Article and required an aunswere and M. Ridley referred him to his aunswere in wryting exhybited now and also before at the time of disputation and like aunsweres were taken to all the residue of the Articles These aunsweres in maner rehearsed taken and penned of the Notaries the Byshop of Glocester began an exhortation to moue M. Ridley to turne Glo. If you would once empty your stomacke captiuate your senses subdue your reason and to gether with vs consider what a feeble ground of your religion you haue I doe not doubt but you might easely be perduced to acknowledge one Churche with vs to confesse one fayth with vs and to beleue one religion with vs. For what a weake and feeble stay in religion is this I pray you Latimer leaneth to Cranmer Cranmer to Ridley Ridley to the singularitie of his owne witte so that if you ouerthrowe the singularitie of Ridleyes wit then must needes the Religion of Cranmer and Latimer fall also You remember well M. Ridley that the Prophet speaketh most truely saying vae vae wo wo be to them which are singular and wise in their owne conceytes But you wyll saye here it is true that the Prophete sayth but how know you that I am wyse in myne owne conceyte Yes Maister Ridley you refuse the determination of the Catholike Churche you muste needes bee singular and wyse in your owne conceyte for you bryng Scripture for the probation of your assertions and wee also bryng Scriptures you vnderstande them in one sense and wee in an other Howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne interpretation then you are singular in your owne conceyte but if you say you wyll followe the myndes of the Doctors and auncient Fathers semblably you vnderstande them in one meanyng and wee take them in another howe wyll ye knowe the trueth herein If you stande to your owne iudgement then are you singular in your owne conceyte then can you not auoyde the vae and woe which the Prophete speaketh of Wherfore if you haue no stay but the Catholike church in matters of controuersie except you wyll rest vpon the singularitie and wysedome of your owne brayne if the Prophet most truely sayth vae vae wo wo be to them that are wyse in their owne conceite then for Gods loue M. Ridley stand not singular be not you wyse in your owne conceite please not your selfe ouermuch Howe were the Arrians the Manicheis the FutichiaÌ„s with other diuers Heretickes which haue bene in the Church how I pray you were they suppressed and conuinced by reasonyng in disputations No truly the Arrians had mo places of Scriptures for the confirmation of their heresie then the Catholickes for the defence of the trueth Howe then were they conuinced onely by the termination of the Church And in deede except we do constitute the Churche our foundation stay and iudge we can haue no ende of controuersies no ende of disputations For in that we all bryng Scriptures and Doctors for the probation of our assertions who shoulde be Iudge of this our controuersie If we our selues then be we singular and wise in our owne conceites then can not we auoyde the woe that the Prophet speaketh of It remayneth therefore that we submitte our selues to the determination and arbitrement of the Churche with whom God promised to remayne to the worldes ende to whom he promised to sende the holy Ghost which shoulde teache it the trueth Wherefore M. Ridley if you will auoyd the wo that the prophet speaketh of be not you wyse in your iudgement if you wyll not be wyse and singular in your owne iudgement captiuate your owne vnderstanding subdue your reason and submit your selfe to the determination of the Church This is briefly the summe of the Oration of the Byshop of Glocester by the which he endeuored in many mo woordes amplyfiyng and enlargyng the matter eloquently with sundry poyntes of Rethoricke to moue affections to perswade Maister Ridley to recant and forsake his Religion To whom M. Ridley aunswered in few wordes that he sayd most truly with the Prophet wo be to him which is wyse in his owe conceite but that he acknowledged no suche singularitie in hym ne knewe any cause why he shoulde attribute so muche to him selfe And where as he sayde Maister Cranmer leaned to hym that was moste vntrue in that he was but a young Scholer in comparison of Maister Cranmer for at what tyme he was a young Scholer then Maister Cranmer a Doctor so that he conâ—essed that M. Cranmer might haue ben his Scholemaister these many yeares It seemed that he woulde haue spoken more but the Bishop of Glocester interrupted hym saying Glo. Why M. Ridley it is your owne confession for M. Latimer at the time of his disputations confessed his learnyng to lye in M. Cranmers bookes and M. Cranmer also sayd that it was your doyng Linc. Likewyse the Byshoppe of Lincolne with many woordes and gentle holding his Cappe in hand desyred him to turne But M. Ridley made an absolute aunswere that he was fully perswaded the Religion whiche he defended to be grounded vpon Gods worde and therefore without great offence towardes God great peryll and damage of his soule he coulde not forsake his Maister and Lorde God but desired the Byshop to performe his graunt in that his Lordshyp sayde the day before that he shoulde haue licence to shewe his cause why he coulde not with a salfe conscience admitte the authoritye of the Pope but the Byshop of Lincolne sayde that where as then he had demaunded licence to speake three woordes he was contented then that he shoulde speake .xl. and that graunt he would performe Then stepped forth D. Weston which sate by and sayd why my Lord he hath spoken foure hundred already M. Ridley confessed he had but they were not of his prescribed number neither of that matter The Bishop of Lincolne bad him take his licence but he shoulde speake but .xl. and he would tell them vpon his fingers and eftsoones M. Ridley began to speake but before he had ended halfe a sentence the Doctours sittyng by cryed and sayd that his number was out and with that he was put to silence After this the Bishop of Lincolne which sat in the middes began to speake as foloweth Linc. Now I perceiue M. Ridley you will not permit ne suffer vs to stay in that point of our Commission which we most desired for I ensure you there is neuer a worde in our Commission more true then dolentes gementes For in deede I for my part I take God to witnesse am sory for you Whereunto M. Ridley aunswered Rid. I beleue it well my Lord for as much as one day it will be burdenous to your soule Linc. Nay not so M. Ridley but because I am sory to see suche stubbornesse in you that by no meanes you may be perswaded to acknowledge your errours and receiue
Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Mary in deed you M. Doctour put me in good remeÌ„braunce of the meaning of S. Paule in that place for Apotasia is properly a departing from the fayth and thereof commeth Apostata whiche properly signifieth one that departeth from his fayth and S. Paule in the same place after speaketh of the decay of the Empyre Cole Apostasia doth not onely signify a departing froÌ„ the fayth but also from the Empyre as I am able to shew Phil. I neuer read it so taken and when you shal be able to shew it as you say in woordes I will beleue it and not before Worcest I am sory that you shoulde be agaynst the Christen world Phil. The world commonly and such as be called Christians for the multitude hath hated the truth and bene enemies to the same Gloc. Why M. Philpot doe you thinke that the vniuersall church hath erred and you onely to be in the truth Phil. The church that you are of was neuer vniuersall for two parts of the world which is Asia Africa neuer consented to the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome as at this day they do not neither do folow his decrees Gloc. Yes in Florentines Councell they did agree Phil. It was sayde so by false report after they of Asia and Africa were gone home but it was not so in deed as the sequele of them all hitherto doth proue the contrary Gloc. I pray you by whom will you be iudged in matters of controuersy which happen dayly Phil. By the word of God For Christ sayth in S. Iohn The word that he spake shall be Iudge in the latter day Gloc. What if you take the word one way and I an other way who shall be iudge then Phil. The Primitiue Church Gloc. I know you meane the Doctors that wrote thereof Phil I meane verely so Gloc. What if you take the Doctors in one sense and I in an other who shal be iudge then Phil. Then let that be taken whiche is moste agreeable to Gods word Cole My Lordes why do you trouble your selues to answere him in this matter It is not the thing which is laid to his charge but his error of the sacrament and he to shift himselfe of that brought in another matter Phil. This is the matter M. Cole to the which I haue referred all other questions and desire to be satisfied Worc. It is wonder to see how he standeth with a few agaynst a great multitude Phil. We haue almost as many as you For we haue Asia Africa Germany Denmarke and a great part of France and dayly the number of the Gospel doth encrease so that I am credibly informed that for this Religion in the whiche I stande and for the whiche I am like to dye a greate multitude doth dayly come out of Fraunce through persecution that the Cityes of Germany bee scarse able to receiue them and therefore your Lordship may be sure the word of God will one day take place doe what you can to the contrary Worc. They were wel occupied to bring you such newes and you haue bene well kept to haue such resort vnto you Thou art the arrogantest felow stoutest fond felow that euer I knew Phil. I pray your Lordship to beare with my hasty speech for it is part of my corrupt nature to speake somewhat hastily but for all that I meane with humility to do my duty to your Lordship Boner M. Philpot my Lordes will troule you no further at this time but you shall goe from whence you came and haue such fauor as in the mean while I can shew you and vpon wednesday next you shal be called agayn to be heard what you can say for mainteinaunce of your error Phil. My Lorde my desire is to be satisfied of you in that I haue required and your Lordship shall finde me as I haue sayd Worc. We wish you as well as our selues Phil. I thinke the same my Lordes but I feare you are deceiued and haue a zeale of your selues not according to knowledge Worc. God send you more grace Phil. And also God encrease the same in you and opeÌ„ your eyes that you may see to mayneteyne his trueth and hys true Church Then the bishops rose vp consulted together caused a writing to be made in the which I think my bloud by theÌ„ was bought sold thereto they put to theyr handes and after this I was caried to my Colehouse agayne ¶ Thus endeth the fourth part of this tragedy God hasten the end therof to his glory Amen BEcause I haue begon to write vnto you of mine examinations before the Bishop other more to satisfy your desire then it is any thing woorthy to be written I haue thought it good to write vnto you also that whiche hath bene done of late that the same might come to light which they do in darcknes and priuy corners and that the world now and the posterity hereafter might knowe how vnorderly vniustly vnlearnedly these rauening wolues doe proceed agaynst the seely and faythfull flocke of Christ and condemne persecute the sincere doctrine of Christ in vs which they are not able by honest meanes to resist but only by tyranny and violence * The 5. examination of Iohn Philpot had before the Bishops of London Rochester Couentry S. Asses I trow and one other whose Seas I know not Doctor Story Curtop Doctor Sauerson Doctor Pendleton with diuers other Chaplaynes and Gentlemen of the Queenes Chamber and diuers other Gentlemen in the Gallery of my Lord of Londons Palace BOner M. Philpot come you hither I haue desyred my Lordes here and other learned meÌ„ to take some paines once agayne and to do you good because I do minde to sit in iudgement on you to morow as I am commauÌ„ded yet I would you should haue as much fauor as I caÌ„ shew you if you wil be any thing coÌ„formable Therfore play the wise man and be not singuler in your opinioÌ„ but be ruled by these learned men Phil. My Lord in that you say you will sit on me in iudgement to morrow I am glad thereof For I was promised by them which sent me vnto you that I should haue bene iudged the next day after but promise hath not bene kepte with me to my farther griefe I looke for none other but death at your hands and I am as ready to yeld my life in Christes cause as you be to require it Boner Lo what a wilfull man this is By my fayth it is but folly to reasoÌ„ with him neither with any of these heretickes I am sory that you wil be no more tractable that I am compelled to shew extremity agaynst you Phil. My Lord you need not to shew extremity against me vâ—les you list neither by the law as I haue sayd you haue any thing to do with me for that you are not mine Ordynary albeit I am contrary to
proue that which I haue sayd by good authoritie I will be content to be counted an hereticke and an ignoraunt person and further what you please Story Let vs heare what wise authoritie thou canst bring in Phil. It is the saying of Christe in S. Iohn Verbum quod locutus sum iudicabit in nouissimo die The word which I haue spoken sayth Christ shall iudge in the last day If the worde shal iudge in the last day much more it ought to iudge our doings now And I am sure I haue my iudge on my side who shall absolue and iustifie me in an other world How soeuer now it shall please you by authoritie vnrighteously to iudge of me and others sure I am in an other world to iudge you Story What you purpose to be a stincking Martyr to sit in iudgement with Christ at the last day to iudge the 12. tribes of Israell Phil. Yea sir I doubte not thereof hauing the promise of Christ If I dye for righteousnes sake which you haue begon to persecute in me Story I told you it is but vayne to argue with this hereticke he is drowned in his heresies without all learning Phil. Syr I haue brought you for that I haue sayd good authoritie out of Gods booke to the whiche you answere nothing but go about still to geue rayling iudgement aagaynst me without any cause Story I will come to you by and by When as the Iudge in Westminster hall geueth sentence doth the worde geue sentence or the Iudge tell me Phil. Ciuill matters be subiect to Ciuell men they haue authoritie by the worde to bee iudge of them But the word of God is not subiect to mans iudgemeÌ„t but ought to iudge all the wisedome thoughtes and doynges of men and therefore your comparison disproueth nothing that I haue sayd neither answereth any whit therto Story Wilt thou not allow the interpretation of the church vpon the scriptures Phil. Yes if it be according to the word of the true church and this I say to you as I haue sayd heretofore that if yee can proue the church of Rome wherof ye are to be the true Catholicke Church which I ought to follow I wil be as ready to yeld therto as long as it can be so proued as you may desire me Story What a fellow is this He will beleeue nothing but what he list himselfe Are we not in possessioÌ„ of the church Haue not our forefathers these many hundred yeares takeÌ„ this church for the catholicke church wherof we are now And if we had none other proofe but this it were sufficieÌ„t for prescription of time maketh a good title in the law Philpot. You doe well mayster Doctour to alledge prescription of many yeares for it is all that you haue to shew for your selues But you must vnderstand Ex diuinis nulla occurrit praescriptio that prescription hath no place in matters belonging to God as I am abâ—e to shewe by the testimony of many Doctours Story Well sir you are like to go after your fathers Latimer the Sophister and Ridley who had nothing to alledge for hymselfe but that hee had learned his heresie of Cranmer Where I came to him with a poore Bacheler of Arte he trembleÌ„d as though hee had had the palsey as these heretickes haue alwayes some token of feare whereby a man may know them as you may see this mans eies do tremble in his head But I dispatched them and I tell thee that there hath bene yet neuer a one burnte but I haue spoken with him haue bene a cause of his dispatch Phil. You haue the more to aunswere for Mayster Doctor as you shall feele in an other world how much soeuer you do now triumph of your proceedinges Story I tell thee I will neuer be confessed therof And because I cannot now tary to speake with my Lord I pray one of you tell my Lord that my comming was to signifie to his Lordship that he must out of hand rid this hereticke away And going away he sayd vnto me I certifie thee that thou mayst thanke none other man but me Phil. I thanke you therfore with all mine hart and God forgeue it you Story What doest thou thanke me if I had thee in my study halfe an houre I thinke I should make you sing an other song Phil. No maister Doctour I stand vpon to sure a ground to be ouerthrowne by you now And thus they departed al away from me one after an other vntil I was left al alone And afterwards with my keeper going to my Cole-house as I went I met with my Lord of London who spake vnto me geÌ„tly as he hath hetherto in words saying London Philpot if there be any pleasure I may shewe you in my house I pray you require it and you shall haue it Philpot. My Lord the pleasure that I will require of your Lordship is to hasten my iudgement which is committed vnto you so dispatche me forth of this miserable world vnto my eternall rest And for all this fayre speache I can not attain hetherto this fortnight space neither fire nor caÌ„dle neither yet good lodging But it is good for a man to be brought low in this world to be counted amongst the vilest that hee may in time of rewarde receiue exaltation glory Therfore praised be God that hath humbled me geuen me grace with gladnes to be content there withall Let all that loue the truth say Amen Thus endeth the fift Tragedy * The sixt examination of Iohn Philpot had before the right honourable Lordes Lorde Chamberlayne to the kinges Maiesty the Vicount Herford commonly called Lord Ferrers the Lord Rich the Lord S. Iohns the Lord Winsor the Lord Shandoys Sir Ioh. Bridges Lieutenant of the Tower and two other moe whose names I know not with the B. of London and Doctour Chadsey the sixt day of Nouember An. 1555. PHilpot Before that I was called afore the Lordes and whiles they were in sitting downe the Byshop of LoÌ„don came aside to me and whispered in myne eare willing me to vse my selfe before the Lordes of the queenes maiesties Councell prudently and to take heede what I sayd thus he pretendeth to geue me counsaile because he wished me to do well as I might now do if I list And after the Lordes other worshipfull gentlemen of the queenes Maiesties seruauntes were set my Lorde of London placed himselfe at the end of the table called me to hym by the Lords I was placed at the vpper end agaynst him where I kneeling downe the Lordes commaunded me to stande vp and after in this manner the Byshop began to speake London M. Philpot I haue heretofore both priuately my selfe and openly before the Lordes of the Clergy mo times then once caused you to bee talked withall to reforme you of your errours but I haue not found you yet so
the Catholicke Churche that the Pope is head of There is an other Church But as touching that I aunswere you are sure of that as the Donatistes were for they sayd that they hadde the true Church and that the name of the true Christians remayned onely in Aphricke where onely theyr sedicious sect was preached and as you thinke so thought Nouatus that all they that did acknowledge theyr supreame head at the Sea of Rome were out of the Church of Christ. But here saynt Cyprian defending Cornelius agaynst Nouatus Libro secundo Epistola Sexta sayth on this wise Ecclesia vna est quae cum sit vna intus foris esse non potest So that if Nouatus were in the true Churche then was not Cornelius who in deede by lawefull succession succeeded Pope Fabian Here S. Cyprian entendeth by the whole processe to proue and concludeth thereupon that the true Churche was onely Rome Gather you then what will folow of your fall But you will say peraduenture that ye fell not by heresy and so sayde the Arrians alledging for themselues that they had scripture and going about to perswade their schisme by Scripture for in deed they had more places by two forty which by theyr torture semed to depend vpon Scripture thē the Catholickes had So did the Martians prouoke theyr heresy to Scripture But those are no Scriptures for they are not truely alledged nor truely interpreted but vntruely wrested and wronge according to theyr owne fantasies And therefore were they all iustly condemned for theyr wrong taking of the Scriptures and the Churche replieth agaynst them saying Qui estis vos quando quid agitis in meo non Mei The Churche sayeth what make you here in my heritage From whence came you The Scripture is my inheritage I am right heire therof I holde it by true succession of the Apostles for as the Apostles required mee to holde so do I holde it The Apostles haue receiued me and put me in my right and haue reiected you as bastardes hauing no title thereunto Also ye will denie that you haue fallen by Apostasie by breaking your vow so Vigilantius sayd in so much that he would admitte none to his ministerye but those that had theyr wiues bagged with children What now Shall we say that Vigilantius did not fall therefore Did not Donatus and Nouatus fall because they sayed so and brought Scripture for theyt defence Then let vs beleeue as we list pretending well and say so nay there is no manne so blinde that will saye so For excepte the Church which condemneth them for theyr saye so doe approue vs for to doe so then will shee condemne you also So that your denyall will not stande And therefore I tell you remember from whence you haue fallen and howe low ye shall fall if you holde on as you doe beginne But I trust you will not continue but to reuoke your selfe in time and the remedy foloweth· Age poenitentiam prima opera fac for by such meanes as ye haue fallen ye must rise agayne First your hart hath fallen then your tongue and your penne and besides your owne damage hath caused many more to fall Therfore first your hart must turne and then shall the tongue and the penne be quickely turned Sin minus veniam tibi cito mouebo Candelabrum tuum de loco suo I neede not to teache you a methode to turne you knowe the ready way your selfe But I would God I coulde but exhorte you to the right and trueth then the way should soone be found out For if ye remember howe many he haue brought by abhominable heresy into the way of perdition I doubt not but very cōscience would moue you as muche for them as for your selfe to come againe And so would you spare neither tongue nor penne if hart were once reformed for as touching that poynt the holye Ghost toucheth theyr hartes very neare by the mouth of his holy Prophet Ezechiel when he requireth the bloud of his flocke at the Priestes handes for lacke of good and wholesome foode how much more should this touch your guilty hart hauing ouermuch diligence to teach them the waye of perdition and feeding them with baggage and corrupt foode whiche is heresye Qui conuertere fecerit peccatorem ab errore vitae suae saluam faciet animam suam a morte operiet multitudinem peccatorum suorum He that shall conuert a sinner from hys wicked life shall saue his soule from death and shall couer the multitude of sinnes So that if it be true that hee who conuerteth a Synner saueth a soule then the contrarye must needes be true that he that peruerteth a soule and teacheth him the way of perdition must needes be damned Origenes super Paulū ad Romanos The damnation of those that preacheth heresy doth encrease to the day of iudgement The more that perishe by hereticall doctrine the more grieuous shall theyr torment bee that minister suche doctrine Berengarius who seemed to feare that daunger prouided for it in his life time but not without a troubled and disquiet conscience He did not onely repent but recant and not so much for himselfe as for them whome he had with most pestilent heresyes infected For as he lay in his death bedde vpon Epiphany daye he demaunded of them that were present is this quoth he the day of Epiphany appearing of the Lord They aunswered him yea Thē quoth he this day shall the Lord appeare to me either to my comfort eyther to my discomfort This remorse argueth that he feared the daunger of them whom he had taught and ledde out of the faith of Christ. Origenes vpon him sayth in this wise Although hys owne bloud was not vpon his head for that he did repent and was sory for his former errors yet being conuerted he feared the bloud of them whom hee had infected and who receiued hys doctrine Let this moue you euen at the last poynt In so much as your case is not vnlike to Beringarius let your repentaunce bee like also And what shoulde staye you tell me from this godlye returne feare that ye haue gone so farre ye may not returne nay then I may saye as Dauid sayde Illic trepidauerunt vbi non erat timor Ye feare where you haue no cause to feare For if ye repent and be hartely sory for your former heresy and apostacy ye neede not to feare For as God of his part is mercifull gracious to the repentaunt sinner so is the Kyng so is the Queene mercifull which ye may well perceiue by your owne case since ye might haue suffered a great whiles agoe for treason committed agaynst her highnesse but that ye haue bene spared reserued vpon hope of amendement which she conceiued very good of you but now as it seemeth is but a very desperate hope And what do you thereby Secundum duritiem
lawes of appealing whych say A iudge that is refused ought not to proceede in the cause but to leaue off And when he had required of me answers to certaine articles I refused to make him any answeare I sayde I would yet gladly make answeare to the moste renoumed Kinges and Queenes deputies or Attourneis then present wyth this condition notwythstanding that mine answeare should be extraiudicial and that was permitted me And with thys my protestation made and admitted I made aunsweare but mine aunsweare was sodaine and vnprouided for and therefore I desired to haue a Copie of mine aunsweares that I myght putte too take awaye chaunge and amende them and thys was also permitted mee Neuerthelesse contrarye to hys promyse made vnto mee no respecte hadde to my protestation nor licence geuen to amende myne aunsweare the saide reuerende Father Bishop of Glocester as I heare commanded mine aunsweares to be enacted contrary to the equitie of the lawe In which thing againe I feele mee muche grieued 4 Furthermore I coulde not for many causes admit the bishop of Romes vsurped authority in this Realme nor consent to it first my solemne othe letting mee whyche I made in the time of most famous memorie of king Henry the eight according to the lawes of Englande Secondly because I knewe the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome whych he vsurpeth to be againste the crowne customes and lawes of this realme of Englād in so much that neither the king can be crowned in thys realme without the most grieuous crime of periurie nor may Bishops enioy their Bishoprickes nor iudgements be vsed accordyng to the lawes and customes of this Realme except by the byshop of Romes authoritie be accursed both the King and Queene the Iudges wryters and executors of the lawes and customes with all that consent to them Finally the whole Realme shal be accursed 5 Moreouer that heinous and vsurped authoritie of the bishop of Rome through reseruations of the Bishoprickes Prouisions Annuates Dispensations Pardones Appellations Bulles and other cursed Marchaundice of Rome was woont exceedingly to spoyle and consume the richesse and substaunce of this Realme which all thinges shoulde followe againe by recognising and receyuing of that vsurped authoritye vnto the vnmeasurable losse of thys Realme 6 Finally it is most euident by that vsurped authority not onely the Crowne of Englande to be vnder yoke the lawes and customes of this realme to be throwen downe and troden vnder foote but also the most holy Decrees of Councels together with the precepts both of the gospel and of God When in times past the sonne of righteousnesse being risen in the world Christian religion by the preaching of the Apostles began to be spred verye farre abroade and to floorish in so much that theyr sounde went out into all the worlde innumerable people which walked in darknesse saw a great light Gods glory euery where published did flourishe the onely carke and care of the Ministers of the church was purely sincerely to preache Christ the people to imbrace and followe Christes doctrine Then the church of Rome as it were Lady of the world both was also was coūted worthily the mother of other churches for as much as then she first begat to Christ nourished with the foode of pure doctrine did help them with their riches succoured the oppressed and was a sanctuarie for the miserable she reioyced with them that reioyced and wept with them that wept Then by the examples of the Bishops of Rome riches were despised worldly glory pompe was troden vnder foote pleasures and riot nothyng regarded Then this fraile vncertain life being ful of al miseries was laughed to scorne whiles thorow the example of Romish martyrs men did euery where presse foorth warde to the life to come But afterward the vngratiousnes of dānable ambition neuer satisfied auarice and the horrible enormitie of vices had corrupted taken the see of Rome there followed euery where almost the deformities of all churches growing out of kinde into the manners of the churche their mother leauing their former innocencie and puritie and slipping into foule and heinous vsages For the foresayde and many other griefes and abuses which I intend to prooue and doe profer my selfe in time conuenient to prooue heereafter since reformation of the aboue mentioned abuses is not to be looked for of the byshop of Rome neither can I hope by reason of hys wicked abuses and vsurped authority to haue hym an equall iudge in hys owne cause therefore I do chalenge and appeale in these wrytinges from the Pope hauing no good counsell and from the aboue named pretenses commissions and iudges from their citations processes and from all other things that haue or shal folow therupon from euery one of them and from all their sentences censures paines and punishmēts of cursing suspension and interdicting and from all others what soeuer theyr denouncinges and declarations as they pretende of schisme of heresie adulterie depriuation disgrading by them or by any of them in any manner wise attempted done and set forwarde to be attempted to be done and to be sette foorth hereafter sauing alwayes their honors and reuerences as vnequal and vnrighteous more tyrannicall violent and from euery griefe to come which shall happen to me as wel for my selfe as for al and euery one that cleaueth to me or will heereafter be on my side vnto a free generall councel that shal heereafter lawfully be in a sure place to the which place I or a Proctour deputed by mee maye freely and with safety come and to him or them to whom a man may by the lawe priuiledge custome or otherwyse challenge and appeale And I desire the first the seconde and the thirde time instantly more instantly and most instantly that I maye haue messengers if there be any man that wil can geue me them And I make open promise of prosecuting thys mine appellation by the way of disanulling abuse inequalitie and vnrighteousnes or otherwise as I shal be better able choise and liberty reserued to me to put too diminish chaunge correcte and interpretate my sayings and to reforme all thinges after a better fashion sauing alwaies to me euery other benefit of the law and to them that either be or will be on my parte And touching my doctrine of the sacrament and other my doctrine of what kinde soeuer it be I protest that it was neuer my minde to wryte speake or vnderstand any thing contrary to the moste holy woorde of God or else against the holy catholicke church of Christ but purely and simply to imitate and teach those things onely whyche I had learned of the sacred scripture and of the holy catholicke church of Christe from the beginning and also according to the exposition of the moste holye and learned Fathers and Martyrs of the Church And if any thing hath peraduenture chaunced otherwise then I
I confessed the Masse to be blasphemye to Christes death and passion Item I confessed that in the Sacrament of the aultar Christ is not present neither spiritually nor corporally but as they vse it it is an abhominable Idoll Last of all I confessed the bishop of LondoÌ„ to be mine Ordinary After this the Bishop falling to entreating and perswasions earnestly exhorted him to reuoke his heresyes as he termed them and to refourme hymselfe vnto the Church of Rome and not to sticke so much to the literall sense of the Scriptures but to vse the interpretation of the olde Fathers To whiche Tyms aunswered I will not reforme my selfe therunto And I thank God of this day for I trust he will turne your cursinges into blessinges And furthermore asking this question he sayde And what haue you to mainteine the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament but onely the bare letter We haue quoth the bishop the catholicke church No sayd Tyms you haue the popish church of Rome for you for which you he periured and forsworne And the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therfore to that church I will not conforme my selfe nor once consent vnto it Then the bishop seing his constant boldnesse to be vnmoueable proceeding to his condeÌ„nation pronounced the sentence definitiue vpon him and gaue him ouer to the secular power * The condemnation of Robert Drakes After calling for Robert Drakes he vsed towardes him the like maner of exhortation that he dyd before To whom Drakes sayd As for your church of Rome I vtterly defy and deny it with all the workes thereof euen as I deny the deuill and all his workes The bishop then vsing his accustomed order of law with his like exhortations at last gaue him the like blessing that Tyms had and so charged the Shiriffe with him The condemnation of Thomas Spurge and of the other three martyrs Thomas Spurge being next demaunded if he would returne to the catholicke Church sayd as foloweth As for your church of Rome I doe vtterly deny it but to the true catholick church I am content to returne and continue in the same whereof I beleue the Church of Rome to be no part or member TheÌ„ in fine calling the rest in theyr courses and vpon the like demaundes receiuing the like aunsweres the sayd bishop gaue vnto ech of them their seueral iudgements so ridding his bloudy handes coÌ„mitted theÌ„ vnto the custody of the Shiriffes of London who sent theÌ„ vnto Newgate whither they went all most ioyfully abiding there the Lordes good time wherin they should seale this theyr fayth with the shedding of theyr bloud which they most stoutly and willingly performed the 14. daye of April as before is mentioned ⧠Letters of William Tyms ¶ To his faythfull sister in the Lord parishioner in the towne of Hockley named Agnes Glascocke THe grace mercy and peace of God our Father thorow Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour with the sweet comfort of hys holy and mighty spirit to the performance of his will to your euerlasting comfort be with you my deare sister Glascocke both now and euermore Amen My most deare and entirely beloued sister yea mother I may right well call you for the motherly care which you haue alwaies had for me I haue me most hartely commended vnto you giuing God most harty thanks for you that he hath geuen you so louing a hart to Christes poore Gospell his poore afflicted flocke for the same and as you haue full godly begonne so I beseech God to geue you power to goe forward in the same and neuer more to looke backe fearing neither fier neyther sworde and then I warrant you you haue not farre to runne And now my deare hart remember well what I haue taught you when I was present with you and also written being absent and no doubte we shall shortly meete agayne with a most ioyfull meeting I go vpon Friday next to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house which is the .20 daye of March where I thinke it will be harde for any of my friendes to speake with me Howbeit I trust I shall not long tary there but shortly after be caryed vp after my deare brethren and sisterne which are gone before me into heauen in a fiery chariot therefore now I take my leaue of you tyll we meete in heauen hye you after I haue tarryed a great while for you and seeing you be so long a making ready I will tarry no longer for you You shall find me merely singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabboth at my iourneyes ende Therefore nowe my deare hart make good hast and loyter not by the way â—easte nighte take you and so ye be shutte out of the gate with the foolishe virgines And now my sister in witnes that I haue taught you nothing but the truth here I write my name with my bloud for a testimoniall vnto you that I will seale the simple doctrine which I haue taught you with the rest And thus fare you well and God defend you from Antichrist and all his Ministers the false Priestes Amen These words following were written with his owne bloud Continue in prayer Aske in fayth And obteyne your desyer By me William Tyms in the Kynges Bench for the Gospell of Christ. ¶ An other letter of the sayd W. Tyms wherein he doth comforte his sister Glascocke being in greate sorrowe and repentance for going to the Masse God be mercifull vnto you pardon forgeue all your sinnes send you fayth to beleeue the same that you may be partaker of his heauenly Kingdome Amen My deare sister I haue me most hartely commended vnto you as I haue lamented your falling from God by being partaker with that Idolatrous Priest so haue I since I heard of your earnest repentance very much reioysed and also praysed almighty God for his mercy shewed vnto you in that he hath not left you to your selfe but since your denyall he hath shewed his mercy on you by looking backe on you as he did on Peter and so caused you to repent as Peter did bitterly to weepe for your sinnes where as if God had lefte you to your selfe you had runne forward from one euill vnto an other till at the length your harte shoulde eyther haue bene hardened or els you shoulde haue dispayred of the mercy of God And seeing that God hath bene so mercyfull vnto you as he hath bene bee you not vnthankefull vnto him for the same For I certyfie you that your sorrowfull hart that you haue had doth declare vnto me that God hath pardoned and forgeueÌ„ all your sinnes for the bloudshedding of that immaculate lambe Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Therefore as Peter after the tyme that Christe had forgiuen him his sinne did boldly confesse Christ before all his enemies euen so my deare hart in the Lord seing that God hath so mercyfully pardoned
