David Lamenteth the death-of Saul and Jonathan he much lamented the Death of Saul and Jonathan saying Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askelon lest the Daughters of the Philistines rejoyce left the Daughters of the uncircumcised triumph and further he said I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy Love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women David having now built him an House of Cedar and living in a full and perfect peace imparted unto Nathan the Prophet year of the world 2960 Davids purpose to build a House for God but put by it and why the purpose he had of building an House for God but was answered from God that this was a work which should be done not by him because he was a man of Blood but by his Son Solomon a man of Peace which should be born unto him Now David subdued the Philistines the Edomites the Amalekites the Moabites the Ammonites and the Syrians and the Bounds of Israel were stretched out to the outmost part of all that Land which had been formerly promised to the Seed of Abraham but never before possessed so fully by any of them as by David and Solomon his Son year of the world 2969 David's great sin At the end of this year whilest David took his ease at Jerusalem he there defiled by Adultery Bathsheba the Wife of Uriah the Hittite who was then in the Army and in consequence thereof procured the Husband to be slain by the hands of the Ammonites â—eing convinced of his evil by the Prophet repented when the Child so gotten in Adultery was born David being convinced by Nathan the Prophet of his evil acknowledged his Transgression saying My sin is ever before me and repented of his sin as may be seen at large in Psalm 51. yet the new born Babe was taken away by death year of the world 2971 Bathsheba being now his Wfe bare David a Son unto whom Solomon born as to one who should prove a man of Peace God gave the name of Solomon as to one beloved of God the Name of Jedidia year of the world 2987 The Lord was angery with David and why David for numbring the People kindled the Wrath of God against the Israelites wherefore Gad the Prophet told David thus saith the Lord Chuse one of them that I may do unto thee viz. whether Famine Sword or Pestilence and David said I am in great streight and his Heart smote him David chose to fall into the hands of God for he saw the evil he had done in Numbering the People and said Let us now fall into the Hands of the Lord for his Mercies are great and let me not fall into the hands of men So the Lord sent the Pestilence upon Israel and there died seventy thousand men in one day David being now seventy years of age year of the world 2989 and broken with continually Cares and Wars David grown old grew weak and feeble and Adonias his Son seeing his Father thus declining by the counsel and advice of Joah and Abiathar the high Priest Adonias his Son strives for the Kingdom David causeth Solomon to be anointed King made himself King whereof when David was advertized by Bathsheba and Nathan he presently caused his Son Solomon to be anointed King by Zadock the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benajah the Son of Jehojada in Gihon which so soon as Adonias heard he presently fled and afterwards laying hold on the Horns of the Altar was pardoned by the favour of Solomon and set at liberty Whereupon Adonias flies and now David assembling all the Governours and chief of Israel together with his Sons and Servants exhorted them all to fear and worship God David departed this life year of the world 2990 having reigned in Hebron seven years and and six Moneths David dies and thirty three years in Jerusalem over all Israel Solomon loved the Lord year of the world 2991 and walked in the Statutes of David his Father Solomons Uprightness to walk before the Lord. and in Gibeon the Lord appeared to him in a Dream and bid him ask and chuse what he would and it should be given him and Solomon said Thou hast shewed unto thy Servant David my Father great mercy according as he walked before thee in Truth and Righteousness and now O Lord my God thou hast made thy Servant King instead of David my Father and I am but a little Child I know not how to go out or come in He asketh Wisdom and he asked Wisdom and an Understanding Heart to be given him of God and the Speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing God therefore gave him Wisdom from above Wherefore God gave him Wisdom beyond any before or after The first experience of Solomons Wisdom exceeding any that was before him or should come after him and of his Wisdom the first Experiment was made in deciding the Controversie between the two Women about the Child which first gave him an esteem among the People when they saw the Wisdom of God was in him to do Judgment Solomon having according to his Fathers direction in whose heart it was to build an House for the Name of the Lord God of Israel built the Temple year of the world 2012 which was seven years and a half in building How long the Temple was building in the building of which there was neither Hammer nor Ax nor any Tool of Iron heard in the House whilst it was in building and now Solomon having built the Temple he placed there the Ark wherein was the Covenant of the Lord which he made with the Children of Israel when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt and Solomon stood before the Altar of the Lord and in the Presence of the People said Lord God of Israel there is no God like thee in Heaven above or in Earth beneath who keepest Covenant and Mercy with thy Servants that walk before thee with all their heart and he made a long prayer for the Preservation of the People desir'd the Lord would be with them Solomons Prayer for he People as he was with their Fathers and not leave them nor forsake them and that he would incline their Hearts unto him to walk in all his Wayes and to keep his Statutes and Judgments which he commanded their Fathers Thus was Solomons beginning Solomons heart drawn away from the Lord. but it was not long after until he was drawn away by many strange Women who towards his latter dayes drew away his Heart into Idolatry and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the Heart of David his Father for he went after the Abominations of the Amonites and he did evil in the sight of the Lord The Lord angry with Solomon and went not fully after the Lord as
he is filled with all manner of Riches as saith the Prophet Therefore I am bold in bonds as intirely desiring your everlasting health and felicity to warn you and most heartily desire you to watch and pray for our estate is dangerous and requireth continual prayer for on the high Mountains doth not grow most plenty of grass neither are the highest Trees furthest from danger but seldom sure and alwayes shaken of every wind that bloweth such a deceitfull thing saith our Saviour is honour and riches that without Grace it choketh up the good Seed sown on his Crentures and blindeth so their seeing that they go groping at noon-day in darkness it maketh a man think himself somewhat that is nothing at all for though for our honour we esteem our selves and stand in our own light yet when we shall stand before the Living God there shall be no respect of persons for Riches helpeth not in the day of Vengeance neither can we make the Lord partial for Money but as ye have ministred unto the Saints so shall you receive the reward which I am fully perswaded and assured shall be plentiously poured forth upon you all for the great goodness shewed to the Servants of the Living God and I most heartily beseech almighty God to pour forth a plentious reward upon you for the same and that he will assist you with his holy Spirit in all your doings that ye may grow as ye have begun unto such a perfection as may to be Gods honour your own Salvation and the strengthning of the weak Members of Christ for though the World rage and blaspeme the Elect of God you know that it did so unto Christ his Apostles and to all that were in the Primitive Church and so it shall be unto the Worlds end Wherefore believe in the Light while you have it lest it be taken away from you if you shall seem to neglect the great Mercy of God that hath been opened unto you and your hearts consented unto it that it is the very and only Truth pronounced by Gods only Son Jesus Christ by the good will of our heavenly Father therefore I say in the bowels of my Lord Jesus Christ stick fast unto it let it never depart out of your Hearts and Conversations that you with us and we with you at the great day being one Flock as we have one Shepherd may arise to the Life Immortal through Jesus Christ our only Saviour Amen Yours in him that liveth forever Thomas Hawkes The Sufferings Examinations and Martyrdom of Thomas Watts The said Thomas Watts of Billery Key in the County of Essex Thomas Watts Martyr Linnen Draper expecting for his non Conformity to be shortly apprehended he disposed of his Estate for the benefit of his Wife and Children and according to his expectation not long after he was had before the Judges at Chelmsford where one called the Lord Râ—ch spake to him to this effect Watts You are brought hither because you will not obey the Queens Laws and will not go to Church nor hear Mass but have your Conventicles in Corners Watts replyed If I have offended a Law I am here subject to the Law Then Justice Brown said to him Watts who first taught thee this Religion Watts You taught it me and none more then you for in King Edwards Dayes in open Sessions you spoke against this Religion now used calling the Mass abominable exhorting people not to believe in it but to believe in Christ only Then said Justice Brown what a Knave is this to bâ—ly me to my face Hereupon a letter was writ and signed by the Justices and Watts sent up to Bonner as a Non-conformist what entertainment he received from the Bishop at their private conference no mention is made of it but about the beginning of the Month called May he was brought to the publick Consistory where Articles were objected against him for denying the Sacrament of the Altar and saying the Mass was abominable being brought the second time into the Consistory the Bishop counselled him to Recant to which he answered I am weary to live in such Idolatry as you would have me to live in He was several times afterwards brought before them and continuing stedfast in his Religion which the Bishop perceiving fell to his last and strongest Argument which was to pass Sentence of Death upon him and delivered him to the Sheriff of London where he continued till the ninth day of the Month called June and then was carried to Chelmsford where his wife and his six Children met him to whom he said My Wife and Children I must now depart from you therefore henceforth know I you no more but as the Lord hath given you unto me so I again give you unto the Lord charging them to fear and obey him and to beware of the abominations of Popery and so sealed his Testimony in the Fire After this Watts there were three others suffered in this County of Essex viz. Thomas Osmond Fuller William Bamford Weaver Nicholas Chamberla Weaver all of Coxhall one and the same Articles were objected against them all viz. for denying the Sacrament of the Altar Auricular Confession c. according to the accustomed manner they were several times brought to the Consistory where they were sometimes flattered and sometimes threatened to see if they would recant after the common usage of the Ecclesiastical Court and at last were condemued as Hereticks and delivered to the Sheriffs and shortly after were all three burned in Essex John Bradford and John Lease Martyrs The next that suffered were John Bradford and one John Lease an Apprentize to a Tallow-Chandler the chief matter for which they suffered was for denying the real presence in the Sacrament Auricular Confession c. The said John Lease after he had been examined by the Bishop had the Articles of his Confession sent to him to the Courter Prison to sign after he hard them read because he could not write in stead of a Pen he took a pin and pricking his hand sprinkled the blood upon the paper and bid the Messenger tell the Bishop he had sealed them with his blood already The Words that John Bradford spoke at the Stake were to this effect O England England repent thee of thy Sins repeat thee of thy Sins beware of Idolatry beware of false Anti-christs take heed they do not deceive you Strait is the Way and Narrow is the Gate that leadeth to Eternal Salvation and few there be that find it This John Bradford during the time of his imprisonment exercised himself in writing several consolating Letters not only to particuler persons but to several Towns and Counties where he had laboured shewing his great Zeal for the encreasing and spreading the most reformed Religion earnestly exhorting all men and tenderly comforting the heavy hearted confirming and encouraging all to continue stedfast in the Way he had taught them Bland Frankish Shetterden and Middleton Marytr
