marshall In good fayth I cannot tell what the matter is but in deed my Lord chiefe Iustice seÌ„t him from the barre Mart. Well Careles I would wishe thou shouldest play the wise mans part Thou art a handsome man And it is pity but thou shouldest doe well and saue that which God hath bought Careles I thanke your good Maystershippe most hartely And I put you out of doubt that I am most sure and certayne of my saluation by Iesus Christ so that my soule is safe already what so euer paynes my body suffer here for a litle time Mart. Yea Mary you say trueth For thou art so predestinate to life that thou canst not perish in whatsoeuer opinion thou doest dye Careles That GOD hath predestinate me to eternall life in Iesus Christ I am most certayne and euen so am I sure that his holy spirite wherewith I am sealed will so preserue me from all heresies euill opinions that I shall dye in none at all Mart. Go to let me heare your fayth in predestination For that shal be written also Careles Your Maystership shall pardon me herein For you sayd your selfe erewhile that you had no Commission to examine my conscience I will trouble my selfe wyth aunswering of no moe matters then I needes must vntil I come before them that shall haue more authority farther to examine me Mart. I tell thee then I haue Commission yea and commaundement from the Counsell to examine thee for they deliuered me thy articles Careles Yea I thinke in deede that your Mastershippe is appointed to examine me of my articles whiche you haue there in writing and I haue told you the truth I do confesse them to be mine owne fact and deede but you do now examâ—ne me of predestination whereof my articles speaketh nothing at all Martin I tell thee yet agayne that I muste also examine thee of such thinges as be in controuersye betweene thee thy fellowes in the Kings Bench whereof predestination is a part as thy fellow N. hath confessed and thy selfe doest not deny it Carel. I do not deny it But he that first told you that matter might haue found himselfe much better occupyed Martyn Why what if he had not told me thinkest thou I would not haue knoweÌ„ it yes or els thou shouldest haue withstand my Commission For I tell thee truthe I may now examine thee of the blessed Sacrament or any other thing that I list but that I would shew thee fauour and not be to hasty with thee at the first Marshall Yea in deede Careles Maister Doctor hath CoÌ„mission to examine you or any other of your fellowes Mart. Yea mary haue I I tell the truth of it Carel. Then let your Scribe set his pen to the paper and you shall haue it roundly euen as the truth is I beleeue that almightye God our moste deare louing father of his great mercy and infinite goodnes did elect in Christ. Mart. Tush what neede all that long circumstance write I beleeue that God elected and make no more adoe Carel. No not so M. Doctour It is an high mistery and ought reuerently to be spoken of And if my wordes may not be written as I do vtter them I wil not speake at all Mart Go to go to write what he will Here is more busines then needeth Careles I beleeue that Almighty GOD our moste deare louing Father of his greate mercy and infinite goodnesse thorough Iesus Christ did elect and appoynt in him before the fouÌ„dation of the earth was layd a Church or congregation which he doth continually guide and gouerne by his grace and holy spirite so that not one of them shall euer finally perishe When this was written M. Doctor tooke it in his hand and read it saying Mart. Why who will deny this Carel. Iâ— your Maistership doe allow it and other learned men when they shall see it I haue my hartes desyer Mart. And do you hold none otherwise theÌ„ is there writteÌ„ Carel. No verily nor neuer did Mart. Write that he sayth otherwise he holdeth not So that was written It was told me also that thou doest affirme that Christ did not dye effectually for all men Carel Whatsoeuer hath bene told you it is not much materiall vnto me Let the tellers of such tales come before my face and I trust to make them aunswere For in deede I do beleeue that Christe did effectually dye for all those that do effectually repent and beleeue and for none other so that was written also Mert. Now Syr what is Trewes fayth of predestinatioÌ„ he beleeueth that all men be predestinate that none shall be damned Doth he not Carel. No forsooth that doth he not Mart How then Carel Truely I thinke he doth beleeue as your Maistershyp and the rest of the Clergy do beleeue of predestinatioÌ„ that we bee elected in respecte of our good workes and so long elected as we do them and no longer Martyn Write that he sayth his fellow Trew beleeueth of predestination as the Papistes do beleeue Carel. Ah Maister Doctour did I so terme you Seing that this my confession shall come before the Counsell I pray you place my termes as reuerently as I spake them Mart Well well write that Trew is of the same fayth as the Catholickes be Carel. I did not so call you neyther I wonder what you meane Marshal You sayd the Clergy did you not Careles Carel. Yes forsooth did I. So then it was written of the Clergy Mart. Now Syr what say you more Carel. Forsooth I haue no farther to say in this matter Mart. Well Careles I pray thee proue thy selfe a wise man and do not cast away thy lyfe wilfully Carel. Now the Lord he knoweth good Maister Doctor I would full gladly liue so that I might do the same with a safe conscience And your Maistershippe shall right well perceiue that I will be no wilfull man but in all thinges that I stand vpon I will haue a sure grounde Martin Now the Lorde knoweth good Careles that I would gladly make some meanes to preserue thy lyfe but thou speakest so much of the Lord the Lord. Wilt thou be content to go with my Lord Fitzwater into Ireland me thinkes thou art a goodly tall fellow to do the Queene seruice there How sayest thou Carel. Uerely Maister Doctour whether I be in Ireland Fraunce or Spayne or any place els I am ready to do her grace the best seruice that I can with body goodes and lyfe so long as it doth last Mart. That is honestly sayde I promise thee euery man will not say so How say you Maister Marshall this man is meete for all manner of seruice In deede thou arte worthye Careles to haue the more fauour Carel. In deede Syr I hope to be meete and ready vnto all things that pertayneth vnto
Lorde of all mercy and Father of all comfort through the merites and mediation of his deare sonne thy onely Lord and Sauiour hath clearely remitted and pardoned all thy offences whatsoeuer they bee that euer hitherto thou hast committed agaynst his maiesty and therefore he hath geuen to thee as to his childe deare Brother Iohn Careles in token that thy sinnes are pardoned he I say hath geuen vnto thee a penitent and beleuing hart that is a hart which desireth to repent and beleue For suche a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleuing hart in deed Wherefore my good Brother be mery gladde and of good cheare for the Lorde hath taken away thy sinnes thou shalt not dye Goe thy wayes the Lord hath put away thy sinnes The East is not so farre from the West as the Lord now hath put thy sinnes from thee Looke how the heauēs be in comparison of the earth so far hath his mercy preuayled towardes thee his deare chylde Iohn Careles through Christ the beloued Say therfore with Dauid prayse the Lord oh my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name for he hath forgeuen thee all thy sinnes as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a witnesse God make me worthy to heare from you the like true message for my selfe Myne owne dearly beloued you haue great cause to thanke God moste hartily that he hath geuen you such repētance and fayth the lord encrease the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose hart is harder then the Adamant stone or elles I coulde not thus long haue stayed from writing vnto you If I liue and may I purpose and promise you to make amendes Praye for me my moste deare brother I hartely beseech you and forgeue me my long silence God our father be with vs for euer Amen Yours in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To my most deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to dye for the testimony of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength and comfort of his most pure holy mighty spirite with the increase of fayth liuely feeling of his eternall mercy be with you my most deare faythfull louing brother Tyms with all the rest of my deare hartes in the Lord your faithfull felow souldiers most constant cōpanions in bonds yea of men condēned most cruelly for the sincere testimony of Gods euerlasting truth to the full finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begon in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most sweet and louing brethrē and dearest hartes in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write vnto you in the least poynt or part to vtter the great ioy that my poore hart hath cōceiued in God through the most godly example of your christian constancy and sincere confession of Christes verity Truely my tongue can not declare nor my pen expresse the aboūdance of spirituall myrth and gladnes that my minde and inward man hath felte euer since I heard of your harty boldnes and modest behauior before that bloudy butcher in the time of al your crafty examinations especially at your cruell condēnation in theyr cursed Consistory place Blessed be God the Father of all mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciously performed vpon you his deare darlinges his most sweete and comfortable promises in not onely geuing you the cōtinuall aide strength and comfort of his holye and mighty spirite to the faythfull confession of his Christ for whose cause O most happy mē ye are condemned to dye but also in geuing you such a mouth wisedom as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were fayne to cry Peace peace not suffer you to speake As truely as God liueth my deare brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euident probation that God is on our side and a sure certainty of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather gods cursed enemies a plaine demōstration of their iust eternall woe damnatiō which they shal be full sure shortly to feele whē ye shal ful sweetly possesse the place of felicity pleasure prepared for you frō the beginning Therefore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to prayse the Lord with a lusty courage for that of his great mercy and infinite goodnesse he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the losse of goodes wife and childrē long imprisonment cruell oppressiō c. but also the very depriuation of this mortall life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire The which is the greatest promotion that GOD can bring you or any other vnto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue yet hath the Lord for his dere sonne Christs sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many other which haue both long looked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the handes of the Lorde in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the sweete saying of Salomon or rather of the holye ghost shall be full well verified vpon thee yea and all thy faythfull fellowes Better is the day of death sayth hee then the day of byrth This saying cannot be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and suche as thou art whose death is most precious before God full deare shal your bloud be in his sight Blessed be God for thee my deare brother Tymmes and blessed be God agayn that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came first into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God will once vouch me worthye of that great dignitie whereunto he hath now brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth now nigh vnto God of whom you haue receiued the same ful glad may you be that euer God gaue you a life to leaue for his sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wife Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I beseeche you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my sins of that great dignitie whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly brethren whome I beseech you to comfort in the Lorde as you can full well praysed be God for his giftes which you haue hartily applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the commoditie of his
are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousnes to the ground I had like to haue sayd to the bottome of hell extolleth onely the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ whiche is allowed before God and is freely geuen to al those that firmely beleue as blessed be God you doe Ah my good brother Tymmes Sathan hath put hys hand in a wrong boxe when he beginneth to tempte you either to vayne glory or mistrust for you are an old beaten souldier and haue had good experience of these manner of temptations both by your selfe and other whome you know well were the beloued of God Bee of good cheare therefore deare hart be of good cheare for now Satā hath wrought all his malice he hath done all that hee can and hath shot of all his last Peeces wherwith he had thought to haue done most mischiefe but now he seeth hee cannot preuaile the strong tower of your fayth being so inuincible he will plucke vp all his tentes and get him to some other place to practise the like assaultes and then will the Aungels of God come and minister vnto you the moste sweete heauenly consolations of the holy Ghost To hym therefore who is able to do exceeding aboundantly aboue all that euer we can desire or thinke I do most hartily cōmit you with all the reste of youre godly prison fellowes who comfort strengthen and defend you with his grace mighty operation of his holye spirit as hee hath hitherto done that you hauing a most glorious victory ouer the subtle serpent and all his wicked seede may also receaue the crowne of glory and immortalitie prepared for you before the foundations of the world were layde and is so surelye kept for you in the handes of him whose promise is vnfallible that the Deuill sinne death or hell shall neuer be able to depriue you of the same The blessing of God bee with you now for euermore Amen Pray pray pray for me Your owne for euer Iohn Careles * To my good sister M.C. THe peace of God in Iesus Christ the eternal comforts of his sweete spirite be with you my deare and faithful sister to the ful accomplishment of that good worke which hee hath most graciously begon in you that the same may be effectuall to the setting forth of his glory and to your euerlasting consolation in him Amen My louing and faythful Sister in the Lord I thanke you for all your louing kindnes shewed vnto me in youre feruent and faithfull prayers and for your most godly and comfortable letter wherby you do not only much encrease my ioy and comfort but also put me in remembraunce of my duetie towardes you Blessed be the Lord our God which of his great merhath so beautified his Church in these our dayes that euen vnto many godly women hee hathe geuen most excellent giftes of knowledge and vnderstanding of his truth so that they are not onely well able to enforme their owne consciences in all thinges necessarye to saluation but also moste sweetly to comfort their sorrowfull brethren sisters that susteine any trouble for the testimony of Gods trueth yea that which is more euen in the middest of their great cōflictes of conscience Of which most happy number of godly and vertuous women my deare hart you are one and that of the chiefest being plentifully endued with the gifts of Gods most gracious spirite as it doth full wel appeare in your dayly doinges God onely haue the prayse therefore For asmuch then as God hath geuen you the gift to write I shall moste hartily desire you to let me heare from you sometimes be it neuer so little for truely I take great cōfort and courage thereby specially in my poore conscience whiche is sore assaulted of subtile Satan and in a manner oppressed of my sinnes Pray deare sister that GOD may geue me true hartie and earnest repentaunce increase my fayth for they are bothe the good giftes of God onely and farre passe the reache of my power to take at my pleasure Therfore deare sister if you wil helpe me to begge the same of our deare louing father I am sure that he both cā and will geue them in his good time As for the feare of death or terrour of the fire I most hartily thanke my good God I feele it not onely it is mine owne sinnes and vnthankfulnes which holdeth hard battayle wageth strōg warre against me which onely goeth about to separate me from my good captayne Christ that I shoulde not enioye his glorious victory but God being on my side as I am sure hee is that cannot continually preuayle agaynst me Though God for a time permitte Satan to take his pleasure on me as he did vpon Iob yet I doubt not but in the end all shall turne to my profite through the merites of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ to whose most mercifull defence I commit you deare Sister with al the rest of the Lordes elect Farewell in Christ. Yours vnfaynedly Iohn Careles Pray pray pray pray * To my deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirite be with you my most deare frend and faythfull brother U. to the increase of your fayth and comfort of your sorrowful spirite which is to the father a sweete sacrifice through chryst for whose sake he will neuer despise your humble and contrite hart but doth fauourably accept the same and wil in most ample wise performe the desire thereof to his glorye your eternall comfort in him In the mids of my manifold crosses troubles wherin I am constrayned to flee vnto God for refuge succour by earnest faithful prayer I cannot forget you my deare hart in the Lord but esteeming your state for mine owne I do poure forth my complaynt for you as I do for my selfe rather more as I thinke present neede doth require desiring most hartily to heare the good successe of the same in you The lord God for his great mercies sake accomplish my desire as I doubt not but he wil when he seeth it good and most to his glory and to your comforte and commoditie Oh that I might once see you so merry in Christ as you haue iust cause to be that you might say with Dauid Awake my glory awake Lute and Harpe bring forth the Psalter with the merry song that I might sing a newe song of prayse and thankesgeuing vnto the Lord for the light of his fauourable coūtenaunce his helpe and deliueraunce Oh that would refresh me as a most precious oyle and gladden my poore heart whiche is assaulted with sorrow moe wayes then one I doubt not but the same shal by your meanes receiue much comfort though for a time it doth mourne with you that we may be made both glad together yea that with such gladnes as shal continue for
all other his benefites Ah my deare heart in the Lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of his great mercy and infinite goodnes hath vsed me most miserable wretche at any tyme as his instrument to minister any thing vnto you eyther by wordes or writing that might bee an occasion of your ioy and comfort in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to prayse and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your moste louing and godly letter seemeth to importe Oh happy am I that the Lorde hath appoynted me vnto so good a ground to sowe his seede vppon but muche more happie are you whose heart the Lorde hath prepared made so meete to receiue the same so effectuously geuing therto the sweete showers and heauenly dewes of his grace and holy spirit that it may bring forth fruite in due season accordingly the increase whereof we shall shortly reape together with perfect ioye and gladnes and that continually Therefore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her deare cosin Mary Happy are you and happy shall you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most sweet and faythfull promises of your redeemer Iesus Christ you haue surely layd vp in the treasury of your hart His comfortable callinges you haue faythfully heard his faythfull admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therefore you shall neuer come into iudgement your sinnes shall neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them from you as farre as is the East from the West and hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification holynesse so that now no creature neyther in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly king Sathan is nowe iudged he is nowe cast out from you hee hath no part in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ whyche wil not loose you your stedfast fayth in him hathe ouercome that sturdy and braggyng Prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the finall victory ouer hym and al hys army that they shall neuer hurt you What woulde you haue more Oh my deare heart howe great treasures are layde vp in store for you and how gloryous a Crowne is alreadye made and prepared for you And albeit the holy Ghost doth beare wytnesse of all these thinges in your heart and maketh you more sure and certain thereof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I being certaynly perswaded and fully assured by the testimony of Gods spirite in my conscience of youre eternall and sure saluation in our sweete Sauioure Iesus Christe haue thought it good yea and my bounden duety not onely at thys tyme to wryte vnto you and to shew my ioyfull hart in that behalfe but also by the word and commaundement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of his sweete sonne Iesus chryst oure Lorde to whom all knees shall bow whom all creatures shall worshippe and also by the impulsion of the holy Ghost by whose power and strength all the faythfull bee regenerate I doe I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a Citizen of heauen The Lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for his deare sonnes sake in whom thou doest also vndoubtedly beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy sinnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and full pardoned all thine offences bee they neuer so many so grieuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As truely as he liueth he will not haue thee dye the death but hath vtterly determined purposed and eternally decreed that thou shalte lyue with him for euer Thy sore shall bee healed and thy woundes bounde vpp euen of himselfe for his owne names sake He doth not nor will not looke vpon thy sinnes in thee but he respecteth and beholdeth thee in Christ in whome thou art lyuely graffed by faith in his bloud and in whome thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a sweete vessell of his mercy and saluation and wast thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was laid In testimony and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which woorketh in thee faith loue and vnfained repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commanded me this day although a most vnwoorthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministery of hys holy woord grounded vpon the truth of his most faithfull promisses the which thou beleeuing shalt liue for euer Beleeuest thou this my deare heart I knowe well thou doest beleeue The Lorde increase thy faith and geue thee a liuely feeling of all hys mercies wherof thou art warranted and assured by the testimony of the holy Ghost who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtfull dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true children of God all that I haue sayde and by Gods grace I will as a witnesse thereof confirme and seale the same with my bloud for a most certaine truthe Wherefore my good brother praise the Lord with a ioyful heart and geue him thankes for this his exceeding great mercy casting away all dubitation and wauering yea all sorow of heart and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and most deare and louing father commandeth you to doe by me nay rather by his owne mouth woord pronounced by me But now my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I coulde finde in my heart to wryte 2. or 3. sheetes of paper declaring the ioy I beare in my heart for you mine owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so short as you do well know I am heere constrained to make an ende desiring you to pardone my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my prayer shal supply that my pen doth wāt as knoweth the almighty God to whose most merciful defence I doe heartely commit you and all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most heartely to remember me in their hearty and dailye prayers as I know right well they doe for I feele the daily comfort and commodity therof therfore I neither wil nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you al. Amē Yours for euer vnfainedly Iohn Careles A letter of thankes to a faithfull frend of his by whom he had receiued much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the father of all mercye for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred vnto
