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A07225 Christs victorie ouer Sathans tyrannie Wherin is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithfull souldiers that the Diuell either by his grand captaines the emperours, or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the popes, haue most cruelly martyred for the truth. With all the poysoned doctrins wherewith that great redde dragon hath made drunken the kings and inhabitants of the earth; with the confutations of them together with all his trayterous practises and designes, against all Christian princes to this day, especially against our late Queen Elizabeth of famous memorie, and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King Iames. Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of martyrs, and diuers other books. By Thomas Mason preacher of Gods Word.; Actes and monuments Foxe, John, 1516-1587.; Mason, Thomas, 1580-1619? 1615 (1615) STC 17622; ESTC S114403 588,758 444

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to be troubled with externe decrées and outward Elements And by the 23. of Mathew The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses Chaire whatsoeuer they command to obserue keep but do not after their doings Christ taught his Disciples that he saw nothing in the doing of the Scribes and Pharises to be followed yet they should not refuse to do those things which they did teach by the word but not what they taught of their owne head Being accused for hauing the New Testament and other Books of heresie he called them blasphemers and Romish Swine and their stomacks rankered and tongues most venomous which durst note the New Testament of heresie as they were the greatest murderers that murdered Christ so these men filled the measure of all other Heretickes and blasphemies how shall these Serpents and s●●cke of Uipers escape the iudgement of eternall fire And being accused that he was so obstinate that none of his friends could perswade him he said he knew not why he should call them friends which so greatly laboured to conuert him nor will more estéeme of them then of the Madianits which called the Children of Israell to do sacrifices to their Idols Then they condemned him for an Hereticke and his goods to be forfeited and because they could not appr●hend him they made a picture of him and burned it cursed euery one that should shew any intertainment fauour or helpe towards him and their goods likewise to be confiscated The sixe Articles agreed vpon in the Parliament-house 1 THe blessed Sacrament of the Altar by the efficacy of Christs words being spoken by the Priest is present really vnder the forme of Bread and Wine the naturall body and blood of Christ conceiued of the Uirgine Mary and that there remaineth no substance of bread and wine but onely the substance of Christ God and Man 2 Secondly that the Communion in both kinds are not necessary ad salutem vnto all persons and it is to be beléeued that in the flesh vnder forme of Bread is the very blood and with the blood vnder forme of wine is the very flesh aswell apart as both together 3 That Priests after orders may not marry by the Law of God 4 That vowes of Chastity or widdowhood by man or woman made to God aduisedly ought to bee obserued by the Law of God and that it exempteth them from other liberties of Christian people which without that they might enioy 5 That it is méete that priuate masses be continued as whereby good people ordering themselues accordingly doe receiue both godly and goodly consolations and benefits and it is agréeable to Gods Law 6 That auriculer confession is necessary to be retained and vsed in the Church of God Then they caused it to be enacted that if any the Kings Subiects after the 12. of Iuly next comming by word writing or any otherwise preach argue or h●ld any opinion against the reall presence as aforesaid or against the Sacrament vnder one kind as aforesaid they and their assistants to be condemned for hereticks and to be burned without any abiuration and Clergy of Sanctuary to be allowed them and all their goods and lands forfeited vnto the King as in case of high treaso The like offence against any of the other Articles to be fellony The History of THOMAS CROMVVELL Earle of Essex THomas Cromwell became the most secret and deare Councelor vnto the King after he was made Earle of Essex He alone through the singular dext●ritie of his wit and Councell brought to passe that which no Prince or King throughout all Europe dare or can bring to passe For whereas Brittany was most superstitious of all Nations he brake off and repressed all the poli●ies and malice of the Fr●ers Mon●es and Religions and subuerted there houses throughout all the Realme and brought the Arch-bishops and Bishops yea Cranmer and the Bishop of Winchester to an Order though he were the Kings chiefe Councelor preuenting th●ir enterprises and complaints specially in those things which tended to the decay of good men which fauoured the Gospell vnto whom Cromwell was euer a shield against the pestiferous enterprises of Winchester betwéen● whom there was continuall emulation both being great with the King one much feared th' other beloued but Winchester séemed such a man to be borne onely for the destruction of the good and Cromwell by thy Diuine prouidence appointed a help to preserue many it were to tedious to declare how many good men through this mans help haue béen reléeued whereof a great n●mber beeing depriued of their patron by his fall perished and many yet aliue which are witnes of these things Iehu the sharpe punisher of superstitious Idolatry was not much vnlike this man For this purpose this man seemed to be raised vp of God to subuert the dens of sloth and idlenes where if they had remained the Pope could not be excluded out of England for there was an incredible number of Monasteri●s in England There riches and possessions were so great that they vpbraided euen vnto Kings and No●les beggery and there houses were no lesse sumptuous which for the most part were plucked down to the ground and their reuenues and substance the King partly conuerted vnto his own Coffers and partly distributed amongst his Nobilitie but many repr●hend the subuersion of these Abbies say they might haue béen conuerted to other good vses which indéed would haue béen good and godly if in this Kingdome there should bee continually a succession of good Princes but if it should happen to be a King of a contrarie Religion it would haue been otherwise as we may see by the example of Quéene Mary If the Monasteries had been left standing vntill her superstitious daies they should haue been restored againe and filled with Monkes and Fryers For if the goods and possessions of the religious being in the hands of the Dukes and Nobility could scarce withstand the Quéenes power how should the meaner sort haue retained them Wherefore no doubt Gods great prouidence did f●resée these things in this man Wherevpon as often as he sent any man to suppresse any Monastery hee would charge them that they should subuert their houses from there foundation When the Pope was abolish●d out of England and that there was diuers tumults about Religion and it séemed good to the King to appoint a Conuo●ation to which Cromwell came and found all the Bishop● attending his comming and all did obeysance vnto him as to their Uicar generall and he saluted them euery one in their degrée and sate downe in the highest place Then Cromwell in the name of the King spake words to this effect The King thankes you ●o your diligence the cause why he hath willed you to assemble is that you should estab●sh certaine controuersies touching the state of Faith and Christian Religion which are now in controuersi● not onely in this Realme but also amongst all other Nations of the world for he willeth not that there
of such a kindred that she might haue liued in great prosperity if she would rather haue followed the world then Christ at the day of her execution she was brought into Smithfield in a chaire because she could not goe on her feete by meanes of her torments she was tyed by the middle with a chai●e that held vp her body then Doctor Shaxton began his Sermon Anne Askew hearing and answering againe vnto him where hee sayd well she confirmed the same where hee iaid amisse she said hee speaketh without booke There was at the same time three burned with her One Nicholas Belemy a Priest of Shropshire Iohn Adams a Taylor and Iohn Lacels Gentleman of the Court and Kings houshold Wrisley Lord Chancellor the old Duke of Norfolke the Earle of Bedford and the Lord Mayor Wrisle sent Anne Askew the Kings Pardon if shee would recant she said the came not thither to deny her Lord and master Then were the Letters likewise offered vnto the others who in like maner followed the constancie of the woman Wherevpon the Mayor commanded the fire to bee put vnto them Sir George Blage of the Priuy Chamber was imprisoned condemned and should haue been burned but that the King pardoned him For saying the Masse auail●th neither quick nor the dead being asked what then it was good for he said belike to keep a horse from stumbling The troubles of Katherine Parre Henry the eight his last Wife for the Gospel by the meanes of Gardiner and others A Yéere after the King came from Bullen he was informed that the Quéens Katherine Parre was much giuen to the reading and study of ●he Scriptures and that shee had retained diuers godly learned Preachers to instruct her therein with whom shee vsed priuately to conferre and in the afternoones one of them made collation to her her Ladies and Gentlewomen and others disposed to heare in which Sermons they oftentimes touched the abuses in the Church and often shee would debate with the King touching Religion and perswade him as hee had to the glory of GOD and his eternall fame b●gunne a godly worke in ban●shing that monstrous Idoll of Rome so hee would purge his Church from the dregges thereof wherein was yet great superstition And though the King in the later end grew opp●nionate and would not bee taught nor contended withall by Argument yet towards her he refrained his accustomed manner for neuer handmaide sought more to please her Mistresse then she to please his humour and she was of such singular beauty fau●ur and comely personage wherein the King was greatly delighted but Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Wrisley Lord Chancelor and others of the Kings Priuy Chamber practised her death that they might the better stop the passage of the Gospell and hauing taken away the patronesse of the professors of the truth they might inuade the remainder with fire and sword but they du●st not speake to the King touching her because they saw the King loued her so well At length the King was ●●cke of a sore legge which made him very froward and the Queene being with him did not faile to vse all occasions to moo●● him zeal●usly to proceed in the reformation of the Church The King shewed some tokens of mislike and broke off the matter and knit vp the Arguments with gentle words and after pl●asant talke she tooke her leaue The Bishop of Winchester beeing there the King immediately vpon her departure vsed these words It is a good hearing when women become such Clarks and much to my comfort to come in mine old age to be taught by my Wife Then the Bishop shewed a mislike that the Queene would so much forget her selfe to stand in Argument with his Maiestie whose Iudgement and Di●initie hee extolled to his face aboue Princes of that and other ages and of Doctors professed in Diuinitie and that it wss vnseemely for any of his Subiects to argue with him so malapertly and that it was gréeuous to all his Councelors and Seruants to heare the same inferring how perilous it hath euer been for a Prince to suffer such insolent words of a Subiect who as they are bold against their Soueraignes words so they want not will but strength to ouerthwart them in deeds Then the Religion by the Queene so stiffely maintained did dissolue the politick gouern●ment and made the peoples opinions so odious and perillous vnto the Princes estate that they da●e aff●●me that the greatest Subiect in the Land defendeth those arguments which they doe yet he said he would not neither durst without good warranty from his Maiestie speake his knowledge in the Queenes cause though many apparant reasons made for him and such as his duety and zeale to his Maies●ies preseruation would not licence him to conceale though the vttering thereof through her and her faction might be his d●struction and theres which tendred his Maiesties safety without his Maiestie would be his protector which if hee would doe hee with others of his faithfull Councelors could disclose such Treasons cloked with heresies that his Maiestie should cas●ly perceiue how perilous a matter it is to cherish a Serpent within his owne bosome and he crept so farre into the King at that time that he and his fellowes filled the Kings mistrustfull minde with such feares that the King gaue them warrant to consult together about drawing of Articles against the Queene wherein her life might be touched Then they thought it best at first to begin with such Ladies as she most esteemed and wer● priuy to all her doing as the Lady Harbert after Countesse of Pembro●ke the Queenes Sister and the Lady Iane and the Lady Tirwit all of her Priuy Chamber and to accuse them vpon six Articles and to search there Closets and Coffers that they might finde somewhat to charge the Queene and that being found the Que●ne should bee taken and carried in a Barge by night to the Tower of which aduice the King was made priuy by Gardiner and the Lord Chancelor to which they had the Kings cons●nt and the time and place appointed This purpose was so finely handled that it grew within few daies of the time appointed and the poore Qu●ene suspected nothing but after her accustomed manner visited the King still●●● deale with him touching Religion as before After the King brake the whole practise to one Doctor Wendy one of his Physitions telling him that hee would no longer bee troubled with such a Doctresse as shee was but charged him vpon his life not to vtter it to any But it came to passe that the Bill of Articles drawne against the Queene and subscribed with the Kings owne hand falling from the b●some of one of the Councell was found of some godly person and brought to the Queene who seeing it fell into a great agony and Melancholy The King hearing what perill of life she was in sent his Phisition vnto her and the said Doctor Wendy perceiuing the matter by her words brake with
escapes into Wales he is condemned of heresie and treason and drawne to S. Giles in the fields hanged by the middle burned 137 O●colampadius testimony of diuers good men 166 Oldman of Buckingham burned for eating Dacon in Lent 181 Ombler a rebell in the North refuseth the kings pardon is afterward taken and executed at Yorke 224 P. PIl●t slew himselfe vnder Tiberius 2 Parmenias put to death 3 Persecution the first by Domitius Nero. ibid. Persecution the second by Domitian ibid. Persecution the third vnder Trayanus 4 Phocas Bishop of Pontus cast in a hote Furnace ibid. Persecution the fourth vnder Antonius Verus 6 Poly●arpus his constancie and death ibid. Persecution the fift vnder Pertinax 7 Parmachus with his wife and children put to death 9 Persecution the sixt vnder Maximinus ibid. Persecution the seuenth vnder Decius ibid. Persecution the eighth 12 Persecution the ninth vnder Aurelian 13 Persecution the tenth vnder Dioclesian 14 Paul●s Church in London built by Ethelbert K. of Kent 21 Phocas kils Mauritius the Emperor 24 Popes work masteries against the Greek Emperors 27 Paschalis Pope dies 50 Popes Pall instituted 69 Pope by his policy leuies a great summe of money in England 83 Prophecies of the Popes persecutions 91 Pope Martins death 137 Pope Eugenius the fourth 138 Paule Craws a Bohemian for holding Wickliss opinions deliuered to be burnt 144 Printing the ruine of the Pope and Antichrist inuented in Germany 145 Philip Norrice an Irishman sore troubled for the truth 147 Pope a Weauer in Eye martyred about the Sacrament 148 Peake burned in Ipswich for giuing a Sacrament cake to a Dog ibid Pius the second Pope his prouerbes 150 Paulus secundus Pope a hater of learning learned men 151 Petrus Ruerrius in two years spent 200000. fl●rins permitteth the Cardinals to play the Sodomits the three hote moneths ibid. Prodigies and Prophecies shewing the fall of Antichrist 154 Petrus Flistedius burned at Collen 170 Packington a fauourer of Tindall deceiues the Bishop of London 171 Patrick Hamilton a Scottish man of the bloud royall burned for the truth 175 Pauy a persecutor hanged himselfe 182 Puttedue for taunting a Priest condemned and burnt 191 Peter a German burnt at Colchester about the Lords Supper Ibid. Powell hanged for denying the kings supremaciy 200 Persecution in Callice 204 Persecution in Scotland 218 Peter Martyr banished for religion out of England 239 Priest of Canterbury saies Masse one day and the next preacheth against it 243 Philip Prince of Spaine lands at Southhampton maried at Winchester 245 Priests doe penance at Paules Crosse. 246 Procession through London for their conuersion to the Catholick Religion 249 Patrick Packington martyred 284 Persecution at Wenson in Suffolke 323 Persecution at Mendlesam Suff●lke ibid. Persecution in Couentry and Lichfield 329 Philip Humphreys burned at Berry 362 Q QVeene Mary crowned Q●arrels betweene the Spaniards English about two whoores 248 Queeene Mary said to be with child Ibid. R RA●enna giuen to the Popes by Pipinus king of France Richard Ceu●r de Lyons rebellion against his Father 69 Richard the first King of England 70 Richard the second deposed 95 Richard Turmin a Baker burned in Smithfield 104 Rebels ouerthrowne and executed 223 Ridley made Bishop of London 226 Redman his iudgement rouching certain points of Religion on his death-bed 227 Ridley Bishop of London visits the Lady Mary and offers to preach before her which shee refuseth 233 His conference in the Tower with Secretarie Bourne 240 241 He is sent to Oxford to dispute 242 His report of the vanity of the disputation at Oxford ibid. Rose a Minister with thirtie men and women taken at communion in Bow Church-yard 248 Rowland Taylor Doctor his disputtation with Gardner his cruell vsage and constant Martyrdome 255 Robert Farrar Bishop of ● Dauids in Wales for re●using to subscribe to certaine Popish articles burned at Ca●rnaruan 260 Rawlins White burned in Cardiff 261 Richard Hooke for the truth ended his life at Chichester 284 Richard Collier burned at Canterbury ibid. Richard Wright burned at Canterbury ib●d Robert Smith his examination and conference with Bo●ner and martyrdome 285. to 289. Robert Samuel a godly preacher burned 290 Roger Coo burned at Y●xford in Suffolk 291 Robert Swater of Hith burned at Canterbury ib. Robert Glouer Gentleman burned at Couentry 292 Robert Picot Painter burned at Ely 293 Ridley Bishop of London his parentage carried to Oxford like a traytor his conferenc●e with Antonian his protestation against the Popes authoritie his prayer at his Martyrdom from folio 292. to 303. Robert Spicer burned at Salisbury 32● Robert Drakes burned in Smithfield Richard Spurge Fuller burned in Smithfield for denying the reall presence Ibid. Richard Nicoll burned at Colchester 322 Robert Bacon a persecutor and an enemy to the truth 323 Robert Lawson Linnen Weauer Martyr 326 Robert Bernard martyred for the truth at Aye Ibid. Richard Woodman his martyrdome 332 Ralphe Hardin a persecuter of George Eagles hanged 342 Richard Crashfield his examination and martyrdome Ibid. Ralphe Alberton his examination before Bonner and martyrdome at Islington 345 Richard Roth burned at Islington Ibid Richard Gibson burned in Smithfield 351 Richard Day burned at Colchester 357 Raynald Eastland Martyr Ibid Robert Southam Martyr Ibid Roger Holland Marchant taylor his conference with Bonner his prophesie of the ceasing of persecution and martyrdome 357. 358. 359 Robert Miles burned at Brainford 359 Richard Yeoman persecuted and martyred 360 Robert Miles alias Palmer burned at S. Edmundsbury 362 S SEneca put to death 2 Stephen martyred 3 Simon burned Ibid Simon Zelotes crucified Ibid Simon the Brother of Iude s●aine Ibid. Sulpitius and Seruilia martyred 4 Simproniss● with her seuen sonnes martyred 5 Seuerus the Emperor slaine at Yorke 8 Sands of the Sea as easie to bee numbered as the names of those that suffered vnder Decius 10 Six thousand six hundred and sixty Christian souldiers martyred vnder Mauritius 14 Simon Zelotes spread the Gospell in Britaine 19 Sinode at Aquisgrane 31 Swanus spoile and cruelty 40 His sudden death ibid. Steuen Langhton Archbishop of Canterbury 77 Sau●noral●a a learned Monk of Florence burnt and his ashes cast into the Riuer 147 Sixtus the fourth Pope builds Stewes of both kinds in Rome reduceth the Iubilee from 50 to 25. years institutes the feasts of our Lady canonizeth Bonauenture Francis for Saints 151 Scholler of Abbeuill burned for taking the host from the Priest at masse 162 Solimans Letter to the great master of Rhodes ibid. Senate of Bearne assigne disputation and propound their Articles 168 Soli●an the Turkish Emperour enters into Austria with a great Army and besiegeth Vienna 171 Schisme in Holland about the Pater-n●ster 216 Stories of certaine Friers of Orleance in France 218 Storie of certaine Monks of Sueuia 219 Sanders declaration for disputation 244 Steuen Knight his martyrdom and his prayer at his death 264 Steuen Harwood burned at Stratford for the truth 289 Simon Ioyne burned at Colchester 322
that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would for a Dog whereat Frith smiling desired the Lord to forgiue him and so departed About this time High Latimer was inhi●ited by the Bishop of London to preach in his Dioces and yet after he preached in the Precin●t of the Fryers Augustines of London The Lady Anne of Bullen although she was not yet married to King Henry yet she was in great fauour and daily she inclined the Kings mind more more against the Papists so that the same yeare the King and certaine of his Lords came into the Parliament house and he complained of the Cleargy that they were but halfe his Subiects yea and scarse our Subiects for their oath to the Pope at their consecration is cleane contrary to that which they make to vs and he deliu●r●d to the Parliament the coppies of both their oaths These Oaths being thus receiued and ●pened to the people were the occasion that the Pope lost al his iurisdiction in England shortly after The matter falling out more and more against the Pope Sir Thomas Moore a great maintainer of the Pope was driuen to resigne his Chancelorship ● deliuer vp the great seale into the Kings hands After whom succéeded Sir Thomas Audley kéeper of the great seale a great fauorer of Christs Religion Lady ANNE of Bullen WIthin short time after the King married the Lady Anne Bullen Mother to Quéene Elizabeth who was the secret ayder and comforter of al the Professors of the Gospell and her almes shewed her life was accordingly which was a hundred gownes wéekly and other apparell yearely before she was married both to men women she also gaue much priuate almes to the widdowes and poore ho●sholders continually vntill she was apprehended And she euer gaue thrée or foure pounds at a time to them to buy them Kine and sent her Sub-almner about to the Townes where she lay that the Parisheners should make a b●ll of all the poore housholders in th●ir parish and some parishes receiued 7. 8. or 10. pounds to buy Kine withall Also she maintained many l●arned men in Cambridge so did the Earle of Wiltshir● her Father and the Lord Roch her Broth●r and she brought them in fauour with ●ing Henry She caried alwaies about her a little purse out of which she was wont daily to scatter abroad some almes to the needy thinking no day well spent wherein none had fared the better for her She kept her Maids and such as were about her imployed in making shirts and smocks for the poore but the Lady Dowager beeing deuorced made the Pope to curse the King and interdict the realme In the meane time Queene Anne bein● great with child in the next yeare following was crowned with high solemnity at Westminster and not long after brought to ●ed at Greenewich of the faire Lady Elizabeth The Lord Maior of London and his Brethren with forty cheefe Cittizens were commanded to be present with all the Nobles and Gentlemen The Kings Palace and all the wals to the Fryers were hanged with Arras ●●d the Friers Church The Font war of Siluer and stood in the midst of the Church thrée steps high which was couered with fine linnen and diuers Gentlemen with aprones and towels about their necks gaue attendance about it Ouer the Font hung a faire Canopy of Crimson Sattin fringed with Gold The holy Maid of Kent CErtaine Monkes put into the heads of many of the Kings Subiects that they had R●uelation of God and his Saints that he was highly displeased with king Henry for the diuorcement of the Lady Katherine and surmised that God had reuealed vnto a Nun called Elizabeth Barton whom they called the Holy Maid of Kent that if the King did diuorce her he should not be King of this Realme one month after and not one day nor houre in Gods fauour She would shew marueilous alteration of her visage and body as if she had béene wrapt in a trance and inspired of God She spoke against sinne and reprooued the Gospell which she called heresies and spoke diuers things to the reproach of the King and Quéene and to the establishing of Idolatry Pilgrimage and derogation of Gods glory The Archbishop the Lord Cromwell and Maister Hugh Latimer with great labour found out her naughtinesse and condemned her and put her to death with certaine of her councell VVILLIAM TRACY Esquire A Little before this time William Tracy of Todington in Gloster-shire made his Will that he would haue no funerall pomp at his burying nor Masse and said that he trusted in God only and hoped by him to be saued and not by any Saint His Executor brought the Will to the Bishop of Canterbury that then was to proue it which he shewed to the Conuocation and they iudged him to be taken vp and burned as an heretick and sent a commisson to Doctor Parker Chancelor of Worcester to execute their sentence who accomplished the same The King hearing thereof sent for the Chancelor who laid the fault on the Bishop yet it cost him three hundred pount er● he could haue a pardon The storie of twenty foure burned at Paris IN this year● were diuers writings set vp in Paris vpon the Porches and gates against the Masse and other papisticall superstitions whereupon many were apprehended and cast into prison but twenty foure were executed in seuerall places of the Citie of Paris The bearer of the Popes curse and interdictment against King Henrie and the Realme durst not come into the Realme with it but set it vp in Dunkerk in Flanders the king hearing thereof took great displeasure against the said Princesse Dowager and so stomacked the matter that the next yeare he called a Parliament and caused it to be prouided by sufficient Acts that the Pope should be vtterly abol●sht and himselfe to be establisht supreme head of the Church at which thing Sir Thomas Moore the Bishop of Rochester grudged and would not consent vnto it but openly resisted the same wherefore they were condemned of treason and headed at Tower-hill Likewise three Charter-Monks were hanged drawne and quartred at Tyburne for speaking trayterous words against the Kings Maiestie This yere the King set forth a Proclamation for the abolishing of the vsurped power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome wherein is declared that not onely the secular men granted him this iurisdiction but all the spiritualty in the Conuocation house vnder their seales wherin also he signified that he had addressed Letters vn-the Bishops of the Diocesse straitly commanding them that forthwith the sincere word of God should be preached euery Sonday and Holy-day vnto the people and Our stile and iurisdiction of supreme head appertayning onely to our Crowne and Dignity royall to be publisht and that the Popes vsurped name should be put out of all prayers masses or other books except it be to his reproach The life and storie of M. William Tindall FIrst he
was Schoolemaster to one Master Welch and for translating certain religious books into English and for arguing with a certain Priest that often vsed to his Masters house and confounding diuers points of their religion by the word of God he was pursued glad to go out of the Realme into Germany and there translated the Bible into English compiled diuers other books s●nt them into England wherby the dore and light vnto the Scriptures was daily more and more opened which before was many years closed in darknesse from thence he went to A●twarp and had his abiding there and was lodged about a yeare in the house of one Thomas Poynets an English man which kept a house of English Merchants then came thither one Henry Philips hauing a seruant waiting on him M. Tindall became acquainted with him and had great confidence in him and had him often to dinner and supper with him and got him a lodging in M. Poynets house At length Philips w●nt to the high Court of Bruxelles to betray M. Tindall and procured to bring from thence with him the Procurator generall with oth●r Officers which was not done with small charges from whom soeuer it came After Philips returning would haue M. Tindall to dine with him then hee desired M. Tindall to lend him fortie shillings which he did he told Philips he could not di●e with him for he was bid forth to dinner and he should goe with him And going forth to d●nner Philips hauing appointed the officers in the way he gaue them a signe that this was he they should apprehend then they took him and brought him to the Procurator generall who sent him to the Cas●le of Filford and the Procurator generall went to Poynets house and sent away all that was there of M. Tindals The said Poynets and certain Merchants went ouer into England and got letters from the Co●ncell for M. Tindals deliuery vpon the deliuery wherof to the Councel of Bruxelles M. Tindall should haue bin deliuered vnto him which when Philips vnderstood he accused Poynets ●o be an heretick and a receiuer of such caused him to be apprehended kept 13. or 14. wéeks in prison but he escaped by night and got into England but M. Tindall was condemned and the same morning as he was had to the fire he deliuered a letter to the chiefe Kéeper of the Castle which the Kéeper himselfe brought to Poynets house who compared him to be fellow to the Apostles being in prison both for his conuersation and conuerting and preaching to the peo●le M. Tindall hearing by certaine Merchants what wonderfull feats a Iugler did he desired th●m that he might be present also at supper to see him play his parts accordingly the supper was appointed and the Merchants with Tindall were there present The Iugler being desired to vtt●r his cunning sh●wed all that he could do but all was in vaine at last with his labour sweating and toyle he saw nothing would go forward he confessed there was some man present at supper which dis●urbed his doings For his letters that he wrote I refer thée to the book at large if thou dispose to sée them The Lord Cromwell keeper of the Kings priuie Seale Uicegerent of all the Kings iurisdiction eccl●siasticall sent out certa●n iniunc●ions by the K●ngs authorit● for the preaching th● word of God for the b●tter publishing of the kings suprema●●● against idols 〈◊〉 on pilgrimage trus●ing in saints and to abrogate diuers holy-daies and for reformation to be had in diuers oth●r ecclesiastical matters In the begi●●g of this year the most noble and worthy Lady Queen Anne of Bullen after she had liued Q●●●ne three ●ears was cast into the Tower together with her brother the Lord Rochford and diuers others which shortly after were executed The words of the Queene at the time of her death Good Christian people I ame come hither to die I am iudged therto by the law therefore I will not speake against it I pray God preserue the King for there was neuer a gentler Prince and to me he was euer a good soueraigne and I r●quire euery one to iudge the best of my cause so ● take my leaue of the world and of you all desiring you to pra●●or me Then she kneeled down and said Into thy hands I commend my soule Iesus receiue my soule diuers times vntill her head was striken off Fiue burned in Scotland SEauen years after Patrick Hamelton aforesaid there were fiue burned in Edenborough the chief Citie in Scotland two were Dominican Friers one Priest one Cannon and one Gentleman adiudged by the Archbishop of S. Andrewes Petrus Chappe●anus and the Franciscan Friers whose labour is neuer wanting in such matters The murther of ROBERT PACKINGTON HEe was a rich Mercer dwelling in Cheap side and was one of the ●urgesses of the Parliament for the Citie of London and had spoken against the couetousnesse and cruelty of the Clergie wherefore he was had in contempt with them therfore one Doctor Vincent Deane of Paules hired a stranger for sixtie crownes to kill him which he did in this manner this Packington vsed by foure of the clocke euery morning to go to a Church neare Cheap-side and in a mistie morning t●e hyred stranger shot him and killed him with a gunne as he crossed the street This could not be knowne vntill the death of the Deane then he repented the fact at his death and confessed it to his ghostly father In this yeare the Kings Maiestie by his Uicegerent the L. Cromwell sent out againe certaine Iniunctions vnto the Spiritualty for the reformation of religion for the maintenance of reading the Bible in English and for taking downe of Images with such other like The history of Iohn Lambert alias Nicolson BEing beyond Sea by reason of the persecution here he returned hoping the time had bin amended by the means of Quéen Anne and Cromwell and the abolishing of the Pope he became a Schoolemaster and being present at a Sermon preached by Doctor Taylor one that was a Bishop in K. Edwards time and died in the Tower in Queen Maries time after the Sermon hee vttered diuers arguments to the Preachers and desired to be resolued Taylor alledged businesse and desired him to write his minde which he did The first was vpon The cup is the new Testament and if these words doe not change neither the cup nor the wine into the new Testament by like reason the words spoken of the bread should not turn it corporally into the body of Christ. The second it is not agreeable to a naturall body to be in ●wo or more places ot one time therfore Christ hauing a naturall bodie cannot be in heauen on the right hand of his father and in the Sacrament Thirdly a naturall body cannot be without his forme and conditions as he cannot be without substance i● the Sacrament there is no forme and condition of the body of Christ no not
