prouision had not preuented her with death In the number of them which suffred the same month when Queene Mary died were three that were burned at Bury whose names were these Phillip Humfrey Iohn Dauid Henry Dauid his brother Concernyng the burnyng of these three here is to bee noted that sir Clement Higham about a fortnight before the Queen died did sue out a writ for the burning of these three aforesayd godly and blessed Martyrs notwithstandyng that the Queene was then known to be past remedie of her sicknesse The trouble and Martyrdome of a godly poore woman which suffred at Exeter ALthough in such an innumerable company of godlye Martyrs which in sundry quarters of this Realme were put to torments of fire in Q. Maries time it be hard so exactly to recite euery perticular person that suffred but that some escape vs eyther vnknowen or omitted yet I can not passe ouer a certaine poore woman and a sely creature burned vnder the sayd queenes reigne in the City of Exeter whose name I haue not yet learned who dwelling sometime about Cornewall hauing a husbande and childrē there much addicted to the superstitious sect of popery was many times rebuked of thē driuē to go to the church to their Idols and ceremonies to shrift to follow the Crosse in Procession to geue thankes to God for restoryng Antichrist agayne into this Realme c. Which when her spirit could not abide to do she made her prayer vnto God calling for helpe and mercy and so at length lying in her bed about midnight she thought there came to her a certaine motion and feeling of singuler comfort Wherupon in short space she beganne to grow in contempt of her husband and children and so taking nothing from them but euen as she went departed from them seeking her lyuing by labor spinning as well as she could here there for a time In which time notwithstanding she neuer ceased to vtter her minde as well as she durst howbeit she at that time was brought home to her husband agayn Wher at last she was accused by her neighbours and so brought vp to Exeter to be presented to the Bishop and his Clergy The name of the Bishop which had her in examination was Doctour Troubleuile His Chauncellour as I gather was Blackstone The chiefest matter whereupon she was charged and condemned was for the Sacrament which they call of the Aultar and for speaking against Idols as by the declaration of those which were present I vnderstand which report the talk betwene her and the bishop on this wise Bishop Thou foolish woman quoth the Byshop I heare say that thou hast spoken certayne words of the most blessed Sacrament of the Aultar the body of Christ. Fye for shame Thou art an vnlearned person and a woman wilt thou meddle with such highe matters whiche all the Doctours of the worlde can not define Wilt thou talke of so high misteryes Keepe thy worke medle with that thou hast to do It is no womans matters at cardes and towe to be spoken of And if it be as I am infourmed thou art worthy to be burned Woman My Lord sayde she I trust your Lordship will heare me speake Bish. Yea mary quoth he therfore I send for thee Woman I am a poore woman do liue by my hands getting a peny truely of that I get I geue part to the poore Bish. That is well done Art thou not a mans wife And here the Bishop entred into talke of her husband To whom she answered againe declaring that she had a husband and children and had them not So long as she was at liberty she refused not neyther husband nor children But now standing here as I doe sayd she in the cause of Christ his trueth where I must either forsake Christ or my husband I am contēted to sticke onely to Christ my heauenly spouse and renounce the other And here she making mention of the words of Christ He that leaueth not father or mother sister or brother husband c. the Byshop inferred that Christ spake that of the holy martyrs which dyed because they would not doe sacrifice to the false Gods Woman Sikerly syr and I will rather dye then I will do any worship to that foule Idoll whiche with your Masse you make a God Bish. Yea you callet will you say that the sacrament of the aultar is a foule Idoll Wom. Yea truly quoth she there was neuer such an Idoll as your sacramēt is made of your priestes cōmaūded to be worshipped of al mē with many fōd phantasies where Christ did commaund it to be eaten drunken in remembraunce of his most blessed passion our redemption Bish. See this pratling woman Doest thou not heare that Christ did say ouer the bread This is my body ouer the cup This is my bloud Wom. Yes forsooth he sayd so but he meant that it is hys body and bloud not carnally but sacramentally Bish. Loe she hath heard pratling among these new preachers or heard some peeuish book Alas poore womā thou art deceiued Wom. No my Lorde that I haue learned was of Godly preachers of godly books which I haue heard read And if you will geue me leaue I will declare a reason why I will not worship the sacrament Bish. Mary say on I am sure it will be goodly geare Woman Truely such geare as I will loose this poore life of mine for Bish. Then you will be a martyr good wife Woman In deed if the denying to worshippe that bready God be my martyrdome I will suffer it with all my hart Bish. Say thy minde Wom. You must beare with me a poore woman quoth she Bish. So I will quoth he Woman I will demaunde of you whether you can denye your creed which doth say that Christ perpetually doth sit at the right hand of his father both body soule vntill he come againe or whether he be there in heauē our aduocate do make prayer for vs vnto God his father If it be so he is not here in the earth in a piece of bread If he be not here if he do not dwel in temples made with hands but in heauen what shall we seeke him here if he did offer his body once for all why make you a new offering if with once offring he made al perfect why do you with a false offring make al vnperfect if he be to be worshipped in spirite and truth why doe you worship a piece of bread if he be eaten drunkē in faith truth if his flesh be not profitable to be among vs why do you say you make his body and fleshe and say it is profitable for body soule Alas I am a poore woman but rather then I would do as you doe I would liue no longer I haue sayd syr Bish. I promise you you are a iolly protestant I pray you in what schooles haue you
of London PLeaseth your good Lordship to vnderstand that yesterday I dined with my Lord of Exceter who soon after my first coÌ„ming vnto him asked me what newes I answered none but good that I had heard No sayth he Why it is a rumour in the City that tomorowe the Queenes Grace will take her iourney towardes the king I aunswered that I thought it not to bee any whit true but an inuention of Heretickes yea and further sayeth he there is report made abroad of my Lorde our Mayster that he is in discomfort and therefore will suffer no man to come vnto him When I heard thus much I began to laugh and declare how vntrue this report was so that my Lord who before was very sad afterward knowing the truth reioyced much to heare that all was wel with your lordship and desired me to do his harty commendations to your Lordship One of my Lord of Penbrokes retinue a very handsome maÌ„ and as farre as I can yet learne Catholicke is a suter to your lordship to haue licence to erect a schoole and the order which he inteÌ„deth to vse is coÌ„teined in this printed paper which I send here in inclosed to your Lordship I would be gladde for my Lorde of Penbrokes sake that he vnderstood that vppon my motion your Lordship were content he should teach as he intendeth Mayster Iohnson and I haue trauelled with the Prieste and he hath subscribed his name to this draughte whiche is herein inclosed and hath promised he will stand to the same before your Lordship When I had written thus much sodenly came tydinges to me that Iordanis conuersus est retrorsum Cluney comming to the Priest found him lying prostrate groning as though he should haue dyed forthwith Then Cluney tooke him vppe and set hym vpon a stoole and came to me and told me of this reuell It chauÌ„ced that M. Iohnson was with me and we went to this fond hereticke fouÌ„d him lying all a long holding his hands vp looking hypocritically towardes heauen I caused Thomas More Cluney to set him on the stoole and with much adoe at length he tolde me that Sathan had bene with him in the night and tolde him that he was damned and weeping he prayed M. Iohnson and me to see the bill whereunto he subscribed and when he sawe it he tare out his name è libro scilicet viuentium Me thinketh by him he will needes burne a Fagot neither is there any other likelihood of the young woman I haue enquired of the two persons which sue to haue a licence to eat flesh And the woman of Christ Church is in deed very much diseased and hath bene long diseased and she and her husband both Catholicke Of the other yet I canne learne nothing Thus Iesus euermore preserue your good Lordship and my Mistres your Lordshippes sister with all yours This present Saterday Your Lordships most bounden seruaunt Iohn Harpsfield ¶ Here foloweth an other letter of Robert Iohnson Register touching Thomas Whittell written to Boner Bishop of London MY bounden duety premised pleaseth your Lordshyp to vnderstande that this laste Fridaye in the after noone Mayster Archdeacon of London did diligently trauell with Syr Thomas Whittell I being present and perceiuing his conformity as outwardlye appeared deuised a submission and hee being content therewith did subscribe the same But now this saterday morning Mayster Archdeacon and I vpon Cluneys report declaring that he fayned himselfe to be extracted of his senses went vnto hym to whom he declared that Sathan in the night time appeared vnto him and said that he was damned for that he had done against his conscience in subscribing the said submission with other like wordes c. And theÌ„ Mayster Archdeacon at his earnest request deliuered vnto him the submissioÌ„ And thereupon the sayd Whittell did teare out his subscription made in the foot of the same as your Lordshippe shall perceiue by the submission sent now vnto your Lordship by Mayster ArchdeacoÌ„ wherewith the sayd Whittell was somewhat quieted And as touching Ioane Lashford Mayster Archdeacon didde likewise trauell with her and shewing her Syr Thomas submission which I readde vnto her two times demaunded if she could bee content to make the like submission and she desired respite vntill this morning And beyng nowe eftsoones demaunded in likewise sayth that she will not make any thing in writing nor put any signe thereunto Mayster Archdeacon and I entend thyâ— after noone to examine the sayd Syr Thomas vpon Articles for as yet there doeth appeare nothing in writing agaynste hym as knoweth almighty GOD who preserue your good Lordshyp in prosperity long with honour to endure From London thys Saterday By your Lordships dayly bedesman and bounden seruaunt Robert Iohnson ¶ The Condemnation Death and Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell COncerning the woordes and aunsweres of the sayde Thomas Whittell at his laste examination before the Bishop vpon the xiiij day of Ianuary the yere aboue expressed Boner with his other felow Bonerlingeâ— sittyng in his Consistory at after noone first called forth Thomas Whittell with who he began in effect as foloweth because ye be a Priest sayth he as I and other Bishops here bee and did receiue the order of Priesthoode after the riâ—e and fourme of the Catholicke Churche ye shall not thinke but I will minister iustice as well vnto you as to other And then the sayd Boner in further communication did charge hym that when in tymes past he had sayde Masâ—e according to the order then vsed the same Whittell nowe of late had rayled and spoken agaynste the same saying that it was Idolatry and abhomination Whereunto Thomas Whittell aunswering agayne sayd that at such times as he so sayde Masse he was then ignoraunt c. adding moreouer that the eleuation of the Sacramente at the Masse geueth occasion of Idolatry to them that be ignoraunt vnlearned After this the bishop making hast to the Articles whiche in all his examinations euer he harped vpon came to this Article That thou wast in times past baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church To this the sayd Whittell inferred agayne I was baptised in the fayth of the catholicke church although I did forsake the Church of Rome And ye my Lord do call these heresies that be no heresies and do charge me therwith as heresies and ye ground your selfe vpon that religion whiche is not agreable to Gods word c. Then the sayd victorious souldiour and seruant of our Sauior constant in the verity receiued and professed was agayne admonished and with perswasions entreated by the bishop who because he would not agree vnto the same the bishop forthwith proceeded first to his actuall degradation that is to vnpriest him of all his priestly trinkets and clarkly habite The order and maner of whiche theyr popish and most vayne degradation before in the storye of Bishop Hooper pag. 1435. is to be sene
owne voluntary will amongest whō was one Daniell a great doer and preacher sometimes of the Gospell in the dayes of king Edward in those parties of Cornewall and Deuonshyre whom after that she perceiued by his owne confession to haue reuolted from that whiche he preached before through the grieuous imprisonmentes as he sayd and feare of persecution whiche he had partly susteined by the cruell Iustices in those parties earnestly she exhorted him to repent with Peter and to be more constant in his profession Moreouer there resorted to her a certeine worthy gentlewoman the wife of one Walter Rauley a womā of noble wit and of a good godly opinion came to the prisō talked with her she sayd her creede to the gentlewoman when she came to the Article· He ascended there she stayed and bade the Gentlewoman to seeke his blessed bodye in heauen not in earth told her playnly that God dwelleth not in temples made with handes that sacrament to be nothing els but a remembrance of his blessed passion yet sayd she as they now vse it it is but an Idoll far wide from any remembrance of Christes body which sayd she will not long continue so take it good maistres So that as soone as she came home to her husband she declared to him that in her life she neuer heard a woman of such simplicity to see to talk so godly so perfectly so sincerely so earnestly in so muche that if God were not with her shee could not speak such things to the which I am not able to answere her sayd she who can read and she can not Also there came to her one William Kede and Iohn his brother not onely brethren in the flesh but also in the truth and men in that Country of great credite whose father Robert Kede all his life suffered nothing but trouble for the Gospell These two good and faythfull brethrē were present with her both in the hall and also at the prison as they reported they neuer heard the like woman of so godly talke so faythfull or so constant as godly exhortations she gaue them Thus this good matrone the very seruant and handmayd of Christ was by many wayes tried both by harde prisonment threatninges tauntes and scornes called an Anabaptist a madde woman a drunkard a whoore a runnagate She was prooued by liberty to goe whither she would she was tryed by flattery with many fayre promises she was tryed with her husband her goodes and childred but nothing could preuayle her hart was fixed shee had cast her anker vtterly contēning this wicked world A rare ensample of constancy to all professors of Christes holy Gospell In the bill of my Information it