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
Vestry and cut off his Right Hand then he was had into the Market-place and there they cut off his Left Hand then his Arms were bound behind him and his Feet under the Horses Belley and so was carryed to the place of Execution where he was let down by a pulley into the Fire and then pluckt up and let down again all which cruelty he endured with a constant Spirit saying O Eternal God Father of all Mercies look down upon thy Servant and with patience he suffered till at last the Rope burning he fell down into the Fre and was consumed This was in the year 1552. Persecutions in the Reign of Queen Mary beginning Anno 1553. After the Death of Edward the fixth Queen Mary succeeded and after the was setled in her Throne a Sinod was assembled for consulting about matters of Religion and the point especially of the real Presence in the Sacrament after a long Disputation where Reason and Scriptures were not so much weighed as Voices numbred the Papal side as having most voices carried it and thereupon was that Religion again restored and the Mass commanded again in all Churches so called to be celebrated after the antâ—â—â— mâ—â—â— And shortly after Cardinal Poole and English man that 〈◊〉 fed to Rome for Succour in the former time Q. Mary was sent for over again to England by the Queen who was no sooner come but the Attaindor upon Record against him was by Act of Parliament taken off and he restored and a few days after coming to the Parliament before the Queen and both Houses assembled after the Bishop of VVinchester who was Chancellor had made a short speech to them signifying the presence of the Cardinal and that he was sent from the Pope as his Legate for their good and benefit Then the Cardinal stood up and made a long Oration to them thanking them for restoring him whereby he was made a Member of their Society Then Exhorting them to return into the Bossom of the Church for which end he was come not to Condemn but to Reconcile not to compell but to call and require and for their first work of Reconcilement requiring them to repeal and abrogate all such Laws as had formerly been made in derogation of the Catholick Religion After which Speech the Parliament going together drew up a Supplication which within two dayes after they presented to the King and Queen wherein they shewed themselves to be very penitent for their former Errors and humbly desired them to interceed for them to the Cardinal and the See Apostolick that they might be pardoned of all they had done amiss and be received into the Bossom of the Church being themselves most ready to abrogate all Laws prejudicial to the See of Rome This Supplication being delivered to the Cardinal he then gave them Absolution in these words We by the Apostolick Authority given unto us by the most holy Lord Pope Julius the third Christs Vicegerent on Earth do absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realm and Dominions thereof from all Heresie and Schism and from all Judgments Censures and Pains for that cause incurred and also we do restore you again to the unity of our Mother the holy Church The report hereof coming to Rome was cause that a solemn Procession was made for Joy of the Conversion of England to the Church of Rome And now all Bishops which had been deprived in the time of Edward the sixth were restored to their Bishopricks and the new removed and all that would not turn and forsake their Religion were turned out of their Livings and Stephen Gardner and Bonner became again to be had in favour and were restored to their former places and several old Laws were again revived by Act of Parliament for the tryal of Heresie and Commissions and Inquisitors were sent abroad into all parts of the Realm whereupon many were apprehended and brought to London and there Imprisoned and afterwards most of them burnt to death or else through cruel usage died in Prison and were buryed in Dunghils in the Fields to the Number of near three Hundred Persons Men and Women in the short Reign of this Queen And now Bonner being re-invested into his Bishoprick he sends forth Injunctions that six in every Parish upon their Oaths should present before him such as would not conform and soon after about threescore Inhabitants of the City of London were apprehended and imprisoned for dispersing and selling certain Books sent over into England out of Germany and other Countries About this time the people going a Procession in Smithfield and the Priest being under the Canopy with the Box John Street persecuted according to the usual Custom one John Street a Joyner in Coleman-Street going by in haste about his business by chance went under the Canopy by the Priest at which the Priest was so surprized and overcome with fear that he let the Pix fall down the people being amazed presently apprehended the poor man and committed he was to the Compter and the Priest accused him to the Council as if he came to slay him from the Compter he was removed to Newgate where he was cast into the Dungeon and there chained to a Post and so miserably used till he lost his Sences and then they sent him to Bedlam Roods Commaded to be again set up in the places called Churches These were but in the