Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 97 – Account 99
¶Alexander Wimshurst.
ALike example of God almighties goodnes toward his afflicted seruaunts in that daungerous tyme of persecution may also appeare euidently in one Alexāder Wimshurst a Priest,Alexander …imshurst a Minister, deliuered by Gods pr…uidence from his enymies. sometyme of Magdalene Colledge in Oxford, and then the Popes owne Knight, but since an earnest enemy to Antichrist, and a man better instructed in the true feare of God. It happened that one had promooted hym to Boner for religion, vppon what occasion I do not vnderstand. Accordyng to the olde maner in such cases prouided, he sent foorth Robin Caly, otherwyse called Robin Papist, one of his Whelpes to bring in the game, and to cause this silly poore man to appere before him. Litle Robin lyke a proper man bestirreth hym in hys busines,Wymshurst taken by Robin Caly. and smelleth hym out, and when he had gotten hym, bringeth hym along by Chepeside, not sufferyng hym to talke with any of his acquaintaunce by the way, though there were of his olde friendes of Oxford that offered to speake vntounto hym.
When they came into Paules, it happened this Alexander to espy D. Chadsey there walkyng vp and downe. To whom, because he was able in such a case to doe pleasure, and for that he had bene of his olde acquaintaunce in Oxforde, he was very desirous to speake to hym ere hee went through. Chadsey perceiuyng that Robin Caly dyd attend vponupon hym, sayd that he durst not meddle in ye matter.Wymshurst ta…eth with Doct. Chadsey. Yes (sayth little Robin) you may talke with hym if it please you M. Doctor. To bee short, Alexander openeth his case, and in the ende desireth for old acquaintance sake that he would finde meanes he myght be rather broughte before Doctor Martine to bee examined, then any other. Nay sayth he (alledgyng the wordes of Christ vntounto Peter in the last chapter of Saint Ioh.) You remember brother what is written in the Gospell:D. Chadsey asure friend at neede. When thou wast yong thou diddest girde thy selfe, and wentest whether thou wouldest: but beyng aged, other men shall girde thee and leade thee whether thou wouldest not. Thus abusing the Scripture to hys priuate meanyng, whereas notwithstandyng hee might easily hauehave accomplished so small a request if it had liked hym.
Wymshurst brought to D. Story & D. Cooke, Commissioners.Thence was he caried to Story and Cooke Commissioners, there to learne what should become of hym. Before them he did vse hymselfe boldly & stoutly, as they on the other side did vrge him with captious questions very cruelly. When they had baited the poore man their fill, they asked hym where his whore was. She is not my whore (sayd he) but my lawful wife. She is thy whore, said they. She is not my whore (said he againe) but my wife I tell you. So whē they perceiued that he would not geue place vntounto them,Wimshurst commaunded to prison. nor attribute to them so much as they looked for at his hand, accordyng to the ordinary maner they cō maunded him to prison. And nowe marke well the prouidence of God in his preser…tion.
He was brought into Clunies house at Pater noster row, thence to be caried to Lollards tower out of hande, but that Cluny (as it happened) his wyfe and his mayde were so earnestly occupied about present busines, that as then they had not laisure to locke vp their prisoner. In the hall where Alexander sate, was a strange woman, whose husband was then presently in trouble for religiō, which perceiued by some one occasion or other, that this mā was brought in for the lyke cause. Alacke good man sayth she: if you will you may escape the cruel hands of your enemies,Good coū se…l sent of God. forasmuch as they be all away that should looke vntounto you, God hath opened the way vntounto you of deliueraunce, and therefore loose not the oportunitie thereof, if you bee wise. With those and such lyke wordes beyng then perswaded, he gate out of the dores and went away without any hast making at all: so that if any had followed, he might hauehave bene easily recouered againe. But vndoubtedly,A way made by Gods … to Alexander Wimshurst to escape. it was Gods will that he should so escape the furie of his aduersaries, and be preserued from all daungers of death & imprisonment.