Right hand of God the Father and therefore I do not believe him to be in the Sacrament of the Altar but he is in the worthy Receiver and your Sacrament as you use it is an abominable Idol George Brâ—dbridge said as for your holy Bread and holy Water and your Mass I utterly defie them They were all five condemned and burnt at Canterbury the sixth day of the 7th Moneth 1555. Two burnt at Lichfield About the middle of the same Moneth Thomas Hayward and John â—oreway were both burnt at Lichfield The Persecutions and Sufferings of Robert Glover About the Moneth called September 1555. there was a privy Commission sent down to the Mayor of Coventry to apprehend John Glover Brother of the said Robert Rob. Clover Martyr but John having some notice of the Officers coming escaped but they searching in an upper Room found Robert Glover lying sick in Bed and had him away before the Sheriff who being detained till the Bishop came and was then examined a Relation of his Troubles and Conflicts he had with the Bishop He sent his Wife in a Letter some Passages most material of which are as followeth To my intirely beloved Wife Mary Glover The peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding the Sweet Consolation Comfort Strength and Boldness of the holy Ghost be continually increased in our hearts through a servant earnest and stedfast faith in our most dear and only Saviour Jesus Christ Amen I thank you heartily most loving Wife for your Letters sent unto me in my imprisonment I read them with tears more then once or twice for Joy and Gladness that God had wrote in you so merciful a work These your Letters and the hearing of your most godly proceedings and constant doing from time to time have much relieved and comforted me at all times and shall be a goodly Testimony with you at the great Day If I would have given place to worldly reasons these might have moved me first the foregoing of you and my Children the consideration of the state of my Children being yet tender of Age and young apt and inclineable to virtue and learning and so having the more need of my Assistance being not altogether destitute of gifts to help them withal possessions above the common sort of men because I was never called to be a preacher or minister because of my sickness fear of death in imprisonment before I should come to my answer and so my death to be unprofitable But these and such like I thank my heavenly Father who of his infinite mercy inspired me with his holy Ghost for his Sons sake prevailed not in me but when I had by the wonderfull permission of God fallen into their hands at the first sight of the Sheriff Nature a little abashed yet ere ever I came to the Prison by the working of God and through his goodness fear departed I said to the Sheriff at his coming unto me what matter have you to charge me withal He answered you shall know when you come before the Masters I lookt to have been brought before the Masters and to have heard what they could have burthened me withal but contrary to my expectation I was committed forthwith to the Goal not being called to my answer little Justice being shewed therein but the less Justice a man findeth at their hands the more Consolation in Conscience shall he find from God for whosoever is of the World the World will love him After I came into Prison and had reposed my self there a while I wept for Joy and Gladness my belly full musing much of the great mercies of God and as it were saying to my self after this sort Oh Lord who am I on whom thou shouldest bestow this great mercy to be numbered among the Saints that suffer for the Gospel sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection unableness sinfull misery and unworthiness and on the other side the greatness of Gods mercy to be called to so high promotion I was as it were amazed and overcome for a while with joy and gladness concluding thus with my self in my heart Oh Lord thou shewest Power in Weakness Wisdom in Foolishness Mercy in Sinfulness who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilt as I have zealously loved the confession of thy Word so ever thought I my self to be most unworthy to be a partaker of the affliction for the same Not long after came unto me M. Brasbridge M. Phinees and M. Hopkins travelling with me to be dismissed upon bonds to whom my answer was to my rememberance after this sort for as much as the Masters have imprisoned me having nothing to burthen me withal If I should enter into bouds I should in so doing Accuse my self and seeing they have no matter to lay to my charge they may as well let me pass without boÌ„nds as with bonds And when they were somewhat importune I said to one of them that liberty of Conscience was a pretious thing and took as it were a pause lifting up my heart to God earnestly for his aide and help that I might do the thing that might please him and so when they had let their sure fall my heart me thought was wonderfully comforted Afterward debating the matter with my self these considerations came into my head I have from time to time with good Conscience God I take to record moved all such I had Conference withal to be no dalliers in Gods matters but to shew themselves after so great a light and knowledge hearty earnest constant and stable in so manifest a Truth and not to give place one jot contrary to the same now thought I if I shall withdraw my self and make any shifts to pull my own neck our of the Collar I shall give great offence to my weak Brethren in Christ and advantage to the Enemy to slander Gods Word it will be said he hath been a great boldner of others to be earnest and fervent to fear no worldly perrils or dangers but he himself will give no such example Wherefore I thought it my bounden duty both to God and man being as it were by the great goodness of God marvelously called and appointed hereunto to set aside all fear perril and dangers all worldly respects and considerations and like as I had hereto according to the measure of my small gift from the bottom of my heart unfeignedly moved exhorted and perswaded all that profess Gods Word manfully to persist in the defence of the same not with Sword and Voilence but with suffering and loss of life rather then to defile themselves again with the Whorish abominations of the Romish Anti-christ so the hour being come with my fact and Example to ratific and confirm the same to the hearts of all true Believers and to this end by the assistance of Gods holy Spirit I resolved my sâ—lf with much peace of Conscience willingly to sustain whatsoever the Romish Anti-christ should
our God trusting in his Mercy and he will surely help us as shall be most unto his Glory and our everlasting comfort being sure of this that he will suffer nothing to come unto us but that which shall be most profitable for us for it is either a Correction for our Sins or a Tryal of our Faith or to set forth his glory or for all together and therefore must needs be well done for there is nothing that cometh unto us but by our heavenly Fathers providence and therefore pray unto our heavenly Father that he will ever give us his Grace to consider it let us give most hearty thanks for these his fatherly corrections for as many as he loveth he correcteth And I beseech you now be of good chear and count the Cross of Christ greater Riches then all the vain-pleasures of England I doubt not but you have Supped with Christ at his Table I mean believed in him for that is the effect and then must you drink of his Cup I mean his Cross for that doth the Cup signifie unto us take the Cup and then shall you be sure to have the good Wine Christ's Blood to thy poor thirsty Soul pray continually in all things give thanks In the Name of Jesus shall every knee bow Cuthbert Simson One thing more I thought meet to mention which I find upon record concerning this Cuthbert Simson which some may hardly believe who are apt to think all things incredible which vary from the common course and order of Nature and may look upon this to be more a Phantasie then a real Vision but I shall relate the matter in short as I find it and so leave it to the tender Reader to judge of it The day before this Cuthbert Simson was condemned he being in the Stocks in the Bishops Cole-house Cluny the Keeper about nine at night according to his usual manner came to see whether his Prisoner was safe and lockt the Doors about two hours after Cuthbert heard one coming in to him first opened the Outward-door then the Inner-door and though there was no Candle yet he saw a great brightness and light most comfortable and joyful to his heart and this he declared to one Austen and others and expressed much joy and solace in declaring of it and the Vision that he saw was comfortable unto him Soon after suffered William Nichol who was burnt for the same cause at Haverfordwest in Wales and William Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson suffered in Norfolk William Seaman was an Husbandman of the age of twenty six years dwelling in Mendlesham in the County of Suffolk William Seaman Martyr he was persecuted by one Sr. John Terril who searched his house for him by night but missing of him he set his servants to search for him and when they had apprehended him brought him before their Master who asked him why he would not go to Mass and receive the Sacrament Seaman replyed because it was an Idol he would not receive it wherefore Terril sent him to Hopton Bishop of Norwich to deal with him who after he had examined him soon passed his bloody sentence of death against him This Seaman when he died left behind him a Wife and three young Children which her Husband being taken away one would have thought should have moved those pretended Christians to some pity towards her but instead of shewing pity they persecuted her out of the Town of Mendlesham because she refused to hear Mass and one Coles Lord of the said Town caused all her Goods and Corn to be seized and taken away Another of these Sufferers was Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk he was thirty years of age by trade a Glover and a very honest poor man having a Wife and three Children and labouring alwayes dilligently in his imployment being zealous for that Truth which bore testimony against the Papists blasphemous preaching who put the Draugh and Darnel for the Wheat and that he might avoid their Idolatries and Superstition he absented from his house and went into Suffolk a long time and there remained traveling from one place to another at last he returned home again to comfort his Wife and Children being troubled at his absence when he was come home he conceiving his continuing there would be dangerous he and his Wife devised to make him a place among his Fagots to hide himself in where he remained all day exercising himself in reading and prayer and thus he continued for about the space of half a year but at last his Zeal and Courage arose and he walked abroad several dayes openly in the Town crying out continually against the Mass and such like trumpery and for three dayes and three nights together refused meat or to talk with any one Berry Vicar of the Town and one of the Bishops Commissaries caused the Officers to watch for him who upon the twenty second day of the Month called April apprehended him by the break of the day and led him to Berry the Commissary who examined him after this manner Doest thou not believe said Berry in the Sacrament of the Altar what is it Hudson replyed it is worms meat my belief is in Christ Berry Dost thou not believe the Mass to put away Sins Hudson No God forbid it is a patcht Monster and a disguised Puppet more longer a piecing then ever was Solomons Temple At which words Berry stamped and fumed and said Well thou Villain I will write to my Good Lord the Bishop Hudson said There is no Lord but God Then he asked Hudson whether he would Recant to which he replyed the Lord forbid I had rather die many deaths then do so This Thomas Hudson and the other two being brought to the Lollards-pit and there standing with Chains about them on a suddain Thomas Hudson came forth from under the Chain which made some to doubt that he would have recanted but his two Companions at the Stake exhorted him and comforted him in the Bowels of Christ but Hudson felt more in his Heart and Conscience then they did conceive was in him for he was compassed with great grief of mind not for his death but for lack of the feeling of Christ for which he kneeled down and prayed earnestly unto the Lord who at last according to his mercies gave him comfort and then he said now I thank God I am strong and so went to the Stake to his Fellows again and they all suffered constantly and joyfully to the Magnifying of the Lords Name Before I proceed to give a further Account of such as suffered Martyrdom its necessary to give a short Account of the said end of this Persecuting Commissary Berry who Persecuted Thomas Hudson and others to death as I find it recorded This Berry in his rage was very fierce against many godly People in the Town of Ailesham he burnt all good Books he could get and persecuted men for their Consciences and compelled many to Idolatry and being