What sayest thou to the reall presence in the sacrament Rose I wist right well yee were made an instrument to seeke innocent bloud well ye may haue it if God permitte it is present and at hande for I am not come hither to lye but to dye if God see it good in defence of that whiche I haue sayd Wherefore ye may begin when ye shall thinke good for I haue sayd nothing but the trueth and y◠which in those dayes was of al men allowed for truth agaynst the which ye at that time durst not once whisper although ye now brag neuer so much Bish. Wel father Rose sayd he what soeuer hath ben done in times past shal not now be called in question so that ye now submit your self For not only you but all the whole realm hath bene out of the right way both high low spiritual tēporal but al notwtstāding haue submited thēselues acknowledged their faith Wherfore if ye wil be accoūted for an Englishman ye must likewyse submit your selfe Rose My L. I am an Englishman borne do most humbly require of the christian congregation of England to bee counted as a perticular member of the same with al due reuerence submit my self as in forme maner followyng That whatsoeuer law or laws shal be set forth in the same for the establishment of Christs true religion that according to the faith doctrine of the holy patriarchs prophets Iesus Christ his holy apostles with the faithful fathers of Christs primatiue church I do not only hold it beleeue it but also most reuerently obey it At which my assertion the B. seemed to be greatly reioiced said well then we shall soone be at a point But said he you shal take this for no day of examination but rather of communication so that ye shall now depart pawse your selfe vntill we call for you againe and so ended our first meetyng ¶ The third examination of Thomas Rose ON the Friday following I was called agayne into Christes church within their Ladies chapell as they termed it where was gathered a great part of the whole citie of Norwich after I was by my keper presented the B. began with a great protestation after many wordes demanded of me whether according to my former promise I would submit my selfe or no I answered as before I had done that according to my former protestation I would most gladly obey Then said the Chauncellor to vtter hys gentlenes I thinke ye do but fayne Rose The fault then said I shal be in your selfe and not in me For if ye burthen me with nothing but scriptures the fathers of Christes primatiue church then as I sayde before so I say agayne I shall most gladly obey Chanc. Well then seeyng you chalenge to be a member of the church of England your mother here for triall of obedience prouoketh you as mothers are woont to allure you to receiue this little gift at her hand Rose Forsooth sayd I if she offer it me as receyued of God my father I shal gladly receiue it as from the hand of my very true and ghostly mother Chanc. What say you to care confession is it not a law ecclesiasticall and necessary for the church of England Rose Some wayes it might be permitted some wayes not that because it had not his originall of God hys blessed word and yet I deny not but that a man beyng trobled in his conscience and resorting to a discreete sober christian learned man for the quieting of hys mind might well be permitted but to binde a man vnder payne of dānation once euery yeare to number his sinnes into the eare of a filthy lecherous priest is not of God neither cā be approued by his word Bish. Ah sirrha yee will admitte nothing but scripture I see well Rose No truely my Lord I admit nothing but scripture for the regiment of the soule for why faythe commeth by hearing hearing by the word of god and where the word of God is not there ought no beliefe to bee geuen For what soeuer is not of fayth is sinne and here they leaue of speaking any more of that matter But then M. Chancelor began to whet his teeth at me saying Yea but you haue here preached that the reall naturall and substantiall presence of Christ is not in the Sacrament of the altar what say ye to that Rose Uerily I say that you are a bloudy man seeke to quench your thirst with the bloud of an innocent therefore to satisfie you in that behalfe I say verily vnto you that euen so I haue here preached and althoughe contrary to law you charge me with the same yet will I in no wise deny it though iustly I might do it but stand thereunto euē to seale it with my bloud desiring all that be here present to testifie the same and beleue it as the onely truth Bish. I charge you all beleue it not Rose Yea But my Lord sayde I if ye will needes haue credence geuen you you must bring Gods word to maintayne your sayinges Bish. Why doth not Christ say This is my body and can there be any playner wordes spoken Rose It is true my Lord the words be as playne as can be and euē so be these where as it is said I am a dore a vine and Christ called a stone a Lyon and yet is hee naturally none of these For they be all figuratiue speaches as both the scriptures and fathers do sufficiently proue At which my saying the Bishop woulde haue had me stay saying I should haue an other day wherin I might take better aduisement Rose Not so my Lord sayde I for I am at a full point with my selfe in that matter and am right well able to proue both your transubstantiation with the reall presence to be agaynst the scriptures the ancient fathers of the primatiue churche For Iustinus which is one of the ancientest writers that euer wrote vpon the sacramentes wryteth in his 2. Apologie that the bread water and wine in the sacrament are not to be taken as other meates drinkes but bee meates purposely ordayned to geue thankes vnto God and therfore be called Eucharistia and also haue the names of the body and bloud of Christe and that it is not lawfull for anye man to eate and drinke of them but suche as professed the religion of Christ and liue also accordyng to theyr profession and yet sayth he the same bread drink is chaunged into our flesh and bloud and nourisheth our bodyes By which saying it is euident that Iustine ment that the bread and wine remayne still or els they coulde not haue bene turned into our fleshe and bloud and nourish our bodyes At which my saying they were not a litle troubled but enforced themselues to haue denyed the Doctor and would suffer me to speake no more but strait way
doe offende me in the Masse I will rehearse vnto you those thinges whiche be moste cleare and seeme to repugne most manifestly agaynst Gods worde And they be these The straunge tongue the want of the shewynge of the Lordes death The breaking of the Lordes commaundement of hauing a communion the sacrament is not coÌ„municated to all vnder both kindes according to the word of the Lord. The signe is seruilely worshipped for the thing signified Christes Passion is iniuried for asmuch as this Masse sacrifice is affirmed to remayne for the purging of sinnes to be shorte the manifolde superstitions and triflyng fondnesse whiche are in the Masse and aboute the same Better a few thinges well pondered then to trouble the memory with to much you shall preuayle more with praying theÌ„ with studying though mixture be best For so one shall alleuiate the tediousnes of the other I entend not to contend much with them in wordes after a reasonable account of my fayth geuen for it shall be but in vayne They will say as theyr fathers sayd when they haue no more to say We haue a law and by our law he ought to dye Be ye steadfast and vnmoueable sayeth Saynt Paule and agayne persistito stand fast And how oft is this repeated if ye abide if ye abide c. But we shall be called obstinate sturdy ignorant heady and what not So that a man hath need of much pacience hauing to do with such men But you knowe howe greate a crime it is to separate your selfe from the communion or felowship of the Churche and to make a schisme or diuision you haue bene reported to haue hated the secte of the Anabaptistes and alwayes to haue impugned the same Moreouer this was the pernitious errour of Nouatus and of the Heretickes called Cathari that they woulde not communicate wyth the Church I know that the vnity of the Church is to be reteyned by all meanes the same to be necessary to saluation But I doe not take the Masse as it is at this day for the communion of the Churche but a Popishe deuise whereby both the commaundement and institution of our Sauiour Christ for the ofte frequenting of the remembraunce of his death is eluded the people of God are miserablye deluded The sect of the Anabaptistes and the heresy of the Nouatians ought of right to be condemned for as muche as without any iust or necessary cause they wickedly separated themselues from the communion of the congregation for they did not alleadge that the Sacramentes were vnduely ministred but â—urning away theyr eyes from theÌ„selues wherewith according to Saynt Paules rule they ought to examine themselues and caâ—ing theyr eyes euer vpon others either Ministers or Communicantes with them they alwayes reprooued something for the whiche they absteined from the Communion as from an vnholy thing I remember that Caluin beginneth to confute the Interim after this sort with this saying of Hilary The name of peace is beautifull and the opinion of vnitye is fayre but who doubteth that to be the true and onely peace of the Church which is Christes I would you had that litle booke there should you see how much is to be geuen to vnity Saynt Paule when he requireth vnitye he ioyneth straight with al secundum Iesum Christum according to Iesus Christ no further Diotrephes nowe of late did euer harpe vpon vnity vnity Yea Syr quoth I but in verity not in popery Better is a diuersity then an vnitye in Popery I had nothing agayne but scornefull giers with commaundement to the Tower But admitte there be in the Masse that peraduenture might be amended or at least made better yea seing you will haue it so admit there be a fault if you do not consent therto Why do you trouble your selfe in vayne do not you know both by Cyprian and Augustine that communioÌ„ of sacramentes doth not defile a man but consent of deedes If it were any one trifling ceremony or if it were some one thing of it selfe indifferent although I woulde wishe nothing should be done in the Churche which doth not edify the same yet for the continuance of the common quietnesse I coulde be content to beare it But forasmuche as thinges done in the masse tend openly to the ouerthrow of Christes institution I iudge that by no meanes either in word or deed I ought to consent vnto it As for that which is obiected out of the Fathers I acknowledge it to be wel spoken if it be well vnderstanded But it is meant of them which suppose they are defiled if any secret vice be either in the ministers or in them that communicate with them is not ment of them which doe abhorre superstition and wicked traditions of men and will not suffer the same to be thrust vpon themselues or vpon the Church in stead of Gods word and the truth of the Gospell The very marowe bones of the masse are all together detestable and therefore by no meanes to be borne withal so that of necessity the mending of it is to abolish it for euer For if you take away oblation and oration which doe hang vpon consecration and transubstantiation the moste papistes of them all will not set a button by the masse as a thing which they esteme not but for the gayne that foloweth thereon For if the English communion whiche oâ— late was vsed were as gaynefull to them as the Masse hath bene heretofore they would striue no more for theyr masse from thence groweth the griefe Consider into what dauÌ„gers you cast your selfe if you forsake the chuch you cannot but forsake it if you refuse to go to masse For the Masse is the Sacrament of vnity without the Arke there is no saluation The church is the Arke and Peters ship Ye know this saying wel enough He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his mother Moreouer without the church sayth S. Augustine be the life neuer so wel spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen The holy Catholicke or vniuersall church which is the communion of saintes the house of God the City of God the spouse of Christ the body of Christ the piller and stay of the trueth this Churche I beleeue accordinge to the Creede This Church I doe reuerence and honour in the Lord. But the rule of this Church is the word of God according to which rule we goe forwarde vnto life And as many as walk according to this rule I say with S. Paul peace be vpon them and vpon Israell which perteyneth vnto God The guid of this church is the holy ghost The markes whereby this church is knowne vnto me in this darâ—ke worlde and in the middest of this crooked and froward generatioÌ„ are these The sincere preaching of Gods holy worde the due administration of the Sacramentes charitye and faythfull
obseruing of Ecclesiasticall discipline according to the word of God And that the Church or congregation whiche is garnished with these markes is in very deede that heauenly Hierusalem whiche consisteth of those that be borne from aboue This is the Mother of vs all And by Gods grace I will liue and dye the childe of this Church Forth of this I graunt there is no saluation and I suppose the residue of the places obiected are rightly to be vnderstanded of this Church onelye In times past sayth Chrysostome there were many wayes to know the Church of Christ that is to say by good lyfe by myracles by chastity by doctrine by ministring the sacramentes But from that time that heresies did take hold of the Church it is onely knowne by the Scriptures whiche is the true church They haue all thinges in outwarde shew which the true Church hath in truth They haue tēples like vnto ours And in the end concluded Wherefore onely by the scriptures do we know which is the true church To that whiche they say the Masse is the Sacrament of vnity I aunswere The bread which we breake according to the institution of the Lord is the Sacrament of the vnity of Christes mistical body For we being many are one bread and one body forasmuch as we al are partakers of one bread But in the Masse the Lordes institution is not obserued for we be not all partakers of one breade but one deuoureth all c. So that as it is vsed it may seeme a Sacrament of singularitye and of a certayne speciall priuiledge for one sect of people wherby they may be discerned from the rest rather then a sacrament of vnity wherin our knitting together in one is represented Yea what felowship hath Christ with Antichrist Therfore is it not lawefull to beare the yoake with Papistes Come forth from among them separate your selues frō them sayth the Lorde It is ane thing to be the Church in deed another thing to counterfayt the church Would god it were well knowne what is the forsaking of the church In the kinges dayes that dead is who was the church of Englande The king and his fautors or Massemongers in corners If the king and the fautors of his procedings why be not we now the church abiding in the same procedinges If clanculary Massemongers mighte bee of the Church and yet contrary to the kinges proceedings why may not we as well be of the church contrarying the queenes procedinges Not all that be couered with the title of the church are the church in deed Separate thy selfe from thē that are such sayth S. Paule from whom The text hath before If any man folow other doctrine c. he is pint vp and knoweth nothing c. Weigh the whole text that yee may perceiue what is the fruit of contēcious disputatiōs But wherfore are such men sayd to know nothing when they know so many thinges You know the olde verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene scis satis est si caetera nescis That is This is to be ignorant to know many thinges without Christ. If thou knowest Christ well thou know est enough though thou know no more Therfore would S Paule knowe nothing but Iesus Christ crucified c. As many as are Papistes and Massemongers they may well be said to know nothing For they know not Christ forasmuch as in theyr massing they take much away from the benefite and merite of Christ. That Christ which you haue described vnto me is inuisible but Christes Churche is visible and knowne For els why would Christ haue sayd Dic Ecclesiae Tell it vnto the church For he had commaunded in vaine to go vnto the church if a man cannot tell which it is The Church which I haue described is visible it hath members which may be sene and also I haue afore declared by what markes tokens it may be knowne But if either our eies are so dazeled that we cannot see or that sathan hath brought such darckenes into the world that it is hard to discerne the true church that is not the fault of the church but either of our blindenesse or of Sathans darknes But yet in this most deep darkenes there is one most cleare candle which of it selfe alone is able to put away all darkenes· Thy word is a candle vnto my feet and a lyght vnto my steppes The church of Christ is a catholick or vniuersall churche dispersed throughout the whole world this church is the great house of God in this are good men euill mingled together goates and sheepe corne and chaffe it is the net which gathereth all kind of fishes this church cannot erre because Christ hath promised it his spirit which shall lead it into all truth and that the gates of hel shal not preuayle agaynst it that he will be with it vnto the end of the world whatsoeuer it shall loose or binde vpon earth shall be ratified in heauen c. This church is the piller and stay of the truth this is it for the which S. Augustine sayth he beleeueth the Gospell But this vniuersall Church aloweth the masse because the more part of the same aloweth it Therfore c. I graunt that the name of the Churche is taken after three diuers maners in the scriptures Some tyme for the whole multitude of them which professe the name of christ o◠the which they are also named christians But as sainct Paule sayth of the Iewe not euerye one is a Iewe that is a Iewe outwardly c. Neither yet all that be of Israell are counted the seede euen so not euerye one which is a christian outwardly is a Christian in deede For if any man haue not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his Therefore that Church whiche is his body and of whiche Christ is the head standeth onely of lyuing stones and true Christians not onely outwardly in name and title but inwardly in hart and in truth But forasmuch as this churche which is the second taking of the church as touchyng the outward fellowship is contayned within the great house hath with the same outward societye of the sacramentes and ministery of the worde manye thinges are spoken of that vniuersall Churche whiche saynct Austen calleth the mingled Churche whiche cānot truely be vnderstanded but onely of that pure part of the Churche So that the rule of Ticonius concerning the mingled Churche may here well take place where there is attributed vnto the whole Churche that whiche cannot agree vnto the same but by reason of the one parte thereof that is eyther for the multitude of good men which is the very true Churche in deede or for the multitude of euill men whiche is the malignant Church and sinagogue of Sathan And is also the third taking of the Churche of the whiche although there be seldomer mention
for the whiche causes I to rebuke the vnreuerent behauiour of certayne euill disposed persones preached as reuerently of that matter as I mighte declaring what estimation and reuerence ought to be geuen to it what daunger ensued the mishandling therof affirming in that sacramente to be truely and verely the bodye and bloude of Christe effectuously by grace and spirite whiche wordes the vnlearned vnderstanding not supposed that I had ment of the grosse and carnall being which the Romishe decrees set forth that a body hauing lyfe and motion shoulde be in deede vnder the shapes of breade and wyne With that the Bishoppe of Lincolne somewhat interrupting him sayde Lincol. Well M. Ridley thus you wrest places to your owne pleasure for where as saynct Austen saythe that the whole Christian worlde is subiecte to the sea of Rome without any limittation and vseth these wordes In transmarinis longè remotis terris onely to expresse the latytude of the dominion of the Sea of Rome willyng therby to declare that all the world yea countryes farre distaunt from Rome yet neuertheles are subiecte to that Sea yet you woulde wrast it and leaue it onely to Europe I am sure ye will not deny but that totus mundus is more then Europe Ridley In deede my Lorde if saynct Austen had sayde simpliciter totus mundus not added in transmarinis it had bene without limitation but in that he sayd totus mundus in transmarinis partibus all the Countryes beyond the seas he himselfe doth limitte the vniuersall proposition declaring how farre he ment by totus mundus The Byshop not staying for this aunswere dyd proceede saying Lincolne Well if I woulde staye vppon this place I coulde brynge many moe places of the Fathers for the confirmation thereof but we haue certayne instructions accordinge to the whiche we muste proceede and came not hyther to dispute the mater with you but onely to take youre aunsweres to certayne Artycles and vsed this in the waye of exhortation in the whiche you interrupted mee wherefore I wyll retourne thither againe Ye must consider that the Churche of Chryste lyeth not hidden but is a Citty in the mountayn and a candle on the Candlesticke Ponder with your selfe that the Churche of Christ is catholica catholicke whiche is deducted of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is per omnia so that Christes Church is vniuersallye spreadde throughout the world not contayned in the allegation of places not comprehended in the circuite of Englande not contayned in the compasse of Germany and Saxonie as youre Churche is Wherefore maister Ridley for Gods loue be ye not singular acknowledge with all the realme the truth it shall not bee as you alledge preiudiciall to the crowne for the king and Queene their maiesties haue renounced that vsurped power taken of their predecessours and iustly haue renounced it For I am sure you know that there are two powers the one declared by the sword the other by the Keyes The sword is geuen to kings and rulers of coūtryes the Keyes were deliuered by Christe to Peter and of him lefte to all the successoures As touchynge oure goodes possessions and lyues wee wyth you acknowledge vs Subiectes to the king and Queene who hath the temporall sworde but as concerning matters of Religion as touching Gods quarrell and his word we acknowledge an other head and as the king and the Queene their highnes do in all worldly affayres iustly challenge the prerogatiue and primacie so in spirituall and Ecclesiasticall matters they acknowledge themselues not to bee heades and rulers but members of Christes bodye Why therefore shoulde ye sticke at that matter the whiche theyr maiesties haue forsaken and yelded Wherefore mayster Ridley you shall not onely not doe iniurye to the Crowne and bee preiudiciall to theyr maiesties honour in acknowledgyng with all Christendome the Popes holynesse to be supreme head of Chrystes Churche here militaunt in earthe but doe a thynge most delectable in theyr sight and most desired of theyr highnesse Thus if you will doe reuoking together all youre erroures acknowledging with the residue of the realme the common and the publicke faulte you shal doe that all men most hartily desire you shall bryng quyetnesse to your conscience and health to your soule then shall we with great ioy by the authoritie committed to vs from the Cardinalles grace receyue you into the church agayne acknowledgyng you to be no longer a rotten but a liuely member of the same but if you shall still bee singular if you shall stil and obstinately perseuer in your erroures stubbernely mayntayning your former heresies then we must agaynst our will according to our commission separate you from vs and cut you of from the church least the rottennesse of one part in processe of tyme putrify and corrupte the whole bodye then must wee confesse and publish you to be none of ours thē must we yeald you vp to the temporall iudges of whome excepte it otherwise please the kinge and Queenes highnesse you muste receaue punishment by the lawes of this Realme due for heretickes Wherfore mayster Ridley consider your state remember your former degrees spare your body especially consider your soule which Christ so dearely bought with hys precious bloud doe not you rashly cast away that which was precious in Gods sight enforce not vs to doe al that we may doe which is onely to publish you to be none of vs to cut you of from the Churche for we doe not nor can not condemne you to dye as most vntruely hath bene reported of vs but that is the temporall Iudges office we onely declare you to be none of the Churche and then must you according to the tenour of them and pleasure of the Rulers abide theyr determination so that wee after that we haue geuen you vpp to the temporall Rulers haue no further to do with you But I trust Mayster Ridley wee shall not haue occasion to doe that wee may I trust you will suffer vs to reste in that poynte of our commission whiche we most hartilye desire that is vppon recantation and repentaunce to receaue you to reconcile you and agayne to adioyne you to the vnitie of the Churche Then M. Ridley with often interruption at lengthe spake Ridley My Lord I acknowledge an vnspotted church of christ in the which no man can erre without the whiche no man can be saued the whiche is spread throughout all the worlde that is the congregation of the faythfull neyther doe I alligate or binde the same to any one place as you sayd but confesse the same to be spreadde throughout all the worlde and whereas Christes Sacramentes are duely ministred his Gospell truely preached and followed there doth Christes Churche shyne as a Cittye vppon an hill and as a Candle in the Candlesticke but rather it is such as you that woulde haue the Churche of Christ bound to a place which
in euery village yea and almost in euery honest mans house alas now it is exiled and banished out of the whole realme Of late who was not taken for a louer of Gods word for a reader for a ready hearer for a learner of the same And now alas who dare beare any open countenaunce toward it but such as are content in Christes cause and for his wordes sake to stand to the daunger and losse of all that they haue Of late there was to be found of euery age of euery degree and kinde of people that gaue theyr diligēce to learne as they could out of Gods word the articles of the christian fayth the commaundementes of God and the Lordes prayer The babes and young children were taughte these thinges of theyr parentes of theyr maisters weekly of theyr Curates in euery church the aged folke whiche had bene brought vp in blindnes and in ignoraunce of those things which euery christian is boūd to know whē otherwise they could not yet they learned the same by oftē hearing theyr children and seruantes repeating the same but now alas and alas agayne the false Prophets of Antichrist which are past all shame do openly preach in pulpittes vnto the people of God that the Catechisme is to be counted heresy wherby theyr olde blindnes is brought home agayn for the aged are afraid of the higher powers and the youth is abashed and ashamed euen of that which they haue learned though it be Gods woord and dare no more meddle Of late in euery congregation throughout all Englād was made prayer and petition vnto God to be deliuered from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from al false doctrine and heresy now alas Sathan hath perswaded England by his falshoode craft to reuoke her olde godly prayer to recant the same prouoke the fearefull wrath and indignation of God vpon her owne pate Of late by strayt lawes and ordinances with the consent of the nobles and commonalty and full agreement counsel of the prelates and clergy was banished hence the beast of Babilon with lawes I say and with othes all meanes that then could be deuised for so godly a purpose but now alas all these lawes are troden vnder foote the Nobles the Commonalty the Prelates and Cleargy are quite chaūged and all those othes though they were made in iudgement iustice truth and the matter neuer so good doth no more hold then a bond of Rushes or of a Barley straw nor publicke periurye no more feareth them then a shadow vpon the wall Of late it was agreed in Englande of all handes according to Paules doctrine and Christes commaūdemēt as Paule sayth playnly that nothing ought to be done in the Church in the publicke congregation but in that toūg which the Congregation could vnderstand that all might be edefied thereby whether it were Common Prayer Administration of the Sacramentes or any other thing belonging to publicke Ministerye of Gods holy and wholesome word but alas all is turned vpside downe Paules doctrine is put apart Christs commaundement is not regarded For nothing is heard commonly in the Church but in a straunge tongue that the people doth nothing vnderstand Of late al men and women were taught after Christes doctrine to pray in that toūg which they could vnderstād that they might pray with hart that whiche they shoulde speake with theyr toung now alas the vnlearned people is brought in that blindnes again to think that they pray when they speak with theyr toung they can not tell what nor wherof theyr hart is nothing mindefull at all for that it can vnderstand neuer a whit therof Of late the Lordes Supper was duely ministred and taught to be made common to all that were true Christians with thankesgeuing and setting foorth of the Lordes death passion vntill his returning agayne to iudge both quicke and dead but now alas the Lordes table is quite ouerthrowne and that whiche ought to be common to all godly is made priuate to a fewe vngodlye without any kind of thankesgeuing or any setting foorth of the Lordes death at all that the people is able to vnderstand Of late all that were endued with the light and grace of vnderstanding of Gods holy misteries did blesse God which had brought them out of that horrible blindnes and ignorance wherby in times past being seduced by sathans subtleties they beleued that the Sacrament was not the Sacrament but the thing it self wherof it is a Sacramēt that the creature was the Creator and that the thing whiche hath neither life nor sense alas suche was the horryble blindenesse was the Lord himselfe which made the eye to see and hath geuen all senses and vnderstandinge vnto man but now alas Englande is returned agayne lyke a Dogge to her owne vomitte and spuing and is in worsse case thē euer she was For it had bene better neuer to haue knowne the trueth then to forsake the truth once receiued and knowne and now not onely that light is turned into darcknesse and Gods grace is receiued in vayne but also lawes of death are made by high Courte of Parliament maysterfully to mainteine by sword fire and al kind of violence that haynous Idolatry wherein that adoration is geuen vnto the liuelesse and dumbe creature which is only due vnto the euerliuing God yea they say they can and do make of bread both manne and GOD by theyr transubstantiation O wicked mention and Sathans owne broode Of late was the Lordes cuppe at his Table distributed according to his owne cōmaundement by his expresse wordes in his Gospell as well to the Laity as to the clergy which order Christes Churche obserued so many hundreth yeares after as all the auncient Ecclesiasticall writers doe testify without contradiction of any one of them that can be shewed vnto this day but now alas not only the Lords commaundement is broken his cup is denied to his seruauntes to whom he commaunded it shoulde be distributed but also with the same is set vp a new blasphemous kinde of sacrifice to satisfye and paye the price of sinnes both of the dead and of the quicke to the great intollerable contumely of Christ our sauior his death passion which was and is the one only sufficient and euerlasting auayleable sacrifice satisfactorye for all the Electes of God from Adam the first to the last that shall be borne in the end of the world Of late the commaundement of God Thou shalte not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor any similitude or likenes of any thing in heauen aboue or in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalte not bowe downe to them nor worship them This commaundement of God I say was grauen almost euery where in Churches was learned of euery body both young olde whereupon Images that prouoked the simple and ignorant people vnto Idolatrie as