haue depraued and corrupted with theyr false gloses to establish the fleshly kingdome of Antichrist and to purchase securitie in the world which they seke to kepe in theyr possession by all meanes possible rather curssing wyth the thunderbolte of excommunication burnynge hanging drowning racking scourging and persecuting by secrete practise and open violence the simple sheepe of our Sauiour Christ then that their false forged packing shuld be detected theyr estimation appaired theyr kitchin cooled theyr rents reuenues goodes landes and possessions abated I say as Gods woorks be woonderful which chuseth some of all sortes to confesse his Gospell so there is no one example in the whole godly felowship of martyrs more to be marked yea more to be wōdered at then thys that one which in all King Edwardes dayes was a Papist within the Uniuersitie of Oxforde and so obstinate as that he did vtterly abhorre all godly Prayer and syncere Preaching and almost of all them with whom he liued was therefore likewise abhorred as I may say poynted at with the finger did yet after in Queene Maries time suffer most cruell deathe at the Papists handes at Newberie in Barkeshire for the most ready and zealous profession of the blessed truthe Hys name was Iulins Palmer borne in Couentry where also his parents dwelt His father had some tyme bene Maior of that Citie and occupied Marchandise all be it he was an Upholster by hys misterie How he was brought vppe in hys yonge and tender yeares from hys first entring we knowe not but as we haue learned hee was sometime scholer to master Harley which taught the free schoole of Magdalene Colledge in Oxforde by whose diligence and the goodnesse of hys owne capacitie he became a towarde yong scholler in prose and verse For hee had a very prompt and ready memorie a witte sharp and pregnant Hee spake Latine with greate facilitye of vtterance and wanted not competent knowledge in the Greke tong in so much that diuers times he supplied the roume of the Greke reader in his house He was a subtill disputer both in the publique schooles and also at home He vsed to say that he was neuer so pleasantly occupied as when he came to the harde debating of profounde questions in Philosophie so that he hath oftentimes watched and spēt the whole nighte in the discussing and searching oute the truth of deepe and diffuse questions as De principijs de infinito de vacuo te tempore de casu fortuna c. And thys vsed he to do sondry times with diuers of his equals In familiar talke he greatly delited for the exercise of his learning to defend the contrary to that which was affirmed yet with modestye and wtout all ostentation For he greatly abhorred al ouerthwart cauilling al friuolous talke and vnsauery brabbling He was not captious but would reason so soberly with such probability that euē his aduersaries would no lesse maruel at the dexteritie of hys inuention then at hys comely and decent behauiour in prosecuting the same And although he applied Diuinitie very lately it appeareth that he recompēsed the smal time of his study with the greatnes of his diligence bestowed in the same his late comming to the truthe with his earnest zealous proceding therein For by the secrete inspiration of Gods holy spirit inwardly working in his hart he gaue an apparāt signification in his yōg yeres that if God had spared his life to age he would haue grown to such maturitie ripenes of iudgement as wherby he should haue ben an ornamēt to Christes Church and an honour to his countrey And somewhat to speake of his ciuil behauior he was of maners courteous without curiosity of countenaunce chearefull without high lookes of speach pleasant wythout affectation he was affable and lowlye as any childe and yet quicke spirited and vehement in reasoning Hee practised no deceit towarde any man for he was of suche simplicitye that hee was apter to be deceiued then to deceiue and he was so great a cōtemner of al reproches and iniuries that he would say none were to be counted valiant but such as could despise iniurie In priuate studie he was so infatigable that hee arose ordinarily euery morning at 4. of the clock and went not lightly to bed before 10. at night In so much that as he grew in yeres vnderstanding so he came to be a Bacheler of Art at length for the hope appering in him to the preferment of a felowship in Mag. colledge where also he was admitted to the office of a reader in logique An. 1550. Now if he had at the first fauored syncere religiō so much as he folowed his booke then had we had the les matter to note in him But in deede he was so much as is aforesaid addicted to the Romish faith that his company conuersation in the same house was altogether with such as were vtter enemies to the gospel of Christ. If he came to cōmon praier at any time it was vy violence compulsiō for otherwise he came not Sermons wold he heare none himself nor yet suffer hys scholers to resort vnto them by his good will for he was full perswaded that they might be better occupied at home The Preachers themselues he did both disdaine and despise and all suche as were setters foorth of sounde doctrine beside For the which contumacie stubbornnesse hee was so ofte called before the Officers of the Colledge and punished sometime by the pursse sometime by the lacke of hys commons and otherwhile by certaine taskes and exercises of learning enioyned vnto hym that diuers supposed hym to haue endeuoured of set purpose continually to seeke occasion whereby he might be counted a sufferer for that fantasied religion of the Romyshe Churche In the ende not longe before the deathe of King Edwarde that godly Prince certaine sclaunderous libelles and railing Uerses were priuely fixed to the walles and doores in sondry places of the Colledge against the President which was then Doctor Haddon whereby was ministred further matter of trouble to Palmer For whereas it was well knowen that he and some of his companions had very little before spoken contumelious woordes against the President it coulde not be nowe auoyded but that thereby arose a vehement surmise and suspition that he conspiring wyth others had contriued made and scattered abroade the sayde slaunderous wrytings Great inquisition was made in the Colledge to search out the author of so malitious and despitefull a deede but nothynge coulde be found and prooued against Palmer or any of his companions Nowe Palmer being hereuppon examined by the Officers did not onely with stoute courage denye the facte to haue bene hys but also spake further manye reprochefull woordes touching the sayd Officers and sent the same to them in wryting wherby he was by them adiudged to be an vnwoorthy member of that
and scholemaster sometimes to king Edwarde The worthinesse of which man deserueth much to be sayd but his fall woulde rather be couered in silence and obliuion Onely to note a woorde or two of a few things to the present storye moste principally appertaining it shall suffice First M. Cheeke being in the countrey of Germanie out of all danger of persecution with many moe of his owne countreymen and acquaintance was not onely in safetie but also with reputation accordingly esteemed among the Germaines and also well placed in the Citie of Strausbourgh Where if he had contented himself to haue remained rather geuing place to time then to presume vppon aduentures peraduenture it had bene better wyth hym But what fatall instigatiō wrought in his mynd I know not In the ende so it fell that he woulde needes take hys iourney with Sir Peter Carew from hie Germanie vnto Bruxels and that as I haue credibly hearde of them which knew somwhat not without the forecasting of his aduentured iourney by the constellation of starres disposition of the heauens aboue For as he was a man famously expert and trauailed in the knowledge of sundrye artes and sciences so was he a little too much addicted to the curious practising of this Starre diuinitie which we call Astrologie But how soeuer it was or what soeuer it was that the starres did promise him truth was that mē heere in earth kept litle promise with him For hauing as it is sayde king Phillips safeconduct to passe and repasse and that by the meanes as I find of the Lord Paget and Sir Iohn Mas. pledging for his safegarde king Phillips fidelitie he came to Bruxels to see the Quenes Ambassadors and hauing brought the lord Paget on his way toward England in the retourne betweene Bruxels Anwarpe was taken with sir Peter Carewe by the Prouest Marshal spoiled of their horses and clapped into a carte theyr legges armes and bodies tied wyth halters to the body of the carte and so shipped being blindfielde vnder the hatches and so brought to the tower of London Thus the good man being intrapped in the handes now of his enemies had but one of these 2. wayes to take either to chaunge his religion or to chaunge his life Other remedy with those holy catholikes there was none Neither could his conscience excuse him nor truth defend him nor learning helpe him Albeit M. Fecknam whether by the Queene suborned or vppon his owne deuotion and frendship towarde his olde acquaintance tooke vpon him the defence commendation of M. Cheeke speaking in his behalfe yet no mercy coulde be had with the Queene but he must needes recant and so did he The copie of whose recantation prescribed vnto him because it is knowen and in the handes of diuers it needeth not heere to be expressed Then after his recantation he was throughe the craftie handling of the Catholickes allured firste to dine and companie with them at lengthe drawen vnwares to sitte in place where the poore Martyrs were broughte before Boner and other Bishops to be condempned the remorse whereof so mightely wroughte in hys heart that not long after he left thys mortall life Whose fall although it was full of infirmitie yet his rising againe by repentaunce was great and hys ende comfortable the Lorde bee praysed ⧠The ende of the XI Booke ⧠Heere beginneth the XII Booke containing the bloudye doings and persecutions of the aduersaries against the Faithfull and true seruantes of Christ with the particular processes and names of such as were put to slaughter from the beginning of Ian. An. 1557. and the fifte of Queene Marie The order and maner of the Cardinals visitation in Cambridge with the condemning taking vp and burning the bones and Bookes of Bucer and Paulus Phagius An. 1557. Ian. 9. CArdinall Poole three yeares after his retourne into Englande hauinge somwhat withdrawn his mind from other affaires of the realme and hauing in all poyntes established the Romish religion began to haue an eye to the vniuersity of Cambridge whiche place amōg other speciallye seemed to haue neede of reformation out of hand To perform this charge were chosen Cuthbert Scot not long before consecrated Bishop of Chester Nicholas Ormanet an Italian Archpriest of the people of Bodolon in the dioces of Ueron professed in bothe the lawes and bearing the name of the popes Datary Tho. Watson elected Bish. of Lincolne Iohn Chrystopherson elected bish of Chichester and Henry Cole Prouost of the colledge of Eaton There was good cause why the matter was especially cōmitted to these persons For as touching Ormanet it is wel knowen that he was a man of much estimation with Iulius the 3. at that time B. of Rome and was appoynted to come into Englande with Cardinall Poole because without his knowledge as in whome hee put his chief trust and confidence the B. would haue nothing done that was of any importance or weight These persones thus appoynted in the meane while as the visitors were addressing themselues to their iourney sent their letters with the Cardinals Citation before doctor Andrew Perne Uicechācellor then of Cambridge with the other Commissioners associate commāding him to warne all the Graduates of the Uniuersitie in theyr name to be in a readinesse against the 11. day of Ianuarie betwixt 8. and 10. of the clocke in the churche of S. Marye the virgin willing him especially to be there hym selfe in presence and also to sette forward all the residue to whose charge it belonged that they should search out all Statutes Bookes Priuiledges and Monuments appertaining to the Uniuersitie or to any of the Colledges or finally to any of thēselues and these to present the same before them at the day appoynted and euery mā to appeare there personally for they woulde not faile but be there at the same time to lay before them such things as should seme necessary to this charge of reforming the vniuersitye and further to geue charge of all such things as should seeme most for the profit behoue of the same together with such thyngs as were to be done on theyr parte accordinge as shoulde seeme most agreeable to the Decrees of the Canon lawe This citation of the Cardinal being brought to Cambridge by master bullocke was first exhibited in the Conuocation house of Regents and there openly redde by the Orator of the Uniuersitie the 11. of December After thys vppon the 24. of December whyche was Christenmasse euen the Uicechancellor wyth the heads of houses meeting together in the Schooles it was there cōcluded that the visitors charges should be borne by the vniuersitie and Colledges which then cost the Uniuersitie an 100. pound thicke and also that no master of any Colledge should suffer any of the fellowes scholers or ministers to goe foorth of the towne but to retourne before the Uisitation On friday the 8. of Ianuarie the Queenes Commissioners
they brought in a false Ordinarye to sit vpon him so they pretended false articles agaynst him whiche were no part of his examinations but of their deuising to haue his bloud Sixtly and lastly hauing no other groūd nor iust matters agaynst him but onely for saying these wordes that which I sayd I haue sayde they red the sentence of death vpon him And this was the dealing of these men whiche needes will be reputed for Catholicke fathers of the spirituality succeders of the Apostles disciples of Christ pillers of the holy Churche and leaders of the people Of whose doynges and proceedinges howe agreable they are to the example of Christ and his Apostles I leaue to discusse referryng the iudgement hereof to them which know the institution of Christes religion and doctrine Now least peraduēture the disordered misrule of these Christmas Lordes will not be credited vppon the simple narration of the story yee shall heare the whole discourse of this processe registred by the hand of the Martyr hymselfe who as he could tell best what was done so I am sure would not testifie otherwise then trueth was according as you shall heare by his owne declaration here following ¶ The declaration of Steuen Gratwicke concerning his owne story and condemnation VPon the xxv day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1557. I. Stephen Gratwick came before the Bishop of Winchester D. White into S. Georges Churche in Southwarke at eight of the clocke in the morning and then hee called me before him and sayd vnto me B. Winchester Stephen Gradwick how standeth the matter with thee now Art thou contented to reuoke thy heresies the which thou hast mayntayned and defended here within my Dioces oftentimes before me and also vppon Sonday last ye stoode vp in the face of the whole Churche mayntayning your heresies so that you haue offended with in the libertie of my Dioces and now I being your Ordinary you must aunswere to me directly whether you will reuoke them or not the which I haue here in writing and if so be that you wil not reuoke them then I will excommunicate you and therefore note well what you doe for now I read here the Articles agaynst you And so whē he had ended he bad me answer vnto them Grat. My Lord these articles whiche you haue here obiected agaynst me are not mine but of youe owne making For I neuer had any of mine examinations written at any time and therefore these be the obiections that you laye agaynst me as a snare to get my bloud Wherefore I desyer your lawfull fauour to allow my lawfull appeale vnto myne Ordinary for I haue nothing to do with you And whereas you do burden me that I haue offended within your Dioces it is nothing so for I haue not interprised neyther to preache nor teache within your Dioces but was apprehended by mine own Bishop sent prisoner into your Dioces by the consent of the Coūsell mine own Ordinary therefore I so being in your Dioces you haue no cause to let my lawfull appeale And with that there came the Bishop of Rochester was receaued at the B. of Winchesters hands with much gladnes according to their determinate purpose before inuented And so followed the Archdeacon of Canterbury And then the Bishop agayne start vp as a man halfe rauished of his wittes for ioye embracing him with many gētle wordes and sayd that he was very glad of his comming making himselfe ignorant thereof as he thought it should appeare to me Then sayd Winchester B. Win. Syr I am very glad of your cōming For here I haue one before me who hath appealed vnto you being his Ordinary Then sayd the Archdeacon of Canterbury Arch. Cant. I know this man very well He hath bene diuers times before me And then I aunswered and sayd Gratw My Lorde I am not of his Dioces not by fiue miles for his Dioces reacheth on that parties but to the Cliffes of Lewes I dwelled at Bright Hempson fiue miles beyond in the Dioces of the Bishop of Chichester and therefore I am not of his Dioces Then the the Bishop of Winchester the B. of Rochester and the Archdeacon of Canterbury cast their heades together laughed and thē they sayd my Ordinary wold be here by and by so they sent forth for a counterfayte in steede of mine Ordinary and then I saw them laugh and I spake vnto them and sayd Grat. Why do ye laugh are ye confederate together for my bloud and therein triumph you haue more cause to looke waightely vpon the matter For I stand here before you vpon life and death But you declare youre selues what you are for you are lapped in Lambes apparell but I would to God ye had coates according to your assemblye here which is scarlet gownes for I do here perceiue you are bent to haue my bloud And then came rushing in their counterfayted Bishop who was the hyred seruaunt to deliuer me into the hands of the high Priest the Bishop hearyng him come with haste enquired of his man who was there and he sayd my lord of Chichester Then the Bish. with hast rose vp and sayd Wint. Ye are most hartily welcome and required him to sit downe and then sayd the Bishop of Winchester to me Loe here is your Ordinary What haue you nowe to saye vnto him Grat. I haue nothing to say vnto him If he haue nothing to say vnto me I pray you let me depart Then aunswered my Counterfeyt Ordinary and sayd Counterf Here you stand before my Lords and me in triall of your fayth and if you bring the trueth wee shall by compulsion geue place vnto you as it is to be proued by the word and your doctrine to be heard and placed for a truth Grat. Then I demaunded of him whether hee meant by authoritie or by the iudgement of the spirite of GOD in his members And he aunswered me by authoritie as well as by the spirite Grat. Then I sayd Nowe will I turne your own Argument vpon you for Christ came before the high priests Scribes and Phariseis bringing the truth with him beyng the very truth hymselfe which truth cannot lye yet both he and his truth was condemned and took no place with them And also the Apostles and all the Martyrs that dyed since Christ therefore I turne your owne argument vpon you aunswere it if you can Counterf Then he with a great hast of coller sayd vnto the Bishop of Winchester obiect some Articles agaynst hym for he is obstinate and would fayne get out of our handes therefore holde him to some particular so that other aunswere could I not haue of his argument Wint. Then the Bishop of Winchester began to reade hys obiections of his owne making agaynst me and bad me aunswere vnto them And I sayd Grat. No except you would set the law apart because I see you are
