Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 20 – Part 23
His first Examination.
Boner.
AH Sirra, how chanceth it, that you are come hether againe in this fashion?
Rafe.
Forsooth, if your Lordship remember, I set my hand vntounto a writing; the Contents thereof as I remember was, that I did beléeue all things as the Catholique church teacheth, in the which I did not disburse my mind, but shamefully dissembled, because I made no difference betwixt the true church▪ & vntrue Church.
Boner.
Which is the true Church: doest thou call the heretiques Church, the true Church, or the Catholiques Church.
Rafe.
I vtterly abhorre the hereticks Church as abhominable before God, with all their enormities and heresies, the Church Catholique is it that I onelyonly imbrace, whose doctrine is sincere, pure and true.
Boner.
By S. Augustine that is well said: Then a Priest said to my Lord, you know not what Church it is, which he calleth Catholick: Then hee said by Saint Mary he might a deceiued me: Sirra, which is the Catholick Church?
Rafe.
That which hath receiued the wholesome sound spoken of by Esay, Dauid, Malachy, & Paul, with many others m…e, the which sound as it is written hath gone throughout all the earth in eueryevery place, and to the end of the world.
Bon.
Yea thou saist true before God, for this is the sound that hath gone foorth throughout all Christendome, and he that beléeueth not this Church as S. Cyprian saith doth erre: Hee saith whosoeuer is out of the Church, is like vntounto them that are out of Noahs ship, when the floud came vponupon the whole world: for the Church is not alone in Germany, or here in England, in the time of the late schismes, as the hereticks doe affirme: for then were Christ a lyar, for he promised the holy Ghost should come vntounto vsus, and leade vsus in all truth, and remaine with vsus vntounto the end of the world: So if we wil take Christ for a true sayer, then the way that is taught in France, Spaine, Flanders, Italy, Denmarke, Scotland, and all Christendome ouer must needs be the true Catholick Church.
Ra…e.
I spake of all the world, and not of all Christendome onelyonly, for the Gospell hath been preached and persecuted in all Nations: First in Iury by the Scribes and Pharisies: And since by Nero, Dioclesian, and such like: and in our daies by your Lordship knoweth whom: your church is no more catholick then was figured by Cain, Ieroboam, Ahab, Iezabel, Nabuchadonosor, Antiochus, Herod, with ennumerable more the like: and Daniel, and Esdras prophesieth of these last daies, and that there shall come greeuous wolues to deuoure the flocke, is affirmed by Christ and his Apostles,
Boner.
Hee is the rankest hereticke that euer came before mee, by Alhallowes thou shalt be burned, thou whor…on varlet and Pricklouse, the prophecie is of you: what is the saying of Esdras that you speake of?
Rafe.
He saith, the heate of a great multitude is kindled ouer you, and they shall take away certaine of you, and feed the Idols with Idols, and he that consenteth not to them shall be troden vnderunder foote, had in derision, and laughed to scorn, yea, they shall be like madde men, for they shall spare no man, they shall spoyle and wast such as …eare the Lord.
Bonner.
Esdras speaketh of you hereticks, declaring the hate that you beare to the Catholicke Church, making the simple people beleeue that all is Idolatry that we doe, and so intice them away, vntill you hauehave ouercome them.
Rafe.
Nay, Esdras declareth it more plaine, saying, They shall take away their goods, and put them out of their houses, and then shall it be knowne who are my chosen; for they shall be tried as the siluer or golde in the fire: and it is come to passe as he hath said; for who is not driuen from house and home, and his goods taken vp for other men that neuer sweat for them? If he doe not obserue as you command and hauehave set forth, or else if he be taken he must denie the truth, as I did, in dissembling, or else he shall be sure to be tried, as Esdras saith, whereby all the world may know you are the bloudie Church, figured by Caine the Tyrant, and you are not able to auoyde it.
Bonner.
He is an Hereticke, let him be carried to London, and kept in little…ase vntill I come.
Rafe.
And so I was vntill the next morning, and then I was brought before Bonner, the Deane of Paules, the Chancellor, and others.
Bonner.
How say you sirra, will you goe to Fulham with me, and there kneele downe at Masse, shewing thy selfe outwardly that thou diddest it not vnwillingly but with a good will? I said I will not say so. He said, away with him, away with him. After I was brought before the Bishop, and three Noble-men of the Councell.
Bonner.
How say you sirra, after consecration there remaineth no bread, but the very body of Christ, God and man vnderunder the forme of bread?
