Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 27
Hugh Lauerocke an olde lame man, Iohn Apprice a blinde man, Martyrs, burned at Stratford the Bowe.
IN the discourse of thys parcell or parte of Hystorie,May. 15. Two burned together at one stake, Hugh Lauerrocke an olde lame man, and Iohn Apprice a blynd man. I knowe not, whether more to maruaile at the greate and vnsearchable mercies of God (wyth whome there is no respecte in degrees of parsones, but he choseth as well the poore, lame, and blinde, as the rich, mighty, and healthful, to sette foorth hys glory) or els to note the vnreasonable or rather vnnaturall doings of these vnmerciful catholickes (I meane B. Boner, and his complices) in whome was so little fauour or mercye to all sortes and kindes of men, that also they spared neither impotente age, neither lame, nor blinde, as may well appeare by these poore creatures, whose names and stories heere vnderunder followe.
Hugh Lauerocke, of the parish of Barking Painter, of the age of 68. a lame creple.
Iohn Apprice ▪ a blinde man.
These 2. poore and simple creatures, beinge belike accused by some promoting neighbor of theirs, vntounto ye bish. and other of the K. and Queenes Commissioners, were sent for by their Officer: and so being brought & deliuered into the handes of the sayd bishop, were the 1. day of May examined before him in his pallaice at London: Where he first propounded and obiected againste them those 9. Articles, wherof mētion is made before, ministred as wel vntounto Bartlet Grene, as also vntounto many others. To ye which they aunsweared in effecte, as Christopher Lister, Iohn Mace, and other before mentioned had done.
Wherupon they were againe sent to prison, and beside other times,… the 9. day of the same monethmonth, in the consistorie of Pauls were againe openly producted, and there after the olde order, trauailed with all to recant theyr opinions against the Sacrament of the altare.
Wherunto Hugh Lauerocke first sayd: I will stand to mine answers,… and to that that I hauehave cōfessed: and I can not finde in the scriptures, that the Priestes should lift vp ouer theyr head a cake of bread.
The bishop then turned him vntounto Iohn Apprice, and asked what he would say.
To whom he answeared: Your doctrine (sayd he) that yee set foorth & teache, is so agreeable wyth the world, and embraced of the same, that it can not be agreeable with the scripture of God. And ye are not of the catholicke church: for ye make lawes to kil men, and make the Queene your hangman.
At which woordes the bishop, belike, somewhat tickeled, and therfore very loth to delay theyr condēnation any longer (such was now his hote burning charitie) cōmanded that they shoulde be brought after him vntounto Fulham,… whether he before dinner did goe, and there in the afternoone, after his solemne maner, in the open church he pronounced the definitiue sentence of condemnation againste them, and so deliuering them into the hands of the temporall officer, thoughte to dispatche his handes of them, but could not so dispatch his conscience before the iudgement of God, from the guiltinesse of innocent bloud.
The pore men being now in ye temporal officers hāds, might not there be suffered long to remain, & therefore the 15. day of May, very early in the morning they were caried from Newgate in a cart to Stratford the Bow, & most quietly in the fire praising God, yelded vp their soules into hys handes, throughe a liuely Faith in Iesus Christe, whom vntounto the ende they did most constantly confesse.
At their death, Hugh Lauerock, after he was chained, casting away his crooche, and cōforting Iohn Apprice his fellow Martyr, sayd vntounto him: be of good comfort my brother: for my Lorde of London is our good Phisition. Hee will heale vsus both shortly, thee of thy blindenesse, and me of my lamenesse. And so paciently these two good Saints of God together suffered.