her first comming into this place she did greuously bewaile with great sorrowe lamentation and reasoned with her selfe why her Lorde God did with his so heauy iustice suffer her to be sequestred from her louing fellowes into so extreeme miserie In these dolorous mournings did shee continue til on a night as shee was in her sorrowful supplications in rehearsing thys verse of the Psalme Why arte thou so heauie O my soule And againe The right hande of the most highest can chaunge all shee receiued comforte in the middest of her miseries And after that continued very ioyfull vntill her deliuerie from the same About the 25. day of March in the yeare of our Lorde 1557. shee was called before the Bishop who demaunded of her whether shee would nowe goe home and go to the church or no promising her great fauour if she woulde be reformed and doe as they did To whom she answered I am throughly perswaded by the great extremitie that you haue already shewed me that you are not of God neither can your doings be godly and I see sayeth she that you seeke my vtter destruction shewing how lame she then was of cold taken for lacke of foode while she lay in that painful prison whereby shee was not able to mooue her selfe without great paine Then did the bish deliuer her frō that filthy hole and sent her to Westgate whereas after she had bene changed and for a while ben cleane kept her skin did wholy so pill scale off as if she had bene with some mortal venome poysoned Heere she continued till the latter end of Aprill At which time they called her before them and with others condemned her committing her then to the prisone called the Castle Where shee continued till the slaughter daye which was the 19. day of Iune when by terrible fire they tooke away her life When she was at the stake she cast her handkerchiefe vnto one Iohn Bankes requiring him to kepe the same in the memorie of her and from about her middle she tooke a white lace which she gaue to the keeper desiring him to geue the same to her brother Roger Hall and to tell hym that it was the last band that she was bound with except the chaine A shilling also of Phillip and Mary shee tooke foorth which her father had bowed and sent her when shee was first sent to prison desiring that her said brother should with obedient salutations render the same to her father againe shew him that it was the first peece of mony that he sent her after her troubles begon which as shee protested she had kept now sent him to do him to vnderstand that shee neuer lacked money while shee was in prison With this Alice Benden were burned also the residue of the other blessed Martyrs aboue named being seuen in number Who being brought to the place where they shuld suffer for the Lordes cause at Canterbury vndressed them selues ioyfully to the fire and being ready thereto they all like the communion of Saints kneled downe and made their humble praiers vnto the Lorde with such zeale and affection as euen the enemies of the Crosse of Christ coulde not but like it When they had made inuocation together they roase and went to the stake where being compassed with horrible flames of fire they yeelded their soules and liues gloriously into the handes of the Lord. The burning of seuen Martyrs at Caunterburie The troubles and examinations of Mathew Plase VNto these holy martyrs of Kent aboue specified wher of seuen suffered at Maidstone and seuen at Canterb. I thought not vnmeete heere also to be adioyned the examination of Mathew Plase a Weauer of the same Countie of Kent and a faithful christian Who being apprehended and imprisoned likewise for the testimonie of a good conscience in the Castell of Canterbury was brought to examination before the Bishop of Douer and Harpsfield the Archdeacon as here is to be red and seene The examination and answeres of Mathewe Plase Weauer of the Parish of Stone in the Countie of Kent before Thornton Bishop of Douer Harpesfield Archdeacon Collins Commissarie other Inquisitours An. 1557. FIrst when I came before the bishop he asked me whether I were not of that Dioces and where I dwelt for that was my first Article Ans. I aunsweared I was of the Parishe of Stone in Kent and subiect vnto the King Queene of England Bish. Then he sayd I was indicted by xij men at Ashford at the Sessions for heresie Auns I sayd that was sooner sayd then prooued Bish. Then he sayde it was the truthe that he had spoken to me for he had whereby to prooue it Auns Then I desired him to let me heare it and I would answere to it Bish. But he sayd he would not so do but I should aunswere to my Article yea or nay Auns I said he could not for I was not at Ashforde and therfore he had nothing to lay to my charge But nowe I perceiue you goe about to lay a net to haue my bloud Arch. After many woordes betwixt the bishop and me the Archdeacon said peace peace we do not desire thy bloud but we are glad to heare that thou art no hereticke wyth many flattering woordes and said yet I was suspected of heresie and if I woulde be content to confesse howe I did beleeue as concerning those Articles they woulde gladly teache me Auns But I sayd I did not so thinke for I talked wyth one of your doctors and after long talke he would nedes know how I did beleeue in the Sacrament and I recited vnto him the text and because I would not make him an exposition he would teach me nothing yet I praied hym for my learning to wryte his minde if it were the truth I would beleeue him and this I did desire him for the loue of God but it would not be Arch. Then sayd he it was not so he durst sweare vpon a booke Auns I sayd it would be so prooued Arch. Then he stoode vp with a long processe and sayd he would tell me the truth and was sure that the same Doctour did beleeue as he did Auns I asked him how he knew that seing S. Paul doth say that no man knoweth what is in man but the spirite which dwelleth in him but if you wist what Christ meant by these woords I require mercy and not sacrifice you wold not kill innocents Bishop The Bishop began with me againe and charged me in the king and Queenes name and the Lord Cardinals to answere yea or nay to the Articles that followed Auns Then I commanded him in his name that should come in flaming fire with his mighty Aungels to render vengeance to the disobedient and to all those that beleued not the gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which should be punished with euerlasting damnation that he should speake nothing but the truth grounded vpon Christ and
Christ was borne for mee and that he suffered death for me and that I shall be saued from my sinnes by his bloudshedding so receiuing the Sacrament in that remembraunce then I beleue I do receiue wholly Christ God and maÌ„ mistically by fayth this is my beliefe Chich. Why then it is no body without fayth Gods word is of no force as you count it Wood. My Lorde I haue tolde you my minde without dissimulation more you get not of me without you will talke with me by the Scriptures and if you will do so I will beginne anew with you proue it more plainly thre or foure maner of wayes that you shall not say nay to that I haue sayd your selfe Then they made a great laughing and sayd Thys is an Hereticke in deede it is time he were burned Which wordes moued my spirite and I sayde to them Iudge not least you be iudged For as you iudge me you shall be iudged your selues For that you call heresy I serue God truely with as you all shall well know when you shal be in hell and haue bloud to drinke and shal be compelled to say for payne This was the maÌ„ that we iested on whose talke we thought foolishnes and his end to be without honour but now we may see how he is counted among the Sayntes of GOD and we are punished These wordes shall you say being in hell if you repent not with speed if you consent to the shedding of my bloud wherefore looke to it I geue you counsell Priest What you be angry me thinkes Now I will saye more to you then I thought to haue done You were at Baxill a twelue moneth agone sent for the Parson talked with him in the Churchyard and would not goe into the church for you sayd it was the Idols temple Yea I was with mine olde Lorde when he came to the Kinges Bench to you and you sayd many stout wordes to him Wood. That I sayde I sayde and where you sayde I was angrye I take God to my recorde I am not but am zelous in the truth speake out of the spirite of God with chearefulnes Priest The spirite of God hough hough hough thinke you that you haue the spirit of God Wood. I beleue surely that I haue the spirite of GOD I praise God therfore and you be deceiuers mockers and scorners before God and be the childreÌ„ of hel all the sort of you as farre as I can see And therwith came in D. Story poynting at me with his finger speaking to the bishop in Latin saying at length Story I can say nothing to him but he is an hereticke I haue heard you talke this houre and a halfe and can heare no reasonablenes in him Wood. Iudge not lest you be iudged for as you iudge you shal be iudged your selfe Story What be you a preaching you shal preach at a stake shortly with your felowes My Lord trouble your self no more with him With these wordes one brought woorde that the Abbot of Westminster was come to dyne with the Byshop and many other gentlemen and women Then there was rushing away with speed to meet him Then sayd Doctor Story to my keeper Story Cary him to the Marshalsee againe and let him be kept close and let no body come to speake with him Wood. And so they departed Then one of the priestes begon to flatter with me and sayd for Gods sake remember your selfe God hath geuen you a good wit you haue read the scriptures well haue borne them wel in memory It were great pity you should do amisse Wood. What a flatterer be you to say my wit is good and that I haue red the scriptures well but euen now you said I was an heretike despised me If I be an heretike I can haue no good wit as you haue coÌ„fessed But I think your owne conscieÌ„ce doth accuse you God geue you grace to repent if it be his will Priest I cal it a good wit because you are expert in all questions Wood. You may call it a wicked wit if it agree not with gods word Then one cried Away away here commeth strangers So we departed I came againe to the Marshalsee with my Keeper ¶ The third examination of Richard Woodman copied with his owne hand before D. Langdall parson of Buxted in Sussex and Chaplaine to my Lord Montague and M. Iames Gage at my Lord Montagues house beside S. Mary Oueries in Southwarke the 12. day of May Anno. 1557. THe 1â— day of May the Marshal came to the Marshalsee sent for me to speake with him When I came before him had done my dutie he asked my name what countrey man I was I shewed him both Then he asked me when I was abroad in the city To whom I answered if it shal please your maistership I was abroad in the citie on Monday was seuennight Marshall What made you abroad Wood. The B. oâ— Chichester sent for me to talke with mee at home at his house beside S. Nicholas shambles Mar. Were you abroad no otherwise then so Wood. No forsooth I was neuer abroad since I was sent hither but then For I haue nothing to do abroad vnlesse they send for me Mar. This is a marueilous matter I promise you I was not so rebuked these 7. yeares as I was for you within these 3. dayes It is reported that you were abroad in the citie at certaine Tauernes spake seditious wordes both in the Tauernes and Streetes as you went Wood. Syr the trueth is I was in neuer a house or Tauerne whiles I was abroad but in the bishops house as my keeper can will I am sure testify nor I neuer talked with any man in the streetes as I came but with my keeper sauing with one man in deede of the Parishe of Framfield in Sussex where M. Iames Gage dwelleth His name is Rob. Smith being one of my most enemies who stood in a waine as we came by and was vnlading of Cheese me thought but a litle way from the Marshalsee In deede I bade him God speede and asked him howe he did and he sayd well he thanked me and he asked me how I did and I sayd well I prayse God that was all the talke that we had these wordes were spoken as I came by him I promise you sir I stoode not still while I spake theÌ„ as my keeper can tell and I thinke these words were no seditious wordes but might be spoken well enough I thinke or els it were very strayt Marshall Then it is to bee thought that that man reported otherwise then it was I am gladde it is as you say Well make you ready for you must go forth straight way where you shall be examined of that and of other thinges where you shal aunswere for your selfe Go make hast for I will â—ary till you be ready Wood. So I departed
that Iudas receiued bread which is no heresy vnlesse you tell what more then bread Wood. Is it heresy to say that Iudas receiued more then bread I sayd he receaued more then bare bread for he receiued the Sacrament that was prepared to shewe foorth the Lordes death and because he presumed to eat without sayth he eat the deuill withall as the wordes of Christ declare after he eate the soppe the Deuill entred into hym as you cannot deny Winc. Hold him a booke I will haue you aunswere dyrectly whether Iudas did eate the body of Christ or no. Wood. I will answere no more for I am not of your Dioces wherfore I will haue nothing to do with you Winc. No you be in my Dioces and you be of my Dioces because you haue offended in my Dioces Wood. I am not of your Dioces although I am in your Dioces and I was brought into your Dioces against my will and I haue not offended in your Dioces if I haue tell me wherein Winchester Here is your owne hand writing the whiche is heresie These be the wordes I cannot find say you that it is the body of christ to any before it be receiued in faith How say you is not this your owne hand writing Wood. Yea I do not deny but it is mine owne hand wryting but when or where was it written or where wer the woâ—des spoken Before the Commissioners and here is one of them Maister Roper the words were spoken before you Were they not Roper Yes in deed that they were Woodman I am sure you will not deny them for you haue written the wordes euen as you spake them Wood. No sir in deed I will not deny but that I spake theÌ„ and I am glad that you haue seene it For you may see by that whether I lye or not Roper In deede the wordes be written word by word as we spake them Winchest Well here you affirme that it is your owne deede How say you now Will you be sorie for it and become an honest man Wood. My Lord I trust no man can say but that I am an honest manne and as for that I maruell that you wil lay it to my charge knowing that my Lorde of London dyscharged me of all matters that were layde agaynst me when I was released of him Winc. You were released and it might fortune it was not layd to your charge then therfore we lay it to your charge now because you be suspected to be an hereticke and wee may call you before vs and examine you vpon your faith vpon suspicion Wood. In deede S. Peter willeth me to render account of my hope that I haue in God and I am contented so to do if it please my Bishop to heare me Chichester Yes I pray you let vs heare it Wood. I do beleue in God the father almighty maker of heaueÌ„ of earth and of al things visible inuisible and in one Lord Iesus christ my sauiour very God and man I beleue in God the holy Ghost the comforter of al Gods elect people and that he is equall with the father and the sonne I beleue the true Catholicke church and all the sacraments that belongeth thereto Thus I haue rendered accompt of my hope that I haue of my saluation Winch. And how beleue you in the blessed sacrament of the aulter And with that word they all put of their cappes to that abhominable Idoll Wood. I pray you be contented for I will not aunswere to any mo questions for I perceaue you go about to shed my bloud Winch. No hold him a booke If he refuse to sweare he is an Anabaptist and shall be excommunicated Wood. I will not sweare for you excommunicate me if you will For you be not meete to take an oth for you laid heresies to my charge in yonder pulpite the whiche you are not able to proue wherfore you bee not meete to take an othe of any man And as for me I am not of your Dyoces nor will haue any thing to doe with you Winchester I will haue to do with thee and I saye thou art a strong hereticke Wood. Yea all trueth is heresie with you but I am content to shew you my minde how I beleue on the sacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of Iesus Christe without flattering For that you looke for I am sure But I will meddle no â—urther But what I holde my selfe of it I will not meddle of any other mans beliefe on it N Harp Why I am sure al mens fayth ought to be alike Wood Yea I graunt you so that all true Christians faith ought to be alike But I will aunswere for my selfe N. Harp Well let vs heare what you say to it Wood. I do beleue that when I come to receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ if it be truly ministred according to Christes institutioÌ„ I comming in fayth as I truste in God I will whensoeuer I come to receiue it I beleuing that Christ was borne for me that he suffered death for the remission of my sinnes and that I shal be saued by his death and bloud shedding and so receaue the Sacramente of bread and wine in that remembraunce that then I doe receiue whole Christ God and man mistically by fayth This is my beliefe on the sacrament Then they spake all at once saying mistically by faythe The fat prieste What a foole art thou mistically by faythe thou canst not tell what mistically is Wood If I be a foole so take me But God hathe chosen such fooles of this world to confound such wife things as you are The fat priest I pray thee what is mistically Wood. I take mistically to be the fayth that is in vs that the world seeth not but God onely Winch. He cannot tell what he sayth Aunswere to the Sacrament of the aulter whether it be not the body of Christ before it bee receaued and whether it be not the bodye of Christ to whom soeuer receaueth it Tell me or els I will excommunicate thee Wood. I haue sayd as much as I will say excommunicate me if you will I am none of your Dioces The Bishop of Chichester is mine Ordinary Let him do it if you will needs haue my bloud that it may be required at his haÌ„ds Chichest I am not consecrated yet I tolde you when you were with me Wood. No in deede your kine bringe foorth nothing but Cow calues as it chaunceth now Meaning thereby that he had not his Bulles from Rome Then they were al in a great rage with me and called me al to nought and sayd I was out of my wâ—t because I spake feruently to euery mans question all the whiche I cannot remember but I sayd So Festus sayd to Paule when he spake the words of sobernes and truth out of the spirite of God as I do But as ye haue iudged me
great deale better welcome then lyfe But this tooke not effect at that time as she thought it would and therfore as I sayd was she not a little troubled Beyng in this great perplexitie of mynde a friend of hers came to her and required to knowe whether Abrahams obedience was accepted before God for that hee did sacrifice his sonne Isaac or in that he would haue offered hym Unto which she answered thus I know quoth she that Abrahams will before God was allowed for the deede in that he would haue done it if the Aungell of the Lorde had not stayed him but I said she am vnhappy the Lorde thinketh me not worthye of this dignitie and therfore Abrahams case and mine is not alyke Why quoth her friend would ye not willingly haue gone with your company if God should so haue suffered it Yes said she with all my hart and because I did not it is now my chiefe and greatest griefe Then said her friend My deare sister I pray thee consider Abraham and thy self well thou shalt see thou doest nothing differ with him in will at all Alas quoth she there is a farre greater matter in Abraham then in me for Abraham was tried with the offering of his owne childe but so am not I and therefore our cases are not lyke Good sister quoth her friend way the matter but indifferently Abraham I graunt sayd he would haue offered his sonne and haue not you done the lyke in your little suckyng babe But consider further then this my good sister sayd he where Abraham was commanded but to offer his sonne you are heuy and grieued because you offer not your selfe which goeth somewhat more neere you then Abrahams obedience did therefore before God assuredly is no lesse accepted allowed in his holy presence which further the preparing of your shroud also doth argue full well c. After which talke betweene them she began a little to stay her selfe and gaue her whole exercise to readyng and prayer wherein she found no little comfort In the tyme that these foresayd ij good women were prisoners one in the Castle the other in Motehall God by a secret meane called the sayd Margaret Thurston vnto his truth agayne who hauyng her eyes opened by the workyng of his spirit did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before and promised faithfully to the Lord in hope of his mercies neuer more while she liued to doe the like agayne but that she would constantly stand to the cōfession of the same against all the aduersaries of the crosse of Christ. After which promise made came in short tyme a writ from London for the burning of them which accordyng to the effect thereof was executed the 17. day of September in the yeare aforesayd * The burning of Margaret Thurston and Agnes Bongeor at Colchester to Laxfield to bee burned and on the next day mornyng was brought to the stake where was ready agaynst hys commyng the foresayd Iustice M. Thurstō one M. Waller then beyng vnder shiriffe and M. Tho. Louell beyng high Constable as is before expressed the which commanded men to make redy all things meete for that sinful purpose Nowe the fire in most places of the streete was put out sauyng a smoke was espied by the said Tho. Louell proceeding out from the top of a chimney to which house the shiriffe and Grannow his man went and brake open the dore and thereby got fire and brought the same to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place where he should be burned he kneeled downe and sayde the 50. Psalme with other prayers and then they making haste bound hym to the stake and beyng bounde the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd Feare not them that can kill the body but feare hym that can kill both bodye and soule and cast it into euerlastyng fire When he saw his sister weeping and making mone for him he bade her that she should not weepe for hym but weepe for her sinnes Then one Nich. Cadman beyng Hastler a valiaunt champion in the Popes affaires brought a fagotte and set agaynst him and the said Ioh. Noyes tooke vp the fagot and kissed it and sayd Blessed bee the tyme that euer I was borne to come to this Then he deliuered his Psalter to the vndershirife desiring him to be good to his wyfe and children to deliuer to her that same booke and the shiriffe promised hym that he would notwithstāding he neuer as yet performed his promise Then the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd to the people They say they can make God of a piece of bread beleeue them not Then sayd he good people beare witnes that I do beleeue to be saued by the merites passion of Iesus Christ and not by myne owne deedes and so the fire was kindled and burned about him and thē he sayd Lord haue mercy vpon me Christ haue mercy vppon me Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me ¶ The burnyng of Iohn Noyes Martyr And so he yelded vp his lyfe and when his body was burned they made a pit to bury the coales and ashes and amongst the same they found one of his feet that was vnburned whole vp to the anckle with the hose on and that they buried with the rest Now while he was a burnyng there stoode one Iohn Iaruis by a mans seruant of the same towne a plaine fellow which sayd Good Lorde how the sinewes of hys armes shrinke vp And there stood behynd hym one Gran now and Benet beyng the shiriffes men and they sayd to their maister that Iohn Iaruis said what villeine wretches are these And their maister bade lay hand on hym then they tooke hym and piniond hym and caried hym before the Iustice that same day and the Iustice did examine hym of the words aforesayd but he denied them and aunswered that he sayd nothing but this Good Lorde howe the sinews of his armes shrinke vp But for all this the Iustice did bynd his father and his maister in v. poundes a piece that he should be forth commyng at all tymes And on the Wednesday next hee was broughte agayne before these Iustices M. Thurston and M. Kene they sittyng at Fresingfield in Hoxton hundred and there they did appoint and commaund that the sayd Iohn Iaruis shoulde be set in the stockes the next market day and whipt about the market naked But his Maister one William Iaruis did after craue friendship of the Constables and they dyd not set him in the stockes till Sonday morning and in the after noone they did whip hym about the market wyth a dog whip hauyng three cords and so they let hym go Some doe geue that Iohn Iaruis was whipped for saying that Nich. Cadman was Noyes Hastler that is such one as maketh and hasteth the fire The copy of a certaine letter that he sent to comforte his Wyfe at such tyme as he lay