¶Bosomes wyfe.
AS the workes of the Lord are not to bee kept secrete,Bosoms wyfe. whatsoeuer the persones be in whom it pleaseth hym to worke: …o commeth to remembraunce the story of ore Bosoms wyfe not vnworthy to be considered. This good woman beyng at Richmond with her mother, was greatly called vpō, and vrged to come to church. At length thorough importunate crying and calling vponupon, she granted vntounto them, and came. Beyng in the church, & sittyng with her mother in the pue,The behauiour of Bosoms wyfe in the Church. contrary in al things to the doings of the Papistes shee behaued her selfe: to wit, when they kneeled, she stood, when they turned forward, shee turned backward, &c.
This being notorious in the church,Bosoms wyfe summoned to appeare at Kingstone. at length ye Constable and Churchwarden named Sanders, attached her in the Queenes name, charging her with her Mother, the next day to appeare at Kingston. Who at their commaundement so did.
The next day according as they were assigned, they came to Kingston to appeare before the foresayd officers, who at the same tyme (as it chanced) were going ouer the Fery, & meeting them by the way,Bosoms wyfe through Gods helpe escapeth. saluted them by their names, but at that tyme had no further power to speake vntounto them. Afterward, as they were in the boat goyng ouer, they knockt their hands, stampt and stared, same …yng that they had let them so passe their hands. This the Feryman declared vntounto them, and what they sayd in the boat. Whereupon the good woman taking her iourney to London, escaped their cruelty, through the secret working (no doubt) of the Lord: who in all his workes and euermore be praysed, Amen.
¶Lady Kneuet in Northfolke.
AMong the number of the godly that were kept vnderunder the prouidence of the Lord in those perillous dayes,The Lady Anne Kneuet. I may not forget an auncient good Lady of much worship, called Lady Anne Kneuet, who till her death dwelte in Norfolke, in a towne named Wimon…ham vj. miles from Norwich. Which sayd good Lady in Queen Maries days beyng iudged by the common people, more then an hundreth yeare of age, and by her owne estimation well towards a C. kept her selfe from their popish church, or hauyng any papisticall trash ministred in her house, but only the seruice that was vsed in the latter dayes of K. Edward the 6. which daily she had sayd before her, either by one M. Tollin who was then by Gods prouidence preserued in her house, or els by one of her Gentlewomen or houshold seruant that could serue the place in the sayd M. Tollins absence.
Now this worshipfull Lady continuing in this maner of true seruyng of God,Lady Kneuet threatned by the Byshop. she and her familie were many tymes threatened by messengers, that the Bish. would visite her therfore. Unto which messengrs she would always answer, that if his Lordship sent word before what day he would come, he should thereafter be entertained at her hand. But God, whose prouidence ruleth the ragyng seas, neuer suffred them al that toyling tyme to molest her. Although oftentimes whē she had seruice before her, there were very great enemies to the truth and of much authoritie, that came in, and kneled to prayer among them, and yet had no power to trouble her therfore.
This good Lady (gentle Reader) kept good hospitalitie▪ as any in that countrey, of her liuyng. She also succored many persecuted that came to her house in the said M. Maries dayes. Were they neuer so simple, they were esteined of her as the frends of ye gospel, and departed not frō her without money and meat.The great age of the Lady Kneuet. Borne she was long before K. Edward the 4. dyed, and ended her life in the Lord Iesus peace, about the beginning of the 2. yeare of our most soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeths raigne, as one fallyng into a most sweete sleepe.
Unto whom not vnworthely may bee compared the Lady Elizabeth Uane,Lady Elizabeth Vane a great relieuer of Gods people. who likewyse beyng a great harborer and supporter of the afflicted Martyrs and Confessors of Christ, was in great …assards & daungers of the enemies, and yet notwithstandyng, thorough the mercifull prouidence of the Lord, remained still vntouched. Of this Lady Uane thou shalt read before.