A Cloud of Witnesses, Part A
A.
Adrian.
ADrian's wife seeing the Coffin hooped with Iron,Wards life of faith in death, pag. 160. wherein she was to be buried alive, spake thus, Have you provided this Pastycrust to bake my flesh in?
Agnes.
Agnes a Roman Martyr,Fox's Acts and Monumens, &c. Vol. 1. pag. 122. contemning all threats of tortures, was assaulted as to her chastity. To the lascivious Wretch she said, Thou shalt willingly bathe thy sword in my blood, if thou wilt, but thou shalt not defile my body with filthy lust, do what thou canst. Hereupon his eyes were struck out by a flame of fire, like unto a flash of lightning, and upon her prayer he was restored to sight again. When she saw a sturdy cruel fellow (to behold) approaching with a naked sword in his hand; I am now glad (said she) and rejoyce more, that such an one as thou, a stout, fierce, strong, and sturdy Souldier art come, then if one more feeble, weak, and faint-hearted should come. This, even this is he, I now confess, that I do love: I will make haste to meet him, and will no longer protract my longing desire.
Albane.
Albane (England's Proto-Martyr) delivered upFox. Vol. …. pag. 114. himself to the Souldiers instead of Amphibolus, who had converted him to Christianity, after he had fled to his house for refuge, and being bound, was carried before the Judge, who at that time was sacrificing to his Idols. The Judge perceiving the fraud, told Albane, Forasmuch as thou hadst rather convey away the Rebel and Traytor to our gods, then deliver him up to the Souldiers, that he might undergo due punishment for blaspheming our gods; look what torments he should have suffered, if he had been taken, the same shalt thou suffer, if thou refuse to practise the Rites of our Religion. Albane, notwithstanding his threats, told him plainly to his face, that he would not obey his command. Then said the Judge, of what House and Stock art thou? Albane answered, It matters not of what Stock I am; but if thou desirest to know my Religion, be it known unto thee, I am a Christian, &c. Then the Judge demanded his name: my Parents (said he) named me Albane; and I honour and worship the true and living God, that made all things of nothing. The Judge told him, If he would save his life, he must come and sacrifice to their gods. Albane answered, The sacrifice that you offer to the Devil profits you nothing, but rather purchaseth for you eternal pains and Hell fire. The Judge commanded him to be beheaded. The Executioner, observing his saith and fervent prayers, fell down at his feet, casting from him the sword, desired rather to be executed for, or with him, then to do execution upon him; yet afterwards another gave the fatal blow.
Alcock.
Fox, Vol. 3. pag. 883.Constable Rolf (Iohn Alcocks Master) having bail'd his Servant, said unto him, I am sorry for thee; for truly the Parson will seek thy destruction: Sir (said Alcock) I am sorry I am a trouble to you; as for my self I am not sorry, but I do commit my self into Gods hands, and I trust he will give me a mouth and wisdome to answer according to right. Yet (said Rolph) take heed of him, he is a blood-sucker, &c. I fear not (said A…cock) he shall do no more to me then God will give him leave; and happy shall I be, if God will call me to die for his Truths sake.
In his first Letter to Hadley he writes thus: O my Brethren of Hadley, why are ye so soon turned from them, which called you into the Grace of Christ, to another Doctrine? — Though those should come unto you, that have been your true Preachers, and preach another way of salvation, then by Jesus Christs death and passion, hold them accursed: yea, if it were an Angel came from Heaven, and would tell you that the sacrifice of Christs body upon the Cross once for all, were not sufficient for all the sins of all those that shall be saved, accursed be he. — Why cometh this plague upon us? Cometh not this upon thee, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God? Thine own wickedness shall reprove thee, and thy turning away shall condemn thee, that thou mayest know how evil and hurtful a thing it is, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.
Algerius.
