Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 11 · Part 67 – Part 75
Robert Draks Minister, William Tims Ioyner, Richard Spurge Fuller, Iohn Cauell Weauer, George Ambrose Fuller, and Thomas Spurge Fuller.
THese sixe were burned at one fire in Smithfield the foure and twentieth day of Aprill: they were all of Essex, and sent at diuers times by the Lord Rich to Gardner, who sent them to prison, where they remained a yeare almost, and then they were sent to Bonner, to whom they all denied the reall presence in the Sacrament of the Altar: after they were all sent for vntounto the Consistorie; first Tims was sent for, and exhorted to conformity: he answered, we hauehave béene brought hither this day for Gods word, which we hauehave beene taught by the Apostolike Preachers in King Edwards time, whom you hauehave murthered because they preached the truth, and they hauehave sealed their doctrine with their bloud, whom I will follow. Then Bonner perswaded them not to stand to the litterall sense of the Scriptures, but to vse the interpretation of the Fathers. Then Tims said, what hauehave you to maintaine the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament, but only the bare letter? We hauehave (quoth Bonner) the Catholike Church: no, said he, the Popish Church of Rome, for which you be periured, and the Sea of Rome is the Sea of Antichrist, therefore to that Church I will neuer consent; I confesse Christ is present with his Sacraments, but with your Sacrament of the Altar he is neither present corporally nor spiritually, for as you vse it, it is a detestable Idoll. Then the Bishop séeing his constant boldnes, condemned him.
Then Robert Draks was called, and being exhorted to returne to the Church of Rome, he said, he vtterly defied it and all the workes thereof, euen as I defie the diuell and all his workes; then was he likewise cond…mned.
Then Thomas Spurge was demaunded if he would returne to the Catholike Church: and then he called the rest, and vponupon the like demands he receiued the like answers: so they had all their iudgements, and deliuered vntounto the Sherife, and after burned, as before.
Iohn Hullier Minister.
HEe was bur…ed at Cambridge vponupon the second day of Aprill for the professing of Christs Gospell, vnderunder Thurlby Bishop of Ely and his Chancellor: only a Pra…er and a Letter of his are recorded; his Letter is to proue the Romish Church Antichrist, and exhorteth from dissembling with God and the world, in comming to masse.
Christopher Lister Minister, Iohn Mace, Iohn Spencer, Simon Ioyne, Richard Nicoll, and Iohn Hamond.
THese six were burned together at Colchester in Essex, where the most part of them did inhabite: the eight and twentieth day of Aprill: Bonner now waxing wearie, made a very quicke dispatch with these; for as soone as they were deliuered by the Earle of Oxford and other Commissioners, vntounto Iohn Kingstone the Bishops Register: Bonner caused them to be brought vntounto his house at Fulham, where, in the open Church he ministred vntounto them articles, to which they answered alike, as followeth:
That the Church of Rome is the malignant Church, and no part of the Cathotholike Church, and that they beleeue not the doctrine thereof, and that they beléeue there be no mo but two Sacraments in the Church of Christ, to wit, Baptisme and the Lords Supper; that they learned the truth of their profession by the doctrine set forth in King Edwards time, and therein they would continue as long as they liued; they refused to be partakers of the Sacrament of the Altar, because it was vsed contrary to Gods word and glorie; they said the Popes authoritie was vsurped, and that he was an oppressor of Christs Church and Gospell, and that he ought not to hauehave any authoritie in England, and that they vtterly abhorred the Sea of Rome, for putting downe the booke of God, and setting vp the Babylonicall Masse, with all the rest of Antichrists merchandise; and that after consecration there remaineth in the Sacrament Bread and Wine as well as before; and that the reall flesh and bloud of Christ is not in it; and that the Masse is not propitiatorie, neither for the quick nor for the dead, but méere Idolatry and abomination. And in the afternoone, when they would not recant, they were condemned and burned, as before.
Margaret Ellice, Hugh Lauerock an old lame man and Iohn Apprice a blind man.
SHe was of great Bursteed in Essex,1556 and was sent to Bonner by Sir Iohn Mordant Knight, and Edmund Tyrrell Esquire: she died in Newgate the thirtéenth of May, being condemned to be burned before.
Hugh Lauerocke an old lame man, and Iohn Apprice a blinde man; when they were examined, answered in effect as Christopher Lister, Iohn Mace, and others before mentioned had done: after they were brought to the Consistori…, and being perswaded to recant their opinions of the Sacrament, Hugh Lauerock said, I will stand to my answere, I cannot finde in the Scriptures that the Priests should lift vp ouer their heads a cake of bread: then Bonner asked Iohn Apprice what he would say; he answered, your doctrine that you set forth is so agreeable with the world, and imbraced, of the world, that it cannot be agreeable with the Scriptures; and ye are not of the Catholike Church, for ye make lawes to kill men, and make the Queene your executioner, whereupon they were condemned and sent to Stratford the Bow, and there burned, the …ifteenth of May: at their deaths Hugh Lauerock comforting Iohn Apprice, said, be of good comfort, my brother, for my Lord of London is our good Physitian, he will heale thée of thy blindnes, and me of my lamenesse.