Cardinall signifying that he would drowne himselfe and to leaue his clothes there and another Letter to the Mayor of the Towne to search for him in the water because he had a Letter written in parchment wrapt in wax about his neck for the Cardinal which would teach all men to beware of him vpon this they were seuen daies a searching for him but he went to London in a poore mans apparell and thence to Anwerpe to Luther and there answered all the Bishops of the Realme and made a Booke called acta Romanorum pontificum and another Booke with a supplication to King Henry When it was told the Cardinall he was drowned he said perit memoria eius cum sonitu but this lighted vpon himselfe for shortly after he poyso-himselfe In the beginning of the Raigne of Quéene Anne he and others came againe into England and continued a faithfull Preacher in the Citie of London and in her Graces time well entertained and promoted and after sent by King Henry the eight Ambassador to the Duke of Cleaue for the marriage of the Lady Anne of Cleaue betwéene the King and her and was well accepted vntill Gardiner came out of France but then neither Religion nor the Queene prospered nor Cromwell nor the preachers Then followed alteration in marriage vntill hee had grafted the marriage into another stocke by the ●ccasion whereof hee began his bloudy worke Soone after Doctor Barnes and his Brethren were carried to the King to Hampton Court to be examined But the King seeking meanes of his safety bad him goe home with Gardiner and confer with him they not agréeing Gardiner sought opportunitie to dispatch Barnes and the rest as he had done by the Que●ne the Lady Anne of Cleue and the Lord Cromwell and he appointed them three to preach thrée Sermons at the Spittle which were baites to minister iust occasion of their condemnations A hen they were sent for to Hampton Court and from thence carried vnto the Tower and came not thence but to their deathes Then the Protestants went beyond Sea Priests were diuorced from there Wiues certaine Bishops deposed and other good men denied Christ and bore Faggots then they were put to d●ath without iudgement a Papist and a Protestant were laid vpon one hurdle and drawn to Smithfield This was Winchesters deuise to colour his tyrany Then Barnes hid the Sheriffe beare him witnes he died Christianly and Charitably and prayed them all to pray for him and if the dead may pray for the quick we will pray for you so they forgaue their enemies and kissed one another and stood hand in hand at the stake vntill the ●●re came and so rested in Christ. The same day one Powell Fetherstone and Abel were hanged drawne and quartered in the same place for denying the Kings Supremacie and maintaining the Kings marriage with the Lady Katherine Dowager The reason was because as one halfe of the Councell being Papists called vpon Barnes Garet and Hierome to be executed so the other part of the Councell called vpon these thrée Papists to be executed In this yéers a Boy one Richard Mekins but fiftéene yeares old was burned in Smithfield for speaking somewhat against the Sacrament of the Altar In like manner Richard Spencer Priest leauing his papistry married a Wife and got his liuing by day-labour Hee was burnt in Salisbury because hee was thought to hold opinion against the Sacrament and one Andrew Hewet was burned with him About this time Cardinall Poole Brother to the Lord Mountegew was attainted of high treason and fled to Rome where he was made Cardinall of Saint Mary Cosmoden where he remained vntill Quéene Maries time Stokely Bish●p of London and Tunstone Bishop of Duresme writ to him to perswade him to abandon the Supremacy of the Pope and to conforme himselfe to the Religion of his King which Letter thou maist reade in the Booke at large which sufficiently proueth the Pope not to be supreme head of the Church but because this Doctrine is as sufficiently proued in other places I omit to abridge it In this yeere the King by the aduice of his Councell sent forth a Decree for the setting vp the Bible in the great volume in euery parish Church in England This yeare Iohn Porter a Taylor a lusty yong man was by Bonner Bishop of London cast into Newgate for reading in the Bible in Paules Church where he was miserably famished to death About this time Iohn Longland Bishop of Lincolne burned two vpon one day one Thomas Barnard and the other Iames Morton the one for teaching the Lords Prayer in Engl●sh and the other for kéeping the Epistle of Saint Iames in English In this yeare the Kings Maiestie vnderstanding that all Idolatry and vain● pilgrimages were not vtterly abolished within these Dominions directed his Letters vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury for the spéedy amendment of the same Anthony Pierson Priest Robert Testwood singing man Henrie Finmore Taylor and Iohn Marbeck singing man were burned at VVindsor THese Articles were obiected against Pierson that he had said Euen as Christ once hanged betweene two theeues so when he is holden vp betwixt the Priests handes he hangs betwixt two theeues except the Priest sincerely preach Gods word That he preached that Christ should not be eaten as he did hang vpon the Cross● with his flesh torne and the bloud running about their mouthes but he was to be eaten this day that we might also feed on him to morrow and next day and continually and that he was of more power after his resurrection then he was before That Christ sitting amongst his Disciples commended the Scriptures vnto them when he said This is that bread this is that body of Christ so when hee brake bread and bade them deuide it amongst them and eate it for it was his bodie and likewise the cup saying This is my bloud hee signified to vs that wee should receiue the Scriptures and distribute them vnto the people It was obiected against Finmore that he had said that the Sacrament of the Altar was but a similitude and that if it were God he had eaten twenty Gods in his life He condemned Testwood for iesting with the Priest when he lifted vp the host saying Ho take héed that he fall not That Marbeck with his owne hands had writ notes out of certaine Authors which were repugnant to the masse and sacrament of the Altar and that he said The Masse was impure and defiled with much vngodlinesse and it spoyleth God of his honour and that the eleuation of the sacrament represents the Calues of Ieroboam and is worse Idolatrie then those were and that therein Christ was counted a mocking-stock There was a fift man named Bennet vnto whose charge it was laid that hée should say the daily Masses vsed in the Church were superfluous and that it were sufficient the seuenth day were kept holy Bennet and Marbeck were pardoned by the King the other thrée stoutly suffered
her touching the said Articles deuised against her and gaue her warning of that mischiefe which hanged ouer her head beséeching her to be secret and to conforme her selfe to the Kings minde and no doubt she should finde him gracious After the King came to her himselfe vnto whom after she had vttered her griefe how it was for feare his Maiestie had forsaken her hee so refreshed her with comfortable words that she began to recouer Then shee commanded her Ladies to conuay away her Bookes which were against the Law and then she went to the King he courteously welcomed her and entred into talke of Religion séeming desirous to be resolued of the Queene of certaine doubts The Queene perceiuing to what purpose this his talke tended your Maiestie doth well know quoth shee and I am not ignorant of what great weaknesse by our first Creation is allotted to vs women to bee subiect vnto man as our head from which head all our direction must proceed and as God made man after his own Image that being indued with more speciall gifts of perfection might bee stirred to meditate heauenly things and obay his commandements so he made woman of man of whom and by whom she is to bee commanded and gouerned whose womanly weaknesse ought to bee tolerated and ayded that by his wisedome such things as be lacking in her might be supplied Therefore your Maiestie being so excellent in ornaments of wisedome and I so much inferiour in all respects of Nature Why doth your Maiestie in such defuse causes of Religion require my Iudgement which when I haue vttered said what I can yet I must and will referre my Iudgement in this and all causes to your Maiesties wisedome as my onely Anker supreme head and the gouernor heere in earth next vnto God Not so by Saint Mary said the King you are become a Doctor late to instruct vs. Shee answered your Maiestie hath much mistaken mee who haue euer thought it preposterous for the woman to instruct her husband but rather to learn of him and where I haue beene bold to hold talke with your Maiestie wherein there hath seemed some difference in opinion I haue not done it to maintaine opinion but to minister talke that your Maiestie might with lesse griefe passe the paine of your infirmitie being attentiue to your talke and that I might receiue some profit by your Maiesties learned Discourse wherein I haue not missed any part of my desire alwaies referring my selfe in such matters to your Maiestie ●hen said the King tendeth your Argument to no worse end then wee are now as perfect friends as euere we were and he imbraced her and kissed her saying it did him more good to heare these words then if he had heard newes of a hundred thousand pound fallen to him On the day that was appointed for the aforesaid Tragedy the King went into his Garden whether the Queene being sent for came onely the three Ladies aboue named waiting on her with whom the King was as pleasant as euer hee was in his life In the middest of his mirth the houre appointed being come the Lord Chancelor commeth into the Garden with forty of the Kings guard at his he●les with purpose to take the Queene with the three Ladies to the the Tower whom the King sternely beholding called him to him who on his knees whispered to the King the King cal'd him knaue arrant knaue and beastly foole and commanded him to auant out of his presence which words the Quéene heard though they were low spoken then he departed with his traine the whole mould of his deuice broken The Queene seeing the King so cha●ed spoke for the Lord Chancellor Ah poore soule quoth hee thou little knowest how euill hee deserueth this grace at thy hands he hath been towards thee sweet heart an arrant knaue and so let him goe If King Henry had liued hee and the French King had been at this point within halfe a yeere after to haue changed the Masse in both their Realmes into a Communion as wee now vse it and also vtterly to haue extirped the Popes vsurped power out of both their Realmes and they ment to exhort the Emperour to doe the like in Flanders and his other countreyes or else to breake off from him and herein quoth the Archbishop Cranmer the King willed mee to pen a forme thereof to be sent to the French King but that it was letten by the death of King Henry When the Bishops had brought ANNE ASKEVV and her fellow Martyrs to death being now in their triumph as the Pharisies were when they had killed Christ they deuised how to euer read the truth for euer wherevpon they made a strait Proc●amation authorised by the Kings 〈◊〉 for abolishing of the Scripture and all other English Bookes which mi●ht g●●e light to the setting forth of Gods Word and the grace of the Gospell which thou maist see in the Booke at large which no doubt had done much hurt in the Church amongst the godly in bringing them to danger or keeping 〈◊〉 in blindnes had not the shortnes of the Kings daies stopped the malignant purposes of the Pr●lat●s causing the King to leaue that to the people by his death which by his life he would not grant for within foure monethes after the proclamation he deceased the eight and thirty yeare of his raigne The History touching the Persecutions in Scotland Deane Thomas Forret THis Deane Thomas Forret preached euery Sunday in his parish vpon the Epistle and Gospell which was nouel●y in Scotland to see any preach but the Black Fri●r or the Gray Wherefore the Friers enuied him and accused him to the Bishop of Donkelden as an heretick which shewed the mysteries of the Scripture vnto the vulgar people to make the Clergy detestable The Bishop sending for him said my Ioy Deane Thomas I leue you well ● am informed you preach the Epistle and Gospel euery Sunday and that you take not the Cow for mortuarie nor the vpper Cloth for Crisome of your parishioners which is very preiudiciall to the Church men My ioy Deane Thomas take your Cow and your vpper Cloth and preach not euery Sunday for in so doing you will make the people thinke we should preach likewise But when you finde a good Epistle or a good Gospell that setteth forth the l●bertie of the Church preach that and let the rest be Thomas answered my parishioners pay me my dueti●s willingly and w●e agree well and where your Lordship saith it is too much ●o preach euery Sonday I thinke it too little and also would wish that your Lordship would doe the like nay nay we are not ordained to preach M. Forret and where your Lordship speaketh of a good and an euill Epistle I could neuer finde none but good Then spake my Lord I thanke God I neuer knew what the Old New Testament ment Wherevpon grew a prouerb you are like the Bishop of Dunkelden that kn●w neither new
Liset Chiefe President of the said Court and one of the Authors of the said burning Chamber fell mad and was put from his office Iohn Morin after he had beene the death of many Christians was striken with a disease in his legs called the Wolues wherewith he lost the vse of them and died out of his wits denying and blaspheming God Iohn Andrew the Booke-binder of the Pallace became a spy to find out Protestants died in madnesse The Inquisitor Iohn de Roma in Prouence his flesh fel from him by péece meal and so stinking that no man might come neere him Iohn Minerius of Prouence which was the death of a great number of men women and Children at Cabriers and Merindoll died with bléeding in the lower parts the fire hauing taken his belly blaspheming and dispising of God Thus farre out of the Letter Henry the second the French King notwithstanding the aforesaid examples might giue him sufficient warning yet would he not surcea●e his cruell persecution against Gods Children but being at the Parliament house which was kept at the Fryer Augustines in Paris because the Pallace was a preparing ●or ●he marriages of his Daughter and his Sister and hauing heard the opinion in Religion of Anne du Bourg an eloquent and learned Councellor he caused him and Loys du Faur another Councellor to bee committed Prisoners vnto the Count Mongomery The King said to the said Anne du Bourg These eyes of mine shal sée thee burned and a day was appointed for the hearing the cause at which day the King employed all the morning in examining as wel the Presidents as Councellors of the said Parliament against the Prisoners and other their Companions that were charged with the same Doctrine then they went to dinner after dinner the King went to running at the Tilt and brake many staues as well as could be whereupon he was highly commended of the Lookers ●n and being inflamed with hearing his yraise he would néedes runne with Montgomery who knéeled downe and asked pardon not to runne with him the King commaunded him vpon his Alleagiance to runne and himselfe put his staffe into his hand and as the King and he met the vizard of his helmet suddenly fell downe whereby the King was stricken in one of his eyes so that his braines perished and it so ●estered that no remedy could be found so that the eleauenth day after hee dyed He said he feared he was stricken for casting poore Christians wrongfully in Prison but Cardinall Lorraine said that it was the enemy that tempted him to think so By this meanes the hall that was prepared for a place of ioy and gladnes was now a place to keepe the dead Corps beeing hanged with mourning-cloath and there was heard mourning for the space of forty daies In the yeare 1561. there were certaine Gentlemen put to death at Amboyse for taking ●rmes against the house of Guise The last that was put to death thrust his hands into the blood of the others which were beheaded and lifting them vp vnto heauen cryed with a loud voyce Lord behold the blood of thy Children thou wilt in time and place reuenge it Not long after Councellor Oliue● the condemner of them through great remorce of conscience fell sicke and shriked vpon a suddaine with an horrible cry and said to the Cardinall of Lorraine O Cardinall thou wilt make vs all to be damned and shortly after died Francis the second succéeded his Father Henry the second in the Kingdome of France he at the perswasion of the Cardinall of Lorraine and others assembled the Estates of the Realme in Orleance to maintaine the Papall Sea to the ouerthrow of those that should liue after the Gospell but being sicke of a Feauer thorow an Impostume in his left care he died The Emperor Charles the fift being an enemy and a great terror vnto the Gospell was cut off from doing any more hurt vnto the Church Anno 1558. but thrée months before the death of Quéene Mary and ten months before the death of Henry the second Not long after Anne du Bourgs death the President Minard who was a sore Persecutor and the Condemner of the said Anne du Bourg as hée returned from the Councell Chamber vnto his owne house was flaine with a Dagge and it was neuer knowne who did it The King of Nauarre Brother vnto the Prince of Condie after a while maintained the Gospell hee was perswaded by the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraine his Brother in hope to haue his Lands restored againe which the King of Spaine detained from him to be ●entented to alter his Religion and to ioyne side with the Papists and being in Campe with the Duke of Guise at the siedge of Roane he was shot in with a Pellet after which wound he did vehemently repent his back sliding from the Gospel promising earnestly vnto God that if he might escape that hurt hee would bring to passe that the Gospell should be preached freely throughout al France notwithstanding within fiue or six daies he dyed And the Duke of Guise himselfe the great Arch-enemy of God and his Gospell with the whole Triumuirat of France that is three the greatest Captaines of Popery were cut off for doing any more hurt The Duke of Guise before Orleance the Constable of France before Paris the Marshall of Saint Andrew before Drewx THE ABRIDGEMENT OF A Christian Dialogue called PASQVINE in a Trance THE Author of this Treatise was called Caelius Secundus Curio an Italian a zealous godly learned man by whom vnder the witty and pleasant inuention of Pasquines going to Heauen Purgatorie and Hell the whole packe of the Popes pedlary wares is laid open that we may sée what stuffe it is It was written in the time of pope Paule the third the cheefe substance whereof breefely followeth Superstition and Hypocrisie are the diuels Rhetorick by which Friers make the world beleeue so many falsehoods and toyes for by nothing else can Faith so easily be ouerthrowne The apparell of the Fryers was deuised of the Deuill that by these shéeps skins they might not séeme W●olues but by the strangenesse thereof to make the simple people to thinke them holy Their Monasteries are a true representation of the qualities of the World their raigneth nothing but passions in euery one to aduance themselues and driue out others their pictures of Saints being Gods of stone very much differ from that which they were when they were vpon earth The Uirgin Mary was not honored with so many chaines bracelets perfumes gold siluer and wax as she is now vpon the Altar with paintings on her face and on her head crownes full of Iewels She is attired with costly and many sorts of garments like a yong gyrle they make her most couetous and niggardly and to giue nothing to the poore but to bestow all that is giuen her which is aboundance vpon Cardinals and Hipocrites to be bestowed vpon Whores Dogs and Horses The
say his prayers in English and when he had said them in Latine he died Luke Kirbie William Filbie Thomas Cottom and Lawrence Richardson THese were executed at Tyburne vpon the thirtéenth day of May they were brought from the Tower of London vnto the place of execution first William Filbie was brought vp into the Cart being asked whether he would acknowledge the Quéen supreme head of the Church of England no quoth he I will acknowledge no other head of the Church then the Pope onely He prayed that God wold incline the Quéens heart to be mercifull towards the Catholikes of which societi● he was one They opening his bosome ●ound two crosses in it which were holden vp and shewed vnto the people and besides that his crown was shauen so after a few Latin prayers the Cart was drawne away The next was Luke Kirbie one charged him that when he was at Rome he deliuered him certaine silke pictures which he said were hallowed by the Pope and you told me what indulgences were allowed by th●m● one of them which was a Crucifix you gaue mee the other you willed mee to deliuer vnto your friends at Reimes and in England and you gaue me two Iulios to goe into the Citie to buy more and when I had bought them you tooke thrée or foure of the fairest from me promising to get them hallowed at the next benediction which he confessed to be true he affirmed that the Pope had power to depose any Prince from his Kingdome if he fall by infidelitie He would not repent and aske the Quéene pardon though vpon that condition he might haue bin discharged he would not pray in English the preacher desired him to say a prayer after him and if he could find any fault therein he should be resolued O quoth he you and I be not of one faith therefore I should offend God if I should pray with you so saying his Pater noster in Latin he ended his life Then Lawrence Richardson was brought vp to be executed he confessed himselfe a Catholike and that he would beléeue in all things as the Catholike Church of Rome did and he allowed the only suprema●ie vnto the Pope and after certain Latin prayers said he died Then was Cottom brought vp he looking vpon the bodie of Lawrence Richardson lift vp his eyes and hands and said O blessed Lawrence pray for me thy blessed soule Lawrence pray for me The Preachers and people rebuked him saying that he ought to pray vnto none but God he answered he was assured that Lawrence will pray for him he denied to repent and aske pardon of the Quéen When he had said his Pater noster and an Aue Maria he ended his life As before is declared the rebellions in England by the seducing of wicked spirits so not long after followed an open rebellion in Ireland they tooke armes and came into the field against her Maies●ie and her Lieutenants with their forces vnder banners displayed inducing many simple people to follow them in their trayterous actions being bent to haue deposed the Quéens Maiestie from her crowne and to haue trayterously set into her place some other whom they liked yet by Gods power giuen vnto her Maiesty they were quickly vanquished some few of them suffered by order of the law but the greate●t part vpon confession of their fa●lts were pardoned some of the principall escaped into forreine countries These notable Traytors and Rebels informed many Kings Princes and States especially the Pope from whom they all had first secretly their comfort to rebell that the cause of the flying was for the religion of Rome and maintenance of the Popes authoritie whereas the most of them before they rebell●d liued notoriously euill out of England fled Charles Neuill Earle of Westmerland who was vtterly wasted by loosenes of life and how afterward his body was eaten with vlcers of lewd causes all his companions did see Out of Ireland ran Thomas Stukely a defamed person thorough out all Christendome he fled out of England for P●racies and out of Ireland for treason these two were the first ring-leaders to the rest of the rebells the one for England the other for Ireland yet it liked the Pope to fauour their treasons and to animate them to continue their wicked purposes to wit to inuade Queen Elizabeths Realme with forren forces hee thundred out B●lls excommunications other publike writings denouncing her not to be the Queene of the Realme commanding her subiects vnder paine of excommunication to depart from their alleagean●es authorizing and prouoking all persons within both her realmes to rebell and vpon this vn●hristian warrant all those that were fled and such as had forsaken their natiue countrey haue many yeares runne vp and downe from countrey to countrey to gather forces and money for forces and to 〈◊〉 Princes to make warre vpon their natiue countrey some practising secretly to murther the Quéene and very many with publike infamous Libels full of poysoned lyes did séeke to vphold that Antichristian warrant of the Popes Buls And for better furtherance of these intentions they deuised to erect certaine schooles which they called Seminaries to nourish persons disposed to sedition that they might become séedmen in the ●illag● of sedition and to send them secretly into England and Ireland vnder secret maskes some of priesthood some of other inferior orders of the meaner sort being called Seminaries and the ●ancor sort Ies●ites bringing with them hallowed Wax their Agnus Dei many kind of beades and such like labouring secretly to perswade the people to allow of the popes foresaid Buls and of his absolute authoritie ouer all Princes Countreyes And if this trayterous and crafty course had not by Gods goodnes been espied and stayed there had followed horrible vprores in the Realmes for as many as should be perswaded to obey the Popes warrant must needs b●e secret traytors there should haue wanted nothing but power and opport●nitie to be open traytors but God of his goo●nes discouered some of these seditious seedmen of rebellions and when they could not be moued to repent of their trayterous determinations they were iustly condemned for adhering vnto the capitall enemy of her Maiestie and her crowne The Pope who hath not only been the cause of two rebellions already in England and Ireland but in Ireland did manifestly maintaine his owne people Captaines and souldiers vnder the banner of Rome against her Maiestie And further those Traytors prouoke newly other seditious persons secr●t●y to enter into the Realme to reuiue the execution of the Popes Bulles pretending when they are apprehended that they came into the Realme onely by the commaundement of their Superiors the heads of the Ie●uits to whom they are bound by Ooth against either King or Country and that their comming is to informe and reforme mens conscience from errors in some points of Religion as they shall thinke meete but it is manifestly prooued that their labour is secretly to win
very good but none almost frō the first to the last which was not either slain in war or murdred in peace or constrained to make himselfe a Monk whether it were the iust iudgment of God because they had violently dispossessed the Brittains they were not only vexed of the Danes conquered of the Normans but more cruelly deuoured themselues Ethelbert King of Cambridgeshire Norffolke and Suffolke came peaceably to King Offa for dispousage of Athilrid his Daughter and by the Councel of King Offa his Wife was secretly beheaded Wherevpon Offa through repentance made the first peter-pence to be giuen to S. Peters Church at Rome One Lothbrooke a Dane of the Kings blood being a hauking by the Sea-side in a little Boat was cast by weather vpon the Coast of Norffolke and being brought to King Edmund he retained him in great fauour at length he was priuily murdered by one Bericke which being knowne Bericke was sent away in Lothbrookes Boate without tackling and was driuen into Denmarke and being séene in Lothbrookes Boate and examined of Lothbrooke he falsely said the King had killed him Wherevpon Iugner and Hubba Lothbrookes Sonnes gathering an Army of Danes inuauaded first Northumberland then Norffolke and sent to King Edmund to deuide his Treasures to him and be subiect to him else he would dispossesse him of his ●ingdome he answered he would not be subiect to a Pagan Duke vnlesse before hee become a Christian then the Danes besiedged his house but he fled and pitched a fielde with them but the Danes preuailing he fled to the Castle of Halesdon where they tooke him and bound him to a stake and shot him to death Seauen or eight Kings are highly commended in the Histories for leauing there Kingdomes and becomming Moonkes but they are more to be discommended for leauing their calling wherein they might so much benefite the Church There were foure Persecutions in England before Austen came into England the first vnder Dioclesian the second by the inuading of Gnarius and Melga one captaine of the Hunnes the other of the Picts after they had slaughtered 11000. Uirgines as before made a rode into Brittaine hearing it wanted strength and murdered Christians and spoiled Churches without mercy the third by the Saxons who destroyed Christs Saints and the Churches vntill Aurelius Ambrosius restored again the Churches the fourth Gurmundus King of the Affricans ioyned with the Saxons and wrought much grieuance to the Christians of the Land which persecution remained to the time of Ethelbert the fift King of Kent In the t●me of Ethelbert the faith was receiued of the Saxons by this meanes Gregory Bishop of Rome seeing Brittaine Children to be sould in Rome very beautifull vnderstanding what Country they were of pittied that the Country which was so beautifull and angellicall so to be subiect to the prince of darkenes Wherefore he sent thither Austen with about forty Preachers with him and when they were apaled and would haue turned backe again Gregory emboldned and comforted them with his Letter so they came to the I le of ●henet in Kent Ethelbert as before was King of Kent he had married one Berda a French Woman vpon condition shee should vse the Christian Religion with one Lebardus her Byshop Austen sent to the King signifying hee was come from Rome bringing with him glad tydings to him and all his people of life and saluation if he would so willingly hearken vnto it as he was gladly come to preach it vnto him The King hauing heard of this Religion by his Wife came to the place where Austen was Austen against his comming erected a Banner of the Crucifire such then was the grosenesse of the time and preached to him the word of God the King promised they should haue all things necessary and none should molest them and gaue them frée leaue to preach to his subiects and conuert whom they might to the Faith When they had this comfort of the King they went with procession to Canterbury singing Alleluia with the Letany that was vsed at Rome in the great plague We beséech thée O Lord in all thy mercies that thy fury and anger may cease from this Citty and from thy holy house for we haue sinned Alleluia they continued in the same Citty preaching and baptizing in the old Church of S. Martine where the Quéene was wont to resort vntill the King was conuerted at length the King séeing their myracles and their godly conuersation he heard them gladly and was conuerted in the thirty sixe yeare of his raigne Anno 586. After him innumerable daily were adioyned vnto the Church whom the King did specially imbrase but compelled none then the King gaue Austen a place for his Byshops Sea at Christs Church in Canterbury and builded the Abbey there where after Austen and all the Kings of Kent were buried which now is called S. Austine Then Austen by the commandement of Gregory went into France to the Bishop of Arelatensis to be consecrated Arch-byshop and so was then Austen sent to Gregory so declare how they had sped and to be resolued of diuers questions how Bishops should behaue themselues towards their Clarke of offerings and Ceremonies and what punishment for stealing Church goods and such like to no great purpose therefore if thou béest disposed to sée them I referre thee to the Booke at large Gregory after he had sent resolutions to these questions sendeth moreouer more Coadiutors as Melitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffianus with Books and implements necessary for the English Church and in reward of Austines paines he sent him a Pal onely to be vsed at the solemnity of the Masse and granteth two Metropolitane Seas London and Yorke but granted to Austen during his life to be cheefe Arch-bishop of all the Land and that they should not destroy the idolatrous Temples but conuert them to Christian vses and that Austine should not be proud of the myracles that God wrought by him that he should remember they were not done for him but for their conuersion whose saluation God sought thereby Then he wrote to King Ethelbert first hee praysed GOD then the King by whom it pleased God to worke such goodnesse of the people then exhorted him to perseuer in his profession and to be zealous therein to conuert the multitude and destroy Idolatry and to gouerne them in holinesse of conuersation according to the Emperor Constantinus the Great comforting him with the promises of life and reward to come Austine receiuing his Pall as aboue said and of a Monke being made an Arch-Byshop hee made two Metropolitanes as Gregorie commaunded then Austine assembled the Byshops and Doctors of Brittaine in this assembly hee charged the Byshoppes that they should preach the Word of GOD with him also that they should reforme certaine rites and vsages in the Church especially for keeping of Easter and baptizing after the manner of Rome the Scots and Brittaines would not agree thereto refusing to leaue the custome which
