Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 11 · Part 5
Doctor Rowland Taylor.
THe Towne of Hadley was instructed by Thomas Bilney so well, that you might hauehave found there many,1555. as well men as women, that had often read ouer the Bible, and could say a great part of Saint Paules Epistles by heart, and giuegive a godly learned sentence in any matter of controuersie, and there Children and Seruants were trained vp in the knowledge of Gods Word, that the towne seemed rather to bee an Uniuersitie, then a towne of clothing. In this towne the said Rowland Taylor was Parson: Hee most faithfully indeuoured himselfe to fulfill his charge: No Sunday nor Holiday passed, nor other time that hee could get the people together, but hee preached to them the Word of GOD; there was none so rich but hee would tell him his fault, with such earnest and graue rebukes as best became a good Pastor: Hee was ready to doe good to all men readily forgiuing his enemies. H…e was a Father to the poore. Thus this good Shepheard continued all the time of King Edward.
In the beginning of Q. Maries raigne he retained in his Church the Seruice which was vsed in King Edwards time▪ and faithfully preached against Popish corruptions, which had infected the whole Countrey round about. One Foster and one Clerke hyred one Iohn Au…rth Parson of Aldam, a Popish Idolator and a whoremonger, to set vp Masse againe at Hadly, and builded him an Altar: in the night their Altar was beaten downe, and they builded it againe and watched it; then duplicate page duplicate page the Priest came thither with all his implements and garments to play his Popish Pageant and was guarded with weapons lest he should be disturbed from this … sacrifice.
Doctor Taylor seeing him, said, Thou Diuell, who made thee so bolde to profane this Church of Christ with abominable Idolatrie? To whom Foster said, Thou Traytor, why dost thou disturbe the Queenes proceedings? He answered, I am no Traytor, but the Sheepheard that Christ hath appointed to feede this Flocke. I commaund thee thou Popish Wolfe in the name of the GOD of heauen, that th…u auoyde hence, and presume not to poyson Christs Flocke with thy Popish Idolatrie. Then Foster with his armed men tooke Taylor, and violently carried him whether he would or no out of the Church, and thrust his wife out after him, because shee knee…led downe and made humble supplication vntounto God, to bee reuenged of one of them, and then they shut the doore, least the people should …aue rent their sacrificer in pe…ces, some that were without threw in stones, an… miss…d him but little.
Upon complaint to Gardiner, hee sent for Taylor, and though his friends and acquaintance perswaded him by all meanes possible they could to the contrarie: yet hee was resolued to goe to the Bishop, and to his Beard to tell him hee doth naught. I am old, though I suffer GOD will raise vp Teachers for his people: I shall n…uer doe GOD so good seruice as now I may, what Christian would not gladly die against the Pope and his adherents, for I know the papacy is the Kingdome of Antichrist, 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 hauehave 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 hauehave done well in breaking it, and I thanke God I am come home vntounto 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 hauehave 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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 vsus, and GOD be praysed for King Edward: so he was carried vntounto 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 vntounto 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 merciemercy, if you will rise againe with vsus from the fall, which we ge…erallie hauehave receiued in this Realme, from the which we are deliuered miraculousli…: If you will not, you shall hauehave 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 vntounto 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 vponupon 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 vntounto 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 vntounto 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 vntounto the Counter in the Poultrey, where hee lay seauen nights.
Bonner came to the prison to him, to disgrade him, he said; Maister Doctor, I would you would remember your selfe, and turne to your holy Mother the Church, and I will sue for your pardon.
Taylor answered, I would you and your fellowes would turne to Christ, as for me, I will not turne to Antichrist.
Then Bonner had him put on the Uestures to bee disgraded, but hee would not, when they were put vponupon him, he put his handes by his side, and said; How say you my Lord, am not I a goodlie Foole: How say you my Maisters, it I were in Cheape-side, should I not hauehave Boyes enough to laugh at these apish toyes and toying trumperie; and when the Bishoppe should strike him vponupon the breast with his Crossier Staffe: his Chaplaines said; Strike him not my Lord, for he will surely strike you againe, That I will said hee, for it is our Sauiour Christes cause, so the Byshoppe laid his curs… oll him, but strucke him not.
When he came to Maister Bradford, for they both lay in one Chamber, hee told him laughinglie, how he had made the Bishop affraid to strike him: that night his Wife, his Sonne Thomas, and his man Iohn Hull, were suffered to sup with him, after Supper, he thanked GOD, that hee had giuen him strength to abide by his holie Word: Then he said vntounto his Sonne; My deare Sonne, God giuegive thee his Spirit, truly to serue Christ, to learne his word, and to stand by it all thy life: my Sonne, feare God, fly sinne, pray to him, and apply thy booke, and sée thou be obedient vntounto thy Mother, cherish the poore, and count that try chéefe riches, is to be rich in a…mes.
