Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 10 – Part 13
William Bougeor, Thomas… Benold, Robert Purcas, Agnes Siluer-side, alias Smith, Widow, Ellen Ewring, Elizabeth Folkes Maid, William Munt, Iohn Iohnson, Allice Munt, Rose Allen, Maid.
WIlliam Bougeor was of the Parish of S. Nicholas in Colchester, he said the sacrament of the Altar was bread, is bread, & so remaineth bread, and is not the Holier, but the worse for the Consecration. To this hee did stand, and against all the rest of their Papisticall Doctrine: and so had sentence read against them.
Thomas Benold of Colchester, Tallow-Chaundler, affirmed the like in effect, and so had sentence.
William Purchas of Bocking in Essex, Fuller, said when hee receiued the Sacrament, he receiued bread in an holy vse, that preacheth y• remembrance that Christ died for him: he stood in this, and against other their Popish matters, a…d also had sentence.
Agnes Siluer-side, alias Smith, Widdow, dwelling at Colchester, said shee loued no consecration: for the Bread and Wine is the worse for it. She answered them with sound iudgement, and great boldnesse to all things they asked her, and was condemned.
Ellen Ewring, the wife of Iohn Ewring of Colchester, Widdow, answered to the like effect as the other did, denying all the lawes, set forth by the Pope, with her whole heart, she was condemned.
Elizabeth Folkes, Maid-seruant in Colchester, being examined whether shee beleeued the presence of Christs body in the Sacrament Substantially or no, answered, shee beleeued that it was a substantiall lye, and reall lye. They chafing, asked her againe, whether, after Consecration, there remained not in the Sacrament the body of Christ: she answered, that before consecration, and after it is but bread, and the man the blesseth without Gods word, is accursed and abhominable by the word. Then they examined her of confession to a Priest, of going to Masse, and of the authority of the Bishop of Rome: she answered, shee would neither vse nor frequent any of them, but did abhorre them from the bottome of her heart, and such like trumpery: so shee was condemned, shee kneeled downe and praised God that euer shee was borne to sée that blessed day, that the Lord would count her worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ: and Lord forgiue▪ them that hauehave done this, if it bee thy will: for they know not what they doe: And rising vp, shee exhorted them all to Repentance, and bad the halting Gospellers beware of blood, for that would crye for vengeance.
William Munt of Muchbentley in Essex, said that the Sacrament of the Altar was an abhominable Idoll, and that he should displease God if he should obserue any part of the Popish proceedings: and therefore, for feare of Gods vengeance he dare not do it. He was 61 years old; he was examined of many things, but he stood to the truth, and was condemned.
Iohn Iohnson of Thorp in Essex was condemned, who answered to the same effect as the other did.
Allice Munt, the wife of the said William Munt, 61 yeares old, answered as her husband had done, and was condemned.
Rose Allen, Maid, the daughter, of…the said Allice Munt, M. Edmond Terrell, which came of the house of them Terrels which murdered K. Edward the fifth, and his brother; when, with diuers others, hee was come into the house of William Munt, to search his house, and to apprehend him and his wife.
Hee met with this Rose Allen going with a candle to fetch drinke for her mother, and willed her to giuegive her father and mother good counsel, she said, they hauehave a better councellour then I: for the Holy Ghost doth teach them, I hope, which I trust will not suffer them to erre. Why, said hee, art thou still in this minde, thou naughty house-wife, it is time to looke to such heretickes. She said, with that which you call heresie, I worship my Lord God. Then (quoth he) I perceiue you will burne with the rest for company. She said, not for company, but for Christs sake, if I be compelled. Then he tooke the Candle from her, and held her wrist, and the burning Candle vnderunder her hand so long, vntill the sinewes cracked in sunder, saying often vntounto her, Thou young Whoore, wilt thou not crie: she answered, she thanked God she had cause to reioyce, hee had more cause to wéepe then she: when her synowes brake, all in the house heard them, hée thrust her from him and said, Ah strong whore, thou shamelesse beast, with such vile words; then she said, hauehave you done what you will? I (said he) if you thinke it be not well mend it: she said the Lord giuegive you repentance if it be his will, and you thinke it good begin at the féete and burne vntounto the head also, for he that set you no worke will pay you your wages one day.