geue away and not himselfe vse that his authoritye and power geuen him of God or lawfully may without offence to God and his people after knowledge thereof hadde suffer himselfe by fraud or guile or by any other vnlawfull meane to be beguiled defrauded and spoyled thereof and whether any subiect of what dignity estate or calling soeuer he or they be without offence to God and to his kinge to the minishing or derogating of the supreme prerogatiue roial of his king or of any part therof may do ought or after knowledge therof had without offence to God to his king may conceale the same 9. Whether the holy written law of God be geuen of God vnto all men of what dignity estate or calling by office soeuer they be aswell thereby to gouerne all theyr Dominions Regions and Countryes and theyr people therin inhabiting as themselues and whether any law or lawes the holy law of God onely excepted not being made within any Dominion Region or Country whereas it or they be vsed may be lawfully vsed before it or they be as the lawfull law or lawes of the same Dominion Region oâ— Countrey by publicke and common order of the same Dominion Region or Countrey lawfully allowed and whether any subiect without offence agaynst God and his king within the Dominion of his king may lawfully vse any such lawe or lawes not so allowed Emanuell ¶ Ascribe vnto the Lord O ye mighty ascribe vnto the Lord worship and strength geue the Lord the honor of his name and bow your selues to the holy maiesty of the Lord. I will harken what the Lord God will say for he shall speake peace vnto his people that they turne not themselues vnto foolishnes This 6. of Aprill 1557. By me Richard Gibson ¶ The death and Martyrdome of Iohn Rough Minister and Margaret Mearing burned at London the 22. of December IN this furious time of persecution were also burned these two constant and faythfull Martyrs of Christ Iohn Rough a Minister and Margaret Mearing This Rough was borne in Scotland who as himselfe confesseth in his aunsweres to Boners Articles because some of his kinsfolke woulde haue kept hym froÌ„ his right of inheritaunce which he had to certaine landes did at the age of xvij yeares in despite and the rather to displease his frendes professe himselfe into the order of the blacke Friers at Sterling in Scotlande where he remained the space of xvj yeres vntill such time as the Lord Hamulton Earle of Arren and gouernour of the Realme of Scotland aforesayde casting a fauour vnto hym did sue vnto the Archbishop of Saynt Andrewes to haue him out of his professed order that as a Seculare Prieste he might serue hym for his Chapleine At which request the Archbishoppe caused the Prouincial of that house hauing thereto authority to dispence with hym for his habite and order This sute beyng thus by the Earle obteined the sayde Rough remayned in his seruice one whole yeare duryng which time it pleased God to open his eyes and to geue him some knowledge of his truth and thereupon was by the sayd gouernour sent to preach in the freedome of Ayre where he continued foure yeares and then after the death of the Cardinall of Scotland he was appoynted to abyde at S. Andrewes and there had assigned vnto him a yearely pension of xx pound from king Henry the eight Kyng of England Howbeit at last waying with himselfe hys owne dauÌ„ger and also abhorring the Idolatry and superstition of this countrey and hearing of the freedome of the Gospell within this Realme of England he determyned with himselfe not to tary any longer there And therefore soone after the battel of Muscle bourough he came first vnto Carliell and from thence vnto the Duke of Somerset then Lord Protectour of England and by his assignment had appoynted vnto him out of the Kinges treasurye xx poundes of yearely stipend and was sent as a Preacher to serue at Carliell Barwicke and Newcastell From whence after he had there according to the lawes of God and also of this Realme taken a countrey woman of hys to wife he was called by the Archbyshoppe of Yorke that then was vnto a benefice nighe in the Towne of Hull where he continued vntill the death of that blessed good king Edward the 6. But in the beginning of the reigne of Queene Marye perceyuyng the alteration of Religion and the persecution that woulde thereupon arise and feeling hys owne weakenes he fled with his wife into Friseland dwelte there at a place called Norden labouring truely for his liuing in knitting of Cappes hose and such like thinges till about the end of the moneth of October last before hys death At which tyme lacking yearne and other suche necessary prouision for the mainteinaunce of his occupation he came ouer againe into England here to prouide for the same and the x. daye of Nouember arriued at London Where hearing of the secret society and holy Congregation of Gods children there assembled he ioyned himselfe vnto them and afterwardes being elected theyr Minister and Preacher did continue moste vertuously exercised in that Godly felowshippe teaching and confirming them in the trueth and Gospell of Christ. But in the ende suche was the prouidence of God who disposeth all thinges to the best the xij day of December he with Cutbert Symson and others through the crafty and trayterous suggestion of a false Hipocrite and dissembling Brother called Roger Sergeaunt a taylour were apprehended by the Uicechamberlayne of the Queenes house at the SaraceÌ„s head in Islington where the Congregation had theÌ„ purposed to assemble themselues to theyr Godly and accustomable exercises of prayer and hearing the word of God which pretence for the safegarde of all the rest they yet at theyr examinations couered and excused by hearing of a playe that was then appoynted to be at that place The Uicechamberlayne after he had apprehended them caried â—ough and Symson vnto the Counsell who charged theÌ„ to haue assembled together to celebrate the Communion or Supper of the Lord and therefore after sundry examinations and aunsweares they sent the sayd Rough vnto Newgate but his examinations they seÌ„t vnto the bishop of London with a Letter signed with they handes the copy wherof foloweth ¶ A Letter sent from the Queenes Councell vnto Boner Bishop of London touching the examination of Iohn Rough Minister AFter our harty commendations to your good Lordship we send you here inclosed the examination of a Scottish man named Iohn Rough who by the Queenes Maiesties commaundement is presentlye sent to Newgate beyng of the chiefe of them that vpon Sonday last vnder the colour of comming to see a Play at the Saracens head in Islington had prepared a communion to be celebrated and receiued there among certayne other seditious and hereticall persons And forasmuch as by the sayde Roughes examination conteining the story and progresse
the 13. and 14. articles they confesse and graunt the contents of them to be true in euery part When at the daies before specified these good men were produced before Boners Chancellour Thomas Darbishire and had the foresaide articles ministred vnto them and they as ye haue heard had made aunswere vnto the same in the ende the Chauncellor commaunded them to appeare before them againe the 11. day of Iuly after in the sayde place at Paules Where when they came he required of them whether they woulde tourne from their opinions to the mother holy church and if not that then whether there were anye cause to the contrarye but that they might procede with the sentence of condemnation Wherunto they all answeared that they would not go from the truthe nor relent from any part of the same while they liâ—â—ed Then he charged them to appeare before him againe the next daye in the afternoone betweene one and two of the clocke to heare the definitiue sentence redde agaynste them according to the Ecclesiasticall lawes then in force At which time he sitting in iudgemeÌ„t talking with these godly and vertuous men at the last came into the sayde place syr Edwarde Hastings sir Thomas Cornewales knights two of Quene Maries officers of her house and being there they sate them down ouer against the Chancellor in whose presence the sayde Chancellor condemned those good poore Lambes and deliuered them ouer to the secular power who receiued and caried them to prisonne immediately and there kept them in safetie till the daye of their deathe In the meane time this naughty Chancellor slept not I warrant you but that day in which they were condemned he made certificate into the Lorde Chancellors office from whence the next daye after was sent a writ to burne them at Brainforde aforesaid which accordingly was accomplished in the same place the said 14. daye of Iulye Whereunto they being brought made theyr humble praiers vnto the Lorde Iesus vndressed themselues wente ioyfully to the stake whereto they were bounde and the fire flaming about them they yelded their soules bodies and liues into the handes of the omnipotent Lorde for whose cause they didde suffer and to whose protection I commend thee gentle Reader Amen The burning of sixe Martyrs at Brainforde Among these 6. was due William Pikes as yee haue heard who sometime dwelt in Ipswiche in Suffolke by his occupation a Tanner a very honest godly man of a vertuous disposition a good keper of hospitalitie and beneâ—icial to the persecuted in Queene Maries daies Thys saide William Pikes in the 3. yeare of Queene Maries raigne a little after Midsomer being then at libertie weÌ„t into his Garden and tooke wyth him a Bible of Rogers translation where hee sitting wyth his face towardes the South reading on the said Bible sodenly fell downe vpon his booke betwene a 11. and 12. a clocke of the day foure drops of fresh bloud he knew not from whence it came Then he seeing the same was sore astonished coulde by no meanes learne as I sayd from whence it should fall and wiping out one of the droppes with his finger called his wife and said In the vertue of God wife what meaneth this Wil the Lord haue 4. sacrifices I see wel enough the Lorde will haue bloude his wil be done and geue me grace to abide the triall Wife let vs pray sayde hee for I feare the day draweth nigh Afterwarde he daily looked to be apprehended of the papistes and it came to passe accordingly as yee haue heard Thus much thought I good to wryte heereof to stirre vp our dull senses in considering the Lordes woorkes and reuerently to honour the same His name therefore be praised for euermore Amen Moreouer concerning the sayd William Pikes as he was in Newgate sore sicke and at the poynte of deathe so that no man looked he should liue 6. houres there declared to them that stoode by that he had bene twise in persecution before and that now he desired the Lord if it were his will that he might glorifie his name at the stake and so as he prayed it came to passe at Brainford Ye hard before of those 22. taken at Islington 13. were burned and 6. escaped albeit very hardly some of them not without scourging by the hands of the bishop In the which number was Thomas Hinshaw Ihon Milles according to the expresse Picture here after purported Ex epigrammate Ennij apud Ciceronem allusio Si fas caedendo coelestia scandere cuiquam est Bonnero coeli maxima porta patet In effigiem Boneri carmen QVae noua forma viri quid virga quid ora quid aluus Pondera quid ventris crassitiesue velit Corpus amaxaeum disten to abdomine pigrum Rides anne stupes lector amice magis Vasta quid ista velint si nescis pondera dicam Nam nihil hic mirum venter obesus habet Carnibus humanis sanguine vescitur atro Ducentos annis hauserat ille tribus Ergo quid hoc monstri est recto vis nomine dicam Nomen nec patris nec gerit ille matris Qui patre Sauago natus falso que Bonerus Dicitur hunc melius dixeris Orbilium The same in English MUse not so much that natures woorke is thus deformed now With belly blowen and head so swolne for I shall tell you how This Canniball in three yeares space three hundreth Martyrs slew They were his foode he loued so bloud he spared none he knew It should appeare that bloud feedes fat if men lie well and soft For Boners bellie waxt with bloud though he semde to fast oft O bloudy beast bewaile the death of those that thou hast slaine In time repent since thou canst not their liues restore againe G. G. In Bonerum CArnificis nomen debetur iure Bonero Qui sine Christicolas crimine mactat oues Certe carnificis immitis nomine gaudet Siue isto peius nomine nomen amat Carnificem vocitas ridet crudelia facta Narrisâ— rem gratam non facis ipse magis Det Deus vt sapias meliora Bonere vel istis Te feriant meritis munera digna precor The scourging of Thomas Hinshaw ⧠The right Picture and true Counterfet of Boner and his crueltie in scourging of Gods Sainctes in his Orchard a Fulham The next mornyng the Bish. came and examined hym himselfe and perceiuyng no yelding to his mynde he sent M. Harpsfield to talke with him who after long talke in the end fell to raging words callyng the sayd Thomas Hinshaw pâ—euish boy and asked him whether he thought he went about to damne his soule or no c. Unto whiche the sayd Tho. answered that he was perswaded that they laboured to maintaine their darke and diuelish kingdom and not for any loue to truth Then Harpsfield beyng in a mighty rage told the B. thereof Whereat the B. fumed fretted that scant for anger beyng able
Milles the same day that he was deliuered Boner came vnto the stocks where he lay and asked him how he liked his lodging and his fare Wel said Milles if it would please God I might haue a little strawe to lye or sit vpon Then said Boner thou wilt shew no token of a christian man And vpon this his wife came in vnknowyng vnto him beyng very great with child and lookyng euery hower for her lying downe entreating the Bishop for her husband saying that she would not go out of the house but there would lay her belly in the bishops house vnlesse she had her husband with her How saist thou quoth Boner thou heretike If thy wife miscarie or thy child or children if she be with one or two should perish the bloud of them would be required at thy hands Then to this agreement he came that he should hue a bed in the towne of Fulham and her husband should go home with her the morow after vppon this condition that his kinsman there present one Rob. Rousie should bring the sayd Milles vnto his house at Paules the next day Whereunto the sayd Milles sayd he would not agree except he might go home by and by At length his wife beyng importunate for her husband seyng that she would go no further but there remaine vnlesse she had her husband with her the bishop fearing belike the rumor which might come vpon his house thereby bade the sayd Milles make a crosse and say In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti Amen Then the sayd Milles began to say In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy ghost AmeÌ„ No no sayth Boner say it me in Latine In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti Amen Milles vnderstanding the matter of that Latine to be but good said the same and so went home with his wyfe his foresayde kinsman beyng charged to bring hym the next day vnto Paules either els sayd Boner if thou doest not bring hym thou art an heretike as wel as he Notwithstandyng the charge beyng no greater this kinsman didde not bring hym but hee of his owne voluntarie accord came to the said B. within a fewe days after where the B. put vnto him a certaine writing in Latin to subscribe vnto conteyning as it semed to him no great matter that he needed greatly to sticke at albeit what the bill was he could not certainly tell So subscribed he to the bill and returned home And thus much coÌ„cernyng the 22. taken at Islington The history and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman D. Taylors Curate at Hadley constantly sufferyng for the Gospels sake AFter the story of these 22. taken at Islington proceedyng now the Lord willyng we wil prosecute likewise the taking and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman minister Which Yeoman had bene before D. Tailors Curate a godly deuout old man of 70. yeres which had many yeres dwelt in Hadley well seene in the scriptures geuing godly exhortations to the people With hym Doc. Tailor left his cure at his departure But as soone as M. Newal had gotten the benefice he droue away good Yeoman as is before said set in a popish Curate to maintain and continue their Romish religion whiche nowe they thought fully stablished Then wandered he long time froÌ„ place to place moouing exhorting all men to stand faithfully to Gods worde earnestly to geue themselues vnto prayer with patience to beare the crosse now layed vpon them for their triall with boldnes to confesse the truth before the aduersaries with an vndoubted hope to waite for the crowne and reward of eternall felicitie But when hee perceiued his aduersaries to lye in waite for him hee went into Kent with a little packet of laces pinnes and points and such like things he trauailed from Uillage to village sellyng such things by the poore shyft gate hymself somewhat to the susteining of himselfe his poore wife and children At the last a Iustice of Kent called M. Moyle tooke poore Yeoman and set him in the stocks a day and a night but hauyng no euident matter to charge hym with he let hym go againe So came he secretly againe to Hadley and taried with his poore wife who kept him secretly in a chaÌ„ber of the Towne house commonly called the Guild hall more then a yere All the which tyme the good olde father abyde in a chamber locked vp all the day spent his tyme in deuout prayer and reading the Scriptures and in carding of wâ—ol which his wyfe did spin His wife also did go and beg bread and meat for herselfe and her children and by such poore meanes susteined they themselues Thus the saints of God susteined hunger and misery while the prophets of Baal liued in iollitie and were costly pampered at Iesabels table At the last person Newal I know not by what means perceiued that Rich. Yeoman was so kept by hys poore wyfe and taking with him the Bailiffes deputies and seruants came in the night tyme brake vp fiue dores vpon Yeoman whom he found in bed with his poore wyfe and children Whom when he had so found he irefull cried saiyng I thought I should find an harlot and a whore together And he would haue plucked the clothes of from them But Yeoman held fast the clothes and said vnto his wyfe wife aryse and put on thy clothes And vnto the person he sayd Nay Person no harlot nor whore but a maried man and his wife accordyng vnto Gods ordinance and blessed be God for lawfull matrimony I thank God for this great grace and I defie the Pope all his Poperie Then led they Rich. Yeoman vnto the cage set hym in the stocks vntill it was day There was then also in the cage an olde man named Iohn Dale who had sitten 3. or 4. dayes because whâ— the sayd Person Newal with his Curate executed yâ— Romish seruice in the Church he spake openly vnto him and said O miserable blind guides will ye euer be blind leaders of the blynd will ye neuer amend will ye neuer see the truth of Gods word wil neither Gods threates nor promises enter into you harts wil not the bloud of Martyrs nothing mollifie your stonie stomacks Oh indurate hard harted peruerse crooked generation O damnable sorte whom nothyng can do good vnto These and like words he spake in feruentnes of spirit against the superstitious religion of Rome Wherfore person Newall caused hym forthwith to be attached and set in the stockes in the cage So was he there kept til sir HeÌ„ry Doile a Iustice came to Hadley Now when poore Yeoman was taken the person called earnestly vpon Sir Henry Doile to send them both to prison Sir Henry Doile earnestly laboured and entreated the person to consider the age of the men their poore estate they were persons of no