pray to his God and preach if he could the Priests stuffing the dead Mouth with the leaves of Bibles and said to the dead Corps Preach the Truth of your God and call upon him now to help you A Letter written by Wouter Oom Prisoner and Martyr in the City of Antwerp full of Consolation against the fear of Persecution directed to a Brother and Sister of his Grace and Peace from God the Father and from his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Well beloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your Faith in Christ Jesus these are to certifie you that I am in bodily health and enjoy the comfort of a good Conscience I praise my Lord God therefore who is able to encrease the same more and more by the powerful Operation of his holy Spirit whosoever they be that will forsake this present evil World and become Followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many Persecutions and Afflictions for Christ hath told us afore-hand That we should be Hated Persecuted and Banished out of the for his Names sake An. 1562. and this they will do saith he Because they have neither known the Father nor me but be not afraid saith he for I have overcome the World St. Paul also Witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution And again To you it is given for Jesus Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake And doth not our Lord Jesus Christ say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly against you for my Names sake Rejoyce therefore and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Now whereto serveth all this my beloved but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ For Christ hath suffered for us saith the Apostle Saint Peter leaving us an Example that we should walk in his steps who also endured the Cross and despised the shame for the obtaining of that joy which was set before him and became Poor to make us Rich 2 Cor. 8 9. By him also are we brought by faith into that state of Grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience c. Wherefore dear Brother and Sister be not afraid of the fiery Tryal which is now sent among us to prove us for what Father loving his Child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord chastice those whom he loveth for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we Bastards and not Sons And therefore Solomon faith My Son despise not the Chastning of the Lord neither faint when thou art corrected of him for whom the Lord loveth the same he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are his Members even as Christ then hath obtained full Joy and Glory by suffering of Anguishes and Sorrows so we also according to his Example must through many Tribulations enter into the heavenly places even into the New Jerusalem Let us then say with Saint Paul Christ unto me is in life and in death advantage Let us cry out with him O wretched Creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this Body of Death See here how the Faithful have desired to be with Christ for with Abraham they had an Eye to that holy City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Let us then my beloved cheerfully and willingly follow the Lord possessing our Souls by Patience For it is a good thing as saith the Prophet Jeremiah both to hope and quietly to wait for the Salvation of the Lord and good also it is for a man to bear the Yoke in his Youth for such the Lord will comfort in the end and restore unto them the joy of his Salvation Lo here dear Brother and Sister what Consolations our God hath treasured up for us in his holy Word for us I say whose desire it is to fear the Lord and to trust in his Grace and Mercy for the Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of Trouble wherefore giving all diligence let us add to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Love for if these thing be in us and abound An. 1567. they will cause us neither to be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ The which God our Father grant us for his Sons sake our Lord Amen Out of my Hole December the 11th 1562. Wouter Oom Prisoner for the Truth A Relation of such things as fell out under the Goverment of Alva And of many men put to death Anno 1567. The Afflictions of the Protestants in the Low-Countries were multiplyed this year under the Dominion of Ferdinando of Toledo Duke of Alva It is well known that the Spaniards using all their endeavorus to rule over this Country at their pleasures had no better opertunity to accomplish their designs then to establish among them their Inquisition thereby todomineer over the goods honors and lives of every one the noble Citizens and Commons did what they could to oppose the same to which purpose they had instantly besought the King to afford them his Royal presence that hearing once their Complaints his Majesty might take some order for matters of so great Importance alledging to this end the Example of the Emperour Charles his Father who upon a business far inferiour to this adventured himself with much diligence to pass through the Enemies Country who were but a while before reconciled only to stay some Mutinies begun in the City of Cand. These things had so moved the King that he made them a promise by Letters of his coming but his intentions were broken of by such as were the upholders of the Inquisition that so they might with the more facility attain the end of their desires instead of their King then they had sent unto them the Duke of Alva who at his Entrance found the Prisons replenished with Gentlemen and other Personages of note whom the Dutchess of Parma had left in bonds after her death Long did they languish in this Captivity whilst the Duke of Alva by fair promises dissembled a kind of meek and gentle carriage of mind towards them giving them some hope of a General pardon proceeding from the Kings Clemency that thus he might catch the Lords and Governours the more cunningly into his Nets whereof the Lord Lemoral Earl of Egmond Prince of Gaud Governour of Planders and Artois and others of quality gave but too Lamentable experience who being led with vain hopes were at length inhumanly put to death The
Estate giving unto them a Commandment of Obedience which was The Commandment given man in his first Creation that they were not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for in the day they did eat thereof they should dye but of all the rest of the Trees of the Garden they might eat and receiving Comfort there-from might give the Praise and Glory thereof to their Maker to whom it did belong And whilest Man and Woman stood in this Condition they were happy and blessed And now God beheld all that he had made and behold all was Good for Sin had not as yet entered upon man But the Devil envying Gods Honour and Mans Felicity tempted the Woman to Sin by the Serpent The Serpent beguiled Man and Woman by his Subtilty the Woman being beguiled by the Serpent the man was also beguiled by her and brake the Ordinance of God by eating the Forbidden Fruit And thus Man and Woman lost the Dignity and Excellency of their first Creation and were enslaved by the Serpent who by his Wiles and Subtilty had entangled and ensnared them and perswaded them to believe him more then God for God said That in the day they did eat thereof they should die but the Serpent said They should not surely die for God doth know said he that you shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil and thus was man by a lye drawn from the pure Command of his Maker Now after they had sinned in the cool of the day the Lord called unto Adam saying Where art thou and Adam who did hide himself said I heard thy Voice in the Garden and was afraid because I was Naked And God said Who told thee that thou wast Naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not Eat And now having brought Guilt and shame upon themselves by Transgression After man had transgressed he first began to make a Covering they began to make them Coverings by sewing fig-leaves to make them Aprons of which it seems they had no need before they had transgressed And now by this all men may see that it was the Serpents work from the beginning and indeed it has been in all Ages his work to beguile Men and Women with his Lyes and Subtilties and to darken their Eyes and polute their Understandings that he may keep them in subjection to himself and from hence doth spring the wicked Thoughts and Actions which all mankind are apt to lean and incline to and have been and are readier to give ear to the Voice of the Serpent and wicked One The Serpent hath ever been the moving cause of all the Wâ— that has come upon Man then to the Voice of God their Maker And this has been the Fountain and Spring-head from whence has come all the Disorders Miseries and Woes that have happened unto all Manking throughout the World in all Ages they have been feeding and delighting themselves in eating the Forbidden Fruit which their Forefathers also delighted in and all Nations upon the Earth are in this State and Condition at this day led away by the Voice of the Serpent from the Purity and Righteousness in which man was first created except a Little Remnant which God hath at this day gathered by his Light and Power to be witnesses to his name And now the Lord having convicted Adam of his evil The Promise of God for the restoring lost man and pronounced several punishments upon him and on Eve his Wife yet with this Promise added That the Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head and now man being put out of the Garden of Eden and a Fiery Flaming Sword being set to keep the Way leading to the Tree of Life man was in an undone condition had not the Lord condescended in his tender Love and Mercy to restore him and make that Promise to him and this was the Lords great Love to open a Door of hope to lost man that he might not be destroyed by Satans Power and now the Power of God by which man was first created appeared again to restore him After the fall of Adam year of the world 130 Cain was the first man that was born of a woman and after Cain his Brother Abel was born and now in process of time these two offered Offerings unto the Lord being without question instructed in Righteousness by their Father Adam after hâ—s restoration but Cains Sacrifice What Sacrafice God accepted and what he rejected being only outward in shew and nothing inward in the Spirit wherein doth consist the true Worship of God the Lord accepted not his Offering but unto Abel and his Offering which was from the Uprightness and Sincerity of his heart the Lord had respect At this Cain was Wrath and being inflamed with Anger rose up against his Brother Abel and in his envy slew him here was the beginning of Persecution and that upon a righteous person for serving God in a pure mind and here the envy of the Wicked one appeared again to extinguish if he could the righteous Seed But now the Lord shewed regard again to mankind and in his tender love repaired this loss for now Abel being slain Adams Wife bare another Son whose name was Seth for God saith she Seth born in the room of Abel bath appointed me another Seed instead of Abel whom Cain slew and this Seth proved a godly man and had a Son called Enos who kept up the holy Seed and true Religion as it is recorded of him that in his dayes men did begin to call on the Name of the Lord now Enos signifies the lamentable condition of all mankind for even then as some men write was the worship of God wretchedly corrupted by the race of Cain whence it came that men were even so distinguished that they who persisted in the true worship of God were known by the name of the Children of God and they which forsook him were termed the Children of men Enochs blameless life The next of the Righteous Stock was Jared to whom was born Enoch another of the Righteous Seed whose life and conversation was so Innocent that it is recorded of him that he walked with God And thus the Reader may see how the Righteous Plants were such who took the Lord to be their Guide in their Actions and Undertakings who were as Patterns of Righteousness in the midst of a perverse Generation and it is the same with all the faithful and upright at this day And now Enoch having this Testimony that he pleased God the Lord as a requital of his faithfulness translated him so that he saw no death and took him to himself The evil the Sons of God were prone to run into And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the Face of the Earth and Daughters were born unto them these Sons of God saw the Daughters of men that they were fair and they