the Britain● King which with a mightie Host came against him There is much commendation in writing of this Oswalds zeale in religion and piety towards the poore he sent into Scotland for a Bishop called Aydanus a famous Preacher as he preached to the Saxons in the Scottish tongue the King vnderstanding the Scotish tongue he disdained not to preach and expound the same to his Nobles in the English tongue King Oswald being at Dinner on Easterday one brought him word there was a great company of p●re people in the streets which asked almes of him be commaunded the meate prepared for his owne Table to be caried vnto them and brake a si●●er Platter in pieces and sen● it amongst them by his meanes Kinigillus King of the West Saxons was conuerted to Christs Faith and after he had raigned 9. yeares he was slaine by the said Penda who was after slaine by Osway brother to Oswald and succeeded him in his Kingdome together with his Cosin Oswine This Oswine gaue Aydanus the Scotish Bishop aforesaid a principall Horse with the trappers and appurtenances and as he w●s riding vpon this kingly horse a poore man craued his charity who hauing nothing else to giue him gaue him his hor●e garnished as he was wherefore as he came to Dinner he King chi●e him he answere● O King set you more prise by a horse then by Chr●st Then the King prayed him to forgiue him and he would not hencefoorth finde fault with him for giuing away any of his Treasure then Aydanus wept and being asked wherefore he wept he answered for that this King cannot liue long this people is nto worthy to be ●uled by such a Prince which shortly came to passe for Osway caused him traterously to be slaine One Benedict a great man with Osway that brought vp Bede from his youth ●orsooke Oswayes house and all his kindred to serue Christ he was the first that brought vp the Arte of glazing in windowes About this time there was a Counsell bolden at Ste●ne-halt for the right obseruing of Easterday King Osway began with an Oration that it was necessary ●or such as serued one God to liue in an vniforme order and such as looked for one kingdom in Heauen should not differ in celebration of heauenly Sacraments then by his commandement Colman Bishop said he receiued the order of keeping Easter the 14. day of the first Moneth from his Auncesters Forefathers and from Iohn Euangelist to which at the Kings commandement Wilfride answered Easter is kept alwaies on the Sunday as we keepe it in Rome where Peter and Paul taught in Italy France Affrick Egypt Greece and in all the world I will not reproue Saint Iohn which kept the rights of Moses Law according to the letter the Church being yet Iewish in many points they could not reiect Images inuented of the Diuell which all beleeuers ought of necessitie to detest least they should offend the Iewes therefore Saint Paul circumcized Tymothy therefore he shaued his head and Sacrificed in the Temple all this was done onely to eschew the offence of the Iewes Therefore ●ames said to Paul Thou ●éest brother how many thousand Iewes doe beleeue yet all are zealous of the old Law yet since the Gospell was preached it is not lawfull for the faithfull to be circumcized nor to offer Sacrifices of carnal things to God but Peter remembring that the Lord did rise from death the first day after the Sabbath instituted Easter on that day and not according to the Law and though your forefathers were holy men what is their fewnesse being but a corner of an Iland to be preferred before the vniuersall Church of Christ Then said the King Did the Lord giue the kingdome of Heauen vnto Peter And they both answer●d yea then the King concluded being Saint Peter is the Doore-keeper of Heauen I will obey his Orders in euery point least when I come to the gates of Heauen hee shut them against mee and with this simple reason they consented Ethelwood preached vnto the people in Southsax and conuerted them to Christ in the time of whose baptizing the raine which before they lacked three yeares was giuen them plenteously whereby there great famine slacked About this time the detestable sect of Mahomet began to take place which well agrées with the number of that beast signified in the Reuelation 666. Of Mahomet came the Kingdome of the Haarines now called Saracens to whom he gaue many Lawes they must pray Southward Friday is their Sunday called the day of Venus he permitted them to haue as many Wiues as they were able to maintaine and as many Concubines as they list they must abstaine from wine excep● on solemne daies ●hey were to worship one onely God Omnipotent Moses and the Prophets were great but Christ was greatest being borne without mans seede and taken vp into the Heauen with many such Lawes at length the Sarasins were wholly conquered by the Turkes Theodorus was sent into England by Vitellianus Pope and diuerse other Monks with him to set vp Latine Seruice in England and Mas●es Cerimonies Letanies and other Romish ware he was made Archbishop of Canterbury and began to play the Rex in placing and displacing Bishops at his pleasure He held a Prouinciall Counsell at Therford the contents thereof were the vniformitie of keeping Easter that no Bishop should intermeddle in anothers Di●cesse that Monasteries should be free from Iurisdiction o● Bishops that Monks should keepe the obedience they first promised and not goe from one Monastery vnto another without leaue of the Abbot that none of the Clergy should be receiued in another Diocesse without Letters Commendatory of his Bishop that foraine Bishops and Clergy men should be content with the hospitality offered them and not meddle in any Bishops Iurisdiction without his permission that once a yeare a Prouinciall Sinod should be kept that no Bishop should preferre himselfe before another but according to his time of consecration that as the people increased so the number of Bishops should be augmented The next yeare was the sixt generall Counsell of Constance where this Theodore was present vnder Pope Agatho Mariage there was permitted to the Greeke Priests and forbidden to the Latine in this Counsell the Latine Masse was first openly said by Iohn Portuensis the Popes Legate Colfride Abbot of Shirwin in Northumberland writ to Naitonus King of Picts that shauen Crownes was necessarie for all Priests and Monks for restraint of their lusts and that Peter was shauen in remembrance of the Passion of Christ so we must weare the signe of his Passion on the toppe of our head as euery Church beareth the holy Crosse in the front thereof that by the defence of that banner it be kept from euill Spirits and exhorted him to imitate the Apostolike Churches and when he died the Prince of the Apostles would open Heauen gate to him whereat the King reioyced and knéeling downe thanked God that
Kings nose at the comming of his Sonne giuing a monstration that he was Author of his death His Children after his death worthily rewarded for their vnnaturalnesse lost all they had beyond the Sea which their Father had gotten Alexander Pope decréed that no Arch-bishop should receiue the Pall vnless● hée first sware obedience to the Pope These be the words in Engl●sh of the giuing of the Pall. To the honour of Almighty God and of blessed Mary the Uirgin and of blessed S. Peter and S. Paul and of our Lord Pope and of the holy Church of Rome and of the Church committed to your charge we giue you the Pall taken from the body of Saint Peter as a fulnesse of the Pontificall Office which you may weare within your own Church vpon certain daies expressed in the priuiledge● of the said Church granted by the Sea Apostolike This Pall ought to bee asked with great instance and within thrée moneths without which Pall he is not Arch-bishop but may be deposed The same Pall must be burned with him when hee dyeth and when it is giuen some priuiledge must be giuen with it or the old renewed the Arch bishops pay swéetly for it Euery Bishop must sweare to be obedient to Saint Peter the Apostolike Church of Rome and to the Pope to doe nothing whereby either of them or any member of them may be impaired nor helpe counsell or consent vnto any so doing not to vtter their councell any way sent to them to any body to their hurt to reta●ne and maintaine the Papacy and the Regalities of S. Peter against all men honorably to intreat the Popes Legats going and comming and helpe them in all necessities to be ready to come to a Sinod being called without any lawfull let to visite the Pallace of the Apostles euery third yeare by himselfe or a Messenger except otherwise licensed by the Pope not to sell giue or lease out any the possessions of his Church without the Popes license So God helpe him and the Holy Ghost By this Oath the Byshop could do nothing but what the Pope would in generall councels which was the corruption of them Besides this it was decreed in the said councell of Rome by 310. Byshops by Pope Alexander that none should haue spirituall promotion except he were of full age and borne in wedlocke that no Parish-Church should be voyd aboue sixe moneths that none within orders should meddle with temporal businesses that priests shall haue but one Benefice that Bishops be charged to find the Priest a liuing vntill he be promoted That open Usurers shall not communicate at Easter nor be buried within the Church yard That nothing shall be taken for ministring Sacraments or burying Item that euery Cathedrall Church should haue a Maister to teach Children fréely without taking any thing for the same In this Councell the vow of Chastity was laid vpon Priests Thomas Becket and Bernard were canonized for Saints In this yeare Richard the eldest Sonne of Henry the second succeeded his Father at which time Clement sat Pope succéeding Gregory who died a little before for sorrow for losse of the Holy Crosse by the Popes meanes He and Fredericke the Emperor and Phillip the French King went with their Armies to Palestina atchieuing the recouery of the Holy Land Richard in this iourney gat Cyprus Acon Ptolemayda Surrah For preparation for this iourney hee sold Lordships Castles Offices Liberties Priuiledges Byshopprickes c. He said he would sell London if he could finde one able to buy it Many Bishops purchased to their Bishopprickes diuers Lordships The Bishop of Winch●ster purchased Werregraue Meues The Bishop of Duresme Hadberge with all their appurtenances for 500. markes and purchased the whole Prouince of the King for his owne and himselfe to be made Earle of the same In this Kings daies there fell a great dissention in the Church of Yorke betwixt the Arch-bishop of Yorke and the Deane because euening Song was begunne before the Arch-bishoppe came his Grace comming into the Quire was angry because they tarryed not for him and commaunded the Quire to stay the Dean● and Treasurer willed them to fing on the Quire left and recanted and begun againe The Treasurer not to take the foyle caused the lights to be put out so the euening Song ceased for the Popish euening Song is blind without light though the Sunne shine neuer so bright His Grace suspended the whole Church from Diuine seruice vntill the parties had made him amends The next day being Ascention day the Deane and Treasurer would make no sar●sfaction the people would haue fallen vpon them if his Grace had not let them The Deane was faine to flye to his House and the Treasurour to Saint Williams Tombe for succour The Byshop excommunicated them and the Church was suspended from Seruice that day Thus much of the Heroicall c●mbat betwixt these Ecclesiasticall persons King Richard in his iourney aforesaid talked with Abbot Ioachim of his Uisions and Prophesies especially of Antichrist hee expounded vnto him the place in the Reu●lation There be seuen Kings fiue are fallen one is now another not yet com He said they were seuen Persecutors of the Church Herod Nero Domitianus Maxentius Mahomet Turka the last which is not yet come was Antichrist which is already borne at Rome and should bee there exalted into the Apostolike Sea as the Apostle faith He is an Aduersary and exhalteth himselfe aboue all that is called GOD then the wicked man shall bee reuealed and the Lord shall consume him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming Why said the King I thought Antichrist should haue béene borne in Anti●ch or Babylon and of the Tribe of Dan and ruled in Ierusalem thrée yeares and a halfe and disputed against Enoch and Elias and put them to death and then died himselfe and that sixty daies of repentance should be giuen to them that were seduced by his preaching When King Richard went his iourney he committed the Custody of his Realme principally to the Byshop of Duresme and the Bishop of Ely and to two Lay men The two Byshops fell at variance for superiority at length this order was taken by the King that Duresme should haue v●der his custody from Humber is the Scottish Seas Ely was ordained Chancellor hauing vnder his gouernment from the said stood of Humber all the South parts besides but Ely beeing more ambitious so practised with the King and his Ambassadors sending his Letters to the Pope obtained the authority Legatiue vpon the whole Realm of England and became so ambitious and proud that all the Realme cryed out of him he beeing intollerable vnto the Cleargy and Layty He assembled a generall Councell at London in colour for Religion but it was for his owne pompe and oppression of the Clergy and Layty wonderfully oppressing the Commons Hee vsed ●o ride with thousand Horses Noble-mens Sonnes were glad to be his
in any cause without great guifts and expences whereof the pouertie of the Church is the cause therefore it is sit that you as naturall Children should helpe and succour your Mother for if wee should not receiue of you and other good men we should lacke which were a great dishonour to our dignity The King answered Hee could doe nothing because it concerned the Commons and he ass●mbled a Councell hee was answered they could conclude nothing because the Arch-Byshoppe the King and other whom it concer●ed were not there The next yeare the same Cardinall came againe into England and summoned all the Cl●argy to another Councell to be held in the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London for redressing of diuers and sundry matters concerning Benifices Religion and other abuses of the Church putting them in feare and hope some to lose and some to obtaine spirituall promotions at his handes Diuers pre●ious rewards were offered him in Pal●ries in rich Plate and Iewels in costly and sumptuous Garments richly furred in Coyne and Uictuall c. The Bishop of Winchester sent him fifty fat Oxen and hundred coome of pure Wheat eight tun of chosen W●ne likewise other Bishops offered to the Cardinals Boxe after their ability The Cardinall commaunded at the West end of Saint Paules Church a high solemne Throne of great State to bee prepared rising vp with a glorious Scaffold before the Cardinall begunne his Sermon there happened a great discord betwixt the Arch-byshops of Canterbury and Yorke about sitting on the right hand of the glorious Cardinall the Cardinall shewed them a Bull of the Pope in the middest of which was pictured the Crosse and Paule pictured on the right side of the Crosse and Peter on the left saying yet there is no contention betwixt these two yet Saint Peter for the Prerogatiue of his Keyes and for the Preheminence of his Apostle-ship and Cathedrall Dignitie séemeth most worthy to be placed on the right side and from that time foorth the Arch-Byshop of Canterbury hath enioyed the Dignity and Pr●heminence of the ●ight hand The Cardinall sitting like a God in the middest betwixt them made his Sermon vpon these words In the middest of the Seate and round about were foure Beasts full of eyes behind and before He compared them about him to the foure Beasts declaring how they ought to haue eyes before and behind that is they must be carefull and prouident as well in disposing secular thinges as wise and circumspect in spirituall matters contriuing and ioyning wiselie thinges past with thinges to come And this was the greatest effect of his Clearkely Sermon Then he gaue forth sundry Constitutions and Statutes for ordering of Churches dedicating Temples for seauen Sacraments for giuing Orders farming Benefices Collations and resignations Priests apparell and single life for eating of flesh in religious Houses for Arch-deacons Byshops Proctors c. The King dreading the Commons willed him to repaire home to Rome but he could not so be rid of him but hee renued his commission and still applyed himselfe to his Haruest gleaning and raking what hee could writing his Letters to euery Byshop or Arch-Deacon for procurations to beare his charges and withall to be spéedily collected and sent to him Prouided that the summe collected should not excéede aboue foure Markes of a Liuing and where small Liuings were two Liuings to ioyne and if any contradicted or gaine-sayed him to excommunicate them And they sent forth Preachers and Fryers in all places to perswade men to fight against the common enemy the Turke whom when they haue bound with a vow and signed with the crosse then they send their Bulles to release them for money and the Bishops and Arch-deacons to proclaime it The Pope was not ashamed to require the fift part of euery Ecclesiasticall liuing and further hee promised and gaue to the Romanes for helping him in warrs against Fredericke the Emperour which had married King Iohns daughter the gift of all the spirituall liuings in England belonging to the religious houses and therevpon sent expresse Commandement to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other foure Bishops ioined with him that they should prouide spirituall liuings for three hundred Romanes in the best Benefites in England at the next voidance so that the said Bishoppes should bee suspended in the meane time from all collation of Benefice the Arch-bishop séeing their vnreasonable oppressions being not able to endure it went into France And further one Petrus Rubeus was sent from the Pope to goe from Bishop to Bishop Abbot and Abbot telling them such a Bishop such an Abbot hath giuen thus much vnto the Popes Holines trusting you also will not be behinde in a matter that so much concernes the good of the Church by which cunning subtiltie he gathered together into the treasurie of the Church such a Masse of money as is almost incredible to beleeue At length the Bishoppes Abbots and Arch-deacons came to the King whose Father they had so obstinately resisted and repugned lamentably complaining of their extreame miseries of the vnmeasurable exactions of the Pope so all the Prelates were called together and vppon talking together made many exceptions aga●nst the same the Legate and his followe hearing these allegations seeing their owne vtter confus●on were the lesse importunate Not long after this followed a generall Councell at Lyons in the Kingdom● of France called by Pope Innocentius in the which Councell the English Nation did exhibite sundry Articles of all their greeuances and that the Italians did succeed one another in the benefices whose language they could not vnderstand and that there was no preaching in their Churches nor no almes giuen to the poore and that there came fresh Letters from the Pope commanding the Prelates to finde at their proper costs and charge for a whole yeare some ten armed souldiers some more some lesse to be ready at the Popes commandement when or where be should appoint After these terrible greeuances and enormities the States of England consulting together directed their Letters to the Pope for Reformation First the Abbots and Priors then the Bishoppes and Suffragans after the Nobles and Barons and last of all the King but all was neuer the better Not long after the Pope sent for new tallage and exactions which when it came to the Kings eare hee vehemently disturbed writ seuerally to euery Bishop in manner following THat whereas wee haue heeretofore written to you once twice thrice both by our Priuy Seale and our Letters Patents that you should leuy for the pope no exactions either vpon the Clergy or Laitie yet you vilepending our commandement and contrarie to our prouision made in our last Councell at London haue proceeded in collecting the said your taxes and tallages wherevpon wee greatly maruell and are mooued Wherefore we straitly will and command you that you doe so no more as you will enioy our ●auour and your possessions and if you haue made any such collection or gathering that
are forbid the Booke binder answered is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures the Bishop of Air sayd I renownce my part of Paradice if he bee not a Lutheran let him bee tryed what hee is then the Book-binder was caried into prison and a company of ruffins cryed a Lutheran to the fire with him and owne strucke him with his fist another pulled him by the beard so that hee was al imbrued with bloud the morrow hee was brought before the Bishops hee iustified the selling of the Bibles and said There was no Nation but had the Byble in their owne language Will you forbid and hide that which Christ hath commaunded to bee published Did not Christ giue power to his Apostles to speake all manner of tongues to the end that his Gospell might be taught to euery Creature in euery language And why doe you forbid this Booke a●d buy such prophane painting What cruelty is this to take the nourishment from poore soules but you shall gi●e account heereof which call sweete sower and sower sweete you bee rather the Priests of Bacchus and Venus then Pastors of the Church Then he was condemned to be burned the same day and to haue two Bybles hang one before and another behind to signifi● the cause of his death The Byshoppes twice raised an Army at their owne charges to execute the aforesaid arrest but their enterprises were let by one meanes or other and the King hearing the confession of this Faith of Merindole and finding that it did agree in all points to the Word of God gaue them their pardon Some of the Byshoppes resort to them to get them to recant but they prooued their Religion so agreeable to the Word that many Doctors were conuerted to their opinions and confessed they neuer learned so much in all their time as by hearing them Their Children were so well taught and they questioned and answered one another so diuinely that the Doctor● confessed they had not heard Arguments so well answered in the diuinity Schooles Yet notwithstanding in this yeare the twelfth of Aprill Iohn Miners President of the Councell of Aygues called the Senate and read the Kings Letters which the Cardinall had obtained for that purpose and commaunded them to execute the sentence Now euery where hee had mustred men for the English Warres but he vsed them for this purpose and tooke vp more Souldiours out of euery Towne and they had ayde sent them out of the Popes Dominions First they set vpon the Uillage about Merindoll and destroyed and burned them the Merindolins seeing their cruelty left their houses and fled into the Woods carrying their Children vpon their Shoulders and Armes then it was showed vnto them that Miners came with all his whole power to destroy them then the men went away and left the women and children with som to looke to them hoping they would shew mercie to them whom when the souldiers found they abstained from slaughter but when they had spoyled them of their money and victuals they lead them away Their purpose was to handle them more shamefully but that they were let with a Captaine of horse-men so they left the women and droue away the booty there were fiue hundred women Miners burned Merindoll and finding there but one yong man he ●aused him to be tyed to a tree and shot in with Dagges then he went to Cabriers and perswaded the townsmen to open the gates promising they should haue no hurt but when they were let in they slew both man woman and childe Miners shut fortie women into a ●arne of straw set it on fire and kept them in till they were all burned The number slaine within the towne and without were eight hundred the infants that escaped their furie were baptized againe of their enemies Then they took the town of Costa and serued it so and many maids and women being lead into a Garden of the Castle they rauished them all and when they had kept them a day and a night they handled them so beastly that the mayds and them with child died shortly after In the meane time the Merindoles and diuers others that wandred in the woods and mountains were either sent to the Gallies or were slaine Many also died for hunger fiue and twenty hid themselues vnder a rocke and they smothered and burned them so that no kinde of cruelty was omitted notwithstanding diuers which had escaped came to Geneua and other places neere The persecution in Callice with the martyrdome of George Bucket alias Adam Damlip THis Adam Damlip had bin a great Papist and Chaplaine to the Bishop of Rochester he iournyed to Rome thinking to haue found all godly and sincere religion where he found as he confessed such blasphemy of God contempt of Christs true religion loosenesse of life and abomination and filthinesse that he abhorred to tarrie there any longer although he was greatly requested by Cardinall Poole to continue there to reade three Lectures euery weeke in his house offering him great entertainment which he refused and returning home the Cardinall gaue him a French crowne And wayting at Callice for passage into England William Steuens and Thomas Lancaster desired him to reade there two or three dayes and got him license of the Lord Lisle the Kings Deputie of the towne and the license of Iohn Butler the Commissary When he had preached three or foure times he was wel liked so that they hyred him to preach there and twenty dayes or more euery morning at seuen of the clocke he preached learnedly and plainely the truth of the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and bloud mightily inueighing against all Papistrie but especially against transubstantiation the propitiatorie sacrifice of the masse declaring how popish himselfe was and how by the detestable wickednesse that he did see vniuersally in Rome he was returned and become an enemie to all Papistre He came at last to speake against the Pageant or picture set forth of the resurrection in Saint Nicholas his Church that it was meere Idolatrie and illusion of the French-men before Callice was English Then there came a commission to the Lord Deputy the Commissary and others to search whether there were three Hosts lying vpon a Marble stone besprinkled with bloud as was put in writing vnder a Bull and Pardon and that if they found it not so that immediatly it should be pulled downe and so it was for they breaking vp a stone in the corner of the Tombe in stead of three Hosts found souldred in the Crosse of Marble lying vnder the Sepulchre three plaine Counters which they had pointed like vnto Hosts and aboue that was the tippe of a Sheeps tayle which Damlip shewed to the people the next day which was Sonday out of the Pulpit And after they were sent by the Lord Deputie to the King Then the Prior of the white Friers and one of the Lord Lisle his Chaplains contradicted his Sermons and caused him to be sent
then he was commaunded to answere Intergatories by signes and when any question was asked he strook vpon the Table so that he might be heard then he was demaunded whether he was any that were buried there then they reckoned vp diuers and at last the Mayors wife here he made a signe that he was the spirit of that woman then he was asked whether he was damned for Couetousnesse Pride Lecherie or not doing workes of Charitie or else for Lutheranisme then by striking twise or thrise vpon the Table gaue them to vnderstand that Luthers heresie was the cause of her damnation and being asked whether the bodie buried in holy ground should be digged vp and carried ●hence he made signes it should be so then the Friers desired the Citizens to set their handes to a writing testifying that which they had séene but for feare of the Mayor they refused to subscribe then the Friers took the Pixe with the Host and the Lords body and all the reliques of Saints and carried them to another place and there they said their masses then the officiall came thither and would faine haue seene the spirit coniured and one should go into the vault and sée if any spirit appeared but he could not get them to disturb the spirit any more ● Then the Mayor informed the King of the whole matter and the King sent certaine to know whether it were so or no then they put the d●ers thereof into seuerall Prisons and examined them apart and a great while they would confesse nothing at length the Iudges promising the nouice that he should haue no harme nor come no more into the Fryers hands he declared to them the whole matter in order wherupon they were committed to Orleance to prison And it was certainly reported that the King would haue plucked down the House but euen at the same time chanced a persecution against the Lutherans and they feared the punishment of these men should haue bin a reproch vnto the Order and a cause of much reioycing to the Lutherans These were Francis●an Fryers A Storie of certaine Monks of Sueuia GVnrame a noble Baron in the yeare 1130. builded an Abbey in Sueuia called Salmesuille of Cistercian Monks Amongst many Benefactors to the said House the Earles of Montfort had bestowed vpon that Monasterie many new Liberties and Priuiledges vpon condition that they should receiue with frée hospitalitie any stranger Horse-man or Foot-man for one night but this hospitalitie did not long continue through a subtile deuise of one of the Monks who would counterfeit the Diuell ratling and raging in chaynes at the lodgings where the strangers should lie and so continued this a long space At length an Earle of the house of Montfort was lodged at the Monasterie when the Earle was at his rest in the night the Monke after his wonted manner began to play the Diuell roring thundering spitting of fire and making a noyse the Earle hearing thereof tooke a good heart and taking his sword slew the Monk And thus the Diuell of the Abbey was coniured which stopped the guests from comming to the House Who lift to see more and worse pranks of Friers and Monks played in their Houses Cloysters let them resort to the Epistle of Erasmus and he shall find ynough to infect the aire IOHN BROVVNE a blessed Martyr burned at Ashford in the second yeare of Henrie the eighth Anno 1511. THe said Iohn Browne passing to Graues-end in a Barge a Priest began to swell and stomack that he should sit so neere him at length said Doest thou know who I am thou fittest so neere me and vpon my clothes No sir said the other I tell you said he I am a Priest What sir are you a Parson or Uicar or some Ladies Chaplain No said he I sing for a Soule I pray you said the other where find you the Soule when you go to Masse I cannot tel said he I pray where do you leaue it when you haue done Masse I know not said the Priest How then said the other can you saue the Soule I perceiue thou art an Heretick said the Priest Within three daies after by vertue of a Warrant ●rom the Archbishop with a Baylife and two of the Bishops men they came suddenly into the house of the said Browne as he was carrying a dish of meat to his guests for his wife was that day Churched they layd hands on him and carried him to Canterburie where they kept him fortie dayes in which time he was so pitifully entreated by Warram the Archbishop and Fisher Bishop of Rochester that he was set bare-footed vpon hote burning coales to make him denie his Faith which he bare patiently and continued in maintaining the Lords quarrell vnremoueable then he was sent to Ashford where he dwelt the next day to be burned where he was set in the Stocks all night his wife sate all the while by him to whom he declared the whole Tragedie of his handling how they burned his ●e●t to the bones that he could not set them to the ground to make him denie his Lord here which if I should haue done he would denie me hereafter therefore good wife continue as thou hast begun and bring vp thy children in the feare of God where the next day he was burned This Iohn Browne bare a Faggot seuen yeares before this whose sonn● named Richard Browne for the like cause of Religion was imprisoned at Canterburie in the later time of Queene Marie and should haue beene burned with two more but the next day after Queene Marie died and they escaped by the Proclamation of Queen● Elizabeth THE NINTH BOOKE CONtayning the Acts and things done in the Raigne of King EDVVARD the sixt AFter the death of Henrie the eight succeeded King Edward the sixt his sonne being of the age of nine yeares Touching his commendations I leaue you to the Booke at large who because he was so young and tender was committed to sixtéene Gouernours amongst whome especially the Lord Edward Semer Duke of Somerset his vncle was assigned as Protector of him and the Commonwealth a man of noble vertues especially for his fauour to Gods 〈◊〉 thro●gh the industrie of whom that monstrous Hydra with sixe heads the 〈◊〉 Articles which deuoured so many were abolished whereby the proceedings of Gardner began to decay who storming thereat wrote to the Lord Protector in the cause thereof He restored the Scriptures to the Mother tongue and extinguished Masses and by little and little greater things followed in the reformation of Churches such as fled for the danger of the Truth were againe receiued to their Countrey the most part of Bishops were changed dumbe Pr●lates were compelled to giue place to such as would Preach and learned men were sent for out of other Countries as Peter Martyr Martin Bucer Paulus Phagius the first of whom taught at Oxford and the other two at Cambridge with great commendations Bonner Bishop of London was committed to the Marshalsie