is so reported to me that albeit shee was of suche simplicity and without learning yet you could declare no place of Scripture but she would tell you the Chapter yea she woulde recite to you the names of all the bookes of the Bible For whiche cause one Gregory Basset a rancke Papist sayd she was out of her wit and talked of the Scripture as a dogge rangeth farre of from his mayster whē he walketh in the fieldes or as a stolen sheepe out of his maisters handes she wist not wherat as all heretickes do with many other such taūtes which she vtterly defyed Whereby as almightye God is highly to be praysed working so mightely in such a weake vessell so men of stronger and stouter nature haue also to take example how to stand in like case whē as we see this poore woman how manfully she went through with such constancy and pacience At the last when they perceiued her to be past remedy and had consumed all theyr threatninges that by neyther prisonmēt nor liberty by manaces nor flattery they could bring her to sing any other song nor win her to their vanities and superstitious doinges then they cryed out An Anabaptist an Anabaptist Then at a daye they brought her from the Bishops prison to the Guildhall after that deliuered her to the tēporall power according to their custome where shee was by the Gentlemen of the countrey exhorted yet to call for grace to leaue her fond opinions And go home to thy husband sayd they thou art an vnlearned woman thou art not able to answere to such high matters I am not sayd she yet with my death I am content to be a witnes of Christs death and I pray you make no lōger delay with me my hart is fixed I will neuer otherwise say nor turne to theyr superstitious doinges Then the bishop sayd the deuill did lead her No my Lord sayd she it is the spirite of God whiche leadeth me and which called me in my bed at midnight opened his truth to me Thā was there a great shout and laughing among the priestes and other During the time that this good poore woman was thus vnder these priestes handes amongest many other baytinges and sore conflictes whiche she susteyned by thē here is moreouer not to be forgotten howe that Mayster Blaxton aforesayd being treasurer of the Church had a concubine which sundry times resorted to him with other of his gossips so that alwayes when they came this sayde good woman was called forth to his house there to make his miniō with the rest of the company some myrth he examining her with suche mocking gyruing deriding the truth that it would haue vexed any christian hart to haue seene it Then when he had long vsed his foolishnes in this sort had sported himselfe enough in deriding this christian martyr in the end he sent her to prison agayne and there kept her very miserablye sauing that sometimes he would send for her when his foresayd guest came to him to vse with her his accustomed folly aforesaid But in sine these vile wretches after many combates and scoffing perswasions whē they had played the part of the cat with the mouse at length condemned her and deliuered her ouer to the secular power Then the Indictment beyng geuen and read whiche was that she should go to the place whence she came and from thence to be led to the place of execution then there to bee burned with flames till shee shoulde bee consumed shee lifted vppe her voyce and thanked GOD saying I thanke thee my Lord my God this daye haue I founde that which I haue long sought But such outcries as ther were agayne and such mockings were neuer seene vpō a poore seely woman Al which she most paciently took And yet this fauour they pretended after her iudgement that her life should be spared if she would turne recant Nay that will I not sayd she God forbyd that I shoulde loose the life eternall for this carnall and shorte life I wyll neuer turne from my heauenly husband to my earthly husband from the feloshippe of aungels to mortall children And if my husband and children be faythfull then am I
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
God But that can no where be shewed And as for the Church I am not angry with it and I neuer refused to goe to it and to praye with the people to heare the word of God and to do all other things what soeuer may agree with the word of God S. Augustine speaking of the ceremonies of the Iewes I suppose in the Epistle ad Ianuarium although hee graunt they greeuously oppressed that people both for the number and bondage of the same yet he calleth them burdēs of the law which were deliuered vnto thē in the word of God not presumptions of men which notwithstanding if they were not contrary to gods word might alter a sorte be borne withall But now seeing they are contrarye to those thinges whiche are in the word of God written whether they ought to be borne of any Christian or no let hym iudge whiche is spirituall which feareth God more thē man and loueth euerlastinge life more then this short and transitory lyfe To that whiche was sayd that my fact lacketh example of the godly fathers that haue gone before the contrary is most euident in the historye of Toby Of whome it is sayd that when all other went to the golden calues whiche Hieroboam the king of Israel had made he himselfe alone fled al their companions and gotte hym to Ierusalem vnto the temple of the Lorde and there worshipped the Lorde God of Israel Did not the man of God threatē greeuous plages both vnto the Priestes of Bethell and to the aulter which Hieroboam had there made after his own fantasie Which plagues king Iosias the true Minister of God did execute at the time appoynted And where doe wee reade that the Prophetes or the Apostles did agree with the people in their Idolatry whē as the people went a whoring with their hill aulters for what cause I praye you did the Prophetes rebuke the people so muche as for theyr false worshipping of God after theyr owne mindes and not after Gods word For what was so much as that was Wherfore the false prophetes ceased not to maligne the true prophetes of God therefore they bet them they banished thē c. How els I pray you can you vnderstand that Sainct Paule alledgeth when he sayth What concord hath christ with Beliall Either what part hath the beleuer with the Infidel or how agreeth the temple of God with images For ye are the temple of the liuing God as God himselfe hath sayde I will dwell among them and will be theyr God and they shal be my people Wherfore come out from among them and seperate your selues from them saythe the Lorde and touch none vncleane thinge so will I receaue you and wil be a father vnto you and ye shal be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almighty Iudith that holy woman would not suffer herselfe to be defiled with the meates of the wicked All the Sayntes of God which truely feared God when they haue bene prouoked to do any which they knewe to be contrarye to Gods lawes haue chosen to dye rather then to forsake the lawes of their God Wherefore the Machabees put themselues in daunger of death for the defense of the lawe yea and at length died manfully in the defense of the same If we do prayse sayth S. Augustine the Machabees and that with great admiration because they did stoutly stand euen vnto death for the lawes of theyr countrey howe muche more ought wee to suffer all thinges for our Baptisme for the sacramēt of the body and bloud of Christ. c. But the supper of the Lord such a one I meane as Christ commaundeth vs to celebrate the Masse vtterly abolysheth and corrupteth most shamefully Who am I that I shuld adde any thing to this which you haue so well spoken Nay I rather thanke you that you haue vouchsafed to minister so plentifull armour to me being otherwise altogether vnarmed sauing that hee cannot be left destitute of helpe whiche rightly trusteth in the helpe of God I onely learne to dye in reading of the new testament and am euer nowe and then praying vnto my God that hee will bee an helper vnto me in tyme of neede Seeing you are so obstinately set agaynst the Masse that you affirme because it is done in a tongue not vnderstanded of the people and for other causes I cannot tell what therefore it is not the true sacrament ordayned of Christ I beginne to suspecte you that you thinke not catholickely of Baptisme also Is our Baptisme whiche we do vse in a tongue vnknowne to the people the true baptisme of Christ or no If it be then doth not the straunge tongue hurt the Masse If it be not the baptisme of Christ tell me howe were you baptised Or whether will yee as the Anabaptistes do that al which were baptised in latin should be baptised agayne in the English tongue Although I would wish baptisme to be geuen in the vulgar tongue for the peoples sake which are present that they may the better vnderstand their owne profession and also be more able to teache theyr children the same yet notwithstanding there is not like necessity of the vulgar tongue in baptisme and in the Lordes supper Baptisme is geuē to children who by reason of their age are not able to vnderstand what is spoken vnto them what tongue soeuer it be The Lordes supper is and ought to be geuen to thē that are waxen Moreouer in baptisme which is accustomed to be geuen to children in the latine tongue all the substanciall poyntes as a man would say whiche Chryst commaunded to be done are obserued And therefore I iudge that baptisme to be a perfect and true baptisme and that it is not onely not neeedefull but also not lawfull for anye man so christened to be Christened agayne But yet notwithstanding they ought to be taught the Catechisme of the christian fayth when they shall come to yeares of discretion Which Cathechisme whosoeuer despiseth or wyll not desirously embrace and willingly learne in my iudgement he playeth not the parte of a christian man But in the popish mass◠are wanting certayne substancialles that is to say things commaunded by the worde of God to be obserued in ministration of the Lordes supper of that which there is sufficient declaration made before Where you say I would wish surely I would wishe that you had spoken more vehemently and to haue sayd it is of necessitie that all thinges in the congregation should be done in the vulgar tongue for the edifying and comfort of them that are present notwithstanding that the childe it selfe is sufficiently baptised in the latin tongue For asmuche as I perceaue you are so stiffely I wyll not say obstinately bente and so wedded to your opinion that no gentle exhortations no holesome counsailes no other kinde of meanes can call you home to a better mynde there remayneth that
is an earnest worde of Ire Wherfore hell fire is appoynted for it that is the most payne of the three punishments Now you haue heard that to these diuers offences of Ire and killyng be appoynted punishments according to their degrees for looke as the offence is so shall the paine be if the offence be great the payne shall be accordyng if it be lesse there shal be lesse paine for it I would not now that you should thinke because that here is but three degrees of punishmentes spoken of that there bee no more in hell no doubt Christ spake of no more here but of these three degrees of punishmentes thinkyng they were sufficient enough for example wherby we myght vnderstand that there be as diuers and many paynes as there bee oâ—fenses and so by these three offences and these three punishmentes all other offences and punishments may bee compared with an other yet I would satisfy your mynds further in these three termes of iudgement counsaile and hell fire Where you might say what was the cause that Christ declared more the paynes of hell by these termes then by any other termes I tolde you afore that he knew well to whome he spake them these termes were naturall and well knowen amongest the Iewes and Phariseies Wherefore Christ taught them with their owne termes to the intent they might vnderstand the better his doctrine and these termes may bee likened vnto three termes which we haue common and vsuall amongst vs that is to say the sessions of enquirance the sessions of deliuerance and the execution day Sessions of enquirance is lyke vnto iudgement for when sessions of enquiry is then the Iudges causeth xij men to geue verdite of the felons crime whereby he shall be iudged to be endited sessions of deliueraunce is much lyke counsayle for at sessions of deliueraunce the Iudges go amongest themselues to counsaile to determine sentence agaynst the fellon Execution day is to be compared vnto hel fire for the Iews had amongest themselues a place of execution named hell fire and surely when a man goeth to hys death it is the greatest payne in this world wherefore you may see that there are degrees in these our termes as there is in those termes these euill disposed affections and sensualities in vs are alwayes contrary to the rule of our saluation What shall we doe now or imagine to thrust downe these Turkes and to subdue them It is a great ignominy and shame for a Christian man to be bond and subiect vnto a Turke Nay it shall not bee so wee will first cast a Trumpe in their way and play with them at cardes who shall haue the better let vs play therefore on this fashion with this carde Whensoeuer it shall happen these fowle passions and Turkes to ryse in our stomackes agaynst our brother or neighbour eyther for vnkynd wordes iniuries or wrongs which they haue done vnto vs contrary vnto our mynd straight wayes let vs call vnto our remembraunce and speake this question vnto our selues Who art thou The answer is I am a christian man TheÌ„ further we must say to our selues What requireth Christ of a christian man Now turne vp your trump your hart hartes is trumpe as I sayd before and cast your trumpe your heart on this carde and vppon this carde you shall learne what Christ requireth of a Christian man not to be angry ne mooued to Ire agaynst hys Neighbour in mynde countenaunce nor other wayes by word or deed Then take vp this carde with your hart and lay them together that done you haue won the game of the Turke wherby you haue defaced and ouercome by true and lawfull play but alas for pitie the Rhodes are wonne and ouercome by these false Turkes the strong Castle Fayth is decayed so that I feare it is almost impossible to winne it agayne The great occasion of the losse of this Rhodes is by reason that Christian men doth so daily kill their own nation that the very true number of Christianitie is decayed which murther and killyng one of another is encreased specially two wayes to the vtter vndoyng of Christendome that is to say by example and silence By example as thus When the Father the Mother the Lord the Lady the Maister the Dame be themselues ouercome with these Turkes they be continuall swearers adulterers disposers to malice neuer in patience and so forth in all other vices Thinke you not when the Father the mother the Maister the Dame bee disposed vnto vice or impatience but that their children and seruants shall encline and be disposed to the same No doubt as the chylde shall take disposition naturall of their father and mother so shal the seruaunts apply vnto the vices of their Maisters and Dames if the heads be false in theyr faculties and crafts it is no meruayle if the children seruaunts and apprentices do enioy therein This is a great and shameful maner of killyng Christian men that the Fathers the Mothers the Maisters and the Dames shall not alonely kyll themselues but all theyrs and all that longeth vnto them and so this way is a great number of christian linage murthered and spoiled The second maner of killyng is silence By silence also is a great number of christen men slayne which is on this fashion although that the father mother maister dame of themselues be wel disposed to liue according to the law of God yet they may kil their childreÌ„ and seruants in suffryng them to do euill before their own faces and do not vse due correction accordyng vnto theyr offences the maister seeth his seruaunt or apprentice take more of his neighbour then the Kings lawes or the other of hys facultie doth admit hym or that hee suffereth hym to take more of hys neighbour then he hymselfe would be content to pay if he were in lyke condition thus doyng I say such men kill willyngly their children and seruants and shall goe to hell for so doyng but also their fathers and mothers maisters and dames shall beare them company for so sufferyng them Wherefore I exhort all true Christian men and women to geue good example vnto your children and seruauntes and suffer not them by silence to offend euery man must bee in hys owne house accordyng to Saint Augustines mynde a Bishop not all onely geuyng good ensample but teach accordyng to it rebuke and punish vice not sufferyng your children seruauntes to forget the lawes of GOD you ought to see them haue their Beliefe to know the Commaundements of God to keepe their holy dayes not to loose theyr tyme in idlenesse if they doe so you shall all suffer payne for it if God be true of hys saying as there is no doubt thereof and so you may perceyue that there be many one that breaketh this carde Thou shalt not kill and playeth therwith oftentymes at the blynde trompe whereby they bee no winners but great loosers but who bee those now a dayes