varietie of deuises in dwelling manye sondrye orders and fashions in moouing of the body These things were first ordained to admonishe them to their duetie to GOD to laboure for the necessitie of the poore and to spare from their owne bellies to the poore and therefore was their fare ordained and prepared And because they abused these thynges and sette them in an hygher place then they ought to doe not taking monition thereby the better to serue God but esteeming perfection to consist in them they were dissolued theyr houses and garmentes were taken away But one thing king Henrie woulde not take away that was the vowe of chastitie The vowe of obedience hee conuerted to hym selfe the vowe of chastitie he willeth still to remaine with them We had many Images whereto Pilgrimages were done and many tombes that menne vsed to visite by reason whereof they fell in a fansie of Idolatry and superstition aboue the things that they might haue bene taken for and because they hadde not the vse that they were ordained for they were left When men put the Images in a higher place then they serued for thē were they taken cleane away as geue a childe a gaye booke to learne vppon and then if he gase vppon the gorgeousnesse of hys booke and learne not his lesson according to the intent that that boke was geuen for the booke is taken away from him agayne So the Images when menne deuised and fell to haue them in hygher place and estimation then they were first sette vp in the Churche for then they mighte be taken awaye and I was neuer of other minde nor neuer had other opinion of them Diuers things there be in the Churche which be in the libertie of the ruler to order as he seeth cause and he that is ruler may either let them stande or els may cause them to be taken away There be two manner of reformations We haue had of both sortes There be things in the Church the which if they be abused may not be taken away As for baptisme if it be abused there may not an other thyng be putte in the place of it but the thing must be refourmed and broughte to the righte vse againe Also preaching if it be abused may not be taken awaye but must be refourmed and broughte to the righte vse but there be other thynges vsed in the Churche in which the rulers haue libertye either to refourme them or to take them awaye And because it was an easier way to take them away then to bryng them to the right vse that they were ordained for they were all cleane taken awaye and so they might be Yea Sir will yee saye but yee haue maintained and defended them and haue preached against such persones as despised them It is truthe I haue preached againste the despisers of them and haue sayd that Images might be suffered and vsed in the Churche as laye mennes bookes yet I neuer otherwise defended them but to be vsed for suche purpose as they were first sette vppe in the Church for but now that menne be waxed wanton they are cleane taken away wherein our religion is no more touched then when bookes were taken awaye for abusing of them There was an order taken for bookes not to be vsed wherein some might haue sayde the bookes are good and I know how to vse them I maye therefore vse them well ynough I will therefore vse them thoughe they be forbidden but if thou haue anye charitie thou oughtest to be contented rather to haue them cleane taken away then to declare thy selfe to haue an other opinion then thou oughtest to haue As touching ceremonies I esteeme them all as Paule esteemeth them things indifferent where he sayth Regnum Dei non esca potus So of Ceremonies Neuerthelesse wee haue time place and number as a certaine number of Psalmes to be sayde at times whiche maye be vsed without superstition but these thinges must serue vs and not wee serue them Yet if an order be sette in them by suche as haue power we must follow it and we must obey the Rulers that appoynt such time place and number to be kept Yee maye not saye if the time will serue mee then I will come an houre after No Syr yee must keepe thys time and thys houre because it is so appoynted by the rulers not for the thinges but for the order that is sette I haue bene euer of thys opinion Wee had palmes and candels taken awaye which things may indifferentlye haue either of the two reformations aboue sayde When they were in place they shoulde haue putte menne in remembraunce of their duetie and deuotion towardes God but because they were abused they were and might be taken away But the religion of Christe is not in these exercises and therfore in takyng away of them the Religion of Christe is nothynge touched nor hindered But men must in suche thynges be conformable not for the ceremonie but for obedience sake Saint Paule sayth that we shoulde rebuke euerye brother that walketh inordinately I haue tolde you myne opinion and my conscience telleth mee that I haue spoken playnely that ye may knowe what I am and that ye maye not bee deceyued in mee nor be sclaundered in me nor make no further search to knowe my hart I like well the communion because it prouoketh men more and more to deuotion I like well the proclamation because it stoppeth the mouthes of all such as vnreuerently speake or raile agaynst the Sacrament I lyke well the rest of the Kynges Maiesties proceedinges concerning the Sacrament I haue now told you what I lyke But shall I speake nothing of that I mislyke ye will then say I speake not playnely I will therefore shew my conscience playnely I mislyke that Preachers whiche preache by the Kynges lycence and those Readers whiche by the Kynges permission and suffraunce doe reade open lectures doe openlye and blasphemously talke agaynst the Masse and agaynst the Sacrament And to whom may I lyken suche Readers and Preachers I may lyken them vnto Postes for the Prouerbe sayth that Postes do beare trueth in their letters and lyes in their mouthes and so doe they and to speake so agaynst the Sacramente it is the most marueylous matter that euer I sawe or heard of I woulde wysh therfore that there were a stay and an order in this behalfe that there myght be but one order or rule for as the Poet sayth I may vse the verse of a Poet well ynough for so doth Paul of the great Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And let no man of his owne head begin mattars nor goe before the king They call it going before the Kyng and such make them selues Kynges Well what mislyketh me els It mislyketh mee that Priestes and men that vowed chastity shoulde openly marry and auow it openly whiche is a thyng that since the beginnyng of the Churche hath not
corporall not carnall not naturall not sensible not perceptible but onely spirituall pag. 181. l. 18. c. l. 25. p. 223. l. 21. Confutation We receyue Christ in the Sacrament of his fleshe and bloud if we receiue hym worthily p. 190. l. 7. p. 197. lin 27. Confutation When an vnrepentant sinner receyueth the Sacramēt he hath not Christes body within hym p. 256. l. 18. Confutation He that eateth verily the flesh of Christ is by nature in Christ and Christ is naturally in hym pag. 18. li 51. Confutation An euill man in the sacrament receiueth in deed Christes very body p. 18. l. 24.25 Euill men eat verily the flesh of Christ p. 2561. l. 24.25 c. Confutation Christ geueth vs to be eaten the same flesh that he took of the virgin Mary p. 274. l. 25. We receyue not in the Sacrament Christes flesh that was crucified p. 276. l. 1. Confutation S. Augustines rule in his booke De doctrina Christiana pertaineth not to Christes supper p. 132. l. 40. S. Augustine meaneth of the Sacrament ibidem and p. 10. l. 44. Confutation Reason in place of seruice as beyng inferior to fayth wyll agree with the fayth of Transubstantiation well enough p. 300. l. 12. Confutation And as reason receyued into faithes seruice doth not striue with transubstantiation but agreeth well with it so mans senses be no such direct aduersaries to transubstantiation as a matter wherof they cannot skill for the senses cannot skill of substances p. 307. l. 11. c. Thine eyes say there is but bread and wyne thy taste sayeth the same thy feelyng and smellyng agreefully with them Hereunto is added the carnal mans vnderstanding which because it taketh the beginning of the senses procedeth in reasonyng sensually In the deuils sophistry fo 6. The Churche hath not forborne to preach the truth to the confusion of mans senses and vnderstandyng fol. 15. It is called bread because of the outward visible matter p. 327. lyne When it is called bread it is ment Christ the spirituall bread p. 320. l. 41. And the Catholike fayth teacheth that the fraction is in the outward signe and not in the body of Christ p. 165. lyne 1. and pag. 392. lyne 47. and in the Deuils Sophistry fol. 17. That which is broken is the bodye of Christ p. 392. lyne 49. The inward nature of the bread is the substance p. 323 lyne 14. Substance signifieth in Theodoret he sayth the outward nature p. 404. l. 40. The substances of bread and wyne be visible cretures p. 322. l. 30. and 323. l. 32. Accidents be the visible natures and visible elements p. 1406. l. 16. and 25. c. Christ is our satisfaction wholy and fully hath payd our whole debt to God the Father for the appeasyng of hys wrath agaynst vs p. 92. l. 6.7 The act of the priest done accordyng to Gods cōmandement must needs be propitiatory and ought to be trusted on to haue a propitiatory effect p. 437. l. 13. The sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ was neuer reiterate p. 416. l. 8. Priests do sacrifice Christ p. 431. l. 16. And the catholike doctrine teacheth the daily sacrifice to be the same in essence that was offered on the Crosse p. 439. l. 11. The Nestorians graunted both the Godhead manhood always to be in Christ continually p. 348. l. 11.12 The Nestorians denied Christ conceyued GOD or borne God but that he was afterward God as a mā that is not borne a bishop is after made a bishop So the Nestorians sayd that the Godhead was an accession after by merite and that he was conceyued only man p. 347. l. 47 50.51 and p. 148. l. 47. Christ vseth vs familiarly as he dyd hys Apostles p. 93. l. 21. Christ is not to be sayd conuersant in earth pag. 114. lin 11. c. ¶ Certaine things that Winchester granted vnto CHrist declared eatyng of hymselfe to signify beleeuing p. 29. l. antepenultima Confutation Christ must be spiritually in man before he receiue the Sacrament or els he cannot receyue the sacrament worthily p. 54. l. 44. p. 160. l. vltima p. 196. l. 3. p. 105. l 32. How Christ is present p. 69. l. 29. c. p. 81. l. 12. p. 181. li. 26. p. 65. l. 15. By faith we know only the beyng present of Christes most precious body not the maner thereof p. 70. l. 15. When we speake of Christes body we must vnderstād a true body which hath both forme and quantitie p. 81. l. 5. lin 35. Although Christs body haue all those truths of forme quantitie yet it is not present after the maner of quantitie ibidem l. 8.9 The demonstratiue this may bee referred to the inuisible substance p. 120. l. 42 All the old prayers and ceremonies sound as though the people did communicate with the priest p. 165. l. 46. The maner of Christs beyng in the Sacrament is not corporall nor carnall not natural not sensible not perceptible but only spirituall p. 181. l. 19. c. l. 25. p. 223. l. 21. When the vnrepentant sinner receiueth the sacrament he hath not Christes body within hym p. 256. l. 18. We eat not Christ as he sitteth in heauen raignyng p. 276. l. 18. The worde Transubstantiation was first spoken of in a generall Councell where the B. of Rome was present p. 284. l. 11. In the sacrifice of the church Christs death is not iterated but a memory daily renued of the death so as Christes offeryng on the crosse once done and consummate is now only remembred p. 440. l. 40. c. To these notes places of D. Ridley let vs also adioyne other 12. places or Articles of the lyke affinitie taken out of his booke called the examination of the proud hunter noted in the later end of D. Turners secōd course By these Articles it may appeare how this Bishop swarueth no lesse from the sound truth of Christes Gospell then he dyd in the other both from hymselfe and also from other hys fellow brethren of hys owne Catholike mother church of Rome The Articles in summe are these ¶ Twelue new found Articles of Steuen Gardiners Creede taught in hys booke called the examination of the hunter 1. THe ceremonies and traditions which the Bish. of Rome hath ordeyned and are now allowed in England are the pale of the church of England fol. 7. 2. The Popes ceremonies and traditions are good and politike lawes wherby God hath enclosed the kings subiects vnder hys maiestie alone ibidem 3. As king Richard an euill man made a good politicke law for the body common welth of England so can the Pope an euill man make good lawes and wholesome doctrine for mans soule and Christes church fol. 23. 4. Whatsoeuer is good spoken and vsed by mā is much more of God then Christes
Boner What De competente Iudice I will go fet thee my bookes There is a title in deed De officijs Iudâ—cis ordinarij Phil. Uerely that is the same De competente Iudice whiche I haue alledged With that he ran to his study broughte the whole course of the law betwene his hands which as it might appeare he had wel occupied by the dust they were embrued withall Boner There be the bookes finde it now if thou canst and I will promise thee to release thee out of prison Phil. My Lorde I stand not here to reason maâ—ters of the Ciuill law although I am not altogether ignorant of the same for that I haue bene a Student in the same sixe or seuen yeares but to aunswere to the Articles of fayth wyth the which you may lawfully burtheÌ„ me And whereas you go about vnlawfully to proceede I chalenge according to my knowledge the benefite of the law in my defence Boner Why thou wilt aunswere directly to nothing thou art charged withall therefore saye not hereafter but you might haue bene satisfied here by learned meÌ„ if you would haue declared your minde Phil. My Lorde I haue declared my minde vnto you and to other of the Byshops at my last being before you desyring you to be satisfied but of one thing wherunto I haue referred all other controuersies the whiche if your Lordships now or other learned men can simply resolue me of I am as contented to be reformable in all thinges as you shall require the which is to proue that the church of Rome wherof you are is the Catholicke Church Couen Why do you not beleue your Creed Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam Phil. Yes that I do but I cannot vnderstaÌ„d Rome wherwith all you burden vs to be the same neither like to it S. Asse It is most euident that S. Peter did builde the Catholicke Church at Rome And Christ sayd Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Moreouer the succession of bishops in the sea of Rome can be proued from time to time as it can be of none other place so well which is a manifest probation of the Catholicke Church as diuers Doctors do write Phil. That you would haue to be vndoubted is most vncertaine that by the authority which you alledge of Christ saying vnto Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church vnles you can proue the rocke to signifye Rome as you would make me falsly beleue And althogh you can prooue the succession of Bishops from Peter yet this is not sufficient to proue Rome the catholicke church vnles you can proue the profession of Peters fayth wherevpon the catholick church is builded to haue continued in his successors at Rome and at this present to remayne Bon. Is there any mo churches theÌ„ one catholicke church And I pray you tel me into what faith were you baptised Philpot. I acknowledge one holy Catholicke and Apostolicke Church wherof I am a member I prayse God and I am of that catholicke fayth of Christ where into I was baptised Couen I pray you can you tell what this word Catholicke doth signify shew if you can Phil. Yes that I can I thanke God The catholicke fayth or the Catholicke Churche is not as now a dayes the people be taught to be that which is most vniuersall or of moste part of men receiued whereby you do inferre our fayth to hang vpoÌ„ the multitude which is not so but I esteme the Catholicke Church to be as S. Austen defineth the same Aestimamus fidem Catholicam a rebus praeteritis praesentibus futuris i. We iudge sayth he the catholicke fayth of that whiche hath bene is and shal be So that if you can be able to prooue that your fayth and Church hath bene from the beginning taught and is and shal be then may you couÌ„t your selues Catholicke otherwise not And Catholicke is a Greeke word compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth after or according and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summe or principle or whole So that catholicke Church or Catholicke fayth is as much to say as the first whole sound or chiefest fayth Boner Doth S. Austen say so as he alledgeth it or doth he meane as he taketh the same How say you M. Curtop Curtop In deed my Lord S. Augustine hath such a saying speaking agaynst the Donatistes that the Catholicke fayth ought to be estemed of thinges in times past and as they are practised according to the same and ought to bee through al ages and not after a new maner as the Donatistes began to professe Phil. You haue sayd well M. Curtop and after the meaning of S. Austen and to confirme that which I haue said for the signification of Catholicke Couen Let the booke be sene my Lord. Bon. I pray you my Lord be coÌ„teÌ„t or in good fayth I will breake euen of let al alone Do you thinke the Catholicke Church vntill it was within these few yeres in the which a few vpoÌ„ singularity haue swerued froÌ„ the same haue erred Phil. I do not thinke that the Catholicke Church can erre in doctrine but I require you to prooue this Churche of Rome to be the Catholicke Church Curtop I can proue that Ireneus which was within an hundred yeares after Christ came to victor then bishop of Rome to aske his aduise about the excoÌ„munication of certayne heretickes the which he would not haue done by al likelihood if he had not taken him to be supreame head Couent Marke well this argument How are you able to aunswere to the same Aunswere if you can Phil. It is soone aunswered my Lorde for that it is of no force neither this fact of Ireneus maketh no more for the supremacy of the Bishoppe of Rome then mine hath done which haue bene at Rome as well as he and mighte haue spoken with the Pope if I had list and yet I would none in England did fauor his supremacy more then I. S. Asse You are the more to blame by the fayth of my body for that you fauor the same no better since all the Catholicke Church vntill this fewe yeares haue taken him to be supreame head of the Church besides this good man Ireneus Phil. That is not likely that Ireneus so tooke him or the primatiue Church for I am able to shewe seauen generall Councels after Ireneus time wherin he was neuer so taken which may be a sufficient proofe that the catholick primitiue church neuer tooke him for supreme head The other Bish. This man will neuer be satisfied say what we can It is but folly to reason any more with him Phil. O my Lordes would you haue me satisfied with nothing Iudge I pray you who of vs hath better authority he whiche bringeth the example of one manne going to Rome or I that by these many generall councels am able to proue that he
them that will infourme me by Gods worde what I haue to doe I confesse I haue but little learning in respect of you that both of your yeares and great exercise to excell therin but fayth consisteth not onelye in learning but in simplicitye of beleuing that whiche Gods woorde teacheth Therefore I will bee gladde to heare both of your Lordshippe and of any other that God hath reuealed vnto by hys word the true doctrine therof and to thank you that it doth please you to take paynes herein Chich. You take the first alleged amisse as though all men should be taught by inspiratioÌ„ and not by learning How do we beleue the gospel but by the authority of the church and because the same hath allowed it Phil. S. Paule sayth He learned not the Gospell by men neyther of men but by the reuelatioÌ„ of Iesus Christ which is a sufficient proofe that the Gospell taketh not his authoritye of man but of God onely Chich. S. Paule speaketh but of his own knowledge how he came thereto Phil. Nay hee speaketh of the Gospell generally Whyche commeth not from man but from God and that the Churche must onely teach that which commeth from God and not mans preceptes Chich. Doth not Saynt Augustine say I would not beleue the Gospell if the authority of the Churche did not mooue me thereto Phil. I graunte that the authoritye of the Churche doeth moue the vnbeleeuers to beleeue but yet the Church geueth not the woorde his authority for the woorde hath his authority onely from God and not of man meÌ„ be but disposers thereof For firste the worde hath his beyng before the Churche and the woorde is the foundation of the church and first is the foundation sure before the building theron can be stedfast Chich. I perceiue you mistake me I speake of the knowledge of the Gospell and not of the authority for by the church we haue all knowledge of the Gospell Phil. I confesse that For fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde And I acknowledge that God appoynteth an ordinarye meanes for men to come vnto the knowledge now and not myraculously as he hath done in times past yet we that be taught by men must take heede that we learne nothing els but that which was taught in the Primitiue church by reuelation Here came in the Byshop of Yorke and the Bishop of Bath and after they had saluted one another and commoned a while together the Archbishop of Yorke called me vnto them saying Yorke Syr wee hearing that you are out of the way are come of charity to enforme you to bring you into the true fayth and to the catholicke church againe willing you first to haue humility and to be humble willing to learne of your betters for els we can do no good with you And god sayth by his Prophet On whom shall I rest but on the humble meeke and such as tremble at my word Now if you will so be we will be glad to trauell with you Phil. I know that humility is the doore wherby we enter vnto Christ and I thanke his goodnes I haue entred in at the same vnto him with all humility heare whatsoeuer truth you shall speake vnto me Yorke What be the matters you stande on and require to be satisfied in Phil. My Lord it please your grace we were entred into a good matter before you came of the church and howe we should know the truth but by the church Yorke In deede that is the head we neede to begynne at For the church being truely knowne we shal sooner agree in the particular thinges Phil. If your Lordships can proue the church of Rome to be the true catholicke church it shall do much to persuade me toward that you would haue me encline vnto Yorke Why let vs go to the definition of the church What is it Phil. It is a Congregation of people dispersed throughe the worlde agreeing together in the woorde of GOD vsing the Sacramentes and al other thinges according to the same Yorke Your definition is of many wordes to no purpose Phil. I do not precisely define the church but declare vnto you what I thinke the church is Yorke Is the church visible or inuisible Phil. It is both visible and inuisible The inuisible church is of all the electes of God onely the visible consisteth of both good and bad vsing all thinges in fayth according to Gods word Yorke The church is an vniuersall congregation of fayth full people in Christ through the world which this worde Catholick doth well expresse for what is Catholicke els doth it not signify vniuersall Phil. The church is defined by S. Austine to be called Catholike in this wyse Ecclesia ideo dicitur Catholica quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat The Church is called therefore Catholike because it is throughly perfect and halteth in nothyng Yorke Nay it is called Catholike because it is vniuersally receyued of all christian nations for the most part Phâ—lpot The Churche was Catholique in the Apostles tyme yet was it not vniuersally receyued of the worlde but because their Doctrine whiche they had receyued of Christ was perfect and appoynted to be preached and receyued of the whole world therfore it is called the Catholike fayth and all persons receiuyng the same to be counted the catholike church And S. Austine in another place writeth that the catholike church is that which beleeueth aright Yorke If you wyll learne I wyll shewe you by Saint Austine writing agaynst the Donatistes that he prooueth the catholick Church by two principall pointes which is vniuersality and succession of Bishops in one Apostolical Sea from time to time Now thus I will make myne argument The Church of Rome is vniuersal and hath her succession of bishops from time to time Ergo it is the Catholicke Church How answerâ— you to this argumeÌ„t Phil. I denye the antecedent that the Catholique Churche is onely knowne by vniuersality and succession of Byshops Yorke I will prooue it And with that he brought forth a booke which he had noted out of the Doctours and turned to his common places therin of the church and recited one or two out of S. Austine specially out of his Epistle written agaynst the Donatistes where S. Austine manifestly proueth that the Donatistes were not the catholick church because they had no successioÌ„ of bishops in their opinion neither vniuersality the same force hath S. Austines argument agaynst you Phil. My Lorde I haue weighed the force of that Argument before now I perceiue it maketh nothing agaynst me neither it commeth to your purpose For I will stand to the triall of S. Austine for the approbatioÌ„ of the catholick Church wherof I am For S. Austin speaketh of vniuersality ioyned with verity of faythfull successours of Peter before corruption came into the Church And
of Yorke was turning his booke for moe places to helpe forth his cause Yorke I haue found at length a very notable place which I haue looked for all this while of S. Austine De simplicitate credendi Chich. It is but folly my Lorde that your Grace doe read him any moe places for he esteemeth them not Phil. I esteeme them in as muche as they bee of force as your Lordship doth heare me deny no doctors you bring but onely require the true application of them according to the writers meaning as by his owne wordes may be proued Yorke I will reade him the place and so make an end After he had read the sentence he sayde that by foure speciall poynts here S. Austine proueth the catholick church The first is by the consent of all nations the secōd by the Apostolick Sea the third by vniuersalitie the fourth by this word Catholicke Chich. That is a notable place in deede and it please your Grace Phil. I pray you my Lord of what church doth S. Austine write the same of Rome or not Yorke Yea he writeth it of the Church of Rome Phil. I will lay with your Lordshippe as much as I can make it is not so and let the booke be sene Bath What art thou able to lay that hast nothing Yorke Doth he not make mention here of the Apostolicke sea whereby he meaneth Rome Phil. That is very straitly interpreted my lord as though the Apostolicke Sea had bene no where els but at Rome But let it be Rome and yet shall you neuer verify the same vnlesse all the other conditions do go therewith as S. Augustine doth proceed withal wherof none except the Apostolicke sea can now bee verified of the Churche of Rome For the fayth which that Sea now maynteineth hath not the consent of al nations neither hath had Besides that it cannot haue the name of Catholick because it differeth frō the Catholicke Churches which the Apostles planted almost in all thinges Yorke Nay he goeth about here to proue the Catholicke Church by vniuersality how can you shew your church to be vniuersall fifty or an hundreth yeares ago Phil. That is not materiall neither any thing agaynst S. Augustine For my church wherof I am were to be coūted vniuersal though it were but in x. persōs because it agreeth with the same that the Apostles vniuersally did plant Yorke I perceiue you are an obstinate man in your opinion will not be taught wherefore it is but lost labour to talke with you any lenger you are a member to be cut of Chichester I haue heard of you before how you troubled the good Bishop of Winchester and now I see in you that I haue heard Phil. I trust you see no euill in me by this I desire of you a sure ground to build my fayth on if you shew ne none I pray you speake not ill of him that meaneth well Chichester Thou art as impudent a felow as I haue cōmuned withall Phil. That is spoken vncharitably my Lord to blaspheme him whom you can not iustly reproue Chich. Why you are not God Blasphemy is counted a rebuke to Godward and not to man Phil. Yes it may be as well verified of an infamy layde to man speaking in Gods cause as you now do lay vnto me for speaking freely the truth afore GOD to maynteyne your vayne Religion You are voyd of all good ground I perceiue you are blind guides and leaders of the blinde therfore as I am bounde to tell you very hipocrites tyrannously persecuting the trueth which otherwise by iust order you are able to conuince by no meanes Your owne doctors and testimonies which you bring be euidently agaynst you and yet you will not see the truth Chichest Haue we this thanke for our good will comming to instruct thee Phil. My Lordes you must beare with me since I speake in Christes cause and because his glory is defaced and his people cruelly and wrongfully slayne by you because they will not consent to the dishonor of God and to hypocrisie with you If I told you not your fault it should be required at my hands in the day of iudgement Therfore know you ye hypocrites in deed that it is the spirit of God that telleth you your sinne not I. I passe not I thank God of al your cruelty God forgeue it you geue you grace to repent And so they departed ¶ An other talke the same day THe same day at night before supper the bishop sent for me into his chappell in the presence of the archdeacon Harpesfield Doctor Chadsey other his Chapleines and his seruauntes at what time he sayd Lond. Maister Philpot I haue by sundry meanes gone about to do you good and I maruell you do so litle consider it by my trueth I can not tell what to say to you Tell me directly whether you will be a conformable man or no wherupon you chiefly stand Phil. I haue tolde your Lordships oftentimes playne enough wheron I stand chiefly requiring a sure probation of the Church wherunto you call me Harps S. Austen writing agaynst the Donatistes declareth foure speciall notes to know the Church by the cōsent of many nations the fayth of the Sacramentes confirmed by antiquity succession of Bishops and vniuersality Lond. I pray you Mayster Archdeacon fette the booke hither it is a notable place let him see it And the booke was brought and the bishop read it demaunding how I could aunswere the same Phil. My Lorde I like S. Austens foure poyntes for the triall of the catholicke churche whereof I am for it can abide euery poynt therof together which yours can not do Harps Haue not we succession of Bishops in the Sea and church of Rome Wherfore then do you deny our Church to be the catholicke church Phil. D. Austine doth not put succession of Bishops onely to be sufficient but he addeth the vse of the Sacramentes according to antiquity and doctrine vniuersally taughte receiued of most nations from the beginning of the primatiue Church the whiche your Churche is farre from But my church can auouch all these better then yours therfore by S. Austins iudgement which you here bring mine is the catholicke church and not yours Harps Chad. It is but folly my Lord for you to reason with him for he is irrecuperable Phil. That is a good shift for you to runne vnto when you be confounded in your owne sayinges haue nothing else to say you are euidently deceiued and yet will not see it when it is layd to your face THus haue I at large set forth as many of the sayd Iohn Philpot his examinations priuy conferences as are yet come to light being faythfully written with his owne hand And although he was diuers other times after this examined both openly in the Consistory at Paules also secretly in the bishops house yet what was
there sayd is not yet sufficiently knowne either because M. Philpot was not himselfe suffered to write or els for that his writings are by some kept close and not brought forth otherwise thē as the bishops Register hath noted whose handling of such matters because it is either for feare or for fauor of his Lord and maister very slender litle light of any true right meaning can be gathered especially in the behalfe of the answerer Howbeit such as it is such thought I good to put forth requiring the reader to iudge hereof according to his aunsweres in his former examinations ¶ The last examinations of M. Philpot in open iudgement with his finall condemnation by Byshop Boner in the Consistory at Paules THe Bishop hauing sufficiently taken his pleasure with M. Philpot in his priuate talkes and seeing his zealous learned and immutable Constancy thought it now high time to rid his handes of him and therefore on the 13. and 14. dayes of December sitting iudicially in the Consistory at Paules he caused him to be brought thither before him and others as it seemeth more for orders sake thē for any good affection to iustice and right iudgement The effect aswell of which two sundry their procedinges as also of one other had the 11. day of the same month in his chappell appeare in a maner to be all one The Bishop therefore first speaking to Mayster Philpot sayd Lond. M. Philpot amongest other thinges that were laid and obiected vnto you these three thinges ye were especially charged and burdened withall The first is that you beyng fallen from the vnitye of Christes Catholicke Church do refuse and will not come and be reconciled thereunto The second is that you haue blasphemously spoken agaynst the sacrifice of the Masse calling it idolatry And the third is that you haue spoken agaynst the sacrament of the aultar denying the reall presence of Christes body and bloud to be in the same And according to the will and pleasure of the Synode legatiue ye haue bene oft many times by me inuited and required to go from your sayd errors and heresies and to returne to the vnity of the catholicke Church which if you wil now willingly do ye shal be mercifully gladly receiued charitably vsed and haue al the fauor I can shew you And now to tell you true it is assigned and appoynted to geue sentence agaynst you if you stande herein will not return Wherfore if ye so refuse I doe aske of you whether you haue any cause that you can shew why I shoulde not now geue sentence agaynst you Phil. Under protestatiō not to go from my appeale that I haue made and also not to consent to you as my cōpetent iudge I say touching your first obiection concerning the Catholick Church I neither was nor am out of the same And as touching the sacrifice of the Masse and the Sacrament of the aultar I neuer spake agaynst the same And as concerning the pleasure of the Sinode I say that these xx yeares I haue bene brought vp in the fayth of the true catholick church which is contrary to your church whervnto ye woulde haue me to come and in that time I haue bene many times sworne as wel in the reign of K. Henry the 8. as in the reigne of good King Edward his Sonne agaynst the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome which othe I thinke that I am bounde in my conscience to keepe quia teneor reddere Domino iuramentum But if you or any of the Synode can by Gods worde perswade me that my sayd othe was vnlawfull and that I am bound by Gods law to come to your church faith and religion wherof you be now I will gladly yeld agree and be conformable vnto you otherwise not Boner then not able with all his learned Doctours to accomplish this his offered condition fel to perswading of him as well by his accustomed vayne promises as also by blondye threatninges to returne to theyr Churche to the which he answered Phil. You and all other of your sorte are hypocrites and I would al the world did know your hypocrisy your tyranny ignoraunce and Idolatry Upon these wordes the Bishop did for that tyme dismisse him cōmaunding that on Monday the 16. day of the same moneth betwene the hours of one three in the after noone he shoulde agayne be brought thither there to haue the definitiue sentence of condēnation pronounced against him if he remayned then in his former constancy ¶ The last examination of Mayster Iohn Philpot. AT which day and time Mayster Philpot being there presented before the bishops of London Bath Worcester and Liechfield Boner Bishop of London began hys talke in this maner London My Lorde Stokesley my predecessour when he went about to geue sentence agaynst an hereticke vsed to make this prayer Deus qui errantibus vt in viam possint redire iustitiae veritatis tuae lumen ostendis da cunctis qui Christiana professione cēsentur illa respuere quae huic inimica sint nomini ea quae sint apta sectari per Christum dominum nostrum Amen Which I will folow And so he read it with a loud voice in Latin To the which Mayster Philpot sayd Philpot. I would ye would speak in English that all men might heare and vnderstand you for Paul willeth that all things spoken in the congregation to edify should be spoken in a toung that all men might vnderstand Wherupon the Bishop did read it in English when he came to these wordes to refuse those thinges which are foes to this name Philpot said Phil. Then they all must turne away from you for you are enemies to that name meaning Christes name and God saue vs from such hypocrites as would haue thinges in a toung that men cannot vnderstand London Whom do you meane Phil. You and al other that be of your generation and sect And I am sory to see you sit in the place that you now sitte in pretending to execute iustice doe nothing lesse but deceiue all men in this Realme And then turning himselfe vnto the people he farther sayd oh all you Gentlemē beware of these men meaning the Bishops and al theyr doinges which be contrary vnto the primatiue Church And I would knowe of you my Lord by what authority you do proceed agaynst me Lond. Because I am Bishop of London Philpot. Well then ye are not my Bishop nor I haue not offended in your Diocesse and moreouer I haue appealed from you and therefore by your owne law you ought not to proceed agaynst me especially being brought hither frō an other place by violence Lond. Why who sent you hither to me Philpot. That did Doctor Story and Doctor Cooke with other the king and Queenes Commissioners my Lord is it not enough for you to werry your owne sheep but ye must also meddle with other mens sheepe Then