and for his contempt and misdemeanor deposed Gardener Bishop of Winchester with Tunstall Bishop of Durham were cast into the Tower for their disobedience In this time of King Edward vnder this noble Protecto● this one commendation is proper vnto them that amongst all the Popish ●ort of whom some priuily st●le out of the Realme manie were craftie dissemblers some open aduersaries ● yet there was not one that lost his life during the whole time of the Raigne of this King for any matter of Religion Papist or Protestant except lone of Kentan English woman and one George a Dutchman who died for certaine Articles not necessarie to be rehearsed THOMAS DOBBE THis man in the beginning of King Edwards Raigne comming from S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge to London as he passed through Paules Church there was a Priest at Masse at the South side of the Church being at the eleuation this yong man repleate with godly zeale pittying the ignorance and Idolatry of the people in honouring that which the Priest lifted vp he exhorted the people not to honour that visible bread as God which was neither God nor ordained of God to be honoured wherefore he was apprehended by the Mayor and accused to the Bishop of Canterburie and was committed to the Counter in Bread-stréete where shortly falling sicke he died whose pardon was obtained of the Lord Protector if he had liued IOHN HVNNE IN the first yeare of the Kings raig●e one Master Lewnax of Wresell and his wife sent this Iohn Hunne their seruant vnto the Bishop of Canterbury for denying the flesh and bloud of Christ to be really in the Sacrament of the Altar and saying he would neuer vaile his Hatte to it if he should be burned for it and that if he should heare masse he should be damned But because I finde nothing done therein I leaue it When this godly yong Prince was peaceably established in his Kingdome and had a godly wise and zealous Councell about him especially the Duke of Sommerset he earnestly desired the aduancement of the true honour of God and planting of sincere Religion and the s●ppressing of all Idolatry Superstition and hypocrisie throughout his Dominions Following the good example of the good King Iosias and being he found most of his Lawes repugnant to his zealous enterprise He by the aduice of his wise and Honorable Councell of his own regall authoritie did prosecute his godly purpose vntill by consent of the whole estate of Parliament he might establish a more free and vniforme order and those certaine wi●e learned and discreet personages for Commissioners generally to visit all the Bishopricks of this Realme to vnderstand and redresse the abuses of the same and diuided them into seuerall companies and assigned them seuerall Diocesses to be visited appointing to euery company one or two godly Preachers which should preach to the people at euery Sessions the true Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ and exhort them to all loue and obedience of the same and earnestly dehort them from their old superstition and wonted Idolatry and that they might the more orderly be directed in this their Commission there were deliuered vnto them certaine iniunctions and Ecclestasticall orders drawne out by the Kings learned Councell the which they should both inquire of and also command in his Maiesties behalfe to be thenceforth obserued of euery person to whom they did seuerally appertaine within their seuerall circuits the which Iniunctions if thou beest disposed for to reade I leaue thee for breuitie to the Booke at large Now during the time the Commissioners were in their circuits about diligent execution of their godly and zealous orders of the King and Councell de●iring a further reformation as well in Ecclesiasticall as in Ciuill gouernment appointed a Parliament to be summoned on the fourth of Nouember in the first yeare of his raigne which continued vntill the twenty foure day of December then next following Whereby he caused to be enacted that all Acts of Parliaments and Statutes touching menci●ning or any wise concerning Religion or opinions to wit the Statute of the first yeare of Richard the second and the statute made in the second yeare of the raign of Henry the fift and the statute mad● in the fiftéenth yeare of the raigne of Henry the eight concerning the punishments and reformation of Hereticks and Lolards and the sixe Articles made in the thirty one yeare of Henry the eight and the statute made in the thirty thrée year of Henry the eight against the bookes of the old and new Testament in English and the printing and vttering of English or bookes writings and preaching the Scriptures an another Statute in the 35. yeare of Henry the eyght touching the qualification of the Stat●te of sixe Articles and a●l and euery other Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine or matters of Religion should from thenceforth bee repealed and of none effect by occasion whereof all his godly subiects abiding within the Realme had free liber●y to professe the gospell and those beyond Sea wer not onely licensed to ret●rne home but incouraged bouldly and faithfully to trauell in their calling so that God was much glorified and the people edified And in this Parliament it was enacted that the Sacrament should be ministred in both kinde and letters missiue were sent fr●m the Councell to the Bishops of the Realme concerning the communion to bee ministred in both kinds and from Bishop to Bishop as thou maist sée in the booke at large Another Parliament was assembled in the second yeare of his Raigne beginning vppon the foorth day of Nouember 1548. continuing vntill the 14. day of March wherein a booke in English intituled the Booke of Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments and other Rightes and Ceremonies of the Church after the vse of the Church of England was concluded vppon by the Clergy which his highnesse receauing with great comfort did exhibi●● it vnto the Lords and Commons of the Parliament who for the honour of God and great quietnesse which by the grace of God should ensue vppon that one vniforme right and order in such Common prayer rites and externe Ceremonies to bee vsed throughout England Wales Calice and the Marches of the same authorise● the sayd Booke by Act of Parliament and set great penalty vpon them that wo●ld bee disobe●ient thereto as is to be seene in the booke at large A●so the mariage of Priests was authorized by the sayd Parliament by these procéedings and the Iniunctions which thou maiest see in the book at large thou maiest well perceaue the great zeale of the King and the Lord Protector in reformation of t●ue Religion and also the lingring slacknesse on the other side of others especially of the Bishops and old Popish Curats by whose cloked contempt and wilfull winking the Booke of Common prayers was long after the publishing thereof very irreuerently vsed throughout many places of this Realme which when the King by diuers
complaintes vnderstood hee wrote spéedily to all the Bishope of the Realme for the spéedy redresse thereof and because Bonner was one of the backwardest hee was peremtor●ly admonished vnder paine of depriuation to preach the next Sunday three weekes after the date there of at Paules Crosse none but such Doctrine as was appoynted him in the said Iniuntion and should preach the same Doctrines euery quarter of a yeare yearely ●f sicknesse or some reasonable cause did not let Secondly you your selfe in person shall from henceforth celebrate the Communion at the high Altar in Paules euery such dayes as your Predecessors were wont to sing Masse The Popish Priests grudging and mourning to see their old Pop●sh Church of Rome to decay ceased not by all subtile and sinister meanes first vnder Gods name and the Kings and vnder colour of religion to perswade the people to rebellion This first burst out in Cornwell and Deuonshire of whom the chiefe Gentlemen Captaines were Humfrey Arundell Esquire Iames Rosogan Iohn Rosogan Iohn Walkock Iohn Payne Thomas Vnderhill Iohn Soleman and William Segar There were e●ght Priests gouernours of the Campes and principall stirrers beside●● multitude of other Popish Priests there was ten thousand stout traytors in this rebellion Commotions likewise beganne to broyle in Oxford-shire Yorke-shire and especially in Northfolke and Suffolke these aforesaid hearing thereof tooke courage hoping they should well ●aue forti●ied the same quarrell their intent was to inuade the Citty of Exeter and twise they burned the gates thereof but gayned thing but shotte beeing put from Exeter they fell on spoyling and robbing where or howsoeuer they might catche then laying their heads together they consulted of certaine Articles to be sent vp to the King as followeth First they would haue that their Curats should minister the Sacrament of baptisme at all times of néede as well in the weeke dayes as on the holydayes and their Children confirmed of the Bishop whensoeuer wee resort to him Secondly because they did constantly beléeue that in the Sacrament after consecration there is the very body and blood of Christ and no substance of bread and wine remaineth therefore we will haue the Masse celebrated as in times past without any man communicating with the Priests because many presuming vnworth●●y to receiue the same put no difference betwixt the Lords body and other bread and wée will haue the consecrated body of our Lord reserued in our Churches Thirdly wée will haue holy bread and holy water in remembrance of Christs body and blood Fourthly we will that our Priests shall sing and say with an audible voyce Gods seruice in the Quire of the Parish Churches and not to haue it set forth as a Christmas play Fiftly because Priests be men dedicated to God to celebrate the blessed sacraments and preaching of Gods word wee will that they shall li●e chast without marriage Sixtly we will the sixe Articles shall stand in force To which Articles the King did particularly answer and set forth reasons against them in writing and shewed that he would spend his life and all that hee had to maintaine the Godly reformation which was begun yet hee offred them pardon if they would desist from the deceitfull counsell of the séekers of dissention who sought for nothing els but to vnd●e them their wiues and children and if they would not be moued to repentance with his fatherly kindnes shewed vnto them hee would procéed against them as against the Heathen with force and Armes A●d because they would not accept mercy Sir Iohn Russell Knight Lord priuy seale was sent by the King and councell against them and next to him were ioyned Sir William Harbert Sir Iohn Paulet Sir Hugh Paulet Sir Thomas Speck with the Lord Gray and others Thus the Lord Priuy seale accompanied with the Lord Gray aduancing his power against the rebells yet by Gods prouidence they gaue them the repulse who recouering themselues againe encountred the second time the Lord priuy seale but by Gods helpe they with their whole cause of false religion were vtterly vanquished the popish rebells not onely lost the field but a great part of them lost their liues lying slaine the compasse of two miles diuers were taken as Humphry Arundell Berry Thomas Vnderhill Iohn Soleman William Seger and two Priests Tempson and Barret and two Mayors Henry Bray and Henry Lee with diuers mo all which afterward were executed These rebells to make their part more sure by the presence of their consecrated God brought with them vnto the Battaile the pixe vnder his Canopy riding and in a Cart neither was there lacking Masses Crosses Banners Candlestickes with Holy-bread and Holy-water plenty to defend them from Diuells and all enemies which could not saue them from their enemies but both the consecrated God and all the trumpery about him was taken in the Cart lea●ing a Lesson of better experience how to put their confidence in such vaine Idolls Like vnto this was the field of Musclebrough fought in Scotland the yeare before this when the Scots incamping thēselues against the Lord Protector the Kings power sent into Scotland they likwise brought into the field the Gods of their Altars with Masses Crosses Banners and all their popish stuffe hauing great affiance therein to haue a great day against the English army as to mans indgement might seeme not vnlike The number of the Scots armie farre excéeded ours but the arme of the Lord so turned the vi●tory that the Scots in the end with all their Masses and Trinkets were put to the wors● of whom were slaine betweene thirtéene and fourtéene thousands and not passing a hundred English men The cause of this warre was because the Scots had promised King Henry the eight that the yong Scottish Quee●e should marry with King Edward which promise they afterward brake and payed therefore and this victory was the same day and houre when the Images were burned openly in London There was the like commotion in Oxford and Buckingham but that was soon appeased by the Lord Gray of whom two hundred were taken and twelue of them ringleaders deliuered to him where of certaine were executed In Norfolk the parts thereabouts the Marquesse of Northampton was sent to represse the rebellion who was appointed to kéep the field and passages to stop them from victuals whereby they might the sooner be brought to acknowledge their fault and séeke pardon who pined himselfe within the Citie of Norwich but the Rebels pressed vpon the Citie and at length obtained it yet there was but a hundred on both sides slaine and the Lord Shefield then the Earle of Warwick was sent against them by whom the confused rabble was ouerthrown to the number of foure thousand and both the Kets chiefe stirrers of that Commotion were put to death and one of them hanged in chains In this yeare likewise the like commotion began at Semer in the North-riding of Yorke shire and continued in the East-riding of
his head and said I am right sorry to heare your Grace to speake those words which you haue done Hee appeared seauen times before the said Commissioners and euer vsed verie vnreuerent vncomely and frowar● words and behauiours towards the Commissioners and others and hee still shifted off the matter by subtile dilatories and friuolous cauiling about the Law and with facing and rayling vpon the Denouncers that hee thought to countenance out the matter before the people But to conclude for all his subtile craftie cautels and tergiuersations hée was iustlie imprisoned and in the end most lawfullie depriued The first trouble of the Lord Protector was presentlie after the depriuation of Bishop Bonner but shortly after hee was deliuered out of the same by the mighty working of GOD the tractation whereof shall bee delayed vntill the time of his second trouble which was two yeares after The vulgar people hearing of the apprehension of the Lord Protector they began to brute abroad that now they should haue their Latine Seruice the holy Bread and holy Water and their other Ceremonies againe Wherefore straite commaundement was sent to the Bishops of the Dioces to warne the Parsons Uicars Curats and Church-wardens of euerie Parish to deliuer vp all Antiphoners Missalls Grayles Processionals Manualls Legends Pyes Portuasies Iournals and Ordinals and all other Bookes of Seruice the hauing whereof might be any let vnto the Seruice that now is set forth in English commaunding all such persons as should be found disobedient in this matter to be committed to ward And because many refused to pay towardes the finding of Bread and Wine for the Communion whereby the Communion in many places was omitted the Byshops had charge for the redresse héereof and to punish such as refused so to doe In this yeare Letters were sent for the taking downe of Altars in Churches and setting vp a Table in the steed thereof vnto Nicholas Ridley who being Byshop of Rochester before was made Bishop of London in Bonners place The Storie of STEPHEN GARDNER Bishop of Winchester VVHereas the Kinges Maiestie made a generall visitation as before is said and appointed certaine iniunctions to be generally obserued they were obediently receiued and reuerently executed of all men of all sorts sauing onely of the Bishop of Winchester who by conference with others by open protestations and Letters also shewed such a wilfull disobedience therein as might haue bred much trouble Wherefore he was sent for before the Councell before whom he denied to receiue the said Articles and so misused himselfe before them that he was sent to the Fléete but vpon promise of conformity hee was set at liberty againe then he set forth such matters as bred more contention in that Shire then in all the Realme againe and he caused all his Seruants to bée secretly armed and harnised to withstand such as he thought to haue béene sent by the Councell into those parts and when Preachers were sent into that Countrey by the Councell to preach the Word of GOD the Bishop to disappoint and disgrace them and to hinder his Maiesties procéedings did occupy the Pulpit himselfe and in his Sermons would warne the people of such new Preachers and to imbrace no other Doctrine then that which he had taught them Wherefore being sent for againe before the Councell yet in the end vpon his second promise of conformity they left him at libertie willing him to remaine at his house at London yet he began afresh to ruffle and meddle in matters that touched the Kings Maiesty Whereupon being once againe admonished be promised againe conformity and that he would declare his conscience to be well satisfied with the Kings procéedings to the satisfaction and good quiet of others but at the day appointed he did speake of certaine matters contrary to expresse commaundement of the King and in the Articles whereu●to he had agreed before hee vsed such a manner of vtterance as was v●ry like there presently to haue stirred a great tumult and in great matters touching the pollicy of the Realme hee so handled them that he shewed himselfe a very seditious man and that in the presence of his Maiestie the Lords of the Councel● and of such an audience as the like thereof hath not béene séene whereupon he was committed to the Tower and after iustly depriued for his obstinaey therein Hee wrote a Letter vnto Maister Vaghan in defence and prayse of Images which the Lord Protector answered very learnedly as thou mayst sée in the Booke at large He wrote another Epistle wherein hee first rayled and findeth fault with the Paraphrase of Erasmus which he calleth a Booke of abhomination secondlie hée sheweth that he can in no case away with the Homily of saluation set out by the Archbishop of Canterbury which Article marue●lously vexeth his Spirit His third purpose whereunto his Letters cheefely draw is to insinuate the Lord Protector that no alteration should bee made of Religion during the time of the Kings minority but to let all thinges stand as King Henrie had left them The iudgement of Doctor REDMAN on his death-bed touching certaine points of Religion 1 THE Sea of Rome in this last daies is a sinke of all euill 2 Purgatory as the Schoolemen vsed it was vngodly and there was no such kind kind of Purgatory as they phantasied 3 That the offering vp of the Sacrament in Masses and treutals for the sins of the dead is vngodly 4 That the wicked are not partakers of the body of Christ but receiue the outward sacrament only 5 That the sacrament ought not to be carried about in procession for it is taught what is the vse of it by these words Take eate and drink doe this in remembrance of mee 6 That nothing which is séen in the sacrament or perceiued with any outward sense is to be worshipped 7 That we receiue not Christs body corporally that is to say grossely like other meats and like as the Capernayts did vnderstand it 8 That we receiue Christs body so spiritually that neuerthelesse truly 9 Touching transubstantiation there is not in any of the olde Doctors any good ground and sure proofe thereof or any mention of it as farre as euer he could perceiue neither that he doth sée what could be answered to the obiections made against it 10 Being asked of Master Wilkes what that was which was lifted vp betwixt the Priests hands he answered that he thought that Christ could be neither lifted vp nor downe 11 That Priests may by the law of God marrie wiues 12 That as only faith doth iustifie so that doth signifie a true a liuely and a faith resting in Christ and imbracing Christ and this is true godly sweet and comfortable doctrine so that it be so taught that the people take non● occasion of carnall libertie 13 That workes had their reward and crown but they did not deserue eternall life and the kingdome of God no not the workes of grace for euerlasting
life is the gift of God The historie of VVILLIAM GARDNER an Englishman who constantly suffered in Portingall for the Truth HEe was borne at Bristow and gaue himselfe vnto the trade of Merchandise he was sent into Spaine by Master Paget being sixe and twenty yeares old the ship arriued by chance at Lishborne the chiefe Citie of Portugall he tarrying there about merchandise became a profitable seruant to his Master and others yet he reserued his religion in that popish countrey there were also besides him diuers good men in the same Citie neither lacked he good books nor the conference of good and honest men to whom he would often bewaile his weakenesse that he was not sufficiently touched with the hatred of his sinnes nor inflamed with the loue of godlinesse There was a solemne marriage celebrated betwéen two Princes the sonne of the King of 〈◊〉 and the daughter of the King of Spain to which marriage there was great resort of nobles and there lacked no Bishops with Miters nor Cardinals with Hats to set out this royall wedding William Gardner was there when they went forward to the celebrating of the Masse for that alone did serue for all purposes the Cardinall did execute it with much singing and Organ-playing the people stood with great deu●tion and silence praying looking knéeling and knocking their minds fully bent vpon the external sacrament which did grieuously prick and mo●e this young man to sée so many noble personages and others so seduced with this Idolatri● that if the prease of people had not hindered him he would that day haue done some notable thing in the Kings presence he came home and made vp all his accounts of that was due to him and that which was owing to others that no man could aske any thing of him he fell to prayer and meditation of the Scriptures The Sunday came againe to be celebrated with like pompe and solemnitie The said William was early present and stoode as neere the Altar as he could When the King with all his Nobles were come the Masse began which was solemnized by a Cardinall when hee began to ●osse the Host too and fro round about the Chalice making certaine circles The said William Gardiner not able to suffer any longer hee ran to the Cardinall in the presence of the King Nobles and Citizens with the one hand hee snatched away the Cake and tr●de it vnder his féet and with the other hand ouerthrew the Chalice Wherevpon rose great tumult and one wounded him with a Dagger in the soulder The King commanded to saue him whereby they abstained from murdering him When he was brought before the King he demanded what country man he was and how hee durst worke such a contumacie against his Maiestie and the Sacraments of the Church Hee answered hee was an English man by birth and Religion and am come hither for traffick of Marchandize and when I saw in this famous assembly so great Idolatry committed my conscience neither ought nor could any longer suffer but must needs doe that you haue séene me doe which was not done for any contumacy of your Maiestie but of purpose as before God I do confesse to séek the saluation of this people then vnderstanding that king Edward had restored Religion in England and thinking he had beene set on by some others they would know who set him on He answered he was not mooued thereto by any man but by his owne conscience but that hee owed this seruice first vnto God and secondly vnto their saluation and they ought to impute the act onely to themselues which so vnreuerently vsed the holy Supper of the Lord vnto so great Idolatry to the perill of their owne soules except they repented He was like to faint with the aboundance of blood that ranne out of his wound and Surgeons were sent to cure it then all English-men were committed vnto Prison and one Pendigrace because that he was his Bed-fellow was gree●ously tormented and examined and scarse deliuered after two yeares imprisonment Then they caused a Linnen Cloath to bee sowed round like a Ball which they violently put downe his throat to the bottome of his belly tyed with a small string which they held in their handes and when it was downe they pulled it vp againe with violence so plucking it too and fro through the meat pipe When all torments and tormentors were wearied they asked him if he did not repent his wicked deed he answered if it were to doe againe he thought he should doe it but he was sorie it was in the presence of the King the fault ought to be ascribed to the King and not to him in that he hauing power would not prohibit so great Idolatrie vsed amongst his people Three dayes after they brought him to execution when they had vsed all kind of torments against him then they cut off his right hand which he tooke vp with his left and kissed it then they cut off his other hand which he kneeling downe kissed and so he was carried to the place of execution where was an Engine from the which a great rope comming downe by a pullie was fastened about this Christian which first pulled him vp then there was a great pile of wood set on fire beneath him into the which he was by little and little let downe not with the whole body but so that his feet only felt the fire then he was hoysed vp and so let downe againe in the which torment he continued with a constant spirit and the more terribly he burned the more vehemently he prayed When his feet were burned the tormentors asked him whether he did not yet repent and exhorted him to call vpon our Ladie and other Saints he answered he had done nothing whereof he did repent and needed not our Ladies nor Saints help and what torments soeuer they vsed hee remained alwaies one desiring them to leaue off such vanities and follies for when Christ ceased to bee our Aduocate then he would pray our Lady to be his Aduocate and when they sought to stop his prayers he said Iudge mee O Lord and reuenge my cause against the vnmercifull people before he had ended the Psalme pulling him vp downe in the fire for the more torment the rope was burned hee fell into the middest of the fire where he changed his Temporall paines for eternall quietnes Thus GOD by this message did prouoke the Portugales to the sincere knowledge But this cruelty was not vnreuenged for with a sparke from the fire of his burning one of the Kings Shippes was burned and the Kings Sonne that was married died halfe a yeere after and the next yeare the King himselfe dyed The Clergy appointed a solemne Fast certaine daies for penance to purge that fact there be some yet as I haue heard diuers report out of whose remembrance this constant Martyr can neuer be pulled and is so fresh yet amongst them as if it were but lately done his
beloued friends I am brought hether to suffer death albeit I neuer offended against the King in word nor deed and haue alwaies béene as faithfull as any man vnto this Realme but because I am by Law condemned to die to testifie my obedience which I owe vnto the Lawes I am come hither to suffer death Wherefore I thanke God that he hath giuen me this time of repentance who might so suddenly haue béen taken with death that I could not haue acknowledged God nor my selfe I would something put you in minde of the Christian Religion which so long as I was in authoritie I did alwaies diligently set forth and I reioice therein sith now the state of Christian Religion commeth most neere to the order of the Primatiue Church which I esteeme as a great benefit of God to me and vnto you most heartily exhorting you all that you will most thankefully imbrace it set out the same in your liuing which if you do not no doubt great calamitie will follow Upon these words there was heard a terrible noise as it had beene of some great tempest from aboue as if a great deale of Gun-powder being inclosed in an armory hauing caught fire had violently broke out or as if a great company of horsemen had been running together vpon them whereby the people were so amazed that they ranne away s●me into Ditches and Puddles and some into the houses others with their Halberts fell vnto the ground Crying out Iesus saue vs Iesus saue vs and those which tarried in their places knew not where they were It happened heere euen as when the officers of the High Priests came to take Christ They runne back and fell to the ground in so great slaughter of Dukes within this few yeares there were neuer so many weeping eyes at one time and the people seeing Sir Anthony Browne ride to the Scaffold they coniectured that the King had sent his Unkle pardon therefore with great reioycing they cast vp their caps and cryed out pardon pardon is come God saue the king Thus the good Duke although he was destitute of mans help yet hee saw before his departure in what great loue and fauour he was with all men Then said the Duke dearely beloued friends there is no such matter as you vainely beleeue Therefore I pray you be contented with my death which I most willingly suffer let vs ioine in prayer for the King vnto whom I haue alwaies shewed my selfe a faithfull Subiect and haue béen most diligent to seeke the commoditie of the whole Realme at which words all the people cryed out and said it was most true And praying for the King and Councell and exhorting the people to obedience forgiuing all his enemies and desiring forgiuenes of them which he● had offended and praying them to beare witnes he died in the faith of Christ. Then he knéeled downe and prayed and rising againe without any trouble of minde he tooke them all on the Scaffold by the hand and bid them all farewell when he lay vpon the block he called thrice on the name of Iesus saying Lord Iesus saue me And as the name of Iesu was repeating the third time in a moment he was bereft both of head and life The Lady MARY THe King his Councell had much trauell by Letters and messengers to reduce the Lady Mary to obedient con●ormitie of Religion yet she would not be reclaimed from her owne singuler opinion fixed vpon custome to giue any indifferent hearing vnto the word and voice of verity the which set will of the said Lady Mary the yong King and also his Father King Henry right well perceiuing they were both much displeased against her insomuch that not only her brother did sequester her in his Will but also her owne father considering her inclination did conceiue such a hate against her that for a great space he did seclude her from the title of Princesse yea and seemed so greatly incensed against her that he was fully purposed to haue procéeded further with her as it is reported had not the intercession of Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop reconciled the King againe to fauour and pardon his owne daughter And about the eighth of September 1552. Doctor Ridley Bishop of London went to visit the Lady Mary and was gently entertained of Sir Thomas Wharton and other her officers About eleuen of the clocke the Lady Mary came forth of her chamber of presence then the Bishop saluted her Grace and said he was come to doe his dutie vnto her Grace she thanked him and for a quarter of an houre talked with him pleasantly and said she knew him when he was Chaplain to her father and remembred a Sermon that he made before her father at the Lady Clintons marriage and so dismissed him to dine with her officers After dinner the Bishop being called resorted againe vnto her Grace then said the Bishop Madam I come not only to doe my duety to sée your Grace but also to offer my selfe to preach before you on Sonday next if it please you to heare me she said I pray make the answere your selfe for you know the answere well enough but if I must make answere this shall be your answere The doore of the Church shall be open for you if you come but neither I nor none of mine shall heare you The Bishop said Madam I trust you will not refuse GODS word She answered I cannot tell what you call GODS word that is not GODS word now that was GODS word in my fathers dayes The Bishop said GODS word is one in all times but it hath beene better vnderstood and practised in some ages then in others She said you durst not for your eares haue auouched that for GODS word in my fathers dayes that now you doe as for your new books I thanke GOD for it I neuer read none of them nor neuer will doe After many bitter words against the forme of Religion then established and against the gouernment of the Realme and the lawes made in the young yeares of her brother which she said she was not bound to obey vntill her brother came to perfect age and then affirmed she would obey them Then she asked him whether he were one of the Priuie Councell he answered no you might well enough quoth she as the Councell goeth now-a-dayes so she concluded that she thanked him for his gentlenesse to come and see her but for your offering to preach before me I thank you neuer a whit Then was the Bishop brought by Sir Thomas Wharton vnto the place where he dined who desired him to drinke after he had drunke he looked very sadly and brake out in these words Surely I haue done amisse in that I haue drunke in that place where GODS word hath beene offered and refused whereas indeed if I had beene mindfull of my duety I ought not to haue stayed but to haue departed immediatly and to haue shaken off the dust of my feete for a
