Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Examination 2 – Account 43

Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2 · Book 12 · Examination 2 – Account 43

p. 2010¶An other examination of Richard Crashfield.

An other examination of Richard Crashfield.THe daye following I was brought foorth. Then the Chauncellor sayd vntounto me: Richard, how say you? Are you otherwise minded then you were yesterdaye? Hee rehearsing all the wordes that we hadde afore, sayde: are not p. 2011these your wordes? Whereto I aunswered, Yes.

Then sayd he: how say you, can you not finde in your hart, when you come to the Church, to kneele downe before the Roode, and make your prayer?

Worshiping of Images.I aunswered and sayd, No: rehearsing the commaundement of God forbidding the same.

He sayd: hauehave you not read or heard, that God commaunded an Image to be made?

I answered, what Image?

He sayd, the brasen serpent.

I sayd, Yes, I hauehave heard it read, how that God dyd commaunde it to bee made, and lykewise to bee broken downe.

Then D. Brigges sayd: Wherfore did God command the Seraphins and Cherubins to be made?

I sayd, I could not tell: I would fayne learne.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: But how say you to this? can you finde in your hart to fall downe before the picture of Christ, which is the Roode?

I sayd, No, I feare the curse of God: for it is wrytten that God curseth the handes that make them, yea, and the handes that make the tooles wherewith they are carued.

Then D. Brigges raged, and sayd: List nowe what a peece of scripture he hath here gotten to serue hys purpose for he will not allow but where he listeth.Confessiion to the Priest.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: How say you to Confession to the priest? when were you confessed?

I sayd, I confesse my selfe dayly vntounto the eternal God whom I most greuously offend.

Then the Chauncellor sayd: You do not then take confession to the priest to be good?

I aunswered, No, but rather wicked.

Then the Chauncellor sayd, How say you by yonder geare,Playing on the Organes. yonder singing, and yonder playing at y^e Organs? is it not good and godly?

I sayd, I could perceaue no godlines in it.

Then he sayde: why, is it not written in the Psalmes: that we should prayse God with hymmes and spirituall songes?

I sayd, Yes, spirituall songes must be had: but yonder is of the flesh: & of the spirite of error. For to you it is pleasaunt and glorious, but to y^e Lord it is bitter and odious.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: why, is it not written: My house is an house of prayer?P…ay. 56. Luke. 19.Luke 19

I sayd, Yes. It is written also: That you hauehave made my house of prayer a denne of theeues.

With that, the Chancellor looked, and sayd: HaueHave we?

I aunswered and sayde, Christ sayde so. Then was I commaunded to ward.

The thursday next following, was D. Brigges sent to me for to examine me of my fayth.An other examination of Richard Crashfield. And he sayd: Countreyman, my Lord Bishop (for louelove he would hauehave you saued) hath sent me vntounto you, because to morow is your day appointed: therfore my Lord hath thought it meete, that you should declare vntounto me your fayth: For to morow my lord will not hauehave much adoe with you.

I aunswered & said: Hath my Lord sent you? It is not you to whom I am disposed to shew my minde.

Then he sayd to me: I pray you shew me your minde concerning the sacrament of the altar.

I aunswered: Are you ignoraunt what I hauehave sayd?

He said▪ No: for it was wel writtē. Except you beleue, sayth he, as the Church hath taught, you are damned both body and soule.

I answered and sayd: Iudge not, least yee bee iudged: condemne not, least ye be condemned.

And he sayd: Loe: we shall hauehave a traytour as well as an hereticke: for hee will disallowe the kinges iudgement.

I sayd, No: I do not disallow the kinges iudgement but yours I do disallowe. For I praye you tell me, howe came you by this iudgement?

He answered and sayd: By the Church: for the Church hath power to saue and condemne, for if you bee condemned by the church, he ye sure, that you be damned both body and soule.

The Popes Church taketh Christes office out of his hand.Then I aunswered: If you hauehave this power, I am sore deceiued. For I beleue that Christ shall be our Iudge. But now I perceiue you will do much for him, that you will not put him to the payne.

Then he sayd: stand nearer countryman: why stand ye so farre off?

I sayd, I am neare enough, and a little to neare.

Then he sayd: Did not Christ say: Is not my flesh meate and my bloud drinke in deede?

I sayd: To whome spake Christ those wordes?

He sayd: To his Disciples.

I (intending to rehearse the texte) sayde: whereat did Christes disciples murmure inwardly?

He sayd: No, they did not murmure, but they were the Infidels (saith he:) for the Disciples were satisfied w^t those wordes

I sayd: Did not Christ say thus, as hee taught at Capernaum? whereas his Disciples murmured, saying▪ This is an hard saying. Who can abide the hearyng of it? Iesus perceiuing their thoughtes: sayd: Doth this offend you?

Then he raged and sayd: Oh, thou wrastest the text for thine owne purpose. For the disciples did neuer murmure but the vnbeleuers, as thou art.Note here the ignorance of these Catholicke men, in the Scriptures.

I sayd: Yes, but I perceiue you know not the text.

Then sayd he with much raging, I will laye my head thereon, it is not so.

Then sayd I: I hauehave done with you.