beginnings of Bonners Cruelty in this Queens time the next thing he did was he put out a Mandate to the Curates within his Diocess requiring them to abrogate and blot out all Scripture Texts wrot upon the Walls in Churches so called in Edward the sixths time which he said was opening a Window to all Vice and further commanded that comely Roods should be again set up in all Churches The same Injunction for setting up Roods was published in other Diocesses at this time for at Cockram in Lancashire the Parishoners and Wardens had agreed with a Carver to make them a Rood and to set it up in that they called their Church at a certain prise which the Carver did but the Rood being made of an ugly grim Countenance they disliked it and refused to pay the Work-man that made it whereupon by Warrant he brought them before the Mayor of Lancaster who was a favourer of the Protestants and a man against Images when they came before the Mayor he askt them Why they did not pay the man according to their Agreement they replyed they did not like the grimness of its Vissage saying they had a man formerly with a hansome Face and they would have had such another now well said the Mayor though you like not the Rood the Poor-mans Labour has been never the less and its pity he shold loose but I tell you what you shall do pay him the Money you promised him and if it will not serve you for a God you may make a Devil of it at which they
Prison with him but for other Prisoners to whom he sent several good Epistles of love and Exhortation and many were converted by him from the Iniquity of the times some of which Epistles are as followeth O Ye that Love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is Evil. A Letter of Robert Smith's to his Wife in Meetre Verses containing good Exhortations written by R. Smith THe God that giveth Life and Light and leadeth into rest That breaketh bonds and bringeth out the Poor that are opprest And keepeth mercy for the Meek his treasure and his store Encrease thy Life in perfect Love both now and evermore That as thou hast begun to ground in Faith and fervent Love Thou mayst be made a mighty Mount that never may remove That thine ensample may be shewed among all thine encrease That they may live and learn the like and pass their time in peace Thy Salutations that were sent I heartily retain And send thee seventy times as much to thee and thine again And for because I know the Gold that thou dost most desire I send thee here a paper full is fined in the Fire In hope thou wilt accept it well although it be but small Because I have none other good to make amends withall For all thy free and friendly facts which thy good will hath wrought I send thee surely for a shift the thing that cost me nought Abstain from all ungodliness in dread direct your dayes Possess not sin in any wise beware of wicked wayes Hold fast your Faith unfeignedly build as you have begun And arm your self in perfect Faith to do as you have done Lest that the wicked make a mock that you have took in hand In leaving of the perfect Rock to build upon the Sand Beware these filthy Pharisees their building is in Blood Eat not with them in any wise their Leaven is not good Their Salt is all unsavory and under good intents They maintain all their knavery and murther Innocents They seek to set in Christs seat and put him out of place And make all means that may be made his doings to deface They keep him down with Bills and Bats that made the blind to see They make a God for Mice and Ratâ—â—â— and say the same is he They shew like Sheep and sweat like wolves their baits be all for Blood They kill and slay the simple Souls and rob them of their good The dark illusions of the Devil hath dimmed so their Eyes That they cannot abide the Truth to stir in any wise And if you keep the perfect path as I have hope you do You shall be sure to have such shame as they can put you to For all that lead a goodly life shall surely suffer loss And eke the World will seek their shame and make them kiss 〈◊〉 Cross Ye shall be kild saith Christ your sorrows shall not cease And yet in your afflictions I am your perfect peace For in the World you shall have wâ— because you are unknown And for because you hate the World the World will love his own Be fervent therefore to the death against all their Decrees And God shall surely fight for thee against thine Enemies Commit thy cause unto the Lord revenge not any evil And thou shalt see the wicked want when thou shalt have thy will For all afflictions that may fall that they can say or do They are not sure of the Wealth we shall attain unto For I have seen the sinners spread their branches like a bay And yet ere one could turn his head were withered clean away Beware that money make you not in riches to arise Against the goodness of the Lord among the worldly wise For many mischiefs it hath made that may not be exprest And many evils it hath begun which may not be redrest For money maketh many one in riches to rebel And he that maketh Gold a God he hath a Soul to sell It maketh Kings to kill and slay and waste their wits in War In leaving of the Wolf at home to hunt the Fox afar And where they should see Justice done and set their Realm in rest By money they be made a mean