constant martyr Who the xviii day of December in the middest of the fiery flames yelded his soule into the handes of the almighty God and full like a lambe gaue vp his breath his body being consumed into ashes Thus hast thou gentle reader the lyfe and doyngs of this learned and worthy souldiour of the Lord Iohn Philpot with all his examinations that came to our handes first penned and written with his owne hand beyng meruaylously reserued from the sight and hands of hys enemies who by all maner meanes sought not onely to stop hym from al writing but also to spoyle and depriue him of that which he had written For the which cause he was manye tymes stripped and searched in the prison of his keeper but yet so happily these his writinges were conueyed and hid in places about him or els hys keepers eies so blinded that notwithstanding all this malicious purpose of the Bishops they are yet remayning and come to light A prayer to be sayd at the stake of all them that God shall account worthy to suffer for his sake MErcifull God and father to whome oure sauiour Christ approched in his feare and neede by reason of death found comfort Gracious God and most bounteous Christe on whome Stephen called in his extreeme neede and receiued strength Most benigne holy spirite whiche in the middest of all Crosses and death diddest comfort the Apostle S. Paule with more consolations in Christ then he felt sorowes and terrors haue mercy ⧠The martirdome of maister Iohn Philpot Archdeacon with the manner of his kneeling and praying at the stake vpon me miserable vile and wretched sinner which now drawe neare the gates of death deserued both in soule and body eternally by reason of manifold horrible olde and new transgressions which to thyne eyes O Lorde are open and knowne Oh be mercifull vnto me for the bitter death and bloudshedding of thine owne onely sonne Iesus Christ. And though thy iustice do require in respecte of my sinnes that nowe thou shouldest not heare me measuring me with the same measure I haue measured thy Maiesty contemning thy dayly calles yet let thy mercy whiche is aboue all thy works and wherewith the earth is filled let thy mercy I say preuaile towardes me through and for the mediation of Christ our sauiour And for whose sake in that it hathe pleased thee to bring me forth now as one of his witnesses and a record bearer of thy veritye and trueth taught by him to geue my life therefore to which dignitie I do acknowledge dear God that ther was neuer any so vnworthy and so vnmeet no not the theef that hāged with him on the Crosse I most hūbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly ayde helpe assiste me with thy strength and heauenly grace that with Christe thy sonne I may finde comfort with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power with Paule and all others whiche for thy names sake haue suffered affliction and death I may finde so present with me thy gracious consolations that I may by my deathe glorifie thy holy name propagate and ratifie thy veritie comfort the hartes of the heauy confirme thy Church in thy veritie conuert some that are to be conuerted and so depart foorth of thys miserable world where I do nothing but daily heape sinne vpon sinne and so enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy wherof now geue and encrease in me a liuely truste sense and feelinge wherethrough the terrours of death the tormentes of fire the panges of sinne the dartes of Sathan and the dolours of hel may neuer depresse me but may be driuen away thorough the working of that most gracious spirite which now plenteously endue me withall that through the same spirite I may offer as I nowe desire to do in Christ by him my selfe wholy soule and body to be a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable in thy sight Deare Father whose I am and alwayes haue bene euen from my mothers wombe yea euen before the world was made to whome I commend my selfe soule and body family and frendes countrey and all the whole Churche yea euen my very enemies accordynge to thy good pleasure beseeching thee intirely to geue once more to this Realme of England the blessing of thy word agayn with godly peace to the teaching setting forth of the same Oh dear father now geue me grace to come vnto thee Purge and so purifie me by this fire in Christes death and Passion through thy spirite that I may be a burnt offering of sweete smell in thy sight which liuest and raignest with the sonne and the holy God nowe and euermore world without end Amen ¶ Letters of Mayster Philpot. ¶ A letter which he sent to the christian congregation exhorting them to refrayne from the Idolatrous seruice of the papists and to serue God after his word IT is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithles departing both of men women frō the true knowledge vse of Christes sincere religion which so plētifully they haue bene taught do know their own consciences bearing witnes to the veritie thereof If that earth be cursed of God which eftsoones receiuing moisture pleasant dewes from heauen doth not bring forth fruite accordingly how much more greuous iudgemēt shal such persons receiue which hauing receiued from the father of heauē the perfect knowledge of his word by the ministery therof do not shew forth Gods worship after the same If the Lord wil require in the day of iudgemēt a godly vsury of all maner of talentes which he sendeth vnto men women how muche more wil he require the same of his pure religion reuealed vnto vs which is of al other talents the chiefest most pertayning to our exercise in this life if we hide the same in a napkin and set it not forth to the vsurye of Gods glory and edifying of his church by true confessiō God hath kindled the bright light of his Gospel which in times past was suppressed hid vnder the vile ashes of mās traditiōs and hath caused the brightnes therof to shine in our harts to the end that the same might shine before men to the honor of his name It is not onely geuen vs to beleue but also to confesse declare what we beleue in our outwarde couersation For as S. Paule writeth to the Romaynes The beliefe of the hart iustifieth and toe acknowledge wyth the mouth maketh a man safe It is al one before God not to beleue at al not to shew forth the liuely works of our belief For Christe sayth Either make the tree good and his fruites good or ells make the tree euill and the fruites euill because a good tree bringeth forth good fruites So that the person which knoweth his maysters will and doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes And not all they
Christ our redemer brother and the blessed company of Aungels and all faithfull saued soules Of the incomparable good thinges and heauenlye treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by Christ Iesu. For the obteining wherof we ought to set light by all temporall griefes and transitorye afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythfull will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength that namely in the end of our life when the tree where it falleth lieth styll as the preacher sayth when euery one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the ende he suffereth his sometime to fall but not finally to peryshe as Peter sinked vpon the Sea but yet was not drowned and sinned grieuouslye vpon the land thorow infirmity denying his Mayster but yet found mercy for the righteous falleth oftentimes And Christes holye Apostles are taught to â—ay remitte nobis debita nostra Yea though the righteous fall sayth Dauid he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God towardes vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plant in my heart true repentaunce and fayth to the obteining of remission of all my sinnes in the mercies of God and merites of Christ his sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it grieueth me to see the spoyle hauocke that Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedy This is Gods will and ordinaunce that his people shall here both be punished in the fleshe and tryed in theyr fayth as it is written Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all for by a strayt path and narrowe doore must we enter Whether Into the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen therefore blessed are you and other that suffer persecution for Christes sake for the professing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fight a good fight that we may keepe the fayth and ende our course with ioyfull gladnesse for now the time of our deliueraunce is at hand The Lord guide defend and keep vs and you and al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a shorte death passe to that long lasting life Farewell my deare and louing brother and felowe souldiour in Christ farewell I say in him who receiue our soules in peace when they shall depart from these tabernacles and he graunte vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery meeting at the last day continuall dwelling together in his eternall heauenlye kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell Minister * To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ Mayster Filles and Cutbert I wish you all welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of sinne faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with all necessary thinges for this bodely life The soule of man is immortall and therefore ought to be well kept least immortality to ioy should turne to immortality of sorow As for the body be it neuer so well kept and much made of yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay But those that are engraffed incorporated into Christe by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of theyr election and inheritaunce exciting and styrring them not onely to seek heauenly thinges but also to hate vice and embrace vertue will not onely doe these thinges but also if need requyre will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine their king theyr Sauior Iesus Christ as his poore afflicted church of England now doth agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed specially that blasphemous Masse wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted abused contrarye to his institutioÌ„ to Paules procedinges so that that which they haue in theyr Masse is neither Sacrament of Christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the Priestes falsely pretend It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible sign of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicants according to Christes example and as it was of late yeres in this realm And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified Beware of false Religion and mens vayne traditioÌ„s and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed though of wicked men ye bee hated and accursed Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon which is full of abhominations Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud with the litle flock then to goe in the wide waye folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Like as Christ suffered in the flesh sayeth S. Peter so arme ye your selues with the same minde for Christ suffred for vs leauing vs example to folow his footsteps Blessed are they that suffer for his sake great is their reward in heauen He that ouercommeth sayth S. Iohn shall eat of the tree of life he shall haue a crowne of life not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white araye not be put out of the booke of life Yea I will confesse his name sayth Christ before my father and before his Aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sitte with me on my seat And thus I bidde you farewell myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you Amen This world I do forsake To Christ I me betake And for his Gospell sake Paciently death I take My body to the dust Now to returne it must My soule I know full well With my God it shal dwel Thomas Whittell ¶ An other Letter of M. Thomas Whittell written to a certayne Godly woman OH my deare and louing sister in Christe be not dismayde in this storme of persecution for Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the Crosse because it is neuer truely taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediately and necessarily doeth folow the same and therfore it is a manifest token of Gods truth and hath bene here and is still abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christe and his members which must bee corrected for theyr sinnes in this worlde theyr fayth must be tried that after triall and pacient suffering the faythfull may receiue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of God
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