years service Jacob asking leave of Laban to return into his own Country he was held there six years more upon another bargain made between him and his Father-in-law Laban for a certain part of his Flock Jacob perceiving the heart burning of Laban and his Sons malice towards him was warned of God to return into his own Country year of the world 2265 which having communicated to his Wives whilst Laban was sheering his Sheep at the latter end of the Spring after his twenty years service getting away unknown to Laban with all his Substance Jacob gets away from Laban unknown to him Wives and Family passed over the River Euphrates Laban three dayes after hearing that his Son-in-law was gone took some of his Friends and Kindred along with him and persued after him seven dayes Journey and at last overtook him at mount Gilead which took its name from this their Meeting there for after many and divers Expostulations which passed there between them making all fair at last Laban following after him and overtaking him came to agreement with him for a Testimony and Monument of their Covenant there made Jacob erected a Pillar with an heap of Stones which Laban the Syrian called Jegar-Sahadutha but Jacob the Hebrew called Gilead that is the heap of a Testimony or Witness between them two Jacob being sent away in peace by Laban He is affrighted with the news of Esau approach but affrighted with the news of his Brother Esau's approach with four hundred men divided his Company into two saying If he smite one then the other Company which is left shall escape and calls upon God saying O God of my Father Abraham Isaac c. which saidest unto me return into thy Country and to thy Kindred and I will deal well with thee deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother Esau Esau having entertained his Brother courteously after much intreaty accepts of his Presents Jacob then went on to Suâ—â—oth and there he built him an House and afterwards passing over Jordan he came into Canaan and pitched his Tent in Salem and there he built an Altar He presents Esau with Presents which he called by the name of El-Elohe-Israel or of the mighty God the God of Israel to wit in the self same place where Abraham had heretofore built his first Altar and where Jacob's Well was I am now come to write of Joseph who being Seventeen Years of Age year of the world 2276 when his Brethren saw that their Father loved him more then all his Brethren they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him The cause why Ioseph's Brethren hated him and Joseph declaring his Dream to them the Lord having shewed him that he should be set above his Brethren and be the chief of his Fathers Family they hated him yet the more and first they conspired his death They conspired his Death at last sold him and at length agreed to sell him away for a Bond slave unto a far Country so drawing him out of the Pit whereinto they had cast him they sold him to the Merchants for twenty pieces of Silver and was by them carried into Aegypt and there sold for a Slave to Potipher Captain of the Guard to Pharaoh He is sold to Captain of the Pharaoh's Guard where he was tempted by Potiphers Wife to Uncleanness and because he refused to do such Evil she by her Lyes instigated Potipher her Husband against him who put him in Prison but the Lord was with Joseph and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the Keeper of the Prison and that which he did the Lord made it to prosper Two of the Officers of Pharaoh's Court year of the world 2287 being Imprisoned in the same Prison with Joseph having both of them Dreamed Joseph interpreted their Dreams unto them which came to pass according to his interpretation and saith Joseph to one of them When thou art restored into thy place after thy former manner think on me when it shall be well with thee and shew kindness I pray thee unto me and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring me out of this House for indeed I was stolen away out of the Land of the Hebrews and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the Dungeon But when this Officer was restored again into Pharaohs Court he remembered not Joseph Ioseph expert in interpreting the Dreams Two Years after Pharaoh Dreamed two Dreams which seeing he could not get expounded by his own Wise men but hearing of Josephs expertness to enterpret Dreams sent for him being then thirty Years Old who having opened to the King his Dreams first that of the Seven Years of Plenty He interpreeted the Kings Dream then the Seven Years of Famine He added moreover as his councel and advice how to provide out of the store of the first Years of Plenty against the Famine of the other Seven Years of Scarcity Pharaoh advanced Ioseph which were to follow whereupon by the general consent of his Nobles he made him Governor of the Kingdom Seven Year Plenty From the Harvest of this Year being to be counted Seven Years of Plenty wherein Joseph laid up an infinite Treasure of Corn. The Seven Years of the Famine began from the Harvest of this Year year of the world 2296 wherein the forecast and wisdom of Joseph did not only sustain Egypt Seven years of Famine but was a help and relief to other Countries Jacob dispatched away ten of his Sons into Aegypt to buy Corn year of the world 2297 to whom Joseph seeming not to know caused to be taken for Spies and being laid hold on he spake roughly unto them and said Jacob sends his Sons into Egypt to buy Corn and they are taken for Spies Whence came ye and they said From the Land of Canaan to buy Food And Joseph knew his Brethren but they knew not him and he said They were come as Spies to see the Nakedness of the Land they said They were true men and thy Servants are twelve Brethren the Sons of one man in the Land of Canaan and behold the Youngest is this day with our Father and one is not and Joseph said Ye are Spies Ioseph sends all of them away with Corn but one whom he kept Prisoner till they brought their Youngest Brother hereby shall it be proved if ye be true men let one of your Brethren be bound in Prison go ye carry Corn for the Famine of your Houses but bring your Youngest Brother unto me so shall your words be verified and you shall not die and they did so And they said one to the other We are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this Distress come upon us and Ruben answered them saying speak not I unto you saying Do not
leave his great words and fall to ask him forgiveness so as taking off his Crown from his head he laid it down at the Legates feet to be disposed of as the Pope should please and the Legate stuck not to take up his Crown and to keep it three or four dayes in his hands before he restored it and did not then neither but upon Condition that he and his Successors should hold the Kingdom of the See of Rome at the Annual Tribute of a Thousand Marks This King John was shortly after as it is Recorded poysoned by one Simon a Monk who being absolved of his Abbot before hand for doing this fact to accomptish his Design he finds a Toad in the Garden and pricks him with a Pen-Knife until he had made him vomit up all his Poyson which he having conveyed into a Cup of Wine began to the King with a smiling countinance speaking these words If it shall please your Princely Majesty here is such a Cup of Wine as you never drank a better I turst this Wassel shall make all England glad The King having drunk and anon being ill enquired for Simon the Monk to whom some answered that he was departed this life for his Guts gushed out of his Belly the King replyed then God have mercy on my Soul and so he dyed much repenting of his former life About this time several persons were stirred up by the Lord to declare against the Pope as an Heretick and were by him condemned for their pains viz. Arnoldus Johannes Semeca Gulielmus de Santo amorie Gallus and Grosthead great Writers against the Popes Decrees giving many signs of false Teachers of whom see more in my Testimonies of the Martyrs The Pope being at odds with the Emperor Fredrick the second years since Christ 1248 would not at any hand be reconciled though the King of France strongly interceed and the Emperor himself cleared himself of all imputation and offered full saitsfaction for all pretended wrongs and to go out of his Empire if the Pope would not endure him there to the holy Land never to return into Europe again so as his Son Henry Nephew to King Henry of England might succeed him with offer of other most reasonable conditions These Oppositions of the Pope against Christian Emperours and Kings gave the Turks great advantage of prevailing against those called Christians and the grand Cause that God did not prosper the Christians in their wars in the holy-Land was imputed to the Christians adhering to their Masses and other Superstitions And thus having given a brief Relation of the most material Passages in the Affairs of the pretended Christian Church till this time I shall now Proceed to give a Discovery of the beginning and proceedings of the Monks Fryars and Jesuites who now began to swarm in the Apostized Church of the Papists We read that many Religious men heretofore contemning the World and all the Pomp Pride and Vanity thereof withdrew themselves into the Wilderness and Desart places in Syria Aegypt and other Countries it being in the time of great Persecution to the end they might the better being not troubled in the worldly cares and incumbrance bestow their time in reading the Scriptures Fasting Praying Meditating and such divine Exercises whereof Paul sirnamed the first Hermit Anthony Hilarion Basil and Jerome were the first and chiefest among the Christians who for their Sanctity of Life were in those dayes had in great Honour for then this kind of life was simple and free and not bound or Tyed to Unlawful Vows and Ridiculous Ceremonies as afterwards came to be observed by such as were called Monks and Fryars their Habit was then homely and yet decent as every man best pleased to wear neither were they bound to abide or remain in any one particular place nor tyed to one kind of life by Vow but free to stay there where they liked best or to go into any City or Country where they would at their own pleasure they sought out the most Desart place as they could find that is in the Wilderness working with their hands and getting their living with the sweat of their Brows gave a singular good Example to all men to live Virtuously and Godly instructing their Families and others that resorted unto them to lead a godly and Christian Life and were admired and honoured of all good men for their Doctrine Integrity of Life and godly zeal for as yet saith the History the Christians had but one Law and one Religion which afterwards fell out otherwise to the Grief and Sorrow of the Upright among them to see what Rents and Divisions Sects and Factions Superstitions and Ceremonies were brought in amongst them although good stirrings there might be amongst these that lived this private life Their Successors and Imitators were far unlike them for the words of Philo cited by Eusebius are these Now let our Monks saith he who live like Kings who swim in all manner of delights and pleasures who affect nothing more then Promotion and Honour and whose chiefest care and studdy is to gather Wealth and to hoord up Gold Silver c. About this time several Sects of Monks began to spread forth out of the Order of Benedictus years since Christ 562 their Habit was to wear a black loose Coat of Stuff reaching down to their heels with a Cowle or Hood to cover their bald Pates which hangs down to their Shoulders and under that Coat another white Habit as large as the former they shave the hairs off their heads except one little round Circle which they leave round about their heads which they call Corona they are bound to abstain from Flesh unless it be when they are sick These Benedictine Monks would have the World believe that they are godly and religious men and would not be ranked with the Jesuites who were States men for they poor Monks meddle not with matters of State or with Kings Affairs but for all their counterfeit holiness an English Benedictine Monk of Swinsted Abby Poysoned King John as is before related for the which fact he was still is highly honoured by all Papist in general and one saith on him thus Regem perimere Meritorium ratus est he thought it a meritorious deed for to kill the King About this time began to peep out another Sect of Monks years since Christ 1047 called Montelinetences at the time when there were three several Popes living who troubled all Christendom for their Papacy the Institutor of this Family of Monks was one Bernardus Ptolomeus they lived at the first at Sienna in Italy but afterwards having gathered their Crumbs together they built an Abby on the top of a hill not far from thence they wear a white Habit this Family was approved by Pope Gregory the twelfth The Bethlemite Fryars began 1257. their first dwelling was at Cambridge years since Christ 1257 and their Habit was like the Dominican Fryars saving that these did wear a Star
