Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 6 · Part 36 – Part 40
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 hauehave 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 eueryevery 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, eueryevery 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 vponupon a Marble stone besprinkled with bloud, as was put in writing vnderunder 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 vnderunder the Sepulchre, three plaine Counters, which they had pointed like vntounto 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 for to Cranmer and Steuen Gardiner, and others, before whome hee did so constantly defend the doctrine which he had taught, that Cranmer being yet but a Lutheran, maruelled excéedingly at it, and said, that the Scripture knew no such terme of transubstantiation. Then the other Bishops threatned him, to whom he promised, the next day to deliuer them all in writing which he had formerly preached in Callice. In the meane time he had secret intimation giuen him by Cranmer, that if hee appeared the next day, he should be sure to be committed: whereupon he sent them his Faith with the arguments thereupon in writing, and he went aside into the West countrey.
Then the King was certified that there were many diuersities of opinions in Calice, tending to the danger thereof: Whereupon Doctor Champion and M. Garnet, who after was burned, were sent ouer to preach to them, where he preached the same true Doctrine which Adam Damlip had done. After them, one William Smith, Curate of our Ladies Parish in Callice, preaching earnestly inuaying against Papistry and wilfull ignorance, exhorting them to imbrace the word, and not to contemne it, least Gods wrath fall vponupon them, which followeth the contempt of his holy word.
At length the said Lord Lisle, which was Bastard to King Edward the fourth, which maintained Damlip as before, by the intising of his wicked wife, the Lady Honora, she being thereunto prouoked by Sir Thomas Palmer, and Iohn Rockwood▪ Esquire: these, with seauen others, wrote very haynous Letters vntounto the King and Councell, against diuers of the Towne of Calice. Whereupon, diuers of them were often punished in Callice, and many of them sent for ouer into England, and were …orely imprisoned and punished, and had not escaped the fire, but by the Kings pardon.
The aforesaid Adam Damlip taught Schoole about some two yeares in the West Country, after he was apprehended and brought vntounto Stephen Gardiner, who committed him to the Marshalsie, where he continued two yeares: and for his honest behauiour hee was beloued of the whole house, and especially of the kéeper, and he did much amongst the common sort of the prisoners in reprouing vice: Then being resolued rather to loose his life, then not to suffer his talent to be vsed to Gods glory by being detained in prison.
Wherevpon he sent an Epistle to Gardiner: And then by the Bishops commandement hee was had to Callice, where first hee layed vntounto his charge heresie; but because all such offences before such a day were pardoned by an Act of Parliament: then for the receiuing of the aforesaid French Crowne of Cardinall Poole, as you heard before he was condemned of Treason in Callice, cruelly put to death, beeing hanged, drawne and quartered: At his death Sir Raph Ellerker Knight Marshall there would not suffer him to declare his Faith or cause he died for, but bad the executioner dispatch the Knaue: and said, he would not away before he saw the Traytors heart out: but shortly after in a skirmish with the Frenchmen at Bullen he was slaine, and his enemies cut off his members, and cut the heart out of his body and so left him a terrible example of the Iustice of God, vponupon all bloudy persecutors.
The said Lord Lisley with the others as before vniustly charging them of Callice with sedition and heresie, were all shortly after either greatly out of the Kings fauour, and committed vntounto prison, or else by desperate deathes died. I will recite but Rockwood the chiefe stirrer of the afflictions aforesaid, who at the last breath staring and raging cryed he was damned; and being bid to aske God merciemercy, he cried out, All too late, for I hauehave sought malitiously the deaths of a number of the Towne, which in my heart I thought to be honest men: which words he vsed when thirteene were carried in Irons into England; when one told him he neuer saw men of such honesty so sharply corrected, and taking it so ioyfully▪ Rockwood then leaping, scoffingly said, All too late: and the vnderunder Marshall suddenly fell downe in the Councell Chamber, and neuer spake.
A labouring man hauing heard Damplip, said, Hee would neuer beleeue that Priests could make the Lords bodie at their pleasure: whereupon hee was condemned by one Haruy a Commissary, who said he was an heretick, and should die a vile death. The poore man answered, he was no heretick, but in the faith of Christ, and said, Whereas thou sayest I shall die a vile death, thou shalt die a viler death shortly; and so it came to passe: for within halfe a yeare the said Haruy was hanged, drawne, and quartred in Callice for treason.
DODDE alias SCOT.