and forgiuen your sinnes nowe cleaue vnto him and be at defiance with his enemyes the Papistes as they doe beare witnesse with their Father the Deuill by goinge to the Church and shedding of the innocent bloud of all those that will not goe with them euen so do you beare witnes with Christ by not comming there for all those that do go thither shal be partakers of their brethrens bloud that is shed for the testimonye of Christ except they repent amend which grace that they may so doe I beseech the eternall God for his Christes sake if it be his good will to geue them in his good tyme. And the same good God that hath bene so mercifull vnto you to call you to repentance him I beseech to keepe you in his feare loue that you may haue alwayes affiance in him and euermore seeke his honour glory to your euerlasting comfort in Christ Amen Thus fare you well from the kinges bench this 28. of August By me William Tyms ¶ An other letter of W. Tyms to certayne godly women of his parish folowers of the Gospell GRace mercy and peace from GOD the Father through our Lord Iesus Christ be with you both now and euermore Amen Deare sisters I haue me most hartely commended vnto you thanking you for the great kindnes shewed vnto me in this tyme of my imprisonment and not onely vnto me but also vnto my poore wife and children and also for the great kindnesse that you shew vnto all the liuing saints that be dispersed abroad and are fayne to hide their heades for feare of this cruell persecution Deare sisters when I do remember your constancy in christ I call to remembraunce the constancy of diuers godly women as Susanna Iudith Hester and the good wife of Nabal that thorow her godly conditions saued both her husbandes life and all her housholde when Dauid had thoughte to haue slayne him for his churlish aunswere that he sent him Also I do remember Rahab that lodged the Lordes Spyes howe God preserued her and her whole housholde for her faythfulnesse that she bare to Gods people So I doe beleue that when the Lord shall send his Aungell to destroy these Idolatrous Egyptians here in England and shall finde the bloud of the Lambe sprinkled on the dore postes of your harts he wil go by not hurt you but spare your whole housholdes for your sakes Also I do remember Mary Magdalen how faythfull she was for she was the first that preached the resurrection of Christ. Remember the blessed Martir Anne Askew in our time folow her example of constancy And for the loue of God take heede that in no case you doe consent to Idolatrye but stande fast to the Lorde as the good woman did that had her seuen sonnes put to death before her face and she alwayes comforting them yea and last of all suffered death her selfe for the testimony of her God which is the liuing God Thus I beseech God to send you grace and strength to stand fast to the Lorde as shee did and then you shall be sure of the same kingdome that she is sure of to the which kingdome I pray God bring both you and me Amen By me William Tyms prisoner in the Kinges Bench. ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms to his frend in Hockley THe grace of God the Father through the merites of his deare sonne Iesus our Lord and onely Sauiour with the continuall ayde of his holy and mighty spirit to the performance of his wil to our euerlasting comfort be with you my deare brethren both now and euermore Amen My dearely beloued I beseeche God to rewarde the greate goodnesse that you haue shewed vnto me seuen folde into your bosomes and as you haue alwayes had a moste godly loue vnto his word euen so I beseech him to geue you grace to loue your owne soule and then I trust that you will flee from al those thinges that shoulde displease our good and mercifull God and hate and abhorre all the companye of those that woulde haue you to worship God any otherwise then is conteined in his holy worde And beware of those maysters of Idolatrye that is these papisticall Priestes My deare brethren for the tender mercy of God remember well what I haue sayd vnto you and also written the which I am now ready to seale with my bloud I prayse God that euer I liue to see the daye and blessed bee my good and mercifull God that euer he gaue me a body to glorify his name And deare hartes I do now write vnto you for none other cause but to put you in remembraunce that I haue not forgotten you to the end that I woulde not haue you forgette me but to remember well what I haue simply by worde of mouth and writing taught you The which although it were moste simplye done yet truely as your owne conscience beareth me record and therefore in any case take good heed that you do not that thing which your own conscience doth condemne Therefore come out of Sodome and goe to heauen ward with the seruauntes and martyrs of God least you be pertakers of the vengeance of God that is comming vpō this wicked natiō from the which the Lord our God defend you and send vs a ioyfull meeting in the kingdome of heauen vnto the which God bring you all Amen Thus now I take my leaue of you for euer in this world except I be burned amongst you whiche thing is vncertayne vnto me as yet By me your poorest and most vnworthy brother in Christ W. Tyms in Newgate the 12. day of April condemned to dye for Christes verity ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms geuing thankes to his parishioners for theyr charity shewed to his wife being brought to bed of a childe in his captiuity THe euerlasting peace of our deare Lord and only sauiour Iesus Christ with the sweete comfort of his holy mighty spirite to the encrease of your fayth to the perfourmance of his will and to your eternall cōfort in the euerlasting kingdome of heauen be with you my deare brethren and sisterne both now and euer Amen My most deare brethren sisterne in our Lord and sauior Iesus Christ I haue me most hartely cōmended vnto you with harty thankes for all the great liberality that you haue shewed vnto me specially now in this time of my necessity whē that God hath sēt my poore wife a childe in my captiuity which is no litle care to me so to prouide that I might keepe both the child my wife from the Antichristian church the which thing I thanke my good god through his most gracious prouidence I haue yet done though it be as you know great charge not to me but to the congregation of God it greueth me that I haue bene so chargeable to thē as I haue bene specially you my deare brethrē I being so vnworthy a
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
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
let him begin with himselfe and shew vs as wise as he is who was his owne father if he can And yet I thinke not contrary but his mother was an honest woman And no lesse do I thinke also of this Perotine aforesayde whereof more shal be sayd God willing hereafter But in the meane time here commeth in the cauilling obiection of M. H. and beareth the Reader in hande as though for shame I durst not or of purpose would not expresse it c. My answere wherunto is this First to expresse euery minute of matter in euery story occurrent what Story writer in al the world is able to performe it Secondly although it might be done what resonable reader would require it Thirdly albeit some curious readers would so require yet I suppose it neither requisite nor conuenient to be obserued And fourthly what if it were not remembred of the authour What if it were to him not knowne what if it were of purpose omitted as a matter not materiall to the purpose Many other causes besides might incurre which the reader knoweth not of And shall it theÌ„ by and by bee imputed to shame and blame whatsoeuer in euery narration is not expressed or doth M.H. himself in all his sermons neuer pretermit any thing that conueniently might be inferred Who was the husbaÌ„d of this Perotine the Historiographer hath not expressed I grauÌ„t what thereof Ergo therupon concludeth he that for shame I durst not Nay I may maruell rather that he durste for shame vtter such vntydy Argumentes or so asseuerantly to pronounce of an other mans minde and purpose which is as priuy to him as then it was to me vnknowne what was her husbands name And though it had bene known what was that material in the story to be vttered or what had it relieued the cruell partes of them which burned both the mother infant together though the infantes father had bene expressed And howe then did I for shame conceale that which was not in my knowledge at that time if I would to expresse nor in my suspition to misdeeme Neuertheles if he be so greatly desirous as he pretendeth to know of me who was this infantes father I will not sticke with M. H. although I can not sweare for the matter yet to take so much payne for his pleasure to go as neare it as I may For precisely determinately to poynt out the right father either of this or of any childe I trow neither will M.H. require it of me neither is he able peraduenture himselfe being asked to demonstrate his owne And yet as much as I may to saâ—isfy his dainty desire here in and partly to helpe the innocency of the woman touching this demaund who should be the infantes father who say I but his owne mothers husband the name of which husband was Dauid Iores a minister and maryed to the sayd Perotine in king Edwardes time in the Churche of our Ladyes Castle Parishe at Garnesey the party which maryed them being called M. Noel Regnet a French maÌ„ and yet aliue witnes hereunto and now dwelling in london in S. Martins Le grande Thus thue after my knowledge I haue shewed forth for M.H. pleasure the right husband of this Perotine and what was his name who was also aliue his wife beyng great with child partaker of the persecution of the same time a scholemayster afterward in Normandy c Now if M. H. can take any such aduauntage hereof to disprooue that I haue sayde or be so priuy to the begetting of this childe that he can proue the said Dauid Iores which was the right husband to this wife not to be the right father to this infant let him shew herein his cuÌ„ning by what mighty demonstrations he can induce vs to deeme the contrary as I shall see his reasons I shall shape him an aunswere in such sort I trust that he shall well perceiue that whoredome wheresoeuer I may knowe it shall finde no bolstering by me I wish it might finde as little amongest the chaste Catholickes of M.H. Church From this I proceed now to the second part of his infamous accusation wherin he chargeth her of murther A strauÌ„ge case that she which was murthered her selfe with her childe and dyed before him shoulde yet bee accused to murther the childe Murther doubtles is an horrible iniquity in any person But the mother to be the murderer of her owne infant it is a double abhomination and more then a monster so farre disagreeing from all nature that it is not lightly to be surmised of any without vehemeÌ„t causes of manifest probation Wherefore to try out this matter more thorowly touching this murthering mother let vs see First what hand did she lay vpon the child None What weapon vsed she None Did she then drowne it or cast it in some pond as we read of the strompets at Rome whose childreÌ„s heads were taken vp in Pope Gregories mote by hundrethes what time Priestes began first to be restrayned of lawfull wedlocke witnes the epistle of Volusianus pag. 1129. or els did she throw it by the walles into some priuy corner as I am credibly certified that in the 8. yeare of Q. Elizabeth certayne scalpes other young infantes bones were fouÌ„d and taken out with a sticke in the hole of a stone wall in Lenton Abbay by certayne Gentlemen within the CouÌ„try of Nottingham Iames Barusse Richard Loueyt W. Louelace walking in the Prior chamber witnesse the sayd W. Louelace with other which saw the bones aforesayd Or otherwise did she take any hurtfull drinke to importonate the child within her as commonly it is reported fewe Nuâ—â—eries to haue bene in Englande wherein such a tree hath not bene growing within theyr grounde meete for practising of suche a purpose Neither so nor so What then did she purposely and wittingly thrust her self in ieopardy to the destruction of her child wheÌ„ she needed not as Pope Ioane when she might haue kept her bedde woulde needes aduenture forth in procession where both she her selfe and her infant perished in the open street Well theÌ„ thus much by this hetherto alledged grauÌ„ted we haue gotteÌ„ this woman here to be accused of murdering her child which neither laid hand vpon it nor vsed weapoÌ„ agaynst it neither vsed any other practise in drowning hanging breaking burying poisoning or any other wilfull meanes whereby to destroy it And how then by what maner of way was this woman a murtherer of her young babe Forsooth sayth M. H when she was accused and condemned to be burned she did not claime the benefite of her belly whereby the life both of her selfe for the time might haue bene delayed and the child preserued Whether she did or no I haue not perfectly to saye no more I weene hath M.H. Howbeit this is certayne and by witnes knowne that she vttered no lesse to her ghostly father in
the xi of the first to the Corinthians he sayeth Who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body Wood. Doth these wordes proue that Iudas eat the body of Christ vnworthely I pray you let me see them They were contēted Then said I these be the wordes euen that you sayd Good people harken well to them Who so eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup vnworthely He sayth not who so eateth of this body vnworthely or drinketh of this bloude vnworthely But hee sayeth Who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthely which is the sacrament eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the sacrament which representeth the Lordes body and other bread and drinke Here good people you may all see they are not able to proue their sayinges true Wherefore I can not beleue them in any thing that they do Winc. Thou art a rancke hereticke in deed Art thou an expounder Now I will read sentence agaynst thee Wood. Iudge not leaste you be iudged For as you haue iudged me you be your selfe Then he read the Sentence Why sayd I Will you read the Sentence agaynst me and can not tell wherfore Winc. Thou art an hereticke and therefore thou shalt be excommunicated Wood. I am no heretick I take heauē earth to witnes I defie all heretickes and if you condemne me you wil be damned if you repēt it not But God geue you grace to repent all if it be his will and so he read forth the sentence in latin but what he said God knoweth and not I. God be iudge betwene thē me Whē he had done I would haue talked my mind to thē but they cried away away with hym So I was caried to the Marshalsea againe where I am shal be as long as it shall please God I prayse god most hartely that euer he hath elected predestinated me to come to so high dignity as to beare rebuke for his names sake his name be praysed therfore for euer and euer Amen And thus haue you the Examinations of thys blessed Woodman or rather Goodman wherein may appeare as well the great grace and wisedome of God in that man as also the grosse ignorance and barbarous cruelty of his aduersaries especially of Doct. White bishop of Winchester Now foloweth likewise the effect of his Letter A godly Letter of Richard Woodman written to a Christian woman Mistres Robertes of Hawkhurst GRace mercy and peace from God the father and from hys sonne our alone Sauiour Iesus Christe by the operation and working of the holy Ghost be multiplied plenteously vpon you deare sister Robertes that you may the more ioyfully beare the crosse of Christ that ye are vnder vnto the end to your onely cōfort and consolation and to all our brethren and sisters that are round about you both now and euer Amen In my most humble wise I commend me vnto you and to al our brethren and sisters in those parties that loue our Lorde vnfaynedly certifying you that I and all my brethren with me are mery and ioyfull we prayse God therfore looking daily to be dissolued frō these our mortall bodyes according to the good pleasure of our heauenly father praysing God also for your cōstancy and gentle beneuolence that you haue shewed vnto Gods electe people in this troublesome time of persecution which may be a sure pledge and token of Gods good will and fauour towardes you and to all other that heare thereof For blessed are the mercifull for they shall obteine mercy Wherfore the fruites declare alway what the tree is For a good man or woman out of the good treasure of theyr hartes bring forth good thinges Wherfore deare Sister it is not as many affirme in these dayes the more it is to be lamented that say God asketh but a mās hart which is the greatest iniury that can be deuised agaynst god and his word For S. Iames sayth Shew me thy faith by the deeds and I will shew thee my fayth by my deedes saying the deuilles haue fayth and tremble for feare yet shal be but deuils