accused on several Articles by the Bishops and afterwards Condemned by them as an Heretick to be burnt when he came to the fire he said Father of Heaven I commend my Spirit into thy holy Hands and then turned him to the People and said these Words I beseech you Christian Brethren and Sisters that you be not offended in the Word of God for the affliction and Torments which you see already prepared for me but I Exhort you that you Love the Word of God and suffer patiently and with a comfortable heart for the Words sake which is your undoubted Salvation and Everlasting Comfort Moreover I pray you shew my Brethren and Sisters which have heard me oft before that they cease not nor lâ—â—ve off the Word of God which I taught unto them after the Grace given to me for any Persecutions or Troubles in this World which lasts not and shew unto them that my Doctrine was no Old Wives Fable after the Constitution made by men and if I had taught mens Doctrine I had gotten great thanks of men but for the Word and true Gospels sake I suffer this day by men not sorowfully but with a glad Heart and Mind for this cause I was sent that I should Suffer this Fire for Christs Sake this grim Fire I fear not and so I pray you to do if that any Persecution come unto you for the Word's sake and fear not them that Kill the Body and afterwards have no power to Kill the Soul Then he prayed for them which accused him saying I beseech thee Father of Heaven to forgive them that have through Ignorance or an evil Mind forged Lyes against me I forgive them with all my heart and I beseech Christ to forgive them who have Condemned me to death this day ignorantly So being first Hanged he was then burnt many People bewailing his death VVabter Mille amongst the rest of the Martyrs of Scotland his Constancy is not to be past over with silence out of whose Ashes Sprung thousands of his Religion in Scotland many Articles were drawn up against him for which he had sentance pronounced against him that he should be delivered to the Temporal Judge and punisht as an Heretick which was to be burnt Now when all things were ready for his death and he conveyed with Armed men to the Fire Andrew Olifant Judge that past sentence upon him bad him Go to the Stake he said Nay except thou pull me up with thy hand for I am forbidden by the Law of God to lay hands of my self then Olifant put him up with his hand thereupon he went gladly saying I will go to the Altar of God and desired that he might have time to speak to the People which his Executioner denyed saying That he had spoken over-much and that the Bishops were oâ—fended that the matter was so long continued but some young men that stood by desired him to speak what he please so after he had prayed he rose up and standing upon the Coles said on this wise Dear Friends the Cause why I suffer this day is not for any Crime laid to my Charge but only for the defence of the Faith of Christ Jesus for which as the faithful Martyrs have heretofore gladly offered themselves being assured after the Death of their Bodies of Eternal Felicity so this day I praise God that he hath called me of his Mercy among the rest of his Servants to seal his Truth with my Life which as I received it of him so willingly I offer it to his Glory Therefore as you will escape the eternal death be no more seduced by the Lyes of Priests Monks and Bishops and the rest of the Sect of Antichrist but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his Mercy that you may be delivered from Condemnation All that while there was great Mourning and Lamentation of the multitude for they perceiving his Patience Stoutness Boldness and Constancy were not only moved and stirred up but their hearts also were so inflamed that he was the last Martyr that died in Scotland for Religion after his prayer he was hoised up on the Stake and being in the Fire he said Lord have Mercy on me pray People while there is time and so be constantly departed The Persecutions in the Reign of Edward the sixth Henry the Eighth being dead Edward the sixth succeeded him at the Age of nine years he was a Youth of a meek nature and disposition much inclined to Clemency and Mercy yea so much that when one Joan Butcher being condemned to be burnt for Heresie all the Council could not move him to set his hand saying to Cranmer what will you send her quick to the Devil in her Error Doctor Cranmer perswaded him with much ado at last to put his hand to whom he said He would lay all the charge thereof upon Cranmer as before the Lord. But though this King was of so mild a Nature and a Person inclining to love Religion from a Child being very Zealous for a further Reformation in the Church abolishing the Mass c. and a Protector being appointed during his Nonage which was his uncle the Duke of Somerset a man also very Zealous for Reformation and an Encourager of such as profest the Gospel but in the midst of these meek and gentle times on the other hand the Pâ—pish party having a great power in the Kingdom used all the Means and Endeavours to stir up Persecution and to hinder that good they found the King and his Uncle inclinable to yet the most of this Kings Reign which was but short the Sword was taken out of their hands so that they had not power to shed much Blood all his Reign yet some there were that suffered for Religion viz. Joan of Kent an English woman and one George a Dutchman and one Thomâ—s Dobb who was apprehended for speaking against the Idolatry of the Mass and committed to Prison where he died The cause of the Imprisonment of Thomas Dobb was as followeth The said Thomas Dobb being a Man fervent and zealous for Religion and as it is recorded of him a man so Innocent that he was like a Dove without any Gall or Bitterness and more apt to receive Injury then do wrong to any one It happened that as he was passing by Pauls in London seeing the Priest at Mass being at the Elevation as he passed by the young man filled with godly Zeal pitying the Ignorance and Idolatry of the People in honouring that so devoutly which the Priest lifted up was not able to forbear but opened his Mouth and turning to the People exhorted them testifying against their Idolatry for which cause he was presently apprehended by the Mayor and being accused by the Bishop of Canterbury was Committed to the Counter in Bredstreet where falling sick he soon after died In this Kings time there was also one John Hume a servant to one Lewnax accused by his Master of denying the Sacrament of the Altar to be the real
laughed and so departed About this time about thirty Men and Women were taken at a Religious Assembly in Bow-yard in Cheapside and were Committed to Prison their Preacher one Rose was had before the Bishop of VVinchester S. Gardner and by him Committed to the Tower Cranmer Ridley and Latimer apprehended Shortly after Cranmer Ridley and Latimer three Bishops were sent to the Tower and from thence Conveyed to Oxford there to Dispute with Oxford and Cambridge men in points of Religion but especially of the Eucharist the Oxford men were Cole Chadsey Pye Harpsfield Smith and Weston Prolocutor the Cambridge men were Young Seaton Watson Fecknam Atkinson and Sedgwick the matter was so carried by these twelve men that it went against the Prisoners and after the Disputation was ended the Prisoners were brought again upon the Stage and demanded whether they would persist in their Opinion or recant They affirming they would persist they were all three adjudged Hereticks and Condemned to the Fire but their Execution was not till a year or two after John Rogers Martyr In the mean time we have an account of John Rogers who was the first Martyr in this Queens time who was burnt in London after a long and fore suffering by Imprisonment Soon after him was burnt Lawrence Saunders Lawrence Saunders Martyr who was by order kept straitly in Prison and none suffered to speak with him not so much as his Wife suffered to visit him in his Examination the Chancellor threatning him that he should not live many dayes Saunders said Welcom shall the Will of God be either Life or Death for I have learned to die but I Exhort you to beware of shedding Innocent blood Truly it will Cry As the Officers were leading him away from his Examination he exhorted the People to Repentance warning them to defie Anti-christ Sin Death and the Devil that they might receive blessing and favour from the Lord being Condemned he was carried down to Coventry to be burnt where he was put into the common Goal where he slept little but spent the Night in Prayer and instructing others and the next day was burnt during the time of his Imprisonment he wrote several good Epistles to comfort and strengthen such as were under the like Suffering with him I shall only insert the Substance of one to his Wife by which may be perceived the seriousness and Zeal that was stirred up in him against his Adversaries forbidding his Wife to seek any way for his delivery Lawrence Saunders his Letter to his Wife Grace Mercy and Peace in Christ our Lord entirely beloved Wife even as unto mine own Soul and Body so do I daily in my Prayer wish unto you daily remembring you And I do not doubt dear Wife but that both I and you as we be written in the Book of Life so we shall together enjoy the same Everlastingly through the Grace and Mercy of God our dear Father in his Son Christ and for this present life letâ— us wholy appoint our selves to the Will of our God to glorifie him either by Life or by Death the Lord make us worthy to Honour him either way as pleaseth him I am cheerful I thank God in Christ in whom and through whom I know I shall be able to fight a good fight and finish a good Course and then receive the Crown which is laid up in Store for me and all the true Souldiers of Christ wherefore Wife let us in the Name of our God fight to overcome the Flesh the Devil and the World what Weapons are used in this fight look in the sixth Chap. of the Ephesians and pray c. I would that you make no suit for me in any wise thank you know whom for her most sweet and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my Journey whither I am passing I have too few such Friends to further me in that Journey which is indeed the greatest friendship the blessing of God be with you all Amen A Prisoner in the Lord Lawrence Saunders John Hooper and Rowland Taylor Martyr Shortly after were burnt for Religion John Hooper and one Rowland Taylor the one at Gloucester and the other at Hadley The time of Rowland Taylor 's Execution drawing nigh his Wife and Son coming to see him and one John Hâ—â—â— that had been his Servant after he had supt he turned to his Son saying Thomas my dear Son God Almighty bless thee see that thou fear God always and flee from Sin and wicked living be vertuous and apply thy self to thy Book and in any wise see thou be obedient to thy Mother love her serve her be ruled by her in thy Youth and follow her good Counsel in all things Beware of Lewd Company of Young men that fear not God but follow their lewd lusts flee from Whoredom and hate all filthy living and when thy Mother is old forsake her not but provide for her to thy power and see that she lack nothing then will God bless thee and give thee long Life upon Earth and Prosperity To his Wife he said my dear Wife continue stedfast in the fear and Love of God keep your self undefiled from Poposh Idolatries and Superstitions I have been unto you a faithful Yoke-fellow and so have you been to me for which I doubt not dear Wife but God will reward you Now the time is come that I shall be taken from you The Lord gave you unto me and the Lord will take me from you Blessed be the Name of the Lord I believe they are blessed which die in the Lord The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom then shall I fear God is he that justifieth who is he that can condemn In thee O Lord I have trusted let we never be confounded On the next day by two of the Clock in the Morning he was taken out of the Compter by Officers and had to Chelmsford and there was he delivered to the Sheriff of Suffolk who was commanded to see him burnt The suffering of Hailes About this time One St. James Hailes on of the Justices of the Common-Pleas at an Assizes in Kent giving charge upon the Statutes of Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth in derogation of the primacy of Rome when he was before the Chancellor in Westminster Hall being there among other Judges to take his Oath the Chancellor said Chancellor I am informed you have Indicted certain Priests in Kent for saying Mass Hailes I Indicted none but certain Indictments of that Nature were brought before me at the Assizes in Kent and I did according to Law therein and according to Conscience and if it were to do again I could do no less then I did Chancellor Your Conscience is known well enough Hailes You may do well to search your own Conscience for mine is better known to my self then to you This and other talk at that time so displeased the Bishop that not many dayes after this discourse in