HEe was taken in Callice, with certaine Germane bookes about him, and being examined thereupon, and standing constantly to the truth, hee was condemned and burned there.
VVILLIAM BVTTON.
HEe being a souldier of Callice, merrily asked a Papist, Whether one that were suddenly taken might not occupie one of the Popes pardons in stead of a broken paper: and another question, Whether the world might better want Dogs then Popish Priests, and answered it, that if there were no Dogs, we could make no more, but if there lacked ignorant Priests, we might soone make too many of them.
There came a black Frier to Callice with the Popes pardons, who for 4. pence would deliuer a soule out of Purgatorie; this Button asked him, if the Pope could deliuer soules out of Purgatorie: the Frier said, there is no doubt of that: then he said, Why doth he not of charity deliuer all the s…ules thereout? for which cau…e he was accused vntounto the Commissary, who chafing, called him heretick: then said Button, If the Pope can deliuer soules out of Purgatorie, and will not of chariti… doe it, then would God the King would make me Pope, for surely I would deliuer all out without money. Whereupon the Commissary made him beare a Billet, and procured his wages, which was sixe pence a day, to be taken from him: then he went vntounto the King, and declared the whole matter, who after gaue him eight pence a day.
In Nouember,1545. after the King had subdued the Scots, and ioyning with the Emperour, had inuaded France, and had got the Towne of Bullen, he summoned a Parliament, in which was granted him, besides subsidies of money, all Colledges, Chanteries, Free Chappels, Hospitals, Fraternities, Guilds and perpetuities of stipendary Priests to be disposed at his will and pleasure.
They being thus giuen to him by act of Parliament in December, the next Lent Doctor Crome preached in the Mercers Chappell: amongst other reasons to induce the people from the vaine reasons of Purgatorie, he said, It Trentalls and Masses could auaile the soules in Purgatorie, then did not the Parliament well in giuing away Monasteries, Colledges, and Chanteries, which serued principally to that purpose: but if the Parliament did well, as no man could denie, then it is plaine that such Chanteries and priuate masses confer nothing to relieue them in Purgatorie. This Dilemma was insoluble, but at Easter next they brought him in question for it, and so handled him, that they made him to recant, or else they would hauehave dissolued him and his argument in the fire.
ANNE ASKEW.
AFter she had bin many times examined, and she had answered so wisely, that though she had affirmed the truth of the Sacrament, yet none could touch her for her arguments by the law. Then she wrote her minde of the Sacament, as followeth:
I perceiu…, deare friends in the Lord, that you are not yet perswaded of the truth in the Lords Supper, because Christ sayth, Take, eate, this is my bodie: but he giuing the bread as an outward signe to be receiued with the mouth, hee meant in perfect beléefe they should receiue his body which should die for the people; and to thinke his death the onelyonly saluation of their soules. The …read and Wine were left vsus for a Sacramentall communion of the benefite of his death; and that we should be thankefull for the grace of redemption. And in the closing thereof he sayth, This doe in remembrance of me so often as you eate and drinke; or else we should hauehave béene forgetfull of that we ought to hauehave in daily remembrance, and also been vnthankefull: therefore we ought to pray to GOD for the true meaning of the Holy Ghost touching this communion; for the letter slayeth, and the spirit giueth life. In the sixth of Iohn all is applied vntounto …aith: and in 1. Cor. 4. The things which are seene are temporall, but the things which are not seene are euerlasting: and in the third of the Hebrewes, Christ ruleth ouer his house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and reioycing of hope vntounto the end: and the dead Temple is not his house, Wherefore to day if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts.
Her confession in Newgate.
CHrist took the bread, saying to his Disciples, Take, eate, this is my body which shall be broken for you, meaning his body the bread, but a signe and Sacrament: and so he said, He would break downe the Temple, and in three dayes build it vp againe, signifying his body by the Temple, although there be many that cannot perceiue the true meaning thereof; for the vayle that Moses put euer his face before the children of Israell remayneth to this day: but when God shall take it away, then shall these blinde men see. For it is plainly expressed in the Historie of Bell; O King, saith Daniell, be not deceiued, for God will be worshipped in nothing that is made with hands of men. O what stiffe-necked people are these, that will alwayes resist the Holy Ghost, as their fathers hauehave done. Truth is layde in prison, Luk. 21. The law is turned to wormwood, Amos 6. and there can no right iudgement goe forth, Esay 59.