Then he said, my deare Wife, be steadfast in the …eare and louelove of God, be not defiled with Popish Idolatries: wee hauehave béene faithfull yoke-fellowes together, the Lord will reward you for your faithfulnesse towards me, I now must be taken from you; and I would aduise you to marrie with some honest man that feareth GOD, he will prouide such a one for you, and he will bee a mercifull Father to you, and your Children, whom I pray bring vp in the feare of God and learning, and kéep them from Romish Idolatry, then with wéeping feares they prayed together, and kissed each other.
The next day he was carried away towards Hadley, to be burned there, diuers Gentlemen and Iustices came to him there, who laboured him to returne vntounto the Romish Religion, shewed him his pardon and promised him great promotions, yea a Bishoprick if he would, but all was vaine, for he had not builded his Rocke vponupon the sands, in perill of eueryevery winde, but on the sure Rocke Christ. When hee went through Hadley to execution, the stréetes being full, they cried out with lamentable voyces: Ah good Lord, there goeth our Shepheard from vsus, that hath so faithfully taught vsus, so fatherly cared for vsus, and so godly gouerned vsus, what shall wee poore scattred Lambes doe? What shall become of this wicked world? good Lord comfort him: wherefore the people were fore rebuked, and Doctor Taylor euer said to the people; I hauehave preached vntounto you Gods word and truth, and am come this day to seale it with my blood.
Comming against the Almes-heuses, he cast to the poore people all the Money which remained of that which good people had giuen vntounto him in Prison, for his Liuing was taken away from him so soone as he was put in Prison, so that hee was sustained during the time of his imprisonment, by the charitable Almes of good people. When he saw the place of execution, and the multitude of people that were gathered together, then said he; thanked be God, I am euen at home.
They had clipped his head ill-fauoredly, like a Fooles head, by Bonners perswasions, when he was disgraded: when he came there, all the people said; God saue thée good Maister Doctor Taylor, Iesus strengthen you, the Holy Ghost comfort you. When he would hauehave spoken vntounto the people, one or other thrust a tipstaffe in his month: then he desired license of the Sheriffe to speake, but he denied him, and had him remember his promise made vntounto the Councell. It was a common fame, that the Councell sent for such as were condemned, and threatned them they would cut their tongues out, except they would promise them, at their deathes to kéepe silence, and not to speake vntounto the people.
When he was in his Shirt, hee was set in a Pitch Barrell to bee burned, then he said with a loud voyce; Good people, I hauehave taught you nothing but GODS Word, and those Lessons which I hauehave taken out of GODS blessed Booke, I am therefore come hither this day to seale it with my blood, then one Homes, a Yeoman of the Gard, who had vsed him verie cruelly all the way, gaue him a great stroke on the head.
The Sheriffe called one Richard Doningham a Butcher to set vp the Faggots, but he would not, then he got others, and one of them called Warwicke, cruellie cast a Faggot at him and brake his face, that the blood ranne downe. Doctor Taylor said; Ah friend, I hauehave harme enough, what néedeth this? When the fire was set to him, he said; Mercifull Father of Heauen, for Iesus Christs sake, receiue my Soule into thy hands, and so stood still, without either crying or moouing, with his hands folded together, vntill one Soyce strucke him vponupon the head, that the Braines fell out, and his Corps fell into the Fire and was burned.
The foureteenth of February,1555. the Lord Chanceller and the Bishops, caused the Image of Thomas Becket to be set vp ouer the Mercers Chappe…l doore in Cheape-side in London, in the forme of a Bishop, with Miter and Crosier: within two dayes after his two blessing fingers were broken away, and the next day his head was stricken off. Whereupon many were suspected, and one Maister Barnes, Mercer, being a Professor of the truth, was charged therewith, and he and three of his Seruants were committed to Prison, and though it could not be proued against him, he was bound in a great summe, to builde it vp againe, now, and as often as it should be broken downe, and to watch and keepe the same. The next day after that it was set vp againe, the head was the second time broken off, then there was a Proclamation set forth, that he that could tell who did it, he should hauehave an hundred Crownes, with thanks, but it was not knowne who did it.
The vertuous and godly King Christianus, King of Denmarke, hearing of the captiuitie of Miles Couerdale, whom hee knew, by reason hee was in Denmarke in King Henry the eight his time, and lamenting his dangerous case, made intercession by Letters to Quéene Mary, desiring the said Miles Couerdalo to be sent vntounto him: after the King had written two letters, Queene Mary after long delay, made full answer to the King of Denmarkes Letters; by which prouidence of God, Miles Couerdale was deliuered.