still because theyr minds were neuer to do good Let vs not therfore be like them but let our fayth be made manifest to the whole world by our deedes and in the middest of a crooked and peruerse nation as S. Paule sayth let your light shine as in a darcke place Oh deare hartes nowe is the Gospell of God ouerwhelmed with many blacke and troublesome cloudes of persecution for the which cause very few go about to haue their eies made clere by the true light of the Gospell for feare of loosing of their treasures of this world which are but vayne and shall perish Let not vs therfore be like vnto them which light their candle and put it vnder a bushell but let vs set our candle vpon a cādlesticke that it may geue light vnto all thē that are in the house that is to saye let all the people of the housholde of God see our good workes in suffering all thinges patiently that shal be layde vpon vs for the Gospels sake if it be death it selfe For Christ dyed for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps and as he hath geuen his life for vs so ought we to geue our liues for the defence of the Gospell to the comfort of our brethren How is it then that some will say that theyr fayth is good yet they do all the deedes of Antichrist the deuill and be not ashamed to alledge certayne Scriptures to maynteine their wickednesse Saynt Paule sayth To beleue with the hart iustifieth to confesse with the mouth maketh a man safe Oh good GOD here maye all menne see that no man or woman can haue a true faith vnlesse they haue deedes also and he that doubteth is like the waues of the Sea tossed about of the winde and can looke for no good thing at the Lordes handes Maye not a man iudge all such to be like those whiche Saynt Iohn speaketh of that be neyther hoate nor colde and therfore God will he sayth spue them out of his mouth If we iudge euill of such haue not they geuen vs occasion Had it not bene better for them to haue had a myll stone tyed about theyr necks and to haue bene cast into the Sea then they should geue such offences to Gods elect people in cōdemning them as they doe in going to the sinagogue of Sathan and there to receiue the marke of the beast in that they see and heare God blasphemed there and hold their peace Doth not that declare to the whole world that they allow theyr doinges to be good and these do not only defile themselues but also be an occasion to confirme the Papistes
No they did not murmure but they were the Infidels saith he for the Disciples were satisfied with those wordes I sayd Did not Christ say thus as hee taught at Capernaum whereas his Disciples murmured saying This is an hard saying Who can abide the hearyng of it Iesus perceiuing their thoughtes sayd Doth this offend you Then he raged and sayd Oh thou wrastest the text for thine owne purpose For the disciples did neuer murmure but the vnbeleuers as thou art I sayd Yes but I perceiue you know not the text Then sayd he with much raging I will laye my head thereon it is not so Then sayd I I haue done with you Then sayd he What shall I tell my Lord of you If you haue nothing to tell him youre errand shal be the sooner done sayd I. And so we departed Then on Friday I was brought forth to receiue iudgement Then the Chauncellor said vnto me Are you a new man or are you not I aunswered and sayd I trust I am a new man born of God God geue grace you be so sayd he So he rehearsed all my examination sayd How say you are not these your wordes I sayd Yes I will not deny them Then he sayd to Doctour Pore standing by I praye you talke with him Then he alledging to me many fayre flattering wordes sayd Take eate this is my body How say you to this Do you not beleue that it is Christes bodye speake I sayd Haue you not my minde Why do you trouble me He sayd What did Christ geue you was it breade or was it not I sayd Christ tooke bread and gaue thanks and gaue it and they tooke bread and did eate And Saincte Paule maketh it more manifest where he sayth So oft as yee shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe yee shall shew forth the Lordes death vntill hee come Saincte Paule sayth not here as you say for he sayth So ofte as you shall eate of thys bread He doth not saye body So they intendinge that I should go no further in the text sayd Tush you goe about the bush Aunswere me to the first question Let vs make an end of that What say you to the bread that Christe gaue Let mee haue your mind in that I aunswered I haue sayd my mind in it Then the Chancellor sayde No wee will haue youre mind in that I aunswered I haue sayd my minde in it Then the Chancellor No we will haue your mynde more playnly For wee intend not to haue many wordes with you I said My faith is fully grounded and stablished that Christ Iesus the Easter Lamb hath offered his blessed body a sacrifice to God the father the price of my redemptiō For by that onely sacrifice are all faythfull sanctified he is our onely aduocate and mediatour and hee hath made perfect our redemption This hath hee done alone wythout any of your dayly oblations Then Doctour Brigges starte vp and sayd Truthe your wordes are true in deede You take well the litterall sense but this you must vnderstand that like as you sayd that Christ offered his body vpon the Crosse whiche was a bloudy sacrifice and a visible sacrifice so likewise wee dayly offer the selfe same body that was offered vppon the crosse but not bloudy and visible but inuisible vnto God the father Doe you offer Christes body I sayd Why then chrystes sacrifice was not perfect But Christ is true when all men shal be lyers Then he sayd Thou shalt not feare him that hath power to kill the body but thou shall feare hym that hathe power to kill both body and soule I aunswered sayd It is not so But the text is thus Thou shalt not feare them that haue power to kill the body and then haue done what they can But thou shalt feare him that hath power to kill both body and soule and cast them both into hel fire and not them He aunswered and sayd Yes for it is the Church I aunswered and sayd Why Christ sayth I geue my lyfe for the redemption of the worlde No manne taketh my lyfe from me saythe hee but I geue it of myne owne power and so I haue power to take it agayne Therefore Christ the sonne of god did offer his blessed body once for al. And if you wil presume to offer his body dayly then your power is aboue Christes power With that he chafed and sayd What shal wee haue doctrine Ye are not hereto appointed Then the Chauncellor stoode vp and sayde will yee turne from this wicked error and be an example of goodnes as you haue bene an example of euill for by youre wicked reading you haue perswaded simple women to be in this error and ye shall haue mercy And I said it is of God that I do craue mercy whom I haue offended and not of you Then sayde the Chauncellor When were you at youre parishe Churche These two yeares and more you haue stand excommunicate Wherfore you are condemned And so I was condemned Thus hast thou gentle Reader the examinations of this godly young man set forth and written with hys own hand who not long after his condēnation was by the Sheriffes and Officers there brought to the stake where with much pacience and constancie he entered his blessed Martirdome At the burning of whiche Christian Martyr one Thomas Carman the same tyme was apprehended by what occasion it is not yet to vs fully certayne whether it was for words or for praying with him or for pledging him at his burning concerning which Thom. Carman his story hereafter followeth in his order and place further to be seene ¶ One Fryer and a certayne godly woman burned at Rochester who was the sister of George Eagles ABout the same time and month one named Fryer with a woman accompanying him who was the sister of George Eagles in the like cause of righteousnes suffered the like martyrdome by the vnrighteous papistes whose tyranny the Lord of his mercy abate cut shorte turning that wicked generation if it be his will to a better minde * The apprehension and death of Maistres Ioyce Lewes the wife to Thomas Lewes of Manceter most constantly suffering for Gods word at Lichfield MAistresse Ioyce Lewes a gentlewoman borne was delicately brought vp in the pleasures of the world hauing delight in gay apparell such like foolishnes with the which follyes the most part of the Gentlefolkes of England were then and are yet infected who was maried first to one called Appelby afterwarde to Thomas Lewes of Manceter In the beginninge of Queene Maryes tyme she went to the Church and heard masse as others did but when she heard of the burning of that moste godly learned M. Laurence Saunders who suffered in Couentry she began to take more heede to the matter and enquired earnestly of such as she knew feared God the cause of hys death and when she perceaued it was because hee refused
the Guildhall in Norwich where shee remayned vntill her death This Cicelie Ormes was a very simple woman but yet zelous in the Lordes cause beyng borne in East Deram and was there the daughter of one Thomas Haund Tailor She was taken the v. day of Iuly and dyd for a twelue month before she was taken recant but neuer after was she quiet in conscience vntill she was vtterly driuen from all their Poperie Betweene the tyme she recanted and that she was taken she had gotten a letter made to geue to the Chancellor to let hym know that she repēted her recantation from the bottome of her hart would neuer do the like again while she liued But before she exhibited her bil she was taken sent to prison as is before sayd She was burnt the 23. day of September betweene 7. and 8. of the clocke in the morning the sayd two shirifes being there and of people to the number of 200. When she came to the stake she kneeled downe and made her prayers to God That beyng done she rose vp and sayde good people I beleeue in God the father God the sonne and God the holy ghost three persons and one God ¶ The burnyng of Cicelie Ormes at Norwich ¶ The trouble and disturbance among good men and women at Lichfield AFter the death and Martyrdome of maistresse Ioyce Lewys a little aboue specified diuers good men and women in the same towne of Lichfield were vexed and in trouble before the Bishop and his Chauncellor for kissing the sayd Ioyce Lewys and drinking with her about the tyme of her death the names of which persones were these Ioane Loue Elizabeth Smith Margaret Biddell Helene Bouring Margaret Cootesfote Nich. Bird Ioh. Hurlstone and his wyfe Agnes Glyn Agnes Glouer Agnes Penyfather c. These with other were produced to their examination before the Bishop his Chācellor for the cause aboue named and therefore adiudged for heretikes for that they did pray and drinke with the sayd maistresse Lewys but especially Agnes Penyfather sustained the most trouble for that she accompanied the sayde Ioyce Lewys goyng to her death Whiche Agnes beyng examined further of the sayd Bishop what words she had spoken to two priestes of the church of Lichfield called Iohn Adye and Iames Foxe concernyng the sayd Ioyce Lewys after her burnyng sayd as followeth that she beyng asked by the said two priests beyng at her fathers house in the Citie of Lichfield at such tyme as she came frō the burning of the sayd Ioyce Lewys wherefore shee the sayd Agnes did weep for such an heretike meanyng Ioice Lewys whose soule sayd they was in hell the sayd Agnes Penyfather to the demaund made this aunswer that she thought the sayde blessed Martyr to bee in better case then the sayde two Priestes were With the which wordes she beyng charged and willed to submit her selfe as the other had done aboue rehersed to such penaunce as they should inioyne vnto her refused so to do and therfore was commaunded to close prison the shiriffes beyng charged with her vnder payne of one hundred poundes that none should haue any accesse vnto her At length at the perswasion of her friendes shee was compelled to doe as the other had done before And thus much concernyng thyngs done at Lichfield ¶ The Persecution and crueltie exercised by the Papistes in the Diocesse of Chichester ANd now from Lichfield to come to Chichester although we haue but little to report thereof for lacke of certaine relation and recordes of that countrey yet it seemeth no little trouble and persecution there also to haue raged as in other countreys For what place was there almost in all the Realme where the Popes ministers did not besturre them murtheryng some or other as in the Acts of this ecclesiastical history may sufficiently appeare Wherfore as this plague of the popes tiranny was generall to all other people and countries of England so likewyse in the Diocesse of Chichester diuers and many there were condemned and martyred for the true testimony of righteousnesse within the compasse of Queene Maries raigne In the number of whom were these Martyrs Iohn Foreman of Estgrimsted Iohn Warner of Berne Christian Grouer of the Archdeaconry of Lewys Thomas Athoth Priest Thomas Auyngton of Erdinglie Dennis Burgis of Buxsted Thomas Rauensdale of Rie Iohn Milles of Hellinglegh Nich Holden of Withiam Iohn Hart of Withiam Margery Morice of Hethfield Anne Trie of Estgrenested Iohn Oseward of Woodmancote Thomas Harland of Woodmancote Iames Morice of Hethfield Tho. Dougate of Estgrenested Iohn Ashedon of Ketherfield The greatest doers against these godly and true faithfull Martyrs and sitters vpon their condemnation were these Christopherson the Bishop after Day Rich. Brisley Doctour of Lawe and Chauncellour of Chichester Rob. Taylor Bacheler of Lawe his Deputy Tho. Paccard Ciuilian Anth. Clarke Albane Langdale Bach. of Diuinitie c. ¶ The examination of Thomas Spurdance one of Queene Maries seruaunts before the Chauncellour of Norwich THe Bishops Chauncellour did aske me if I had bene with the priest and confessed my sinnes vnto him And I sayd no I had confessed my sinnes to God and God sayeth In what hower so euer a sinner doth repent and be sory for his sinnes and aske hym forgeuenes willyng no more so to doe he will no more recken his sinne vnto him and that is sufficient for me Then sayd the Chancellor Thou deniest the Sacrament of penance I said I deny not penance but I deny that I shoulde shew my sinnes vnto the priest Then sayd the Chancellor that is a deniyng of the sacrament of penance Write this Article Haue you receiued the blessed sacrament of the aulter sayd he at this tyme of Easter And I sayd no. And why haue ye not sayth he I said I dare not meddle with you in it as you vse it Why do not we vse it truly sayd he I sayde no for the holy supper of the Lord serueth for the Christen congregation and you are none of Christes members therfore I dare not meddle with you least I be like vnto you Why are wee none of Christes members sayde the Chancellor I sayd because you teache lawes contrary to Gods lawe What lawes are those sayd he I sayd these 3. articles that you sweare the people vnto here be false and vntrue and you do euill to sweare the people vnto them Then sayd hee Good people take no heede vnto hys words for he is an heretike teacheth you disobedience and so he would no more speake of that matter Then said he how beleuest thou in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar doest thou not beleeue that after it is consecrated it is the very same body that was borne of the virgin Mary I sayd no not the same body in substance for the same body hath a substance in flesh bloud and bones and was a bloudy sacrifice and this is a dry sacrifice And I sayd