to see the poor opprest It maketh Lords obey the Laws that they dâ— ill and nought It maketh Bishops suck the Blâ—ol that God hath dearly bought And where they should be faithful Friends and Fathers to the Flock By money they do turn about even like a Weather-Cock The Priest doth make a money mean to have again his whores To pâ—t away hâ—â— weddâ—d Wife and Children out of doores It hâ—ldeth back the Husband man which may not be forborn And will not suffer him to sow and cast abroad his Corn In like case it doth let again when that the Seed they sow It choakeâ—h up the Corn again so that it cannot grow The Hâ—sband he would have a Wife with Nobles new and old The wife would have the Husband hangd that she might have his Gold It â—aâ—eth Mâ—rthers many a one and beareth much with Blood Thâ— Child would see the Parents slain to seize upon their good And though it be a blessed thing created in the kind It is a â—â—â—â—ssâ—ry evil annexed to the mind For who 〈◊〉 playeth with the pitch his fingers are defild And he that waketh Gold a God shall surely be beguild Be friendly to the Fatherless and all that are opprest Assist â—hem alwayes out of hand and see them set at rest In all your doings and your deeds let mercy still remain For with the measure that you meet shall ye be met again Be alwayes lowly in your life let love enjoy her own The highest Trees are seldom sure and soonest overthrown The Lyons lack and suffer sore in Hunger and in Thurst And they that do oppress the poor continue still accurst The Bee is but a little Beast in body and in sight And yet she bringeth more encrease then either Crow or Kite Therefore beware in any wise keep well your watch alway Be sure of Oyl within your Lamp let not your light decay For death dispiseth them that lack and hateth them that have And treadeth down the rich and poor together in the grave Exhort your Children to be chaste rebuke them for their ill And let not them in any wise be wedded to their will Laught not with them but keep them low shew them no merry cheer Least thou do weep with them also but bring them up in fear And let your light and living shine that ye be not suspect To have the same within your self for which they are correct Be meek and modest in a mean let all your deeds be done That they which are without the Law may see how right you run Keep well the member in your Mouth your Tongue see that you tame For out of little sparks of Fire proceedeth out a flame And as the poyson doth express the nature of the Toad Even so the Tongue doth manifest the
I might have had I could find no joy nor confort but still was in my Conscience tomented more and more being assured by Gods Spirit and his Word that I through evil counsel and advisement had done amiss and with the disquietness of my Mind and other cruel handling I was sick lying upon the ground when the Keeper came and so I desired him to pray Doctor Harpsfield to come to me and so he did And when he came and the Register with him I told him that I was not well at ease but especially I told him I was grieved very much in my Conscience and Mind because I had subscribed and I said that my Conscience had so Accused me through the just Judgment of God and his Word that I had felt Hell in my Conscience and Sathan ready to devour me and therefore I pray you said I let me have the Bill again for I will not stand to it so he gently commanded it to be fetcht and gave it me and suffered me to put out my name whereof I was right glâ—d when I had so done although death should follow and hereby I had experience of Gods Providence and Mercy towards me who tryeth his People and suffereth them to fall but not to be lost for in the midst of this Temptation and Trouble he gave me warning of my deed and also delivered me his name be praised for evermore Amen By me Thomas VVhittle Bartlet Green born in the City of London in the Parish of Baâ—inghal of the age of twenty five years Bartlet Green Martyr being examined by Bishop Bonner with whom he had sundry Conferences and publick Examinations but in the end Bonner seeing his stedfastness to the faith of Christ to be such as against the which neither their threatnings nor yet their flattering promises could prevail After he he had condemned the other six he called for Bartlet Green and pronounced the definitive sentence against him and so committed him to the Sheriffs of London who sent him to Newgate and when he came to Prison he was often exercised in prayer and godly meditations and exercises until the twenty eighth day of the month called January when he with his other above mentioned Brethren went most cheâ—rfully unto the place of their Torments at the stake repeating these Latine verses following Christe de us sine te spes est mihi nulla salutis Te duce vera sequor Q. Mary An. 5515 te duce falsa nege In English thus O Christ my God sure hope of health besides thee have I none The Truth I love and falshood hate by thee my Guide alone After these seven above rehearsed martyred together in Smithfield shortly after in the same Month being the one and thirtieth day of the Month called January Four Women and one Man burnt at Canterbury four Women and one Man were burnt for the Faith of the Gospel at Canterbury their names are as