Katharine Hutte widdow, Elizabeth Tharnell, and Ioane Hornes.
IN the yeare 1556. these were burned in Smithfield, & were sent to Bonner, with Margaret Ellice and the blinde and lame man, for denying the reall presence in the Sacrament of the Altar, and for calling the Masse an Idoll. Katharine Hutte being required to recant, and say her minde of the Sacrament, said, I denie it to be a God, because it is a dumbe God, and made with mens handes. Ione Hornes said, if you can make your God to shedde bloud, or to shew any condition of a liuely body, then will I beleeue you: but it is bread, and that which you call heresie, I trust to serue my Lord God in. And touching the Romish Sea, she said, I forsake all his abominations, and from them all good Lord deliuer vsus: they died more ioyfully in the fire then some that burned them did in their beds.
Iohn Harpole and Ioane Beach widdow.
THese two were burned at Rochester for their constant perseuering in Christs truth,1556 about the first of Aprill.
A blinde boy and another suffered martyrdome at Glocester: one of them was the blinde boy which came vntounto Bishop Hooper, whom the said vertuous Bishop confirmed in the Lord, and the doctrine of his word, as is before mentioned, whose examinations are not come vntounto our hands.
Thomas Spicer, Iohn Deny, and William Pole.
THese were bro…ght before Dunnings, Chancellor of Norwich, and Minges his Register: the Chancellor perswaded what he could to bring them from the truth: and being he could not preuaile he burst out in teares, intreating them to turne againe vntounto the holy mother Church. As he was thus labouring them, and seemed vnwilling to giuegive iudgement, the Register said, in what doe you make such ados? they be at that point they will be, therefore reade sentence and dispatch the knaues; whereupon he condemned them with teares, and the next day, being the one and twentieth of May, they were burned at Beckles by Sir Iohn Silliard high Sherife, without any writ from my Lord Chancellor. As the fire burned about them, they praised God with such an audible voyce, that it was wonderfull to all those that stood by. One Robert Bacon, and enemie to the truth willed the tormentors to throw on …aggots to stop the knaues breaths, but they confessed the truth, and gaue their liues for the testimony thereof very gloriously and ioyfully. Thomas Spicer was a labourer dwelling at Wenson in Su…olke.
The persecution of the townes of VVenson and Mendleson in Suffolke.
AT the commandement of Sir Iohn Silliard High Sherife, and Sir Iohn Tyrrill Knights, these, whose names follow, were persecuted out of the said towns. From Wenson Alice Twayts & two of her seruants, Humfrey Smith and his wife, William Kachpoole and his wife, Iohn Mauling and his wife, Nicholas Burlingham and his wife, and one Rought and his wife.
From Mendleson Simon Harlstone and Katharine his wife with fiue children, William Whiting and Katharine his wife, Thomas Dobson and his wife, Thomas Hubbard and his wife, Iohn Poncon, Thomas Woodward the elder, one Rennolds wife, and a poore widdow, and one mother Semons maide, besides those that were constrained against their consciences, by the help of Iohn Brodish the Parish priest: the points of religion that they held, for which they were persecuted, were these;
1 They held the word of God to be sufficient doctrine vntounto saluation.
2 They denied the Popes authority, & said their Church was Antichrist, and Christs aduersary, they refused the abused Sacraments, defied the masse, and all Popish seruice and ceremonies, saying they robbed God of his honour, and Christ of his death and glorie, and would not come to Church, except it were to the defacing of that they did there.
3 That Ministers of Gods Church might lawfully marry.
4 That the Quéene was chiefe head, and wicked Rulers were a great plagus of God sent for sinne.
5 They denied mans frée-will, and the Popes Church did erre, and many other in that point with them, rebuking their false confidence to be iustified by works and mans righteousnesse: when they were rebuked for talking so freely, they would answere, they acknowledge, confesse and beleeue, and therefore they must speake: they acknowledged that tribulations were Gods prouidences, and that his iudgements were right, to punish them and others for their sinnes, and that their troubles were of his faithfulnesse and mercy, and that one haire of their heads should not perish before the time, but all things should worke to the best to them that louelove God, and that Christ was their only life and righteousnesse, and that only by faith in him, and for his sake, all good things were freely giuen them, as also forgiuenesse of sinnes, and life euerlasting. Many of these persecuted were of great substance, and had possessions of their owne.
William Slech died the thirtieth of May 1556. being imprisoned for the doctrine of the Gospell, and the profession of the truth, in the Kings bench, and was buried in the back-side of the same prison, because the Papists thought him not worthy to be laide in their Pope-holy Churchyards.
Thomas Harland MillWright, Iohn Osward, Thomas Reed, and Thomas Auington.
T They were long prisoners in the Kings Bench for the confession of the truth, and were burned together at one fire the sixt of Iune, in Lewes in South-sex.
Thomas Wood Minister, and Thomas Miles were burned likewise at Lewes in South-sex the twentieth of Iune, for resisting the erroneous and hereticall doctrine of the papisticall and fal…y pretended Catholiks.