deny the body and bloud of Christ to be in the sacrament of the aultar I cannot tell what aultar yee meane whether it be the aultar of the Crosse or the aultar of stone And if yee call it the Sacrament of the aultar in respect of the aultar of the stone then I defie your Christ for it is a rotten Christ. And as touching your transubstantiatiō I vtterly deny it for it was brought vp first by a Pope Now as concerning your offer made from the Synode whiche is gathered together in Antichristes name proue me that to be of the catholicke Church which ye shall neuer do I will follow you and do as you would haue me to do But yee are Idolaters and dayly do commit Idolatry Ye be also traytors for in your Pulpits you rayle vpon good kings as king Henry and king Edward his sonne which haue stand agaynst the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome agaynst whome also I haue taken an othe which if ye can shew me by Gods law that I haue taken vniustly I will then yeld vnto you But I pray God turne the King and Queenes hartes from your Sinagogue and churche for you do abuse that good Queene Here the Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield began to shew where the true church was saying Couen The true catholicke church is set vpon an high hil Phil. Yea at Rome which is the Babylonicall church Couen No in our true Catholicke church are the Apostles Euangelistes and martyrs but before Martine Luther ther was no Apostle Euāgelist or martyr of your church Phil. Will ye know the cause why Christ did prophesie that in the latter dayes there should come false Prophetes and hipocrites as you be Couen Your Church of Geneua which ye call the Catholicke Church is that which Christ prophesied of Phil. I allow the church of Geneua and the doctrine of the same for it is vna Catholica Apostolica and doth follow the doctrine that the Apostles did preach and the doctrine taught and preached in king Edwardes dayes was also according to the same And are yee not ashamed to persecute me and others for your Churches sake which is Babilonicall and contrary to the true Catholicke Church And after this they had great conference togethers aswell out of the Scriptures as also out of the Doctours But whē Boner saw that by learning they were not able to conuince M. Phil. he thought then by his diffamations to bryng him out of credite and therefore turning himselfe vnto the Lord Mayor of London brought forth a knyfe and a bladder full of pouder and sayd London My Lorde this man had a rosted pigge brought vnto him and this knife was put secretly betweene the skin the flesh therof and so was it sent him being in prison And also this pouder was sent vnto him vnder pretence that it was good and comfortable for him to eate or drinke whiche pouder was onely to make inke to wryte withall For when his keeper did perceaue it he tooke it brought it vnto me Whiche when I did see I thought it had bene gunpouder and thereupon I put fire to it but it would not burne Then I tooke it for poyson and so gaue it to a dogge but it was not so Thou I tooke a little water and it made as fayre inke as euer I did write withall Therefore my Lord you may vnderstand what a naughty fellowe this is Phil. Ah my Lord haue ye nothing els to charge me withall but these trifles seeing I stande vppon lyfe and death Doth the knife in the pigge proue the churche of Rome to be a catholicke church c. Then the bishop brought forth a certayne instrument conteyning Articles and Questions agreed vpon both in Oxford and Cambridge whereof yee haue mention before pag. 1428. Also he did exhibite two Bookes in Print the one was the Catechisme made in king Edwards dayes An. 1552. the other concerning the true report of the disputation in the Conuocation house mention wherof is aboue expressed Moreouer hee did bring foorth and layde to Mayster Philpots charge two letters the one touching Barthelet Greene the other contayning godly exhortations comfortes which both were written vnto him by some of his godly friendes the tenour whereof wee thought here also to exhibite A letter exhibited by Boner written by some frend of M. Philpot and sent to him concerning the handling of Mayster Greene in Boners house at London YOu shal vnderstand that M. Greene came vnto the Bishop of London on Sonday last where he was curteously receaued for what policie the sequele declareth His entertaynment for one day or two was to dyne at my Lordes owne table or els to haue his meate from thence During those dayes hee lay in Doctor Chadseys chamber and was examined Albeit in very deede the Bishop earnestly and faythfully promised manye right worshipful men who were suters for him but to him vnknown that he in no case shoulde bee examined before which M. Fecknam would haue had him in his frendly custody if he would haue desired to haue conferred with him whiche he vtterly refused And in that the bish obiected agaynst him singularitie and obstinacie his answere thereunto was thus To auoyd al suspicion therof although I my self am yong vtterly vnlearned in respect of the learned and yet I vnderstand I thanke my Lord yet let me haue such books as I shal require and if I by Gods spirite do not therby answere all your books and obiections contrary therto I wil assent to you Wherunto the Bishop and his assented permitting him at the first to haue suche bookes Who at sondrye times haue reasoned with him and haue found him so stronge and rise in the scriptures and godly fathers that sithens they haue not onely taken from him such libertie of bookes but all other bookes not leauing him so much as the new Testament Since they haue bayted and vsed him most cruelly This mayster Fecknam reported saying farther that he neuer heard the like young man so perfect What shall become farther of him God knoweth but death I thinke for he remayneth more and more willing to dye as I vnderstand Concerning your bill I shal conferre with others therin knowyng that the same Courte is able to redresse the same And yet I thinke it will not be reformed for that I know fewe or none that dare or wil speake therein or preferre the same because it concerneth spirituall thinges Notwithstanding I will assertain you therof committing you to the holy Ghost who keepe you vs all as his Your owne c. The copy of an other letter written by the faythful and Christen harted Lady the Lady Vane to Mayster Philpot exhibited lykewise by Byshop Boner HArty thankes rendered vnto you my welbeloued in Christ for the booke ye sent me wherein I finde great consolations and according to the doctrine therof do prepare my cheekes to the
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
to come which fleshe and bloud can not comprehend Being in the middest of my sweete rest it seemed me to see a great beautifull Citie all of the colour of Azure and white foure square in a marueilous beautifull composition in the middest of the skie the sight whereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to expresse the consolation I had thereof yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my hart to leape for ioy and as charitie is no churle but would others to bee pertakers of his delight so mee thought I called to others I cannot tel whom whiles they came and we together beheld the same by and by to my great griefe it vaded away This dreame I thinke not to haue come of the illusion of the senses because it brought with it so much spirituall ioy and I take it to be of the workyng of Gods spirite for the contentation of your request as he wrought in Peter to satisfy Cornelius Therfore I interprete this beautifull Citie to be the glorious Church of Christ and the appearance of it in the skie signifieth the heauenly state thereof whose conuersation is in heauē and that according to the Primitiue Church which is now in heauen men ought to measure and iudge the church of Christ now in earth for as the Prophet Dauid sayth The foundations thereof be in the holy hils and glorious thyngs be spoken of the city of God And the maruelous quadrature of the same I take to signifie the vniuersal agreement in the same and that all the Church here militant ought to consent to the Primitiue Church throughout the foure parts of the worlde as the Prophete affirmeth saying God maketh vs to dwell after one maner in one house And that I conceyued so wonderfull ioy at the contemplation therof I vnderstand the vnspeakeable ioy which they haue that bee at vnitie wyth Christes Primitiue Church For there is ioy in the holye Ghost and peace which passeth all vnderstanding as it is written in the Psalmes As of ioyful persons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee And that I called others to the fruition of this vision and to behold this wonderfull city I conster it by the will of God this vision to haue come vppon me musing on your letter to the ende that vnder this figure I might haue occasion to mooue you with many others to behold the Primatiue church in all your opinions concernyng fayth and to conforme your selfe in all poynts to the same which is the piller and stablishment of truth and teacheth the true vse of the sacraments and hauyng with a greater fulnesse then we haue now the first fruits of the holy Ghost did declare the true interpretatiō of the scriptures accordyng to all veritie euen as our Sauiour promised to send them an other comforter whiche should teach them all truth And since all truth was taught reuealed to the Primitiue church which is our mother let vs all that be obedient children of God submit our selues to the iudgement of the Church for the better vnderstanding of the Articles of our faith and of the doubtful sentences of the scripture Let vs not go about to shew in vs by followyng any priuate mans interpretation vpon the word an other spirite then they of the Primitiue Church had least we deceyue ourselues For there is but one fayth and one spirit which is not contrary to hymselfe neyther otherwyse now teacheth vs then he did then Therefore let vs beleue as they haue taught vs of the Scriptures and be at peace with them accordyng as the true Catholicke Church is at this day and the God of peace assuredly will be with vs deliuer vs out of all our worldly troubles and miseries make vs partakers of their ioy and blisse through our obedience to sayth with them Therefore God commaundeth vs in Iob to aske of the elder generation and to search diligently the memory of the Fathers For we are but yesterdayes children and be ignorant and our dayes are like a shadowe and they shall teach thee sayth the Lorde and speake to thee and shall vtter wordes from their hartes And by Salomon w◠are commaunded not to reiecte the direction of our mother The Lorde graunt you to direct your steppes in all thinges after her and to abhorre all contention with her For as S. Paule writeth If any man be contentious neither we neither the Church of God hath any such custome Hitherto I haue shewed you good brother S. my iudgement generally of that you stande in doubt and dissent frō others to the which I wishe you as myne owne harte to be conformable and then doubtles you can not erre but boldly may be glad in your troubles and triumph at the houre of your death that you shall dye in the Church of God a faythfull Martyr and receiue the crowne of eternall glory And thus much haue I written vpon the occasion of a vision before God vnfayned But that you may not thinke that I goe about to satisfie you with vncertain visions onely and not after Gods word I will take the ground of your letter and specially answere to the same by the scriptures and by vnfallible reasons reduced out of the same proue the Baptisme of Infantes to be lawfull commendable and necessary whereof you seeme to stand in doubt In deed if you looke vppon the papisticall Synagogue onely which hath corrupted gods word by false interpretations and hath peruerted the true vse of Christes sacraments you might seeme to haue good handfast of your opinion agaynst the Baptisme of Infants But forasmuch as it is of more antiquitie and hath his beginning from gods worde and from the vse of the Primatiue Church it must not in respect of the abuse in the popish Church be neglected or thought not expedient to be vsed in Christs church Auxentius one of the Arrians sect with hys adherentes was one of the first that denied the Baptisme of children and next after hym Pelagius the heretike and some other there were in S. Bernardes tyme as it doth appeare by hys writyngs and in our dayes the Anabaptists an inordinate kynd of men stirred vp by the deuill to the destruction of the Gospel But the Catholike truth deliuered vnto vs by the Scriptures playnly determineth that al such are to be baptised as whom God acknowledgeth for hys people and voucheth them worthy of sanctification or remission of theyr sinnes Therefore since that Infants be in the number or scroll of Gods people and be partakers of the promise by theyr purification in Christ it must needes follow thereby that they ought to be baptised as well as those that can professe their fayth For we iudge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promise of GOD as by the confession of fayth For to whome so euer God promiseth hymselfe to be theyr God whom
hym at hys cōmandement but to your Masse sayd I I haue small affectiō At which aunswer he was displeased sore sayd I should be fedde with bread and water And as I followed hym through the great hall he turned backe and beat me with his fist first on the one cheeke and then on the other as the signe of my beatyng did many dayes appeare And then he led me into a little salthouse where I had no straw nor bed but lay two nightes on a table and slept soundly I thanke God Then vpon the Friday next after I was brought to my L. and he then gaue me many fayre words and said he would be good to me And so he goyng to Fulham committed me to Doct. Harpsfield that he and I in that after noone should common together and drewe out certayne Articles whereunto if I would subscribe I shoulde bee dismissed But D. Harpsfield sent not for me til night and then perswaded me very sore to forsake my opinions I answered I held nothing but the truth therfore I could not so lightly turne therefrom So I thought I should at y◠time haue had no more ado but he had made a certaine bill whiche the Register pulled out of his bosom red it The bill in deed was very easily made and therefore more daungerous for the effect therof was to detest all errours and heresies against the sacrament of the aultar and other sacramentes to beleue the fayth of the catholicke church and liue accordingly ¶ The copy of this bill here mentioned if it please the gētle reader to peruse so as it came to our hands we haue hereunto adioyned written and conteined in theyr owne wordes as foloweth to be sene ¶ The Bill of submission offered to Thomas Whittell to subscribe I Thomas Whittell Prieste of the Dioces of London knowledge and confesse with my mouth agreeing wyth my hart before you reuerend father in God Edm. bishop of London my Ordinary that I do detest and abhorre all maner of heresies and errours agaynst the Sacrament of the aulter or any of the Sacramentes of the Church whiche heresies and errours haue heretofore bene condemned in any wise by the catholicke church and I do protest and declare by these presents that I do both now hold and also entēd by gods grace alwayes hereafter to hold obserue and keepe in all poyntes the Catholicke fayth and beliefe of Christes Church according as this church of England being a member of the sayd Catholicke Church doth now professe and keepe and in no wise to swerue decline or go from the sayd faith during my naturall life submitting my selfe fully and wholly to you reuerend father my sayd Ordinarye in all thinges concerninge my reformation and amendement at all times In witnesse whereof I the sayde Thomas Whittell Prieste haue hereunto subscribed my name written c. To this Bill I did in deed set to my hand being much desired and counselled so to do and the flesh being alwaies desirous to haue libertye I considered not throughly the inconuenience that might come thereupon and respite I desired to haue had but earnestlye they desired me to subscribe Now when I had so done I had litle ioy thereof For by and by my mind and conscience tolde me by Gods worde that I had done euill by such a sleighty meanes to shake of the sweete Crosse of Christ and yet it was not my seking as God he knoweth but altogether came of them O the crafty subtlety of Sathan in his members Let euery man that God shall deliuer into theyr hands take good heede and cleaue fast to Christ for they will leaue no corner of his conscience vnsought but will attempt all guilefull and subtle meanes to corrupt him to fall both frō God and his trueth But yet let no man dispayre of Gods help for Peter did fall and rise agayne And Dauid sayeth A righteous man though he fall he shall not bee cast away for the Lorde vpholdeth him with his hande For I for my part haue felt my infirmities and yet haue I found Gods present helpe and comfort in time of neede I thanke hym therfore The night after I had subscribed I was sore greeued and for sorrowe of conscience coulde not sleepe For in the deliueraunce of my body out of bondes whiche I mighte haue had I could finde no ioy nor comfort but still was in my conscience tormented more and more being assured by Gods spirit and his word that I through euill councell aduisement had done amisse And both with disquietnesse of minde and with my other cruell handeling I was sickly lying vpon the ground when the keeper came and so I desired him to pray Doctour Harpsfield to come to me and so he did And when he came and the Register with him I told him that I was not well at ease but especially I told him I was greued very much in my conscience and minde because I had subscribed And I sayd that my conscience had so accused me through the iust iudgement of God and hys word that I had felt hell in my conscience and Sathan ready to deuoure me and therefore I pray you M. Harpsfield sayd I let me haue the bill agayne for I wyll not stande to it So he gentlye commaunded it to be fetched and gaue it mee and suffered mee to pull out my name whereof I was right glad when I had so done although death should folow And hereby I had experience of gods prouidence and mercy towardes me who trieth his people and suffereth them to fall but not to be lost for in the middest of this temptation and trouble he gaue me warning of my deed and also deliuered me his name be praysed for euermore Amen Neither deuill nor cruell tyrant can plucke any of Christes sheepe out of his hand Of the which flock of Christes sheepe I trust vndoubtedly I am one by meanes of hys death and bloudshedding which shall at the last day stand at his right hand and receiue with other his blessed benediction And now being condemned to dye my conscience and minde I prayse God is quiet in Christ and I by hys grace am very well willing and content to geue ouer this body to the death for the testimony of his truth pure religion agaynst Antichrist and all his false Religion doctrine They that report otherwise of me speake not truely And as for Fountayne I saw not him all that while By me Thomas Whittell Minister ¶ Concerning the troubled mind of this Godly man and tearing of his name out of the bill here followeth the report of the same written in the letters both of the sayde Harpsfield and also of Iohnson the Register beyng then present thereat and reporters of the same vnto the bishop as in theyr letters hereto annexed is to be sene * The Copy of Nich. Harpsfieldes Letter touching Mayster Whittell written to Boner Byshop
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
the Ordinarye neyther whether I were before him acquitted or condemned shoulde it take awaye the former fault Then my Lord affirming that I was not brought before him but for heresie and the other Gentleman saying that doubtles I was discharged of my former matter my desire was that I might bee charged according to the order of the lawe to heare my accusers Then Doctour Chadsey was sent for who reported that in the presence of Mayster Mosley the Lieuetenant of the Tower I spake agaynst the reall presence and the sacrifice of the Masse and that I affirmed that theyr Church was the Churche of Antichrist Is not this true quoth my Lord I sayde yea Will you continue therein quoth he Yea sayde I. Wilt thou then mayntayne it by learning sayd he Therein quoth I I should shewe my selfe to haue little witte knowing myne owne youth and ignoraunce if I would take on me to mayntayne any controuersie agaynste so many graue and learned men But my conscience was satisfied in the truth which was sufficient to my saluation Roper Conscience quoth M. Roper so shall euerye Iewe and Turke be saued We had hereafter much talke to no purpose and especiallye on my part who felt in my selfe through colde and open ayre muche dullnesse of witte and memorye At the length I was asked what conscience was and I sayde the certifying of the trueth M. Welch With that M Welch rose vp desiring leaue to talke with me alone So he taking me aside into an other chamber said that he was sory for my trouble and woulde gladly see me at libertie he maruayled that I being a young man would stande agaynst all the learned men of the realme yea and contrary to the whole determination of the Catholicke Churche from Chrystes time in a matter wherin I could haue no great learning I ought not to thinke mine owne wit better then all mennes but shoulde beleue them that were learned I promise you quoth hee I haue read all Peter Martyrs booke and Cranmers and all the rest of them and haue conferred them with the contrary as Roffensis and the Byshop of Winchester c. and could not perceiue but that there was one continuall truth whiche from the begynning had bene mayntayned and those that at anye time seuered from this vnitie were aunswered and aunswered agayn This was the summe of hys tale whiche lacked neyther witte nor eloquence M. Greene. Then spake I. For asmuche as it pleaseth youre Maystership to vse me so familiarly for hee so behaued hymselfe towardes me as though I had bene hys equall I shall open my mind freely vnto you desiring you for to take it in good worth I consider my youth lack of wit and learning which would god it were but a little vnder the opinion that some men haue of me But God is not bounde to time witte or knowledge but rather choseth infirma mundi vt confunderet fortia Neyther can men appoynt bondes to Gods mercy For I will haue compassion sayth he on whome I will shew mercy There is no respecte of persons with God whether it be olde or young riche or poore wise or foolish Fisher or Basket maker God geueth knowledge of hys truth through hys free grace to whome he liste Iames. i. Neither doe I thinke my selfe onely to haue the trueth but steadfastly beleue that Christ hath hys spouse the Catholicke and vniuersall Church dispersed in many realmes where it pleaseth him spiritus vbi vult spirat no more is hee addicted to any one place then to the person and qualitie of one man Of this Church I nothing doubt my selfe to be a member trusting to be saued by the fayth that is taught in the same But how this Church is knowne is in a maner the end of all controuersie And the true markes of Christes Church is the true preaching of his worde and ministering of his sacramentes These markes were sealed by the Apostles and confirmed by the auncient fathers till at the length they were through the wickednes of men and the deuill sore worne and almost vtterly taken away But God bee praysed that he hath renewed the print that hys truth may be knowne in many places For my selfe I call God to witnesse I haue no hope in mine owne wit and learning whiche is very small but I was perswaded thereto by hym as by an instrument that is excellent in al good learning and liuing And God is my record that chiefly I sought it of hym by continuall prayer with teares Furthermore what I haue done herein it is not needefull for me to speake but one thing I say I wish of God with all my hart that all men which are of contrary iudgement woulde seeke the truth in like maner Now I am â—rought hether before a great many of Byshops and learned men to be made a foole and laughing stocke but I waygh it not a rushe For God knoweth that my whole study is to please hym Besides that care I not for mannes pleasure or displeasure M. Welch No M. Greene quoth he thinke not so vncharitably of any man but iudge rather that men labour for your soules health as for theyr owne And alas how will you condemne all our forefathers Or how can you thinke your selfe to bee of the catholicke Church without anye continuaunce and contrary to the iudgement of all learned men Greene. Then sayde I Syr I haue no authoritie to iudge anye manne neuerthelesse I doubte not but that I am of the true catholicke Church howe soeuer our learned men here iudge of me Welche Why then sayd he do you suppose your own wyt and learning better then all theirs if you doe not geue credite onely to them other learned men shall resort vnto you that shal perswade you by the Scriptures and Doctours Greene. Sir ê™ I God knoweth that I refuse not to learn of any childe but I would embrace the trueth from the mouth of a naturall foole in any thing wherein I am ignorauÌ„t and that in all thinges sauing my faith But concerning the truth wherein I am throughly perswaded I cannot submit my selfe to learne vnlesse it be as youre maistership sayd that I perused the bookes on both sides For so might I make my selfe an indifferent iudge otherwise I may be seduced And here we fell out agayne in a long talke of the Churche wherein his learning and wit was much aboue myne but in the ende I told hym I was perswaded and that hee did but lose his labour Welch Why then ê™ he what shall I report to my Lord Greene. Euen as pleaseth you ê™ I or els you may say that I would be glad to learne if I had bookes on both sides So he going in the Bishoppes euen then risen and ready to depart asked how he liked me He aunswered in fayth my Lord he will be glad to learne whiche wordes when they were taken least they
sory that it is gone abroad To whome the Archbishop aunswered agayn saying as I do not deny my selfe to be the very author of that bill or letter so much I confesse here vnto you concerning the same bill that I am sory that the said bill went from me in such sort as it did For when I had written it M. Scorye got the copy of me and is now come abroad and as I vnderstand the City is full of it For which I am sory that it so passed my hands for I had intended otherwise to haue made it in a more large and ample maner and minded to haue set it on Paules Church doore and on the doores of al the Churches in London which mine owne seale ioyned thereto At which wordes when they sawe the constantnesse of the man they dismissed him affirming they had no more at that present to say vnto him but that shortly he shoulde heare further The sayd Bishop declared afterward to one of Doctour Cranmers frendes that notwithstanding his atteinder of treason the Queenes determination at that tyme was that Cranmer shoulde onely haue bene depriued of his Archbishopricke and haue had a sufficient lyuing assigned hym vpon his exhibiting of a true Inuentory with commaundement to keepe his house withoute medling in matters of Religion But how that was true I haue not to say This is certaine that not lōg after this he was sent vnto the Tower and soone after condemned of Treason Notwithstanding the Queene when shee coulde not honestly denye him his pardon seeyng all the rest were discharged and specially seeing he last of all other subscribed to Kyng Edwardes request and that agaynst his owne will released to him his action of Treason and accused him onely of heresy which liked the Archbishop right well and came to passe as he wished because the cause was not nowe his owne but Christes not the Queenes but the churches Thus stood the cause of Cranmer till at length it was determined by the Queene and the Councell that he should be remoued from the Tower where he was prisoner to Oxforde there to dispute wyth the Doctours and Diuines And priuily word was sent before to them of Oxford to prepare themselues and make them ready to dispute And although the Queene and the bishops had concluded before what should become of him yet it pleased them that the matter should be debated with argumentes that vnder some honest shew of disputation the murther of the man might bee couered Neither coulde theyr hasty speed of reuengemēt abide any long delay and therfore in all hast he was caried to Oxford What this disputation was and how it was handled what were the questions and reasons on both sides and also touching his condemnation by the Uniuersitye and the Prolocutour because sufficiently it hath bene declared we minde nowe therefore to proceede to his finall iudgement and order of condemnation which was the xij day of September an 1556. and seauen dayes before the condemnation of Bishoppe Ridley and Mayster Latimer as is aboue foretouched The storye whereof here followeth faythfullye collected by the reporte and narration commyng by chaunce to our handes of one who being both present thereat and also a deuoute Fauourer of the Sea and faction of Rome canne lacke no credite I trowe with suche which seeke what they can to discredite what so euer maketh not with theyr phantasied Religion of Rome After the disputations done and finished in Oxford betwene the Doctors of both Uniuersityes the three worthy Bishops D. Cranmer Ridley and Latimer he heard then howe sentence condemnatory immediatlye vpon the same was ministred agaynst them by D. Weston other of the Uniuersitye whereby they were iudged to be heretickes so committed to the Maior and Sheriffes of Oxford But forasmuch as the sentence geuē them was voyd in law for at that time the authority of the Pope was not yet receiued into the land therfore was a new commission sent from Rome and a new processe framed for the cōuiction of these reuerend and godly learned mē aforesayd In which commission first was Doct. Iames Brookes Bishop of Glocester the Popes Subdelegate with D. Martin and D. Story Commissioners in the king queenes behalfe for the execution of the same Of the which 3 Cōmissioners aboue named as touching D. Martin this by the way is to be vnderstand that although he was vsed for an instrument of the Popes side to serue a turne whose book also is extant agaynst the lawfull mariage of Priestes yet notwithstāding neither was he so bitter an enemy in this persecution as other Commissioners were and also in this time of Queene Elizabeth were diuers other Doctors of the Arches refused to be sworne agaynst the Pope he denied not the othe and yet notwithstanding not a together here to be excused But to the purpose of this story Wherof first it shall be requisite to declare the circumstaunce and the whole state of the matter as in a generall description before we come to theyr Orations according as in a percell of a certain letter touching the same it came to our handes In primis here is to be vnderstande that the commyng downe of the foresayde Commissioners which was vpon Thursday the xij of September an 1555. in the church of S. Mary and in the East end of the sayd church at the hie aultar was erected a solemne Scaffold for bishop Brokes aforesayde representing the Popes person ten foote high The seat was made that he might sit vnder the Sacramēt of the aultar And on the righte hand of the Popes Delegate beneath him sate Doctour Martin and on the lefte hand sate Doctour Story the kynge and Queenes Commissioners which were both Doctours of the Ciuill law and vnderneth them other Doctours Scribes and Phariseis also with the Popes Collectour and a rablement of such other like And thus these Byshops being placed in theyr Pontificalibus the B. of Canterbury was sent for to come before thē He hauing intelligence of them that were there thus ordered himselfe He came forth of the prison to the church of S. Mary set forth with billes and gleues for feare least he shoulde starte awaye being cloathed in a fayre blacke gowne with his hoode on both shoulders suche as Doctors of Diuinity in the Uniuersity vse to weare Who after he was come into the Church and did see them sitte in theyr Pontificalibus he did not put of his cappe to none of them but stood still till that he was called And anon one of the Proctors for the Pope or els his Doctour called Thomas Archbishop of Caunterbury appeare here and make aunswere to that shall be layd to thy charge that is to say for blasphemy incontinency and heresy and make answere here to the Bishop of Glocester representing the Popes person Upon this he being brought more neare vnto the scaffold where the foresayd Bishops sate he first well viewed
cordis thesaurizas tibi iram in die irae Well what it is thē if feare do not hinder you shame to vnsay that that you haue sayde Nay it is no shame vnlesse ye thinke it shame to agree with the true and the catholicke church of christ And if that bee shame then blame S. Paule who persecuted the Disciples of Christ with sword then blame S. Peter who denyed his mayster Christ with an othe that he neuer knewe him S. Cyprian before his returne being a witch S. Augustine being ix yeares out of the Church They thought it no shame after their returne of that they hadde returned Shall it then be shame for you to conuert and consent with the Churche of Christe no no. What is it then that doth let you Glory of the world nay as for the vanity of the world I for my part iudge not in you beyng a man of learning and knowing your estate And as for the losse of your estimation it is tenne to one that where you were Archhishop of Caunterbury and Metropolitane of England it is tenne to one I say that ye shall be as well still yea and rather better And as for the winning of good men there is no doubte but all that be here present and the whole congregation of Christes Churche also will more reioyce of your returne then they were sory for your fall And as for the other ye neede not to doubt for they shall all come after and to say the truth if you should lose them for euer it were no force ye should haue no losse thereby I do not here touch them which should confirme your estimation For as Sayncte Paule after his conuersion was receiued into the Church of Christ with wonderfull ioy to the whole congregation euen so shall you be The fame of your returne shall be spread abroade throughout all Christendome where your face was neuer knowne But you will say perhappes your conscience will not suffer you My Lord there is a good conscience and there is a bad conscience The good conscience haue not they as S. Paul declareth to Timothe concerning Hymaeneus and Alexander This euill badde conscience is sayth S. Cyprian well to be knowne by his marke What marke This conscience is marked with the print of heresy This conscience is a noughty filthy and a bronded conscience which I trust is not in you I haue cōceiued a better hope of you then so or els would I neuer go about to persuade or exhort you But what conscience should stay you to returne to the Catholicke fayth and vniuersall Churche of Christ what conscience doth separate you to that deuillish and seuerall Church to a liberty which neuer had ground in the holy Scriptures If you iudge your liberty to be good then iudge you all Christendome to do euill besides you O what a presumptuous persuasiō is this vpō this vtterly to forsake the church of Christ Vnder what colour or pretence doe you this for the abuses as though in your Church were no abuses yes that there were And if you forsake the vniuersall Church for the abuses why do you not thē forsake your particuler churche and so be flitting from one to an other That is not the nexte way to slip from the church for the abuses for if you had seene abuses you should rather haue endeuored for a reformation then for a defection He is a good Chirurgeon who for a litle payne in the toe will cut of the whole leg He helpeth well the tooth ache which cutteth away the head by the shoulders It is mere folly to amend abuses by abuses Ye are like Diogenes for Diogenes on a time enuying the clenlines of Plato sayd on this wise Ecce calco fastum Platonis Plato answered Sed alio fastu So that Diogenes semed more faulty of the two But when we haue sayde all that we can peraduenture you will say I will not returne And to that I say I will not aunswere Neuerthelesse heare what Christ sayth to such obstinate and stifnecked people in the parable of the Supper Whē he had sent out his men to cal them in that were appoynted and they would not come he bad his seruantes going into the wayes and streetes to compell men to come in Cogite intrare If then the Church wyll not lese any member that may be compelled to come in ye must thinke it good to take the compulsion least you loose your part of the supper which the Lord hath prepared for you and this cōpulsion standeth well with charity But it may be perhaps that some hath animated you to sticke to your tackle not to geue ouer bearing you in hand that your opinion is good and that ye shall dye in a good quarrell god shall accept your oblation But heare what Christ sayth of a meaner gift If thou come to the aultar to offer thy oblation and knowest that thy brother hath somewhat to saye agaynst thee leaue there thy gift and go and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer vp thy gift or els thy brother will make thy offering vnsauery before God This he sayd vnto all the world to the end they should know how theyr offeringes should be receiued if they were not according Remember you therefore before you offer vp your offering whether your gift be qualified or no. Remember the Churche of Rome and also of Englande where not one onely brother but a number haue matter against you so iust that they wil make your burnt offering to stincke before God except you be recōciled If you muste needes appoynt vppon a Sacrifice make yet a meane first to them that haue to lay agaynst you I say no more then the Church hath allowed me to saye For the sacrifice that is offered without the Church is not profitable The premises therfore cōsidered for gods sake I say Memor esto vnde excideris age paenitentiam prima opera fac Sin minus c. Cast not your selfe away spare your bodye spare your soule spare them also whome you haue seduced spare the shedding of Christes bloud for you in vayne Harden not your hart acknowledge the trueth yelde to the prescript word of God to the catholicke Church of Rome to the receiued veritie of all Christendome Wedde not your selfe to your owne selfewill Stand not to much in your owne conceyt thinke not your selfe wiser then all Christendome is besides you Leaue of this vniust cauill How leaue why leaue reason leaue wonder and beleue as the Catholicke Church doth beleeue and teach you Perswade with your selfe that extra Ecclesiam non est salus i. Without the Churche there is no saluation And thus much haue I sayd of charitye If this poore simple exhortation of mine may sincke into your head and take effect with you then haue I sayd as I would haue sayd otherwise not as I would but as I could for this