Rafe.
Where find you that my Lord written.
Bonner.
Doth not Christ say, This is my Body? Wilt thou denie the words of Christ, or was he a dissembler, speaking one thing and doing another. Now I hauehave taken you.
Rafe.
Yea, you hauehave taken me, and will keepe me vntill you hauehave killed me: Christ said, Take you, eate you, this is my bodie; and if you will ioyne the former words with the latter, then I will answer you.
Bonner.
Then thou must say it is his bodie; for Chirst saith it himselfe.
Rafe.
He is true, and all men liers, yet I refuse to take the wordes of Christ so phantastically, for then should I conspire with certaine hereticks call…d Nestorians, for they denie that Christ had a true naturall body, and so doe you, my Lord, if you will affirme his body to be there as you say he is, then you must néeds aff…rme that it is a phantasticall body, therefore let the…e words goe before, Take ye and eate yee, without which words the rest are not sufficient, but when the worthy receiuers doe take and eate, euen th…n is fulfi…led the wordes of our Sauiour, to eueryevery man that so receiueth. Esay in his nine and fi…tieth Chapter saith, He that refraineth himselfe from euill must be spoyled: and Amos saith the like wordes, for the wise must be faine to hold their peace, so wicked a time it is, neuerthelesse, hee that can speake the truth and will not, must giuegive a straite account.
A Doctor. By my Lords leaue you speake like a foole: you must not iudge the Scriptures, but must stand to learne and not to teach, for the whole Congregation hath decided the matter long agoe: then was I carryed away.
Rochest. Were you a companion of George Eagles, alias Trudgeouer. I had him once and he was as drunke as an Ape, and …runk so of drinke that I could not abide him.
Rafe.
I dare say it was either your selfe or some of your companie: for he did neither drinke Wine, Ale nor Béere in a quarter of a yeare before that time.
After, because he misliked the masse, calling vponupon Saints, and carrying the Crosse on procession, with other their ceremonies, calling them Idolatry, and for singing in … against the Sacrament of the Altar, and other ordinances of the Church, so lowd that the people abroad might heare them, and delight in them, and for saying that he beleeued nothing that was contained in the Councell holde… vnderunder Innocentius the third, and for affirming that those that were burned at Colchester were Saints in heauen. He was condemned, and he and the other thrée before mentioned were all burned as before.
Awstoo being in the Bishops Chappell at Fulham, the Bishop asked him if hee knew where he was; he answered in an Idoll Temple: and he said he receiued the very body and bloud of Christ by faith in the Supper of the Lord, but not in the Sacrament of the Altar: and his wife said, she beleeued that the Religion then vsed in England was not according to Gods word, but false and corrupted, and that they which did goe thereto did it more for feare of the law then otherwise; and she said that she defied the Masse with all her heart, and that she would not come into any Church wherein was Idols.
As she was in the Bishops prison, by his procurement there was sent a stoute Champion, as appeareth, about twelue of the clock at night, who suddenly opened the doore, and with a knife drawne, fell vponupon her to hauehave cut her throat; but shee calling to God for helpe, he giuing a grunt, and fearing (belike) to commit so cruell a deede, departed without any more hurt doing: the next night they made a great rumbling like thunder ouer her head, to the intent to hauehave feared her out of her wits, but God be thanked they missed of their purpose.
The aforesaid Richard Roth affirmed that there was not the very body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, as it was then vsed, but that it was a dead God, and that the Masse was detestable and contrary to Gods word and will, from the which faith he would not decline. He said to Bonner, My Lord, because the people should not sée your doings, you cause me and others to be brought to our examinations by night, being affraide belike to doe it by day: and being perswaded to recant and aske merciemercy of Bonner; No (quoth Roth) I will not aske merciemercy of him that cannot giuegive it, whereupon he and the rest were condemned, as before, and most ioyfully ended their liues in the fire at Islington, for the testimony of Christ and his Gospell.
Agnes Bonger and Margaret Thurstone.
THese were condemned at the same time and in the same place that the tenne before mentioned were, which suffered Martyrdome at Colchester, and for the like cause, and answered also in their examinations the like in effect as the other did.
When these good and godly women were brought vntounto the place in Colchester where they should suffer; after they had falne downe vponupon their knees, and made their most humble and hearty prayers vntounto God, they went to the stake ioyfully, where with great ioy and glorious triumph, gaue vp their soules vntounto the handes of the Lord.