their condemnatiō And thus these foure blessed Martyrs seruants of Christ innocently suffred together at s. Edmundsbury as is aforesayd about the beginnyng of August not long before the sicknes of Queene Mary ¶ The Martyrdome of two godly persons sufferyng at Ipswich for the Gospell of Christ and his euerlastyng testament named Alexander Gouche and Alice Driuer MAister Noone a iustice in Suffolk dwelling in Martlesham huntyng after good men to apprehend them as he was a bloudy tyraunt in the dayes of triall at the length had vnderstanding of one Gouche of Woodbridge Driuers wyfe of Grosborough to bee at Grosborough together a little from his house immediately tooke his mē with hym and went thether and made diligent search for them where the poore man and woman were compelled to step into an hay golph to hide themselues frō their cruelty At the last they came to search the hay for them and by gaging thereof with pitchforkes at the last found them so they tooke them led them to Melton Gaole where they remainyng a tyme at the length were caried to Bury against the Assise at S. Iames tide and beyng there examined of matters of fayth did boldly stand to confesse Christ crucified defiyng the Pope with all his papisticall trashe And among other thyngs Driuers wife likened Queene Mary in her persecution to Iezabell and so in that sense callyng her Iezabel for that sir Clement Higham beyng chiefe Iudge there adiudged her eares immediately to be cut off which was accomplished accordingly and she ioyfully yelded her selfe to the punishment and thought her selfe happy that she was coūted worthy to suffer any thing for the name of Christ. After the Assise at Bury they were caried to Melton Gaole agayne where they remained a tyme. This Alexāder Gouch was a man of the age of 36. yeares or thereabouts and by his occupation was a Weauer of shredding Couerlets dwellyng at Woodbridge in Suffolke borne at Ufford in the same Countie Driuers wife was a woman about the age of 30. yeares dwelt at Grosborough where they were taken in Suffolke Her husband did vse husbandry These two were caried from Melton Gaole to Ipswich where they remayned were examined The which their examination as it came to our hands hereafter followeth The examination of Driuers wyfe before Doct. Spenser the Chauncellor of Norwich FIrst she comming into the place where she should bee examined with a smiling countenance Doct. Spenser said Why woman doest thou laugh vs to scorne Driuers wyfe Whether I do or no I might well enough to see what fooles ye be Doct. Spenser Then the Chauncellour asked her wherfore she was brought before hym and why she was layed in prison Dry. Wherefore I thinke I neede not to tell you for ye know it better then I. Spens No by my troth woman I know not why Dry. Then haue ye done me muche wrong quoth shee thus to imprison me and know no cause why for I know no euill that I haue done I thank God and I hope there is no man that can accuse me of any notorious fact that I haue done iustly Spenser Woman woman what sayest thou to the blessed Sacrament of the aultar Doest thou not beleeue that it is very flesh and bloud after the words be spoken of consecration Driuers wife at those words helde her peace made no answer Then a great chuffeheaded priest that stood by spake and asked her why shee made not the Chauncellour an aunswere With that the sayd Driuers wyfe looked vpon hym austerely and sayde Why Priest I come not to talke with thee but I come to talke with thy Maister but if thou wilt I shall talke with thee commaunde thy Maister to holde his peace And with that the Priest put his nose in hys cappe and spake neuer a worde more Then the Chauncellor bade her make aunswere to that he demaunded of her Dry. Sir sayd she pardon me though I make no aunswer for I cannot tell what you meane thereby for in all my lyfe I neuer heard nor read of any such Sacrament in all the Scripture Spens Why what scriptures haue you read I pray you Dry. I haue I thanke God read Gods booke Spens Why what maner of Booke is that you call Gods booke Dry. It is the old and new Testament What call you it Spens That is Gods booke in deed I cannot deny Dry. That same booke haue I read thoroughout but yet neuer could find any such sacrament there for that cause I cannot make you aunswer to that thing I knowe not Notwithstanding for all that I will grant you a Sacrament called the Lords supper and therfore seyng I haue graunted you a Sacrament I pray you shew me what a sacrament is Spens It is a signe And one D. Gascoine beyng by confirmed the same that it was the signe of an holy thing Dry. You haue sayd the truth sir sayd she It is a signe in deede I must needes graunt it and therefore seyng it is a signe it cannot be the thyng signified also Thus farre we do agree for I haue graunted your owne saying Then stoode vp the sayd Gascoine and made an Oration wyth many fayre wordes but little to purpose both offensiue odious to the myndes of the godly In the ende of which long tale he asked her if shee did not beleeue the omnipotencie of God and that he was almighty and able to performe that he spake She answered yes and said I do beleeue that God is almighty and able to performe that hee spake and promised Gasc Uery well Then he sayd to his disciples Take eate this is my body Ergo it was his body For he was able to performe that he spake and God vseth not to lye Dry. I pray you did he euer make any such promise to his disciples that he would make the bread his body Gasc Those be the wordes Can you deny it Dry. No they be the very wordes in deed I cannot deny it but I pray you was it not breade that hee gaue vnto them Gasc No it was his body Dry. Then was it his body that they did eat ouer night Gasc Yea it was his body Dry. What body was it then that was crucified the nexte day Gasc It was Christes body Dry. How could that be when his disciples had eaten him vp ouer night except he had two bodies as by your argument he had one they did eate ouer night and another was crucified the next day Such a Doctor such doctrine Be you not ashamed to teach the people that Christ had two bodies In the 22. of Luke He tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying Take c. and do this in the remembraunce of me Saint Paule also sayeth 1. Cor. 11. Do this in the remembraunce of me for as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shall shewe the Lordes death
theirs God is my father God is my mother God is my Sister my Brother my Kinsman God is my frend moste faythfull ¶ The cruell burning of a woman at Exeter Touching the name of this woman as I haue nowe learned she was the wife of one called Prest dwelling in the Dioces of Exeter not farre from Launceston ¶ The Persecution and Martyrdome of three godly men burnt at Bristow about the latter yeares of Queene Maries reigne IN writing of the blessed Sayntes which suffered in the bloudy dayes of queene Mary I had almost ouerpassed the names and story of three godly Martyrs whiche with theyr bloud gaue testimony likewise to the gospell of Christ being condemned and burnt in the town of Bristow The names of whom were these Richard Sharpe Thomas Benion Thomas Hale First Richarde Sharpe Weauer of Bristowe was brought the 9. day of Marche an 1556. before M. Dalbye Chauncellour of the Towne or City of Bristow and after examination concerning the sacrament of the aultar was perswaded by the sayde Dalbye and others to recant and the 29. of the same moneth was enioyned to make his recantation before the Parishioners in his parish Churche Which whē he had done he felt in his cōscience such a tormenting hell that he was not able quietly to worke in his occupation but decayed and chaunged both in colour and liking of his body Who shortly after vpon a sonday came into his parish Church called Temple after high masse came to the queere doore sayd with a loud voyce Neighbors beare me recorde that yonder Idoll and poynted to the aultar is the greatest and most abhominable that euer was and I am sory that euer I denied my Lord GOD. Then the Constables were commaunded to apprehende him but none stepped forth but suffered him to goe out of the Church After by night he was apprehended and caried to Newgate shortly after he was brought before the sayd Chauncellor denying the sacrament of the aultar to be the body bloud of Christ sayd it was an Idoll and therfore was cōdemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby He was burnt the 7. of May. 1557. and dyed godly paciently and constantly confessing the articles of our fayth ¶ Thomas Hale Martyr THe Thursday in the night before Easter .1557 came one M. Dauid Herris Alderman Iohn Stone to the house of one Thomas Hale a Shoomaker of Bristowe caused him to rise out of his bedde brought hym foorth of his dore To whō the said Tho. Hale said You haue sought my bloud these two yeares now much good do it you with it Who being committed to the watchmen was caried to Newgate the 24. of April the yere aforesaid was brought before M. Dalby the Chancelor committed by him to prison after by him condemned to be burnt for saying the sacrament of the altar to be an Idoll He was burned the 7. of May with the foresayd Rich. Sharpe godly paciently and constantly embracing the fire with his armes Two Godly Martyrs burned at Bristow Richard Sharpe Thomas Hale were burned both together in one fire and bound backe to backe Thomas Benion THomas Benion a Weauer at the commaundement of the Commissioners was brought by a Constable the thirtenth daye of August 1557. before Mayster Dalbye Chauncellour of Bristow who committed him to pryson for saying there was nothing but bread in the Sacrament as they vsed it Wherefore the twenty day of the sayd August he was condemned to be burnt by the sayd Dalby for denying fiue of theyr Sacramentes and affirming two that is the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and the Sacrament of Baptisme He was burnt the seuen and twenty of the sayd moneth and yeare and dyed godly Thomas Benion burned at Bristow constantly and patiently with confessing the articles of our christian fayth ¶ The Martyrdome of fiue constant Christians which suffered the last of all other in the time of Queene Mary THe last that suffred in Queene Maries time were fiue at Caunterburye burned about sixe dayes before the death of Queene Mary whose names follow here vnder written Iohn Corneford of Wortham Christopher Browne of Maydstone Iohn Herst of Ashford Alice Snoth Katherine Knight otherwise called Katherine Tynley an aged woman These fiue to close vp the finall rage of queene Maries persecution for the testimony of that word for whiche so many had died before gaue vp theyr liues meekly and paciently suffering the violent malice of the Papistes Which Papists although they then might haue either well spared them or els deferred theyr death knowing of the sicknesse of Queene Mary yet such was the implacable despite of that generation that some there be that say the Archdeacō of Canterbury the same time being at London vnderstanding the daunger of the Queene incontinently made al post hast home to dispatch these whom before he had thē in his cruell custody The matter why they were iudged to the fire was for beleuing the body not to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnlesse it be receiued saying moreouer that we receiue an other thing also beside Christes body which we see and is a temporall thing according to S. Paule The thinges that be sene be temporall c. Item for confessing that an euill man doth not receiue Christes body Because no man hath the sonne except it be geuen him of the father Item that it is Idolatry to creepe to the crosse and S. Iohn forbidding it sayth Beware of Images Itē for confessing that we should not pray to our Lady and other Sayntes because they be not omnipotent For these and such other articles of Christian doctrine were these fiue committed to the fire Agaynst whom whē the sentence shoulde be read and they excommunicate after the maner of the papistes one of them Iohn Cornford by name styrred with a vehemēt spirit of the zeale of god proceeding in a more true excōmunication agaynst the papistes in the name of them all pronounced sentēce against them in these wordes as folow In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of the most mighty God and by the power of his holy spirite the authority of his holy catholick Apostolick church we do geue here into th◠handes of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers hereticks that do mainteine any error agaynst his most holy word or do cōdemne his most holy truth for heresy to the mainteinaunce of any false Churche or fayned Religion so that by this thy iuste iudgement O most mighty God against thy aduersaries thy true religion may be knowne to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of al our natiō Good Lord so be it Amen This sentence of excommunication beyng the same time openly pronounced and registred proceeding so as it seemeth from an inwarde fayth and hartye zeale to Gods trueth and
the very same Christ that was borne of the virgine Mary that was hanged on the Crosse and that suffered for our sinnes and at these words they al put of their cappes and bowed theyr bodyes White My Lord what is a Sacrament Brookes It is the thing it selfe the which it representeth White My Lord that can not be for he that representeth a Prince can not be the Prince himselfe Brookes How many sacraments findest thou in the scriptures called by the name of Sacramentes White I finde 2. Sacraments in the Scriptures but not called by the names of the sacramentes But I thinke S. Augustine gaue them the first name of Sacramentes Brookes Then thou findest not that word sacrameÌ„t in the Scriptures White No my Lord. Brokes Did not Christ say This is my body and are not his words true White I am sure the wordes are true but you play by me as the deuill did by Christ for he sayd If thou be Mat. 4. For it is c. Psal. 91. But the words that folowed after he clean left out which are these Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and Aspe c. These woordes the Deuill lefte out because they were spoken agaynst hymselfe and euen so doe you recite the Scriptures Brokes Declare thy fayth vpon the Sacrament White Christ and his Sacramentes are like because of the natures for in Christ are 2. natures a diuine and a humane nature so likewise in the Sacrament of Cristes body and bloud there be two natures the which I deuide into 2. partes that is externall and internal The external part is the element of bread and wine according to the saying of S. Austine The internal part is the inuisible grace which by the same is represented So is there an externall receiuing of the same Sacrament an internall The externall is with the hande the eye the mouth and the eare The internall is the holy ghost in the hart which worketh in me fayth Wherby I apprehend all the merits of Christ applying the same wholly vnto my saluation If this bee truth beleue it and if it be not reproue it Doct. Hoskins This is Oecolampadius doctrine Hooper taught it to the people Brokes Doest thou not beleue that after the wordes of coÌ„secration there is the naturall presence of Christes body White My Lord I will aunswere you if you wyll aunswere me to one question Is not this article of our beliefe true He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty if he be come from thence to iudgement say so Brokes No. But if thou wilt beleue the Scriptures I will proue to thee that Christe was both in heauen and in earth at one time White As he is God he is in all places but as for hys manhood he is but in one place Brokes S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 15. Last of all he was seene of me c. Here S. Paule sayth he sawe Christ and S. Paule was not in heauen White S. Pauls chief purpose was by this place to proue the resurrection But how do you proue that Christ when he appered to S. Paule was not still in heauen like as he was sene of Stephen sitting at the right hand of God S. Augustine sayth the head that was in heauen dyd crye for the body and members which were on the earth said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And was not Paule taken vp into the thyrd heauen where hee might see Christ as he witnesseth Cor. 15. For there he doth but onely saye that he saw Christ but concerning the place hee speaketh nothing Wherfore this place of scripture proueth not that Christ was both in heauen and earth at one tyme. Brokes I told you before he woulde not beleeue Here be three opinions the Lutherans the Oecolampadians and we the Catholickes If you the Oecolampadians haue the truth then the Lutherians we the catholickes be out of the way If the Lutherians haue the truth then you the Oecolampadians and we the Catholickes be out of the way But if we the catholicks haue the truth as we haue in deede then the Lutherians and you the Oecolampadians are out of the way as ye are in deede for the Lutherians do call you heretickes White My Lorde ye haue troubled me greatly wyth the Scriptures Brokes Did I not tell you it was not possible to remoue him from his errour Away with him to the Lollardes Tower and dispatch him as soone as ye can This was the effect of my first examination More examinations I had after this which I haue no tyme now to write out Amongest many other examinatioÌ„s of the foresaid Richard White at diuers and sondry times susteined it happened one time that Doctour Blackston Chancellour of Exeter saâ—e vpon him with diuers other who alledging certayne Doctors as Chrysostom Cyprian Tertullian agaynst the sayd Richard and being reproued by hym for his false patching of the Doctors fell in such a quaking shaking his conscience belike remorsing him that he was fayne â—lowping downe to laye both his handes vpon his knees to stay his body from trembling Then the sayd Iohn Hunt and Richard White after many examinatioÌ„s and long captiuity at length were called for and brought before Doctour Geffrey the Byshops Chancellor there to be condemned and so they were The high Sheriffe at that present was one named Syr Anthony Hungerford who being theÌ„ at the Sessions was there charged with these two condeÌ„ned persoÌ„s with other malefactours there condemned likewise the same time to see the execution of death ministred vnto them In the meane tyme M. Clifforde of Boscon in Wiltshyre sonne in law to the sayd Syr Anthony Hungerford the Shiriffe commeth to his father exhorting him counselling him earnestly in no case to medle with the death of these two innocent persons and if the Chauncellour and Priestes would needes be instant vpon him yet he should first require the writ to be sent downe De comburendo for his discharge Syr Anthony Hungerford hearing this and vnderstanding Iustice Browne to be in the town the same time went to him to aske his aduise couÌ„sel in the matter who told him that without the writ sent downe from the superiour powers he could not be discharged and if the writte were sent then he must by the law do his charge The Sheriffe vnderstanding by Iustice Browne how farre he might go by the lawe and hauing at that time no writ for his warrant let them alone and the next daye after taking his horse departed The Chauncellor all this while maruelling what the Sheriffe ment and yet disdayning to go vnto him but looking rather the other should haue come first to him at last hearing that he was ridden taketh his horse and rideth after him who at length ouertaking the said Sheriffe declareth vnto him how he had committed certaine condemned prisoners to his hand whose duty had bene to haue sene
hee shall not come before hee come to iudgement then how is he here present in your sacrament of the aultar Wherefore I beleeue that the humaine bodye of Christ occupieth no more but one place at once for when he was here he was not there ¶ The sixt examination before the sayd Chauncellor WHo sayd vnto her Woman the last tyme that thou wast before me our talke was concernyng the Sacrament Eliz. Sir true it is and I trust that I sayd nothyng that ye can deny by the scriptures Chanc. Yes thou wilt not beleeue that Christes fleshe is flesh in thy flesh Eliz. No sir God hath geuen me no such beliefe for it can not be found by the scriptures Chanc. Wilt thou beleue nothing but what is in the scripture Why how many Sacraments doest thou find in the Scripture Eliz. The church of Christ doth set forth twaine Chanc. I will as well finde seuen by the scripture as thou shalt finde twaine Eliz. Sir I talke not to you thereof but I saye that the church of Christ setteth out twaine I haue bene taught no more Chanc. What are those twaine Eliz. The Sacrament of Christes body and bloud and the sacrament of Baptise Chauncellour What sayest thou by the Sacramente of Wedlocke Eliz. I haue not heard it called a Sacrament but the holy estate of matrimony which ought to be kept of all meÌ„ that take it vpon them Chanc. How sayest thou by Priestes Is it good that they should marrie is it to be kept of them Eliz. I come not hither to reason any such matters for I am no Diuine and also it is no part of my faith Chanc. Can ye not tell ye shall tell or euer you go Eliz. Sir then must ye keepe me a good while for I haue not studied the scriptures for it Chaunc No why ye will not be ashamed to flee vnto the highest mysterie euen to the Sacrament at the first dashe and ye are not afrayd to argue with the best doctour in the lande Eliz. Gods mysteries I will not meddle with but all things that are written are written for our edification Chanc. What say ye by prayer for the dead is it not meete that if a mans friend be dead his friend coÌ„mend his soule vnto God Eliz. There is no Christian man that will commend hys friend nor his foe vnto the Deuill And whether it be good for him when he is dead or no sure I am that it is good when he is alyue Chaunc Then thou allowest not prayer to bee good for theÌ„ when they be dead lying in Purgatory Is it not meete that prayer be made vnto God for them Eliz. Sir I neuer heard in the Scriptures of Purgatory but in the scripture I haue heard of heauen and hell Chaunc Why ye haue nothyng but the skimmyng of the Scriptures Our auncient fathers could finde out in the bottome of the scriptures that there is a Purgatory Yea they could finde it in the new testament that a Priest shall take the Sacrament and go to the aultar and make an oblation and offer it vp euery day Eliz Sir that could neuer be found in the Bible nor Testament as farre as euer I could heare Chanc. Whome doest thou heare read either the Bible or Testament but a sorte of chismatikes bawdie Byshops and hedge Priests which haue brought into the Churche a stinkyng Communion which was neuer heard of in any place in the world but here in England whiche haue deceyued the king and all the Nobilitie and all the whole Realme Eliz. Sir it is a vile name that ye geue them all Chanc. Where are all the hedge knaues become now that they come not to their answer Eliz. Aunswer Sir why they haue aunswered both with the Scriptures and also with their bloud and then where were you that ye came not forth to answer in their times I neuer knew none of you that were troubled but twain and that was not for Gods worde it was for their disobedience Chaunc No I pray you did ye not knowe that we were killed hanged burned and headed Eliz. Sir I neuer knew that any of you euer was eyther hanged killed burned or headed Chanc. No did ye neuer heare that the Byshop of Rochester lost hys head for the supremacie of the Bishoppes of Rome Eliz Then he died not for Gods word Chaunc Well thou wilt beleeue nothyng but that which is written in Gods worde Where canst thou finde the Saboth written in the Scripture by the name of the Saboth For the right Saboth day I will prooue to be Saterday Or where canst thou finde the Articles of the Creede in the Scripture by the name of the Articles Or where canst thou find in the Scripture that Christ went downe into hell Eliz. What place or part in the scripture can ye finde for to disprooue any of these things Chaunc What priest hast thou lyen withall that thou hast so much Scripture Thou art some Priestes woman I thinke for thou wilt take vppon thee to reason and teach the best Doctor in all the land thou Eliz. I was neuer yet Prieests wyfe nor yet Priests woman Chanc. Haue I touched your conscience Eliz. No Sir ye haue not touched my conscience but beware ye hurt not your owne Chanc. Thou hast red a little in the Bible or Testament thou thinkest that thou art able to reason with a Doctor that hath gone to schoole thirtie yeares and before God I thinke if I had talked thus much with a Iewe as I haue done with thee he would haue turned ere this time But I may say by you as Christ sayd by Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem how ofte would I haue gathered thee together euen as a henne gathereth her chickens but thou wouldst not And so would we gather you together in one fayth but ye will not and therfore your owne bloude bee vpon your own heds for I can do no more but teach you Thou art one of the rankest heretikes that euer I heard for thou beleeuest nothyng but what is in the Scripture and therfore thou art damned Eliz. I do beleeue all thinges written in the scripture and all things agreeable with the scripture geuen by the holy Ghost into the church of Christ set forth and taught by the church of Christ and shall I be damned because I beleue the truth and will not beleeue an vntruth Then the Chancellor called the keper saying Clunie take her away thou knowest what thou hast to doe with her And so she departed and was brought agayne to the stockhouse and there she lay certaine dayes and both her hands maâ—acled in one iron and afterward was remooued into the Lollards Tower and there she remained with both her feete in the stockes and irons till the next tyme of examination ¶ The 7. examination before the Chancellor and the Bishops Scribe WHen she was