Whome after that he hadde praised in the beginning of hys sermon for their perseueraunce in the true woorshipping of God he then deuided his whole sermon into 3. partes according to the solemne custome of the Schooles entending to speake firste of the mercy of God secondly of his Iustice to be shewed and last of all howe the Princes secretes are not to be opened And proceeding a little from the beginning he tooke occasion by and by to tourne his tale to Cranmer and wyth many hote woordes reprooued him that once he being endued with the fauour and feeling of wholesome and Catholicke doctrine fell into the contrary opinion of pernicious error which he had not only defended by wrytings and all hys power but also allured other men to doe the like wyth great liberalitye of giftes as it were appoynting rewardes for errour and after hee had allured them by all meanes did chearish them It were too long to repeat all things that in long order were there pronounced The summe of this tripartâ—â—e declamation was that he saide Gods mercy was so tempered with his iustice that he did not altogether require punishment according to the merites of offenders nor yet sometimes suffered the same altogither to go vnpunished yea though they had repented As in Dauid who wheÌ„ he was bidden chuse of 3. kindes of punishments which hee would and he had chosen pestilence for 3. dayes the Lord forgaue him halfe the tyme but did not release all And that the same thing came to passe in him also to whom although pardon reconciliation was due according to the Canons seeing hee repented from his errours yet there were causes why the Queene and the CouÌ„cel at this time iudged hym to death of which least he should maruell too much he should heare some First that being a traytor he had dissolued the lawfull matrimonie betweene the Kinge her father and mother besides the driuing oute of the Popes authoritye while he was Metropolitane Secondly that he had ben an heretike from whom as from an author and onely fountaine all heretical doctrine schismaticall opinions that so many yeres haue preuailed in Englande did first rise and spring of which hee had not bene a secrete fauorer only but also a most earnest defender euen to the ende of his life sowing them abroad by wrytings and argumeÌ„ts priuately and openly notwithout great ruine and decay of the catholicke church And further it seemed meete according to the lawe of equalitie that as the death of the Duke of Northumb. of late made euen wyth Thomas More Chauncellour that dyed for the Churche so there shoulde be one that shoulde make euen with Fisher of Rochester and because that Ridley Hooper Ferrar were not able to make eueÌ„ wyth that man it seemed meete that Cranmer shoulde be ioyned to them to fill vp this part of equalitie Besides these there were other iust and weighty causes which seemed to the Queene and the Councel whych was not meete at that time to bee opened to the common people After this turning his tale to the hearers he bad al men beware by this maÌ„s example that amoÌ„g men nothing is so high that can promise it selfe safetie on the earth and that Gods vengeance is equally stretched against al men and spareth none therfore they should beware learne to fear their Prince And seeing the Queenes maiestie woulde not spare so notable a man as this much lesse in the like cause she would spare other men that no man should thinke to make thereby anye defence of his errour either in richesse or any kinde of authoritie They had nowe an example to teache them all by whose calamity euery man might consider hys owne fortune who from the toppe of dignitie none being more honorable then he in the whole realme and next the King was faln into so great miserie as they myght nowe see being a man of so high degree sometime one of the chiefest Prelates in the Church and an Archbishop the chiefe of the Counsell the seconde persone in the Realme of long time a man thought in greatest assuraÌ„ce hauing a King on his side notwythstanding all hys authority and defence to be debaced froÌ„ high estate to a lowe degree of a Counsellour to become a caitiffe and to be set in so wretched a state that the poorest wretche woulde not chaunge condition with hym briefly so heaped wyth misery on all sides that neyther was left in hym any hope of better fortune nor place for worse The latter parte of hys Sermone he conuerted to the Archbishoppe whome hee comforted and encouraged to take hys death wel by many places of Scripture as with these and suche like bidding hym not mistruste but hee shoulde incontinently receyue that the theâ—e did to whom Christe sayde Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso That is Thys day thou shalt be wyth mee in Paradise And out of S. Paule hee aâ—â—ued hym against the terrour of the fire by this Dominus fidelis est non sinet vos tentari vltra quà m ferre potestis That is The Lorde is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue youre strengthe by the example of the three children to whome God made the flame to seeme lyke a pleasaunt dewe adding also the reioysing of S. Andrewe in hys crosse the pacience of S. Laurence on the fire assuring hym that God if he called on hym and to such as die in hys faith eyther woulde abate the furie of the flame or geue hym strength to abide it Hee glorifyed God muche in hys conuersion because it appeared to be onely his woorke declaring what trauell and conference had beene with hym to conuert hym and all preuailed not till that it pleased God of hys mercye to reclaime hym and call hym home In discourâ—ynge of whych place he muche commended Cranmer and qualified hys former doynges thus tempering his iudgement and talke of hym that while the time sayde he he slowed in richesse and honour he was vnwoorthy of his life and nowe that he myght not liue he was vnwoorthy of death But least he shoulde carie with him no comfort he would diligently labour he sayde and also he did promise in the name of all the Priests that were present that immediately after hys death there shoulde be Diriges Masses and funerals executed for hym in all the Churches of Oxforde for the succour of hys soule Cranmer in all thys meane tyme wyth what greate griefe of minde hee stoode hearing thys Sermon the outwarde shewes of hys bodye and countenaunce did better expresse then any man can declare one while lifting vppe hys handes and eyes vnto heauen and then agayne for shame letting them downe to the earth A manne myghte haue seene the verye image and shape of perfecte sorrowe liuely in hym expressed More then twentie seuerall times the teares gushed out aboundantly dropped downe marueilously from hys Fatherly face They whych were
he sweare vnto vs as he did vnto the vnfaythfull Iewes that such Infidells shall not enter into his rest In the administration of the Lordes supper whiche we confessed to be the holye Communion and pertakinge with Christ and his holy Congregation we haue learned Gods holy commaundements and at the rehearsall of euery one of them to ask God mercy for our most grieuous transgressions agaynst them and to aske grace of God to keepe them in time to come that the same may not onelye outwardly sound in our eares but also inwardly by the holy ghost be written in our hartes Wee haue learned also the holye prayer made for the Queenes Maiestie wherein wee learne that her power and authoritie is of God therefore wee praye to God for her that shee and all magistrates vnder her may rule according to Gods worde and we her subiectes obey according to the same Truely most honourable Commissioners we caÌ„not thinke these thinges euill but thinke them moste worthye to be retayned in our Churches and we would think our selues not to haue true subiectes hartes if we shuld go about to put away such godly prayers as put vs perpetually in memory of our bounden obedience duety to God and our Rulers For as we thinke at this present the vnquiet multitude had more neede to haue these things more often and earnestly beaten and driuen into them specially geuen in many places to stirre and trouble then to take from them that blessed doctrine whereby onely they may to their saluation be kept in quiet Furthermore we caÌ„not forsake that blessed partaking of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Christes institution ministred with such godly prayers exhortatioÌ„s and admonitions teaching vs the knowledge of God the exceeding loue and charity of our louing redeemer Christ breaking hys body vpon the crosse for our sinnes shâ—dding his most precious bloud for our redemption whych we in eating of that blessed breade and drinking of yâ— blessed Cup assuredly beleue that we receiue and be perfectly ioyned with Christ and his holy Catholike Churche into one body and into one vnitie and brotherly loue wherby eche member faithfully embraceth other We must needes confesse thys institution of Christ to be moste holy godly whereof we haue the onely coÌ„fort in conscience against sinne damnation with the assurance of saluation wherof hath ensued reformation of many hainous sinnes much lawinge strife and contention is ended dronkennesse whoredome and other vices in some reformed goodnesse and vertue increased and nourished In the Latine Masse we neuer had no suche edifying but only we saw a great many of ceremonies and strange gestures as tourning of the Prieste crossings blessings breathings washing of handes and spreading abroade of hys armes wyth like ceremonies that we vnderstaÌ„d not And concerninge the Latine tongue wherein the Prieste prayeth we wote not whether hee blesseth or cursseth vs. Wee are not partakers of the Sacrament as Christes institution appoynteth we should be In the ministring of the Sacrament the Priests alter the institution of Christ committing theft and sacriledge robbing vs of the cup of Christes bloud coÌ„trary to Christes commandement saying Drinke yee all of this They rob vs also of Gods woord speaking all thyngs in Latine whych nothing edifieth vs eyther in Faythe or maners Christe commaunded not that his Supper shuld be ministred in an vnknowen tounge but for as much as faith commeth of hearing and hearing commeth of Gods woorde howe can wee beleeue Christes woorde and promise made vnto vs in thys holy Sacrament saying Thys is my bodye broken for you and this is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche is shedde for you for the remission of sinnes if the same promises of Christe either be not at all recited or els so recited in Latine that the Congregation vnderstandeth not or heareth not what is spoken S. Paul saith thus reciting the saying of Esay As truly as I liue sayth the Lorde all knees shall bowe vnto me all tongues shall geue praise vnto God Also he sayeth Al tongues must confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the father The holye Ghost came vppon the Apostles in fiery tongues so that they spake the tongues of all nations vnder heauen S. Paul ministred to the Corinthians and preached to them in theyr owne mother tongue and rebuked the bringyng in of straunge tongues into the congregations Wee can not thincke it to be well that so holy an Apostle rebuked And what soeuer vertue the Latine tongue hath to suche as vnderstand it to vs English men not vnderstandyng it it is altogether without vertue and edifying and therfore vnmeete for our Churches The Priestes complayne that we lay men loue them not nor haue them in honour But it is their owne faulte For how should we loue them that onely seeeke to keep vs in blindnes and ignorance to damne our soules to destroy our bodies to rob and spoyle our goodes and substaunce vnder a colour of pretensed holines We knowe right honourable Commissioners what honour is due to suche Wolues how by the authoritie of Gods word such are to be fledde as pestilences to the Lordes lambes whom they miserably dayly murder But we haue rather chosen by this our meeke supplycation humbly to desire the Queenes maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners to render Gods worde agayn vnto the Churches to permit vs freely to enioye the same For we certainely knowe that the whole Religion lately set out by the holy sainct of God our late most deare king Edward is Christes true religion written in the holy scripture of God and by Christe and his Apostles taught vnto his Church Wherefore we cannot allowe with safe consciences this refusall of it and casting of it out of oure Churches for asmuch as to refuse cast off to reiect is to cast off Christ himselfe and to refuse our part in his blessed body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our redemption Which thing who so doth the same without repentaunce can look for no sacrifice for his sinnes but most fearfully wayte for the iudgement and for that vehement fire that shall destroy Christes aduersaries For if hee that despiseth the law of Moses is without mercye put to death vnder two or three witnesses howe much more greeuous tormentes shall he suffer that treadeth vnder foot the sonne of God and esteemeth the bloud of the Testament wherby he was sanctified as a prophane thing coÌ„tumeliously vseth the spirite of grace Wherefore wee moste humbly praye and beseeche the Queenes gracious Maiestie to haue mercy and pitty vpon vs her poore and faithfull subiectes and not to compel vs to do the thing that is agaynst our consciences and shall so incurably wound vs in hart by bringing into the churche the Latine Masse and seruice that nothing edifieth vs and and casting out of Christes holye Communion and
by all the Graduates of the vniuersity wheras was song a masse of the holy ghoste with great solemnitie nothing wanting in that behalfe that might make to the setting forthe of the same In this place it was marked that Nich. Ormanet commoÌ„ly surnamed Datary who albeit he wer inferior in estate vnto Chester being a Bish. yet was superior to them all in authoritye while the Masse was a celebrating eft standing eft sitting and sometime kneling on his knees obserued certaine ceremonies which afterward were required of al others to be obserued as in processe hereof was to be seene From thence they attended all vpon the Legates to s. Maries church which we declared before to haue ben interdited In the which place for as much as it was suspeÌ„ded although no masse might be song yet ther was a sermon made in open audience by M. Pecocke in the Latine tounge preaching against heresies and hereticks as Bilney Cranmer Latimer Ridley c. The which being ended they proceeded eftsoones to the visitation Where first D. Haruye did in the Cardinals name exhibite the coÌ„mission to the bishop of Chester with a few words in Latin Which being accepted and by M. Clarke openly redde to the end then the Uicechancellor wyth an Oration did exhibite the certificate vnder his seal of office with the Cardinals citation annexed conteining euery mans name in the Uniuersitie and Colledges with the Officers and all the maisters of houses Among whom was also Roberte Brassey maister of the kings colledge a woorthy old man both for his wisedom and his hoare haires Who hearing hys owne name recited next after the Uicechauncellours sayd he was there present as all the other were neuerthelesse for as much as the reformation of his house was wholy reserued to the discretion of the byshop of Lincolne not only by the kings letters Patents but also by graunte of confirmation from the bishop of Rome him selfe vnder a penaltie if he should suffer any strangers to entermeddle he openly protested in discharge of hys duety that vnlesse theyr Commission gaue them authoritye and iurisdiction vppon that Colledge either by expresse woordes or manifest sense he vtterly exempted himselfe from being present This his exception they tooke all in great displeasure alleaging that they were fullye authorysed for the order of that matter by the Cardinall out of whose iurisdiction no place nor persons was exempted wherefore he had done euil to call into question theyr authoritie so well knowen to all men Chester seemed to be more mooued at the matter then all the other and that was because Brassey had a litle before obtained the woorship of that roume eueâ— vtterly against his wil and maugre his head doing the worst he coulde against him After the formal solemnity of these things thus accomplished the commission being red and the citation exhibited al the masters of houses being openly cited euery maÌ„ for a while departed home to his owne house wyth commandement to be at the common schooles of the sayd vniuersity at one of the clock the same day When the degrees of the vniuersitye commonly called Regents non Regents were assembled thither they spent the rest of the daye in reading ouer of Charters graunted to the Uniuersity by kings and princes in searching out of bulles pardons from the pope in perusing of other Monuments pertaining to the Uniuersitie The next day folowing being the 12. of Ianu. they resorted to the kings Colledge to make Inquisition eyther because the same for the woorthines therof was chiefe and soueraigne of all the residue or els because that that house especially before all others had beene counted time out of minde neuer to be without an hereticke as they tearme them or twaine And at that present time albâ—it that many nowe alate had withdrawne themselues from thence yet they iudged there were some remaining still The order and maner how they woulde be intertained of euerye Colledge when they shoulde come to make Inquisition they themselues appoynted which was in this sort They commaunded the master of euery house together with the residue as well fellowes as scholers apparelled in priestlike garmeÌ„ts which they cal habits to mete them at the vttermoste gate of theyr house towarde the towne The maister him selfe to be dressed in like apparell as the Priest when hee rauisheth himselfe to Masse sauing that he should putte on vppermoste his habite as the rest dyd The order of theyr goynge they appoynted to be in thys wise The Maister of the House to goe formost Next vnto him euery man in hys order as he was of degree seigniority or of yeres Before the M. should be caried a crosse holy water to sprinckle the Commissioners withal and then after that the sayd Commissioners to be sensed And so after this meeting and mumbling of a few deuotions they determined with this pompe and solempnitie to bee brought to the Chappell Many thought they tooke more honor vpon them than belonged to the state of man Other some forasmuche as at that time they not only pretended the iurisdiction of the Cardinall but also represented the power and authoritye of the Bishop of Rome himselfe who was accoumpted to be more than a mortall man sayde it was farre lesse then of duety appertained to hys holinesse in that the honoure that was done to his Legates was not done to them but to his holinesse Now was the houre come at which they appoynted to meete and being entred the kings colledge gate where they looked for the maister and fellowes of the house seeing no man came to meete them they proceeded foorth to the Church doore where they staied There perceiuing how the maister and the rest of the house were dressing themselues as fast as they coulde as in such order as was appoynted before they came in sodenly vppon them before they had set out any foote out of theyr places Then the maister first excused himselfe that hee was ready no sooner acknowledging that it had bene his duety to haue bene in a readinesse Secondly he saide he was very glad of their comming promising firste in hys owne name and after in the name of all the rest as muche reuerence as mighte be in all matters concerning theyr common veilitie the which he doubted not but should be performed at their hands according to his expectation But like as he had don the other day in S. Maries church the same exception he made to them nowe also the whych his doing he besoughte them not to be offended withall For seeing he did it onely for the discharge of his duetie he had iuster cause to be helde excused Hee had scarsly yet finished his tale but the Bishop of Chester with a frowning looke and an angry countenaÌ„ce interrupting him of his talke said he needed not to repeat the things hee had protested before nor they to make aunswer any more to
indued with humanity vtterly to be abhorred Wherfore M. Calfield then Subdeane of the Colledge diligeÌ„tly prouided that from Marshals dunghill she was restored and translated to her proper place agayne yea withall coupled her with Frideswides boanes that in case any Cardinall wil be so mad hereafter to remoue this womaÌ„s bones agayne it shall be hard for theÌ„ to discerne the bones of her from the other And because to the intent the same might be notified to the mindes of men the better the next day after which was sonday M. Rogerson preached vnto the people in whiche Sermon by the way he declared the rough dealing of the aduersaries which were not contented to practise their cruelty against the liuing but that they must also rage agaynst one that was dead and had lien 2. yeares in her graue God graunt theÌ„ once to see their own wickednes Amen And thus much touching the noble actes and straungenes of this worthy Cardinal in both the vniuersities whervnto it shall not be impertinent here also consequently to adioyne and set forth to the eyes of the worlde the blinde and bloudy articles set out by Cardinal Poole to be inquired vpoÌ„ within his dioces of Canterbury whereby it may the better appeare what yokes and snares of fond fruitles traditions were layd vpon the poore flock of Christ to entangle and oppresse them with losse of life and libertye By the which wise meÌ„ haue to see what godly fruits proceeded from that catholicke Church and See of Rome In which albeit thou seest good Reader some good Articles insparsed withall let that nothing moue thee for els how could such poysoÌ„ be ministred but it must haue some hony to relish the readers taste ¶ Here folow the articles set forth by Cardinall Poole to be inquired in his ordinary visitation within his Dioces of Caunterbury ⧠Touching the Clergy 1 FIrste whether the Diuine Seruice in the Churche at times dayes houres be obserued and kept duly or no. 2 Item whether the Parsons Uicars and Curates do comely and decently in theyr maners and doinges behaue themselues or no. 3 Item whether they do reuerently and duely minister the sacraments or sacramentals or no. 4 Item whether any of theyr parishioners do die without ministration of the sacraments through the negligeÌ„ce of theyr Curates or no. 5 Item whether the sayd parsons vicars or curates do haunt Tauernes or Alehouses increasing thereby infamy and sclaunder or no. 6 Item whether they be diligent in teaching the Mydwiues how to christen children in time of necessity according to the Canons of the Church or no. 7 Item whether they see that the Font be comely kept and haue holy water alwaies ready for children to be christened 8 Item if they do keepe a book of all the names of them that be reconciled to the duety of the Church 9 Item whether there be any Priestes that late vnlawfully had women vnder pretensed maryage and hytherto are not recoÌ„ciled and to declare theyr names and dwelling places 10 Item whether they doe diligently teach theyr Parishioners the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes 11 Item whether they do decently obserue those thinges that do concerne the seruice of the church al those things that tend to a good and Christian life according to the Canons of the Church 12 Item whether they do deuoutly in theyr prayers pray for the prosperous estate of the Kyng and Queenes Maiestyes 13 Item whether the sayd Parsons and Uicars do sufficiently repayre theyr Chauncels Rectoryes and vicarages and do keep and mayntein them sufficiently repayred and amended 14 Item whether any of them do preach or teach any erroneous doctrine contrary to the catholicke fayth vnity of the church 15 Item whether any of them do say the diuine seruice or do minister the sacraments in the English tongue contrary to the vsuall order of the church 16 Item whether any of them do suspiciously keepe any women in theyr houses or do keepe coÌ„pany with men suspected of heresies or of euill opinions 17 Item whether any of theÌ„ that were vnder pretence of lawfull matrimony maried and now reconciled do priuily resort to theyr presented wiues or that the sayd women do priuily resort vnto them 18 Item whether they do goe decently apparelled as it becommeth sad sober and discreet ministers and whether they haue theyr crownes and beardes shauen 19 IteÌ„ whether any of theÌ„ do vse any vnlawfull games as diâ—e cardes other like wherby they grow to sclaunder and euill report 20 Item whether they do keepe residence and hospitality vpon theyr Benefices and do make charitable coÌ„tributions according to all the lawes Ecclesiasticall 21 Item whether they do keepe the booke or Register of Christening Burying and Mariages with the names of the godfathers and godmothers ⧠Touching the lay people 1 FIrst whether any maner of person of what estate degree or condition so euer he be do hold maintein or affirme any heresies errors or erroneous opinions coÌ„trary to the lawes Ecclesiasticall and the vnity of the Catholicke Church 2 Item whether any person doe holde affirme or saye that in the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar there is not coÌ„teined the reall and substantiall presence of Christ or that by any maner of meanes do contemne and despite the sayd blessed Sacrament or do refuse to do reuereÌ„ce or worship thereunto 3 Item whether they doe contemne or despise by anye maner of meanes any other of the Sacramentes Rites or Ceremonies of the Church or do refuse or deny auricular confession 4 Item whether any do absent or refrayne without vrgent and lawfull impedement to come to the Church and reuerently to heare the diuine seruice vpon Sondaies and holy dayes 5 Item whether being in the Church they do not apply themselues to heare the diuine seruice and to be contemplatiue in holy prayer and not to walke iangle or talk in the time of the diuine seruice 6 Item whether any be fornicatours adulterers or doe commit incest or be baudes and receiuers of euill persons or be vehemently suspected of any of them 7 Item whether any do blaspheme and take the name of God in vayne or be common swearers 8 Item whether any be periured or haue coÌ„mitted Simony or vsury or do still remayne in the same 9 Item whether the Churches churchyardes be well and honestly repared and inclosed 10 Item whether the Churches be sufficiently garnished and adorned with all ornaments and bookes necessary and whether they haue a Roode in theyr church of a decent stature with Mary and Iohn and an Image of the Patrone of the same church 11 Item whether any do withholde or doth draw from the church any maner of mony or goodes or that do withhold theyr due and accustomed tithes froÌ„ theyr Parsons Uicars 12 Item whether any be common drunkardes ribalds or meÌ„ of euill liuing or do exercise any lew pastimes especially in the time
Bourn knight one of our chiefe Secretaryes Iohn Mordaunt knight Frances Englefield knight maister of our Wards and Liueries Edward Walgraue knight Mayster of our great Wardrobe Nicholas Hare knight master of the Rolles and our high Court of Chauncery to our trusty and welbeloued Tho. Pope knight Roger Cholmley knight Richard Rede knight Rowlād Hil knight William Rastall Sergeant at law Hēry Cole Clerke Deane of Paules William Roper Rafe Cholmley Esquiers Williā Cooke Thomas Martin Iohn Story Iohn Uaughan Doctours of Law greeting For as muche as diuers deuillishe and sclaunderous persons hauing not onely inuented bruted and sette forth diuers false rumors tales and sedicious sclaūders against vs but also haue sowne diuers heresies and heretical opinions and sette forth diuers seditious bookes within thys our Realme of England meaning thereby to styrre vp diuision strife contention sedition not onely amongst our louing subiectes but also betwixt vs our sayd subiectes with diuers others outragious misdemeanors enormityes contemptes and offences dayly committed and done to the disquieting of vs and our people we minding the due punishment of such offenders the repressing of such like offences enormities and misbehauiours from hencefoorth hauing speciall truste and confidence in your fidelityes wisedomes and discretions haue authorised appoynted assigned you to be our Commissioners and by these presentes do geue full power authority vnto you and three of you to enquire as well by the othes of twelue good and lawfull men as by witnesses and all other meanes politick wayes you can deuise of all singuler heretical opinions Lollardies heretical seditious bookes cōcealemēts contemptes conspiracies and all false rumors tales seditious and sclaunderous wordes or sayinges raysed published bruted inuented or set forth against vs or either of vs or agaynst the quiet gouernance rule of our peoples subiects by bookes lies tales or otherwise in any Coūtie Key bowing or other place or places within this our realme of England or els where in any place or places beyond the Seas of the bringing in vtterers buyers sellers readers kepers or cōueyers of any such letter books rumor and tale and of all and euery theyr coadiutors coūsellers comforters procurers abettors and mainteiners geuing vnto you and three of you full power authoritye by vertue hereof to search out and take into your hands possessiōs all maner of hereticall and sedicious bookes letters writinges wheresoeuer they or any of them shal be foūd as well in Printers houses and shops as elsewhere willing you and euery of you to searche for the same in all places according to your discretions And also to enquire heare and determine all and singular enormities disturbances misbehauiours and negligences committed in any Church Chappell or other halowed place within this Realme and also for and concerning the taking away or withholding any landes tenementes goodes ornamentes stockes of money or other thinges belonging to euery of the same Churches Chapels and all accountes and reckoninges concernyng the same And also to enquyre and search out all such persons as obstinately do refuse to receiue the blessed sacrament of the aultar to heare masse or come to their parish Churches or other conuenient places appoynted for diuine seruice and all such as refuse to go on Procession to take holy bread or holy water or otherwise doe misuse themselues in any church or other halowed place whersoeuer any of the same offences haue bene or hereafter shal be committed within this our sayd Realme Neuertheles our will and pleasure is that when and as oftē as any person or persons hereafter being called or conuented before you do obstinatly persist or stand in any maner of heresy or hereticall opinion that then ye or three of you do immediately take order that the same person or persons so standing or persisting be deliuered committed to his Ordinary there to be vsed according to the spirituall and ecclesiasticall lawes And also we geue vnto you or three of you full power and authority to enquyre and search out all vacabondes and maysterles men Barettours quarrellers and suspect persons abiding within our City of London ten myles compasse of the same and all assaultes and affrayes done committed within the same city and compasse And further to search out all waste decayes and ruins of Churches Chauncelles Chappelles Parsonages and Uicarages in the Dioces of the same being within thys Realme geuing you and euery of you full power and authority by vertue hereof to heare and determine the same and all other offences and matters aboue specifyed and rehearsed according to your wisedomes consciences and discretions willing and commaūding you or three of you from time to time to vse and deuise all such politick waies and meanes for the triall searching out of the premises as by you or three of you shal be thought most expedient necessary and vpon inquyry and due proofe had knowne perceiued and tried out by the confession of the parties or by sufficient witnesses before you or three of you concerning the premises or any part thereof or by any other waies or meanes requisite to geue and award such punishment to the offenders by fine imprisonment or otherwise to take such order for redresse and reformatiō of the premises as to your wisedomes or three of you shal be thought meet and conuenient Further willing and commaundyng you and euerye three of you in case you shall finde any person or persons obstinate or disobedient either in theyr appearance before you or three of you at your calling or assignment or els in not accomplishing or not obeying your Decrees Orders and commaundementes in any thing or thinges touching the premises or any part thereof to commit the same person or persons so offending to Ward there to remaine till by you or three of you he be discharged or deliuered c. And so forth with other such like matter as foloweth see in our first edition pag. 1563. ⧠The apprehension of two and twenty prisoners sent vp together for Gods word to London from Colchester AFter this bloudye Proclamation or Commission thus geuen out at London which was Februarye 8. the thyrde and fourth yeares of the Kynge and Queenes raigne these new Inquisitours especially some of them beganne to ruffle and to take vpon them no◠a little so that all quarters were full of persecution and prisons almost full of prisoners namely in the Dioces of Canterbury wherof by the leaue of Christ we will say more anon In the meane time about the Towne of Colchester the wind of persecution beganne fiercely to rise insomuch that three and twenty together men and women were apprehended at one clap of the which xxiij one escaped The other xxij were driuen vp like a flock of Christen lambes to London with two or three leaders with them at most ready to geue