followeth viz. John Lomas a young man of the Parish of Tenterden Anne Albright Joan Catmer of the Parish of Hyth Agnes Snoth Widdow of Smarden Joan Sole Wife of the Parish of Horton The aforesaid five persons were burnt at two Stakes and one Fire ratifying and confessing the true faith of Christ Jesus and when the flame was about their ears they sung for joy whereat John Norton called Knight standing by wept bitterly to hear and see what was done The Persecutors names The Judges and others Assistants which face upon these Martyrs were Richard Faucet John Warren John Mills Robert Collins and John Baker the Notary Now we come to the time of Cranmers Execution who the year before as I have mentioned was condemned and degraded by Commission from the Pope Cranmers Martyrdom after which being by the subtylty of some put in hope of life out of frailty he subscribed to a Recantation which yet did him no good for whether it were that Cardinal Pool would no longer be kept from being Aron-Bishop which he would not be as long as he lived or that the Queen could not be gotten to forget his being the chief Instrument of her Mothers divorce his Execution was resolved to be in the same place at Oxford where Ridley and Latimer five Months before had suffered before the Execution Doctor Cole preached who to make use of Cranmers recantation told the People they should do well to hearken to this learned mans Confession who now at his death and with his death would testifie which was the true Religion never thinking Cranmer would have denied his former Recantation but Cranmer being brought to the Stake contrary to expectation acknowledged that throught frailty he had subscribed it praying God heartily to forgive it for that he had set his hand contrary to the Truth that was in his heart and now for a punishment that hand which had done â—â—should first suffer and therewithal thrusting his Right hand into the Fire he there held it till iâ— first then his whole Body was consumed The next that suffered were Agnes Potter and Jone Trunchfield in the County of Suffolk both Married Women dwelling both in one Town they were burnt in Ipswich when they had prepared themselves ready for the Fire they exhorted the people very earnestly to lay hold on the Word of God and not upon mans devices and inventions despising the Ordinances and Inventions of the Romish Antichrist with all his Superstitions and rotten Religion After these two Women were burnt three Men at one Fire in Salsbury their names John Spicer Free-Mason William Coberly Taylor John Maundrel Husbandman The beginning of their Imprisonment was after this manner going into a Steeple-house and seeing the Idolatry by the people performed in following the Idol in procession exhorted the people to return to the living God speaking more particularly to one Robert Berksdale head man of the Parish but he took no regard to their words soon after the Priest came into his Pulpit who being about to read his Bedral and prayer for the Souls in Purgatory Jo. Maundrel speaking with an Audible voice said that that was the Popes Pinfold after which words by commandment of the Priest they were had to the Stocks where they remained till their Worship was done and then were had before a Justice of Peace and the next day were all three had to Salsbury and presented before Bishop Capon and William Geoffry the Chancellor of the Diocess by whom they were imprisoned and often Examined of their Faith in private but seldom openly in their Answer to the Articles charged against them they said that the Popish Mass was abominable Idolatry and injurious to the Blood of Christ and being asked whether the Pope was supream head of the Church they said he usurped Authority and said Christ was the head of the Church and said Christs Blood purged away their Sins and not the Popes Purgatory and being asked whether Images were necessary in the Church John Mundrell said Wooden Images were
Amen Ah my most sweet and loving Brethren and dearest hearts in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write unto you in the lest point or part to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath conceived in God through the most godly Example of your Christian-constancy and sincere Confession of Christs Truth truly my Tongue cannot declare nor my Pen express the aboundance of Spiritual mirth and gladness that my mind and inward man hath felt ever since I heard of your hearty â—oldness and modest behaviour before the Bloody Butcher in the time of all your crafty Examinations especially at your cruel Condemnation in their cursed Consistory place blessed be God the Father of all Mercy and Praised be his Name who hath not only given you continual Aid Strength and Comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit to the faithful Confession of Christ for whose Cause Oh most happy man ye are condemn'd to die but hath also given you such a Mouth and Wisdom as all your Wicked Enemies were not able to resist my dear Brethren this is an evident proof that God is on our side Therefore my dearly Beloved Cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the Lord for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath counted you Worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not