Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 11 · Part 3
The martyrdom of Laurence Sanders.
HEe was parson of All-hallowes in Breadstr…et, and being minded to giuegive ouer another Church which he had in Leicester-shire, called Churchlangton: about that time came the broile about the clayme that Q. Mary made to the crown; by reason whereof he could not accomplish his purpose. In this trouble he preached at Northampton, & boldly vttered his consci…nce against popish doctrine, and Antichrists damnable errors, which were like to spring vp again in England, as a iust plage for the litle l…ue which the English nation did bear to Gods word, which had béene so plentifully offered vntounto them: the Quéens men which were there & heard, were highly displeased with him for his Sermon, and kept him amongst them as a Prisoner, but for the louelove of his Brethren and Friends, which were chée…e do…rs for the Quéene, and because there yet was no Law against him, they dismissed him.
He being inflamed with the fire of godly zeale, preached with diligence at both his Benifices, as time could serue him, vntill the Proclamation was put forth as aforesaid: at which time he was at his Benefice in the Countrey, where contrarie to the proclamation, he …aught diligently Gods truth, confirming the people therein, and arming them against false Doctrine, vntill he was commaunded to cease, and with force re…sted▪ then he returned towards London, to visite the flock which he had there in charge: and as he was comming nigh to the Citty, Sir Iohn Mordant, a Counceller to Queene Mary, ouertooke him, and asked him whether hee went: I hauehave, said Sanders, a Cure in London, and I go to instruct my people according to my duty. If you will fo…low my councell (quoth Maister Mordant) let them alone, and come not at them, Sanders answered: How shall I then bee discharged before GOD? Did not you (quoth Mordant) preach such a day in Breadstreete? Yes said he, That is my Cure, I heard you (quoth Mordant) and it please you, said he, you shall heare me againe in the same place to morrow, where I will affirme by the authority of Gods word all that I then said, and whatsoeuer I hauehave formerly taught them. I would counsaile you not to preach, sayd he. If you can or will forbidde me by law I must obey. Nay, quoth he, I will not forbid you, but giuegive you counsaile, and so they departed. Mordant tolde Bonner that Saunders would preach in his cure the next Sonday.
One that was about Saunders perceiuing by him that he was troubled, asked him how he did: indeede, sayd he, I am in prison vntill I be in prison, meaning he was vnquiet vntill he had preached, and then hee should be in quiet though he were put in prison.
The next day he preached vponupon the second to the Corinthians, and the eleuenth Chapter.
I hauehave coupled you a pure Virgin to Christ, but I feare as the Serpent beguiled Eue; so your wills should be corrupted from the singlenesse which you had toward Christ Iesus.
He reioyced in the summe of that true doctrine whereby wee are coupled so Christ, and saued by free iustification by his bloud: he compared the papisticall doctrine to the Serpents deceauing; and left they should be deceiued by it, he made a comparison betwixt the voyce of Christ and the popish Serpent, wherein he shewed the difference betwixt the Seruice set forth by King Edward in the English t…ng, and the popish seruice then vsed in the Latine tong. And that the first was good, 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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vsus 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 eueryevery 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 vponupon his opinion against the Sacrament, with his hand in writing vntounto Bonner, as before is related.
Then he was carried vntounto 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 hauehave 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 vntounto 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.