Pomponius Algerius, Fox, Vol. 2. pag. 181.whilst he was a Prisoner at Venice, before he was burnt at Rome, writ thus in his comfortable Letter to the Christians, departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion. To mitigate your sorrow, which you take for me, I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my joyes, which I feel, to the intent you may rejoyce with me. — I shall utter that, which scarce any will believe: I have found a nest of honey, an honey-comb in the entrails of a Lion. In the deep dark Dungeon I have found a Paradise of pleasure. In the place of sorrow and death, tranquility of hope and life: where others do weep, I do rejoyce; when others do shake and tremble, there I have found plenty of strength and boldness: in strait bands, and cold irons I have had rest: Behold he that was once far from me, now is present with me; whom once I could scarce feel, I now see most apparently; whom once I saw afar off, now I behold near at hand, whom once I hungred for, the same now approacheth and reacheth his hand unto me; he doth comfort me, and heapeth me up with gladness; he driveth away all bitterness; he ministreth strength and courage, &c. — O how easie and sweet is the Lords yoke! Learn, ye well-beloved, how amiable the Lord is, how meek, and merciful, who visiteth his servants in temptations; neither disdaineth he to keep company with us in such vile and stinking Caves. Will the blind and incredulous world (think you) believe this? or rather will it not say thus? No, thou wilt never be able to abide long the burning heat, the pinching hardness of that place, &c. The rebukes and frowning faces of great men how wilt thou suffer? Dost not thou consider thy pleasant Countrey, the Riches of the World, thy Kinsfolk, the delicate pleasures and Honours of this life? Dost thou forget the solace of thy Sciences, and fruit of all thy Labours? Wilt thou thus lose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto sustained? Finally, fearest thou not death which hangeth over thee? O what a fool art thou, which for one words speaking mayest salve all this and wilt not! But now to answer: Let this blind world hearken to this again, What heat can there be more burning, then that fire which is prepared for thee hereafter? What things more hard, and sharp, and crooked then this present life which we lead? What thing more odious and hateful then this world here present? And let these worldly men here answer me. What Countrey can we have more sweet then the Heavenly Countrey above? What treasures more rich or precious then everlasting life? and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God? Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable then in Heaven. And as touching the Sciences, let this foolish world consider, Be not they ordained to know God? whom unless we do know, all our labours, our night-watchings, our studies, and all our enterprises here serve to no purpose, all is but labour lost. Furthermore let the miserable worldly men answer me. What remedy or safe refuge can there be unto him who lacks God, who is the life & medicine of all men, & how can he be said to fly from death, when he himself is already dead in sin? If Christ be the way, verity & life, how can there be any life without Christ? The solely heat of the Prison to me is coldness; the cold winter to me is a fresh spring in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire, how will he fear the heat of weather? Or what careth he for the pinching frost, which burneth for the love of the Lord? The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty, but to the innocent it is mellifluous. Here droppeth the delectable dew, here floweth the pleasant Nectar, here runneth the sweet milk, here is plenty of all good things. —In this world there is no mansion firm to me, and therefore I will travel up to the New Ierusalem, which is in Heaven, and which offereth it self to me without paying any Fine or Income.—I have travelled hitherto, laboured, and sweat early and late, watching day and night, and now my travels begin to come to effect.—What man can now cavil, that these our labours are lost, which have followed and found out the Lord and Maker of the World, and which have changed death with life?—If to die in the Lord be not to die, but to live most joyfully, where is this wretched worldly Rebel, which blameth us of folly, for giving away our lives unto death? O how delectable is this death to me! to taste of the Lords C…p. —I am accused of foolishness, for that I do not rid my self out of these troubles, when with one word I may. But doth not Christ say, Fear not them which kill the body, but him which killeth both body and soul; and whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also c…n…ess before my Father which is in He…v…n; and he that denieth me before men, him will I also deny before my Heavenly Father. Seeing the words of the Lord be so plain, how, or by what authority will this wise Counsellor approve this his counsel which he doth give? God forbid that I should relinquish the commandements of God, and follow the counsels of men; for it is written, Blessed is the man that hath not g…ne in the way of sinners, and hath not stood in the counsel of the ungodly, &c. Psal. 1.1. God forbid I should deny Christ, where I ough to confess him; I will not set more by my life, then by my soul; neither will I exchange the life to come for this world here present.—
This Letter he underwrit thus; From the delectable Orchard of Leonine Prison, 12 Calend. August. An. 1555.
Allen.
Sir Edmond Tyrrel bidding Rose Allen to give her Father and Mother good counsel,Fox Vol. 3. pag. 830. that they might become good Catholicks; Sir (said she) they have a better Instructour then I, for the Holy Ghost doth teach them, I hope, who I trust will not suffer them to erre. Thereupon the Knight said, It is time to look to such Hereticks. Sir (said she) with that which you call Herelie, do I worship my Lord God. Then I perceive (said Tyrrel) you will burn with the rest for company. No Sir (said she) not for company, but for my Christs sake, if so I be compelled, and I hope in his mercies if he call me to it, he will enable me to bear it. To try her Tyrrel burnt the wrist of her hand with a candle, till the very sinews crackt asunder, saying often to her, What, whore, wilt not thou cry? To which she answered, That she had no cause she thanked God, but rather to rejoyce; You (said she) have more cause to weep then I, if you consider the matter well. At last she said, Sir, have you done what you will do? He answering, yea, and if thou th…nk it be not well, then mend it. She replied, Mend it! Nay the Lord mend you, and give you repentance, if it be his will; and now if you think it good to begin at the feet, and burn the head also. She being asked by one, how she could abide the painful burning of her hand; She said, at first it was some grief to her; but afterward the longer she burned, the less she felt, even well near none at all.
Almondus.
My Body dies (said A…ondus a Via) my Spirit lives.Ward, &c. pag. 159. Gods Kingdome abides ever, God hath now given me the accomplishment of all my de…res.
Alost.