otherwise conceyue of her but that she was a true woman declaring furthermore to the Lordes that she was innocent in all those maters wherein they had burdened her desired them therfore to be a further meane to the Queen her sister that she beyng a true woman in thought word and deed towards her Maiesty might not be committed to so notorious and dolefull a place protesting that she would request no mercy at her hand if she should bee prooued to haue consented vnto any suche kynde of matter as they layed vnto her charge and therfore in fine desired their Lordshippes to thinke of her what she was and that she might not so extremely be delt withall for her truth Wherunto the Lords answered againe that there was no remedy for that the Queenes Maiestie was fully determined that she should go vnto the Tower Wherewith the Lords departed with their caps hangyng ouer theyr eyes But not long after within the space of an houre or little more came foure of the foresaid Lordes of the counsaile which were the Lord Treasurer the B. of Winchester the lord Steward the Erle of Sussex with the gard who wardyng the nexte chamber to her secluded all her Gentlemen and Yeomen Ladies and Gentlewomen sauyng that for one Gentleman Usher three GentlewomeÌ„ and two Groomes of her Chamber were appoynted in their roomes three other men of the Queenes three waiting women to geue attendance vpon her that none shoulde haue accesse to her grace At which tyme there were an hundreth of Northren souldiours in white cotes watching and warding about the gardens all that night a great fire beyng made in the midst of the hall and two certaine Lordes watching there also with their band and company Upon Saterday followyng two Lordes of the counsaile the one was the Erle of Sussex the other shall bee namelesse came and certified her grace that forthwith she must go vnto the tower the barge beyng prepared for her and the tide now redy which tarieth for no body In heauy moode her grace requested the Lords that she might tary another tide trusting that the next would be better and more comfortable But one of the Lords replied that neither tide nor tyme was to be delayed And when her grace requested him that she myght bee suffred to write to the Queenes Maiestie he aunswered that he durst not permitte that addyng that in his iudgemente it woulde rather hurte then profite her grace in so doyng But the other Lorde more curteous and fauourable who was the Erle of Sussex kneelyng downe told her grace that she should haue libertie to write and as he was a true man he would deliuer it to the Queenes highnesse and bring an answer of the same what soeuer came therof Wherupon she wrote albeit she could in no case be suffered to speake with the Queene to her great discomfort beyng no offender against the Queenes Maiestie And thus the tyde and tyme passed away for that season they priuily appointing all things redy that she shuld go the next tyde which fell about midnight but for feare she should be taken by the way they durst not So they stayed till the next day beyng Palme Sonday when about ix of the clocke these two returned agayne declaring that it was tyme for her grace to depart She answering if there be no remedy I must be contented willyng the Lordes to go on before Beyng come forth into the gardeÌ„ she did cast vp her eyes toward the window thinkyng to haue seene the Queene which she could not Whereat she sayd she meruailed much what the nobilitie of the realme ment which in that sort would suffer her to bee ledde into captiuitie the Lord knew whether for she did not In the meane tyme commandement was geuen in all London that euery one should keepe the Church and carye their Palmes while in the meane season she might be conueied without all recourse of people into the Tower After all this she tooke her Barge with the two foresayd Lordes three of the Queenes Gentlewomen and three of her owne her Gentleman Usher and two of her Groomes lying and houeryng vpon the water a certaiâ—e space for that they could not shoote the bridge the Barge men beyng very vnwilling to shoote the â—ame so soone as they bid because of the danger thereof for the sterne of the boate stroke vpon the ground the fall was so big and the water was so shallowe that the boate beyng vnder the bridge there stayed agayne a while At landing she first stayed and denied to land at those staires where all traitors and offenders customably vsed to land neyther well could she vnlesse she should go ouer her shoe The Lords were gone out of the boat before and asked why she came not One of the Lordes went back againe to her broght word she would not come Then sayd one of the Lordes which shall be nameles that she should not chuse and because it did then raine he offred to her his clâ—ke which she puttyng it backe wyth her hand with a good dash refused So she comming out hauing one foote vppon the staire saide Here landeâ—â— as true a subiect beyng prisoner as euer laÌ„ded at these stairâ— And before thee O God I speake it hauyng none other friends but thee alone To whom the same Lord aunswered againe that if it were so it was the better for her At her laÌ„ding there was a great multitude of their seruantes Warders standyng in their order What needed all this said she It is the vse sayd some so to be when any prisoner came thether And if it be quoth she for my cause I beseeche you that they may be dismissed Whereat the poore men kneeled downe and with one voyce desired GOD to preserue her grace who the next day were released of their cold coates After this passing a little further she sate downe vpon a cold stone there rested her selfe To whome the Lieuetenant then beyng said Madame you were best to come out of the raine for you sit vnwholsomly She then replieng answered againe better sitting here then in a worse place for God knoweth I know not whether you wyll bring me With that her Gentleman Usher wept she demaunding of hym what he ment so vncomfortably to vse her seyng she toke him to be her comforter and not to dismay her especially for that she knew her truth to be such that no man should haue cause to weepe for her But forth she went into the prison The dores were locked and bolted vpon her whiche did not a little discomfort and dismay her grace At what time she called to her GentlewomaÌ„ for her booke desiring God not to suffer her to build her foundation vppon the sandes but vpon the rocke wherby all blasts of blustering weather shuld haue no power agaynst her The dores being thus locked she close shut vp the Lordes had great coÌ„ference howe to keep warde and
leaue it to the reporte of them which in this matter know more then I here will vtter But notwithstanding al these cracks and threatnings of the king to see what the Lord can doe in making hygh kinges to stoupe euen the same day when the king was in his most rage agaynst these good men almightye God taking the cause in hand to fight for his Church so turned the matter that he made the great enemy of hys both with his mouth and with his hand to worke his own destruction with his mouth in commaunding with his hanâ— in geuing him the Lance into hys hand which the same day gaue him his deathes wound as by the sequele hereof in reading ye may vnderstand ¶ The stroke of Gods hand vpon Henry .2 French king KIng Henry being in the ParliameÌ„t house which was kept at the Fryer Augustines at Paris because the Pallace was in preparing agaynst the mariage of hys daughter and his sister and hauing heard the opinion in religioÌ„ of Anne du Bourg Counsaylour in the lawe a man eloquent and learned he caused the sayd Anne du Bourg and Loys du Faur Counsaylours to be taken prisoners by the Constable of Fraunce who apprehended them and delyuered them into the handes of the Countye of Mongommery the which caryed them to prison Agaynst whom the king being wrathfull and angry among other talke sayd to the sayd Anne du Bourg These eyes of mine shall see thee burnt And so on the 19. of Iune Commission was geuen to the Iudges to make his Proces During this meane while great feastes and banquets were preparing in the Courte for ioy and gladnes of the mariage that should be of the kinges daughter and sister agaynst the last day of Iune saue one So when the day tyme aboue prefixed was come the king employed all the morning in examining as wel the Presidentes as Counsaylours of the sayde Parliament agaynst these prisoners and other theyr companions that were charged with the same doctrine which being done they went to dinner The king after he had dyned for that he was one of the defendauntes at the Tourney which was solemnly made in S. Anthonies Streate neare to the prison where the foresayde Prisoners were committed hee entred into the Lystes and there in iusting as the manner is had broken many Staues right valiauntly as could be runnyng as well agaynste the Countye of Montgommery as other moe Whereupon he was highly commended of the lookers on And because he had done so valiauntly and was thought nowe to haue done enough hee was desired to cease with praise But he being the more inflamed with hearing of hys prayse woulde needes runne an other course wyth Montgommery who then refusing to runne agaynst the king and kneling vpon his knees for pardon not to run the king being egerly set commanded him vpon his allegeance to runne and as some affirme did also him selfe put the staffe in his hand vnto whose handes he had committed the foresayd prisoners a little before Montgommery thus being enforced whether he would or no to run agaynst the king addressed hymselfe after the best wyse to obey the kinges commaundement Whereupon he and the king met together so stoutly that in breaking theyr Speares the king was striken with the counter blowe so right in one of hys eyes by reasonne that the visour of his Helmet so sodenly fell downe at the same instaunt that the shiuers entred into hys head so that the braynes was peryshed thereupon so festred that no remedy could bee founde although Phisitions and Surgeons were sent for from all places in the Realme as also froÌ„ Brabant by king Philip but nothing auayled so that the xj day after that is the x. of Iuly 1559. he ended his life in great dolour hauing raigned xij yeares three monethes and ten dayes Some report that among other wordes he said that he feared he was strickeÌ„ for casting the poore christians wrongfully in prisoÌ„ but the Cardinal of Loraine standing by as he was alwayes at haÌ„d sayd vnto him that it was the enemy that tempted him that he should be stedfast in the fayth By this meanes the Hall which was prepared for a place of ioy and gladnes did now serue for a Chappel to keep the corps being dressed with blacke mourning cloth night and day tâ—ere was nothing heard but mournyng and lamenting for the space of xl dayes About two yeares after this which was the yeare of our Lord .1561 there were certayne Gentlemen put to death at Amboise for taking armes agaynst the house of Guise Touching which Gentlemen this is to be noted that as one of theÌ„ should be brought to the place of executioÌ„ where the other lay dead before him he thrust his handes into the bloud of two of his companions which were there beheaded and then lifting them vp to heauen cryed with a loud voyce Lord behold the bloud of thy childreÌ„ thou wilt in time and place reuenge it Not long after the same the Chancellor Oliuier who was condemner of theÌ„ at the instigatioÌ„ and pursuit of the Cardinall of Loraine through great remorse of coÌ„science fell sicke and in a frensy casting out sighes vncessauntly afflicting himselfe after a fearefull and strauÌ„ge fashion for his vnrighteous sentence and more then barbarous cruelty shriked vpon a sodeyne with an horrible cry sayd O Cardinall thou wilt make vs all to be damned And within a very few dayes after he dyed Fraunces the second of that name king of Fraunce at the perswasion of the Cardinall of Loraine of certeyne others caused an asseÌ„bly of the Estates of the realm in the towne of Orleans among other things to mainteine the Papall See to the ouerthrow of those which would lyue after the sincerity of the gospel but being fallen sick shortly after in the foresayd place of a feuer through an Impostume in his left eare he dyed the fourth of Decemb. 1561. hauing raigned but one yeare and about fiue monethes It was sayd of this king Fraunces as the authour aboue mentioned reporteth that when he was drawyng toward his end the Cardinal of Loraine made him to say and pronounce these words which folow Lord forgeue me my trespasses and impute not vnto me the faultes which my ministers haue done vnder my name and authority Neither is it vnworthy of obseruation that after the father happened in much like sort by gods mighty iudgement vpon Carol. 9. his second sonne brother to Frances aboue mentioned in these our latter dayes who after the horrible and bloudy murder of the Admyrall other true professors of Christes Gospell both men womeÌ„ and children to the nuÌ„ber of many thousandes of diuers Cityes in so much that the prisoÌ„s streetes are said to be coloured with bloud smoking after such a cruell sort as in our time or country the like hath not hitherto bene sene by the terrible
Now this Uicars making meanes to Boner for the same Boner put the matter ouer to Darbishyre hys Chauncellour who enioyned her to geue certeyne money to poore folkes and to goe on the Wednesday and sonday after to Church to Euensong which she so did and afterward had such trouble in her conscience thereby that shee thought verely God had cast her off and that she shoulde be damned and neuer saued so not long after this it happened mayster Rough of whom mention is made Page 2034. came to her house vnto whō she made mone of her vnquietnes for going to Church and desired his counsell what she might doe that should best please God and ease her troubled soule c. Unto whō M. Rough replied many comfortable sentences of scripture to comfort her and in the end gaue her counsell to goe to the christian congregation which secretly the persecuted had and confesse her fault vnto them and so to be receiued into theyr felowship agayne which hearing that was glad and entended so to do and so would haue done if sore sicknes had not immediatly preuented the same But when doctor Mallet heard by one Robert Hemminges Woodmonger that she laye very sicke in deed which Hemminges was her great enemy he came to her twise to perswade her to recant and to receiue as the Papistes terme it the rites of the Church Unto whom she aunswered she could not nor would for that she was subiect to vomet and therfore he would not she was sure she sayd haue her to cast vp theyr God agayne as she should do if she did receiue it And so immediatly vometed in deed wherfore he seing that went frō her into the hall to her daughter named Clare sacke and tolde her if her mother would not receiue she should not be buryed in christian burial as he termed it Then Clare went and tolde her sicke mother what he sayde vnto her Which hearing the same spake these wordes following Oh sayd she how happy am I that I shall not rise wyth them but agaynst them Well quoth she the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is and therfore I commit the matter to him c. Shortly hereupon that is the 27. day of March 1558. the sayd Doctor Mallet came agayne to her with one D. West Queene Maryes Chapleyne And comming in hee saluted her and tolde her that he had brought her a good learned man to perswade her who was one of the queenes Chapleines c. and therefore he desired her to heare and beleue him in that he should say c. Then D. West exhorted her to receiue theyr Sacrament and to be aneled for he sayd she was strong enough for it c. Unto whom she aunswered that shee was able and strong enough to