that great Idolatry is sprong out of the carnall vnderstanding of the word of Christ This is my body yet dayly springeth to the great dishonour of God so that men worship a peece of bread for God yea and hold that to be their maker After this confession of their fayth and doctrine being written and exhibited they also deuised a letter withall in maner of a short supplication or rather an admonition to the Iudges and Commissioners requiring that Iustice and Iudgement after the rule of Gods worde might be ministred vnto them The copye of whiche theyr letter I thought here also to shew vnto the reader in forme as followeth * A letter or supplication of the prisoners to the Iudges TO the right honourable audience before whome these oure simple writinges and the confession of our fayth shall come to be read or seene we poore prisoners being fast in bandes vpon the tryall of our faythe whiche wee offer to bee tryed by the scriptures pray most hartily that for asmuch as God hath geuen you power and strength ouer vs as concerning our bodyes vnder whom we submit our selues as obedient subiects in al things due ye being officers and rulers of the people may execute true iudgement keepe the lawes of righteousnesse gouerne the people according to right and to heare the poore and helplesse in truth and to defend their cause God for his sonne Iesus Christes sake geue you the wisedom and vnderstanding of Salomon Dauid Ezechias Moyses wyth diuers others most vertuous rulers by whose wisedome most godly vnderstanding the people were iustly ruled and gouerned in the feare of God all wickednesse was by them ouerthrowne and beaten downe and all godlinesse and vertue did florish and spring O God whiche art the most hyghest the creator maker of all thinges and of all men both great and small and carest for all alike which doest try all mens workes and imaginations before whose iudgement seate shal come both high and low rich and poore we most humbly beseeche thee to put into our rulers heartes the pure loue and feare of thy name that euen as they theÌ„selues would be iudged and as they shall make aunswere before thee so to heare our causes to iudge with mercy and to read ouer these our requestes and confessions of our fayth with deliberation and a godly iudgement And if any thing here seemeth to your honourable audience to be erroneous or disagreeing to the scripture if it shall please your Lordship to heare vs patiently whiche doe offer our selues to the scriptures thereby to make aunswere and to be tryed in so doyng wee poore subiectes being in much captiuitie bondage are most bound to pray for your noble estate and long preseruation The request of these men being so iust and theyr doctrine so sound yet all this could not preuayle with the Bishop and other Iudges but that Sentence shoulde haue proceeded agaynst them incontinent had not the goodnes of the Lord better prouided for his seruauntes then the Bishoppe had intended For as they were now vnder the edge of the axe ready to be condemned by sentence it was thought otherwise by the Cardinall and some other wiser heades fearing belike least by the death of so many together some disturbance might rise peradueÌ„ture among the people and so was decreed among themselues that rather they shuld make some submission or confessioÌ„ such as they would themselues â—nd so to be sent home agayne as they were in deed howbeit diuers of them afterward wer apprehended and put to deathe But in the meane space as touching their submission which they made this it was as in forme here followeth ¶ The submission or confession of these aforesayd prisoners BEcause our sauiour Christ at his last supper took bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto his Disciples and sayde Take eate this is my bodye whiche is geuen for you this doe in the remembraunce of me Therefore according to the wordes of our sauioure Iesus Christ we do beleue in the sacrament to be Christes body And likewise he tooke the cup gaue thankes and gaue it to his Disciples and sayd This is my bloud of the newe Testament which is shed for many Therefore likewise we do beleue that it is the bloud of Christ according as Christes Churche dothe minister the same Unto the whiche Catholicke Church of Christe we do in this like as in all other matters submit oure selues promising therein to liue as it becommeth good chrystian men and here in this realme to vse our selues as it becommeth faythfull subiectes vnto our most gracious king and Queene and to all other superiours bothe spirituall and temporall according to our bounden dueties The names of them which subscribed to this submission were these Iohn Atkine Alyn Symson Richard George Thomas Firefanne William Munt Richard Ioly Richard Gratwicke Thomas Winsley Richard Rothe Richard Clerke Stephen Glouer Robert Colman T. Merse William Bongeor Robert Bercocke Margaret Hide Elyn Euryng Christian Pepper Margaret feld Alyce Munt Ioane Winesley Cysly Warren Rose Alyn Anne Whitelocke George Barker Iohn Saxebye Thomas Locker Alyce Locker ¶ A story of fiue other godly Martyrs burned at one fire in Smithfield the 12. daye of Aprill TO proceede further in this story of persecuted martyrs next in order followe fiue other burned at London in Smithfield in the foresayd yeare of the Lord. 1557. April 12. whose names were these Thomas Loseby Henry Ramsey Thomas Thyrtell Margaret Hyde and Agnes Stanley Who being some by the Lord Riche some by other Iustices of peace and Constables their own neighbours at the first accused and apprehended for not comming to their parish Churches were in the end sent vnto Boner Bish. of London and by hys commaundement the 27. day of Ianuary were examined before Doctour Darbyshyre then Chauncellour to the sayd Bishop vppon the former generall Articles mentioned pag. 1672. Aunsweres to the Articles WHose aunsweres thereunto were that as they confessed there was one true Catholick church wherof they steadfastly beleeued and thought the Churche of Rome to be no part or member so in the same Churche they beleued there were but two sacraments that is to say Baptisme and the supper of the Lorde Howbeit some of them attributed the title and honour of a sacrament to the holy estate of Matrimony which vndoubtedly was done rather of simple ignoraunce then of anye wilfull opinion and are thereof to be adiudged as before is admonished Moreouer they acknowledged themselues to be Baptised into the fayth of that true Church as in the thyrd article is specified And here in reading as wel of these Articles as also of the rest marke I beseech you the crafty subteltie of these Catholicke Champions who intermitting certayne poyntes of faith and of the true Church with the Idolatrous and superstitious mametry of theyr romyshe Sinagogue cause the poore and simple people
the first second thyrd fourth fift ninth tenthe twelfth they generally graunted vnto sauing that they denyed the soules of the departed to sleepe til the day of iudgement as is mentioned in the ix article And as concerning the sixt obiection they thought thē selues bound to beleue the true Catholicke Church so far foorth as the same doth instructe them according to Gods holy word but not to follow the determinations of the erroneous and Babilonicall Church of Rome As for the seuenth eight and thirtenth they vtterly denyed that euer they were of any such absurde opinions as are contayned therein but they graunted that man of him selfe without the helpe and assistance of Gods spirite hath no power to do any good thing acceptable in Gods sight To the eleuenth they sayd that true fasting and prayer vsed according to Gods word are allowable and auaylable in his sight and that by the same word euery faythfull man may eate all meates at all times with thankesgeuing to God for the same After this the first day of Aprill were they agayne conuented before the Bishop in his palace at London where little appeareth to be done excepte it were to know whether they would stand to their aunsweres whether they would recant or no. But when they refused to recant and deny the receiued and infallible truthe the Byshop caused them to be brought into the open Consistory the third day of the same moneth of Aprill in the forenone where firste vnderstanding by them their immutable constauncye and stedfastnes he demaunded particularly of euery one what they had to say why he should not pronounce the Sentence of condemnation To whom Tho. Loseby firste aunswered God geue me grace and strength to stand agaynst you your Sentence also agaynst your law which is a deuouring law for it deuoureth the flocke of Christe And I perceiue there is no way with me but death except I would consent to your deuouring law and beleeue in that Idoll the Masse Next vnto him answered Thomas Thirtell saying my Lorde I say thus if you make me an hereticke then you make Christ and all the 12. Apostles heretickes for I am in the true fayth and right beliefe I will stand in it for I know full well I shall haue eternall lyfe therefore The Byshoppe then asked the lyke question of Henry Ramsey Who sayd agayne my Lord will you haue me to go from the truth that I am in I say vnto you that my opinions be the very truth which I will stand vnto and not go from them I say vnto you farther that there are two Churches vpon the earth and we meaning himselfe other true Martyrs and professours of Christ be of the true Church and ye be not Unto this question next aunswered Margaret Hide saying my Lord you haue no cause to giue Sentence agaynst me for I am in the true fayth and opinion will neuer forsake it I do wishe that I were more stronger in it then I am Last of all aunswered Agnes Stanley sayd I had rather euery heare of my head were burned if it were neuer so much worth then that I will forsake my fayth and opinion which is the true fayth The tyme being now spent they were commaunded to appeare agayne at afternoone in the same place which commaundement being obeyed the Bishop firste called for Loseby after his accustomed maner willed his Articles answeres to be read in reading thereof when mention was made of the Sacrament of the Aultar the Bishoppe with his Colleagues put of their cappes Whereat Loseby sayd my Lord seing you put of your cappe I will put on my cappe there withall did put on his cappe And after the Bishop continuing in his accustomable perswasions Loseby agayn sayd vnto him my Lorde I trust I haue the spirite of truth which you detest and abhorre for the wisdome of God is foolishnes vnto you Wherupon the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation agaynst him And deliuering him vnto the Sheriffe called for Margaret Hide with whō he vsed the like order of exhortatōs To whom notwithstanding she sayd I will not depart from my sayinges till I bee burned and my Lorde quoth she I would see you instruct me with some parte of Gods word not to geue me instructiōs of holybread and holy water for it is no part of the scripture But he being neither himselfe nor any of his able rightly to accomplish her request to make short worke vsed his final reason of conuincement which was of the sentence of condēnation And therfore leauing her off called for an other videl Agnes Stanley who vpon the Bishoppes like perswasions made this aunswere My Lord wher you say I am an heretick I am none neither yet will I beleue you nor any man that is wyse will beleue as you do And as for these that ye say bee burnt for heresie I beleue are true martyrs before God therefore I will not go from my opinion and fayth as long as I liue Her talk thus ended she receaued the like reward that the other had And the bishop then turning his tale maner of inticement vnto Thomas Thyrtel receiued of him likewise this finall aunswere My Lord I will not holde with youre Idolatrous wayes as you do for I saye the Masse is Idolatry and will sticke to my fayth and beliefe so long as the breath is in my body Upon which wordes he was also condemned as an hereticke Last of all was Henry Rāsey demanded if he would as the rest stand vnto his aunsweres or els recanting the same come home agayn and be a member of their church Whereunto he aunswered I will not go from my religiō and belief as long as I liue and my Lord quoth he your doctrine is naught for it is not agreable to Gods worde * The cruell burning of 5. Martyrs in Smithfield Three burned in Sainct Georges field in Southwarke AFter these moreouer in the month of May followed 3. other that suffered in S. Georges field in Southwark William Morant Stephen Gratwicke with one king Among other histories after the persecuted and condemned saintes of God I find the condemnation of none more straunge nor vnlawfull thē of this Stephen Gratwicke Who first was condemned by the byshopp of Wynchester and the byshop of Rochester which where not hys Ordinaryes Secondly when he did appeale from those imcompetēt Iudges to hys right Ordinary his appeale coulde not be admitted Thirdly when they had no other shifte to colour theyr inordinate proceedings with all they suborned one of the priestes to come in for a counterfayt and a false Ordinary and sit vpon him Fourthly being openly conuinced and ouerturned in his own argumentes yet the sayd Byshop of Winchester D. White neyther would yeald to the force of trueth nor suffer any of the audience assistant once to say God strengthen him Fiftly as
fantastically as you teach vs to take them for then should we conspire with certaine heretickes called the Nestorians for they denie that Christ hadde a true naturall body and so me thinke you doe my Lord. If you wil affirm his body to be there as you say he is then must you needes also affirme that it is a fantasticall bodye and therfore looke to it for Gods sake and let these wordes go before Take yee and eate ye without which wordes the rest are sufficient but when the worthy receiuers do take and eat euen then is fulfilled the words of our Sauiour vnto him or euery of them that so receiueth Boner Ah I see well thou canste not vnderstand these woordes I will shewe thee a Parable If I should set a peece of beefe before thee and say eate is it no beefe And then take part of it away send it to my cooke and he shal change the fashion thereof and make it looke like breade What wouldest thou saye that it were no Beefe because it hath not the fashion of beefe Rafe Let me vnderstand a little further my Lorde shall the Cooke adde nothing therunto nor take nothing there from Boner What is that to the matter whether he do or no so long as the shape is changed into an other likenesse Rafe Ah will you so my Lord your Sophistrie will not serue the truth wil haue the victorie neuerthelesse as Esay sayth He that restraineth himselfe from euill must be spoyled And Amos hath suche like woordes also For the wise must be faine to holde their peace so wicked a time it is sayth he Neuertheles he that can speake the truth and will not shall geue a strait accounts for the same A Doctor By my Lords leaue here me thinks thou speakest like a foole Wilt thou be a iudge of the scripture Nay thou must stand to learne and not to teache for the whole congregation hath determined the matter long agoe A priest No by your leaue we haue a Church and not a congâ—egation You mistake that worde master Doctor Rafe Then sayd I to my fellowe prisoners standing by My brethren doe yee not heare howe these men helpe one an other Let vs doe so also But we neuer came all in together after that time but seuerallye one after an other Then was I caried away for that time The xix daye of May I was brought before the Bishop of Rochester and Chichester with others B Rochest Were you a companion of George Eagles otherwise called Trudgeouer My Lord of London telleth me that you were his fellow companion Rafe I know him very well my Lord. Rochest By my faith I had him once and then hee was as dronke as an Ape for he stonke so of drinke that I coulde not abide him and so sent him away Rafe My Lorde I dare saye you tooke your markes amisse It was either your selfe or some of your own companie for he did neither drinke Wine Ale nor Beere in a quarter of a yeare before that time and therefore it was not he forsooth The rest of mine examinations you shal haue when I am condemned if I can haue any time after my comming into Newgate the which I trust shall touch the matter a great deale more plainly for the pithie matters are yet vnwrytten Thus fare you well good frendes all Yea I say farewel for euer in this present world Greete yee one an other and be ioyfull in the Lord. Salute the good widowes among you with all the rest of the congregation in Barfold Dedham and Colchester This promise of hys being either not perfourmed for that he might not thereto be permitted or els if he did wryte the same not comming to my hands I am faine in the rest of his examinations to follow the only report of the Register who witnesseth that the 15. day of May. An. 1557. in the Byshops palace at London he was examined vppon certaine interrogatories the contents wherof be these FIrst that he was of the parish of Muchbentley and so of the Diocesse of London Secondly that the 10. daye of Ianuarie then last past M. Iohn Morant preaching at Paules the said Rafe Allerton did there openly submit himselfe vnto the Churche of Rome with the rites and Ceremonies thereof Thirdly that he did consent and subscribe aswell vnto the same submission as also to one other bil in the which he graunted that if he should at any time turn againe vnto his former opinions it shoulde be then lawfull for the Bishop immediately to denounce and adiudge hym as an hereticke Fourthly that he had subscribed to a bill wherein hee affirmed that in the sacrament after the woordes of consecration be spokâ—n by the Priest there remaineth still materiall bread and materiall wine and that he beleueth that the bread is the breade of thankesgeuing and the memoriall of Christes death and that when he receiueth it he receiueth the body of Christ spiritually in his soule but materiall bread in substaunce Fiftly that he had openly affirmed and also aduisedly spoken that which is contained in the sayde former fourth article last before specified Sixthly that hee hadde spoken against the Bishop of Rome wyth the Church and Sea of the same and also against the seuen Sacraments and other Ceremonies and ordinaunces of the same Churche vsed then wythin thys Realme Seuenthly that hee had allowed and commended the opinions and faith of M. Cranmer Ridley Latimer and others of late burned within this Realme and beleeued that theyr opinions were good and godly Eightly that he hadde diuers times affirmed that the religion vsed within this realme at the time of his apprehension was neither good nor agreeable to Gods woord and that he coulde not conforme himselfe thereunto Ninthly that he had affirmed that the booke of Common prayer sette foorth in the raigne of king Edward the vj. was in all partes good and godly and that the sayd Rafe and his company prisoners did daily vse amongst themselues in prison some part of the booke Tenthly that hee had affirmed that if hee were out of prison he would not come to Masse Mattins nor Euensong nor beare Taper Candle or Palme nor goe in procession nor would receiue holy water holy breade ashes or paxe or any other ceremonie of the Churche then vsed within this Realme Eleuenthly that he had affirmed that if he were at libertie he would not confesse his sinnes to any Priest nor receiue absolution of him nor yet would receiue the Sacrament of the altar as it was then vsed Twelfly that he had affirmed that praying to saints and prayers for the deade were neither good nor profitable and that a man is not bounde to fast and praye but at his owne wil and pleasure neither that it is lawful to reserue the Sacrament or to woorship it Thirtenthly that the sayd Allerton hath according to these his affirmations abstained refused to come vnto his parishe Churche euer
many promoters and vnneighborly neighbors to help them forwards By which kinde of people it is not vnlike these two godly yokefellowes were accused and taken and being once deliuered into the pitiles haÌ„dling of Boner their examinations ye may be sure were not long deferred For the 16. day of Iuly 1557. they were brought before him into hys palace at London Wher first he demaÌ„ded of the said Iames Austoo amongst other questions where he had bene confessed in Lent and whether he receiued the sacrament of the altare at Easter or not To whom he answered that in dede he had ben confessed of the curate of Aâ—halowes Barking â—e to the tower of London but that he had not receiued the sacrament of the altar for he defied it from the bottome of his heart Why quoth the Bishop doest thou not beleeue that in the sacrament of the altare there is the true body bloude of Christ. No sayd Austoo not in the Sacrament of the altar but in the Supper of the Lorde to the faithfull receiuer is the very body and bloud of Christ by faith Boner not well pleased with this talke asked then the wife how she did like the religion then vsed in this courâ—h of England Shee answered that shee beleeued that the same was not according to Gods word but false and corrupted and that they which did goe thereunto did it more for feare of the law then otherwise Then hee againe asked her if shee woulde goe to the Churche and heare Masse and pray for the prosperous estate of the king being then abroad in his affaires Whereunto she said that she defied the Masse with all her heart and that she would not come into any Churche wherein were Idols After this the Bish. obiected vnto them certaine articles to the number of 18. The tenor whereof because they touch only such common trifling matters as are already mentioned in diuers sondry places before I do here for breuitie sake omit and passe ouer geuing you yet this much to vnderstand that in the maters of faith they were as souÌ„d and answered as truly God be therfore praised as euer any did especially the woman to whom the Lord had geuen the greater knowledge and more feruentnes of spirit Notwithstanding according to the measure of grace that God gaue them they both stood most firmly vnto the truthe And therefore to conclude the 10. day of Sept. they were with Rafe Allerton of whoÌ„ ye haue heard brought againe before the bishop within his chappell at Fulham where he speaking vnto them said first on this wise Austoo doest thou knowe where thou art nowe and in what place and before whom and what thou hast to doe Yea quoth Austoo I knowe where I am For I am in an idols temple After which wordes their articles being againe red their constancie in faith perceiued Boner pronounced against either of them seuerally the sentence of coÌ„demnation and deliuering them vnto the sheriff there present did rid his hands as he thought of them but the Lorde in the ende will iudge that to whome I referre his cause It so happened vpon a night that as this Margerie Austoo was in the bishops prisone which prison I suppose was his dogge kennel for it was as is reported vnder a paire of staires by the bishops procurement there was sent a stoute champion as appeared about 12. of the clocke at nighte who suddenly opened the doore and with a knife drawen or ready prepared fell vppon her to the intent to haue cut her throte Which she by reason of the clearnes of the Moone perceiuing and calling vnto God for helpe he but who it was she knewe not geuing a grunt and fearing belike to commit so cruel a dede departed his waies without any more hurt doing The next night following they caused a great rumbeling to be made ouer her head which semed to her to haue bene some great thuÌ„der which they did for to haue feared her out of her wittes but yet thanks be to God they missed of their purpose Richard Roth. IN the godly felowship of the forenamed three Martyrs was also this Rich. Roth as is alreadye specified Who being apprehended and brought vp vnto the bish of London was by him examined the 4. day of Iuly at what time the bish did earnestly trauel to induce him to beleeue that there were 7. sacraments in Christes churche and that in the sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration duely spoken there remained the very substance of Christes body and bloud and none other Wherunto at the present he made only this aunsweare that if the scriptures did so teach him and that he might be by the same so perswaded he would so beleue otherwise not But at another examination which was the 9. day of Sept. he declared plainly that in the said sacrameÌ„t of the altar as it was then vsed there was not the very body and bloud of Christ but that it was a dead God and that the Masse was detestable and contrary to Gods holy woorde and will from the which faith and opinion he would not goe or decline The next daye being the 10. day of the same moneth of September the Bishop at his house at Fulham by waye of an article laid and obiected against him that he was a comforter and boldener of hereticks and therefore hadde wrytten a letter to that effect vnto certaine that were burned at Colchester the copie whereof ensueth A letter wrytten by Rich. Roth vnto certaine brethren and sisters in Christ condemned at Colchester and ready to be burned for the testimonie of the truth O Deare brethren and sisters how much haue you to reioyce in God that he hath geuen you such faith to ouercome thys bloud thirsty tyrants thus far and no doubt he that hathe begon that good worke in you wil fulfil it vnto the end O deâ—◠〈…〉 in Christ what a crowne of glory shall ye receiue with Christe in the kingdom of God Oh that it had bene the good will of God that I had ben ready to haue gon with you For I lie in my 〈◊〉 little ease in the day and in the night I lie in the Colehouse froÌ„ Rafe Allerton or any other and we loke euery day wheÌ„ we 〈◊〉 be condemned For he said that I shoulde be burned wythin 〈◊〉 daies before Easter but I lie still at the pooles brinke and euery man goeth in before mee but we abide paciently the lordes lâ—isure with many bandes in setters and stockes by the whiche we haue receiued great ioy in God And nowe fare you well deare brethren and sisters in this worlde but I trust to see you in the heauens face to face Oh brother Munt with your wife and my deare sister Rose how blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake with all the rest of my deare brethren sisters knowen vnknowen O be ioyful euen
no heretickes at all because they did preach truely the Gospell vpon whose preaching he grounded his fayth conscience as he sayde according to the saying of S. Iohn in the xviij chap. of his Reuelation where he sayth that the bloud of the Prophets and of the Sayntes and of all that were slayne vppon earth was founde in the Babilonicall church by the which he said is vnderstād the church where the Pope is the head After which examination the sayd Iohn was sent vnto prison agayne And the next day being the vi daye of the sayd moneth he was called before the Bishop agayne who perswading him with some wrested sentences of the Scripture the sayd Iohn Hallingdale aunswered Because I will not sayth he come to your Babilonical churche therefore speaking vnto Boner you goe about to condemne me And being of Boner further demaunded whether he woulde perseuer and stand in his opinions or no he made aunswere that he would continue and persist in them vnto the death Then Boner read the bloudy sentence of condemnation At which time the sayd Iohn affirmed openly that thanking God he neuer came into the church since the abhomination came into it and so he was sent to prison agayne Upon the same 6. day also in the fornoone was produced before the Byshop the forenamed William Sparrow and had layed vnto him certayne Articles which hereafter foloweth * Articles ministred by Boner vnto William Sparrow FIrst that thou William Sparrow wast in times past detected presented lawfully vnto thy Ordinary the Byshop of London called Edmund who also is now thine Ordinary of the sayd dioces and thou wast presented and detected vnto him for heresye errors and vnlawfull opinions whiche thou diddest beleue set forth and holde 2. Secondly that thou before the sayd Ordinary didst openly iudicially confesse the sayde heresies errours and vnlawfull opinions as appeareth playnly in the actes of the court had made before thy sayd Ordinary 3. Thirdly that thou after the premises didst make thy submission in writing and diddest exhibite and deliuer the same as thy deed to thy sayd Ordinarye openly confessing and recognising thy heresies errours vnlawfull opinions and thine offences transgressions in that behalfe 4. Fourthly that thou after the premisses diddest promise vnto thy sayde Ordinary voluntarily and of thine owne minde that alwayes after the sayd submission thou wouldest in all poyntes conforme thy selfe vnto the common order of the Catholicke Church obserued and kept here in this Realme of Englande and in no wise fall agayne to heresies errours or vnlawfull opinions 5. Fiftly that thou since thy sayd submission hast willingly fallen into certayne heresies and errours and hast holden and sette forth diuers vnlawfull opinions to the right great hurt of thyne owne soule and also to the great hinderaunce and losse of diuers others especially agaynst the Sacrament of the Aultar agaynste confession auricular with other the Sacramentes of the Catholicke Church 6. Sixtly that thou since the sayd submissiō hast willingly gone about diuers places within the dioces of London and soulde diuers hereticall erroneous and blasphemous ballets about and wast apprehended and taken with the sayd ballets about thee commited to prison Unto all which Articles the sayd William Sparrowe aunswered in effect as hereafter foloweth TO the first second third and fourth articles he answered affirmatiuely as thus that he was presented detected to Boner vnto whō he made his submission c. as in the articles To the fifth article he aunswered that if he had spoken agaynst thē he had spokē but the truth for they be nought meaning the contentes of the sayd article To the sixte he graunted to the article adding that he did sell the sayd ballets then shewed and read before him that the same did conteine Gods word After which aunsweres the sayde William Sparrowe was sent vnto prison And the same day in the afternoone being produced before the Bishop agayne and there charged with his said Submission made the yeare before vnto the Byshop he aunswered thus I am sory sayd he that euer I made it and it was the worst deed that euer I did adding further vnto them Holde vp your abhomination so long as you can Also being layd vnto him and charged by the Byshoppe that he went to Churche and there was confessed and heard Masse the sayde William Sparrow made answere and confessed that he did so but with a troubled conscience he sayde God knoweth And speaking further to the Byshoppe he sayde that which you call trueth I doe beleue sayd he to be heresy And also the Byshoppe charging him agayne with the contentes of the fifth article aboue named he aunswered that he had so done as is conteyned in the same article and so will do agayne if he were at liberty And being further demaunded of Boner whether he woulde persist and continue in the same or no he made aunswere that he would not go from his opinions and adding thereunto he sayd that which you call heresy speaking to the Byshoppe is good and Godly and if euery hayre of my head were a manne sayd he I would burne them all rathe then to goe from the truth Then being demaunded what ground of learning hee had to cleaue to his opinions he made aunswere and sayd that all the lawes now vsed meaning the Ecclesiasticall lawes are nought and abhominable And further therevnto he sayd that the Masse is nought and abhominable c. Which wordes being spoken the Byshop immediately read the sentence of condemnation vpon him and so deliuered him to the secular power by whome he was sent to prison agayne Richard Gibson Martyr WIth the other two aboue named suffered also in the same fire Richard Gibson who first was cast into the Counter in the Poultry where he had bene prisoner by the space of two yeares for suretishippe in a matter of debt then stood vpon his deliuerance then vpon suspition and euill will was accused to Boner for that in the prison he was neuer confessed nor receiued at the Popishe aultar by reason whereof he was called for and susteined diuers sundry conflictes and examinations in the cause of his fayth and religion But first he semed to make a certeine submission which also he exhibited with the other 28. mentioned aboue pag. 1865. but because it seemed something to differ in wordes from the other it appeareth not to be receiued or whether it was receiued or no it is not fully certayne This is certayne that although his submission was in the bishops Register recorded yet he was not deliuered out from imprisonment till the daye of his burning The Articles first obiected and ministred vnto hym by the Bishop were these Articles obiected and ministred to Richard Gibson by Boner Bishop of London FIrst that the sayd Richard Gibson prisoner in the Counter in the Pultry in the dioces of Lōdō hath otherwise thē became a
faythfull Christian man and a good subiecte of this Realme of England behaued himselfe in wordes and deedes in diuers conditions and poyntes contrarye to the order Religion and fayth of Christes Catholicke church and contrary to the order of this Realme to the pernicious and euill example of the inhabitauntes of the City of London and the prisoners of the prison of the sayd Counter in the Poultry and greatly to the hurt dammage of his owne soule offending especially in the Artiles followyng By reason whereof the sayde Richard Gibson was and is of the iurisdiction of the sayde Byshoppe of London and subiect to the sayd iurisdiction to make aunsweare to his offences and transgression vnder written according to the order of the law 2. Secondly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath vnreuerentlye spoken agaynste the Pope and Sea and Churche of Rome and likewise agaynst the whole Church of this Realme of Englande and agaynst the seuen Sacramentes of the Catholicke and whole Churche of Christendome and agaynst the Articles of the Christian fayth here obserued in this Realme of England and agaynst the commendable and laudable Ceremonies of the Catholicke Church 3. Thirdly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath commended allowed defended and liked both Cranmer Latimer Ridley and also all other heretickes here in this Realme of Englande according to the Ecclesiasticall lawes condemned for heretickes and also liked all their hereticall and erroneous damnable and wicked opinions especially agaynst the Sacrament of the aultar and the authority of the Pope and Sea of Rome with the whole Religion therof 4 Fourthly that the sayd Richard Gibson hath coÌ„forted ayded assisted and mainteined both by words and otherwise hereticks and erroneous persons or at the least suspected and infamed of heresies and errors condemned by the Catholicke Churche to continue in their hereticall and erroneous opinions aforesayde fauouring and counselling the same vnto his power 5. Fifthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed and sayde that the Religion and Fayth commonly obserued kepte and vsed now here in this Realme of Englande is not good and laudable nor in any wise agreable vnto Gods word and commaundement 6. Sixtly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that the English seruice and the bookes commonly called the bookes of communion or common prayer here set forth in this Realme of Englande in the time of K Edwarde the sixt were in all partes and poyntes good and godlye and that the same onely and no other ought to be obserued and kept in this Realme of England 7. Seuenthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that if he may once be out of prison and at liberty he will not come to any parish church or ecclesiasticall place to heare Mattins Masse EueÌ„song or any diuine seruice now vsed in this Realme of Englande nor come to procession vpon times and dayes accustomed nor beare at any time any Taper or Candle nor receiue at any tyme Ashes nor beare at anye time Palme nor receiue Pax at Masse time nor receiue holy water nor holy bread nor obserue the ceremonies or vsages of the Catholicke Church here obserued or kept commonly in this realme of England 8. Eightly that the said Gibson hath affirmed that he is not bouÌ„d at any time though he haue liberty and the presence of a Priest conuenient and meete to confesse his sinnes to the sayd Prieste nor to receiue absolution of his sinnes at his handes nor to receiue of him the sacrament commonly called the Sacramente of the aultar after such foâ—me as is now vsed within this Realme of England 9. Ninthly that the sayd Gibson hath affirmed that prayer vnto Sayntes or prayers for the dead are not laudable auayleable or profitable and that no man is bound at any time or in any place to fast or pray but onely at his owne will and pleasure and that it is not lawful to reserue or keepe the sayd sacrament of the aultar nor in any wise to adore and worship it The greatest matter whiche hee was charged withall was for not comming to Confession being thereunto required for not receiuing of the sacramentes of the Popysh making and for that he would not sweare to answere vnto theyr interrogatoryes layd agaynst him Notwithstanding after these his first examinations he continued in the aforesayde Prison of the Counter a good space from the moneth of May vnto Nouember at what time he was agayne produced vnto the finall examinatioÌ„ iudiciary Where is to bee noted that M. Gibson being a very big and talle man of a personable and heroycall stature was sent for of Boner by a little and short person a promoter like Robin Papiste called Robin Caley if it were not he himselfe This Robin Caley hauing the conducting of the sayde Gentleman from the Pultry would needes hale him thorow Chepeside the gentleman desiring him to turne some other waye But the more the Gentleman entreated the more fierce was the sely iack vpon him and drawing and holding him by the arme woold needes hale him through the high street that the all world might see what he coulde do in his office M. GibsoÌ„ desirous to be led without holding willed and entreated him to let his arme loose he would go quietly of his accord with him whether he would onely crauing that he might go by him freely without noting of the people The saucy and impotent miser the Promoter hearing this who was scarse able to reach vnto his shoulders nay sayth he thou shalt not escape me so come on thy wayes Thou shalt not choose but come so reaching at his arme would needes drag him vnto the Byshop The Gentleman content to goe yet loth to be notified in the streetes gently requested agayne and agayne that reâ—rayning hys hold he would suffer him to goe of his owne free and voluÌ„tary will he should not neede to feare him for he would not start froÌ„ him To whom the Caytiff looking vp to his face Come on thy way sayth he I wil hold thee fast spite thy beard and whether thou wilt or no. Mayster Gibson seing and beholding the intollerable bragging of the wretched miser and moued therwith not a little could beare no longer but sayd Wilt thou sayd he and addeth moreouer bitterlye looking downe towardes hym that if he dyd not incontinentlye plucke awaye hys hand and so stayed withall he would immediatly wring his necke from his body Whereupon Robin Papist the Promoter was fayne to plucke awaye his holde and so proceeded they vnto the Bishop there to bee examined agayne before him After this an other day being assigned him to appeare agayne muche talke past betweene him and Darbyshyre then Chauncellour But in fine being required to sweare that he should aunswere vnto all they would demaund he denyed to aunswere vnto all thinges the Bishops should commaund hym as Ordinary for he is not sayeth he mine Ordinary and so bidde him goe tell the Byshoppe Before the which Byshoppe he