Fox Vol. 3. Cont. p. 34.Francis d' Alost, a Cutler in Flanders, being conducted to Prison, said, Now you have taken me, you think to deprive me of life, and thereby to bring great damage to me; but you are deceived, for it is all one, as if you took counters from me to fill my hand with a great sum of gold. As he went to suffer, he used that speech of the Apostle St. Peter, I must now shortly put off this my earthly tabernacle, 2 Pet. 1.10. which the love of Iesus my Lord constraineth me to do, 2 Cor. 5.14.
Am…chus.
Ward, pag. 141.Turn (said he) the other side also, least raw flesh offend you.
Ambrose.
Ward, pag. 139, 140.I have not so lived (said he) that I am ashamed to live longer, nor yet fear I death, because I have a good Lord.
To Calignon (Valentinians Eunuch) threatning death, he said, Well, do you that which becomes an Eunuch, I will suffer that which becomes a Bishop.
Andrew.
Fox, Vol. 1. pag. 43.When the Proconsul threatned Andrew the Apostle with the Cross, if he left not off his preaching; I would never (said he) have preached the Doctrine of the Cross, if I had feared the suffering of the Cross.
When he came to the Cross on which he was to be crucified, he said, O Cross most welcome, and long look'd for, with a willing mind joyfully I come to thee, being the Scholar of him that did hang on thee;Ward, pag. 138. welcome O Christ longed and looked for; I am the Scholar of him that was crucified, long have I coveted to embrace thee, in whom I am what I am.
Anvil.
Frederick Anvil of Bearne, Ward, pag. 156.to the Friers that willed him to call on the Virgin Mary, three times repeated, Thine O Lord is the Kingdome, thine is the power and glory for ever and ever; Let us fight, let us fight, Avant, Satan, avant.
Apprice.
Bonner asking Iohn Apprice what he thought of the Sacrament of the Altar;Fox, Vol. 3. pag. 700. he answered, The Doctrine you teach is so agreeable to the world, and embraced of the same, that it cannot be agreeable to the Word of God.
Ardley.
Iohn Ardley being urged by Bonner to recant,Fox, Vol. 3. pag. 253. cried out, If every hair of my head were a man, I would suffer death for my Religion.
Being again sollicited to recant; No, God forbid (said he) that I should do so, for then I shall lose my soul.
Arethusius.
Marcus Arethusius having at the command of Constantinus pulled down a certain Temple,Fox, Vol. …. Pag. 128. dedicated to Idols, and instead thereof built up a Church, where the Christians might congregate; under Iulianus he was beaten, cast into a filthy sinck, put into a basket anointed with honey and broth, hung abroad in the heat of the Sun, as meat for Wasps to feed on, hereby it was hoped he would be enforced either to build up again the Temple which he had destroyed, or else give so much money as would pay for the building of the same. This good man whilest he hung in the basket, did not onelyonly conceal his pains, but derided those wicked instruments of his torments, calling them bafe, low, terrene people, and himself exalted, and set on high, when they told him they would be contented with a small sum of money from him: He said, It is as great a wickedness to confer one half-penny in case of impiety, as if a man should bestow the whole.
Askew.
Mrs. Iane Askew being called by the Bishop of Winchester, a Parrot, told him, that she was ready to suffer not onelyonly his rebukes, but all things that should follow besides; yea, and all that gladly.
To her Confession in Newgate she thus subscribed; Written by me Jane Askew, who neither wish death, nor fear its might, and as merry as one bound towards Heaven.
In her Confession of her Faith she saith, Though God hath given me the bread of adversity, and the waters of trouble, yet not so much as my sins have deserved.
When Nicholas Sharton counselled her to recant, as he had done, she said, It had been good for him never to have been born.
In an Answer to a Letter of Mr. Lacell's, she writ thus; O Friend, most dearly beloved in God, I marvail not a little what should m…ve you to judge in me so slender a faith as to fear death, which is the end of all misery. In the Lord I desire you not to believe of me such weakness, for I doubt not but God will perform his work in me, like as he hath begun.
When Wrisley Lord Chancellor sent to her Letters at the Stake, offering her the Kings pardon, if she would recant; she refusing once to look upon them, gave this answer: That she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master.
Attalus.
Word, pag: 340.He answered to every question, I am a Christian. Being fired in an iron Chain; Behold (said he) O you Romans, this is to eat man's flesh, which you falsly object to us Christians.
Audebert.
Blessed be God (said Anne Audebert of Orleance) for this Wedding Girdle (meaning the Chain) my first marriage was on this Lords Day,Ward, pag. 154. and now my second to my Spouse and Lord Christ shall be on the same.
Augustine.
Boughs fall off trees (said he) and stones out of buildings,Ward, pag. 140. and why should it seem strange that mortal men die?
Austine.
Austine a Barbar,Fox, Vol. 2. pag. 124. born about Hennegow in Germany, as he was led to execution, being desired by a Gentleman to have pity upon himself, and if he would not favour his life, yet that he would favour his own soul: He answered, What care I have of my soul, you may see by this; that I had rather give my body to be burned, then to do that thing that were against my conscience.