Harley Bishop of Herford after they saw the masse begin not abiding the sight thereof withdrew themselues from the company wherefore Taylor was commanded to attend but shortly after died and Harley because he was married was ex●●nded from the Parlament and his Bishoprick Then all statuts in K. Hen. the eight and K. Edwards time which were against papistrie were repealed Sir Iames Hales Iustice of the Common pleas notwithstanding he had ventured his life for Quéen Mary in not subscribing to King Edwards Will as before for giuing charge vpon the Statuts against Papistrie at the Assises he was committed to diuers prisons and so terrified that he wounded himselfe and meant to haue killed himselfe with a knife and after was contented to say as they willed him whereupon he was discharged but he neuer rested vntill he had drowned himselfe Then according to the Quéens commandement there begun a disputation in the Conuocation house about the Sacrament which continued six dayes wherein Doctor Weston was the chiefe on the Popes side who behaued himselfe outragiously in checking and ●aunting the matter of the disputation was onely of the Sacrament and the reasons no other then shall and haue beene set forth in this book wherefore for breuitie I omit them In conclusion the Quéen to take vp the matter sent her commandement to Bonner to dissolue the Conuocation and such as disputed on the contrary part were driuen some to flie some to denie and some to die though in most mens iudgements that heard the disputation they had the vpper hand In which Parliament also communication was moued of the Quéens marriage which was very euill taken of the people and of many of the Nobilitie who for this and for religion conspiring amongst themselues made a rebellion wherof Sir Thomas Wyat was chiefe News comming to London of this stirre in Kent the Quéen caused Wyat and the Duke of Suffolke who was fled to Warwickshire and Leister-shire there to gather a power and the two Carewes of Deuonshire to be proclaymed Traytors and Thomas Duke of Northfolke was sent into Kent against Wyat but about Rochester Bridge the Duke was forsaken of all his men and returned to London The Earle of Huntington was sent post to apprehend the Duke of Suffolke who entring the Citie of Couentrie before the Duke disappointed him and one Vnderwood his man betrayed and bewrayed him so that he was brought to the Tower of London In time Sir Peter Carew hearing what was done fled into France but the other were taken and the Quéen hearing of Wyats comming towards London she came into the Citie to Guild-hall where she made a vehement Oration against Wyat and to incourage them to stand with her Two dayes after the Lord Cobham was committed vnto the Tower and Wyat comming to Southwark being he could not enter that way into London he went with his Armie by Kingstone and came through the stréets to Ludgate but returning he was resisted at Temple-barre and there yeelded himselfe to Sir Clement Parson and was brought to the Court the residue of his armie were taken and a hundred killed for Sir George Harper and almost halfe his men ranne away from him at Kingstone Bridge and they which were taken were had to prison and many of them hanged and he himselfe executed at Tower-hill and quartered his head was set vpon Hay hill and after stolne away but there was great search made for the same Then the Lady Iane was beheaded two dayes before whose death Fecknam was sent to her by the Quéen to reduce her to papistrie The communication betwixt the Lady Iane and Fecknam Feck MAdam I lament your heauie case but I doubt not but you beare it constantly Iane. I litle lament my owne case but rather account it a token of Gods fauor vnto me more then euer he shewed to me before being a thing profitable for my soules health Feck I am com from the Quéen and Councel to instruct you in the faith though I trust I need not trauell ouer much in the performance thereof Iane. I heartily thanke the Queene that she is not vnmindfull of her humble subiect and I hope you will doe your dutie according to the message that you were sent on Feck What is then required of a Christian Iane. That he should beleeue in God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost three persons and one God Feck What is there nothing else to bee required of a Christian but to beleeue Iane. Yes we must also loue him with all our heart soule and mined and our neighbour as our selfe Feck Why then Faith instifieth not Iane. Yes verily Faith as Saint Paul saith onely iustifyeth Feck Why Saint Paul saith if I haue all Faith without loue it is nothing Iane. True it is for how can I loue him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whom I loue not Faith and Loue goeth both together yet loue is comprehended in Faith Feck How shall we loue our neighbour Iane. To feede the hungry cloth the naked and giue drinke to the thirsty and to doe to him as we would doe to our selues Feck Why then it is necessary to saluation to doe good workes and not sufficient onely to beleeue Iane I deny that and affirme Faith onely saueth but it is meet for a Christian to follow Christ in good workes yet we may not say that they profit to saluation for when we haue done all that we can we are vnprofitable seruants and faith onely in Christ● bloud saueth vs. Feck How many Sacraments are there Iane. Two the one of Baptisme the other of the Lords Supper Feck No there are seauen but what are signified by your two Sacraments Iane. By Baptisme I am washed with Water and regenerated by the Spi●t and the washing is a token I am Gods Childe The Lords Supper offered vnto me is a sure seale that by the blood of Christ I am made partaker of the euerlasting Kingdome Feck Do you not receiue the very body and blood of Christ Iane. I neither receiued flesh nor blood but Bread and wine which putteth me in remembrance that for my sins his body was broken and his blood shed and with it I receiue the benefit of his Passion Feck Doth not Christ say plainly This is my body Iane. So he saith I am the Vine and the doore and Saint Paul saith Hee calleth things that are not as though they were God forbid I should say I eate the body and blood of Christ for then I should pluck away my Redemption else there were two Christs for if his Disciples eate his body it was not broken vpon the Crosse and if it were broken vpon the Cr●sse his Disciples did not eate it except he had two bodies Feck Could not Christ as possibley make his body to be eaten and broken as to bee borne of a Woman without Man and as to walke on the Sea and doe other miracles Iane. If God would haue done a miracle at
that they instruct the children to answer the Priest at Masse Shee sent likewise a commandement to the Lord Mayor of London with the foresaid Articles to bee carefull with all his power for the performance thereof Then the Queene sent forth a Proclamation that the strangers which in King Edwards time were receiued into England for Religion should 〈◊〉 driuen out of the Realme Wherevpon Peter Martyr Ioannes Alasco vnckle to the King of Poland and many others were banished and many English men also fled into Germany and were scattered in diuers places where by Gods pro●idence they were sustained and entertained with great fauour to the number of eight hundred persons The twenty fiue of March the Lord Courtney and Lady Elizabeth were susspected to consent to Wiats conspiracy and therevpon apprehended and commit●to the Tower This was a politicke practice of Steuen Gardiner which alwaies was an enemy to Lady Elizabeth Wyat at his deat● protested to the people that the Lord Courtney and Lady Elizabeth were cleare from all suspition of Commo●ion but Doctor Weston cryed to the people beleeue him not ●or hee confessed otherwise before vnto the Co●●cell The same day it was told in the Parliament house that Wiat desired the Lord Courtney to confesse the truth as he had done before One Cut a Prentice of London was sent for by Gardiner vnto the Star-chamber for that he should say that Wiat was constrained by the Councell to a●cuse the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney to be consenters to his ris●ng When the Mayor brought him thither Gardiner beganne to declare how miraculously God had brought the Queene to the Crowne the whole Realme in a manner beeing against her and it was that shee might reduce this Realme ouerwhelmed with heresies to the Catholike faith and where she l●ued the Lady Elizabeth tenderly and deliuered the Lord Courtney out of prison yet they conspired trayterously against her with Wyat as he confessed yet there are some in London which reported that Wyat was constrayned by the Councell to accuse them yet you my Lord Mayor haue not seene the same punished The partie is here said the Mayor Gardner said punish him according to his deserts and take heed to your charge the Citie of London is a whirle-poole of euill rumors The Londoners not fauouring the Queens proceedings to their displeasure summoned a Parlament at Oxford because they would be forward in the Queens businesse but after it was holden at Westminster where her marriage with king Philip was agreed vpon Bonner being Uicegerent of the Conuocation in his Oration said that Priests were like the Uirgin Mary as she by fiue words conceaued Christ so the Priest by fiue words loth make the very body of Christ and as immediatly vpon the consent of Mary Christ was all whole in her womb so immediatly after the consecration the bread is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ and as the Uirgin layed Christ in the ●anger so the Priest lifteth vp the body of Christ and carryeth it and as Mary was sanctified before she conceiued so the priest is ordained anointed before he doe consecrate for a lay-man though he be neuer so holy and do speak the same words yet he cannot consecrate Therefore the dignitie of Priests passeth the dignity of Angels for no Angell can make the body of Christ whereby the least Priest can doe more then the greatest Angell therefore Priests are to bee ●onoured before Kings and Princes and Nobles for a Priest is higher then a King happier then an Angell and maker of his Creator The effect of the communication between Doctor Ridley and Secretary Bourne and others at the Lieutenants table at the Tower Feckham WHo so doth not beleeue that which Scripture doth affirme is an ●eretick as in the Sacrament of the Altar Mathew Marke Luke and Paul affirme there to bee Christs body and none denieth it therefore to hold the contrarie is heres●e Ridley Whereas is a multitude of affirmations in scripture and where is one affirmation all is one in scripture that which is spoken by one of the Euangelists is as true as that which is spoken by al for it is not in Scripture as in witnesse of men where the number is credited more then one and where you speake of so many affirming without negation of any if you take their words and leaue their meaning they affirme that you take Feck What circumstances can you shew that should moue to thinke of any other sense then as the words plainely say Rid. By the next sentence Doe this in remembrance of me and you may as well say the Bread is turned into Christs mysticall body as that it is turned into his naturall body for Paule speaking of the mysticail body saith Many are one Bread and one body because they are partakers of one Bread Feck This is conf●rmed by antiquity vnity and vniuersality for none before Beringarius did euer doubt of this then said Master Secretary these be great matters what say you to that Feck As for Unity I doe beléeue it if it be with veritie and as for Antiquity at the first Christs Faith was truely taught by Christ and his Apostles and by many good men which did succeed next them and touching the Sacrament I am perswaded these old writers before the vsurping of the Sea of Rome doe all agree if they bee well vnderstood in this truth as for vniuersalitie if may haue two meanings one that from the beginning in all ages hath beene allowed or it may be vnderstood for the multitude of our age or of any other singular age Maister Secretarie What authors haue you of the Sacrament to make a figure Ridley Tertullian saith This is my body that is to say a figure of my body And Gelasius saith the substance of bread remaineth And Origen saith that which is sanctified as touching the matter passeth away in the draught and I maruell Fecnam will alledge Melancton for we agree there is in the Sacrament but one materiall substance and he saith there are two Maister Secretarie You say truth but we reade that in the old time the Sacrament was so reuerenced that the Catecumeni and many more were forbidd●n to be present Rid. Truth Sir there were some called Audients some Penitents some Catechumeni and some Euergumeni which were commanded to depart Maister Sectetarie How then can you make but a figure of the Sacrament as the Lord of Canterburies booke doth Rid. Me thinkes it is not charitably done to beare the people in hand that any man doth so lightly esteeme the Sacrament as to make it but a figure which that booke doth deny as appeareth by that booke most plainely And as for mee I say whosoeuer receiueth the Sacrament receiueth with it life or death as S. Augustine saith manduca vitam bibe vitam Maister Pope I doe beleeue the reall body of Christ is in the Sacrament and I pray God I may euer so beleeue and how can it
Sa●nts departed and we beléeue as a Man departeth this life he is either blessed or damned for euer by reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala Caeli Trentals and such suffrages as the popish Church doth obtrude as necessary to be the Doctrine of Antichrist And wee beleeue two Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lordes Supper and that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ and that they bée no longer Sacraments then they were in vse and vsed to the end for which they were instituted and the mutilation of the one kind from the Lords Supper from the Lay people is Antichristian and so is the transubstantiation and so is the adoration of the Sacrament and the reseruation and carrying about of the ●ame and so is the Doctrine of the Masse it to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead or a worke that pleaseth God and so of the inhibition of marriage in any state as vnlawfull we doubt not but we shall be able to proue all these our verities by Gods word and the Church which hath followed Gods word and Spirit and we hartily desire all men to be obedient with vs vnto all that bee in authority and not to cease to pray to God for them that he would gouerne them with his Spirit of wisedome and not to consent in any kind of rebellion against the Quéens Highnesse but where they cannot obey but they must disobey God there to suffer with all patience the pleasures of the higher powers as we are ready to do rather then we will consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse wee shall be iustly conuinced thereof The Lord indue vs with his Spirit of truth and grace of perseuerance Upon the twentith day of Iuly the Prince of Spaine landed at Southampton He was the first that landed and presently he drew his Sword and carryed it naked in his hand a prettie way the Mayor of the Towne met him and deliuered him the Keyes which he receiued in his right hand and put his sword into his left then met him the Earle of Arundell and Lord Williams and brought him to his lodging The twenty fiue day He and Quéene Mary were married at Winchester by the Bishop there then they came to Windsor and from thence to Southwarke and from thence through the Citty of London to White-hall by the way many Pageants and glorious sights were made Upon the Cunduit in Gracious-stréet was painted King Henry the eight ●n harnesse with a Sword in one hand and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei deliuering the Booke to his Sonne Edward painted by him Whereupon the Bishoppe of Winchester sent for the Painter and called him ●naue ranke Traytor and villaine for painting a Booke in King Henries hand and writing Verbum Dei thereon he should rather to haue put the Booke in Quéene Maries hand that was there also pictured for that she had reformed the Church and Religion Against this time Bonner in his Royalty and all his Prebendaries about him the doores of Pauls being shut a new Roode being laid vpon the Pauem●●ts they sung diuers Prayers by the Roode then they annointed it with Oyle in diuers places After they crept vnto it and kissed it after they wayed it vppe into his accustomed place and the while the whole Quire sang Te D●um and then the Bels rang for ioy From White-hall they went to Richmond then all the Lords had leaue to depart and there remained no English Lord at the Court but the Bishop of Winchester from thence to Hampton-Court where the Hall doore was continually kept shut that no man might enter vnlesse his arrand were first knowne which séemed strange to English-men Upon the fourth day of Nouember ●●ue Priests did pe●●ance at Paules Crosse which were content to put away their Wiues and take vpon them againe to minister euery one of them had a taper in his hand and a rod wherewith the Preacher did disple them The twenty seauen day of Nouember Cardinall Poole being but a littl● before come into the Realme came to the Parliament-House the King and Quéene sitting vnder the Cloath of Estate and the Cardinall sitting on the right hand The Cardinall made a long Oration shewing first how this Realme had euer béene forward to receiue Religion first in the time of the Brittaines and then in the time of the Saxons and that the meanes came from Rome in the Faith of which Church we haue euer since continued and shewed what deuotion this Iland hath had to Rome that King Offa and Adulphus thought their obedience to the Sea not sufficient but in their owne persons went to the place where they receiued so great grace And when Carolus Magnus founded Paris hee sent into England for Alcui●us which first brought learning to that Uniuersity I will not rehearse the benefits this Realme hath receiued from Rome nor the miseries this Realm hath suffered by swaruing from that Unity so all Countries that haue refused the Unity of the Catholike Faith hath had the like plagues as Asia and the Empire of Gréece by swar●ing from Rome are brought into the subiection of the Turke And Germany by swaruing from this vnity are afflicted with diuers Sects and factions then hee pra●●ed the King for his greatnésse and riches and the Quéen as one in whose hart God had preserued the Catholike truth when all light of the truth séemed vtterly to be extinct whom GOD had most miraculously brought vnto the Crowne being a helplesse Uirgin naked and vnarmed had the victory of all pollicies and armed powers prepared to destroy her and God hath appointed her to raigne ouer you for the restitution of true Religion and exterpation of errors and Sects God hath deuided his power vnto two parts heare in Earth that is into th● Imperiall and Ecclesiasticall power the Seculer Princes and Ministers of God to execute vengeance vpon transgressors and to preserue well doers which is represented in these two most excellent Princes the King and Quéene The other power is the power of the Keyes which belongeth by prerogatiu● to the Sea Apostlike of Rome from which Sea I am deputed Legate hauing the Keyes committed to my hands I confesse I haue the Keyes not as mine owne Keyes but as the keyes of him that sent mee but certaine impediments in you to receiue it must be taken away before my Commission can take place I came to reconcile and not to condemne and not to compell but to call againe My Commission is of Grace and clemency to all such as will receiue it touching the matter● past they shall be as things cast into the Sea of forgetfulnesse the meanes wherby you shall receiue this benefit is by reuoking the lawes wherby you haue disseuered yourselues from the vnity of Christs Church therefore you as prouident men for the weale of your soules and bodies pouder what is to be done
because it was according to the word of God the order of the primate church The other is euill because though some good Latine words be in it yet was it but as it were a little hony and milke with a great deale of poison to drinke vp all In the afternoone he being ready to preach againe to the Bishop where was Sir Iohn Mordant Boner ●aid vnto his charge the breaking of the proclamation and also heresie but his Charitie was content to let alone the Treason But hee would proue him an heretick and all such as taught the administration of the Sacraments and the order of the Primitiue Church are most pure that come neerest to the order of the Primatiue Church for the church was then in her infancy and could not abide that perfection which was after to bee furnished with ceremonies Sanders answered Saint Augustine saith ceremonies were at first ordained for the weake infirmitie of man therefore it was a token of the more perfection of the primatiue Church that it had ●ew ceremonies and a token of the 〈◊〉 of the Church papisticall because it had so many ceremonies 〈◊〉 blasphemous some vnsauourie and some vnpro●●table Then the Bishop bade him write what he beléeued of transubstantiation which he did saying My Lord you séeke my bloud and you shall haue it I pray God you may be baptized in it that you may after loath bloud-sucking and become a better man this writing the Bishop kept to cut his throate with Then the Bishop sent him to the Lord Chancellor who kneeling before him the Lord Chancellor said How happeneth it that you haue preached contrary to the Quéens Proclamation Saunders answered as he was admonished by Ezechiel because he saw perrilous times at hand he exhorted his parishioners to perseuer in those things which they had learned for by the example of the Apostles we must obey God before man we doe only professe the sinceritie of the word which although it be now forbidden vs to preach with our mouthes yet our bloud hereafter shall manifest the same The Bishop said carrie away this frensie foole to prison Saunders answered hee thanked God he had giuen him a place of rest where he might pray for the Bishops conuersion Saunders tolde one that lay with him in prison that in the time of his examination he was wonderfully comforted and receaued a taste of the communion of Saints a pleasant refreshing did issue from euery part of his bodie to his heart and from thence into all parts againe He continued in prison a yeare and three moneths and then he was sent for before the Lord Chancellor who offered him his pardon if he would recant which because he refused he was condemned vpon his opinion against the Sacrament with his hand in writing vnto Bonner as before is related Then he was carried vnto Couentrie and one night he was put into the common Gaole amongst other prisoners where he slept little but spent the night in prayer and instruction of others the next day he was ledde to execution into the Parke without the Citie going in olde gowne and a shirt bare-footed and as he went he oftentimes fell flat on the ground and prayed When he was come nigh to the place the officer told him he was one of them that marred the realme with heresie wherefore thou hast deserued death yet if thou wilt reuoke thine heresies the Quéen hath pardoned thée Then answered Saunders It is not I nor my fellow Preachers that haue hurt the realme but it is your-selfe and such as you are which alter Gods word for I hold no heresies bnt the doctrine of God and Christ vnto euerlasting life and so full swéetly he slept in the Lord. He wrote many godly letters to Diuines during the time of his imprisonment which thou mayest sée in the booke at large The martyrdome of IOHN HOOPER Bishop of Worcester ABout the beginning of the six Articles in the time of King Henry the eighth being in danger for religion he went beyond Sea where he was louingly entertained at Basill and at Zurick of Master Bullinger his singular friend where he married his wife which was a Burgundian and in the raign of King Edward he repaired home amongst many other English exiles who being come to London vsed to preach twise or at least once euery Sonday and at his Sermons the Church would be so full that none could enter further into the doores thereof hee was in tongue eloquent in Scriptures perfect in paines indefatigable after hee was called to preach before the King and soone after made Bishop of Gloster in that office he continued two yeares and behaued himselfe so well that his very enemies except it were for good doings and sharpe correcting of sinne could find no fault with him and after that he was made Bishop of Worcester hee sustained much vexation about his inuesting because he would not weare the Priestly vestures In his Bishops palace in euery corner there was fauour of honest conuersation and reading of the Scriptures there was no Courtly roysting or idlenes no pompe at all no dishonest word nor swearing euery day he had to dinner a certaine number of poore folke of the Citie by course and before dinner they were examined by him or his Deputies of the Lords Prayer the Articles of their Faith and ten Commandements In Queene Maries time hee was one of the first that was sent for to London by a Purseuant The Bishop of Winchester receiued him very approbriously rayling and rating him accused him of religion and committed him to the fleete The next yeare hee was sent for before the Bishop of Winchester of London of Durham of Landaffe and of Chichester where after hee had suffered many checkes taunts and mockes that he could not be suffered to make any answere because hee said hee would not goe from his Wife and that hee beleeued not the corporall presence in the Sacrament he was depriued of his Bishopricks By his committance he was to haue the liberty of the Fleete and when hee had payed fiue pound for his liberty the Warden complained to Gardiner and made him to bee committed close prisoner a quarter of a yeare then hee had libertie to come to dinner and supper and presently to returne to his Chamber without speaking to his friends the Warden and his Wife would euer bee picking quarrels with him and after one quarter of the yeare fell out with him about the Masse Then the Warden obtained of Gardiner that he should bee put into the Wardes where hee continued a long time hauing nothing to lye on but a rotten Couering with few Fethers in it On the oneside was the stinke and filth of the house on the other side the stinking Towne ditch so that the stinke infected him with diuers diseases and beeing very sicke hee cried for help but the warden when he hath knowne me ready to dye and poore men haue called to help him he hath
and leauing one Richard Yeoman a godly Priest in his cure which after was burned at Norwich He tooke his iourney with one Iohn Hull his seruant There was in the towne of Hadley one Alcocke who after Richard Yeoman was driuen away vsed dayly to reade a Chapter out of the Bible and to say the English Letany in Hadley Church they sent him vp to London and there he died being in prison in Newgate When Gardiner saw Doctor Taylor according to his custome hee called him knaue traytor hereticke with many villanous reproches My Lord quoth he I am neither Traytor nor Hereticke but a true Subiect and faithfull Christian My Lord you are but a Mortall man I trow if I should be affraid of your Lordly looks Why feare you not God How dare you look any Christian man in the face séeing you haue forsaken the truth denyed Christ and his word contrary to your owne oath and writing With what countenance will you appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ to answere your oaths to Henrie the eight and Edward the sixt Gardiner answered that was Herods oath vnlawfull and therefore worthy to bee broken I haue done well in breaking it and I thanke God I am come home vnto our Mother the Catholike Church and the Pope hath dispenced with me and so I would thou shouldst do Taylor Should I approue those lies errors superstitions and Idolatries that the Pope and his company this day approued nay God forbid let the Pope returne to Christ and his word and leaue Idolatry and then will we turne to him the Pope nor no man else can assoyle you of that oath I sée quoth Gardiner thou art a very knauish foole Taylor said leaue your reyling my Lord it is not séemely for you That art a married man quoth the Bishop Taylor said I thanke GOD that I am and I haue nine Children and I thanke GOD for the ordaining of Matrimonie that wee should not liue in Adu●tery Gardiner Thou wouldst not suffer Masse in Hadley Taylor I am parson of Hadly and it is against law and reason that any should infect my flocke with Popish Idolatrous Masse Then said the Bishop thou art a blasphemous heretick to blaspheme the blessed Sacraments and put off his Cap and against the Masse which is a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead Taylor Christ dyed for our Redemption which is a sufficient propitiatory Sacrifice vnto saluation for al beléeuers and no Priest can any more offer him and we néed no other propitiatory sacrifice therefore the Fathers called the Communion Eucharistia which signifieth thankes-giuing Then said the Bishop thou shalt confesse it a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead ere thou and I haue done and commaunded him to bee sent to the Kings Bench. Then Taylor knéeled downe and saide Good Lord I thanke thee and from the tyrannie of the Pope and all his detestable errors Idolatries and abhominations good LORD deliuer vs and GOD be praysed for King Edward so he was carried vnto the Kings Bench where hee lay in Prison almost two yeares Being in Prison he spent his time in Prayer Preaching and Writing with●in few daies after were diuers learned and godly●men in sundry Conn●rie● in England committed to prison for Religion so that almost all the Prisons in England were right Christian schoole● and Churches so that there was no greater comfort to Christian harts then to come to the Prisons Now were placed in Churches blind Masse-m●ngers with their Lattine babling and apish ceremonies who like cruell Wolues spared not to murder all such that did but whisper against Popery the godly Preachers were other fled or committed to Prison where as Lambes they waited when the Butchers should call them to slaughter Maister Bradford that deuout and vertuons Preacher who was a miracle or our time was in the Kings Bench Taylor exhorted him to constant perseuerance vnto the end Maister Bradford praised God he had such a comfortable Prison-fellow Taylor told his Friends that came to sée him that GOD had graciouslie prouided for him for to send him where he found such an Angell of God to bée his comforter After Taylor had lyne in Prison a while hee was sent for and depriued because he maintained Priests marriage and would not bee separated from his Wife And after a yeare and thrée quarters when they had gotten the lawes put down that were made by King Henry the eight and King Edward against the Pope They sent for Taylor before my Lord Chancellor and either Commissioners the effect of whose communication with him he described himselfe as followeth First my Lord Chancellor said you amongst other are sent for to enioy the King and Queenes mercie if you will rise againe with vs from the fall which we ge●erallie haue receiued in this Realme from the which we are deliuered miraculousli● If you will not you shall haue Iudgement To this I answered That so to rise should bee the greatest fall that euer I could receiue for I should fall from Christ vnto Anti-christ I will not decline from the Religion which was in King Edwards dai●s which is according to the word of God as long as I liue My Lord Chancellor asked me whether I had read his ●ooke vpon the Sacrament I said I had read it He asked mee how I liked it My Lord said I there are many things farre 〈◊〉 from GODS truth in that Booke then he cal'd me varlet I said that was as bad as foole then he called me ignorant Béelebrow I said My Lord you wrote a Booke De vera obedientia I would you had béen constant in that for you neuer did declare a good conscience as I heard of but in that Booke How like you that said my Lord I wrote against Priests mariage but y ● pleaseth not such as thou art I answered their procéedings now against Priests mariages is against naturall Law Ciuill Law Canon Law generall Councels Canons of the Apostles ancient Doctors and Gods Lawes Then because I would not turne I was sent to prison againe After Doctor Taylor Maister Bradford and Maister Sanders were called to appeare before my Lord Chancellor and other Commissioners where because they would not yéeld to papistry they were condemned and sentence was read against Taylor They reioyced that they were worthy to suffer for Christe Word and truth and they stoutly said vnto the Bishops GOD the righteous Iudge will require our bloud at your handes and the proudest of you all shall repont this receiuing againe of Antichrist and the tyranny you shew against Christes flocke So Taylor was sent to the Clinke hee said vnto the people that flocked about to sée him as he was going GOD bée praised good people I am come away from them vndefiled and will cenfirme the truth with my ●●oud And at night hee was carryed vnto the Counter in the Poultrey where hee lay seauen nights Bonner came to the prison to him to disgrade him he said Maister