receiue it in deede but she woulde not for that it was abhominable c. Then sayd West ye be in an ill minde doe ye thinke to dye a christian woman yea sayd she that I do I pray you sayd West how came you first into that opinion Mary sayd she there he is that first taught it me meaning D. Mallet at the mariage of my brother his sister where I heard him earnestly preach this doctrine whiche I now do holde And if God shall lay our sinnes to our charge if we repent not muche more damnable is his offence being once a publicke Preacher of the same nowe to turne from it Then Mallet tolde her he was then deceiued by little newfangled two peny bookes as you bee now sayd he but now I am otherwise perswaded as I would haue you and to receiue the Sacrament whiche if you would you should I warrant you be saued my soule for yours At those wordes she earnestly desired them to be content for sayth she ye be come to rob and to draw me from my Christ which I tell you truth you shall not doe for I will neuer consent to you while I liue When West heard her saye so he drewe his stoole nigher to heare her speake and being dronken he fell downe whereby Mallet was fayne to helpe him vp agayne and so immediatly after they departed thence And the xiij day of Aprill next after that she dyed constantly in the Lord and yelded her soule and life into his holy handes with these wordes Oh Lord into thy handes receiue my soule and so immediatly gaue vp her life vnto the Lord to whome be prayse for euer Amen While she was beyond sea as is sayd before Mayster Crokhay her husband by the procurement of D. Mallet was cited to come before Mayster Hussey the Commissary who had it not bene for that he made meanes vnto the sayd Hussey before woulde haue sent him to prison and bound him in recognisaunce to seeke her out But he more easily escaped theyr handes by frendship as before I haue sayd Now when D. Mallet heard of her death M. Crokhay and one Robert Hemminges Bailiefe of S. Katherins being before him for the burying of her he sayd plainely she should be buried nigh to some high way a marke set vp in token that an hereticke was buryed there Then the sayd Hemminges tolde him the hogges would scrape her vp which were not decent nor best and M. Crokhay intreated she might be buryed in his Garden whiche at length he graunted and willed the sayde Hemminges to set it done and that he should be sure he buryed her there in deede After when the corpes was brought to the sayd Garden the sayd Robert Hemminges the Bailife would needes see it opened which when the couer was taken of the wife of the sayd Hemmings put her hand wtin the sheete felt the hayre of the sayde dead corpes saying now will I iustify that she is here and so she did telling Mallet that those her handes did feele her this is the effecte of thys Story Now since the comming in of Queene Elizabeth the sayd D. Mallet came to the sayd M. Crokhay and asked him forgeuenes alleadging this verse of the Poet. ¶ Amantium irae amoris redintegratio est The Lord geue him repentaunce and grace to seeke perfect frendwip with him if it be his blessed will Amen ¶ A note of William Woode ACcording as I haue sent vnto you the true recorde of my examination before the Doctors aboue mētioned so I thougt it not inconuenient to send you likewise certayne uotes of my other two deliueraunces in Queene Maryes time and this I doe not as God knoweth to get any prayse to my selfe or to reproche any other but that God may be glorified in his workes and that our brethrē may knowe that though there be many times but little help in earth yet that there is more in heauen About a month after my examination there was one Apleby and hys wife that were persecuted from Maydstone in Kent came to my house in Strowde desired me that he might haue a place in my house for him and his
Pope 307 306 Frederike Duke of Austrich proclaymed traytor 593 Frederike the Emperour drowned in a Riuer at the siege of Achon 243 Fredericus Emperor 720 Frederike byshop of Utrike killed by the French Queene 137 Frederike 2. hys tragicall history .297 hys godly end 315 Frederike the Emperor procedeth agaynst the Pope and setteth his owne name before the popes .203 his letter to all Prelates agaynst the Pope 204 Freese Martyr his story 1027 Friendship none but amongst godly â—ersons ibid. Friend trusty what a treasure hee is 1930 French kyng supporteth Becket agaynst the kyng of England 212 French kyng and king Iohn at variance 255 Freewill with the errours therein of the papists 28 Frith hys trouble for the Gospell prophesieth of the restoryng of the truth in England and refuseth to be set at libertie 2127. Frith hys testimoniall of M. Tindall .1079 his excelleÌ„t story .1079 condemned and martyred 1035.1036.1037 Friers their commyng in 1181 Frier Forest executed for rebellion 1100 Friers originall 259 Friers dead men and quicke beggers 261 Friers Obseruants their originall 259 Friers confuted in a disputation at Paris 408 Friers what harme they doe to all the world their theft at Oxford 411 Frier Champbell accuser of Patrike Hamelton his end 2103 Frier of Munster striken with lightnyng 2106 Frier a godly poore man with a woman sister to George Eagles Martyrs 2012 Friers compared to Iudas very aptly for their trecheries 264 Friers that write agaynst Armachanus 414. Franciscan Friers of sundry sects 259 Franciscane Friers 800 Friers are the pillers and proppes of the Popes church 259 Friers 4. burned 402.798 Friers two Martyrs 731 Friers cause of great trouble in the church .409 accused of horrible crimes 506 Friers confuted and altogether reiected of the students of Paris 408.409 Friers of Fraunce against the prelates .392 their priuiledges confuted in a disputation at Paris 393 Frier Iohn a Spaniard succeeded doctor Peter Martyr in the Diuinitie lecture at Oxford .1936 a blasphemous papist ibid. reiected of Iulius Palmer who was a most godly and constant Martyr for the Gospell of Christ. 1936 Fronton his trouble in Spayne 2057.2058 Fructuosus bishop of Tarracona with his two Deacons martyrs 74. Funerall superstition altogether forbidden in any respect to bee vsed of Christians 7 Fust Martyr his story and martyrdome 1689.1690.1702 G A. GAius Byshoppe of Rome and martyr 75. Gallowes set vp in London in sondry streetes 1469. Gallus and Uolusianus Emperours 66. Galienus a good Emperour gaue peace to the Church 74. Gardiner Bishoppe of Winchester his story .1339 a great hinderer of the Gospell .1245.283 committed to the marshalsey .1296 hys letters in defence of images 1340.1348 sondry letters to the L. protector .1342.1345 articles obiected agaynst him with hys answers to the same .1350.1351 sequestration against him .1358 sentence of depriuation agaynst him .1359.1360 not worthye the name of a learned man .1785 his mutabilitie ibi his inconstancie and treason agaynst the king 1786. his sermons preached before kinge Edwarde .6.1788.1789.1790 hee repugneth the popes supremacie images ceremonies monkeries chauntries .1791 his disagreement both froÌ„ others and with himselfe also .1792 his 12 new found articles 1793. hys fearfull death 1785. Gardiner his stincking death 2099 2101. Garret Tryest knight persecutor his sodayne death 2108. Garnesey story defended from the slaunderous penne of M. Harding archpapist 1946.1947.1948 Garret his story and martyrdome 1194.1197.1199.1200 Gardiner martyr hys tragicall story 1364. his cruell and patient Martyrdome 1366. Garmentes precious forbidde to priestes 137. Garret a preacher sent to Calice to preache 1224. Gaueston a wicked doer about K. Edward 2. 367. Geoffry Chawcer agaynst fryers 261. George Ambrose Martyr his story and death 1895.1896.1867.1898 George Blage knight his trouble 1245 George Brodbridge martyr 1708 George Catmer Martyr 1708. George Carpenter Martyr 884 885 George Eagles Martyr his story persecution examination martyrdome 2009.2010 George Constantine a Persecutor 1019 George King Martyr .1689 buried in the fieldes 1702 George Agnes Martyr 1914.1915 George King of Bohemia coÌ„demned of heresy 711 George Marsh Martyr his story trouble and persecution .1561.1562 his examinations and answeares .1563.1564.1566 hys martyrdome for the Gospel 1567 his letters 1567.1568.1569.1570.1573 George Pogiebracius a wise and godly man his death 722.723 George Roper Martyr 1794 Georgius a young man of Cappadocea Martyred 92 Georgius Scanderbeius .740 his valiaunt Actes and memorable deedes ibid. George Steuens Martyr his story and martirdome 1983.1984 George Scarles Martyr 1914.1915 George Stafford reader in Cambridge 997 George Tankerfielde Martyr hys story and martyrdome 1689.1690.1691 George Wischart Gentleman hys story and trouble .1267 his exaaminations and answeres .1268 his prayer and Martyrdome 1271 General Councels aboue the Pope 596. neuer toke him for supreame head 1804 Geneua reformeth Religion 870 Germaynes commended for theyr few othes and appeasing of controuersies and debates 1118 Germaynes complaynt agaynst the Court of Rome 159 Germaines the decay of their Empyre with the causes therof 374 Germany spoyled through ciuil dissention by the Pope 314 Germaynes theyr departure from the vniuersity of Prage why 601.608 Germaynes complaint of the popes intollerable exactions .724 theyr second complaynt 732 Germayne Martyr 1279. Germanus Patriach of Constantinople his letters to pope Grery .9 282. Germanicus a godly and constant martyr 42. Gertrude Crockhey his story and deliuery 2082. Gertrude Crockhey a godly woman in daunger of trouble for refusing of the foolishe popishe Sainct Nicholas She promiseth for a child baptised is sought for flyeth ouer seas is there accuâ—sed of heresie and imprisoned by meanes of one Iohn Iohnson a Dutchman of Antwerpe her deliueraunce her comming into Englande her great trouble here her detestation of papistry her constancie in the trueth to the ende her godlye death .2145 her body not suffered to be buryed in the churchyarde but in a garden 2146. Gemes the Turkes brother poysoned by the Pope 734. Geffray Plantagenet 199 Gerhardus Ridder a writer against the Pope 391. G I. Gildas preached to the olde Brytaynes 32. Giles Brakelman boroughmaister of Gaunt persecutor plagued 2108. Gilbertus Necromancer made an Archbishop 159. Gibellius Guelphes froÌ„ whence they came 308. Giles Cardinall defendeth Robert Grosthead to the Pope 324. Gie whipped in Bridewell for buiyng a bible to serue God withall 2144. Gilford Dudly beheaded 1423. Gilbertines order began 201. G O. Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptisme 53. Godwine a wicked Earle of England hys death 165. Godfathers not to be followed in al thinges but as they follow God 3. Godfathers and godmothers theyr fayth saueth not the infante 1995. Gordian Emperour 59. Gore Martyr hys trouble for the gospell dyed in prison 1795. Gower Martyr hys story 839. Good and badde in the Churche of God 609. Good workes iustifie not but follow the iustified 23. Goe to Masse can no Christian wtout breach of conscience 1647 Gordius his worthye storye hys Constancie answeres and moste glorious martyrdome 90. Goldsmithes Caruers and
world Exhortation to obedience Exhortation to brotherly loue Exhortation to rich men of this world mouing them to charitable almes Luke 18. 1. Iohn 3. The Archb. declareth the true confession of his fayth without all colour or dissembling The Archb. rereuoketh his former recantation and repenteth the same The Archb. refuseth the Pope as Christes enemy and Antichrist The Archb. stâ—â—deth to his booke written agaynst Winchester 〈…〉 Papists â—â—ceaued The Papists in a great chase agaynst the Archb. Cranmers aunswere to the Papists Cranmer pulled downe froÌ„ the stage Cranmer led to the fire â— Ely 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 to the Archbishop The Archâ—â—â—â—op tyed 〈…〉 stake Cranmer â—â—tteth his 〈◊〉 hand wâ—ich subscribed first 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 The last wordes of Cranmeâ— at 〈◊〉 death The Fryers lying report of Cranmer Archb. Cranmer the middle Martyr of all the Martyrs burnt in Q Maryes tyme. A writâ—ng or letter of the Archb. sent to Queene Mary The king and Queene make themselues no better then subiectes complayning of their owne subiect vnto the Pope The first cause why the Archb. would not make aunswere to the Popes delegate is to auoyd periury The second cause is that the Popes lawes are contrary to the Crowne and lawes of England The othe of the King Iustices and the duety of Subiectes Dist. 10. Constitutiones Extran De Sentâ—â—ti et reindit Nouerit The Popes lawes and the lawes of England do vary how and whereiâ— Cases wherin the popes lawes repugne agaynst our lawes Prouision agaynst the popes lawes by Premunire The prouiso of the Pope agaynst our Premunire Marke this well * The Clergyes duety in the Parlament The Clergy of England more addicted to the Pope then to their true alleageance to their Countrey The Pope commaundeth both agaynst God naturall reason The SacrameÌ„t ought to be receaued in both kindes of all Christians Ex Theophilo Alexandrino The excuse of the Papistes why they take away the cup. Misorder in the Pope in assoyling the disobedieÌ„ce of Subiects toward their Princes Note the saying of Gregory The deuill and the Pope are lyke Emperours and kinges made the Popes footmen The Pope is Antichrist that is Christes enemy True markes proâ—iâ—g that the Pope is Antichrist Note this conclusion The cause why the Archb. spake and wrote thus Math. 10. The Sacrament A double error of 〈◊〉 Papistâ—s in the 〈◊〉 of the sacrâ—meÌ„t Cranmer 〈◊〉 to the iuâ—ged by the old Church The Papistes not able to bring forth one olde author aboue a thousand yeares to make with the Sacrament With the substance the vse also changed of the Sacrament The Papists make Christ 2. bodyes Neyther truth nor comfort in the Popes doctrine of the Sacrament Marke the errours of the Papists in their doctrine of the Sacrament The Protestantes doctrine of the Sacrament more comfortable then the doctrine of the Papistes An other respecte why the Archb. refused B. Brookes to be his iudge Double periury in B. Brookes A peece of an other letter to the Queene Contradiction in the Queenes othes sworne both to the Realme to the Pope in one day This Constantinus was Stephen Gardiner as constant in deede as a Wethercocke who thus named himselfe writing agaynst this good Archbish. An other letter of the Archb. to Mistres Wilkinson Math 3. Iohn 4. Math. 5. 2. Cor. 12. A letter written to D. Cranmer his felloweâ— by D. Taylour Many professe God ad ignem exclusiue that is in wordes outward profession but few sticke to him ad ignem inclusiuè that is in deede and in suffering for his sake Agnes Potten Ioane Trunchfield Martyrs The opinions of these two Matrons and Martyrs The streÌ„gth of God in weake vessels The burning of Agnes Potten reuealed to her before in her sleepe â—he story 〈◊〉 Iohn Maundrell Mâ—â—ndrell â—â—â—rted 〈◊〉 Tinâ—â—â—l Testament Mâ—â—ndrell 〈…〉 and â—â—arer of Gods word Maâ—ndrell 〈◊〉 for speaking agaynst holy bread and holy water Maundrell 〈◊〉 to open 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Henryes â—â—yes Maundrell 〈◊〉 and Coberley 〈…〉 Maundrell Spicer Coberly seÌ„t to Salisbury D. Capon B. of Salisbury Confession of their beliefe Sacrament of the Aultar Agaynst the Popes supremacye Christ onely Supreame head of his Church vnder him euery Prince in his own dominion Purgatory Images Sentence read agaynst these 3. Martyrs March 23. Maundrell Spicer Coberly brought to the place of Martyrdome The wordes of Maundrell Alice Coberley being indurance how she was brought by the keepers to reuoke Aprill 14. 