never the better but worse and worse and therefore I will delay the time no longer but send you to Newgate Hawkes You can do me no better pleasure Bonner Why would you so fain go to Prison Hawkes Truly I did look for none other when I came to your hands Bonner Come on your wayes you shall see what I have written And then shewed him several Articles he had drawn up against him whereupon he thought he should have been carried to Prison the next day and so he had but that he was kept till Doctor Harpsfield had some discourse with him who began to perswade him concerning the Sacrament and the Ceremonies and after much talk he said That the Sacrament of the Altar was the same Body that was born of the Virgin Mary which did hang upon the Cross Hawkes He was upon the Cross both alive and dead which of them was the Sacrament Harpsfield Alive Hawkes How prove you that Harpsfield You must believe he that believeth not is condemned already Hawkes John saith he that believeth not in the Son of God is condemned already he does not say he that believeth not in the Sacrament is condemned already Harpsfield There is no talking with you Then said Hawkes Why is the Roodloff set between the Body of the Church and the Chancel Harpsfield You have askt a question you cannot answer your self Hawkes Yes that I can for this saith one of your own Doctors that the Body of the Church doth present the Church Millitant and the Chancel the Church Triumphant and so because we cannot go from the Church Millitant to the Church Triumphant but that me must bare the Cross of Christ this is the cause of the Roodlofâ— being between the Body of the Church and the Chancel Harpsfield This is well and Clarklike concluded Hawkes As all the rest of your Doctrines and so the discourse ended and Thomas Hawkes returned again to the Porters Lodge The next day being the first day of the Monâ—th called July the Bishop went to the Porters Lodge himself and called Thomas Hawkes to him and commanded him to make ready to go to Prison and writ a Warrant and sent two men with him to the Gate-house at Westmenster in the Warrant he writ to this effect to the Keeper to keep him safe Prisoner and let none speak with him for that said he he is a Sacramentary and one that speaketh against Baptism a seditious and perilous man some dayes after his commitment the Bishop sent two of his men to see how he did and whither he was the same man still to whom he answered I do like a Prisoner and am not changed They said my Lord would be glad that you should do well If he will do me any good said Hawks let him suffer my Friends to come to me so they departed but Hawkes heard no more of the Bishop till the third day of the Monâ—th called September following And then Bonner brought a charge against him and required him to set his hand to it but he refused saying I shall set my hand to nothing of your making or devising then the Bishop in great anger thrust him on the breast and said he would be even with him and with all such proud Knaves in Essex Hawkes You shall do no more ther God shall give you leave And as for your Cursings and Railings I care not for them for I know the Moths anâ— Worms shall eat you Bishop I wâ—â—â— be even with you when time shall come Hawkes You have been even with some of us already you may in your Mallice destroy a man but when you have done you cannot do so much as make a finger Bonner If I do thee any wrong take the Law of me Hawkes Soloman saith Go not to Law with a Judge for he will judge according to his own honour Bonner Soloman saith Give not a Fool an answer and I count thee a Fool and so dost thou me but God forgive thee Hawkes Thought is free Then took Bonner the Bill of Articles and read it again when he saw he could not have Hawkes hand to it he biâ— him take it into his hand and give it him again Hawkes What needeth that Ceremony It shall neither come into my hand nor heart After these private Conferences between the Bishop and Thomas Hawkes the Bishop seeing no hopes to win him to his Wicked Wayes he was fully bent to proceed openly against him and to that end caused him to be brought to the publick Consistory where Bonner brought the Articles he refused to sign against him the Bishop adding four more to them to the which Hawkes answered publickly then the Bishop exhorted him to return to the Mother Church but in a constant resolution he satisfied them he should never recant so long as he lived whereupon Bonner past the Sentence of Death upon him and shortly after he was delivered to the Sheriff of Essex and burnt at a Town called Coxhall This following Epistle he wrote to the Congregation An Epistle written by Thomas Hawkes Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ be alwayes with you all My Dear Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ for ever and his holy Spirit conduct and lead you in all your doings that you may alwayes direct your deeds according to his holy Word that when he shall appear to reward every man according to their works you may as Obedient Children be found Watching ready to enter into his Everlasting Kingdom with your Lamps Burning and when the Bridegroom shall shew himself ye need not to be ashamed of this life that God hath lent you which is but transitory vain and like unto a vapour that for a season appeareth and vaniâ—heth away so soop passeth away all our terrestial honour glory and felicity For all Flesh saith the Prophet is grass and all his glory as the Flower of the Field which for a season sheweth her beauty and as soon as the Lord bloweth upon it it withereth away and departeth For in this transitory and dangerous Wilderness we are as Pilgrims and Strangers following the foot-steps of Moses among many unspeakeable dangers beholding nothing with our outward man but all vanities and vexation of mind subject to hunger cold nakedness bonds sickness loss labour banishment in danger of that dreadfull Dragon and his sinfull seed to be devoured tempted and tormented who ceaseth not behind every Bush to lay a bait when we walk awry to have his pleasure upon us casting abroad his Apples in all places times and seasons to see if Adam will be allured and enticed to leave the Living God and his most holy Commandments whereby he is assured of everlasting life promising the World at will to all that will fall down in all Ages and for a mess of pottage sell and set at nought the Everlasting Kingdom of Heaven so â—rail is Flesh and Blood and especially Israel is most ready to walk awry when
call it Have ye nâ—â— had my Brother Tomkins before you whose hand when you had burned most cruelly ye burn also his body and not only him but a great many of the numbers of Christ men that feared God and lived Vertuously and also the Queens true Subjects and seeing to these Saints you have shewed so little mercy shall it seem to my Lord and this Audience that ye shew me more favour no no my Lord but if you mean as you say why then examine you me of that I am not bound to answer you unto Bonner Well what sayest thou by the Sacrament of the Altar is it not the very body of Christ Flesh Blood and Bone as it was born of the Virgin Smith I have answered that it is none of Gods order neither any Sacrament but mans own vain invention and shewed him the Lords institution But when he was so earnestly before the Audience declaring that we knew nothing bringing out his hoc est Corpus meum to lay in my dish I proved before the Audience that it was a dead God declaring the distinction appointed between the two Creatures of Bread and Wine and that a body without Blood hath no life at which Harpsfield found himself much offended and took the Tale out of my Lords mouth saying Harpsfield I will prove by the Scriptures that you blaspheme God in so saying for it is given in two parts because there is two thing shewed that is to say his Body and his Passion as saith St. Paul and therefore is the Bread his Body and the Wine the representation of his death and blood shedding Smith You falsify the Word and rack it to serve your purpose for the Wine was not only the shewing of his passion but the Bread also for our Saviour saith so oft as you do this do it in remembrance of me and St. Paul saith so oft as you eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shall shew the Lords death till he comes and here is as much reverence given to the one as the other Then rose up the Lord Bishop and the Lord Mayor desired me to save my Soul To whom I answered I hope it was saved through Christ Jesus desiring him to have pity on his own soul and remember whose Sword he carried At which I was carried into the Garden and there abode until the rest of my Friends were Examined and so were we sent away with many foul farewels to Newgate again the Lord Bishop giving the Keeper a charge to lay me in Limbo The Substance of another Examination of Robert Smith before the said Bishop Upon Saturday at Eight of the Clock I was brought to his Chamber again and there by him examined as followeth Bonner Thou Robert Smith sayst that there is no Catholick Church here on Earth Smith You have heard me both speak the contrary and you have written it as a Witness of the same Bonner Yea but I must ask thee this question how sayst thou Smith Must you of necessity begin with a Lye it maketh manifest that you determine to end with the same but there shall no Lyars enter the Kingdom of God nevertheless if you will be answemed ask mine Articles that were written yesterday and they shall tell you that I have confessed a Church of God as well in Earth as in Heaven and yet all one Church and one mans Members even Christ Jesus Bonner Well what sayest thou to Auricular confession is it not necessary to be used in Christs Church and wilt thou not be shriven of the Priest Smith It is not needful to be used in Christs Church as I answered yesterday but if it be needful for your Church it is to pick mens purses and such pick-purse matters is all the whole rabble of your Ceremonies for all is but money matters that ye maintain Bonner How art thou able to prove that Confession is a Pickpurse matter Art thou not ashamed so to say Smith I speak by experience for I have both heard and seen the fruits of the same for first we see it hath been a bewrayer of Kings secrets and the secrets of other mens Consciences who being delivered and glad to be discharged of their sins have given to Priest great sums of money to absolve them and sing Masses for their Souls health and began to tell him an Example of a Gentleman in Norfolk who being bound in Conscience through the perswasion of the Priest gave away a great part of what he had the which thing when his Brother heard he went to London and declaring it to the Council how that by subtilty the Priest had robbed his Wife and Children he recovered a great part again to the value of two or three hundred pounds as I was relating this the Bishop saw it savoured not to his purpose but began to revile me and said By the Mass if the Queens Majesty were of his mind I should not come to talk before any man but should be put into a Sack and a Dog tyed unto the same and so should be thrown into the Water Smith To which I answered again saying I know you speak by practice as much as by speculation for both you and your predecessors have sought all means possible to Kill Christ secretly Witness M. Hunn whom your predecessors caused to be thrust in at the Nose with hot burning needles and then to be hanged and said he hanged himself and also a good Brother of yours a Bishop of your profession having in his Prison an Innocent man whom because he saw he was not able by the Scriptures to be overcome he made him privily to be Snarled and his Flesh to be torn and pâ—â—kt away with a pair of Pinsors and bringing him before the People said the rats had eaten him Thus according to your Oath is all your dealing and hath been and as you taking upon you the Office do not witâ—out Oaths open your Mouths no more do you without Murther maintain your Traditions Bonner Ah you are a Generation of Lyars there is not one true Word that cometh out of your Mouthes Smith Yes my Lord have said that Jesus Christ is dead for my sins and risen for my Justification and this is no Lye Bonner How sayst thou Smith to the seven Sacraments believest thou not that they be Gods order that is to say the Sacrament of c. Smith As for the Sacrament of the Altar and all your Sacraments they may well serve your Church but Gods Church hath nothing to do with them neither have I any thing to do with them nor you to examine me of them Bonner Why is Gods order changed in Baptism in what point do we differ from the Word of God Smith First in Hallowing your Water in Conjuring the same in Baptizing Children with Annointing and Spitting in their Mouths mingled with Salt and with many other lewd Ceremonies of which not one point is able to be proved in Gods order Bonner By the