Boner certayne articles were ministred in this effect as followeth Articles FIrst that ye being within the Cittye and Dyoces of London haue not according to the commō custome of the catholick churche of this realme of Englande come to your owne parishe churche nor yet to the Cathedrall church of this citie and diocesse of London to heare deuoutly and christianly the Matins the Masse the Euensong song or sayd there in the Latine toung after the common vsage and maner of the church of this realme 2. Second that ye haue not come to any of the said churches to pray to goe in procession or to exercise your selues there in godly and laudable exercises 3. Thirde yee haue not conformed your selues duely to all the laudable customes rites and Ceremonies of anye the sayde churches 4. Fourth ye haue not bene confessed at due times and places to your owne curate of your sinnes 5. Fifth yee haue not receiued at your sayd Curates handes as of the minister of Christ absolution of your sinnes 6. Sixt ye haue not at due times and places of your Curate receiued reuerently and duely the sacrament of the altar 7. Seuenth yee haue not faithfully and truely beleeued that in the said sacrament of the altar there is really and truely the very body and bloud of Christ. 8. Eight yee haue not by your mouthe nor otherwise by your deede expressed or declared in any wise that ye without wauering or doubting doe thinke and beleeue that the faith and religion now obserued in the church of England is a true faith and religion in all poyntes 9 Ninthe yee haue not made any signification that yee doe in deede approoue or allowe in any wise the common seruice in Latine heere obserued and kepte in the Church of this Realme of Englande 10. Tenth ye haue not beleeued nor doe beleeue at this present that the seruice in Latine commonly vsed and obserued in the Churche of this realme is good and lawfull and not against the woorde of God 11. Eleuenth yee haue in times past liked allowed and approued as good and godly and so do like alow and approue at this present the seruice in English the bookes of Common prayer the bookes of Communion the religion setforth and vsed in the time of king Edward the sixt especially as it was set forthe and vsed in the latter daies of the said king Edward 12. Twelfth ye haue in times past bene very desirous and so are at this present that the sayde English seruice the sayde booke of common praier the sayd booke of communion and the sayd religion and faith so set foorth and vsed in King Edwardes time might nowe againe be restored set foorth and vsed and youre selfe freely at your libertie without anye restraint or lets to vse it and also in all poyntes and things to doe therein as ye did especially in the latter daies of the said Edward the sixt 13. Thirtene yee haue of late bene charitably sent to from me the Bishop of London and also by mouth exhorted that where of late yee did leaue your Churches and went in the time of diuine seruice into the fieldes and prophane places to reade English Psalmes and certaine English bookes ye wold leaue of that and being out of prisone and at your libertie come in to youre owne parish churches there to heare Mattens Masse and Euensong after the common order of the churches of this realme to make due confession of your sinnes to your owne curate and receiue at his handes as of the minister of Christ hauing therein sufficient authoritie absolution of your sinnes heare Masse receiue the Sacrament of the altare with a true faith according to the beliefe of the catholicke church and obserue all other the rites and customes of the saide catholicke churche vsed in thys realme of England aswell in going in procession after the crosse as also otherwise generally 14. Fourtene ye being so required haue refused and do refuse so to do saying amongst other vaine and light wordes that forasmuch as yee were imprisoned by the space of sixe weekes not knowing wherewith you were charged your petition should be and was that yee might first aunswere to your former cause and then ye would be ready to answere me the said bishop to al that by me should be laid to your charge Unto the which Articles all the forenamed 7. onely Reinold Eastland excepted made answer in effect as here after followeth The aunsweres of the forenamed persons to the Articles aforesayde 1. TO the first article they aunsweared affirmatiuely Roger Holland adding that hee came not to their Latine seruice these two yeares before Mathewe Ricarby added that he came not to churche since Latine seruice was renewed because it is against the woorde of God and Idolatrie committed in creeping to the crosse Henry Pond added if hee had licence then to goe to church he woulde 2. To the 2. Article they all aunsweared affirmatiuelye Henrye Ponde adding as in the first Article Iohn Floyd adde that the Latine seruice then vsed was set vp by man and not by God this he learned he sayd in king Edwardes daies which he beleued to be true Robert Southam added that he refused to come to churche because it is furnished with idoles and because the sacrament of the altar he beleeued to be an idoll 3. To the 3. Article they all aunsweared affirmatiuely For they sayd that the customes rites and ceremonies of the church then vsed are not agreeable to Gods woord 4 5. To the 4 and 5. Articles they all answeared affirmatiuely adding that they beleeued no Priest hath power to remit sinne 6. To the 6. Article Ihon Holiday Henry Ponde and Robert◠Southam aunsweared that since the Queenes maiesties raigne but Robert Southam added not for 10. yeares before he had receiued the Sacrament of the altar either at their Curates hands or any other Priest Ihon Floyde Mathewe Ricarby and Roger Holland answeared affirmatiuely adding in effecte that the Sacrament of the altare is no Sacrament approoued by the worde of God c. 7. To the 7. Article they all confessed the contentes thereof to be true in euery part Henry Ponde adding that he knoweth not nor beleeueth any such Sacrament called the Sacrament of the altare but confesseth the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper and beleeueth that to be approoued Iohn Floyde added that those that kneele and worship the Sacrament of the altare committe idolatrie c. 8.9.10 To the 8 9.10 Articles they all confessed the contentes of those Articles to be true But Iohn Holiday Henry Pond and Iohn Floyd added that they do allow the Latine seruice for thē that vnderstandeth the same so farre as it agreeth with Gods word For some parte thereof is not agreeable to Gods woorde they sayd but to such as do not vnderstand the sayd seruice in Latine they doe not allowe it for it doeth not profite them Robert Southam added and sayd that it was a fond
wiues as long as they liue Yea I know some priestes very deuout my Lorde yet suche as haue 6. or 7. children by 4. or 5. sundry women M. Doctor now to your antiquitie vnitie vniuersalitie for these D. Chedsey alledged as notes and tokeÌ„s of theyr religion I am vnlearned I haue no sophistrie to shifte my reasons withall but the truthe I trust I haue which nedeth no painted colours to set her forth The antiquitie of our church is not from pope Nicolas or Pope Ioane but our church is from the beginning euen from the time that God saide vnto Adam that the seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head and so to faithfull Noe to Abraham Isaac and Iacob to whoÌ„ it was promised that their seede should multiply as the starres in the skie and so to Moses Dauid all the holy fathers that were froÌ„ the beginning vnto the birth of our sauior Christ. All they that beleeued these promises were of the church though the number were oftentimes but few small as in Helias daies wheÌ„ he thought there was none but he that had not bowed their knees to Baal wheÌ„ God had reserued 7000. that neuer had bowed their knees to that idoll as I trust ther be vij C.M. more then I know of that haue not bowed their knees to yâ— idol your masse and your god Maâ—zim the vpholding wherof is your blody cruelty whiles you daily persecute Helias the seruants of God forcing them as Daniell was in his chamber closely to serue the Lord their God and euen as we by this your cruelty are forced in the fields to pray vnto God that his holy worde may be once againe truely preached amongst vs and that he would mitigate and shorten these idolatrous bloudy daies wherin all cruelty raigneth Moreouer our church haue ben the Apostles and Euangelists the Martyrs and Confessors of Christ that haue at all times and in all ages bene persecuted for the testimonye of the woorde of God But for the vpholding of your church and religion what antiquitie can you shew Yea the Masse that idol chiefe piller of your religion is not yet iiij C. yeres olde some of your masses are younger as that masse of S. Thomas Becket the traitor wherein you pray that you may be saued by the bloude of S. Thomas And as for your Latine seruice what are we of the laitie the better for it I thinke he that should hear your priests mumble vp their seruice although he did well vnderstand latine yet should he vnderstand few words therof the priests do so champ them and chaw them posteth so fast that neither they vnderstande what they say nor they that heare them and in the meane time the people when they should praye wyth the priest are set to their beads to pray our ladies Psalter So crafâ—ie is Sathan to deuise these his dreames which you defend with fagot and fire to quench the light of the word of God which as Dauid saieth shoulde be a lanterne to our seete And againe wherin shall a yong man direct his waies but by the woorde of God and yet you will hide it from vs in a toung vnknowen S. Paul had rather in the church to haue 5. wordes spoken with vnderstaÌ„ding then x. M. in an vnknowen toung and yet wil you haue your Latin seruice and praying in a strange toung wherof the people are vtterly ignorant to be of such antiquitie The Greke church a good part of Christendom besides neuer receiued your seruice in an vnknowen tounge but in theyr owne natural language which al the people vnderstand neither yet your transubstantiation your receiuing all alone your purgatorie your images c. As for the vnitie which is in your churche what is it els but treason murther poysoning one an other idolatrie superstition wickednesse What vnitie was in youre church when there was iij. Popes at once Where was your head of vnitie when you had a woman Pope Here he was interrupted and could not be suffered to proceede but sayth the Bishop Roger these thy woordes are very blasphemie and by the meanes of thy friendes thou haste bene suffered to speake and art ouer malepert to reache any heere Therefore keeper take him away The second examination of Roger Holland THe day that Henrye Ponde and the rest were brought foorth to be againe examined D. Chedsey said Roger I trust you haue nowe better considered of the Churche then you did before Holland I coÌ„sider this much That out of the church there is no saluation as diuers ancient Doctors say Boner That is wel sayd M. Egleston I trust your kinsman wil be a good catholicke maÌ„ But Roger you meane I trust the church of Rome Holland I meane that church which hath Christ for her head which also hath his word and his Sacraments according to his woord and institution Chedsey Then Chedsey interrupted him and said is that a Testament you haue in your hand Holland Yea M. doctor it is the new Testament You wil finde no fault with the traÌ„slation I thinke It is of your owne translation it is according to the great Bible Boner Howe saye you Howe doe you knowe it is the Testament of Christ but onely by the Churche For the Churche of Rome hathe and doeth preserue it and oute of the same hathe made Decrees Ordinaunces and true expositions No saith Roger the church of Rome hath and doeth suppresse the reading of the Testament And what a true exposition I pray you did the Pope make thereof when he set his foote on the Emperours necke and sayde Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and the Aspe the yong Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy foote Then said the bishop Such vnlearned wilde heads as thou and other woulde be expositours of the Scripture Woulde you then the auncient learned as there be some heere aswell as I should be taught of you Holland Youth delighteth in vanitie My wildnesse hathe bene somewhat the more by your Doctrine then euer I learned ouâ— of this booke of God But my Lorde I suppose some of the old doctors say If a poore lay man bring his reason and argument out of the woorde of God he is to be credited afore the learned thoughe they be neuer so great doctors For the gift of knowledge was taken from the learned doctors and giuen to pore fishermen Notwtstandâ—ng I am ready to be instructed by the church Boner That is very well said Roger. But you must vnderstand that the church of Rome is the catholicke Churche Roger for thy friendes sake I promise thee I wish thee well and I meane to doe thee good Keeper see he wante nothing Roger if thou lacke any money to pleasure thee I will see thou shalt not want This hee spake vnto hym alone his fellowes being aparte with manye other faire promises and so he was sent to prison againe The last examination of
diuers good men were in hold in diuers quarters of the realme some at Burie some at Salisb. as Iohn Hunt and Richard White of whome we haue storied before and some at London amongest whome was Wil. Liuing with hys wife and Iohn Lithall of whome something remaineth now compendiously to be touched The trouble and deliueraunce of William Liuing with his wife and of Iohn Lithall Ministers ABout the time of the latter end of Queene Marie she then beinge sicke came one Coxe a Promoter to the house of William Liuing about 6. of the clocke accompanied with one Iohn Launce of the Graihound They being not ready they demaunded for buttons sayinge they shoulde be as well payed for them as euer was any and he would come about 3. houres after againe for them In the meane while he had gotten the Constable called maister Deane and George Hancocke the Beadle of that Ward and searching his bookes founde a booke of Astronomie called the worke of Ioannes de sacro busto de sphaera with figures some round some triangle some quadrate which booke because it was gilted seemed to him the chiefest booke there and that he caried open in the streate saying I haue founde him at length It is no maruaile the Queene be sicke seeing there be suche coniurers in priuie corners but now I trust he shall coniure no more and so brought him and his wife from Shoe lane through Fleet streete into Paules Churchyarde with the Constable the Beadle and 2. other following them til they were entred into Darbishires house who was bishop Boners Chancellour And after the Constable and they had talked wyth Darbishire he came foorth and walked in his yard saying these woordes Darbishire What is your name Liuing William Liuing Darb. What are you a Priest Liuing Yea. Darb. Is this your wife that is come with you Liuing That shee is Darb. Where were you made Priest Liuing At Obourne Darb. In what Bishops daies Liuing By the Bishop of Lincolne that was king Henries ghostly father in Cardinall Wolsies time Darb. You are a schismaticke and a traytor Liuing I would be sorie that were true I am certaine I neuer was traitor but alwais haue taught obedience according to the tenour of Gods woord and when tumults and Schismes haue beene stirred I haue preached Gods word and swaged them as in the time of king Edwarde Darb. What you are a Schismaticke You be not in the vnitie of the catholike church for you pray not as the church of Rome doth You pray in English Liuing We are certaine we be in the true church Darb. There be that doubteth therof for so much as there is but one true Church Well you will learne against I talke with you againe to know the church of Rome and to be a member thereof Liuing If the church of Rome be of that Churche whereof Christ is the head then am I a member thereof for I know no other Church but that Darb. Wel Cluny take him with thee to the Colehouse Then called he Cluny again and spake secretly to him what I know not Then sayde Cluny wilt thou not come and so pluckt me away violently and brought me to his owne house in Pater noster Rowe where hee robbed mee of my pursse my girdle and my Psalter and a new Testamēt of Geneua and then broughte me to the Colehouse to put mee in the stockes saying put in both your legges and your handes also and except you fine with me I will put a collor about your necke What is the fine quoth I Fortie shillinges quoth he I am neuer able to pay it sayd I. Then said he you haue friendes that be able I denyed it and so he put both my legges into the stockes til supper time whyche was 6. of the clocke and then a cosine of my wiues brought me meat who seeing me so sit there sayd I will geue you 40. pence and let him goe at libertie and he tooke her mony and presently let me forth in her sighte to eate my supper And at 7. of the clocke he put mee into the stockes againe and so I remained till 2. of the clocke the next day and so he let mee foorth till nighte This woman aboue mentioned was Griffins first wife a brother dwelling then in Aldermanberie and yet aliue in Chepeside The thursday following at afternoone was I called to the Lollardes tower and there put in the stockes hauing the fauour to put my legge in that hole that Master Iohn Philpots legge was in and so lay all that night no body comming to me either with meat or drinke At 11. of the clocke on the Fridaye Clunie came to mee with meat and let me forth and about one of the clocke he brought me to Darbishires house who drew forth a scroll of names and asked me if I knew none of them I said I know none of them but Foster And so I kneeled downe vpon my knees and praied him that he wold not enquire thereof any farther And with that came foorth two godly women which sayd Master Darbishire it is inough and so became sureties for mee and paied to Clunie xv s. for my fees and bad me goe with them And thus muche concerning William Liuing After this came his wife to examination whose answeares to Darbishire the Chancellor here likewise follow The examination of Iulian Liuing wife to William Liuing DArbishire Ah syrha I see by your gowne you be one of the Sisters Iulian. I weare not my gowne for Sisterhood neither for nunnerie but to keepe me warme Darb Nunne No I dare say you be none Is that man your husband Iulian. Yea. Darb. He is a Priest Iulian. No he sayeth no Masse Darb. What then He is a priest How darest thou marry him Then he shewed me a rolle of certaine names of Citizens To whom I answeared I knew none of them Then sayd he you shall be made to know them Then said I do no other but Iustice and right for the day will come that you shall answere for it Iulian. Why womā thinkest thou not that I haue a soul. Iulian. Yes I knowe you haue a soule but whether it be to saluation or damnation I can not tell Darb. Ho Cluny haue her to the Lollardes tower And so he tooke me and caryed me to his house where was one Dale a Promoter which sayde to me Alas good woman wherefore be you heere What is that to you sayd I You be not ashamed quoth Dale to tel wherfore you came hither No quoth I that I am not for it is for Christes Testament Christes Testament quoth hee it is the Deuils Testament Oh Lorde quoth I God forbid that any man shoulde speake any such woorde Well well quoth he you shall be ordered wel enough You care not for burning quoth he By Gods bloud there must be some other meanes founde for you What quoth I will you find any worse then
was I caryed away vnto my lodging and so ended the second day of mine appearaunce whiche was the Friday in Whitson weeke and then was I appoynted to appeare agayne on the monday following Howbeit vppon what occasiō I know not it was deferred vnto the Wednesday which was Corpus Christi Euen His talke with the Earle of Sussex sir William Woodhouse and the Bishops chaplaines IN the meane time the Byshop sent two of his chaplens to me with whome I had communication about the reall presence and after long reasoning to fro concerning this poynt at length I droue them to this issue whether they did confesse that Christ in the selfe same bodye whiche was conceiued of the virgin Mary and wherein he suffered and rose agayne do in the selfe same body naturally substancially and really sit at the right hande of God the father without returne from thence vntill the daye of the generall iudgement or not Whereunto they aunswered Yes truely sayd they we confesse it hold it and beleeue it Then I agayne demaunded of them whether they did affirme after the wordes pronounced by the minister ther to remayne flesh bloud bones heare nayles as is wonte most grossely to bee preached or not And they with great deliberation aunswered that they did not onely abhorre the teaching of such grosse doctrine but also would detest thē selues if they should so thinke At which two principall poyntes wherein they fully confirmed my doctrine which I euer taught I was not a little comforted and reioyced but marueilously encouraged Wherupon I demaunded againe of them what maner of body they then affirmed to be in the Sacrament Forsooth sayd they not a visible palpable or circumscriptible bodye for that is alwaies at the fathers right hande but in the sacrament it is inuisible and can neither be felt seene nor occupy any place but is there by the omnipotēcie of Gods woorde they knowe not howe And for this they brought in S. Augustine although of them not truly vnderstanded yet would they admit none other sense then their owne but would take vppon them to confirme it with Martine Luther Melanchthon Bucer and Caluine so that I perceiuing their obstinacie in that behalfe gaue them ouer for that time afterwardes talked with Doctour Barret whome I also found of the same iudgement in that behalfe For sayd he if ye shoulde dissent from the Fathers of the Primatiue churche in thys behalfe of which S. Augustine is one ye shall be counted to die out of the fauour of God Well all this their obstinacie and blasphemous errours imprinted and deepely weighed in my minde I gaue them al ouer and the more quietly to bring them to confesse that openly whiche they vnto me had graunted priuately I graunted them according to the scriptures and my former protestation a presence although not as they supposed After all this came there vnto me the honorable Earle of Sussex and that gentle knight sir William Woodhouse wyth great perswasions vnto whome I sayd after long talke that I woulde doe all that I might sauing my conscience whiche I woulde in no wise pollute and no more I haue as knoweth God by whome all menne must be iudged * His last appearance before the Bishop NOw to come to my last appearaunce after I was before the Bishop presented he forthwith demaunded of me whether I were resolued as hee had hearde say To whom I aunsweared that euen as alwayes I had sayde before that euen so I was now Unto whom by low bowing my knee I gaue my due reuerence and the rather for that the honorable Earle of Sussex was there Wherewith some which would be counted great Gospellers were contrary to all Christianitye sore offended Then I sayde that what soeuer lawes were set forth for the establishment of Christes true religion that according to the doctrine of Christes holy Apostles the faithful fathers of the primitiue church I did not only obey them but most earnestly imbrace and beleue them Yea and yet to the further blynding of theyr eyes I sayd that yf any thing could iustly be proued by gods holy worde by me heretofore preached or taught vntruly either for lacke of learning slide of tongue or of ignorāce yet by better knowledge whē it shall iustly be tryed examined by the same I shall not refuse the thing perfectly approued to reuoke the same Prouided alwayes the word of God herein to be iudge Al this spake I as God knoweth to keepe them from suspecting that which I went about and that they should haue none occasion to iudge me of obstinacy Then sayd I moreouer Al you must of force confesse that the doctrine by me heretofore preached had besides the authority of Gods eternall veritye the authority of two most noble mighty princes with the aduice and counsel of al the Nobility and Clergy of the same and that with great deliberation from time to time with open disputations in both the Uniuersities enacted also by parlament with the consent of the whole body and Commons of the same and that without any resistance or gainsaying established as a religion most pure perfect most earnestly and sincerely preached by the principall Bishops and Doctors and that before the kinges maiesties person I as one being called to that office did the like with all the rest and in the zeale of God wyth a pure conscience did set forth the same as the onely absolute truth of God and the iust and most true procedings of my soueraigne Lord and king and I had then my head at that present euen where it now standeth betwixt myne eares altogether applying the same to apprehende wyth all dilligence that which then was established and taught as the onely and absolute truth and a thing vnto me most desirous and well liking without my desire to heare the contrary till now through this my captiuitie I am compelled to heare the contrary part speak who are euen here present and which my Lord sent vnto me Of whom after long disputations priuately to and fro before this time had betwixt vs at length I haue heard by them a cōtrary doctrine which I neuer before had heard and therefore must confesse myne owne ignoraunce in the same For quoth I after I had inforced these men here present meaning the Bishops two Chapleynes to confesse Iesus Christes naturall body with his full complete members in the due order and proportiō of a perfect mans body to be present at the right hand of God the father and that wtout returne from thence vntill the last iudgement and also that after the woordes pronounced by the Priest there remaineth no suche grosse presence of flesh bloude bones heare and nailes as was wont to be preached but that after I had demaunded of them what maner of body they affirmed to be present they saide A body inuisible by the omnipotencie of Gods word which neither can be felt nor seene nor
most of the Deuill of hell Thus he lay without amendment about 6. daies that his maister and all his houshold was weary of that trouble and noyse Then his maister agreed with the keepers of Bedlem and gaue a peece of money and sent hym thether It seemeth that he was possessed with an euill spirit from the which God defend vs all This is a terrible example to you that be mockers of the word of God therfore repent amend lest the vengeance of God fall vpon you in like maner Witnes heereof William Mauldon of Newington The same William Mauldon chaunced afterwarde to dwel at a Towne 6. miles from London called Waltamstow where his wife taught yong children to read which was about the yeare of our Lorde 1563. and the 4. yeare of Queene Elizabeths raigne Unto this schoole amongest other children came one Benfieldes daughter named Dennis about the age of twelue yeares As these children sate talking together they happened among other talke as the nature of children is to be busy with many things to fall in communication of God and to reason among them selues after their childish discretion what he should be Whereunto some answered one thing some an other Among whom when one of the children had sayd that he was a good olde father the foresayd Denis Benfielde casting out impious woordes of horrible blasphemie what he sayd shee is an olde doting foole What wretched and blasphemous wordes were these yee heare Nowe marke what followed When William Mauldon heard of these abhominable woordes of the girle hee willed his wife to correcte her for the same Which was appoynted the nexte day to be done But wheÌ„ the next morow came her mother would nedes send her to the market to London the wenche greatly intreating her mother that she might not go being marueilously vnwilling thereunto Howebeit thorough her mothers compulsion shee was forced to goe and went And what happened Her businesse being done at London as she was returning againe homewarde and being a little past Hackney sodenly the yong girle was so stricken that all the one side of her was black and she speachles Wherupon immediately she was caried backe to Hackney and there the same night was buried Witnes of the same storie William Mauldon and his wife also Benfielde her father and her mother which yet be all aliue A terrible example no doubt both to old and young what it is for children to blaspheme the Lord theyr God and what it is for parentes to suffer their young ones to grow vp in such blasphemous blindnes not to nurture them betime in the rudimeÌ„ts of the christian Catechisme to know first their creation and then their redemption in Christ our Sauiour to feare the name of God and to reuerence his Maiestie For els what do they deserue but to be taken away by â—â—eathe whiche contemptuously despise him of whome they take the benefite of life And therefore let all young maides boyes and yong men take example by this wretched seely wench not only not to blaspheme the sacrede Maiestie of the omnipotent God their creator but also not once to take his name in vaine according as they are taughte in hys commaundementes Secondly let all Fathers Godfathers and Godmothers take this for a warning to see to the instruction and Catechising of their children for whom they haue bounde them selues in promise both to God and to hys Churche Which if the Father and godfather the Mother and godmothers had done to this younge girle verely it maye be thought this destruction had not fallen vpon her Thirdly al blinde Atheists Epicures Mammonists belly Gods of this worlde and sonnes of Beliall hypocrites infidelles and mockers of Religion which saye in their hearts there is no God learne also hereby not only what God is and what he is able to doe but also in thys miserable creature here punished in this world to behold what shall likewise fall on them in the world to come vnlesse they will be warned betime by such examples as the Lord God doth geue them Fourthly and lastly heere may also be a spectacle for all them which be blasphemous and abhominable swearers or rather tearers of God abusing his glorious name in suche contemptuous and despitefull sort as they vse to do Whome if neither the woorde and commaundemente of God nor the calling of the preachers nor remorse of conscience nor rule of reason nor theyr wytheringe age nor hory haires will admonish yet let these terrible examples of Gods districte Iudgement somewhat mooue them to take heede to them selues For if thys young maiden who was not fully 12. yeares old for her vnreuerent speaking of God and that but at one time did not escape the stroke of Gods terrible hande what then haue they to looke for which being men growen in yeares and stricken in age being so often warned preached vnto yet cease not continually with theyr blasphemous othes not only to abuse his name but also most coÌ„tumeliously and despitefully to teare him as it were and all his partes in peeces About the yeare of our Lorde 1565. at Bryhtwell in the County of Backshyre vppon certaine communication as touching the right reuerende Martyrs in Christ Byshop Cranmer Bishop Ridley and maister Hughe Latimer there came into an house in Abyngdon one whose name is Leuar being a Plowman dwelling in Bryhtwel afore sayd and sayd that he saw that euill fauoured knaue Latimer when he was burned And also in despite sayd that he had teeth like a horse At which time and hour as neare as could be gathered the sonne of the sayde Leauer moste wickedly hanged him selfe at Shepton in the Countie aforesayd within a mile of Abingdon These wordes were spoken in the hearing of me Thomas Ienens of Abyngdon Did not Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterburie geue sentence against the Lord Cobham and died him self before him being so stricken in his toung that neither he could swallow nor speake for a certain space before his death pag. 588. Frier Campbell the accuser of Patricke Hamelton in Scotlande what a terrible ende hee hadde reade before pag. 957. Haruey a Commissarie that condemned a poore man in Calice was shortly after hanged drawen and quartered pag. 1229. William Swallow the cruell tormentor of George Egles was shortly after so plagued of God that al the hair of his heade and nailes of his fingers and toes went off his eyes welneare closed vppe that hee coulde scante see Hys wife also was stricken wyth the falling Sickenesse wyth the whych Maladie shee was neuer infected before pag. 2010. Likewise Richard Potto an other troubler of the sayd George Egles vppon a certaine anger or chafe with hys seruauntes was so sodenlye taken with sicknesse that falling vpon his bed lyke a beast there he died neuer spake woorde pag. 2010. Richard Denton a shrinker from the Gospel while he refused to suffer the fire in
