Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 104
The congregation at Stoke in Suffolke.
THere were some likewise which auoyded the violent rage of the aduersaries by meanes onelyonly of their number,The story of a congregation at Stoke in Suffolke. and mutuall concord in godlinesse, wherein they dyd so holde together that without muche adoe none well could be troubled: whereof we hauehave example in a certain towne of Suffolke called Stoke. After the three sharpe yeares of Queene Maries persecution beyng past, yet notwithstandyng the inhabitantes of the towne aforesaid specially the women, came not to their Church to receyue after the Popish maner, the Sacrament. Who, if they had bene but fewe, they could by no meanes hauehave escaped imprisonment. But because there were so many, the Papists thought it not best to lay handes vponupon them. OnelyOnly they appoynted them 16. dayes respite after Easter, wherein as many as would, should receiue the Sacrament: those that would not, should stand to the peril that would folow. Of this company which were many, geuing theyr handes together, the chiefest doers were these.
Eaue, an old woman of three score yeares.
Alice Coker her daugher.
Confessors.Elizabeth Foxe.
Agnes Cutting.
Alice Spenser.
Henry Cauker.
Ioane Fouke.
Agnes Spaulding.
Iohn Steyre, and hys brother.
Iohn Foxe.
These, after the order was taken for theyr not comming to the Church, tooke aduisement among themselues what was best to be done, and at length concluded by promise one to another, that they woulde not receiue at all. Yet some of them afterwarde being perswaded with fayre promises that the Communion should be ministred vntounto them according to Kyng Edwardes booke, gat them vntounto the parish Priest (whose name was Cotes) and asked him after whiche sort he woulde minister the Sacrament.Cotes Parishe Priest it Stoke. He aunswered to such as he fauoured, that he woulde geue it a…ter the right sort: the rest should hauehave it after the papisticall maner.
To be short, none did communicate so, but onelyonly Iohn Steyre and Iohn Foxe:Iohn Steyre and Iohn Foxe …. of whiche the one gaue his Wyfe leaue to do as she thought best. The other wēt about with threates to compell his wife, saying that otherwise hee would diuorce himselfe from her. As for the rest, they dyd withdraw themselues from church, resorting to their wō ted company. OnelyOnly Foxes wife taried still at home, all in her dumpes and heauines, whose husband practised wyth the Curate in the meane time, that the nexte daye after he shoulde geue her the sacrament, whiche was the xvij. daye after Easter. But the very same day, vnknowing vntounto her husband, she gat her selfe secretly to her companye, & with teares declared how violently her husband had delt wyth her.The christian constancye of Elizabeth Foxe. The effecte of Christian prayer. Iohn Foxe recouered agayne to the truth by prayer. The other women had her notwithstanding to be of a good cheare, and sayde that they woulde make theyr earnest prayers vntounto the Lord, both for her and her husband, and in deed when they had so done, the matter tooke verye good successe. For the next day after, goodman Foxe came of his owne accorde vntounto them, a farre other man then hee was before, and bewayled his owne headines and rashnesse, praying thē that they would forgeue him, promising euer after to be more strong in fayth, to the great reioysing both of them and his wife.
About halfe a yeare after this, the Bishop of Norwich sendeth forth certaine of his Officers or Apparatours thither, which gaue them warning eueryevery one to come to the Church the next Sonday following. If they woulde not come,The womē of Stoke summoned by the Byshop. they shoulde appeare before the Commissary out of hand, to render account of theyr absence. But the women hauing secret knowledge of this before, kept themselues out of the way for the nonce, to auoyd the sūmons or warning. Therefore when they were not at the Church at the day appoynted, the Commissary did first suspend them according to the Bishop of Romes lawe, and within three weekes after did excommunicate them.How the women of Stoke escaped. Therefore when they perceiued that an Officer of the Towne was sette to take some of them, they conueying themselues priuily out of the towne, escaped all daunger.