Testament desperatly he cast himselfe into a shallow Riuer and was drowned in the yeare 1555. IOHN AWCOCKE THis yeare the second of Aprill one Iohn Awcocke died in prison who was buried in the fields as the manner of the Papists was for they de●ied them Christian buriall to such as died out of their Antichristian Church Pope IVLIVS the third THis yeare about the end of March died Pope Iulius the third whose deeds to declare it were not so much tedious to the Reader as horrible to good eares Iohannes de Casa was Deane of this Popes chamber Archbishop of Beneuentanus and chiefe Legat to the Uenetians who well declaring the fruit of that filthy Sea did not only play the filthy Sodomite himselfe but in Italian meetre set forth the praise of that beastly iniquitie and yet his booke was printed at Uenice by one Troyanus Nauus and the Pope suffered this beastlines vnder his nose in his chamber which could not abide the doctrine of Christ. This Pope delighted greatly in Porke flesh and Peacocks by the aduice of his Physitians his Steward ordered that he should set no Porke flesh before him missing it where said he is my Porke the Steward answered his Physitian had forbidden any Porke to be serued the Pope in a great rage said Bring mee my Porke in despite of God Another time he commaunded a Peacocke at the Table to be kept colde for his Supper when Supper came amongst hote Peacocks he saw not his colde Peacocke the Pope after his wonted manner began horribly to blaspheme God one of his Cardinals said Let not your Holinesse I pray you be moued in so small a matter Then said he if God were so angry for one apple that he cast our parents out of Paradice why may not I being his Uicar he angry for a Peacocke which is a greater matter This was he vnder whom Popery was restored in England in Quéene Maries time and the affection that was borne vnto him heere may be séene by the Dirgs Hearses and Funerals commaunded to bee had and celebrated in all Churches by the Quéene and her Councell At his death a woman séeing a Herse and other preparation in Saint Magnus Church at the Bridge foot in London asked what it meant it was told her it was for the Pope and that she must pray for him nay quoth she that I will not for he needeth not my prayers seeing hee could forgiue vs all our sinnes I am sure he is cleane himselfe by and by she was carried vnto the Cage at London Bridge and bade to coole her selfe there GEORGE MARSH THis Marsh was an earnest letter forth of true Religion to the defacement of Antichrists doctrine in the parish of Deane and elswhere in Lancas●ire and he most faithfully acknowledged the same in Quéene Maries time whereupon he was apprehended and kept in straight prison within the Bishoppe of Chesters house foure moneths not permitting him to haue comfort of his frinds but the Porter was charged to marke them that asked for him and to take their names and deliuer them to the Bishop shortly after he came thither the Bishop sent for him and communed with him a long time in his Hall alone and could find no fault with him but that he allowed not transubstantiation nor the abuse of the Masse nor that the Lay people should receiue vnder one kinde with which points the Byshop went about to perswade him but all was in vaine then hee sent him to Prison againe Afterward diuers were sent vnto him to perswade him to submit himselfe vnto the Church of Rome and to acknowledge the Pope to be the ha●d thereof and to interpret the Scriptures no otherwise then that Church doth George answered hee doth acknowledge one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church without which is no saluation and this Church is but one because it hath and beléeueth in but one God and him only worshippeth and one Christ and in him only trusteth for saluation and it is ruled onely by one Spirit one Word and one Faith and that it is vniuersall because it hath béene from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end of the world hauing in it some of al Nations kindreds and languages degrees ●●ates and conditions of men This Church is builded only vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ being the Head-corner-stone and not on the Romish Lawes and Decrees the Pope being not the supreame head and that it was before any succession of Bishops general Councels or Romish Decrees neither was bound to any time or place ordinary succession generall Councels or Tradition of Fathers neither had any supremacie ouer Empires and Kingdomes But that it was a little 〈◊〉 flocke dispersed abroad as sheepe without a Shepheard in the middest of Wolues or as a flocke of fatherlesse Children assisted succoured and defended onely by Christ Iesus their supreme head from all assaults errours troubles and persecutions wherewith shee is euer compassed about He proued by the floud of Noah the destruction of Sodome The Israelites departing out of Egypt by the parables of the sower by the Kings sons marriage of the great Supper and by other sentences of the Scriptures that this Church was of no estimation and little in comparison of the Church of hypocrites and wicked worldlings After the Bishop caused him to bee brought to the Chappell of the Cathedrall Church of Chester where the Bishop with diuers others were set After he had taken his oath for a true answering the Chancelor charged him that he had preached heretically and blasphemously in diuers places against the Popes authority and Catholick Church of Rome the blessed Masse the Sacrament of the Altar and many other Articles Hee answered that ●e neither heretically nor blasphemonsly spake against any of the said Articles but simply and ●●uely as occasion serued according to his conscience maintaining the truth touching the said Articles as it was taught in King Edward the sixth his time whereupon they condemned him at the next appearance And when he would haue perswaded them otherwise by the word of God the Bishop told him he ought not to dispute with hereticks Then he prayed the people to beare him witnesse he held no other opinions then were by Law most godly established and publikely taught in King Edwards time wherein he would liue and die As he came on the way towards the place of execution some folke proffered him mo●ey and looked that he should haue had a little purse in his hand as the manner of 〈◊〉 was at their going to execution to gather money to giue to a Priest to say trentalls of Masses for them after their death whereby they might be saued but Marsh said he would not be troubled with money and hade them giue it to the prisoners and poore people When he came to the ●●re his pardon was offered him he answered being it tended to plucke him from God he could not receiue it
saying he that leaueth father or mother praueth our pilgrimage with many moe Many dangerous hazards he suffered amongst the Popes friends and Gods enemies for the Gospell sake When there was a Proclamation set forth for the calling in of the Bible in English and many other good bookes he hazarded himselfe to write to King Henry the eight to disswade him therefrom which Letter thou mayest see in the booke at large at length by the means of Doctor Butts and of good Cromwell he was made Bishop of Worcester and continued so a few yeares instructing his Diocesse according to a diligent Pastor but as before both in the Uniuersitie and at his Benefiee he was tossed and turmoyled by the wicked so in his Bishopricke some sought his trouble insomuch that he was accused to the King for his Sermons Thus he continued in this laborious function of a Bishop for certaine yeares vntill the comming vp of the sixe Articles and altering of Religion so when he could not keepe his Bishopricke with a good conscience of his owne free will he resigned the same at which time Shaxton Bishop of Salesburie resigned also with him his Bishopricke These two remained a great space vnbishopped keeping silence vntill the time of King Edward A little after Latimer had renounced his Bishopricke hee was sore bruised with the fall of a tree and comming to London for remedy hee was troubled of the Bishops and at length was cast into the Tower where he continued prisoner vntill the Raigne of King Edward then the golden mouth of this preacher shut vp long before was opened againe and beginning a fresh to set forth his plough againe and continued all the time of the said King labouring in the Lords haruest most fruitfully hee preached for the most part twice euery Sunday to no small shame of vnpreaching prelates which occupied great rome to doe little good he did most euidently prophes●e of all these kinde of plagues which after ensued so plainely that if England euer had a Prophet he might seeme to be one and he did euer affirme that the preaching of the Gospel would cost him his life and he was certainely perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower to be his death which fell out right for after the death of King Edward and Queen Mary proclaimed a Purseuant was sent down vnto him by the doing no doubt of Winchester Latimer had warning thereof six houres before the Purseuant came whereby he might haue ●scaped but he prepared himselfe towards his iourney before the Purse●ant came who maruelled to sée him so prepared for his iourney he told the Purseuant he was a welcome guest and be it knowne vnto you and the whole World that I goe as willingly to London at this present being called of my Prince to giue a reckoning of my Faith and Doctrine as euer I was to goe vnto any place in the world and I doubt not but that God which hath made me worthy to preach to two most excellent Princes so he will able me to witnesse the same to the third either to her comfort or discomfort eternally When the Purseuant had deliuered his Letters he departed affirming that hee was not commaunded to tarry for him whereby it appeared they would not haue him appeare but rather to haue fled out of the Realme they knew his constancy would deface them in Popery and confirme the godly in the truth When he came through Smithfield he said merrily Smithfield bad long groned for him after he had béene before the Councell hee was sent to the Tower and from thence he was transported to Oxford with Cramer Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Ridley Bishop of London there to dispute as before is said Of the order of the disputations and bow they were condemned thou maist sée before where they continued vntill this time in continual prayer godly conference and writing Latimer sometimes continued so long knéeling at prayer that hee was not able to arise without helpe three thinges especially he prayed for in his Prayers First as God hath appointed him to preach his Word so hee would giue him grace to stand to the same vntill his death Secondly that God would restore his Gospel vnto England againe once more which once more hee inculcated oftentimes into the eares of the LORD as if he had spoken vnto him face to face Thirdly hee prayed for the preseruation of Queene ELIZABETH then but Lady ELIZABETH whom with ●eares he still named desiring God to make hee a comforter to this comfortles Realme the Lord most graciously granted al these things which he requested The twentith day of September a Commission was sent from the Cardinall to the Bishops of Lincolne Glocester and Bristow to examine Doctor Ridley and Maister Latimer vpon the points they were condemned for at Oxford and if they would not recant there opinions to disgrade them c. The first point was whether the reall presence of Christ was in the Sacrament D. Ridley first appeared before them when the Commission was read he standing bare-headed assoon as he heard the Cardinall named and the Popes Holines he put on his cap the Bishop of Lincolne reprehended him for it and told him if he would not of himselfe put off his cap another should doe it for him He answered that it was not done for any contumacy that he bare vnto their own persons nor for any derogation of the Cardinall in that he was borne of the Bloud Royall was indued with much le●rning excellent vertues ●ut in that he is Legate to the Pope and with that he put on his cap whose vsurped supremacie I vtterly renounce which I will not onely denounce in words but in gesture be●auiour and all my doings expresse the same wherevpon by the commandement of the Bishop of Lincoln his cap was taken off he appeared twice and thus he did at both times their answeres were both to one effect in substance First they made their protestation that notwithstanding their answers it should not be taken thereby that they would acknowledge any authority of the Pope but that they answered as subiects to the king and Queene to the first point they did confesse that in the sacrament by spirit and grace is the very body and bloud of Christ because that euery man receiuing bodily the bread and wine in the Sacrament spiritually receiue the body and bloud of Christ and thereby is partaker of the merits of his passion but they denied the naturall body and bloud of Christ to be really in the outward sacrament The second question was whether after consecration of the sacrament of the Altar there did remain any substance of bread and wine to that they answered there was such a change in the bread and wine as no man but God can make being the bread had that dignity to exhibit Christs body yet the bread is still bread and the wine still wine for the change is not in the nature but in the
dignity because that which was common bread hath the dignitie to exhibit Christs body for now it is an holy bread sanctified by Gods word The third question was whether the masse were a liuely and propitiatorie sacrifice for them aliue and for them that be dead this article they denied to be true because Christ made one perfect sacrifice for the whole world neither can the Priests offer vp Christ againe for the sinnes of man neither is there any propitiation for our sins but his Crosse only And because neither for feare nor flatterie they could be made to recant at their second sitting they were condemned disgraded and deliuered to the secular power Upon the North-side of the towne of Oxford in the ditch ouer against Baliol Colledge the place of execution was appointed Doctor Ridley came vnto the stake in a faire black gowne such as he was wont to weare when he was Bishop with a tippet of sables about his neck M. Latimer came in a poore frize frock in one they might behold the honor they sometimes had in the other the calamitie whereunto they were now descended after Doctor Ridley had prayed seeing the chéerfulnes of M. Latimer he ran vnto him imbraced him and kissed him saying be of good heart brother for God will either asswage the fury of the flame or else strengthen vs to abide it Then Doctor Smith began his Sermon vpon 1. Co. 13. If I giue my body to the fire to be burned and haue not charity I shall gaine nothing thereby wherein he alledged that neither the holinesse of the person nor the manner of the death but the goodnes of the cause made a martyr this he pr●ued by the example of Iudas and many others which then might be counted righteous because they desperatly sundred their liues from their bodies as he feared these men that stood before him would do and still he cried vnto the people to beware of them for they were hereticks died out of the Church at last he exhorted them to recant and come home again vnto the Church saue their liues and soules which else were condemned They would haue answered him but some ran to them stopt their mouthes with their hands would not suffer them to speak Then Doctor Ridley said Heauenly father I giue thée most hearty thanks that thou hast called me to be a professor of thée euen vnto death I beséech thée be mercifull to this Realme of England and deliuer the same from all her enemies When the fire was kindled he cried Into thy hands I commit my spirit Lord receiue my spirit crying often Lord Lord receiue my spirit M. Latimer crying as vehemently on the other side O Father of heauen receiue my soule Latimer died quickly but Ridley was long a 〈◊〉 by reason of the bad making of the fire yet he remained constant to the end The death of Stephen Gardner IN Nouember the next moneth after the burning of Ridley and Latimer in which moneth the Quéen died thrée years after Stephen Gardner a man hated of God and good men ended his wretched life He was borne in Berry in Suffolk and brought vp in Oxford his wit capacity and memory were excellent if they had bin well applied he was high-minded flattering his own conceit too much towards his superiours he was politick and pleasant to his inferiors fierce against his equals stout and enuious if they any thing withstood him in iudgment it was constantly reported that the nayles of his toes were crooked and sharp downward like the clawes of a beast his death happened so opportunely that England hath a great cause therefore to praise God not so much for the great hurt it had done in times past in peruerting his Princes in bringing in the sixe Articles in murthering GODS Saints and in defacing Christs most true Religion but especially for that he had thought to haue murthered our noble and religious Quéene Elizabeth for hee was the cause of all her danger and if it bee certaine which we haue heard that a Writ came downe from certaine of the Councell to the Tower where the Lady Elizabeth was for her execution it is sure this vile wily Winchester was the only Dedalus and framer of that Ingine but M. Brigs Lieutenant of the Tower certified the Quéen of the matter and there by preuented Achitophels bloudy deuices as Bonner Storie Thornton Harpsfield Downing with others were occupied in putting the branches to death so Gardner bent his deuices in assaying the root in casting such a plot to build vp his Poperie as he thought it should stand for euer whether he died with his tongue swolne out of his mouth as Arundell Bishop of Canterburie did or whether he stunke before he died as Cardinall Wolsey did who after he had vsed coniuration before so after he had poysoned himselfe by the way at his buriall he was so heauie that they let him fall and he gaue such a sauor that they could not abide him with such a suddaine tempest about him that all the Torches went out and could beare no light or whether he died in dispaire I referre all this vnto their reports of whom I heard it A great doer about Winchester reported that the Bishop of Chichester comming vnto Gardner began to comfort him with Gods promises and with frée Iustification in the bloud of Christ he said what my Lord will you open that gap now then farewell altogether to me and such other you may speake it but open this window to the people and then farewell altogether Iohn Web Gentleman George Roper and George Parke THese were condemned by the Bishop of Douer and Harpsfield for de●ying the reall presence in the sacrament of the Altar and were burned in one fire at Canterburie abiding most patiently their torments and counting themselues blessed that they were worthy to suffer for the Gospell William Wiseman and Iames Gore THis Wiseman died in Lollards Tower being there for religion the holy Catholike Church cast him out into the fields and commaunded that no man should burie him according as their deuout manner is to all that die in that sort whom they account not worthy of buriall but to be cast to dogges and birds yet good men buried him in the night Iames Gore being in the prison at Colchester for the truth of Gods word died much about this time IOHN PHILPOT HEe was Sir Peter Philpots sonne in Hampshire brought vp in new Colledge in Oxford going from Oxford into Italy comming from Uenice to Padua he was in danger through a Franciscan Frier accompanying him in his iourney who comming to Padua accused him of heresie In King Edwards time he had diuers conflicts with Gardner Bishop of Winchester after he was made Archdeacon of Winchester where he continued during King Edwards time to no small profit of those parts in Quéen Maries time he being one of the Conuocation with a few other sustained the cause of the Gospell manfully
it to his betters yet he went to Maister Philpot at ten of the clocke and tooke off his Irons and gaue his man that which he tooke from him He gaue God thanks when newes came he should be burned the next day when the Sheriffe called him to go● to execution he came downe most ioyfullie when he came to Smithfield the way was soule so two of the Officers tooke him vp and carried him vnto the stake Then he said merrily what will you make me a Pope then he kissed the stake and said Shall I disdain to suffer at this stake séeing my Redéemer suffered vile death vpon the Crosse for me in the midst of the flames hee yéelded vp his soule vnto Almighty God and like a Lamb gaue vp his breath Thomas Whittle Priest Bartelet Greene Gentleman Iohn Tudson and Thomas Went Artificers Thomas Browne Isabell Foster wife Ioane Warren alias Lashford Maid THe Papists hauing this last years murdred the learned and princi●all members of Christs Church whereof there were now very few which either were not consumed with fire or compelled to flie their Countrey they continued this yeare likewise no lesse cruelty towards the inferior sort of people whereof these seuen were burned in Smithfield the 27. day of Ianuary at one fire and they were condemned all in one day vpon one manner of Articles the speciall points were for denying the Sacrament of the Altar and the Masse This Thomas Whittle was the Priest that Philpot maketh mention of where you may sée how he recanted and then became desperate and could not be at quiet in conscience vntill he had gotten to sée the Bill againe which he had subscribed and torne off his name wherefore Boner buffeted him and plucked off a peece of his beard but after he had torne it he was in great peace of conscience and stood out manfully for the faith and sealed to the truth with his martyrdome In an Epistle of his he calleth the Bishops and Priests the sworne Souldiours of Sathan the arch-enemies in whom so liuely appeare the very visage and shape of Sathan that a man may well affirme them to be Diuels incarnate as I by experience do speak wherefore who so shall for conscience matterscome into their hands had neede of the wilinesse of the Serpen●●e saue his head and to take heed how hee consenteth to their wicked writings sore did they assault me and craftily tempt mee to their wicked wayes Bartlet Greene was borne in the Parish of Bassinghall in London being a Student in Oxford at the first he was an vtter enemy to the truth vntill God of his mercy opened his eyes by comming vnto the Lectures of Peter Martire Reader of the Uniuersity Lecture in the said Uniuersity wherof when he had once tasted it came vnto him as the Fountaine of liuing Water so that he neuer thirsted any more but had a Well springing vnto eternall life and though he were called by his Friends from the Uniuersity vnto the Temple in London to study the Common Lawes yet bee continued in his earnest study and profession of the Gospell He writing a Letter vnto one Goodman who was fledde beyond the Sea for Religion containing a report of certaine Articles of questions which were cast abroad in London and an answere to a Letter that Goodman wrote vnto him in which he required to haue the certainty whether the Quéene were dead as it was reported beyond-sea Whereupon Greene answered that she was not dead The bearer of this letter and many other letters from others was apprehended by the way and the letters brought to the Councell These words The Queene is not yet dead seemed heynous to some of the Councell yea they would haue made treason of them if they could by Law but when they could not make it treason they examined him vpon poynts of Religion and after they had long detained him in prison as well in the Lower as elsewhere they sent him at last to Bonner to be dealt withall according to the Ecclesiasticall Lawes And being presented to Bonner his Arch-deacon and diuers others sitting at the Table with him who demanded of him the cause of his imprisoning which when he had shewed him he asked him if he had not since written or spoken against the naturall presence in the Sacrament Then he desired to be charged according to the order of the Law to heare his accusers Then Doctor Chadsey was sent for who reported that before him M. Mosly and the Lieuetenant of the Tower hee spake against the reall presence and the Sacrifice of the Masse and affirmed our Church to be the Church of Antichrist which he confessed and said he would continue therein and maintaine it Then M. Wel●h arose and desired to talke with mee alone and hauing taken mee into another Chamber he said he was sorry for my troubles and would be glad to see me at liberty and he maruailed that I being a yong man should stand against all the learned men of the Realme against the determination of the Catholique Church from Christs time I promise you quoth he I haue read all Peter Martyrs and Cranmers and all the rest of their Bookes and haue conferred them with the contrary as Roffensis and the Bishop of Winchester and the rest and could not perceiue but that there was one continuall truth which from the beginning had beene maintained and those that any time seuered from this vnity were answered and answered againe This was the summe of his talke which lacked neither wit nor eloquence I answered I am yong and lacke both wit and learning but God is not bound to time wit or knowledge but rather chuseth the weake things of the world to confound the strong neither can men appoint bounds to Gods mercy For he saith I will haue compassion on whom I will Hee hath no respect of persons whether old or yong rich or poore wise or foolish Fisher or Basket-maker God giueth knowledge of his truth through his free grace to whom he listeth Iames. 1. And I beleeue Christ hath his vniuersall Church his Spouse scattered through many Realmes where hee list the Spirit inspireth where it will he is no more adicted to any one place then to the person and quality of any one man of this Church I know I am a member trusting to bee saued by the faith that is taught therein But how this Church is knowne is the end of all Controuersies the true markes of this Church is the true preaching of his Word ministring of his Sacraments these markes were sealed by the Apostles and confirmed by the ancient Fathers vntill the wickednesse of Men and the Diuell these markes were sore worne and almost taken away but God hath ●enued the Print that his Church may bee knowne in many places I would all that were of contrary opinion would seeke the knowledge of the truth with prayer and teares as I haue done Now I am brought before a many of Bishops and
that he was commended by the Ambassadors to the king for his singular wisedome grauitie and learning that he wonne such great credit that he was alone sent Ambassador to the Emperour to debate this businesse but the Emperour refused to determine the matter but remitted the whole question to the Popes court after he was sent to Rome Ambassadour to the Pope where he behaued himselfe with ●o lesse diligence that he compelled the Popes chiefe diuines by arguments to grant the mariage to be against the law but yet by the dispensation of the Pope it might be made lawfull Warram Archbishop of Canterbury dying he was sent for by king Henrie and made Archbishop of Canterbury then came in the question of the Popes supremacy and all the weight of the businesse was chiefly laid vpon Cranmers shoulders he therefore alone receiued answered and confuted all the obiections of the Papists he proued that the Popes Lordship was not brought in by any authoritie of Scriptures but by ambitious tyranny and that the chiefest power on earth belonged to the Emperor to kings and Potentates to whom the Pope Cardinals Bishops Priests by Gods commandement were no lesse subiect then other men and therefore it were best by the consent of the king and other estates the ambitious Lordship of the Pope being driuen out of England should keepe it selfe within his owne Italy as a riuer is kept within his bankes which was performed by act of Parliament then by little and little he reformed the Church into a more wholesome discipline of Christ and laboured to banish the Popes errours heresies and corruptions and he obtained of the king that certaine learned men should make a booke of Ecclesiasticall institutions which was called the Bishops Booke then the abolishing of Monasteries began to be talked of the kings desire was that all the Abbey lands should come vnto his coffers the Archbishop and others would haue them imployed to other good vses whereby the king being bent against Cranmer especially by the instigation of Gardiner Bishop of Winchester which sought all occasions to hinder the Gospel he set forth the 6. Articles by full consent of Parliament which contained the summe of Popish religion What slaughter by the space of 8. yeares these Articles made is already declared but after he forgoing his anger with the Archbishop séeing he stood against him in conscience not in stubburnesse he began to fauour him and thought to haue taken away the 6. Articles and reformed other matters if he had liued but Cranmer and the Lord protector brought it to passe in king Edwards dayes his story how he was vsed in Quéene Maries reign is mentioned before and his disputations at Oxeford and how he was condemned there and left in prison vntill this time And because the sentence was voyde in law because it was giuen by persons excommunicated for they were not then absolued by the Pope nor his authoritie receiued in the realme therefore there was a new commission sent from the Pope for the conuiction of Cranmer Latimer and Ridley and the Bishop of Glocester was appointed the Popes delegate and after they had condemned Latimer and Ridley as before is said The said Legate and his company being set in Saint Maries Church apparelled in his Pontificalibus as if the Pope in person had bene there the Bishop of Canterbury was brought before them putting off his cappe he did obeysance to the king and quéenes proctors then looking in the Legats face he put on his bonnet againe making no obedience toward him wherefore the Bishop sayd vnto him that it might beséeme him well waying the authoritie which he did represent to doe his duety to him he answered hee had sworne neuer to admit the Pope into this Realme and therefore he would commit nothing by signe or token which might argue his consent to the re●eiuing of him and that he did it not to any contempt of his person Then the Legate made an eloquent oration to put him in remembrance that from a meane gentleman he was raised to bee a Princes Ambassadour and further to be Archbishop and Primate of the Realmealmost 30 yeares and s● farre in trust with the king that he made him president of his councel and after left him in speciall trust for the gouernement of the young Prince during his minoritie such blessing God had giuen him whilest he continued in the Catholicke faith He exhorted him on the other side to consider how he was now fallen from his dignities and officices and in high displeasure of the King and Quéene iudged to die for high treason and all these things to haue happened vnto him only because he had seuered himself from the Sea of Rome and was become a father of new deuised religion and although your estate is so miserable that the meanest in this assembly will not change his condition and calling with you yet further he was like to fall by the iust iudgement of God into hell and euerlasting damnation if he did not repent of his errours and schismes whilest he had time of repentance whereunto he exhorted him earnestly repeating many places of Christs mercies to them that repent and shewed that to returne to the Church was the o●ely way to saue both body and soule and I doubt not but the King and Quéene will perdon your condemnation of treason if you will returne vnto the Church and forsake your opinions which I desire you to do Then Cranmer desired license to speake which was gently granted him first he made protestation that hee did not answere to him as to a lawfull Iudge because he was deputed for the Pope but to giue a reason of his faith which God hath commanded him to doe to euery one that shall demand a reason thereof Then he said My Lord you haue learnedly put me in remembrance of many things touching my selfe which I will not answere I acknowledge Gods goodnesse vnto me and thanke him as heartily for this estate that now I am in as euer I did for the time of my prosperity shewing that his greatest griefe was to sée the Popes Iurisdiction restored to England againe Alas what hath the Pope to do in England whose lawes are so farre different from the Lawes of this realme that whosoeuer sweareth to both must néedes incurre periury in the one And I am heartily sorry to thinke that her grace the day before her Coronation tooke an oath to obserue the lawes of this realme and also tooke an oath to the Bishop of Rome promising to maintaine that Sea which was impossible but shee must néeds be forsworne in the one And as for the matter of Heresie wherewith you charge mee I call God to witnesse I know none which I maintaine but if it be heresie to deny the Popes authority and the religion which the sea of Rome hath published vnto the world these latter yeares then all the ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church the Apostles and Christ himselfe
taught heresie And hee desired all them present to beare him witnesse that he tooke the Traditions and Religion of the Pope to bée most erronious false and against the doctrine of holy Scriptures which hee had often proued by preaching and writing and the Pope to bee very Antichrist so often preached by the Apostles and Prophets in whom most euidently doth concurre all the signes and tokens whereby hee was painted vnto the world to bee knowne by for hee aduanceth himselfe aboue all Emperours and Kings of the world whom he affirmeth to hold of him and to be at his commandement and the stories make mention of his intollerable pride and tyranny vsed to them as no King would haue done to his subiects nor a good maister to his seruants setting his féet vpon Emperours necks and making others to hold his stirrops and remoued others from their Empires hath not onely occupied the highest places in the world aboue Kings but hath presumed to fit in the seat of Almighty God which is the conscience of man to kéepe the possession thereof he hath promised forgiuenesse of sins he hath brought in Gods of his own framing and inuented a new religion full of lucre quite contrary to the Scriptures only for maintaining of his kingdome displacing Christ from his glory holding his people in miserable seruitude of blindnesse to the losse of a number of soules which God at the latter day shall exact at his hands boasting in his Canons decrées that he can dispense against Peter Paul the old Testament New that in his fulnesse of power he can do as much as God If any man can be aduanced aboue him let him be iudged Antichrist This enemy of God and our redemption is so euidently painted out in the Scriptuers with such manifest tokens which all sée clearely appeare in him that except a man will shut his eyes and heart against the light hee cannot but know him therefore I will neuer giue my consent to the receiuing of him into the Church of England and my Lord sand you that be here examine your own consciences you are sworne against him you are learned and can iudge the truth I pray God you be not wilfully blind I haue discharged my conscience to the world I will write my mind to her grace which letter you may sée in the book at large Storie and Martine diuers times interrupted him saying he spake blasphemy and would faine haue the Bishop put him to silence who notwithstanding suffered him to end his spéech Then they charged him that he was sworne vnto the Pope when he was made Archbishop but he denied it and said It appeareth that he did not by the record of the countrey which one of them confessed Many maruelled that in so perilous a time he had so sincerely proceeded choosing rather to venture the losse of his life and all his glorious pompe then to do any thing that might spill his conscience Then they obiected that he was married which he confessed Doctor Martine said his children were bond-men to the Sea of Canterbury At which he smiled saying If a benificed Priest had a Concubine and had bastards by her they are not bond-men to the benifice I trust you wil make my childrens cause no worse Then D. Martine demanded of him who was the supreme head of the Church he said Christ Martine said you made K. Henry supreme head of the Church He said of the people of England Ecclesiasticall Temporal and not of the Church for Christ is the onely head of the Church and of the Faith and Religion of the same The Articles of religion touching the Sacrament denying transubstantiation the Sacrifice of the Masse and the reall presence he affirmed as he taught in his Booke Then they cited him to appeare 80 daies after at Rome and then sent him to prison where thou maist sée their visored face of Iustice as though the Court of Rome would condemne no man before hee answered for himselfe but the same time the Pope sent letters executory vnto the King and Queene to disgrade and depriue him which was done before twenty dayes were done And though he were kept in prison at the end of the 80 dayes hee was decreed Contumax and thereupon condemned Upon S. Valentines day next after the Archbishop was disgraded and condemned by Bonner Thurlby Bishop of Ely who sometimes was Cranmers Chaplaine and preferred by him at which time Bonner which a long time had borne great malice towards him and reioyced greatly see this day wherein he might triumph ouer him at his pleasure made an Oration to the people in this sort This is the man who hath euer despised the Popes holinesse and now is to be iudged by him this is the man that hath pulled downe so many Churches and now is come to be iudged in a Church this is the man that contemned y ● blessed Sacrament of the Altar and now is come to be condemned before the said Sacrament hanging ouer the Altar this is the man that like Lucifer sate in the place of Christ vpon an Altar to iudge others and now is come before the Altar to bee iudged himselfe Thus he continued halfe an houre heaping vp a number of lies together beginning euery one with This is the man so lothsomly that he made euery man weary When they had disgraded him they stript him of his gowne put vpon him a poore yeoman Bedles gowne thrid-bare and as ill-fauouredly made as could be and a Townsmans cap vpon his head and so deliuered him to the secular power in this filthie gowne he was carried vnto prison The Queene Bishops hauing kept the Archbishop now almost three yeares in prison seeing by no means they could preuaile with him all this while to turn him from his religion they suborned certaine men which should by intreaty and faire promises or any other means allure him to recantation so the wily Papists flocked about him labouring to draw him from his former sentence to recantation especially Henry Sidall and Frier Iohn a Spaniard they shewed him how acceptable it would be to the Kings Queene and how gainfull it would be both bodily spiritually they added that the Councell Noble-men bare him good wil promising him both his life ancient dignity saying the matter was but small the setting of his hand to a few words but if hee refused there was no hope of pardon for the Queene was purposed that shee would haue Cranmer a Catholique or else no Cranmer at all By these and such like prouocations they at last w●nne him to subscribe It may bee supposed that it was for hope of life and better dayes to come But it appeareth by a Letter of his to a Lawyer that the most cause why hee desired his life to bee delayed was that hee might make an end of a Booke against Marcus Antonius a Papist which hee had begun but it is manifest