way and so foorth and so he putteth euery thing in doubt that although both his errand and way be neuer so plain yeâ— by his vntoward and slouthfull behauiour his maisters commaundement is either vndone quite or els so done that it shall stand to no good purpose Go now forth with the good seruaunt and aske no such questions put no doubts be not ashamed to do thy maisters and Lordes will and commaundement Go as I said vnto thy neighbour that is offended by thee and reconcile him as is aforesaid whom thou hast lost by thy vnkynde wordes by thy scornes mockes and other disdainous words and behauiours and be not nise to aske of him the cause why hee is displeased with thee require of him charitably to remit and cease not till you both depart one from the other true brethren in Christ. Do not lyke the slouthfull seruant thy maisters message with cautels and doubts come not to thy neighbour whom thou hast offended and geue hym a peny woorth of ale or a banket and so make hym a fayre countenance thinking that by thy drinke or dinner he wil shew the like countenance I graunt you may both laugh and make good cheere and yet there may remaine a bag of rustie malice twentie yere old in thy neighbours bosom when he departeth from thee with a good countenaunce thou thinkest all is well then But nowe I tell thâ—e it is worse then it was for by such cloked charitie where thou doest offend before Christ but once thou hast offeÌ„ded twise herein for now thou goest about to geue Christ a moche if he would take it of thee Thou thinkest to blynde thy maister Christes commaundement Beware doe not so for at length he will ouermatch thee and take thee tardie whatsoeuer thou be and so as I sayd it should bee better for thee not to do his message on this fashion for it wyll stand thee in no purpose What some will say I am sure he loueth me well inough He speaketh faire to my face yet for all that thou mayest be deceiued It prooueth not true loue in a man to speak faire If he loue thee with his mind and hart he loueth thee with his eies with his tong with his feete with his hands and his body for all these parts of a mans body be obedient to the will and mynd He loueth thee with his eyes that looketh chearefully on thee when thou meetest with him and is glad to see thee prosper and do well he loueth thee with his tong that speaketh well by thee behynde thy backe or geueth thee good counsaile he loueth thee with his feete that is willyng to go to helpe thee out of trouble and businesse Hee loueth thee with his hands that will helpe thee in tyme of necessitie by geuing some almes deedes or with any other occupation of the hand He loueth thee with his body that will labour with his body or put his body in daunger to do good for thee or to deliuer thee from aduersitie and so forth with the other meÌ„bers of thy body And if thy neighbour will do according to these sayings then thou mayest thinke that he loueth thee wel and thou in likewise ought to declare and open thy loue vnto thy neighbour in lyke fashion or els you be bound one to reconcile the other till this perfect loue be ingendered amongst you It may fortune thou wilte say I am content to doe the best for my neighbour that I can sauing my selfe harmelesse I promise thee Christ will not heare this excuse for he himselfe suffred harme for our sakes and for our saluatioÌ„ was put to extreme death I wisse if it had pleased him hee myght haue saued vs and neuer felt payne but in suffring paines and death he did geue vs example and teach vs how wee should do one for another as he did for vs all For as hee sayth himselfe he that will be myne let him deny himselfe and folow me in bearing my crosse and suffring my pains Wherfore we must needes suffer paine with Christ to doe our neighbours good as well with the body and all hys members as with hart and mynd Now I trust you wot what your Card meaneth let vs see how that we can play with the same Whensoeuer it shall happen you to goe and make your oblation vnto God aske of your selues this question who art thou the answer as you know is I am a christian man then you must agayne aske vnto your selfe what Christ requireth of a christen man by and by cast down your trompe your Hart and looke first of one Card theÌ„ of an other The first Carde telleth thee thou shalt not kill thou shalt not bee angry thou shalt not be out of patience This done thou shalt looke if there be any mo Cardes to take vppe and if thou looke well thou shalt see an other Carde of the same sute wherin thou shalt know that thou art bounde to reconcile thy neighbour Then cast thy trompe vnto them both and gather them all three together and do according to the vertue of thy Cards and surely thou shalt not lose Thou shalt first kill the great Turkes and discomfite and thrust them downe Thou shalt againe fetche home Christes sheepe that thou hast lost whereby thou mayest goe both patiently and with a quiet mynd vnto the Churche and make thy oblation vnto God and then without dout he will heare thee But yet Christ will not accept our oblation although we be in patience haue reconciled oure neighbour If that our oblation be made of another mans substaÌ„ce but it must be our own See therfore that thou hast gotten thy goods according to the laws of God and of thy prince For if thou getst thy goods by polling extortioÌ„ or by any other vnlawfull wayes then if thou offer 1000. pound of it it will stand thee in no good effect for it is not thine In this poynt a great number of executours do offend for when they be made riche by other mens goodes then they will take vpon them to build Churches to geue ornamentes vnto God and his aulter to gild sayntes to do many good works therwith but it shal be all in their owne name and for their owne glory Wherefore sayeth Christ they haue in this world their reward and so their oblations be not their owne nor be not acceptable before God An other wayes God will refuse thy voluntary oblation as thus If so be it that thou hast gotten neuer so truly thy goods according both to the lawes of God and man and hast with the same goodes not relieued thy poore neighbour when thou hast seene him hungry thirstie and naked he will not take thy oblation when thou shalt offer the same because he will say vnto thee When I was huÌ„gry thou gauest me no meat When I was thirstie thou gauest me no drinke and when I was naked thou didst not clothe me Wherfore I will not take
thy oblation because it is none of thine I left it thee to relieue thy poore neighbors and thou hast not therein done according vnto this my commaundement misericordiam volo non sacrificium I had rather haue mercy done then sacrifice or oblation Wherfore vntil thou doest the one more then the other I will not accept thine oblation Euermore bestow the greatest partes of thy good in workes of mercy the lesse part in voluntary workes Uoluntary workes bee called all maner of offering in the Churche except your foure offring dayes and your tythes setting vp candles gilding and paynting building of Churches geuing of ornamēts going on pilgrimages making of high wayes and such other be called voluntary workes which works be of themselues maruellous good and conuenient to bee done Necessary workes and workes of mercy are called the commaundementes the foure offering dayes your tithe and such other that longeth to the commaundementes and workes of mercy consisteth in relieuing and vysiting thy poore neighbors Now then if men be so foolish of themselues that they will bestow the most part of theyr good in voluntary workes which they be not bounde to keepe but willingly and by theyr deuotion and leaue the necessary workes vndone which they are bounde to doe they and all theyr voluntary workes are like to goe vnto euerlasting damnation And I promise you if you builde a hundred Churches geue as much as you can make to gilding of Sayntes and honouring of the Church and if thou goe as many pilgrimages as thy body can well suffer and offer as great candles as okes if thou leaue the workes of mercye and the commaundementes vndone these workes shall nothing auaile thee No doubt the voluntary workes be good ought to be done but yet they must be so done that by theyr occasion the necessary workes and the workes of mercy be not decayed and forgotten if thou wilt builde a glorious Church vnto God see first your selues to be in charity with your neighbours suffer not them to be offended by your works Thē when you come into your parish Churche you bring with you the holy temple of God as Saynt Paule sayth you your selues be the very holy temples of God and Christ sayth by his Prophet in you I wil rest and intend to make my mansion and abiding place agayne if you list to gild and paynt Christ in your Churches and honour him in vestimentes see that before your eyes the poore people dye not for lacke of meat drinke and clothing Then do you decke the very true temple of God and honour him in rich vestures that will neuer be worne and so forth vse your selues according vnto the commaundementes and then finally set vp your candles they will report what a glorious light remayneth in your hartes for it is not sitting to see a dead man light candles Then I say go your pilgrimages builde your materiall Churches doe all your voluntary workes they will then represent vnto God and testify with you that you haue prouided him a gloryous place in your hartes But beware I say agayne that you doe not runne so farre into your voluntarye workes that ye do quite forget your necessary workes of mercye which you are bound to keepe you must haue euer a good respect vnto the best and worthiest workes toward God to be done first and with more efficacy and the other to be done secondarilye Thus if you doe with the other that I haue spoken of before you may come according to the tenor of your cardes and offer your oblations and prayers to our Lord Iesu Christ who will both heare and accept them to your euerlasting ioy and glory to the whiche he bring vs and all those whom he suffered deathe for Amen ¶ A note of William Gie. ONe William Gie seruant with Mayster Reuet marchant bought a Bible and seruice booke of Richard Waterson who then dwelt with maister Duixle in Pauls Churchyarde and one Spilman bound the booke and when the sayd Gye had enquired for the sayde Richard to haue his booke at Duxele aunswere was made that hee was not within and so the sayde Gie went his way to Spilmans for the booke and because it was not done left it there and immediately searche was made in Spilmans house and the sayd bible and seruice booke was founde caryed to Boner then Bishop of London hee hauing the bookes commaunded Spilman for the binding thereof to Lollardes Tower and as Cluny went for the key therof Spilman conueyed himselfe awaye After that Waterson and Gie being apprehended by Robin Caly Iohn Hil Iohn Auales and being two dayes in the Counter were brought before Boner and other Commissioners Beyng examined D. Story demanded Gye Wherfore he bought the Bible He aunswered to serue God withal Then said Boner our Lady matines would serue a christen man to serue God The Bible sayd Story would breed heresies a bibble babel were more fit thee So they concluded that eyther of them shoulde haue xl stripes lacking one and Boner sayd it was the law And they sayd to Waterson if he would pay xl poūd he should be released of his stripes at length they came to x. li when they saw he would not they made a warrāt to mayster Grafton and sent Waterson and Gie to Bride well to be beaten vpon the Crosse. And because the matter shoulde not be slightly handled Story was sent with thē to see it done Gie being whipped vpon the Crosse intercession was made that he might be forgeuen part of his penaunce ¶ A note of Michaels wyfe MIchaels wife afore mentioned pag. 1893. being prisoner in Ipswiche for religion resorted dayly from the prison to her husbandes house and returned agayn keeping fayth and promise And her husband thereat beyng fearefull she would comfort him saying she came not to trouble him neither shoulde hee susteyne trouble by her Wherfore she would will him to be of good cheare for her comming was of good will to see him and her children not to bring him into trouble but to shew her duety therin while she might haue libertie ¶ A note of Iohn Spycer IN Queene Maryes time there was one Iohn Spicer of whome mention is made pag. 1894. he being at the stake ready to geue his lyfe for the truth a bagge of gonpouder was brought him by his sonne And an other stāding by one named maister Beckinham tooke the gonpowder of his sonne and put it vnder the girdle of the sayd Spicer and exhorted him to be strong in the Lord also diuers of the sheriffes seruaunts comforted him in like maner and desired him not to faynt Unto whome Spicer aunswered Doubt ye not of me sayth he my soule is quiet but be you strong and stand fast in the Lord Iesus and commit your selfe to him in the confession of his holy mame and profession of his truth ¶ A note of Mandrell MAndrell standing at the stake
commoÌ„ly of English women 〈◊〉 1. Tim. â— Ghosâ—â—ly 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of â—â—ristian 〈◊〉 1. Peter 4. Iohn 12. 1. Cor. 1. Luke 17. Example of Lots wyfe Nothing vseâ— in Q. Maâ—yâ—s 〈…〉 The first note prouing the Church of the Papistes not to be the true Church 2. Note Iohn 10. 3. Note Actes 7. 4. Note to know the Church 5. Note Iohn 5 6. Note to know the Church Ephes. 5. Compare the proceedinges doinges of the Popes Church with the true members of Christs Church and you shall see what they are The Church of the valiant Papistes compared to Nemrod and why The Popes Church standeth all in lying and murdering 3. Reg. 18. Luke 9. The Popes Church vnder payne of damnation is to be auoyded Apoc. 2. Phil. 1. He exhorteth to be bolde in Christ. Math. 13. Worldly Christians resembled to Aesops Cocke Worldly allurements motions of drawing backe by Gods grace with standed Experience of the Lordes assistance in confirming his seruantes M. Glouer coÌ„mitted to the Iayle before any cause was declared Gods mighty consolation vpon Rob. Glouer in prison M. Glouer weepeth for ioy in prison M. Glouer couÌ„selled to put in bondes Rober Glouer refuseth to enter into bondes Worldly persuasions not receiued M. Glouer agâ—yne visited with Gods holy comfort M Glouer reasoning with himselfe M. Glouer taketh courage al 〈◊〉 and daungerâ— set aside M. Glouer resolued in himselfe to abyde the vttermost for the Gospells cause The Papistâ— proceede with M. Glouer agaynst the lawes of the realme Commaundement geuen to the Sumner agaynst Iohn Glouer and not agaynst Robert Glouer This Byshops name was Doct. Banes M. Warren of Couentry persecutor of Rob. Glouer A lesson for all persecutors Luke 16. R· Glouer brought before Banes B. of Lichfield and Couentrye M. Robert Glouer M. of Art in Cambridge R. Glouer charged for not comming to the Church The Bishop refuseth to be iudged by the primatiue Church Robert Glouer and his fellow prisoners remoued from Couentry to Lichfield in the face of the open market Iephcot the Chauncellours seruaunt Papistes keepe no promise Iephcot Persey cruell and straite agaynst M. Glouer Talke betweene M. Glouer and the Chancellor in prison * The Church geueth witnes which be the true bookes and writings of the Apostles as also the olde Sinagogue of the Iewes doth witnes which be the true bookes of the holy Prophetes yet it followeth not thereby that the Iewes haue authority ouer the Scripture The comforts sweete feelinges of M. Glouer in prison M. Glouer assaulted by the enemy in prison concerning vnworthynes Actes 24. Rom. 11. Rom. 4. Iohn 2. Gods election bound to no worthines or person Rom. 10. Psalme 145. It is no arrogaÌ„cye to presume vpon Gods promise Psalm 50. Robert Glouer replyeth against the tentation of the enemy in that he is a sinner M. Glouer brought agayne before the Bishop Reasoning betwene M. Glouer and the Byshop * The true Church is alwayes builded vp on the doctrine of the Apostles which though it appeare not alwaies alyke in outward â—â—ght the faulte is in the tyme not in the Church Tymes do alter and with the tymes the outward face of the Church may alter sometymes appearing more sometymes lesse sometymes very little sometymes nothing at all according as the persecution is Neuertheles the truth of the church abydeth alwayes one Neyther doth it goe by number of meÌ„ but by soundnes of truth Many agreeing in one may make an vnitye but the veritye of the word maketh the Church whether it be in few or in many The first question Power by Gods word in the ministery to remit sinnes 2. questioâ— 3. question Robert Glouer destitute foâ—â— tyme of the Lords comfort The Lord for a tyme may withdraw his comfortes but at leÌ„gth he visiteth his seruantâ— R. Glouer receaueth agayne coÌ„fort of the Lord. Cornelius Bongey Martyr Articles obiected to Cornelius Bongey Hâ—s Aunsweres to the articles Iohn Glouer William Glouer after their deaâ—h condemned and cast out for heretickes A new search made for Iohn Glouer The prouidence of God agayne in sauing Iohn Glouer Agnes Glouer wyfe to Iohn Glouer apprehended D. Dracot not suffering Iohn Glouer to be buryed in the Churchyearde Iohn Glouer after his death iudged of Doct. Dracot to be a damned soule Testimony of this story The maner of handling the body of WilliaÌ„ Glouer after his death Bernard a Popish Curate of Weme Iohn Thorlyne agaynst the burying of W. Glouers brother The letter of Raufe Bayne B. of Chester for the not burying of W. Glouers body The dead corpeâ— of W. Glouer dragged with horse into the field M. Edward Burton not suffered to be buryed in Christian buriall the same day when Q. Elizabeth was crowned Oliuer Richardine in Hartford West Martyr William Wolsey Robert Pigot Martyrs Richard Euerard extreame agaynst WilliaÌ„ Wolsey W. Wolsey commaunded to the Iayle D. Fuller Christopherson D. Yong come to conferre with Wolsey Wolsey putteth a question to the 〈…〉 D. Watsons booke of Sermons or Homelyes D. Fuller agayne resorteth to W. Wolsey The Chauncellour geâ—eth leaue to Wolsey to depart W. Wolsey layd in the Castle of Wisbich Rob. Pigot Painter presented for not coÌ„ming to the Chuâ—ch Talke betweene Syr Clement Higham Iudge and Rob. Pigot Rob. Pigot brought to the Iayle where W. Wolsey 〈◊〉 Anno 1555. October Wolsey and Pâ—got returned to Eley to prison Tho. Goodâ—â—â—e Biâ—â—hop of Eley The Bishops Câ—â—playne a FrenchmaÌ„ 〈◊〉 the prisoners in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Woâ—sey called to iudgment in the Bâ—shops 〈◊〉 Wolseys aunswere to Sâ—â—xton M. Christopherson writeth what he would haue Pâ—got conâ—â—â— of the â—acrâ—ment 〈◊〉 refuseth to 〈◊〉 to Christophersons 〈◊〉 M. Peacoke appoynted to preach at tâ—e burning of Wolsey and Pigot â— Wolsey 〈◊〉 himselfe to be â—ound in all pointes of the scripture belonging to his 〈…〉 The MartyrdoÌ„e of W. Wolsey and Rob. Pigot at Eley Anno 1555. Octob. 16. Bookes burned with Wolsey Pigot The natures of Wolsey and Pigot described The zelous spirite of William Wolsey W. Wolsey desirous of Martirdome Wolsey calleth the day of his Martirdome his glad day Thomas Hodilo Berebruer of Cambridge witnes of this story Richard Denton first conuerter of Wolsey Money sent by Wolsey to Denton Wolsey exhorting Richard Denton to persist in the truth Denton afraydâ— of burning Richard DentoÌ„ burned in his owne house which before would not burne for Christ. Anno. 1564. Aprill 18 Doct. Nicholas Ridley Martyr Nicholas Ridley borne in Noâ—thumberland Nicholas Ridley learned at Newcastle Nicholas Ridley mayster of Pembroke hall in Cambridge Nicholas Ridley made D. of Diuinitye Nicholas Ridley king Henryes Chapleine Nicholas Ridley made Bishop of Rochester Nicholas Ridley made Byshop of LondoÌ„ The fruitefull dilligence of B. Ridley in preaching Gods word B. Ridley of great memory and reading B· Ridley comely of proportion and complexion The fayre conditions of Byshop Ridley tender to his kinred yeâ— not otherwise then truth and right
to the king Note the glorious head of D. Stephens D. Cranmer sent for to the Kâ—ng D. Cranmer seeketh excuses both to come vnto the kinges presence D. Cranmer brought to the king Talke betweene the king and D. Cranmer The king troubled in conscience Marke this you Papistes which so rashly iudge the kinges diuorce and the Popes ouerthrowe to haue sprong of light causes D. Cranmer excusing and disabling himself to the king D. Cranmer assigned by the king to search the Scriptures in the cause of his diuorce The king first geuen to vnderstand that the Pope hath no authority to dispence with the word of God The kinges 〈…〉 the Popeâ— CanoÌ„â—â—â— to the 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—â—â—tures The kinges mariage found by Gods word vnlawfull Doctor Cranmer with other sent to Rome Ambassadour to the Pope The English Ambassadours not hasty to kisse the Popes foote The vnmanerly nature of a Dogge presuming to kisse the Popes foote Arguing to the Popes face that contrary to the word of God he had no power to dispense Doctor Cranmer made the Popes Penitenciary Doctor Cranmer Ambassadour to the Emperour Conference betwene B. Cranmer Cornelius Agrippa tâ—e order 〈◊〉 Cranâ—â—â— study The gentle nature of Doctour Cranmer Cranmer stout and constant in Gods cause D. Cranmer a stout enemy agaynst the 6. articles Of this coÌ„ming of the L. Cromwell and the two Dukes to the Archbishop read before Example for Ecclesiasticall pastors Archbishop Cranmer in displeasure about the imploying of Chauntrey landes The singular patience of this Archbishop A story betwene the Archbishop of Canterbury a popish priest his enemy The rayling of a Popish Priest agaynâ—t Doctor Cranmer Chersey suing for his kinsman to the Archbish. The Priest sent for to the Archbishop The Archâ—bishopâ— wordes to the Parson The Priest confesseth his fault to the Archbishop The rashe tongues of men sclauÌ„derously speaking euill by men whom they neuer knew nor saw before The Priests aunswere The Lord Câ—omwell offended wâ—en the Archbiâ—hop 〈…〉 Priest Not geuen to filthy luker but harberous The liberall doinges of this Archbishop The Archbishop clearing all his debtes before his attainder The large expenses of Doct. Cranmer The Bishops landes sought Vnâ—roth told to the king of the Archbiâ—hop of Canterburyes housekeeping The kinges answere to the coÌ„playner of the Archbishop The Archbishop of Canterburyes house keeping The comylayneâ— asketh pardon of the king for his vntrue report The King speaketh in defence of 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Canterbury The almes of the Archbishop towardes the poore To cleaue fast to the worde of doctrine able to exhorte in holsome learning to reproue the gayn-sayer Titus 1. Archbishop Cranmer euer constaÌ„t in defence of Christes truth and Gospell 〈◊〉 Papists 〈…〉 the Arcâ—bishop out of 〈◊〉 wâ—th 〈◊〉 The Archb. agayne 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 The kingeâ— wordes and aduise for the supportation of the Archbishop The Archbishops aunswere to the king The kinges fauorable care and consideration toward the Archbishop of Canterbury The king sendeth his signet in the behalfe of the Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop being one of the Counsel made to stand at the Counsell chamber dore wayting D. Buttes the kings Phisition a friend of the Archbishops The Archb called before the Counsayle The Counsaile being set against the Archb he sheweth the kinges ring and appealeth from them The kinges wordes to the Counsaile in defence oâ— the Archbishop The Lordes of the Counsaile glad to be friendes agayne with the Arrhbishop The king a great supporter of Cranmer The L Cromwells wordes to the Archbishop An other accusation brought into the Parlament house by Sir Iohn Gostwicke agaynst the Archb. Gostwicke checkâ—e of the king for accusing the Archbishop Gostwâ—â—â—â— glad to 〈◊〉 in agayâ—â—â— with th◠〈…〉 New 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Iustice◠〈◊〉 Kent agaynst the Archb. Articles put to the King agaynst D. Cranmer The king maketh the Archbishop priuy of the articles CommissioÌ„ appointed to be sent into Kent for tryall of the articles Commissioners appointed to Cranmer Doct. Bellowes D. Coxe Chime M. Husley Register The false Suffragan and Barbar the Ciuilian aske the Archbishop forgiuenes The Archbishop forgiueth his enemyes Practise to get pardon for malefactors Richard Turner a faithfull preacher in Kent Papistes set against the Archbishop by occasion of Turners Preaching The troubleâ— of Richard Turner minister at Cartham M. Raphe Morice patrone of Richard Turner Preacher The great concourse of people to M. Turnerâ— Preaching Syr Iohn Baker Syr Christopher Hales Syr Tho. Moile Iustices with the Prebendaryes of Canterbury persecuters of Gods people Syr Thomas Moile hearing Turner could finde no fault with his doctrine M. Turner appearing before the Commissioners at Lambeth was discharged and sent home New matter made agaynst Richard Turner The practise of of Papistes to hold vp their kingdome with lyes The king deceiuâ—d by sinister information New matter made agaynst Richard Turner Conspiracye against the Archbâ—â—â—op Cranmer by the Iustices of Kent Sander and Browne 2. perâ—ecuting Papistes This Archbiâ—hop maryed his second wyfe at Noremberge The true 〈…〉 of the â—acrament 〈◊〉 bookes 〈◊〉 forth by 〈◊〉 Archb. 〈◊〉 Cant. The aunswere of D. Cranmer Archb. of Câ—nterbury agaynst Stephen Gardiner Marcus Anthonius written by Stephen Gardiner Archbshop of Cant. about an aunswere to Marcus Anthonius Notes of D. Ridley agaynst Marcus Anthonius Peter Martyrs booke of defeÌ„ce agaynst Marcus Anthonius Lady Iane. Cranmer refuseth to sweare to Lady Iane. Cranmer thorough the perswasion of the Counsell the king and lawyers subscribed to K. Edwardes Testament Manet alta mente repostuÌ„ Iudicium paridis â—pretaeque iniuria matris Virgil. Aeneid 1. This Doctour Thornton was after the Bishop of Douer a cruell and wicked persecuter This Bishoppe was D. Heath Bishop after of Yorke Cranmer condemâ—â— of treasoâ— Cranmer released treason 〈◊〉 accused 〈◊〉 heresie Cranmer had to Oxford D. Brookes D. Martyn D. Storye Commissioners agaynst the Archb. D. Martyn not so bitter in this persecution as other CoÌ„missioners were The order of 〈◊〉 placing 〈◊〉 Commiâ—â—â—â—oners The appeâ—â—â—ng of the Archb. of Canterbury before the Commissioners The Archb. goeth reuerence to the Quenes Câ—mmâ—â—â—â—â—ners D. Cranmer 〈…〉 reuereâ—ce to 〈…〉 The Oration of Bish. brookes Apoc. â— Heresâ—e 〈◊〉 treason 〈◊〉 to Doct. Cranmer That is without the Church there is no saluation That is for in hell there is no redemption That is remember from wheÌ„ce thou hast fallen That is for in hell there is no redemption That is remember from wheÌ„ce thou hast fallen Cyprian lib. â— Epist. 6. Prouoking to the Scripture Breaking of vowes That is repent and do thy first workes Ezech. 33. Orig. in Epist. Paul ad Rom. Berengarius * That is according to the hardnes of your hart ye treasure vp to your selfe anger in the day of wrath A good conscience Marke of an euill conscience Abuses in the Church require a reformation and not a defection Cogite intrare Clarkely expounded Math. 5· Melle lita pernicâ—es
reputation nor preachere wherefore hee would desire him to let them be punished a day or two and so to let them goe at the least Iohn Dale who was no priest and therfore seeyng he had so long sitten in the cage he thought it punishment enough for hys tyme. When the person heard this he was exceeding mad and in a great rage called them pestilent heretikes vnfitte to lyue in the common wealth of Christians Wherefore I beseech you Sir quoth he accordyng to your office defēd holy church and helpe to suppresse these sectes of heresies c. which are false to God and thus boldly set themselues to the euill example of other against the Queenes gracious proceedyngs Sir Henry Doyle seeyng he coulde do no good in the matter fearing also his perill if he should too much meddle in this matter made out the Writte and caused the Constables to cary them foorth to Bury Gaole For now were all the Iustices were they neuer so mightye afrayde of euery shauen crowne and stood in as much awe of them as Pilate dyd stande in feare of Annas and Cayphas and of the Pharisaicall broode which cried Crucifie hym Crucifie hym If thou let hym goe thou art not Caesars friend ¶ The burnyng of Richard Yeoman After that Iohn Dale was dead Rich. Yeoman was remooued to Norwich prison where after straite and euill keping he was examined of his faith and religion Then he boldly and constantly confessed himself to be of the faith and confession that was set forth by the late king of blessed memory holy K. Edward the 6. and from that he would in n◠wyse vary Beyng required to submit himself to the holy father the Pope I defie him quoth he all hys detestable abhominations I will in no wise haue to doe with him nor any thing that appertaineth to him The chief articles obiected to him were his mariage the masse sacrifice Wherfore when he continued stedfast in confession of the truth he was condemned disgraded not only burnt but most cruelly tormented in the fire So ended hee hys poore miserable lyfe and entred into the blessed bosom of Abraham enioying with Lazarus the comfortable quietnes that God hath prepared for his elect saintes ¶ The story of Iohn Alcocke THere was also in Hadley a yong man named Ioh. Alcocke which came to Hadley seking worke for he was a Shereman by his occupation This yong man after the Martyrdome of D. Tailor taking of Rich. Yeomā vsed first in the church of Hadley to read the seruice in English as partly is aboue touched At length after the comming of person Newal he being in Hadley church vpon a sonday when the Person came by with procession would not once mooue his cap nor shew any signe of reuerence but stood behind the font Person Newal perceiuing this whē he was almost out of the church dore ran back again and caught him and called for the Constable Then came Rob. Rolfe with whom this young man wrought and asked M. Person what hath he done that ye are in such a rage with hym He is an heretike and a traitor quoth the Person and despiseth the Queens procedings Wherfore I command you in the Queenes name haue hym to the stockes see he be forth commyng Wel quoth Rolfe he shal be forth comming proceede you in your busines and be quiet Haue him to the stockes quoth the Person I am Constable quoth Rolfe and may baile him and will baile him he shall not come in the stocks but he shal be forth comming So went the good Person forth wyth his holy procession and so to Masse At after noone Rolfe said to this yong man I am sory for thee for truly the person will seek thy destructiō if thou take not good heed what thou answerest him The yong man aunswered Sir I am sory that it is my lucke to be a trouble to you As for my selfe I am not sory but I do commit my selfe into Gods handes and I trust he will geue me mouth and wisedome to answer according to right Well quoth Rolfe yet beware of him For hee is malicious and a bloudsucker beareth an old hatred against me and he wil handle you the more cruelly because of displeasure against me I feare him not quoth the yong man He shall doe no more to me then God wil geue him leaue and happy shal I be if God wil call me to die for his truths sake After this talke they then went to the person who at the first asked hym Fellow what saiest thou to the sacrament of the aulter I say quoth he as ye vse the matter ye make a shame full idoll of it and ye are false idolatrous priests all the sort of you I told you quoth the person he was a stout heretike So after long talk the person committed him to ward and the next day rode he vp to London and caried the yong man with him and so came the yong man no more againe to Hadley but after long imprisonment in Newgate where after many examinations and troubles for that he would not submit himselfe to aske forgeuenes of the Pope and to be reconciled to the Romish religion he was caste into the lower dungeon where with euill keping sickenes of the house he died in prison Thus died he a Martyr of Christes veritie which he hartily loued constantly cōfessed receiued the garland of a well foughten battaile at the hand of the Lord. His body was cast out buried in a dunghil For the Papists would in all things be like thēselues Therfore would they not so much as suffer the dead bodies to haue honest and conuenient sepulture ¶ Thomas Benbrige Gentleman and Martyr wrongfully condemned and put to death by the cruell Papists for the defence of the Gospell of Christ Iesu. THoms Benbrige a Gentleman single and vnmaried in the Dioces of Winchester although hee might haue liued a pleasaunt and a Gentlemans lyfe in the wealthy possessions of this world yet to follow Christ had rather enter into the straite gate of persecution to the heauenlye possession of lyfe in the Lordes kingdome then here to enioy pleasures present with vnquietnes of consciēce Wherfore manfully standing against the Papists for the defence of the sincere doctrine of Christes Gospell hee spared not hymselfe to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell For the which cause he beyng apprehended for an aduersary of the Romish religion was forthwith had to examination before D. White Bish. of Winchester where he susteined sundry conflictes for the truth agaynst the sayd Bishop hys Colleagues The Articles of the Bishoppe ministred to hym with his aunswers to the same annexed be here followyng ¶ Articles ministred to M. Benbrige with his answers followyng the same FIrst we articulate against you that the Church of God ministreth rightly according to the rite Apostolicall
To this he aunswereth that Baptisme is not administred at this present so as it was in the Apostles tyme for that it is not ministred in the English tongue 2. Item we articulate that the church of God doth beleue and hold that in the sacrament of thankesgeuyng after the words of consecration pronounced of the priest the true and naturall body of Christ is present really He answereth that he beleueth not that in the sacrament is conteined the body and bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ saying this is the marke that ye shoote at 3. Item we articulate that the church holdeth and beleeueth that confirmation is a sacrament in the church and that by imposition of hands of a Bishop commeth grace He aunswered that he knoweth not whether that confirmation be a Sacrament or not and whether the Bishop geueth grace or not hee knoweth not the order and fashion of ministration 4. Item we articulate that penaunce is a Sacrament in the Church and that by auricular confession and absolution pronounced by the priest sinnes be forgeuen He answered negatiuely denying sinnes to be forgeuen by absolution pronounced of a priest and that it is not necessarye for a man to recite all his sinnes to a priest 5. Item we articulate agaynst thee that the Church doth beleeue and hold the same authoritie to bee now in the Churche which Christ gaue to his Apostles He answered negatiuely for that the Churche hath not the same power and strength to worke 6. Item we articulate that the Church beleueth and holdeth that the order of ministers now beyng in the church of Christ is instituted of Christ himselfe He answered that he beleueth not the bishops to be the successors of the Apostles for that they be not called as they were nor haue that grace 7. Item we articulate that the churche beleeueth and holdeth the Pope to be supreme head in the Church and the Vicare of Christ in earth He answered that it is not the Pope but it is the deuill that is supreme hed of the church which you speake of 8. Item we articulate that the church doth hold and beleeue that it is necessary to be baptised He denied not the same 9. Item we articulate that the church doth hold and beleeue that there is purgatory and that the soules of the dead bee relieued with the almes and prayers of the liuyng He answereth and sayth as touching purgatory hee will not beleeue as their church doth beleeue 10. Item we articulate that the church holdeth and beleueth that Matrimony is a sacrament of the Church He aunswered that he will not say that Matrimony is a Sacrament but to bee a sacrate order and signe of an holy thyng c. Moreouer hapning into the mention of Martine Luther he sayd that the sayd Martine Luther dyed a good christen man whose doctrine and lyfe he did approoue and allowe Thus haue ye the articles ministred by the Bishop also the answers of the sayd M. Benbrige vnto the same for the which he was then condemned and after brought to the place of Martyrdome by the shiriffe called sir Rich. Pecksall where as he stāding at the stake began to vntie hsi pointes and to prepare himselfe Then hee gaue hys gowne to the keeper beyng belyke his fee. His Ierkin was laid on with gold lace faire and braue which he gaue to Sir Richard Pecksall the high shiriffe His cap of veluet he tooke of from his hed and threw it away Then lifting his mynd to the Lord he made his prayers That done beyng now fastened to the stake D. Seaton willed him to recant and he should haue his pardon but when he saw it preuailed not to speake the said dreamyng and doltish Doct. willed the people not to pray for him vnlesse he would recant no more then they woulde pray for a dog M. Benbrige standyng at the stake with his handes together in such maner as the Priest holdeth hys handes in his memento the sayd D. Seaton came to hym agayne and exhorted hym to recant vnto whome he sayde away Babilonian away Then sayd one that stoode by Sir cut out his tongue an other beyng a temporall man rayled on hym worse then Doct. Seaton did a great deale who as is thought was set on by some other The burning of Thomas Benbrige Gentleman The vniust execution and Martyrdome of foure burned at S. Edmunds Bury IN this yeare aforesaide which was the last of Queene Maries raigne D. Hopton beyng B. of Norwich and D. Spenser bearing the roume of his Chauncellor about S. Iames tyde at S. Edmunds bury were wrongfully put to death foure christian martyrs to wit Iohn Cooke a Sawyer Rob. Myles aliâs Plummer a Shereman Alexander Lane a Wheelewright Iames Ashley a Bacheler The examination of these forenamed persones beyng seuerally called before the B. of Norwich Sir Edward Walgraue with others was partly vppon these articles followyng First sir Edward Walgraue called Ioh. Cooke to him and said How fortuneth it that you go not to church Iohn Cooke sayd I haue bene there Sir Edward said what is the cause that you goe not thither now in these dayes Iohn Cooke said because the sacrament of the aultare is an abhominable Idol and saith he the vengeaunce of God will come vpon all them that do maintaine it Sir Edward said O thou ranke traitor if I had as good commission to cut out thy tong as I haue to sit here this day thou shouldst be sure to haue it cut out Then cōmanded he the Constable to haue him away saying hee was both a traitor and a rebell Then he called Rob. Myles and said How fortuneth it that you go not to the church Rob. Myles answered because I will follow no false Gods Then said the B. who told thee that it is a God Then said Myles Euen you and such as you are Then the B. commaunded him aside to appeare before hym the next day Then he called Alexan. Lane before him asked him how it chanced that he would not go to the church He sayd that his conscience would not serue him so to doe Then sir Edward said How doest thou beleeue Then said Lane euen as it is written in Gods booke Then sir Edward commanded him to say his beliefe Then the said Lane being somewhat abashed said his beliefe to these words which he missed vnwares Borne of the virgin Mary Then sir Edward said What was he not born of the virgin Mary Yes sayd Lane I would haue said so Foure burned at S. Edmondsbury Nay said sir Edward you are one of Cookes scholers and so commanded him away and to come before him the next day After the lyke maner they passed also with Iames Ashley whom they warned the next day likewyse to appeare before them againe So in fine they appearing againe had