only the loss of Goods Wife and Children long Imprisonment Cruel Oppression c. But also the deprivation of this mortal life with the dissoluation of your Bodies in the fire Ah my most dear Brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the hands of the Lord in a full happy time camest thou into this Troublesome World but in a much more blessed hour shalt thou depart out of the same so that the sweet saying of Soloman or rather of the holy Ghost shall be full well verified upon thee yea and on all thy faithfull Fellows better is the day of Death saith he then the day of Birth This saying cannot be verified upon every man but upon thee my dear Brother and such as thou art whose Death is most pretious before God and full dear shall your Blood be in his sight blessed be God for thee my dear Brother that ever I knew thee for in a most happy time came I first into thy Company pray for me dear Brother pray for me that God will once vouch me Worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath now brought you Ah all my faithfull Brethren what shall I say or what shall I write unto you but the same that Elizabeth said to Mary Happy art thou which hast believed Luke 2. for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled so I say to you my dear hearts in the Lord happy are ye all yea twice happy shall you be for evermore because you have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own Mouth in that he hath Promised you which are the faithfull Seed of the believing Abraham that ye shall be blessed ever World without end and as you do believe so do you bear record that God is true the Testimony whereof you have full worthily born to the World and shortly will full surely seal the same with your Blood yea even to Morrow I do understand Oh Constant-Christians Oh Valliant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the Devil Death Sin and Hell and hath given you full Victory over them for evermore Oh Worthy Witnesses and most glorious Martyrs whose invincible Faith hath overcome that Proud Sturdy-Bragging Prince of the World and all his Wicked Army over whom you shall shortly triumph for evermore Thus committing you all to Gods most merciful Defence whose Quarrel you have defended whose Cause you have promoted whose glory you have set forth and whose Name you have constantly confessed farewel my dear Hearts in the Lord I will make as much haste after you as I may Rev. 11. All our dear Brethren Salute you they pray for you and praise God for you continually Blessed be the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them John Careless About the same time that John Careless died Julius Palmer John Gwin and Thomas Askin were burnt together in Newberry in the County of Berks. Julius Palmer Julius Palmer Martyr was born in Coventry his Father had been Mayor of Coventry who bred Julius a Schollar This Julius was a man of a prompt and ready memory a wit sharp and pregnant he was of behaviour courteous without curiosity of countenance chearfull without high looks of Speech pleasant he was affable and loâ— as a Child and yet quick Spirited and vehement in reasoning he practiâ—ed no deceit towards any man for he was of such simplicity that he was apter to be deceived then to deceive In King Edward's time he was a Papist and an utter Enemy to the Protestant Religion then appearing for which he was expelled the House or Colledge he belonged to but in Queen Maryes reign was again restored to the said House but seeing the Constancy of the Martyrs that Suffered in Queen Maryes reign and hearing a Relation of the cruelty inflicted on some of them he cryed out O raging Cruelty O Tyranny and more then Barbarous and set himself to search into the Religion of the Protestants that suffered and soon after was so far converted from Popery that he could not bow to several Popish Ceremonies so that he was constrained in a short space to yield up his Fellowship in Oxford and betook himself to teach School at Reading where he had not continued long but some envious pâ—â—â—â—us against the Trâ—th sought Occasion aganst him and finding an opperâ—â—â—â—ty searched his Closet where they found some Books and Writings written by him against the Popish Proceedings and especâ—lly against their brutish Tyranny executed against the Martyrs whereupon they threatned him that except he did without delay depart their Coasts they would produce the Books before the Councel whereupon he was forced to depart from the Town of Reading leaving in the hands of his Enemies what he had there and took his Journey to Evisham where his Mother dwelt hoping to get what his Father left him when he died his Mother understanding his Condition as soon as she saw him and had a short discourse with him said to him I require thee to depart from my House and out of my sight as for Money and Goods I have none of thine thy Father bequeathed nought for Hereticks Faggots I have to burn thee more thou gets not at my hand so with a soft answer and a few sweet words to her the tears running down his cheeks he departed from her which so mollified her hard heart that she threw an old Angel after him and said take that to keep thee a true man This poor man being destitute of worldly