6. Martyrs burnt in Smithfield at one stake These Martyrs were sent vp by the Lord Rich by M. Tyrrell and others A supplication to the Lord Chauncellour Names subscribed to the supplication Richard Spurge examined The Parson of Bocking accuser For not coÌ„ming to the Popish Church Thomâ—â— Spurge â—â—â—â—mined Not coâ—ming 〈◊〉 Church why Sacramâ—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 George Ambrose examined Iohn Caâ—â—ll examined The causâ—â— why Iohn Cauell came not to Church The Parson of Bocking false and contrary to his owne doctrine Robert Drakes Parson of Thundersley examined Drakes placed in the benefice of Thundersley by the Lord Rich. The first occasion of taking W. Tyme M. Tyrrell offended with Sermons preached in his woodes 〈◊〉 Gye 〈◊〉 Tyrrell◠〈◊〉 an 〈◊〉 man Talke betweene the Bishop of Winchester and W. Tyms These 5. Martyrs were R. Drakes Tho. Spurge Richard Spurge Cauell Ambrose Their examinations before the B. of London Sacrament of the Aultar March 2â— Drakes and W. Tyms with the rest agayne exmined March 2â— B. Boners wordes to W. Tyms Math. 18. 1. Tym. 5. The aunswere of W. Tyms to B. Boner B. Boners wordes One of the prisoners aunswereth to B. Boner W. Tyms agayne aunswereth B. Boner charged with periury and inconstancye Boners preface to Winchesters booke De obedientia B. Boner excuseth himselfe by feare Tyms agayne replyeth to the Bishop An hunters parable against W. Tyms wisely applyed The answere 〈◊〉 Tym◠〈…〉 B. Boners reason Robert Drakes answereth Boner replyeth Tyms â—â—swereâ—â— to Boner Boner denying the principleâ— of diuinitye Esay 59. B. Boner calleth for more helpâ— D. Pendleton studieth for talke Articles aunswered by William Tyms His baptisme by his godfathers Onely â— Sacraments The true visible Church Winchesters booke De obedientia The Masse blasphemous Sacrament of the Altar an Idoll The Popes Church The Sea of 〈◊〉 the Sea of 〈◊〉 Sentence 〈◊〉 against W. Tyms The aunâ—were of R. Draâ—â—â— Sentence geuen against 〈◊〉 The aunswâ—re of T. Spurge Sentence 〈◊〉 agaynâ—t Tho. Spurge R. Spurge 〈◊〉 Ambrose A letter of W. Tyms to Agnes Gâ—ascocke An other letter of Will Tyms to Mistres Glascocke An other letter of W. Tyms to certayne godly women of his Parish Anno 1556. March An other letter of Will Tyms to his friendes in Hocley An other letter of W. Tyms to the faythfull brethren in his parish A letter of W. Tyms to his sisters in the Lord Colfoxe Glascocke 1. Pet. 5. 1. Pet. 4. Rom. 1â— Stephen for the same Gospell put to death
Thornton Well doe yee not beleeue that hee is there really New No I beleue it not Thornton Well will ye stand to it New I must needes stande to it till I bee perswaded to a further truth Thornton Nay yee will not bee perswaded but stande to your owne opinion New Nay I stand not to mine owne opinion GOD I take to witnesse but onely to the scriptures of God and that can all those that stand here witnes with me and nothing but the scriptures and I take God to witnes that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my conscience and if there be a further trueth then I see excepte it appeare a trueth to me I cannot receiue it as a truth And seeing fayth is the gifte of God and commeth not of man for it is not you that can geue me fayth nor no man els therfore I trust ye will beare the more with me seing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receiue it with all my hart and embrace it Thornton had many other questions which I did not beare away but as I doe vnderstand these are the chiefest as for tauntes foolish and vnlearned hee lacked none Prayse GOD for his giftes and GOD increase in vs strength * The argument of Iohn Newman If the body of Christ were really and bodily in the sacrament then who soeuer receiued the sacrament receiued also the body The wicked receiuing the sacrament receiue not the body of Christ. Ergo the bodye of Christe is not really in the Sacrament * Argument Ca They which eate the fleshe and drinke the bloude of Christ dwell in him and he in them mes The wicked dwell not in Christ nor he in them tres Ergo The wicked eate not the fleshe nor drinke the bloud of Christ. * Argument Ca They that haue Christ dwelling in them bring foorth much fruite Iohn 15. Hee that dwelleth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruite c. mes The wicked bringeth forth no fruit of goodnes tres Ergo they haue not Christes body dwelling in them ¶ Argument Da Where remembrrunce is of a thing there is imported the absence thereof ti Remembraunce of Christes body is in the sacrament Do this in remembraunce of me c. si Ergo Christes body there is imported to be absent Mary they will say we see him not with our outward eyes but he is commended vnder the fourme of breade wine and that that we see is nothing but a quallitie or an accidence But let them shew me a quallitie or an accidence without a substaunce and I will beleue them And thus much concerning Newmans examinations and argumentes whose Martyrdome is before expressed ¶ The Martirdome of Ioane Wast a blynde woman in the Towne of Darbye THe first day of August in the yeare aboue specified suffered likewise at the Towne of Darby a certaine poore honest godly woman being blinde from her birth and vnmaryed about the age of xxii named Ioane Wast of the Parish of Alhallowes Of them that sate vpon this innocent womans bloude the chiefest was Raâ—e Bayne Bishop of the Dyoces Doctour Draycot hys Chauncellour sir Iohn Port Knight Henrye Uernon Esquire Peter Finshe officiall of Darby with the assistaunce also of diuers other Richard Warde and William Bembrige the same time being Bayliffes of the Towne of Darby c. First after the aboue named Byshoppe and Doct. Draycot had caused the sayd Ioane Waste to be apprehended in the Towne of Darby suspecting her to bee guilty of certayne heresies she was diuers times priuily examined as well in prison as out of Prison by Finsh the Officiall aforesayd After that brought to publicke examination before the Bishop at last was there burnt in Darby as is aboue sayd Touching whose life bringing vp conuersatioÌ„ somewhat more amply we mynd to discourse as by faythfull relation hath come to my handes First this Ioane Wast was the daughter of one William Wast an honest poore man and by hys science a Barber who some time also vsed to make Ropes His wife had the same Ioane and one other at one byrth and shee was borne blinde And when shee was about xij or xiiii yeares old she learned to knitte hosen and sleeues and other thinges which in time she could do very well Furthermore as time serued she would help her father to turn ropes and do such other thinges as she was able and in no case would be idle Thus continued she with her father and mother during their liues After whose departure then kept she with one Roger Wast her brother who in the time of king Edw. the 6. of blessed memory gaue her selfe dayly to go to the church to heare Diuine seruice read in the vulgar tongue And thus by hearing Homilies and sermons she became merueilously well affected to the Religion then taught So at length hauing by her labour gotten and saued so much mony as would buy her a newe testameÌ„t she caused one to be prouided for her And though she was of herselfe vnlearned and by reason of her blindnes vnable to read yet for the great desire shee had to vnderstand and haue printed in her memory the sayinges of holy scriptures conteined in the new Testament shee acquaynted her selfe chiefly with one Iohn Hurt then prisoner in the common Hall of Darby for debtes The same Iohn Hurt being a sober graue man of the age of three score and ten yeares by her earnest intreatie and being Prisoner and many times idle and without coÌ„pany did for his exercise dayly read vnto her some one chapter of the new Testament And if at any time he wer otherwise occupied or letted through sickenes she woulde repayre vnto one Iohn Pemerton Clarke of the Parishe Churche of all sayntes in the same towne of Darby or to some other person which could read and sometimes shee would geue a penny or two as shee might spare to suche persons as woulde not freely read vnto her appoyntyng vnto them aforehand how many Chapiters of the newe Testament they should read or how often they should repeate one Chapiter vpon a price Moreouer in the sayde Ioane Wast this was notoryous that she being vtterly blinde could not withstanding without a guide go to any Church within the sayd town of Darby or to any other place or person with whom she had any such exercise By which exercise shee so profited that she was able not onely to recite many Chapiters of the new testament without book but also could aptly impugne by diuers places of scriptures as well sinne as suche abuses in Religion as then were to much in vse in diuers and sondry persons As this godly woman thus dayly increased in the knowledge of Gods holy worde and no lesse in her life expressed the vertuous fruites and exercise of the same Not long after
through the fatall death of blessed K. Edw. followed the woefull ruine of religion in the raygne of Queene Mary his sister In which alteration notwithstanding the general backsliding of the greatest part and multitude of the whole realme into the olde papisme agayne yet this poore blind woman continuing in a constant conscience proceeded still in her former exercise both being zelous in that shee had learned and also refusing to communicate in religion with those which taught contrary doctrine to that she before had learned in king Edwardes time as is aboue declared For the which she was called and conuented before the foresayd Bishop and D. Draycot with diuers other called in to beare witnesse * Articles ministred vnto her THe Articles ministred to her and wherewith she was charged were these First that she did hold the Sacrament of the Aultar to be but onely a memory or representation of Christes bodye and materiall bread and wyne but not his naturall body vnlesse it were receaued And that it ought not to be reserued from time to tyme ouer the Aultar but immediately to be receaued c. Item that she did hold in receiuing of the sacramente of the Aultar she did not receaue the same body that was borne of the virgine Mary and suffered vppon the Crosse for our redemption c. Item she did hold that Christe at his last supper dyd not blesse the bread that he had then in hys handes but was blessed hymselfe and by the vertue of the wordes of consecration the substaunce of the bread and wyne is not conuerted and turned into the substaunce of the body bloud of Christ. Item shee did graunt that shee was of the parishe of Alhallowes in Darby c. Item that all and singular the premisses are true and notorious by publike report and fame c. Whereunto she aunswered that she beleued therein so much as the holye scriptures taught her and according to that she had heard preached vnto her by diuers learned mē Whereof some suffered imprisonment and other some suffered death for the same Doctrine Amongest whome she named beside other Doctour Taylour whome she sayde took it of hys conscience that the doctrine which he taught was true and asked of them if they would doe so in lyke case for their doctrine whiche if they woulde not she desired them for Gods sake not to trouble her being a blynde poore and vnlearned woman wyth anye further talke saying by Gods assistaunce that she was ready to yeld vpp her lyfe in that fayth in suche sorte as they shoulde appoynt And yet notwithstanding being Prest by the sayd byshoppe and Doctor Draycot with many argumentes of Christes omnipotency as why was not Christe able as well to make the bread his bodye as to turne water into wyne rayse Lazarus from death and suche other lyke arguments and many times being threatned with greuous imprisonmentes tormentes death The poore woman thus being as it wer half astonied through their terrors threates and desirous as it seemed to prolong her lyfe offered vnto the Bishop then present that if he would before that company take it vpon his conscience that the doctrine which he would haue her to beleue concerning the sacrament was true and that he would at the dreadful day of iudgement aunswere for her therein as the sayd Doct. Taylor in diuers of his sermons did offer she would thē further aunswere them Whereunto the Bishop aunswered hee woulde But Doctor Draycot his Chauncellour hearyng that sayde My Lord you knowe not what you doe you maye in no case aunswere for an hereticke And immediately hee asked the poore woman whether she would recant or no sayd she should aunswere for her selfe Unto whose sayings the Bishop also reformed himselfe The poore woman perceauing this aunswered again that if they refused to take of theyr conscience that it was true they woulde haue her to beleue shee would answere no further but desired them to do theyr pleasure and so after certayne circumstances they pronounced sentence agaynst her and deliuered her vnto the Bayliffes of the sayd Towne of Darby afore named Who after they hadde kept her about a moneth or fiue weekes at length there came vnto them a writte De heretico comburendo by vertue whereof they were appoynted by the sayd Byshoppe to bryng her to the Paryshe Churche of all Sayntes at a day appoynted where Doct. Draycot should make a Sermon When the daye and time was come that this innocent Martyr shoulde suffer first commeth to the Church Doct. Draycot accompanyed with diuers gentlemen as Mayster Tho. Powthread M. Henry Uernon M. Dethick of Newall and diuers others This done all things now in a readines at last the poore blinde creature and seruant of God was brought and set before the Pulpit where the sayd Doct. being entred into his sermon and there inueiyng agaynst diuers matters which he called heresies declared vnto the people that that woman was condemned for denying the blessed sacrament of the Aulter to be the very body and bloud of Christ really and substancially and was thereby cut off from the body of the Catholick church and sayd that she was not onely blinde of her bodily eyes but also blind in the eyes of her soule And he sayd that as her body shuld be presently consumed with materiall fire so her soule shoulde be burned in hel with euerlasting fire as soone as it should be seperated from the body and there to remayne world without end and sayd it was not lawfull for the people to pray for her and so with many terrible threates he made an end of his sermon and commāded the Bayliffes and those gentlemen to see her executed And the sermon thus ended eftsoones the blessed seruant of God was caried away from the sayd Church to a place called the windmill Pit neare vnto the sayd Towne and holding the foresayd Roger Wast her brother by the hand she prepared herselfe and desired the people to pray wyth her and sayde such prayers as she before had learned cryed vpon Christ to haue mercy vpon her as long as life serued In this meane season the sayde D. Draycot went to hys Inne for great sorrow of her death and there layd him downe and slept during all the tyme of her execution and thus much of Ioane Wast Now for so muche as I am not ignoraunt faythfull reader that this and other storyes more set forth of the Martyrs shall not lack carpers and markers enow ready to seeke all holes and corners how to diffame the memory of GODS good Saynctes and to condemne these hystoryes of lyes and vntruthes especially hystories wherin they see their shamefull actes and vnchristian crueltye detected and brought to lyghte therfore for better confirmation of thys historye aboue written and to stop the mouthes of such Momes thys shall be to admonish all and singular readers hereof that the discourse of this