Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 42
¶The trouble of Peter Moone and his Wife, and of other Godly Protestantes at Byshop Hoptons visitation in Ipswich.
IN the yeare of our Lord God. 1556. The sceane or visitation, being kept before Whitsontide, in the Towne of Ipswich in Suffolcke, by Doctour Hopton being then Byshop of Norwich, and Myles Dunninges, being then his Cauncellour, diuers and sondry godly Protestantes, through the accusation of euill men, where sore troubled & presented before him: among whom were accused one Peter Moone a Taylor,Peter Moone … to B. …pton. and Anne his wife: for theyr disobedience to the law, in not shewing theyr readinesse to come to the Church, and to be partaker of such Romish obseruances as at that time were vsed.
And first the sayd Peter Moone was commaunded to come before the Bishop, where he was examined of three sondry Articles, to wit: 1. Whether the pope were supreme head:…. Articles … to Peter Moone. 2. Whether King Philip and Queene Mary were right inheritors to the crowne. 3. And whether in the Sacrament of the aulter was the very body of Christ substā cially and really there present.
Unto the which, the sayde Peter being timerous and weake, fearing more the face of man then the heauy wrath of God, affirmed, and in maner graunted vntounto the demaū des.Peter M…one … i… the Bi…op… arti…es … infir…tye. Whereupon the Bishop being in good hope, that although he had not come to the Church, nor receiued theyr Sacrament of the Aultar, nor bene ready to doe his duetye as the law had commaunded: yet there shewing his mind sayd, that he liked well the man: for such as hauehave bene (sayd he) earnest in euill thinges, will also be earnest in that that is good and godly, if once they be wonne.
Thus as this Spirituall father was commending his carnall child, and rather preferring him to hell fire, thē vntounto the sincere word and commaundementes of GOD, it chaunced amongest many others in the chamber, was one of the portmen of the same towne named Smart, an earnest member of theyr Romish law, doing of a very conscience that he did,… of Smart of Ipswich. R…ch. Smart … Ipswich repenteth … Popery … his death. who after the death of Queene Mary lyued not many yeares, but rendred his life in godly repentaunce, protesting that if God should suffer him to liue, he woulde neuer be the man he had bene before, what lawes so euer should come agayne: so that before the time of hys sicknes he frequenting earnestly the Sermons in the same Towne by diuers godly learned, woulde weepe as it had bene a childe, being notwithstanding of courage as stout a manne as any was in Ipswich. Such is the maruellous mercy of God, in calling to his kingdome, whom, & when he pleaseth.
This portman aforesayd, perceiuing the Bishop thus, as it were, at an end with the sayd Moone, and so he lyke to be discharged, sayd vntounto the Bishop: my Lord, in deed I hauehave a good hope in the man, and that he will be conformable:Smart accu…eth Moo… wyfe. but my Lord, he hath a perrillous woman to his wife. For I will tell you my Lorde, she neuer came to Churche yet, since the Queenes reigne, except it were at Euensong, or when shee was Churched. And not then vntill Masse were done. Wherfore your good Lordship might do a good deed to cause her to come before you, and to see if ye coulde do any good. And therefore I beseech your good Lordshyp to commaund him to pray her to come before your Lordshippe.
At the which words Moone was somewhat styrred in that he sayde, commaunde him to pray her to come before your Lordship. And he sayd vntounto him, vnderunder my Lordes correction I speake, I am as able to cōmaund her to come before my Lorde, as ye are to commaund the worst boy in your house. Yea my Lord, sayd the other, I cry your Lordship mercy: I hauehave informed your Lordship with an vntroth,… to bring … wyfe before the b…hop. if this be so. But if he be so able as he saith, he might hauehave commaunded her to hauehave come to Church in all thys time, if it had pleased him. Well sayde the Bishop, looke ye come before me agayne at afternoone, and bring your wife with you: I will talke with her.
As my Lordes dinner at that time was seruing vppe, Moone departed and taryed not to take parte thereof hauing such an hard breakefast geuen him before to digest. At afternoone Moone delayed and wayted his time, bethinking whē he might most conueniently come, especially whē his accuser & his wiues shoulde not hauehave bene there. And accordinge to the commaundement came with his wife, which was not so secretly, but his accuser had knowledge thereof, and came with all expedition in such poste speede, that in a maner he was windlesse entring into the bishops chamber.
The Bishoppe hearing that Moone and his wife were come, called for them, and sayd to Moone: is this your wife Moone? Yea my Lord, sayd he.Moone and his wyfe brought before the Bishop. O good Lord (sayd the Byshop) how a man may be deceiued in a woman. I promise you a man would take her for as honest a woman, by all outward appearaunce, as can be. Why my Lorde, sayde Moones wife, I trust there is none that can charge me wt any dishonesty, as cōcerning my body, I defy all ye worlde in that respect.