She being examined of auricular confession, of going to Masse, and of the popish seuen Sacraments: she answered that they stanke in the face of God, she said they were the members of Antichrist, and should hauehave, if they repented, not the reward of Antichrist. Being asked what she could say of the Sea of the Bishop of Rome, his Sea (quoth she) is for Crowes and Kites, Owles and Rauens to swim in, such as you be; for I by the grace of God will not swim in that sea while I liue, then she was condemned.
These ten godly Martyrs were burned at Colchester, sire in the forenoone, and foure in the afternoone, when the fire was about them, they clapped their hands for ioy, & ioyfully ioyed in the fire, and thousands standing by, cryed generally all almost, the Lord strengthen them, the Lord comfort them, as was wonderfull to heare.
Iohn Thurstone.
HE was taken in the house of William Munt, with him he died in May in Colchester castle, a constant confessor of Iesus Christ.
Thomas Moore.
HE was a Merchant dwelling in Leicester about 24. yeares olde, for saying his maker was in heauen and not in the Pixe, he was apprehended, the Bishop said to him, what is yonder aboue the altar? he said, I cannot tel what you would hauehave me to sée, I sée fine clothes with golden tassels, and other gay geare hanging about the Pixe, what is within I cannot sée, why said the Bishop, doest thou not beléeue Christ to be there flesh and bone? … said he that I do not; whereupon the Ordinary condemned him, who suff…red a ioyfull and glorious Martyrdome for testimony of righteousnesse in Leicester.
George Eagles, alias Trudge-ouer.
HE wandred abrode in diuers countries,August. 20. where he could finde any of his brethren, did there more earnestly encourage and comfort them, now tarrying in this towne, and somtimes in that, certaine months as occasion serued; sometimes for feare lying in fields and woods, who for his vnreasonable going abroade was called Trudge-ouer, for thrée yeares he dranke nothing but water, and when hée perceiued that his body by Gods prouidence prooued well enough therewith, hée thought best to inure himselfe therewithall, against all necessities: when he had profited the Church of God by this going abroade a yeare or two, diuers spyes were sent out for him, who had in commandement to bring him quicke or dead, wheresoeuer they found him; but when they could not take him, they sent out an Edict in the Quéenes name into foure shires, promising twenty pounds to him that should take him, at length he was séene at a faire in Colchester, and being pursued, he hid himselfe in a wood, and from thence got into a corne field, when they could not finde him, they returned, but one got vponupon the top of a trée, to spy if he could sée him stirre, the poore man thinking all sure, because he heard nothing, rose vponupon his knées, the lurker perceiuing him, came downe and tooke him, and brought him to prison to Colchester; notwithstanding, the Iudas-knaue which had so much promised him, was faine to take a little reward, this George within foure dayes after, was conuayed to Chelmester where he was so cruelly handled, that he had but two pound of bread and a little water measured to him, to serue him a wéeke together: after a while hee was brought out and indicted of treason, because he had assembled companies together contrary to the lawes in that case prouided to auoyde sedition, that if aboue sixe should flocke together, they should be attached of treason, which straight law was the casting away of the good Duke of Sommerset. This George, was led to be hangd, drawne and quartered betwixt two théeues, the one of them did nothing but mocke him, and the more he was rebuked, the more he mocked him, but when he should die, he could not speake to vtter his mind, nor say his prayers, and one said the Pater noster to him word by word as to a childe, which he could not answer but fumblingly, many did wonder at the iust iudgement of God vponupon him for mocking the good martyr. He that apprehended the said George Eagles, his name was Ralph Hardin dwelling in Colchester, who in the yeare 1561. was condemned at Chelmsford to be hanged, and being at the barre, …he told the Iudge and a great multitude of people, this is most iustly fallen vponupon me, for that I betrayed the innocent blood of a good and iust man George Eagles, who was condemned here in the time of Quéene Marie through my procurement, who sold his blood for a little money.