Christian Faith 2 There are but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper in these are contained the two Testaments the effect of the Law is Repentance and the effect of the Gospell is remission of sinnes 3 There is a visible Church wherein the word of God is preached and the Sacraments truely ministred Uisible to the wicked world although it bee not credited and by death of Saints confirmed as in the time of Elias as well as now 4 The Sea of Rome is the Sea of Antichrist The Congregation of the wicked whereof the Pope is head vnder the Diuell 5 God is neither spiritually nor corporally in the Sacrament of the Altar and there is no other substance but bread and Wine 2 The Masse is not onely a prophanation of the Lords Supper but a most blasphemous Idoll We affirmed to beleeue all that the Bishop or any could proue by Scriptures but he said he would not stand to proue it with hereticks but said they themselues were the holy Church and that we ought to beleeue them or else to be cut off like withered branches When they were brought to Stratford the Bow they were deuided into two parts and put into two chambers then the Sherife came to the one part and tolde them that the other had recanted and were saued and exhorted them to doe the like and not cast away themselues they answered their faith was not builded on man but Christ crucified When he could doe no good with them he went to the other place and told them their Fellowes had recanted and were saued and counselled them to doe the like and not willingly to kill themselues vnto whom they answered as their fellowes had done When he saw he could not preuaile he lead them to the fire they ioyfully kissed the stake the eleauen men were tyed to foure stakes and the two Women loose in the middest and so they were burned all in one fire with such loue one to another and constancy in our Sauiour Christ that it was wonderfull Thomas Free-man William Stannard and William Adames THese were also condemned to dye with the other at the same time and béeing in the hands of the secular power Cardinall Poole sent his dispensation for their liues and by that meanes they were kept from mart●rdome The fourteenth of Iune Iohn Colstoke of Wellington in Liechfield Dioces for holding against the real presence and auricular confession was compelled to recant and to beare a faggot before the Crosse bare-headed hauing in one hand a Taper and in the other a paire of Beads The seuentéenth of Iune Thomas Barnes and Ellice Birth were accused that one wished to the other in the beginning of Queene Maries raigne his dagger in the belly of him that sung to the Organs ●he denied not but he spake these words and that he then thought the masse abominable and though he submitted himselfe hee was condemned to beare a faggot with beads and his taper before the crosse The seuen and twentieth of Iune Thomas Paret Martin Hunt and Iohn Norrice died in the Kings Bench and were buried in the back-side they were imprisoned for the profession of the truth Robert Bernard Adam Foster and Robert Lawson THe 30. of Iune Hopton B of Norwich called Robert Bernard Heretick because he said he would neuer be confessed of a Priest he answered it gréeueth me not to be called hereticke at your hand for so your forefathers called the Prophets and Confessors long agoe then the B ●ad him follow him and went and knéeled before the Sacrament of the Altar and as he was at his prayers he looked back and asked Barnard why he did not as he did He answered I cannot tell why you should doe so the Bishop asked him whom sée you yonder pointing to the Pixe hanging ouer the Altar Do you not see your maker there He said No I see nothing but a few cloaths hang together in a heape then the Bishop commaunded him to the Iayle and ●ad put Irons enough vpon him After one of the Guard had him to a Tauerne where many Priests were when they could not perswade him they threatned h●m with whipping and stocking and when they could peruert him by no meanes then they carried him to the Bishop who immediatly condemned him Hee was a labourer dwelling in F●an●den in Suffolke Adam Foster was a Husbandman dwelling in Mendlesam in Suffollke Hee was apprehended by Thomas Mouse and George Reuet Constables at the command●ment of Sir Iohn Terill because he would not heare Masse He was cast into Aye dungeon from whence he was sent to Norwich and condemned by the aforesaid Bishop Mouse presently after fell sicke and pined away to death the ●ther came to the like end not long after Robert Lawson a Linnen Weauer was likewise apprehended at the commandement of Sir Iohn Terill and sent to Aye Dungeon because hee would not come to Church nor receiue their Popish Idoll When they were carried to their deathes they most triumphantly ended their liues in the fixe Iohn Careles of Couentry Weauer ABout this time he died in the Kings Bench hauing beene long imprisoned there hee was examined before Doctor Martine one of the Masters of the Chancerie a iolly stirrer in those matters in which examination I finde no matters of religion but that he answereth a popish opinion of election that wee are elected in respect of our good workes and so long elected as we doe them and no longer but he beleeued that God of his infinite goodnesse through Iesus Christ did elect and appoint in him before the foundation of the earth was laid a Church or Congregation which he doth continually guide and gouerne by his grace and holy spirit so that not one of them shall euer finally perish and that God hath e●ernally predestinated me to eternall life in Iesus Christ. I am most certaine and likewise sure that his holy spirit wherewith I am sealed will so preserue me from all heresies and euill opinions that I shall die in none at all I doe beleeue that Christ did effectually die for al those that repent and beleeue for none other At his first comming into prison his conscience was ouer much oppressed with the consideration of his sinnes vntill he had a comfortable letter of Philpot concerning the mercie of Christ to them that repent and although a sorrowfull spirit be a sacrifice acceptable to God and the earnest pennie of election yet the end of it must be comfort and ioy of the holy Ghost in assurance of the remission of sinnes therfore he ●iddeth him be carelesse according to his name in assurance of the remission of sinnes in Christ. Wherefore Carles thanketh God heartily and confesseth that Philpots sweete exhortations had brought much glad tidings vnto his tyred soule and that it was greatly refreshed with the sweet sauor of his precious Nard I will now according to your louing request cast away all care reioice with you and pray God for you
said that the Sacrament of the Altar as it is now vsed is no Sacrament at all These thrée blessed witnesses of Iesus Christ Simpson Fox and Deuenish as they were all together apprehended at Islington so they suffered together in Smithfield WILLIAM NICOLE HEe was an honest simple poore man apprehended the ninth of Aprill by the Popes Champions for speaking certaine words against the cruell kingdome of Antichrist he was butcherly burned and tormented at Hereford west in Wales where he ended his life in a blessed estate and gloriously gaue his soule into the handes of the Lord. Willam Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson WIlliam Seaman was a husbandman dwelling in Mendlesam in the County of Suffolk he was taken the ninteenth of May by one Robert Balden his neighbour whom he greatly trusted as they were leading him by night to Sir Iohn Tyrill there fell a light out of the Element betwixt them and parted them albeit this Balden was then in his best age yet after that time ●e neuer enioyed good day but pined away euen vnto death Sir Iohn Tyril as●ed him why hee would not goe vnto Masse and receiue and worship the Sacrament He said it was an Idol and therefore would not receiue it Whervpon he was sent to the Bishop of Norwich who condemned him He had a wife and three children who because shee would not goe vnto Masse all her corne and goods were taken away from her by Christopher Cole being Lord of the towne of Mendlesham Thomas Carman was apprehended for pledging Richard Crashford at his burning he was brought before the Bishop of Norwich and answered no lesse in his maisters quarrell th●n th' other and he had the like reward Thomas Hudson was of Aylesham in Norffolke a Glouer hee bore so good will vnto the Gospell that in the daies of King Edward the sixt that when hée was thirty yeareo old he learned to reade wherein he so greatly profited that in Queene Maries raigne auoiding all their beggerly ceremonies of superstition he absented himselfe and trauelled from place vnto place and returning home vnto his owne house to comfort his Wife and Children When hee perceiued that his continuance there would be very dangerous hee and his wife deuised to make him a place in his Faggots to hide himselfe in where hee remained all the day reading and praying for halfe a yeare In the meane time came thither one Berry Uicar of the Towne and inquired of his Wife for him Shee said shee ●new not where hee was Then hee threatned to burne her because shee would not bewray her husband After this Hudson waxed euery day more zealous then other and the people often resorted vnto him to heare his Sermons at last hee walked abroad for certaine daies into the towne crying out against the Masse and all their trumpery at the length one Iohn Crouch his next neighbour went with speed to the Constables to certifie them that hee was at home who went about to catch him in the breake of the day Wh●n Hudson saw them hee said now mine houre is come welcome friends you bee they that shall leade mee vnto life euerlasting I thanke GOD therefore and the Lord inable mee for his mercy sake Then they ledde him vnto Berry their Uicar being Commissar●e as before who asked him where hee kept his Church foure yeares before Hee answered wheresoeuer hee was there was the Church Then hee asked him whether hee beleeued in the Sacrament of the Altar He answered that was but wormes meate my beliefe is in Christ crucified Then he asked him whether hee did not beléeue that the Masse taketh away sinnes Hudson It is a patched monster and a disguised puppit more longer a peecing then euer was Salomons Temple Then Berry seemed as a mad man and said wel I will write vnto my Lord and thou shalt be handled according vnto thy deserts Oh Sir said Hudson there is no Lord but God though there bee many Lords and Gods With that Berry thrust him back with his hand and bound Richard Clifford to the good behauiour for saying I pray bee good vnto the poore man Then the said Berry writ vnto the Bishop and sent Hudson bound like a Theefe vnto him who went thither with ioy and singing as merry as euer hee was where he was condemned These thrée were burned without the Bishops ga●e in Norwich in a place called Lolords pit aftor they had made their prayers they went vnto the stake and standing with their chaines about them Iohn Hudson being troubled in minde went from them and prayed his fellowes exhorted him in the bowels of Christ to be of good chéere At last the Lord according vnto his old mercies sent him comfort and then rose ●e with great ioy as a man new changed from death vnto life and said now I thanke God I am strong and passe not what man can doe vnto mee at the length they all suffered most ioyfully together to the terrour of the wicked the comfort of Gods children and the magnifying of the Lords Name After this Berry caused two hundred of the towne of Cylesham to creepe to the crosse at Penticost besides other punishments which they suffered This Betry vpon a time strooke a poore man of his parish with the swingell of a ●laile for speaking words that hee presently dyed And after hee méeting one Alice Oxes going into his Hall hee as before moued he smote her with his fist and the next day shee was found dead in his Chamber to write how many Concubines and whoores hee had none would beleeue but such as knew him where be dwelt He was rich of great authoritie a great swearer altogether giuen vnto women and persecuting the Gospell and compelling men vnto Idolatry he troubled sundry good men burned all good books that he could get and deuorced many men and women for religion When hee heard Queene Mary was dead and the glory of his triumph quailed On a Sunday hee made a great Feast and had one of his Concubines there with whom he was in his Chamber from dinner vntill euening song then hee went to the Church and after euening song in going from Church homeward hee fell downe dead made an heauy grone and neuer stirred and those that had his riches so consumed with them that they be poorer now then when they had his goods which iudgement the Lord executed in the eyes of all men At that time D●nning the cruell Chancellor of Norwich died in Lincolneshire as sodainely as the said Berry died Ioane Seaman Mother of the said William Seaman SHe was threescore and six yeares old She was persecuted from her house by the said Sir Iohn Tyrill because she would not goe vnto the Masse nor receiue against her conscience sometimes shee was glad to lye in the bushes Groues and Fields but her husband beeing fourescore yeares old and falling sick she returned vnto her house to shew her duety vnto her husband vntill hee dyed then she fell
perswaded her to leaue her wicked opinion of the Sacrament but she answered that it was nothing but bread and wine that they might be ashamed to say that a péece of bread should be turned by a man into the naturall body of Christ which bread doth sennew and Mice oftentimes do eate it and it doth mould and is burned Gods owne body will not be so handled or kept in prison or Boxes let it be your GOD it shall not be mine for my Sauiour sitteth at the right hand of God and doth pray for me and to make it the very body of Christ and to worship it is foolish and deuillish deceit Then an old Frier as●ed her what she said of the holy Pope I say quoth she he is Antichrist and the Deuill then they all laughed ●ay said she you had more néed to weep then laugh in that you are Chaplaines vnto that wh●re of Babylon I defie him and all his falshood you damne soules when you teach the people to worship Idolls and to worship a false God of your owne making of a peece of Bread and that the Pope is Gods Uicar and can forgiue sinnes and that there is a Purgatory when Gods Sonne hath by his Passion purged all and say you make God and sacrifice him when Christs body was a Sacrifice once for all you teach the people to number their sinnes in your eares and say they bee damned ●f they doe not confesse all when GOD saith Who can number his sinnes You promise them Trentalls and Dirges and Masses for Soules and sell your prayers for Money and make them buy pardons and trust in such foolish inu●ntions you teach vs to pray vpon Beads and to pray vnto Saints you make Holy bread and holy water to fray Deuils and you do make a thousand moe abhominations yet you say you came to saue my soule no no one hath saued me farewell with your saluation In Saint Peters Church shee beheld a cunning Duch-man how he made new Noses to certaine Images which were disfigured in King EDVVARDS time What a mad man art thou said she to make new noses which within a few daies shall all loose their heads thou thine Images are acccursed hee called her whore nay said the thine Images are whoores and thou art a whoore-hunter For God saith you goe a whoring after strange Gods Then she was clapped fast and after had no liberty and not long after she was condemned Then she said I thanke God this day I haue found that which I haue long sought and being then exhorted to recant she said I will neuer lose eternall life for this short life I will not turne from my heauenly husband to my earthly husband from the fellowship of Angels to mortall Children God is my Father God is my Mother God is my Sister my Brother my Kinsman God is my Friend most faithfull shee was burned at Execester Iohn Sharpe Thomas Hall Thomas Benion THese were burned in the towne of Bristow for saying that the Sacrament of the Altar was the greatest and most abhominable Idol that euer was and Thomas Benion denied fiue of their Sacraments and affirmed two that is the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and the Sacrament of Baptisme they died godly constantly and patiently Iohn Corneford of Wortham Christopher Browne of Maidstone Iohn Herst of Ashford Alice Snoth Katherine Knight alias Tinley THese were the last that suffered in Quéen Maries raigne They were burned at Canterbury but six daies before the death of Queene Mary The Arch-deacon of Canterbury being at London and vnderstanding the danger of the Quéene made post-hast home to dispatch these They were condemned for not beleeuing the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament of the Altar vnlesse it be receiued and for confessing that an euill man doth not receiue Christs body and that it is Idolatry to créepe to the crosse and that we should not pray vnto our Lady and other Saints when there sentence should be● read against them Iohn Cornefield excommunicated the Papists in these words as follow In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of his holy Spirit and of the authority of his holy Cathothick and Apostolick Church wee doe giue here into the hands of Sathan to bee destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers and hereticks that do● maintaine any error against his most holy word or doe condemne his most holy truth for heresie to the maint●nance of any false Church or fained religion so that by this thy iust Iudgement O most mighty God against thy Aduersaries thy true religion may be knowne to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of all our Nation good Lord so be it This procéeded as it seemed from an inward faith and harty zeale to Gods truth and it tooke such effect against the enemies that within six daies Queene Mary died and all tyranny with her These godly Martyrs in their prayers which they made at their martyrdom desired God that their bloud might be the last that should be shed and so it was Katherine Tinley was the mother of one Robert Tinley dwelling in Maidestone The Story of Nicholas Burton Marchant of London dwelling in little S. Bartholomew THe fift of Nouember he being in the Citie of Cadix in the parts of A●do●azia in Spaine about his marchandize there came one of the inquisition vnto his lodging who fained to h●ue a Letter to deliuer vnto his hands when he came vnto him he inuented another lye and said that he would take lading vnto London in his ships delaying the time vntill the Alquisyell or Sergeants of the inqui●ition might apprehend them and seeking to know his ships that they might attache them when they had arrested him he boldly asked them what cause they had against him and he would answere them They carried him vnto a filthy common prison of the towne of Cadix where he remained in Irons amongst theeues thirteene daies all which time he instructed the poore prisoners in the word of God that he had reclaimed sundry of them from superstitions to embrace the Word of God which being known they conuayed him thence vnto the Citie of Siuill into a more cruell prison called Triane where the Fathers of the inquisition proceeded against him secretly that neuer after he could be suffered to speake or write vnto any of his Nation And the twentith day of December they brought him with a great number of other prisoners into the Citie of Siuil into a place where the Inquisi●ion sate in Iudgement they put on him a Canuas coat wheron was painted in diuers parts the figure of a huge Diuell tormenting a soule in fire and on his head a long cap of the same worke his tongue was forced out of his mouth with a clouen sticke fastened vpon it that he should not vtter his Faith and conscience vnto the people and so he was set with
cléere that the deniall of it must néeds procéede either of great ignorance or els of wilfull mallice Iustinus Martyr Apol. 2. describeth the order of the primitiue Church saying Vpon the Sonday assemblies are made both of the Citizens and Countrey-men where the writings of the Apostles and Prophets are read as much as may be when the Reader doth cease the head Minister maketh an exhortation to follow honest things then we rise altogether and offer prayers then bread wine and water are brought forth then the head Minister offereth prayer and thanksgiuing as much as he can and the people say Amen He liued about the yeare 160. This declareth plainly that the Scriptures were read and prayers and administration of the Lords Supper were done in a tongue vnderstood Both the Lyturgies of Basill in Chrysostom declare that the people were appointed to answer to the prayer of the Minister sometime Amen somtime Lord haue mercy vpon vs somtime With thy spirit and truth we haue our hearts lifted vp vnto the Lord which they could not haue done if they had not vnderstood the long the prayers were said in Basilius Epist. 63. saith That their Psalmes which they sing being diuided into two parts they sing by course together one beginning the song and the rest following Ambrose vpon the fourtéenth of the first to the Corinthians saith This is that S. Paule saith Because he that speaketh in an vnknowne tongue speaketh to God for he knoweth all things but men know not therfore there is no profit of these things and further he saith The vnlearned hearing that which hee vnderstandeth not hee knoweth not the end of the prayer to say Amen And againe he saith If an Infidell or one vnlearned come in if he heare in a language which he vnderstandeth God to be praised and Christ to be worshipped he seeth perfectly that the Religion is true nothing to be done colourably nor in darkenes as amongst the heathen whose eies are blinded they not perceiuing themselues to be deluded with diuers vanities for all falshood speaketh darknes and sheweth false things for true therefore with vs nothing is done couertly for if there be none that he can vnderstand he may say there is some deceit because they are ashamed to open it further thus he concludeth Let all things be done to edifying this thing ought chiefly to be labored for that the vnlearned might profit lest any part of the body should be darke through ignorance and further he saith He that speaketh in an vnknowne tongue and hath no interpreter let him pray secretly to God which heareth all dumb things for in the Church he ought to speake that which may profit all men And S. Hierom vpon that place of Paul Quomodo qui supplet locum idiotae and vpon other places vseth the very same arguments that S. Ambrose did and likewise Chrysostome vpon 1. Cor. 14. vseth the like arguments and Dionysius Cyprian and S. Augustine agrée in the same and Iustinian the Emperour who liued 527. yeares after Christ made a Constitution that all Bishops and Priests should celebrate their holy oblations and prayers not speaking low but with a loude voice that the mindes of the hearers may be stirred vp with greater deuotion for so saith the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians saying If we only blesse and giue thanks in the spirit how doth he that occupieth the place of the vnlearned say Amen Thou verily giuest thanks well but the other is not edified And in his Epistle to the Romans he saith With the heart a man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation When this was ended certaine of the Bishops began to say contrary vnto their former answer and that they had much more to say vnto this matter whereupon it was agreed that vpon the Monday following the Bishoppes should bring their mindes in writing vnto the second assertion and to the last also if they could and that they should first reade the same and that the other part likewise should bring theirs and being read each of them shou●d deliuer to the other the same writings and that in the meane time the Bishops should put into writing all that Doctor Cole had that day vttered and whatsoeuer they could more thinke of for the same and that they should send it vnto the other partie and receiue that which they had written At which day the Bishops were concluded to reade that which they had to say to the first question and would not procéede then vnto the rest and after they ca●elled because they should reade their writings first saying that if the aduersaries should end the talke then should the veritie on our sides not be so well marked for they should depart speaking last with the reioycing triumph of the people whereupon grew much contention betwixt the Bishops and the Councell because they obserued not the order which they were agréed vpon the day before when there could be nothing done for contention all that day the Lord Ké●eper said My Lords sith you refuse to reade the writing after the order taken wee will breake vp and depart and for that you will not that we should heare you you may perhaps shortly heare of vs. Here you may perceiue what the Papists be if the sword be taken from them how soone all their cunning lieth in the dust or else why would they not abide the triall of writings and stand vnto the order agréed vpon And because they gaue such an example of disorder stubbornnesse and selfe●will as hath not bin séene in such an honourable assembly whereby the godly and Christian purpose of the Quéens Maiestie was made frustrate the Bishops of Winchester and Lincolne were committed vnto the Tower and the rest were bound daily to make personall appearance before the Councell and not to depart the City vntil further order was taken for their comtempt and Bonner about the same time was committed vnto the Marshalsie About this time was a Parliament holden at Westminster wherein a great many of the Papists and Protestants were imployed the one to retaine still the other to impugne the doctrine established in Quéene Maries time Amongst others the words of Doctor Story the stout champion of the Pope in the Parlament house are worthy to be knowne of posterity He said whereas he was much complained of to haue beene a great setter forth of such Religion orders and procéedings as of Quéen Mary were set forth in this Realme he confessed it to be true and protested that he therein had done nothing but what his conscience did leade him vnto and his Commission commanded him and that he was no lesse readie now to doe the like and more if the Quéens Maiestie would authorize him therevnto and hee said hee was sorie for nothing but that hee had done no more then hee had done and that they had not beene more seuere in executing those lawes wherein there was no default in
Popish manner to get Reuelations FIrst he must fast eight daies then hee must bee confessed during which time he must not medle with any flesh of male or female then he must heare seauen Masses of the holy Ghost and vpon a Friday at midnight when the Moon is in the last degree of Cancer he must lay himselfe downe vpon a Mat which some Fryer in a traunce hath slept vppon and in such a Fryers Hood and a Stole on his Necke foulded with a Crosse on his breast and these wordes In principio erat verbum written in Red Letters and he must perfume the place with Holie Perfume hauing a Lampe burning by him with Holie Oyle then hee must make circles about the Mat of redde earth and white Betwixt the circles must bee written these words Pater filius spiritus sanctus nox visionis nox reuelationis nox veritatis with a Crosse made betwixt euery Word then he must say a certaine Charme which coniureth all spirits that are for Reuelations to bee there and to tell the truth The Spirts must be called by Hebrew names because they vnderstand no other language The name of the cheese Spirit for Reuelations is Herusatanaell and when all this is done he must fall on sléepe and that which hee desireth to know shall be reuealed vnto him Calamichaell and Saint Anthony of Padua are Spirits to be sought vnto for things stolne who appeareth in the shape of the Theefe and S. Helene Mother of Constantine is to be sought vnto for loue matters who if the loue be true appeareth to the fasting Fryer with faire Damsels at a table richly decked and eateth with him but if the loue be fained the feareth him with weapons and fires and changeth her selfe into a wilde Boare a Lyon and an Asse and cryeth ilfauoredly This loue is not to be trusted The Franciscan Fryers had gotten such estimation that they were counted GODS Kinsmen they onely had the handling of the Gospell they tooke out heere and there a peece and mixt it with lies false miracles and dreames of Purgatory they kept the people more in feare of their Commaundements then of Gods that Towne was counted vnhappy where one of their Monasteries was not néere men thought to weare their apparell or of their colour was good against the Ague and other diseases and for one to be burned in their habit was the right way to heauen Longolius was burned in their habit and so was Carpi a Noble man and Rodulphus Agricola and diuers others If thou consider their Lawes with what burthens they haue laden mens shoulders thou wilt sweare that the Iews Law is an hundred times more pleasant and easie then theirs Because the Israelits forsook the trust in God and made themselues a Calfe to worship it God laded them with Ceremonies that none could beare so now because Mans folly could not be content with Christ onely the diuine iudgement suffered them to fal into a Sea of Ceremonies and superstitions that except Christ had bin gracious to defend vs and had receiued the truth we should haue béene drowned therein A Gentlewoman of Pulia hating her Husband made her selfe of the order of Saint Francis and of the same order took a yong lusty Fryer vnto her adopted Sonne who handled her in such sort that he made her hart to faint and her purse to shrinke that shee was faine to leaue but halfe builded a Monastery to Saint F●auncis which was building and this being complained of vnto the Lordes of Bonony there was good laughing thereat but she could haue no remedie at all Saint Katharine as the Papists affirme promised vnto him that would remember her Passion to deliuer him from Lightning and Thunder and that Saint Barbara maketh Souldiours to kill their Enemies Many deuout Souldiours haue her painted vpon many parts of their Armour to defend them from Gun-shot Saint Ierome did so much but falsely extoll virginity that hee made this conclusion it is good for a man to be without a Wife therefore it is wicked to be maried vnto a Wife and that God promiseth heauen vnto Uirgines And Origen mistooke himselfe when he gelded himselfe that he might be chast for the kingdom of heauen The Sorbones or Inquisitors of Paris said if they had S. Paul in their hands they would burne him Wheresoeuer a number of Nunnes is the Fryers be of the one side and the Confessors be on the other side the Fryers teach them how to coniure the Diuill into Hell and to fight with him and to be in a trance and the Confessors vnderstanding all that they doe with their hands vpon their heads and their displing Roddes assayle them The Monkes can bring them vnder when they list Vastalla a Widdow being very rich ordained a sect of Women and men who must séeke to attaine vnto that purity that was in Adam and Eue before their fall the means wherby they should attaine hereunto was long prayers much silence continuall fastings to be shréeuen euery day and to receiue their maker euery 8. daies there meanes to know their perfection is as Adam for shame grew from ●akednesse to be more and more clothed to these must go ●●om being clothed to be more more naked vntill they were not ashamed of their nakednes whether they were Man or Woman then they put Adam and Eue to bed together and if they touch not nor think vpon the forbidden fruit of which they must be straitly examined then they are Angels but if they do otherwise as the virgin is for the most times sped then are they cast out of Paradice S. Camella to shew that she was of high blood said that Lewis King of France warring in Italy had to doe with her Mother and begat her She had a Religion of her owne making she vsed to be accompanied with thrée women as superstitions as her selfe They abide in no Monastery but in a priuate house and frequent solitary and pleasant places her house is haunted with Women Gentlemen and Lords as vnto an Oracle sometimes shee shutteth her selfe vp to bee more familiar with Angels to talke with them vpon the Friday she will not be séene nor speake with any but contemplats the Crosse and nayles of Christ and thereby obtained the print thereof in her hands and féete which she kept couered she hath beene seene to drop Malinesie into the markes An Ambassador thought she had the pore she loued well the Franciscan Fryers she got much by contracting marriages and by making medicines In Bernia a Towne of Switchers certaine Fryers did séeke to make the prints of Christs wounds in a simple soules hands and feete the newes whereof was brought to Pope Iuly the second yet escaped they not vnpunished therefore for foure of them that were priuy to this and other so great sacriledges were burned aliue before those of Berna had the Gospell but they were euer e●emies vnto the knauish deuises and deceits of the Fryers A Priest of