Heart that feareth God For therewith bless we God above and therewith Curse we men And thereby Murders do arise through Women now and then And seeing God hath given a Tongue and put it under power The surest way is for to set a hatch before the door For God hath set you in a seat of double low degree First unto God and then to man a subject for to be I write not that I see in you those things to be suspect But only set before your Face how sin should be correct For flesh and Blood I know you are as other Women be And if ye dwell in Flesh and Blood there is infirmity Receive a Warning willingly that to thy teeth is told Account the gift of greater price then if he gave thee Gold A wise man saith Solomon a warning will imbrace A Fool will sooner as he saith be smitten on the Face And as your members must be dead from all things that are vain Even so by Baptism you are born to live with Christ again Thus farewel free and faithful Friend the Lord that is above Encrease in thee a perfect faith and lead thee in his Love And as I pray with perfect Love and pour out bitter tears For you and all that are at large abroad among the bryars Even so I pray thee to prefer my person and my bonds Unto the Everlasting God that hath me in his Hands That I may pass out of this Pound wherein I am opprest Inclosed in a clod of Clay that here can have no rest That as he hath begun in me his mercies many one I may attain to overtake my Brethren that be gone That when that death shall do his worst where he shall point a place I may be able like a man to look him in the Face For though he catch away my Cloâ—k my body into dust Yet am I sure to save a Soul when death hath done his worst And though I leave a little dust dissolved without blood I shall receive it safe again when God shall see it good For my Redeemer I am sure doth live for evermore And sitteth high upon the Heavens for whom I hunger sore Even as the Deer with deadly wounds escaped from the spoile Doth haste by all the means he may to seek unto the soile Of whom I hope to have a Crown that always shall â—emain And eke enjoy a perfect peace for all my wo and pain The God that giveth all encrease and seeketh still to save Abound in thee that perfect peace which I do hope to have And I beseech the living God to hold thee in his Hands And wish thee even withal my heart the blessing of my bands Which I esteem of higher price then Pearl or precious Stone And shall endure for evermore when earthly things are gone For though the Fire do consume our Treasure and our Store Yet shall the goodness of the Lord endure for evermore And where thou art a Friend to him that is to me full dear The God of might make thee amends when all men shall appear That hath shewed Mercy to the meek and rid them out of pain And thus the Lord possess thy Spirit till we do meet again If thou wilt have a Recompence Abide still in obedience The Exhortation of Robert Smith unto his Children GIve ear my Children to my words whom God hath dearly bought Lay up my Law within your heart and print it in your thought For I your Father have foreseen the frail and filthy way Which flesh and blood would follow fain even to their own decay For all and every living beast their Crib do know full well But Adams heirs above the rest are ready to rebel And all the Creatures on the Earth full well can keep their way But man above all other Beasts is apt to go astray For Earth and Ashes is his strengh his glory and his reign And unto Ashes at the length shall he return again For flesh doth flourish like a flower and grow up like a Grass And is consumed in an hour as it is brought to pass In me the Image of your years your treasure and your trust Whom you do see before your face dissolved into dust For as you see your Fathers flesh converted into Clay Even so shall ye my Children dear consume and wear away The Sun and Moon and eâ—e the Stars that serve the day and night The Earth and every earthly thing shall be consumed quite And all the Worship that is wrought that have been heard or seen Shall clean consume and come to nought as i ft had never been Therefore that ye may follow me your Father and your Friend And enter into that same life which never shall have end I leave you here a little Book for you to look upon That you may see your Fathers Face when I am dead and gon Who for the hope of heavenly things while he did here remain Gave over all his golden years in Prison and in Pain Where I among mine Iron bands enclosed in the dark A few dayes before my death did dedicate this work To you mine heirs of earthly things which I have left behind That ye may read and understand and keep it in your mind That as you have been heirs of that which once shall wear away Even so you may possess the part which never shall decay In following of your Fathers foot in Truth and eke in Love That ye may also be hâ—â— heirs for evermore above And in example to your youth to whom I wish all good I preach you here a perfect faith and seal it with my Blood Have God alwayes before your Eyes in all your whâ—le intents Commit not sin in any â—ise keep his Commandments Abhor that arrant Whore of Rome and all her blasphemies And drink not of her decretals nor yet of her decrees Give honour to your Mother dear remember well her pain And recompence her in her age in like with love again Be alwayes aiâ—ing at her hand and let her not decay Remember well your Fathers fall that should have been her stay Give of your Portion to the poor as Riches doth arise And from the needy naked soul turn not away your eyes For be that will not hear the Cry of such as are in need Shall cry himself and not be heard when he would hope to speed If God hath given you great increase and blessed well your store Remember you are put in trust to minister the more Beware of foul and filthy last let whoredom have no place Keep clean your Vessels in the Lord that he may you imbrace Ye are the Temples of the Lord for ye are dearly bought And they that do defile the same shall surely come to nought Possess not pride in any case build not your nests too high But have alwayes before your face that ye be born to die Defraud not him that hired is your labours to Sustain But give him alwayes out of hand his
hand This John Fortune was a man of a Zealous Spirit and ready in the Scriptures in Christs Cause Stout and Valiant and no less patience in his wrongful Suffering then constant in his Doctrine The Examination is as followeth First Doctor Parker asked How I believed in the Catholick Faith Fortune I asked him which Faith he meant whether the Faith that Stephen had or the Faith of them that put Stephen to death Parker being moved said What a naughty Fellow is this you shall see anon he will deny the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and said How sayest thou by the blessed Mass Fortune And I stood still and made no answer Then said one Foster Why speakest thou not and make the Gentleman an answer Fortune I said Silence is a good answer to a foolish Question Parker I am sure be will deny the blessed Sacrament of the Altar Fortune I said I knew none such Parker You deny the order of the seven Sacraments and why dost thou not believe in the Sacrament of the Altar Fortune Because it is not written in Gods Book Foster You shall be Whipped and Burnt for this Fortune If you knew how these words do rejoyce my heart you would not have spoken them Away with him said he for he is ten times worse then Samuel and so he was carried away to Prison again At the second Examination Bishop asked me If I did not believe in the Catholick Church Fortune I believe that Church whereof Christ is the head Bishop Dost thou not believe that the Pope is Supream head of the Church Fortune No Christ is Head of the true Church Fortune Then I asked him whether the Pope were a Spirtual Man To which he said Yea. Fortune I said They are spightfull men for in seventeen Months there were three Popes one Poisoned another for that presumptous seat of Anti-chhist Bishop It is Malishiously spoken for thou must obey the power and not the man well said he What say you to the Ceremonies of the Church Fortune All things that are not planted by my heavenly Father shall be blucked up by the roots saith Christ Bishop They are good and godly and necessary to be used Fortune Paul called them weak and beggerly At the third Examination Bishop How believest thou in the Sacrament of the Altar Dost thou not believe that after the Consecration there is the real substance of the Body of Christ Fortune That is the greatest Plague that ever came into England Bishop Why so Fortune If I were a Bishop and you a poor man as I am I would be ashamed to ask such a Question for a Bishop should be apt to teach and not to learn Bishop Is it Idolatry to Worship the blessed Sacrament or no Fortune God is a Spirit and will be Worshipped in Spirit and Truth At another Examination Bishop asked me If I would stand to my Answers that I had made him before Fortune Yea for I have spoken nothing but the Truth And after that he made a great Circumstance upon the Sacrament Then I desired him to keep to the Text and he read the Scripture which said I am the Bread which came down from Heaven believest thou not this Fortune Yea truly Bishop Why dost thou deny the Sacrament Fortune Because your Doctrine is false Bishop How can that be false which is spoken in the Scripture Fortune Christ said I am the Bread and you say the Bread is he therefore your Doctrine is false Bishop Dost not thou believe the Bread is he Fortune No. Bishop I will bring thee to it by the Scriptures Fortune Hold that fast for that is the best Argument you have yet Bishop Thou shalt be burnt like an Heretick Fortune Who shall give Judgment upon me Bishop I will judge a hundred such as thou art and never be shreven for it Fortune Is not there a Law for the Spirituality as well as for the Temporality Clement Higham said Yes what meanest thou by that Fortune When a man is perjured by the Law he is cast over the Bar and sitteth no more in judgment and the Bishop is a perjured man and ought to sit in Judgment of no man Bishop How provest thou that Fortune Because you took an Oath in King Henry's dayes to resist the Pope so both Spiritual and Temperal are perjured that here can be no true Judgment Bishop Thinkest thou to escape Judgment by that no for my Chancellor shall judge thee he took no Oath for he was then out of the Realm Clement Higham It is time to Weed out such Fellows as you be indeed The Bishop commanded the Bailiff to take him away thus much touching the Examination of this man but whether he died by Fire or were otherwise prevented by Death is not recorded only his Sentence of Condemnation was drawn up and registred by the Register of Norwich but most certain it is he never recanted John Careless Examined before Doctor Martin Martin askt him Where he was born Careless said John Careleses Examination At Coventry Martin said How camest thou hither Careless By a Writ Martin Thou art a hansom man and its pity but thou shouldest do well and play the Wise mans part Careless I put you out of doubt that I am most sure and certain of my Salvation by Christ Jesus so that my Soul is safe already whatsoever pains my Body suffer here for a little time After much more discourse between them about predestination Martin said The Lord knows that I would gladly make some means to preserve thy life but thou speakest so much of the Lord the Lord How sayest thou wilt thou be content to go into Ireland and serve the Queen there Careless I am ready to do service to the Queen or her Officers but if they require me to do any thing contrary to Christs Religion I am ready also to do my service in Smithfield for not observing it as other my Brethren have done He endured Imprisonment two whole years in Coventry and the Kings-Bench where at last he died and was buried in a Dunghill in the Fields Sentences taken out of a Letter written by John Careless in the time of his Suffering and Imprisonment To my most dear and faithful Brethren in Newgate condemned to die for the Testimony of Gods Everlasting Truth The Everlasting Peace of God in Christ Jesus the continual Joy Strength and Comfort of his most pure Holy and Mighty Spirit with the increase of Faith and lively feeling of his Eternal Mercy be with you my most dear and faithful loving Brother Tyms with all the rest of my dear hearts in the Lord you faithful fellow Souldiers and most constant Companions in bonds yea of men Condemned most cruelly for the sincere Testimony of Gods Everlasting Truth to the full finishing of that good work which he hath so gratiously begun in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your Everlasting comfort in him