that hathe anye distinction of members but such a body as occupieth no place but is there they know not how necessity compelled me to confesse mine ignoraÌ„ce in that behalfe although in very deede they perceiued not my meaning therein neither was it in my thoughte they should so doe For by this their confession and my silence afterward I perceiued their horrible blasphemies And me thought in this I had well discharged at that time my conscience in causing them in open audience to confesse the same and so I graunted a presence but not as they supposed For onely I sayd that Christ after the worde pronounced is present in the lawfull vse and right distribution of his holye Supper which thing I neuer denied nor anye godly man that euer I heard of For sayde I Eusebius Emissenus a man of singulare fame and learning aboute 300. yeares after Christes Ascension saieth That the conuersion of the visible creatures of bread and wine into the body and bloude of Christ is like vnto our conuersion in Baptisme where nothing is outwardly chaunged but al the chaunge is inwardly by the mightye woorking of the holy Ghoste which fashioneth and frameth Christe in the heart and mind of man as by the example of Peter preaching to the people Actes 2. By which he so pâ—erced theyr consciences that they openly with most earnest repentaÌ„ce confessed their sinnes saying Men brethren what shall we doe Repent and be baptized euery of you said Peter in the name of Iesus Christ so that at this Sermon there were which turned vnto Christ three thousand persones in whome Christ was so fashioned and framed as that he did dwell in euery one of them and they in him and after the like maner sayd I is Christ present in the lawfull vse and right distribution of his holy Supper and not otherwise For although I sayd according to the truth the Christ dwelt in euery one of these persones rehearsed yet meant I nothing lesse then that he in them should haue a grosse carnall or fleshly dwelling And no more meant I as knoweth God hym carnally or naturally to be in the Sacrament but according to the Scriptures and my former protestation that is to the spirituall nourishment of all such as woorthelye come vnto that holy Supper receiuing it according to his holy Institution And thus I ended whych the Papistes moste maliciously and sclaunderously named a recantation whyche I neuer meant nor thought as God knoweth Now after I had thus concluded my speache the Bishop taking me by the hand sayd Father Rose you may be a woorthy instrument in Gods church and we will see to you at our comming home for hee was aboute to take hys iourney in visitation of his Diocesse and they feared much at this very time least Queene Marie should haue miscaried in childe trauaile which was looked for beynge then accounted very greate with childe so that they were not so fierce as they had bene and doubted very muche of some sturre if I shoulde haue suffered and therefore were glad to be rid of me so that by any colourable meanes for theyr owne discharge it might be so that the night folowing I was onely committed to mine olde lodging On the morowe when the Bishop was ready to ride forth in visitation he called me before him and perceiuing that sir William Woodhouse did beare me great fauoure sayde he was sorie for me and my expenses and therefore wished that I were somewhere where I might spend no more money till his retourne Why my Lord quoth Syr William Woodhouse he shall haue meate and drinke and lodging with me til your returne againe seeing you now breake vp house and hereuppon I went home wyth Syr William that good Knight who most gently entertained me and I had great libertie Uppon thys the Papisticall priestes of the Colledge of Christes Church in Norwich for that they sawe me at libertye in Sir Williams absence who also was then from home a fortnighte blased it abroade that sir William was bounden for me in body 〈◊〉 lands At his comming home therfore I asked sir William if he were so bounden for me and he denied it Then sayd I syr but for the reuerence I beare to you I might haue ben an hundred miles from you ere this But I trust now sir seeing you be not bounden for me I may go visite my frends Go where you wil said sir William for quoth he I tolde the bishop I would not be his gailer but promised onely meate drinke and lodging for you Shortly after vppon the deuise of some friendes I was closely conueyed to a friendes house where almost a moneth I was secretly kept til rumours were ouer For at the Bishops returne searching was for mee in so muche as all houses where it was knowen I had bene acquainted were searched and the shippes at Yarmouth At the length the Bishop sent to a Coniurer to know of him which way I was gone and he answeared that I was gone ouer a water and in the keeping of a woman And in very deede I was passed ouer a small water and was hid by a blessed woman and godly widowe whiche liued in a poore cottage the space of iij. weekes till all the great heate was ouer Then was I conueyed to London and from thence passed ouer the seas where I liued till the death of Quene Marie and that it pleased GOD for the comforte of his Churche and restoring of all poore exiles and prisonners for his names sake to blesse thys Realme wyth the gouernement of our noble Queene whome God to the glory of his owne name and the defence of his Churche according to his good will and pleasure long preserue and continue ouer vs. Amen ⧠A briefe discourse concernyng the troubles and happy deliueraunce of the Reuerend Father in God Doct. Sandes first Bish. of Worcester next of London and now Archb. of Yorke KIng Edward died the world being vnworthie of hym the Duke of Northumberland came downe to Cambridge with an armie of men hauyng Commission to proclaime Lady Iane Queene and by power to suppresse Lady Mary who tooke vpon her that dignitie and was proclaimed Queene in Northfolke The Duke sent for D. Sandes being Uicechancellor for D. Parker for D. Bill and M. Leauer to suppe with hym Amongst other speaches he sayd Maisters pray for vs that we speede well if not you shall be made Bishops and we Deacons And euen so it came to passe D. Parker and D. Sandes were made Bishops and he and Sir Iohn Gates who was then at the Table were made Deacons ere it was long after on the Tower hill D. Sandes beyng Uicechancellor was required to preach on the morrow The warning was short for such an Auditorie and to speake of such a matter yet hee refused not the thing but went into his chamber so to bed He rose at 3. of the clocke in the mornyng tooke his Bible in his
omnibus prosit If there be no interpreter let hym keepe silence in the Church That is let him pray secretly or speake to God within hymselfe which heareth all dumme thyngs for in the church he ought to speake which may profit all men ⧠Testimonies out of S. Hierome vpon that place of Paule Quomodo qui supplet locum idiotae c. PEr illum saith S. Hierome qui supplet locum ideotae laicum intelligit qui nullo gradu ecclesiastico fungitur It is the lay men saith he whom Paule here vnderstandeth to be in the place of the ignoraunt man which hath no Ecclesiasticall office How shall he answer Amen to the prayer that he vnderstandeth not ¶ And a little after vpon these wordes Nam si orare lingua c. Hoc dicit quoniam si quis incognitis alijs linguis loquatur mens eius non ipsi efficitur sine fructu sed audienti Quicquid enim dicitur ignorat This is Paules meanyng saith Hierome If any man speaketh in strange vnknown tongs his mynd is not to hymselfe without fruit and profite but he is not profited that heareth hym And in the end of his commentary vpon the Epistle to the Galathians he saith thus Quod autem Amen consensum significet audientis c. That Amen signifieth the consent of the hearer and is the sealing vp of the truth Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinths teacheth saying But if thou shalt blesse in spirit who supplieth the place of the ignorant How shall he at thy prayer aunswere Amen seeyng he knoweth not what thou sayst Wherby he declareth that the vnlearned man cannot aunswer that that which is spoken is true vnlesse he vnderstand what is sayd The same Hierome sayth in the Preface of S. Pauls Epistle to the Galathians that the noyse of Amen soundeth in the Romane church like an heauenly thunder As Hierome compareth this sound of common praier to thunder so compareth Basill it to the sound of the sea in these words If the sea be faire how is not the assembly of the congregation much fairer in the which a ioyned sound of men women and childreÌ„ as it were of the waues beatyng on the shore is sent forth in our praiers vnto our God Cum populus semel audiuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 statim omnes respondent Amen When the people once heare these words world without end they all forthwith answer Amen And the same writer vpon the same chapter vppon these words How shall hee that occupieth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen En rursus amussi quod dicitur saxum applicat ecclesiae aedificationem vbique requiâ—ens c. Behold againe he applieth the stone vnto the squire as the Prouerbe is requiring the edifieng of the Congregation in all places The vnlearned he calleth the common people and sheweth that it is no small discommoditie if they cannot say Amen And agayne the same Chrysostome Quin in precibus viderit quis populum multum simul offerre tum pro energumenis tum pro poenitentibus Communes enim preces a sacerdote ab illis fiuÌ„t omnes dicunt vna orationeÌ„ orationeÌ„ misericordia plenam Iterum vbi excluserimus a sacerdotalibus ambitibus eos qui non possunt esse participes sanctae mensae alia sacienda est oratio omnes similiter surgimus c. That is yea in the prayers you may see the people offer largely both for the possessed and the penitents For the Priestes and the people pray altogether commonly and all one prayer a prayer full of mercy and pity And exclâ—ding out of the Priests limites all such as cannot bee pertakers of the holy table another prayer must be made and all after one sort lye downe vppon the earth and all agayne after one sort ryse vp together Now when the peace is geuen we all in lyke maner salute one another and the Priest in the reuerent mysteries wisheth well to the people and the people vnto hym for Et cum spiritu tuo is nothing els but this All things that belong to the sacrament of thanksgeuing is common to all But he geueth not thanks alone but all the people with hym Hereby it may appeare that not the priest alone communicated nor prayed alone nor had any peculiar prayer but such as was common to them all such as they all vnderstood all were able to say with the priest which could not haue bene if he had vsed a straunge tong in the ministration of the sacraments Dionysius describing the maner of the ministration of the Lordes supper sayth That hymnes were said of the whole multitude of the people Cyprian sayth The priest doth prepare the myndes of the brethren with a preface before the prayer saying Lift vp your hartes that whiles the people doth aunswer we haue our hartes lifted vp to the Lord they may be admonished that they ought to thinke of none other thing then of the Lord. S. Augustine Quid hoc sit intelligere debemus c. What this should be we ought to vnderstand that we may sing with reason of man not with chatting of birdes For Ousels and Popiniayes and Rauens and Pies other such like birds are taught by meÌ„ to prate they know not what But to sing with vnderstanding is geuen by Gods holy will to the nature of man The same Augustine There needeth no speach when we pray sauing perhaps as the priestes doe for to declare their meanyng not that God but that men may heare them and so being put in remembraunce by consentyng with the priest may hang vpon God To these testimonies of the auncient writers we will ioyne one constitution of Iustinian the Emperour who lyued 527. yeares after Christ Iubemus vt omnes Episcopi pariter Praesbyteri c. We commaund that all bishops priests do celebrate the holy oblation and the praiers vsed in holy Baptisme not speaking low but with a cleare or loud voyce which may be heard of the people that thereby the mynd of the hearers may bee stirred vp with greater deuotion in vttering the prayses of the Lord God For so the holy Apostle teacheth in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying Truly if thou onely blesse or geue thanks in spirit how doth he which occupieth the place of the vnlearned say the Amen at the geuing of thanks vnto god for he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest Thou verily geuest thanks wel but another is not edified And again in the Epistle to the Romains he sayth Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore autem fit confessio ad salutem with the heart a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation Therfore for these causes it is conuenient that amoÌ„gst other prayers those thinges also which are spoken in the holy oblation be vttered and spoken of the most religious bishops and priests vnto our
authoritie of Gregory weighing like christian bishops the perill of the Church alwayes in their assemblies allowed Images Not long after the Bishop of Rome practising wyth Tharasins Patriarch of Constantinople obteyned of Irene the Empresse her sonne Constantine being thē yong that a Councell was called at Nice in the which the Popes Legates were Presidents which appeared well by their fruits for in that Councell it was decreed that Images should not onely be permitted in churches but also worshipped which councell was confuted by a booke written by Carolus Magnus the Emperour callyng it a foolish and an arrogant councell Soone after this Councell arose a sharpe contention betwene Irene the Empresse and her sonne Constantine the 6. the Emperour who destroyed Images And in the end as she had before wickedly burned the bones of her father in lawe Constantine the v. so afterward vnnaturally she put out the eyes of her owne sonne Constantine the sixt About which tyme as Eutropius writeth the Sunne was darkened most terribly for the space of 17. days God shewyng by that dreadfull signe how much hee misliked those kynds of proceedyngs To bee short there was neuer thing that made more diuision or brought more mischiefe into the church then the controuersie of Images by reason whereof not onely the East church was deuided from the West and neuer since perfectly reconciled but also the Emperour was cut asunder and deuided and the gate opened to the Saracens and Turkes to enter and ouercome a great piece of Christendome The fault whereof most iustly is to bee ascribed to the patrons of Images who could not be contented with the ensample of the Primitiue Church beyng most simple and sincere and most agreeable to the Scripture For as Tertullian sayth Quod primum verum quod posterius adulterinū That is to say What as is first that is true that that is latter is counterfeit But with all extremitie mainteined the vse of images in churches whereof no profite nor commoditie did euer grow to the church of God For it is euident that infinite millions of soules haue bene cast into eternall damnation by the occasion of Images vsed in place of religion and no history can recorde that euer any one soule was wonne vnto Christ by hauing of Images But least it might appeare that the West church had alwayes generally retained and commended Images It is to be noted that in a Councell holden in Spaine called Concilium Eliberinum the vse of Images in churches was clerely prohibited in these forme of wordes Placuit in ecclesijs picturas esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur That is to say Wee decree that pictures ought not to be in churches least that be painted vpon the walles which is worshipped or adored But this notwithstandyng experience hath declared that neither assembling in Councels neither writinges preachings decrees makyng of lawes prescribing of punishments hath holpen against Images to the which Idolatry hath bene committed nor against Idolatry whilest Images stoode For these blynde bookes and dumme schoolemaisters which they call lay mens bookes haue more preuailed by their carued and painted preachyng of Idolatry then all other written bookes and preachynges in teaching the truth and that horror of that vice Hauing thus declared vnto your highnes a few causes of many which do mooue our consciences in this matter we beseech your highnes most humbly not to strayne vs any further but to consider that Gods worde doth threaten a terrible iudgement vnto vs if we being pastors and ministers in his Church should assent vnto the thing which in our learnyng and conscience wee are perswaded doth tend to the confirmation of errour superstition and Idolatry and finally to the ruine of the soules committed to our charge for the which we must geue an account to the prince of pastors at the last day Heb. 13. 1. Pet. 5. Wee pray your maiestie also not to bee offended with this our plainnesse and libertie which all good and christian princes haue euer taken in good parte at the handes of godly Bishops S. Ambrose writing to Theodosius the Emperour vseth these wordes Sed neque imperiale est libertatem dicendi negare neque sacerdotale quod sentiat non dicere Item in causa verò Dei quem audies si sacerdotem non audies cuius maiore peccatur periculo quis tibi verum audebit dicere si sacerdos non audeat Epist. lib. 5. Epist. 29. That is to say But neither is it the part of an Emperour to deny free libertie of speaking nor yet the duety of a priest not to speake what hee thinketh And agayne In gods cause whome wilte thou heare if thou wilt not heare the priest to whose great peril the fault should be committed Who dare say the truth vnto thee if the priest dare not These and such like speaches of S. Ambrose Theodosius and Ualentinianus the Emperours did alwayes take in good part and we doubt not but your grace will do the lyke of whose not onely clemēcie but also beneficense we haue largely tasted We beseech your Maiestie also in these and such lyke controuersies of religion to referre the discussement and deciding of them to a Synode of your bishops and other godly learned men accordyng to the example of Constantinus Maximus and other christian Emperours that the reasons of both parts beyng examined by them the iudgement may be geuen vprightly in all doubtfull matters And to returne to this present matter we most humbly beseech your maiestie to consider that besides waightie causes in pollicie which wee leaue to the wisedome of your honourable counsailors the stablishment of Images by your authoritie shall not onely vtterly disceredite our ministers as builders vp of the thinges which wee haue destroyed but also blemishe the fame of your most godly father and such notable fathers as haue geuen their lyfe for the testimony of Gods truth who by publike lawe remooued all Images The almighty and euerliuyng God plentifully endue your maiestie with his spirite and heauenly wisedom and long preserue your most gracious raigne and prosperous gouernment ouer vs to the aduauncement of his glory to the ouerthrow of superstition and to the benefit comfort all your highnes louyng subiects ¶ A note of M. Ridley MAister D. Ridley sometyme B. of London of whom mention is made pag. 1717. was a man so reuerenced for his learning and knowledge in the scriptures that euen his very enemies hath reported him to haue bene an excellent clarke whose lyfe if it might haue bene redeemed with the summe of 10000. markes yea 10000. pounds the Lorde Dacres of the North beyng his kinsman woulde haue geuen to Queene Mary rather then he should haue burned And yet was she so vnmercifull for all hys gentlenes in king Edwards dayes that it would not be grāted for no suite that could be made Oh that she had remēbred his labour for her to king Edward