And in his seuenth Booke page 734. he sayth The fulnesse of the Apostolike Power hath declared the said Elizabeth an Hereticke and a fauourer of Heretickes and that such as adhere vnto her haue incurred the Sentence of Anathema And that she is depriued of her Right of her Kingdome and of all her Dominion Dignitie and Priuiledge and that the Nobles People and Subiects of the Realme and all others that haue made Oath vnto her are assoyled for euer from such Oath and all dutie of Allegeance Fidelitie and Obedience by the Authoritie of the Popes Sentence whereby he hath depriued her of her Kingdome and forbidden all the Nobles People and Subiects and others aforesaid that they be not so bold to obey her or her Lawes and whosoeuer doth otherwise hee hath bound with like Sentence of Curse And Bristow in his sixt Motiue fol. 31. They miserably forget themselues who feare not the Excommunications of Pius the fift in whom Christ himselfe hath spoken and excommunicated with as great power as S. Paul excommunicated and Christ hath done Miracles by him euen as S. Paul did Miracles And in his 40. Motiue he sayth When the Pope doth duly discharge vs from subiection and the Prince offender from Dominion he doth it with such griefe of heart as if a man should cut off from his bodie to saue the wholesome most principall but rotten part thereof And Sanders lib. 7. fol. 744. he calleth Felton an honorable Martyr for he was led with the loue and zeale of the Catholike Faith when hee saw that the desperate health of his Country could not be restored but by some most bitter medicine would not suffer the sentence of the Pope should be hidden from his Countrymen And there he calleth Doctor Story a noble Martyr saying When he was arraigned of high Treason for conspiring with certaine of Antwarpe against the Quéene attempting to change the schismaticall Religion which now raigneth in England vnto the Catholike Religion being brought vnto the Barre he onely pleaded vnto the Iurisdiction of the Court denying that the English Iudges had any power ouer him being no Subiect to the English Queene but rather to the King Catholike and hee expounds his meaning to be because hee very well knew that the Queene of England by the declaratorie Sentence of the Pope was for manifest Heres●e depriued from all Right of Kingdome and that therefore no Magistrate created by her or adhering vnto her could be acknowledged by him least himselfe also should be bound with the same Curse And further there were many Seminarie Priests which laboured by all persuasions that might be to iustifie the foresaid Excommunication of Pope Pius and to withdraw the Quéenes subiects hearts from their true obedience of whom manie of them were taken and committed vnto Prisons as follow Edmund Campion EDmund Campion was a chiefe champion for the pope he was committed vnto the Tower he would neither deny nor confesse the Quéenes supremacy nor iusti●●e neither deny the power iustice of the popes excōmunication nor commend nor discommend the doctrine of Sanders B●istow as before but answered so cunningly that nothing could be made thereof He was after disputed withall touching all points of Religion by the Deame of Paules and the Deane of Windsor and diuers other diuines but because all their arguments and reason in this book before are moresuff● c●ently handled many times I referre the Reader vnto the booke of the report thereof Thomas Forde Iohn Shert Robert Iohnson Priests THese were executed at Tyburne the 28. of May because they were sent as instruments for and in the behalfe of the Pope in the aforesaid disloyall tray●erous cause they were drawne vpon hurdles from the Tower vnto the place of execution when they were come beyond Saint Giles in the field there approched vnto the hurdle one of their fect a Priest as himselfe hath confessed who said vnto the prisoners O Gentlemen be ioyfull in the blond of Iesus Christ for this is the ●ay of your triumph and ioy and further he said vnto the prisoners I pro●ounce a pardon vnto you yea I pronounce a full remission and pardon vnto your soules Wherevpon he was apprehen●●d and th● Sheriffe asked him what he was he answered that he was the voice of a cryer in the wildernes and that hee was sent to prepare the Lords way wh●revpon h● was carried to Newgate where he confessed himselfe a priest and that he had long so dissembled and that he would now doe so no more When they were brought vnto the place of execution Thomas Ford was first brought vp into the Cart He said he did acknowledge the Queenes Maiesties supremacie in all things temporall but as concerning Ecclesiasticall causes I deny her that onely belongeth vnto the Uicar of Christ the Pope Hee granted to nothing but shewed himselfe an impious and obstinate Traytor he refused to pray in the English tongue mumbling a few Latine prayers and desired those that were ex domo Dei to pray with him and so died Iohn Shert was brought from the ●urdle vnto the gallowes as Ford hanged there he held vp his hands vnto him and said O swéet Tom O happy Tom O blessed Tom Then Ford was cut downe and brought vnto the place where hee should be quartered Then looking downe from the Cart vnto the dead body hee knéeled down held vp his hands vnto it saying againe O blessed Tom O happy Tom thy swéet soule pray for me O deere Tom thy blessed soule pray for mee Then the Sheriffe had him aske the Quéene forgiuenes and he might receiue her princely mercy He answered what M. Sheriffe shall I saue this fraile vile carkasse and damne mine own soule No no I am a Catholick in that faith I was born in that faith I will die heare shal my bloud ●eale it Then said M. Sheriffe is this the fruits of your religion to knéele vnto the dead body of thy fellow desire his soule to pray for thee What can it profit or hinder thee pray to God hee will help thee he answered this is the true Catholick religion and whosoeuer is not of it is damned I desire his so●le to pray for mee The most glorious Uirgine Mary pray for me and all the holy company in heauen to pray for mee Then the people cryed away with the Traytor Then the Sheriffe said O Sherte forsake the whoore of Rome that wicked Antichrist with all his abhominable blasphemies and tr●acheries and put thy whole confidence in Iesus Christ Then he said O Master Sherife you little remember the day when as I and you shall stand both at one Barre and I shall witnesse against you that you call that holy and blessed Uicar of Christ Whore of Rome then he said his prayers in Latine and the Cart was drawne away Robert Iohnson likewise would not aske the Quéen pardon affirmed the Pope to be the head of the Catholike Church and would not
al people with whom they dare deale so to allow the Popes Buls and Authority and be discharged of their Allegeance and to be well warranted to take armes against her Maiesty when they shall bee thereunto called and to be ready secretly to ioyne with any Forraine force that can be procured to inuade the Realme whereof they giue great comfort of successe And because most euident perils would follow if these virmine were suffered to creepe by stealth into the Realme and spread their poyson therein therefore doe they most iustly suf●er death as Traitors One of their compaine Doctor San●ders a lewd Scholler and subiect of England a fugitiue a principall conspirator with the traytors and rebells at Rome was the Popes Legat and commander and treasorer for those warres aforesaid passing into Ireland openly by writing he gloriously auowed the Popes Bull as is before declared but God plagued him with a strange death who wandring in the mon●ntaines in Ireland without succour died rauing in a frensie The miserable Earle of Desmond being a principall doer in the rebellion in Ireland secretly wandring without succour as a miserable beggar was taken by one of the Irishrie in his Cabbin and his head cut off from his body an e●d due to such an arch-rebell Iames Fitz Morrice the first traytor in Ireland next vnto Stukeley was slaine by an Irish yong Gentleman as he went to burne his fathers countrey Desmount brother vnto the Earle a blondie faithlesse traytor and a notable murtherer of his familier friends who likewise wandring to séeke some prey like a Wel●e in the woods he was taken and beheaded as he had vsed others being as he thought sufficiently armed with the Popes Bulls and an Agnus Dei and a notable ring hanging about his neck sent from the Popes ●●●ger Iohn Someruile a furious yong man of Warwick shire of late he was discouered and taken in his way comming with a full intent to haue killed the Quéen he confessed his attempt and that he was moued thereunto in his wicked spirit by inticements of certaine seditious and trayterous persons his kinsemen and allies and by often reading of sundry seditious vile bookes lately published against the Quéenes Maiestie William Parry his treasons against Queene ELIZABETH HEe had committed a great outrage against a Gentlem●n one M. Hare of the Inner Temple meaning to haue murdered him in his owne chamber for which he was iustly conuicted wherefore he went beyond Sea and subiected himselfe vnto the Pope and vpon conference with certaine Iesuits he conceiued his detestable treason to kill the Quéene which he vowed himselfe by promise letters and vowes to performe it and so returned vnto England in Ianuary 1583. and put in practise diuers times to execute his diuellish purpose Pretending that he had matter of great importance to reueale vnto the Quéen he obtained secret accesse vnto her Maiestie she hauing then but one Councellor with her who was so farre distant as he could not heare his spéech he shewed her Maiestie his procéedings with the ●esuits and one Thomas Morgan a fugitiue at Parris who perswaded him to kill her Maiestie saying that his only intent of procéeding so farre with ●hem was but only to this end to discouer the dangerous practises deuised and attempted against her Maiestie by her di●loyal subiects and other malicious persons in forren parts but afterward it appeared most manifestly by his owne confession and by his dealing with one Edmund Neuill Esquire that his intent in discouering the same in such sort as he did was but to make the way the easier vnto his most diuellish purpose The Quéen suffred him diuers times to haue priuate conference with her ● offered him a most liberal pension yet notwithstanding he did vehemently importunat the said Neuill to be an associate vnto his wicked enterprise as to an action lawfull and meritorious but the Almighty God that was protector of her Maiesty euen from her cradle so wrought in Neuils heart as he was moued to reueale the same vnto her Maiesty whereupon the examination of the matter was committed vnto the Earle of Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton vpon the examination whereof when Parrie saw the said Neuill so to declare the truth and so constantly affirme the same he confessed all saying that comming vnto the chamber of Thomas Morgan aforesaid one greatly beloued and trusted in the Papists side he broke with me that I should vndertake to kill the Quéen I told him it would be easily done if it were lawfully done and warranted in the opinion of som learned Deuines then I was resolued by Deuines and I went so farre by Letters and conferences in Italie that I could not goe backe but promised faithfully to performe the enterprise if his holinesse would allow it and grant me remission of my sinnes then I confessed my selfe vnto a Iesuite and tooke his aduice in the matter who most louingly imbraced and commended me then I wrote a Letter vnto the Pope to require of him absolution of my sinnes in consideration of so great an enterprise vndertaken without promise or reward then I went vnto the Popes Nuntio and read the letter vnto him and inclosed and sealed it he promised me to procure answer from the Pope and louingly imbraced me wished me good spéede and promised me that I should be remembred at the Altar Then he said he comming to England hee got accesse vnto the Quéene as before then came Letters into England vnto me from Cardinall Como whereby I found the enterprise commended and allowed and my selfe absolued in the Popes name of all my sinnes and willed to go forward in the name of God That Letter I shewed vnto some in Court who imparted it to the Quéene notwithstanding it confirmed my resolution to kill her and made it cleere in my conscience that it was lawfull and meritorious When I looked vpon her Maiestie and remembred her many excellencies I was greatly troubled yet I saw no remedie for my vowes were in heauen and my letters and promises in earth after Doctor Collens book was sent me out of France it redoubled my former conceits euery word in it was a warrant to a prepared minde it taught that Kings may he excommunicated depriued and violently handled it proueth that all wars ciuill or forren vndertaken for religion are honourable whereupon hee was condemned of treason and drawne vpon a Hurdle from the Tower vnto the Pallace of Westminster where he was executed Francis Throgmorton HIs confession was to this effect When I was at Spaw in the Countrey of Liege I entred into conference with one Ienney a notorious traytor touching the altering of the State of the Realme here and how the same might be attempted by forreign inuasion and to the like effect I had sundry conferences with Sir Francis Englefield in the Low Countries who daily solicited the K. of Spaine to inuade the Realme and I continued practising against her Maiestie and the State by
letters betw●ene Sir Francis Englefield and my selfe and I acquainted Sir Iohn Throgmorton my father with my trayterous practises who disswaded me from any further medling with these practises but by my fathers aduice I made a Catalogue of all the Noblemen and Gentlemen that were Catholiks and did discribe the hauens of this Realme for landing of forces He confessed that he was acquainted by his brother Thomas Throgmorton with a resolute determination for inuading of the Realme and that the Duke of Guise should be the principall executor of that inuasion to the intent to prepare by force the Quéens tolleration in religion for the Catholiks and if her Maiesty should refuse so to doe to remoue her from her crowne and state and that the Duke of Guise had prepared the forces but there wanted money and assistance of the Catholiques in England to ioyne with forreigne forces for money messengers were sent both to Rome and Spaine and the Spanish Ambassadour gaue out that the King his Master would not only make some notable attempt against England but would beare halfe the charge thereof and an especiall messenger was sent into England vnder a counterfeit name from the confederats in France to signifie here the plot and preparation that was there whereupon I tooke vpon me to be a follower and meanes for the effecting thereof amongst the confederats in England with the helpe of the Spanish Ambassador knowing that he being a publique person might deale therein without perill and that the Duke of Guise made speciall choice to land in Sussex about Arundell for the néere cut from Fraunce and for the assured persons to giue assistance and I shewed the whole plot of the hauens for landing to the Spanish Ambassadour who did incourage me therein also there was sent ouer from the confederates beyond Sea into ●ussex Charles Pager vnder the name of Mope alias Spring and that the Spanish Ambassador was made priuie vnto his comming and it was to view the hauens and countrey for landing such forreigne forces about Arundell and to conferre with certain principal persons for assistance and he confessed that there was a deuice betwéene the Spanish Ambassador and him how such principall Recusants within the Realme as were in Commission for the peace in sundry countries might vpon the bruit of landing the forreigne forces vnder colour of defence of her Maiestie leuie m●n to ioyne vnto the forren forces whereupon he was iustly condemned The Earle of Northumberland HEe had a hand in the rebellion in the North as well as his brother and behaued himselfe diligently in the managing of those treasons yet the Quéen was content to remit all and accept him againe both in honour and fauour yet he after entred into a new plot for the inuading of the Realme and ouerthrow of the gouernment of religion and to endanger her Maiesties person and put her from her Kingdome being a conspirator in Throgmortons treasons it was concluded by the Pope that the state of Christendome stood vpon the stoute assayling of England and that it should be inuaded with twenty thousand men at the charge of the Pope and other Princes and that her Maiestie should be deposed and some English Catholike elected King and that many Priests should come into the Realme to win a number vnto the Catholike faith to ioyne if opportunity serued either with forrain inuasion or with tumults at home The head Preacher at Narbon in Prouence told an English-man that England should be inuaded by a forrain King and the Popish Religion restored and that Priests dispersed themselues in England for the better strengthening of the parties One Paine executed for treason confessed that this Realme could not continue in the State wherein it was because the Pope had a speciall care therof and would in short time eyther by forren Princes or by some other meanes worke a change of things here The Duke of Guise two yeares did solicite the Pope and other Princes to supply him with forces to inuade this Realme There was found about a Iesuite that was taken vpon the Sea a discourse that the Earle of Northumberland and all the Catholike Lords and Gentlemen in the North parts will assuredly ioyne with forren forces and therein it is also affirmed that the Priests dispersed within the Realme can dispose of the Catholikes of the Realme as they shall be ordered and that the Popes excommunication should be renued and pronounced against her Maiesty and all those which shall take her part and that all such should be holden as traytors which did not ioyne with the Army by a day It was proued that the Earle had conference with the foresaid Charles Pager comming ouer about the practise and prosecuting of the said enterprise and that the ●arle secretly receiued him into the Gallery at Petworth where the Earle conferred with him an houre from whence Paget was conueyed backe into the towne where he lodged all night and the next night he was conueyed secretly vnto a Lodge in the ●arls Park at Pe●worth where he was kept with all secrecie eight dayes and the seruant which conueyed him was enioyned by the Earle in no wise to discouer him and Charles Paget returning from Petworth took shipping again to goe beyond Sea Paget tolde William Shelley of Michelgroue in Essex Esquire that forreigne Princes would seeke reuenge against her Maiestie of wrongs by her done against them and would take such opportunitie as might 〈◊〉 serue them and that the Duke of Guise would be a dealer herein and that the Earle of Northumberland would be an assistant vnto them willing Shelley whatsoeuer should happe● to follow the Earle of Northumberland and that the Duke of Guise had forces in readinesse for the altering of religion here in England and that the Catholikes would all ioyne for so good a purpose for that it would be a meanes to reform religion he said the stirre would be in the North parts because Sussex was not conuenient in regard there was no safe landing there and that it was so 〈◊〉 Lond●n and that when any stirre should be the Earle of Northumberland would goe into the North parts and when the Earle perceiued that all this was come to light he killed himselfe in the Tower with a Pistoll charged with thrée Bullets Anthony Babington with thirteene young Gentlemen more THese conspired the death of Quéene Elizabeth they swore they would set the Pope in h●s former state in England or else die the death and they combined and confederated themselues by vow and oath in a most horrible enterprise by murther to take away the life of her Maiesty wherefore they were iustly condemned and executed The story of the Spanish Fleet Ann. 1588. THe said Fléet was a preparing thrée or foure years and being in full perfection came into our seas with such mighty strength as no nauy of England or Christendom could abide their ●orce And to make the intended conquest of this realme sure to the
send an armie to restore the Roman Religion in England he would pray that the Roman armie might preuaile in that case and in that faith he would spend ten thousand millions of liues if hee had them whereupon hee was likewise condemned to bee hanged drawne and quartered Robert Sutton Priest was indited for the same treasons he said the Quéen was supreme gouernour within her Highnesse Dominions ouer all persons but not ouer all causes he was found guiltie and had his iudgement as the rest It was proued that Welden was sent ouer into the Low-countries to kill the Earle of Leicester who apprehended him and sent him ouer into England to which he answered he had done nothing but as a Catholike Priest ought to doe by the direction of our most holy Father the Pope being the head of the Church who onely hath authority ouer all persons and in all causes Ecclesiasticall and in this Roman Religion I will die Then he prayed all Catholikes to pray for him and so mumbling certaine Latin prayers he died The other likewise died as obstinate traytors as himselfe Doctor Lopez Stephano de Ferrera de Gama Manuell Lewis Tyuaco Portugalls DOctor Lopez was fauourably receiued into the Quéens house a long time as one of her physitians the other two were Portugalls lately receiued to the seruice of the King of Spain yet colourably resorting into this Realme Lopez confessed that hee was of late yeares allured secretly to doe seruice vnto the King of Spaine and from one of his Priuie Councell he receiued a Iewell of gold of good value garnished with a large Diamond and a large Rubie and afterward he assented to take away the Qu●●ns life by poysoning vpon reward promised him of fifty thousand crownes for which purpose hee sent a messenger ouer to Callice to confer with the Count ●uents for this practise and that after he sent an other messenger vnto Ibarra the King of Spaines Secretary and to the said Count Fuentes promising to poison the Queene if ●hee might haue the fifty thousand crownes that were offered deliuered vnto him and he confessed the other two were his messengers in the aforesaid messages and conspired with him to execute the same and they all confessed that the stay that it was not done proceeded much against their mindes for want of the deliuerie of the said fifty thousand crownes which was promised by a day But the King of Spaine finding fault that the messenger which should carry the money was too base a fellow to be trusted w●●h so much deferred the sending thereof but after billes of Exchange were deliuered by the Count Fuentes for the money by the direction of the King of Spaine at the very instant when it should haue been done it pleased God of his goodnesse towards her Maiestie to suffer this conspiracie to be very happily di●couered by the diligence of one of the Lords of her Maiesties Priuy Councell so all the thrée offenders were taken with their Letters and writings expressing their owne actions and Councels and the directions of the King of Spaines Councellors and the other two confessed the like in effect as Lopez had done wherevpon they were all three condemned for treason and executed accordingly Manuel Lewis repented at his death and prayed God that all those things that are atchieued by the King of Spa●ne against the Quéenes Maiestie might take none effect and that all the treasons which are wrought may bee discouered that God would prolong the life of the Quéenes Maiestie as shee deserueth and her faithfull subiects desire Edmund Yorke and Richard Williams NOt long after Lopez his treason another like conspiracie was concluded at Bruxells to murder the Queene whereof Stephano Ibarra the King of Spaines Secretary procuring the s●me to bee done by the said Yorke and Williams and others and Hugh Owen an English Rebell a Spanish Pentioner deliuered vnto the said Yorke an assignation in writing subscribed by the said Secretarie Ibarra his hand for assurance of payment of forty thousand crownes to bee giuen vnto him from the King of Spaine if hee would kill the Queene or if hee would assist Richard Williams or any other that should haue performed the same and the assignation was deliuered vnto Holt a Iesuit an old English Rebell who produced the Sacrament and kissed i● and sware in the presence of Yorke and other Rebels that he would surely pay the same Money vnto him as soone as the fact should be committed and vpon this matter were three seuerall consultations of Englishmen being Rebels and Fugitiues and Pentioners of the King of Spaine The names of the principall parties of the consultations are William Stanley the said Holt a Iesuit Thomas Throgmorton the said Hugh Owen Doctor Gifford Doctor Worthington Charls Paget one Tipping Edward Garret and Michaell Moody but b● Gods good prouidence the said Yorke and Williams were taken comming into England and confessed the whole matter as aforesaid Holt said to Yorke many Englishmen haue failed to perform this enterprise but if it should not be performed by you he would after imploy strangers in it Patricke Cullen an Irishman HE was likewise a Pentioner of the King of Spaine and a Fencer he was perswaded by William Stanley and one Iaques who was his Lieutenant and one Shirwood and the said Holt to come secretly into England and to kill her Maiestie and he assented thereunto and had thirty pound of Stanley Iaques towards his iourney with offer of great reward and comming into England he was taken and by good proofes charged there with he confessed the same in the manner as is before here expressed Richard Hesketh HEe was a Gentleman of Lancashire well acquainted with the Lord Strange he was sent into England by Cardinall Allen William Stanley and Thomas Worthington to intice Ferdinand the Lord Strange sonne and heire to the Earle of Darby to take vpon himselfe the title to be heire vnto the crowne of England and to shew him the opinion of the Cardinall and many others that he should take vppon him the title of King with assurance of treasure and forreine forces to maintaine the same which the said Hesketh did very diligently performe with many reasons as he was instructed but the Lord Strange being at Heskeths comming newly Earle of Darbie by the death of his father was so wise and dutifull that he stayed Hesketh who vpon the Earles report was apprehended and confessed the whole matter wheupon he was condemned and shewed great repentance and cursed his instructors and was executed SQVIRE THis Uiper Squire was likewise sent by the inticement of the aforesaid Serpentine generation beyond Sea to kill her Maiestie his plot was to so poyson the pummell of her Saddle that if she did lay her hand vpon it her whole bodie should be therewith poysoned but by the sure prouidence of God which euer did preserue her and ●oreshew vnto her all her dangers to the preuention of them this practise came
they so long time had continued Beda Fabianus others write of a myracle wrought vpon a Blinde Englishman when the Brittaines could not helpe him Austine kneeling downe and praying restored him to sight before them all for a confirmation as these Authours say of keeping of Easter I leaue the credite of the myracle to the Authors of whom I had it Austine gathered another Sinode to the which seauen Byshoppes and the wisest Men of the famous Cittie of Bangor came they tooke councell of a holy man whether they should be obedient to Austine he had them agree to him if hee bee the Seruant of GOD and you shall know it by his humblenesse and meekenesse you are the greater number if he at your comming into the Sinode arise vp and courteously receiue you perceiue him to be an humble and meeke man but if he shall contemne and despise you despise you him againe thus the Brittaine Byshoppes entring into the Councell Austine after the Romish manner keeping his Chaire would not remooue wherefore they being very much offended thereat after some heate of words departed in great displeasure to whom Austine said If they would not receiue peace with their Brethren they should receiue war with their Enemies There was in Bangor in Wales an exceeding great Monastery wherein was two thousand and one hundred Monkes the Monkes came out of this Monasterie to Chester to pray for Brocmayle fighting for them against the Saxons Ethelbert King of Northumberland seeing them intenti●e to their prayers and perceiuing it was to pray for their Consull he said although they beare no Weapon yet with their praiers and preaching they persecute vs he commaunded his men to kill them who killed or rather martyred 1100. of them The Authors that wrote this say that the forespeaking of Austine was verified on them but Galfridus Monumetensis saith that Ethelbert the King of Kent being conuerted by Austine to Christs Faith seeing the Brittaines deny their subiection to Austine therefore stirred vp the said Ethelfrid to warre against the Brittaines After Austine had baptized 10000. in a Riuer called Swale by Yorke on a Christmas day perceiuing his end to draw neere ordained Laurencius his Successor by his Baptizing in Riuers it followeth there was then no vse of Fonts and the Rites of baptizing in Rome was not then so ceremoniall nor had so many trinkets as it hath since and not long after Austine died after he had sitten Arch-bishop 15. or 16. yeares About this time also Gregory died who was called the basest of all the Byshops before him and the best of all that came after him Ranulphus Cestrensis writeth that Iohn the Patriarch of Alexandria as he was at prayer there appeared vnto him a comely Uirgine hauing on her head a Garland of Oliue Leaues which named her selfe Mercy promising him if he would take her to Wife hee should prosper well After that day this Patriarch was so mercifull to the poore that he counted them his Maisters and himselfe as Steward vnto them Gregory withstood the pride of Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople which would be the Uniuersall and Cheefe Bishop of all others calling him the fore-runner of Antichrist he brought in the Title of the Pope Seruus seruorum Dei Sabinianus succeeded him two yeares a malicious Detractor of his workes after him succeeded Bonifacius the third one yeare After Phocas had murdered his owne Maister Mauricius the Emperor and his Children thinking to establish the Empire to himselfe by friendship of his people and especially with the Pope he granted Boniface all his Petitions and to bee Uniuersall head Byshop ouer all Churches Hiraclius the Emperour that succeeded Phocas cut of his hands and feete and threw him into the Sea but Rome would not so soone loose the supremacy once giuen as the giuer lost his life for euer since they haue maintained the same with all force and pollicy by the word of Gregorie Boniface may well be called the fore-runner of Antichrist as Gregory brought in the Stile of Seruus seruorum Dei so he brought in Volumus mandamus Statuimus praecipimus Besides the building of Pauls as aforesaid by Ethelbert King of Kent and Sigebert King of Essex Ethelbert also founded the Church of S. Andrew in Rochester Moreouer he caused a Cittizen to make Westminster Abbey which was inlarged and new builded by Edward the Confessor and new re-edified by Henry the third and when he had raigned 56. yeares he died Anno 616. The foresaid Ethelfrid King of Northumberland after the cruell murder of the Monkes at Bangor was not long after slaine in the Fielde of Edwine who succeeded him in his Kingdome First this Ethelfride enuying this Edwine persecuted him who hauing fled from him as he sat in his Study a Stranger appeared vnto him and said I know thy thought and heauinesse what wouldst thou giue him that should deliuer thee out of this feare and make thee a mightier King then any of thy Predecessors and shew thee a better way of life then euer was sh●wed to any of thy Ancestors wilt thou obey him and doe after his councell yea said Edwine promising with all his heart so to do and the stranger laying his hand on his head he said when this is come to passe remember thy tribulation and the promise which thou hast made and with that hee vanished away Presently a Friend of his came to him and said the heart of King Redwaldus is with thee This Redwaldus suddainely assembled an Hoast wherewith he suddainely gaue Ethelfride battell and slew him whereby Edwine was quietly King of Northumberland He marryed the Daughter of Ethelbert King of Kent Edwine yet remained a Pagan albeit his Queene a Christian and Paulinus the Byshoppe ceased not to perswade him to the Christian Faith When Paulinus saw the King so hard to bee conuerted he prayed to God for his conuersion who reuealer vnto him the Uision before mentioned whereupon Paulinus comming to the King he laie his hand● on the Kings head and aked if he knew that token the King be●ring the Uision and remembring the token would haue fal●en at his f●ete but suffe●ed him not saying O King you haue vaquished your enemies and obtained your Kingdom now receiue the Faith of Christ as you promised whereupon the King was baptized of Paulinus at Yorke with many of his seruants and his Idolatrous Priests which by their old Law mustride but vpon Mar●s ga●e vpon Horses and rode and destroyed all the Altars of their Idols and their Idols Temple After this conuersion was so great peace in the Kingdome o● Edwin that a woman laden with gold might goe safe from the one side of the Sea vnto the other and by all his high waies he chained a Bowle of brasse at euery Fountaine for passengers to refresh themselues with and no man tooke them away during his life King Oswald a Christian by prayer vnto God with a little company ouerc●me Cadwallo and Penda