Nay (quoth the Bishop) I meane not as concerning the dishonesty of thy bodye: but thou hadst bene better to hauehave geuen the vse of thy body vntounto xx. sundry men, thē to doe as thou hast done.B. Hopton preferreth 20. men committing adultery, before one woman transgressing The Popes ordinaunces. For thou hast done as much as in thee lyeth, to plucke the King and the Queenes maiesties out of theyr royal seates, through thy disobedience, in shewing thy selfe an open enemy vntounto Gods lawes, & theyr proceedinges.
Then began the Bishop to examine the said Moone agayne, with the aforesayd Articles, and his wife also. And hearing her husband relēt, did also affirme the same, whiche turned vntounto either of them no small trouble of minde afterwarde, but yet neither were they like thus to escape, but that in the meane time Dunning the Bishops Chaū cellour came vp in great haste, and brought newes to the Bishop, that there were such a number of hereticks come, of which some came from Boxford, some from Lanham, & about from the Cloth Country, that it would make a man out of his wittes to heare them, and there are amōg them both heretickes and Anabaptistes, sayd he. And thus Doctour Dunning with his blostering wordes interrupting Moones examination, went downe agayne as the deuill had driuen him, to keepe his styrre among them, & to take order what should be done with them.
The Bishop beginning to bewaile the state of the coū trey, in that it was so infected with such a number of heretickes and rehearsing partlye theyr opinions to these that were at that time in the chāber, Moones wife had a young childe, whiche shee her selfe nursed, and the childe beyng brought into the yeard vnderunder the Bishops chamber cried, so that she heard it, and then sayde: My Lorde, I trust ye hauehave done with me. My childe cryeth beneath,Moones childe a parte of God… prouidence in their deliuerance from further trouble I must goe geue my childe sucke, with such like wordes. And the Byshop being, as it were, out of minde to talke with them any more, sayd: goe your way, I will talke with you in the morning: looke ye be here agayn in the morning: with this they both departed.
And beneath in the stone Hall of the same house, the Chauncellour Dunning being very busy about his bloudy busines, espyed Moone and his wife comming, & must needes passe by the place where he stood, and sayde: Nay soft, I must talke with you both: for ye are as euill as any that are here to day. To whom Moones wife aunswered: My Lorde hath had vsus in examination, and therefore yee shall hauehave nought to doe with vsus. Nay, quoth he,Moones aunswere to the Bishops Chaū cellour. ye shall not so escape, I must talk with you also. Unto whō Moon answered: In the presence of the more, the lesse hath no power: My Lord hath taken order with vsus, and therfore we are as his Lordship hath appoynted, and must repayre before him agayne to morow. At the which he let them go,Moone and his wyfe escaped from the Bishop and his Chauncellour. although he was earnestly procured by the party aboue specified, to hauehave shewed his quality, which was nothing els but tyranny.
So departed Moone and his wife without hurt of body:Moone and his wyfe confounded in conscience for their denyall. Moone seeketh to kill himselfe, but by Gods mercifull prouidence was preserued. but afterward when they with Peter the Apostle beheld the face of Christ, they were sore wounded in consciences, ashamed of theyr doings, and also at the doore of desperation. In so muche, that when the sayde Moone came home to his house, & entring into a parlour alone by himselfe, considering his estate, and saw where a sword of hys did hang agaynst a wall, was earnestlye allured by the enemy Sathan to hauehave taken it downe, and therewith to hauehave slayne himselfe: but God, who casteth not away the penitent sinner repenting his fall with hart, defended hys vnworthy seruaunt from that temptation, and hath (I trust) left him to the amendement of life by the assistaunce of his holy spirit and to make him one amōg the elect that shalbe saued.
The morow they both remayned and kept house with no small griefe of conscience wayting and looking wyth feare, when to be sent for to the Bishop, rather then offering theyr diligence to keepe the Bishops appoyntment, but God so wrought,Gods prouidence in sending away the Bishop. that when the time drew neare that they feared calling forth, the bels rong for the bishops departure out of the towne. For the which they were not only glad, but also many a good hart in Ipswich reioised and gaue thankes to God. God for his mercy graunt, that our sinne neuer deserue to prouoke Gods ire, that the lyke dayes come agayne. And if it so do, God make them, with all other weakelinges, stronge and worthy souldiours to incounter with the ghostly enemyes,Testified and recorded by Peter Moone. the world, the fleshe, and the Deuill. And boldely to stande to the confession of Christ, and of his Gospel, saying with the Apostles: Whether it be right in the sight of god,Anno 1556. Iuly. that we should obey you more then God, iudge ye.