Iohn Noyes of Lexfield, in the County of Suffolke, Shoemaker.
THe twenty two of September, he was taken by the Constables, and brought before Maister Thurstone, 1557Sir Iohn Tyrell, Maister Kene, Iustices, and Sir Iohn Silyerde, high Sheriffe, who cast him into Eye-dongeon: hee was carried from thence to Norwich, and so came before the Bishop, who condemned him, because he answered that he thought the naturall body of Christ to bee onelyonly in Heauen, and not in the Sacrament: as hee remained Prisoner in the Guild-hall of Norwich, one Nicholas Fiske his Brother in Law came to him to comfort him, he asked if he did not feare death when the Bishop condemned him: he said, hee thanked God, he feared not death no more at that time then when he was at libertie. When he was bound vntounto the stake, he said, feare not them that …ill the body, but feare him that can kill both bodie and soule, and cast it into euerlasting fire.
When he saw his Sister wéeping, he said, Wéep… not for mee, but wéepe for your sinnes: when the Faggots were set vntounto him, he said; Blessed bee the time that euer I was borne to come vntounto this, and kissed the Faggot. Then he said to the people, they say, that they can make God of a péece of Bread, but beléeue them not: Then said he, Good people beare witnesse, that I doe beléeue to bee saued by the merits and passion of Christ, and not by mine owne déedes, so the fire was kindled about him: then he said, Lord hauehave mercy vponupon me, Christ hauehave mercy vponupon me, Sonne of Dauid hauehave mercy vponupon me.
In the Dioces of Chichester, diuers were martyred for the testimony of righteousnesse in Quéene Maries raigne, in the number of whom were these: Iohn Forman of East-Grinsted, Iohn Warner of Berne, Christian Grouer of the Arch-deaco…y of Lewis, Thomas Athoch Priest, Thomas Auington of Erdingly, Denis Burgs of Burstéed, Thomas Rauensdale of Ri… ▪ Iohn Milles of Hellinglegh, Nicholas Holden of Withiam, Iohn Hart of Withiam, Margery Moris of Hethfielde, Anne Try of East-Grinstéed, Iohn Osward of Woodmancote, Thomas Harland of Woodmancote, Iames Moris of Heathfield, Thomas Dowgate of East-Grinstéed, Iohn Ashdon of Retherfield.
Thomas Spurdance Queene Maries Seruant.
HE was examined before the Chancellor of Norwich, who asked him if hee had confessed his sinnes vntounto a Priest: I said, I had confessed my sinnes vntounto God, who saith: Whensoeuer a Sinner repenteth, and is sorry for his sinnes, and asketh him forgiuenesse, willing no more so to doe, he will no more reckon his sin vntounto him, and that is sufficient for me: I deny that I should shew my sinnes vntounto the Priest.
Chancel. HaueHave you receiued the blessed Sacrament of the Altar at Easter: he answered: I dare not meddle with it as you vse it, for the holy Supper of the Lord serueth for the Christian Congregation, and you are none of Christs Members, I dare not meddle with you, least I be like vntounto you, for you teach Lawes contrary to Gods Lawes: then he said; Doe you not beleeue, that after the Sacrament is consecrated, it is the very same body that was borne of the Uirgine Mary, and I said no, that was a bloody sacrifice, and this is a dry sacrifice: And I said, Is the Masse a Sacrifice? a Doctor answered, it is a Sacrifice both for the quicke and the dead: I said it is no sacrifice, for S. Paule saith, That Christ made one sacrifice once for all, I beleeue in no other sacrifice.
Chancel.
He is an Hereticke, he den…th the Sacrament of the Altar: I said, I beleeue, that if I c…me rightly and worthily as God hath commaunded me vntounto the Supper of the Lord, I receiue him by Faith, but the Bread being receiued is not GOD, nor the Bread that is yonder in the Pixe is not God, God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, neither will be worshipped with the workes of mens hands; therefore you do very euill to cause the people to kneele downe and worship the bread: for God did neuer bid you to hold it vp aboue your heads, neyther had the Apostles such vse.
Chanc.
Write that Article: then said I; The Seruant is not greater then the Maister: your Predec…ssors killed my Maister Christ; the Prophets and Apostles, and holy vertuous men, and now you also kill the Seruants of Christ: so all the righteous blood that hath beene shed from righteous Abell to this day, shall be required at your hands, then the Chancellor bad hauehave me away.