greene The loue of God within her hart Shall beutifie her grace The feare of God on the other part Shall stablish her in place This Loue and Feare her colours are Whereby if she be known She may compare both nie and farre Unable to be ouerthrown The loue of God it will her cause Unfained if it bee To haue respect vnto his lawes And hate idolatrie If that she haue the feare of God And be thereto right bent She will do that he her bode And not her owne intent O noble Queene take heed take heed Beware of your owne intent Looke or you leape then shall you speed Haste maketh many shent Remember Saule that noble king What shame did him befall Because that vnto the Lords â—idding He had no lust at all The Lord hath bid you shall loue him And other Gods defye Alas take heéde do not beginne To place Idolatry What greater disobedience Agaynst God may be wrought Then this to moue mens conscience To worship thinges of nought What greater folly can you inuent Then such men to obey How can you serue your owne intent Not foreseing your owne decay And where as first ye should mainteine Your Realme in perfect vnity To rent the peoples hartes in twayne Thorow false Idolatry Is this the way to get you fame Is this to get you loue Is this to purchase you a name To fight with God aboue Is this your care to set vp Masse Your Subiectes soules to stroy Is this your study no more to passe Gods people to anoy Is this to reigne to serue your will Good men in bondes to keépe And to exalt such as be euill And for your grace vnmeét Such as made that fond diuorce Your mother to deface Are nighest you in power and force And most bounden vnto your Grace Well yet take heéd of had I wist Let Gods word beare the bell If you will reigne learne to know Christ As Dauid doth you tell What great presumption doth appeare Thus in a weéke or twayne To worke more shame then in vij yeare Can be redrest agayne All is done without a law For will doth worke in place And this all men may seé and know The weakenes of your case That miserable masking Masse Which all good men doth hate Is now by you brought vp agayne The roote of all debate Your Ministers that loue Gods worde They feéle this bitter rodde Who are robbed from house and goodes As though there were no God And yet you would seeme mercifull In the midds of Tyranny And holy whereas you mayntayne Most vile Idolatry For feare that you should heare the truthe True preachers may not speake But on good Prophetes you make ruthe And vnkindely them intreate Him haue you made Lord Chauncellor Who did your bloud most stayne That he may sucke the righteous bloud As he was wont agayne Those whome our late king did loue You doe them most disdayne These thinges doth manifestly proue Your colours to be but vayne Gods word you cannot abide But as your Prophetes tell In this you may be well compared To wicked Iesabell Who had 400. Prophettes false And fiftie on a rought Through whose false preaching Poore Ely was chased in and out Gods Prophetes you do euill entreate Balles Priestes defend your grace Thus did the Iewes put Christ to death And let go Barrabas Hath God thus high exalted you And set you on a trone That you should prison and deface His flocke that maketh mone The Lord which doth his flock defend As the Aple of an eye Of this full quickly will make an end And banish crueltie Therfore my Counsell I you take And thinke thereof no scorne You shall finde it the best counsell Ye had since you were borne Put away blinde affection Let Gods word be vnpere To try out true religion From this euill fauoured geere Finis ê™ W.M. as it is supposed * The instruction of king Edward the sixt geuen to Sir Anthony Seyntleger Knight of his priuie chamber being of a corrupt iudgement of the Eucharist Vpon this saying of an ancient D. of the Catholicke Church Dicimus Eucharistiam Panem vocari in scripturis Panis in quo gratiae actae sunt c. IN Euchariste then there is bread Wherto I do consent Then with bread is our bodyes fed But farther what is ment I say that Christ in flesh and bloud Is there continually Unto our soule a speciall food Taking it spiritually And this transubstantiation I Beleue as I haue read That Christ sacramentally Is there in forme of bread S. Austen sayth the word doth come Unto the element And there is made he sayth in somme A perfect sacrament The Element then doth remayne Or els must needes ensue S. Austens wordes be nothing playne Nor cannot be found tâ—ue For if the words as he doth say Come to the element Then is not the element away But bides there verament Yet who so eateth that liuely foode And hath a perfect fayth Receiueth Christes flesh and bloud For Christ himselfe so sayth Not with our teeth hys flesh to teare Nor take bloud for our drinke To great an absurditie it were So grossely for to thinke For we must eate hym spiritually If we be spirituall And who so eates hym carnally Thereby shall haue a fall For he is now a spirituall meate And spiritually we must That spirituall meate spiritually eate And leaue our carnall lust Thus by the spirite I spiritually Beleeue say what men list None other Transubstantiation I Beleeue of the Eucharist But that there is both bread and wyne Which we see with our eye Yet Christ is there by power diuine To those that spiritually Do eate that bread and drinke that cup Esteemyng it but lyght As Iudas did which eate that soppe Not iudgyng it aryght For I was taught not long agone I should leane to the sprite And let the carnall flesh alone For dyd it not profite God saue hym that teachyng me taught For I thereby did winne To put me from that carnall thought That I before was in For I beleeue Christ corporally In heauen doth keepe his place And yet Christ sacramentally Is here with vs by grace So that in this high mysterie We must eate spirituall meate To keepe hys death in memory Least we should it forget This do I say this haue I sayd This saying say wyll I This saying though I once denaid I will no more to dye FINIS ¶ This yong Prince became a perfect schoolemaister vnto old erroneous men so as no Diuine could amende hym and therfore this piece is worthy of perpetuall memory to his immortall fame and glory ¶ When Queene Mary came to her raigne a friend of maister Sentlegers charged him with this his Pamphlet Well ê™ he content your selfe I perceiue that a man may haue too much of Gods blessing And euen here Peter began to deny Christ such is mens frailtie ¶ A note of a Letter of one Iohn Meluyn Prisoner in Newgate * Christi
thy oblation because it is none of thine I left it thee to relieue thy poore neighbors and thou hast not therein done according vnto this my commaundement misericordiam volo non sacrificium I had rather haue mercy done then sacrifice or oblation Wherfore vntil thou doest the one more then the other I will not accept thine oblation Euermore bestow the greatest partes of thy good in workes of mercy the lesse part in voluntary workes Uoluntary workes bee called all maner of offering in the Churche except your foure offring dayes and your tythes setting vp candles gilding and paynting building of Churches geuing of ornamēts going on pilgrimages making of high wayes and such other be called voluntary workes which works be of themselues maruellous good and conuenient to bee done Necessary workes and workes of mercy are called the commaundementes the foure offering dayes your tithe and such other that longeth to the commaundementes and workes of mercy consisteth in relieuing and vysiting thy poore neighbors Now then if men be so foolish of themselues that they will bestow the most part of theyr good in voluntary workes which they be not bounde to keepe but willingly and by theyr deuotion and leaue the necessary workes vndone which they are bounde to doe they and all theyr voluntary workes are like to goe vnto euerlasting damnation And I promise you if you builde a hundred Churches geue as much as you can make to gilding of Sayntes and honouring of the Church and if thou goe as many pilgrimages as thy body can well suffer and offer as great candles as okes if thou leaue the workes of mercye and the commaundementes vndone these workes shall nothing auaile thee No doubt the voluntary workes be good ought to be done but yet they must be so done that by theyr occasion the necessary workes and the workes of mercy be not decayed and forgotten if thou wilt builde a glorious Church vnto God see first your selues to be in charity with your neighbours suffer not them to be offended by your works Thē when you come into your parish Churche you bring with you the holy temple of God as Saynt Paule sayth you your selues be the very holy temples of God and Christ sayth by his Prophet in you I wil rest and intend to make my mansion and abiding place agayne if you list to gild and paynt Christ in your Churches and honour him in vestimentes see that before your eyes the poore people dye not for lacke of meat drinke and clothing Then do you decke the very true temple of God and honour him in rich vestures that will neuer be worne and so forth vse your selues according vnto the commaundementes and then finally set vp your candles they will report what a glorious light remayneth in your hartes for it is not sitting to see a dead man light candles Then I say go your pilgrimages builde your materiall Churches doe all your voluntary workes they will then represent vnto God and testify with you that you haue prouided him a gloryous place in your hartes But beware I say agayne that you doe not runne so farre into your voluntarye workes that ye do quite forget your necessary workes of mercye which you are bound to keepe you must haue euer a good respect vnto the best and worthiest workes toward God to be done first and with more efficacy and the other to be done secondarilye Thus if you doe with the other that I haue spoken of before you may come according to the tenor of your cardes and offer your oblations and prayers to our Lord Iesu Christ who will both heare and accept them to your euerlasting ioy and glory to the whiche he bring vs and all those whom he suffered deathe for Amen ¶ A note of William Gie. ONe William Gie seruant with Mayster Reuet marchant bought a Bible and seruice booke of Richard Waterson who then dwelt with maister Duixle in Pauls Churchyarde and one Spilman bound the booke and when the sayd Gye had enquired for the sayde Richard to haue his booke at Duxele aunswere was made that hee was not within and so the sayde Gie went his way to Spilmans for the booke and because it was not done left it there and immediately searche was made in Spilmans house and the sayd bible and seruice booke was founde caryed to Boner then Bishop of London hee hauing the bookes commaunded Spilman for the binding thereof to Lollardes Tower and as Cluny went for the key therof Spilman conueyed himselfe awaye After that Waterson and Gie being apprehended by Robin Caly Iohn Hil Iohn Auales and being two dayes in the Counter were brought before Boner and other Commissioners Beyng examined D. Story demanded Gye Wherfore he bought the Bible He aunswered to serue God withal Then said Boner our Lady matines would serue a christen man to serue God The Bible sayd Story would breed heresies a bibble babel were more fit thee So they concluded that eyther of them shoulde haue xl stripes lacking one and Boner sayd it was the law And they sayd to Waterson if he would pay xl poūd he should be released of his stripes at length they came to x. li when they saw he would not they made a warrāt to mayster Grafton and sent Waterson and Gie to Bride well to be beaten vpon the Crosse. And because the matter shoulde not be slightly handled Story was sent with thē to see it done Gie being whipped vpon the Crosse intercession was made that he might be forgeuen part of his penaunce ¶ A note of Michaels wyfe MIchaels wife afore mentioned pag. 1893. being prisoner in Ipswiche for religion resorted dayly from the prison to her husbandes house and returned agayn keeping fayth and promise And her husband thereat beyng fearefull she would comfort him saying she came not to trouble him neither shoulde hee susteyne trouble by her Wherfore she would will him to be of good cheare for her comming was of good will to see him and her children not to bring him into trouble but to shew her duety therin while she might haue libertie ¶ A note of Iohn Spycer IN Queene Maryes time there was one Iohn Spicer of whome mention is made pag. 1894. he being at the stake ready to geue his lyfe for the truth a bagge of gonpouder was brought him by his sonne And an other stāding by one named maister Beckinham tooke the gonpowder of his sonne and put it vnder the girdle of the sayd Spicer and exhorted him to be strong in the Lord also diuers of the sheriffes seruaunts comforted him in like maner and desired him not to faynt Unto whome Spicer aunswered Doubt ye not of me sayth he my soule is quiet but be you strong and stand fast in the Lord Iesus and commit your selfe to him in the confession of his holy mame and profession of his truth ¶ A note of Mandrell MAndrell standing at the stake
as he did but truely I beleeue the Deuill was in him * The cursed lyfe and bloudy end of Doctor Story a cruell persecuter of Christ in hys members I had thought christian reader here to haue made an end and to haue concluded the volume of this booke had not the remembraunce of Doctour Story an Archenemy to Christes gospell and a bloudy persecutor of Gods people come into my minde The discourse of whose lyfe and doinges I thought good here briefly to lay open to the view of the world as followeth This Doctor Story beeing an Englishe man by byrth and from his infancie not onely missed in papistry but also euen as it were by nature earnestly affected to the same and growing somewhat to riper yeares in the dayes of Queene Mary became a most bloudy tyrant and cruel persecutor of Christ in his members as all the stories in this booke almost doe declare Thus hee raging all the raygne of the foresayde Queene Mary agaynst the infallible truth of Christes Gospel and the true professors thereof neuer ceased till hee had consumed to ashes two or three hundred blessed martyrs who willingly gaue their liues for the testimony of his truthe and thinking theyr punishment in the fire not cruell enough went about to inuent new tormentes for the holy martyrs of Christe suche was his hatred to the trueth of Christes Gospell but in the ende the Lorde God looking vpon the affliction and cruell bloudshedding of his seruauntes tooke away Queene Mary the great pillar of papistry After whome succeeded Ladye Elizabeth nowe Queene of Englande who staying the bloudy sworde of persecution from ragyng any further caused the same Doctor Story to be apprehended and committed to ward with many other his complices sworne enemies to Christes glorious gospell The sayd story hauing bene a while deteined in prison at the last by what meanes I knowe not brake forth of hold and conueyed himselfe ouer the seas where he continued a most bloudy persecutor still raging against Gods saynctes with fire and sworde In somuche as hee growing to be familiar and right deare to Duke Dalua in Antwerpe receiued a speciall commission from him to search the Shippes for goodes forfayted and for english bookes and such like And in this fauour and authoritie hee continued there for a spare by the which meanes he did muche hurte and brought many a good man and woman to trouble and extreme perill of life thorough his bloud thyrstye cruelty but at the last the Lord when the measure of his iniquitie was full proceeded in iudgement agaynst him and cut him off from the face of the earth according to the prayers of many a good man whiche came to passe in order as followeth It being certainly knowne for the bruite thereof was gone forth into al landes that he not onely intended the subuersion and ouerthrowe of his natiue countrey of England by bringing in forreigne hostilitie if by anye meanes he might compasse it but also dayly and hourely murthered gods people there was this platform layd by Gods prouidence no doubt that one M. Parker a marchaunt should sayle vnto Antwerpe and by some meanes to conuey Story into England This Parker arriuing at Antwerpe suborned certain to repayre to Doctor Story and to signifie vnto him that there was an english ship come fraught with marchandize that if he would make search thereof himselfe he should find store of english books other things for his purpose Story hearing this and suspecting nothing made haste towardes the ship thinking to make the same his praye and comming a boord searched for english heretical books as hee called them and going downe vnder the hatches because he would be sure to haue theyr bloud if hee coulde they clapped downe the hatches hoysed vp their sayles hauing as God would a good gale sayled away into England where they arriuing presented this bloudy butcher and trayterous rebell Story to the no litle reioysing of many and Englishe hart He being now committed to prison cōtinued there a good space during all which time he was labored and solicited daily by wise and learned fathers to recant his deuillishe and erroneous opinions to conforme himselfe to the trueth and to acknowledge the Queenes Maiesties supremacy All which he vtterly denyed to the death saying that he was sworne subiecte to the King of Spayne and was no subiecte to the Queene of England nor she his souereigne Queene and therfore as he well deserued he was condemned as a traytor to God the Queenes Maiesty the Realme to be drawne hanged and quartered which was performed accordingly he being layde vpon an hurdle and drawne from the tower along the streetes to Tiborn where he being hanged till he was halfe dead was cut downe and stripped which is not to be forgot when the executioner had cut off his priuy mēbers he rushing vp vpon a sodeine gaue him a blow vpon the eare to the great wonder of all that stood by and thus ended this bloudy Nemrode his wretched life whose iudgemēt I leaue to the Lord. * A not◠of Raphe Lurdane persecuter of George Eagles IN the history of George Eagles alias Trudgeouer the world pag. 2009. mention is made of his apprehension jn a corne field where by the benefite of the heighth of the corne and breadth of the field he had escaped had not one of his persecuters with more malicious crafte climed a high tree to view ouer the place so descried him This persecutor named Raph Lurdane as we haue since learned a lewd felow of life for theft and whoredome was within few yeares after he had apprehended the foresayd George Eagles for gayne of money attached of felony for stealing horse condemned and hanged in the same place Towne of Chelmesford where George Eagles before suffered Martyrdome ¶ A briefe Note concerning the horrible Massaker in Fraunce an 1572. HEre before the closing vppe of this booke in no case woulde bee vnremembred the tragicall and furious Massaker in Fraunce wherein were murdered so many hundrethes and thousands of Gods good Martyrs But because the true narration of this lamentable story is set forth in english at large in a booke by it selfe and extant in print already it shall the lesse neede nowe to discourse that matter with any new repetition only a briefe touch of summary notes for remembraunce maye suffice And first for breuity sake to ouerpasse the bloudy bouchery of the Romish Catholickes in Orynge agaynst the Protestantes most fiercely and vnawares breaking into theyr houses and there without mercy killing man woman child of whom some being spoyled and naked they threw out of theyr loftes into the streetes some they smothered in theyr houses with smoake with sword weapon sparing none the karkases of some they threwe to dogges which was an 1570. in the reign of Charles 9. Likewyse to passeouer the cruell slaughter at
Heraclas Bishoppe of Alexandria .60 called Pope yet no bishoppe of Rome ibid. Heresie none comparable to the heresie of the papistes 610. Heresie what is after the Papists 610 Heresies falsly gathered by the papistes out of Tindals bookes and wrested otherwise then hee meant them .1247.1248.1249.1250 heretickes in the primatiue Church condemned onely to exile 1806. Hereticke what it is 1426. Herford his trouble and persecutioÌ„ for the gospell 444. Hermes his reuelation concerning Easter day 53. Henry .8 his mariage with hys brothers wife .800.1049 wryteth agaynst Luther and therefore is called defender of the fayth .854 called at Rome by proxie .1071 abolisheth the Pope out of Eng. 1056. hys Oration to Cardinall Campeius 1050. hys protestation and actes agaynst the Pope .1056.1083 his defeÌ„ce of the suppression of the Pope to the K. of France 1071. maryed to lady Iane .1083 hys protestatioÌ„ to the emperor and other peeres why hee refused to come or send to the popes councel .1132 maryed to Lady Katherine Haward reformeth religion .1210.1259 dys death and the maner therof 1289.1259 Henry Chichesley Archbishoppe of Caunterbury a cruell persecuter .588 his death 704 Henry Earle Duke of Lancaster sent ouer to Gascoigne his liberality to his souldiours 384 Henry Crompe 443 Henry 6. crowned .658 his maryage with queene Margaret .705 he is committed to the Tower .713 restored againe to the crown 714. committed the second time to the Tower where he dyed 715.716 Henry 3. reconciled to Hubert and other his Nobles expelleth the Pictauians and forreiners from his Court 280 Henry king of Almayne vpon certayne conditions made emperor by the Pope 244 Henry Uoes a Fryer Martir in Germany 474 Henry AdlingtoÌ„ Henry Wye their story and martyrdome 1914.1915 Henry 1. his reigne .191 his death 200 Henry 2. king of Englande kisseth the knee of the Popes Legate 788 Henry Laurence Martyr with 5. other moe in Caunterburye for the Gospell 1688 Henry Ramsey Martyr his articles 1974. his aunsweres 1975. his condemnation and constaunt Martyrdome 1976 Henry Sutphen Martyr his story .875 his death conspired by Monkes and Fryers .877 his cruel Martyrdome for the truth 878 Herode his miserable ende dyed in exile 31 Herbert his much adoe to diuorce Priests from their wyues 192 Herst Martyr his story and Martyrdome 2053 Heron with other Martyrs 62 Hewet Martyr his story and martyrdome 1036.1037 H. I. Hierome of Prage his tragicall history appeareth before the councell at Constance .632 his abiuration .633 accused agayne and brought before the councell .634 his Oration to the Councel .635 his eloquence prophesie condemnation and cruell martyrdome 636 Hierome his story 1192 Hierome Sauonarola hys articles obiected agaynst him his answer and martyrdome 732 Hierusalem besieged 737 Higinus bishop of Rome Martyr 53 Hierusalem enlarged .41 called by a new name Aâ—liopolis ibid conquered by the christians .185 taken by the Saracens 233 Higbed and Causton their pitifull history .1539 articles obiected against them .1539 their answers to the articles .1540 their confession 1541. their constant Martyrdome for the truth 1542 Hide Martyr her story examination and answers .1974 her condemnation and martyrdome 1975.1976 Hildegardis a Prophetisse .201 Hildegardis her prophesies of Rome 461 Hildebrand alias Gregory 7. cause of much trouble in the churche of God .174 his monstrous life and tragical history .174 knockt pope Alexander about the pate 169 Hildebrand and Calixtus extortors of priests mariage 1153 Hildebrand an enemy to Priestes mariage his letter agaynst the same .175 hee was a notorious sorcerer he excommunicate Hermannus the Emperor is cast into prison and deposed by the councell of Wormes .178 cause of all the mischiefe that hath raigned amongest the Popes euer since .182 compared to Ieroboam .185 he extorteth election of Bishops out of the handes of the Emperour 299 Hildegardis prophesies agaynste Monkes and Fryers 460.461 Hitten his trouble persecution and apprehension for the truth .2136 his examination aunsweres condemnation and martyrdom 2137 Histories councels and fathers agaynst the worshippyng of Images 2130.2131 Hitten Martyr his story .997 his martirdome 998 Hinshaw his scourging at FulhaÌ„ by Boner 2043.2044 Hippolitus Bishop and Martyr 59 Hypocrisy a double wickednesse 1780 H O Hoc est corpus meum what it meaneth .495 expounded 1388 1389.1128.1129.1130 Hofmayster his fearefull death 2105 Hooke martyred at Chester for the Gospell and the trueth thereof 1954 Hooper his excellent story .1502 his complaynt agaynst Boner .1311 his letters ful of most godly comforte .1482 his going foorth of England and his returne againe 1503. made Bishop of Glocester his diligence in preaching depriued of his Bishopricke .1505 defendeth Priestes mariage .1506 Imprisoned in the fleet ibid. hys 1.2.3 and last examinatioÌ„s .1507 his degradatioÌ„ .1508 his purgation of his false bruted recantation ibid. his going to Glocester to be burned .1508 his constaunt martyrdome .1509.1510 his letters 1511.1512.1514.1516 Hooper his Epistle to the conuocation house concerning matters of religion 2135 Holland martyr 2037.2038.2039 Holy dayes complained of .200 they are the cause of muche euill ibid. they are infinite in the Popes Church .860 they are suppressed and put downe 1094 Horsey Chauncellor to the Bishop of London conspired Richarde Huns death 809 Hosius Pighius and Eckius their argumentes for the authority of the church of Rome 2 Host in the Pix deuided into three partes 137. Host with the maner of breaking of the same 1404 Honorius Prior of Caunterburye dyed at Rome 241 Honorius the Pope his story 258 Honorius author of worshipping the Sacrament 1390 Hospitals of Rome for English pilgrimes 163 Hooke martyred at Chichester for the gospell 1688 Hornby his story deliuerie 2082 Horne Martyr his story 1910.1911.1953 Holmes his story 838 Holyday Martyr his story 2037 2038.2039 Holy water coniured 497 Holy bread and holy water as the Papists call them not prooueable by scripture 1588 Holy water found out first 39 Holy bread by whom first of all inuented 1404 Homes of the Gard a cruell mercilesse knaue 1526 Honeden Martyr his story martyrdome 665.666 Hospitall of Bartholomew built in London 191 Holland the bish of Londons Somner 1184 Houses of almes how many sufficient for England 508 Holy dayes abrogate put downe 1259 Holcot gentleman hys trouble for bringing a booke to Cranmer Archb. of Cant. remayning prisoner for the truth of the Gospel in Bocardo in Oxford 2135. Holy ghost Christes vicar on earth and how 1822 Homage done to kyng Edgar 155 Horton Minister his deliuery by Gods prouidence 2081 Hope what it is 978 Hormisda his history 99 Horsus slayne 113 H. V. Hubba capitayne of the Danes inuadeth England 114 Hubert Lord chiefe iustice of England a great worker against the popes extortioÌ„s .269.275 broght into hatred with the king by the Romish prelates .276 flyeth to sanctuary .276 bereft of all hys goods .277 cast into prison and at last reconciled to the king againe 278 Hubberdine a rayling preacher agaynst M. Latimer his daunsing sermon