Then sayd he: What shall I tell my Lord of you?

If you hauehave nothing to tell him, youre errand shalbe the sooner done, sayd I. And so we departed.

Then on Friday I was brought forth to receiue iudgement. Then the Chauncellor said vntounto me:An other examinatiō of Richard Crashfield. Are you a new man, or are you not?

I aunswered and sayd: I trust I am a new man born of God.

God geue grace you be so, sayd he. So he rehearsed all my examination, & sayd: How say you, are not these your wordes?

I sayd, Yes: I will not deny them.

Then he sayd to Doctour Pore, standing by: I praye you talke with him. Then he alledging to me many fayre flattering wordes, sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. How say you to this? Do you not beleue that it is Christes bodye? speake.

I sayd: HaueHave you not my minde? Why do you trouble me?

He sayd: What did Christ geue you? was it breade, or was it not?

I sayd: Christ tooke bread and gaue thanks, and gaue it, and they tooke bread, and did eate. And Saincte Paule maketh it more manifest, where he sayth: So oft as yee shall eate of this bread, and drinke of this cuppe, yee shall shew forth the Lordes death vntill hee come. 1. Cor. 10.1 Cor 10Saincte Paule sayth not here, as you say: for he sayth: So ofte as you shall eate of thys bread. He doth not saye, body. So they intendinge that I should go no further in the text, sayd: Tush, you goe about the bush. Aunswere me to the first question. Let vsus make an end of that.

What say you to the bread that Christe gaue? Let mee hauehave your mind in that.

I aunswered: I hauehave sayd my mind in it.

Then the Chancellor sayde: No, wee will hauehave youre mind in that.

I aunswered: I hauehave sayd my minde in it.

Then the Chancellor: No, we will hauehave your mynde more playnly: For wee intend not to hauehave many wordes with you.

I said: My faith is fully grounded and stablished, that Christ Iesus the Easter Lamb hath offered his blessed body a sacrifice to God the father, the price of my redemptiō. For by that onelyonly sacrifice are all faythfull sanctified, & he is our onelyonly aduocate and mediatour, and hee hath made perfect our redemption. This hath hee done alone, wythout any of your dayly oblations.

Then Doctour Brigges starte vp, and sayd: Truthe, your wordes are true in deede. You take well the litterall sense: but this you must vnderstand, that like as you sayd that Christ offered his body vponupon the Crosse, whiche was a bloudy sacrifice, and a visible sacrifice: so likewise wee dayly offer the selfe same body that was offered vppon the crosse, but not bloudy and visible, but inuisible,Vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse. vntounto God the father.

Doe you offer Christes body, I sayd? Why then chrystes sacrifice was not perfect. But Christ is true, when all men shalbe lyers.

Then he sayd: Thou shalt not feare him that hath power to kill the body: but thou shall feare hym that hathe power to kill both body and soule.

I aunswered & sayd: It is not so But the text is thus: Thou shalt not feare them that hauehave power to kill the body, and then hauehave done what they can. But thou shalt feare him that hath power to kill both body and soule, and cast them both into hel fire, and not them.

He aunswered and sayd: Yes, for it is the Church.

I aunswered and sayd: Why, Christ sayth: I geue my lyfe for the redemption of the worlde. No manne taketh my lyfe from me (saythe hee) but I geue it of myne owne power, and so I hauehave power to take it agayne. Therefore Christ y^e sonne of god did offer his blessed body once for al. p. 2012And if you wil presume to offer his body dayly, then your power is aboue Christes power. With that he chafed, and sayd: What, shal wee hauehave doctrine? Ye are not hereto appointed.

Then the Chauncellor stoode vp, and sayde: will yee turne from this wicked error, and be an example of goodnes, as you hauehave bene an example of euill (for by youre wicked reading you hauehave perswaded simple women to be in this error) and ye shall hauehave mercy.

And I said: it is of God that I do craue mercy, whom I hauehave offended, and not of you.

Then sayde the Chauncellor: When were you at youre parishe Churche? These two yeares and more you hauehave stand excommunicate. Wherfore you are condemned. And so I was condemned.

The Martyrdome of Richard Crashfield. Anno. 1557. August. 5.Thus hast thou, gentle Reader, the examinations of this godly young man, set forth and written with hys own hand, who not long after his condēnation was by y^e Sheriffes and Officers there, brought to the stake, where with much pacience and constancie he entered his blessed Martirdome. At the burning of whiche Christian Martyr one Thomas Carman the same tyme was apprehended, by what occasion, it is not yet to vsus fully certayne, whether it was for words, or for praying with him, or for pledging him at his burning, concerning which Thom. Carman, his story hereafter followeth in his order and place, further to be seene.

¶One Fryer and a certayne godly woman burned at Rochester, who was the sister of George Eagles.

August. 20. One Fr…ar, & the sister of George Eagles, …urned at Rochester.ABout the same time and month, one named Fryer, w^t a woman accompanying him, who was the sister of George Eagles in the like cause of righteousnes, suffered the like martyrdome by the vnrighteous papistes, whose tyranny the Lord of his mercy abate & cut shorte, turning that wicked generation, if it be his will, to a better minde.