about the Moneth called July in the Year aforesaid came to Rome and having found the English Colledge Knockt at the Door to whom divers of the Students there came forth to welcome him hearing he was an English man amongst other talk had with him they wisht him to go to the Hospital and there to receive his Meat and Lodging according as the order was appointed whereunto he answered I came not my Country-men to any such intent as you judge but I came lovingly to rebuke the great disorder of your lives which I grieve to hear and pity to behold I come likewise to let your proud Anti-christ understand that he doth Offend the heavenly Majesty Rob God of his Honour and Poison the whole World with his Abominable Blasphemies making them do Homage to Stocks and Stones and that filthy Sacrament which is nothing else but a foolish Idol when they heard these words one Hugh Griffen a Welch-man and Student of the Colledge caused him to be put in the Inquisition what he answered there to their Examinations is not recorded but after some dayes he was set at Liberty again And one day going in the Street he met a Priest carrying the Sacrament which so offended his Conscience to see the People crouch and bow dâ—wn to it that he catched at it to have thrown it down but missing of his purpose and it being judged by the People that he did catch at the holiness that they say cometh from the Sacrament upon meer devotion he was let pass and nothing said to him a few dayes after he came to the place called Saint Peters Church where divers being hearing Mass and the Priest at the Elevation without shewing any reverence he stept amongst the People to the Altar and threw down the Chalice with the Wine striving likewise to pull the Cake out of the Priests hands for which divers rose up and beat him with their fists and one drew his Rapyer and would have slain him and away he was carried to Prison where he was Examined wherefore he had committed so hainous an offence he answered that he came purposely for that intent to rebuke the Popes Wickedness and their Idolary upon this he was condemned to be burnt which Sentence he said he was right willing to suffer and the rather because the sum of his offence pertained to the Glory of God during the time he remained in Prison sundry English-men came to him wishing him to be sorry for what he had done and to recant of his Damnable Opinion but all the means they used were in vain he confuted their dealings by divers places of Scripture and willed them to be sorry for their Wickedness while God did permit them time else they were in danger of Everlasting Damnation these words made the Englishmen depart for they could not abide to hear them Within a while after he was set upon an Ass without any Sadle being from the midle upward naked having some English-Priests with him to talk with him but he regarded them not but spake to the people in as good Language as he could and told them they were in a wrong way and therefore wished them to have regard to the saving of their Souls All the way as he went there were four that did nothing else but thrust at his body with burning torches whereat he never moved nor shrunk one jot but with a cheerful Countenance laboured to perswade the People to good at which the People not a little wondered thus he continued almost the space of half a mile until he came to the Place of Execution which was before the Mass-house called Saint Peters where they had made a device not to make a Fire about him but to burn his legs first which they did at which he was no whit dismayed but suffered all cheerfully at which the People much admired Then they offered him a Cross to embrace in token that he died a Christian but he put it away with his hand calling them evil men to trouble him with such poltery stuff when he was preparing himself to God whom he beheld in majesty and mercy ready to receive him into the Eternal rest they seeing him in this mind departed saying Come let us go and leave him to the Devil whom he serves Thus ended this faithful Souldier and Martyr of Christ his life a Witness against the Pope and his Followers wickedness Persecuted by the Papists in Forreign Parts c. A brief Relation concerning the Horrible Massacree in France Ann. 1571. When the Admiral was wounded in both his Arms he Immediately thereupon said to Maure O my Brother I do now perceive that I am beloved of my God seeing that for his Name sake I do Suffer these Wounds at this time were many great persons cruelly murthered two thousand were murthered in one day At Meldis Two hundred were cast into Prison and being brought out as sheep to the slaughter were cruelly murthered At Orleans a Thousand Men Women and Children were Murthered The Citizens of Augustobona when they heard of the Massacree at Paris shut the Gates of their Town that no Protestant might escape and cast all that they suspected into Prison which afterward were brought forth and Murthered At Avericome in like manner the suspected for religion were cast into Prison At Roan five hundred were put to death Thuanus who writeth the History of these things writeth thus this Example saith he passed into other Cities and from Cities to Towns and Villages so that it is by many Published that in all the Kingdom above thirty thousand were in these tumults divers wayes destroyed by the Papists There was wonderful joy in Rome for this Massacree and the Pope with his Cardinals went a Procession to give thanks unto God for this great benefit bestowed upon the See of Rome and the Christian World a Jubily also was published and in the Evening the great Ordinance was shot off at the Castle Thus did this unholy Father delight to hear of the destruction of so many Innocent People well might Christ say You are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father you will do he hath been a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth because there is no Truth in him An Account of four Martyrs burnt at Lile in Flanders Q. Mary An. 1559. in the year 1556. whose names were Robert Ogvier and Jane his wife Baudicon and Martin his two Sons Few places can be named where the Truth was more freely and with greater zeal received then in this City of Lile where Antichrists Tyranny was great For three years together it was secretly preached amongst them sometimes in Houses in Woods in Feilds and in Caves of the Earth not without hazarding of their Lives if they had been discovered yet could not these apparent dangers under such Tyranny cool or abate the burning Zeal which almost consumed the hearts of his People hungering and thursting after the spiritual food of
their Souls What was amongst them preached was accordingly practiced works of Mercy and Charity were there exercised not only towards those of the Houshold of Faith but even towards them which were without so as many by means hereof were drawn and brought on to the knowledge of Christ They ordained certain Persons who were men fearing God and approved of who went weekly from house to house to collect the Alms of such as they knew to be faithful admonishing every one how to carry themselves in their Vocations and of their duty in contributing towards the relief of the poor Saints And thus each one according to his place endeavouring to express and manifest his Faith by the Fruits thereof namely good works in a short time the Lord raised up a flourishing Meeting in this place so that they consisted of a competent number of Men Women and Children not only of the City but of the Villages nigh In the mean while Satan and his Adherance ceased not to storm and rage hereat not being able long to endure these their holy Meetings Upon the sixth of the Moneth called March about ten at night the Provest of the City with his Sergeants armed themselves to make search if they could find any met together in houses but as then there was no Assembly therefore they went to the house of Robert Ogvier and there violently entered seeking here and there for their prey they found certain Books which they carried away but he whom they principally aimed at was not then in the House viz. Baudicon the Son of the said Robert who according to his usual manner was gone abroad to visit some Brethren but returning home knocking at the Door his brother Martin watching his coming bid him be gone wishing him not to come in he thinking his Brother took him for some other said it is I open the Door with that the Sergeants drew nigh and opened it and he came in Then said the Provest I arrest you all in the Emperors name and commanded each of them to be bound to wit the Husband and his Wife with their two Sons leaving their two Daughters to look to the House now as they conveyed them along through the Streets Baudicon with a voice somewhat extended which might easily be heard at that time of the night said Assist us O Lord by thy Grace not only to be Prisoners for thy Name sake but to confess thy holy Truth in all purity before men so far as to seal the same with our Bloods for the edification of thy poor Church Thus were they brought into several Prisons where they were severally handled yet ceased they not to bless and praise the Lord with one consent within a few dayes after they were brought before the Magistrates of the City and Examined who first spoke to the Father in these words It is told us that you never come to Mass and also diswade others from coming thereto and that you maintain Conventicles in your House whereby you have Transgressed the Laws of the Emperial Majesty Robert answered to this effect We read not in all the Scriptures that either Christ or any of his Apostles ever said Mass for they knew not what it meant As for the second Accusation I cannot nor will deny but there have met together in my House Honest People fearing God I assure you not with intention to wrong or harm any but rather for the advancement of Gods Glory and the good of many I knew indeed that the Emperour had forbiden it but what then I know also that Christ had commanded it who said Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Thus you see I could not well obey the Emperour but I must disobey Christ in this case then I chose rather to obey my God then man When they were brought to the Fire the last words they were heard to pronounce were Jesus Christ thou Son of God into thy hands we commend our Spirits and so they ended their Testimony Within eight dayes after Jane the Mother and Martin her Son were both Executed in the same City The manner of the Merciless Inquisitors Tormenting such as are brought into the Popish Inquisition in Spain When they purpose to torture any one the Gaoler is commanded to bring forth his Prisoner into the accustomed place where it is to be given which place is under the Earth and very obscure then going thorow many turnings and thorow sundry Doors so as the horrible cries of those who are there tortured can in no wise be heard there is a Seat prepared for the Inquisitors on high with a Rigister also to behold their Tragical Act the Torches being lighted those who are to Act their parts in this woful Tragedy are brought in the Tormentor who attends their coming is covered all over with a black Garment close to his Body and on his Head a black Hood which hides his Face from being seen having only two or three holes made therein for himself to see and to breath at and all this is to terrifie the more the poor patient who beholdeth as it were a grim Devil ready to Torment him these Fathers being set upon their Seat begin again to charge the Prisoner voluntary to confess the Truth which if he refuse to do and if it then happen that Arm or any other Member of his Body be broken or that they die on the Torture for that is all the favour he hath shewed him they made it his own fault and none of theirs after they have used all the terrible threats that can be they cause him or her to be stripped stark naked whether Man Woman or Maid though they be never so modest and bashful many having fallen into their bloody fingers thus to to have their nakedness discovered in the sight of others was more greivous then all their Torments besides which they endured laying aside then all Humanity in unclothing them they put upon them linnen Bretches as if their secret parts were better and more honestly covered with Bretches then with Shirt or Smock or as if the Torments they meant to put them to would not pierce deep enough as well in the one as in the other with such shameless Spectacles the chast Inquisitors fed their Ages and with such cruel Lust satisfied their infamous and detestable virginity The Man or Woman standing naked then only covered with little Bretches they beckon to the Tormenter who is well aquainted with their secret sign and watch word and can readily discern what Torments the holy Fathers would have them put to to teach them the Faith of the Roman Church Then standing thus naked they exhort them once again to tell the truth If the Patient be to endure the Cord they tye his hands behind his back pulling him up eight or ten times according to the number of twitches limited by the Inquisitors to the Tormentor that so nothing may be done there