maiesticall maner therof 750 R O. Robert De Artois a noble man of France exciteth king Edward the 3. to make claym to the kingdome of Fraunce 376. Robert Brakenbery true to hys Prince 728. Robert Braybroke byshop of LoÌ„don 443. Robert Bacon a bloudy and cruelâ— enemy to the Sayntes of Godâ— 1912. Robert Barnes hys story 1192. Robert Cosin Martyr hys story 818. Robert Chapell his trouble and persecution .641 abiured ibid. Robert Dynes Martyr his story and Martyrdome 2042. Robert Drakes hys story .1895 hys examination and death 1896.1897.1898 Robert Edgore hys death 2103.2104 Robert Farrar of London a sore enemy filthy talker by the good Lady Elizabeth 2097. Robert Grosthead made Byshop of Lincolne 279. Roberts Gentlewoman her trouble and deliueraunce 2073. Robert Grosthead Byshoppe of Lincolne his coÌ„mendatioÌ„ books trouble and death .325 hys articles agaynst the Pope 325. Robert Glouer Martyr and his Brother theyr trouble persecution and death 1709.1710.1711 1712.1713 Robertus Gallus his Prophesies agaynst the Pope 322 Robert Harrison Martyr 1277 Robert Kyng Robert Debnam hanged for takynge downe the Roode of Douer Courte 1031 Robert Kylwarby Archbyshoppe of Caunterbury 336 Robert Lambe with other moe Martyrs 1267 Robert Lawson Roger Bernard Martyrs theyr Storyes 1917 1918.1919 Robert Miles aliâs PluÌ„mer martyr his story 2047 Robert Milles Martyr his story and martyrdome 2042 Robert Packington murthered 1130 Robert Parson of Heggeley hys examination and aunsweres 641 Robert Pigot Martyr his Story examination and constaunt martyrdome 1715.1716 Robert Smith Martyr .1689 his examinations and answeres .1691.1692.1693.1694 his Godly Letters to diuers of hys Frendes 1696.1698.1699.1700.1701.1702 Robert Samuell Martyr his story and death .1703.1604 hys letters 1705.1706 Robert Twing spoyled of his benefice by the Papistes 276 Robert Streater Martyr 1708 Robert Southam Martyr his story martyrdome 2037.2038 2039 Robert Williams scourged 2062 Roger Acton knight why executed as a traytor 587 Roger Byshop of London excommunicated the Popes Usurers 278 Roger Clarke Martyr his Story and Martyrdome 1231.1232 Roger Holland Martyr .2037.2038.2039 his examination and aunsweares .2039.2040 his death and martyrdome 2039 2042 Roger Mortimer earle of Marsh executed 376 Roger Cooe his examination condemnatioÌ„ and martyrdome 1707 1708 Rogers burned in Northfolke 1241 Roger Onley proued not guilty of treason 703 Rogers his story and martyrdome 1484. his examinations and answeares .1485.1486 hys condemnation .1488 his admonition to the Byshoppes out of prison .1489.1490 his Propheticall sayinges .1492 hys constaunt martyrdome for the truth 1493 Rockewood Persecutor hys death 2101 Rood of Paules in London set vp with Te Deum solemnly song 1472 Roode sette vppe in Lankeshyre 1474 Rhodes besieged .744 and wonne of the Turkes 748 Rodolphe Archbishop of Caunterbury 198 Rogation dayes in olde time without superstition 128 Rochester besieged of the Barons 332 Rome why aduaunced aboue other Cittyes .18 sacked destroyed 987 Rome full of all abhominations .697 not the Catholicke Church and why 1803 Rome not supreame head ouer other Churches 1759 Rome described in her Colours 322 Rome how it beganne to take head ouer other Churches 120 Rome proued to be Babilon .478 Antichristes neast 562 Romaynes punished by their owne Emperours for contemningâ— Christ and his true Religion 31. Romaynes olde theyr fayth 20 Romanes 23. brought into England to be beneficed 287 Romanus his lamentable history death 89 90 Romeshot confirmed by Canutus 163 Romish prelats displaced by queene Elizabeth and good Bishoppes placed in theyr stead 2125 Rowland Taylour Doctour and Martyr his life and story .1518 cited .1519 appeareth before Winchester theyr conference together .1520 depriued of his benefice 1521 Rounde Table built in Windsour 384 Rough Martyr his story and martyrdome 2028.2031.2034 Rollo a Dane first Duke of Normandy 141 Roper Martyr his story persecution and death 1794 Rochtailada Martyr his Story 391 Rose his trouble for the Gospell .2082 his examinations .2083.2084.2085 his deliuery 2086.2087 Rose Allin her story .2005 her hand burned by Edmund Tyrill 2006 2007 Rose Minister with 30. godly persons taken in Bowchurch at the Communion 1480 Rota an Office in the Courte of Rome full of all abhomination 857 Roy burned in Portingall for the Gospell 1398.1027 Roth Martyr his story and martyrdome 2013.2014.2015.2016.2017.2018.2019 R V. Rubricke of the 5. woundes after the Papistes 1398 S A. SAbinus publisheth the Emperors decree 82 Sabinianus Bishop of Rome 120 Sabina Martyr his story 4 Sacrament called breade of Saynt Paule of the Chanon of the masse it selfe and of the fathers 534 Sacrament defined .1183 why called the body of Christ. 1392 Sacrament of the Lordes bodye called breade of Saynt Cyprian 62 Sacrament hath two thinges in it to be noted 500 Sacrament is not to be considered in nature but what it is in mistery 1432 Sacrament in one kind contrary to the worde of God practise of the primitiue Church and Fathers in all ages 1150.1151 Sacramentall mutation in the Lordes Supper what and howe 1761 Sacrament hath both commaundement and promise annexed 1611 Sacramentes are confirmations of Gods grace towards his people 1707 Sacrament made an Idoll by the Papistes 28 Sacramentes take theyr names of those thinges whiche they represent .1129 not Christes body in deede but in representation onely 1130 Sacramentes without theyr vse are no Sacramentes .1809.1815 ministred in one kinde by the papistes .1820.1821 abused ibid. oughte to bee ministred in bothe kindes and not in one as the papistes do 1890 Sacrament neither chaunged in substaunce nor accidence .1380 they are seales of Gods grace towardes vs. 1431 Sacrament of the Aultar no Sacrament 1977 Sacrament of the aultar ouerthroweth the Lordes supper 1626 Sacramente of the Aultare who brought in 544 Sacrament of Penance 544 Sacrifice of Christ once offered sufficient for all 1432 Sacrifice propiciatory of the masse is derogatory to Christes death and passion 1761 Sacrifice of the Church and Sacrifice for the Church 1615 Sacrifice of Christ not many tymes offered but once for all 484 Sadoletus Cardinall his desperate death 2106 Safe conducte graunted to Iohn Hus. 596 Sagaris Martyr 4 Saladine slayeth Christian Captaynes and is put to flight hymselfe 245.246 Salisbury the first Byshop therof 183 Sanctus his notable constancy and cruell martyrdome 46 All Sayntes day first instituted with the day of all soules 137 Sayntes not to be called vppon or prayed vnto 1108.1109 Sayntes are not to be worshipped 1741 Sayntes of the Popes Traytors 579 Saynt Stephen the Ringleader of all Christes holy Martyrs 32 Saynt Iohns Gospell translated into English by Beede 127 Saynt Iohn of Beuerleyes miracles reproued 125 Saynt Iames the Apostle Martyred 32 Saynt Edmond Chanon of Salisbury Canonized a Saynt 270 San Romayne his story and constant martyrdome for the trueth 928.929.930 Saynt Peters body clothed in siluer in Rome 130 Saynt Martin persecuted 955 Saynt Bridget 419 Saynt Elizabeth her Story 273.268 San Beneâ—o 931 Sarton burned at Bristow for the truth of Christes Gospell 2149 Saunders his life and
No man so 〈◊〉 but he may learne The copy of Syr Edward BayntoÌ„s letter to M. Latimer These friendes of M. Bayâ—toÌ„ seeme to be some Popish Priestes and enemyes to the Gospell as Powell Wilson Sherwood Hubberdine c. The Papistes will not haue vnity disturbed Papistry coloured with authority of holy fathers M. BayntoÌ„ will follow the most number Note the proceedynge of the Popeâ— Church which would not haue the people certayne of Gods truth and religion Errour and false doctrine would fayne lye still in peace and noâ— be stirred Vnity in the Lord in Baptisme in fayth The Chayne of christen charity Answere of M. Latimer to M. BayntoÌ„s letter The Bee The Spinner Euery thing as it is taken Had I wist Example of a true diligent pastor M. Latimer vnfurnished with outward helpe M. Latimer blamed for saying he was sure of the truth which he preached As God alone knoweth all truth so some truth he reuealeth to be certaine to his seruauntes 〈◊〉 presumption in a Preacher being certayne of that which he Preacheth to shew it to the people Let not man Preach except that he be certayne of that which he preacheth Euery true christian ought to be certayne of his fayth The doubting doctrine of the Catholickes Argumentes Aunswere i. The 〈…〉 the most 〈◊〉 certayn◠〈◊〉 Certaâ—ne knowledge Clâ—are knowledge M. Latimer not 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Which 〈…〉 had knowledg without any 〈…〉 while thâ—y knowing the will of God doe nothing theâ— after 1. 〈…〉 that alâ—o which he 〈…〉 as not to haue it And also seing it is true that Gods 〈…〉 will not dwell in a body subiect to sinne albeit he abound in carnall wisedome to much yet the same â—â—rnall and Philosophicall vnderstanding of Gods 〈◊〉 is not the wisedome of God which is hidde from the wiâ—e and iâ— reuealed to litle ones Euery Preacher ought to be suâ—e of the truth There be many truthes whereof a good man may well be ignoraunt There be many thinges in Scripture in the profundities whereof a man may wade to farre Agaynst preachers which take vpon theÌ„ to define great subtilties and highe matters in the Pulpit Vayne subtilties and questions to be declined Simple and playne preaching of faith and of the fruites thereof Foolishe humilitye A meane betweene to hie and to low Not euery thing wherâ—â—pon disseÌ„tion comâ—eth iâ— the 〈…〉 He 〈…〉 Pope and his Papists which 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 K. Henry and 〈◊〉 brâ—thers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken where 〈◊〉 is geuen The church of the Galathians Erasmus in 〈◊〉 epistle set before the Paraâ—â—rase in â—â— Cor. To pretend vnitye vnder the title of one Lord is not inough Chrisost. Hom. 49. in Mat. cap. 24. To be in vnity of fayth except the fayth be sound is not inough i. If we beleeue we shew the truth in working i. He that beleueth God attendeth to his commaundementes Hieron Tom. 5. in Hierem. Cap 26. How true preachers should order themselues when the wicked Priestes be against them Hieron Tom. 6. in Naum cap. 30. i. The people which before were brought a sleepe by their Maners must goe vp to the mountaynes not such mouÌ„taines which smoke when they are touched but to the mountaines of the old and new testament the Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes And when thou art occupyed with reading in those mountaines yf then thou find no instructors for the haruest is great and the workemen be few yet shall the diligent study of the people be flying to the mountaines and the slouthfulnes of the Maisters shal be rebuked i. Which witâ— mouth onely confesse Christ to come in flesh Naughty seruauntes not feeding but smitting their fellow seruauntes eating and drinking with the drunken which shall haue their portion with hypocrites i. Because they confesse Christ in flesh and naughty they are called because they deny him in their deedes not geuing meat in due season and excercising maistershippe ouer the flocke August in Ioan. Tract 3. Both Christians and Antichristians confesse the name of Christ. i. Let vs not stand vpon our talkes but attend to our doinges and conuersation of life whether we not onely do not put our indeuour thereto but also perswade our selues as though it were not necessary for vs to accomplish such thinges c. but that it is inough to beare rule and authoritye ouer them and to bestow our selues wholy vpon secular matters pleasures pompe of this world In the people is required a iudgmeÌ„t to discerne whether they tooke of their ministers chalke for cheese The blind eateth many a flye Intollerable secularitye and negligence in Churchmen Better is in the Church a deforme disagreement so that Christ be truely preached then vniforme ignorance agreeing in Idolatrye i. If ye loue me keepe my commaundementes i. He that knoweth my preceptes and doth them he loueth me The state of Curates what it is The true honour of Christ turned to Piping playing and Singing He that wilâ— be busie with Vâ— Vobis let him looke shortly for coraÌ„ nobis Iohannes do tuâ—â—e Cremata The Pope great Maister Lord and king ouer all the world i. He came into his owne and his owne receaued him not Iohn 1. The Popes dominion Purgatory Worshipping of Saintes i. I shall haue neede of great patience to beare the false reportes of the malignaÌ„t church A priuye nippe to such as haue many cures and are resident to none i. I must needes suffer and so enter so perilous a thing it is to liue vertuously in Christ. An other â—â—tter of M. â—aâ—imer to â— Henry August ad Caâ—ulaâ—uÌ„ Chrisost. M. Latimer tâ—uched in conscience 〈◊〉 write to the king 〈…〉 to truth Math. 23. The subtile wilines and practises of the prelats 〈…〉 2. 〈…〉 12. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 12. Math. 7. The rule of Christ. The pouerty of Christes life expressed The poore conâ—dition of Christs life is an example to vs to cast down our pride nor to set by riches It is not agaynst the pouertye of the spirite to be rich What is to be poore in spirite and what not Priuy enemyes to spirituall pouertye Against Monkes and Fryers and Prelates of the spiritualtye Math. 17. Subiection to superiour powers Ambition of the spiritualtye Math. 7. Math. 15. Christ promiseth no promotions but persecution to his followers Math. 1â— Iohn 16. Math. 10. Gods word only is the weapon of Spirituall Pastors The Apostles were persecuted but neuer no persecutors Phillip 1. Persecution a sure marke of true preaching The worde of the Crosse. Iohn 3. Crafty pretenses of the Prelates to stoppe the reading of holy Scripture Belly wisedome Perswation to let the Scripture to be read in Englishe Sinister counsell about Princes Wicked 〈…〉 his owne deâ—struction Vnder the 〈…〉 Christes Gospell Obiection preuented and aunswered The cause and causeâ—s of 〈◊〉 kinges Proclamation against â—he reading of Scripture booke in 〈◊〉 He meaneâ—h oâ— Cronmer Cromwell one or two moâ— agaynst whom the Bishop of Winchester his faction
did preuayle A practise of Prelates to conuey their owne proclamations vnder the kinges name and authoritye He meaneth of the Pope which went about to driue K. Henry out of his kingdome and that not without some adherentes nere about the king The cause of insurrections is falsly layed vpon English bookes but rather is to be lyed vpon the Popes pardoÌ„s Extortioners Bribers theeues be the greatest enemyes to the Gospell to be in Englishe The froward lyfe of the Gospellers is not to be layd to the Gospel Lacke of good Curates is the cause of all mischiefe in the Realme 〈…〉 to Gods word By Nathan we may learne not 〈…〉 to call 〈◊〉 our wâ—rdes when we 〈◊〉 Gods pleasure to 〈…〉 The Popes 〈◊〉 geuen to K. Henry Defender of the â—ayth no 〈◊〉 title for man The â—ayth of Christ is 〈…〉 by man 〈…〉 but 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 〈…〉 of M. Latimer to the 〈◊〉 to be coâ—â—idered The heauenly courage of M. Latimer in discharging his conscience The King well pleased with the playnnes of M. Latimer Example for Bishops and alâ— good Pastors to follow Warning to Iustices of peace A letter of M. Latimer to a certayne gentleman i. God turne â—â— to good I refuse no iudgement Let vs accuse one another that one of vs may amend an other in the name of the Lord. Let iustice proceede in iudgement i. I cannot chuse but much alow such diligence i. And then will I gladly geue place confessing my fault humbly as one conquered with iust reasons As may wel appeaâ—e by his letter sent to the King before i. To rebuke the world of sinne i. Which thing vndoubtedly is the peculiar office of the holy ghost in the church of God so that it be practised by lawfull Preachers i. vnlesse perhaps to rebuke sinne sharpely be now to lacke all charitye friendship and truth M. Latimer flattereth no man i. Among al meÌ„ eyther frendes or enemyes according to Paules precept not esteemed of the children of this world hate you sayth he that which is euill and cleaue to that which is good And let vs not at any tyme for the fauour of men call good euill and euill good as the children of this world are commonly wont to doe as it is euery where to be seene Bolstring of falsehood and iniquitie Brother ought not to beare with brother to beare down right and truth especially being a Iustice. i. The Lord himselfe saying in the mouth of two or three c. i. Corrupte tenantes i. But God is yet aliue which seeth all and iudgeth iustly Were not here a good sorâ—e of Iustices trow you Iustices turned to Iugglers Partaking Iustices i. O good God i. Of a double nature sound corrupte That was full of Iustice This vnlesse it be restored abideth alwayes vniust bringing forth the fruites of wickednes one after an other i. Of which sorte we haue fewer amongest vs then I would i. To vicinity of bloud 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 also be 〈◊〉 aâ—â—ording to the 〈…〉 of their 〈…〉 wealth which tâ—ouble vs when they 〈◊〉 to â—elpe vs 〈◊〉 this 〈…〉 Vexation 〈◊〉 vnderstanding 〈◊〉 good O â—ord that thou hâ—mâ—â—eâ— me 1. After this 〈◊〉 bind 〈◊〉 Asses with â—riâ—le and sâ—aâ—le 〈◊〉 they approch not 〈◊〉 vnto thee 〈◊〉 will not such 〈◊〉 cause â—â—yther wil communicate with other mens 〈…〉 deteâ—â—ble pride 〈…〉 â— What is to oppresse to defraud your brother in his 〈◊〉 â— The sinne is not forgeuen except the thing be restored agayne that iâ— taken away i. Of thinges gotteÌ„ by fraude guile deceite as of thinges gotten by open theft and robbery Godly threates of M. Latimer to saue the soule of his friend M. Latimers Newyeares gift sent to K. Henry B. Ridley and M. Latimer brought forth to examination October 1. M. White B. of Lincolne M. Brokes B. of Glocester the Popes deputies The last examination of M. Ridley and M. Latimer The effect of the Cardinalls Commission sent downe to Oxford D. Ridley and M. Latimer ascited to appeare the last of September B. Ridley putteth on his cap at hearing of the Popes name The wordes of the Bishop of Lincolne to D. Ridley for not putting of his cappe Answere of D Ridley to the B of Lincolne D. Ridley reuerenceth the person of the Cardinall but not his Legacye D. Ridley oâ—eth no reuerence to the pope D. White Bishop of Lincolne replyeth agayne Putting of caps at the naming of the Pope D. Ridley answereth The vsurped supremacye of Rome defied D. Ridleys cap pluckâ—â— of perforce * Though the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 yet the doctrine 〈◊〉 Rome is straunge * * The words of D. Ridley falsly repoâ—ted The Bishop of Lincolne perswadeth D. Ridley 〈◊〉 tâ— the Popes Church Answere 〈◊〉 D. â—idley to the B. of Lincoâ—â—e â— Pointes 〈◊〉 in the B. of Lincolnes Oration 2 The sea of Rome conâ—â—med by old Doctours 3. D. Ridley once of the same sea The church not builded vpon Peter The church builded vpon faithâ— not vpon any person The wordes of Christ to Peterâ— Math· 16. expounded Fayth is the foundation of the Church Lineall discent of the Bishop of Rome Why the Bishops of Râ—me haue bene more esteemed then the Bishops of other cities The prerogatiue that the Doctours geue to the sea of Rome and for what cause The sea of Rome so long as it continued in sound doctrine was worthy to be reuerenced The Bishop of Rome proued to be Antichrist The place of S. Austen aunswered 4. Patriarches in the Church in Austines tyme. Countreys beyond the sea subiect to Rome how and in what respect Rome may be mother of churches and yet no supreme head of Churches D. Ridley falsly charged to preach transubstantiation at Paules Crosse. D. Ridley mistaken in his Sermon Lincolne againe replyeth D. Ridley agaynâ—â—â—â—swereth 〈◊〉 the wordâ— of Austen Lincolne returneth agayne to his oration * And why then do you alligate it to the city of Româ— 2. Powers of the keyes and of the sword England how subiect to the King and how to the Pope B. Ridley exhorted to submitte himselfe to the Pope Feare of punishment set before him * But that office you your selues haue assigned vnto them Aâ—â—were to D. Ridley to Lincolne * He meaneth in which no generall errour can be â—â—nally The church 〈◊〉 to no 〈◊〉 〈…〉 doe 〈◊〉 the Church to â—â—certayne place and that onely 〈◊〉 Rome The 〈…〉 bind the Church to no one 〈…〉 what Church to 〈…〉 infected with the Church of 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 * Articles ioyntly and seuerally ministred to D. Ridley and M. Latymer by the Popes deputies B. Ridley examined vpon the Articles aforesayd The Catholicke promise fayre but they performe nothing The hie Priestes had not power to put Christ to death but they had power to commit him to Pilate neyther would they suffer him to abâ—solue Christ. D. WestoÌ„ shooteth his bolte The protestatioÌ„ of D. Ridley D. Ridley cannot be suffered to speake The reall