Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 120
*The storye of Thomas Rose yet liuing, a Preacher, of the age of lxxvi. yeares, in the towne of Luton, and Countye of Bedford.
THis Thomas Rose a Deuonshyre man, was borne in Exmouth, and being made Priest in that coūtrey, was brought out of it by one M. Fabiā,The story of Thomas Rose yet liuing. to Polsted in Suffolke where ye sayd M. Fabian was Parson, & in short tyme after, by his meanes was placed in ye town of Hadley, wher he first cōming to some knowledg of the gospel, began first there to intreat vponupon the Crede, & therupon to take occasiō to inueigh against Purgatory, praying to Saints & Images, about the tyme yt M. Latimer began first to preach at Cambridge, in the tyme of Bilney & Arthur .47. yeares ago, or thereabout, in so much that many imbracing ye truth of Christes Gospell, against the sayd Purgatory and other poynts: and the number of them daily increasing, ye aduersaries beganne to stirre agaynst him, in so muche that M. Bale (who afterwarde became a godly zelous man) was then brought to preach agaynst the sayd Thomas Rose, & so did. This notwithstanding he continued still very vehement agaynst Images, & the Lorde so blessed his labours that many began to deuise how to deface and destroy them and especially foure men, whose names were Ro. King, Ro. Debnam, Nic. Marsh, and Ro. Gard. which vsually resorted to his sermons & vpō his preaching were so inflamed with zeale, that shortly after they aduentured to destroy the Roode of Douercourt, which coste three of them theyr liues, as appeareth before pag. 1031. The three persons which suffered, and were hanged in chaynes, wer offered theyr liues,Three offered to hauehave their liues saued to accuse Tho. Rose, but would not. to hauehave accused the sayd Thomas Rose, as of counsell with them, which refused so to do, and therfore suffered. The sayd Tho. Rose had the coat of the sayd Roode brought vntounto him afterward, who burned it. The Roode was sayde to hauehave done many great myracles and great wonders wrought by him, and yet being in the fire could not help him selfe, but burned like a block, as in very deede he was.
At this time there were two sore enemies in Hadley, Walter Clerke, and Iohn Clerke, two brethren, these cō playned to the Counsayle, that an hundred men were not able to fetch the sayde Thomas Rose out of Hadley, who then was vponupon examination of his doctrine, committed to the Commissaries keeping. And in deede such was ye zeale of a number towardes the truth thē in that towne, yt they were much offended, that their Minister was so taken frō them, and had therefore by force fet him from the Commissary, if certain wise men hadde not otherwise perswaded, which at length also with more quiet did set him in his office agayne,Thomas Rose arested by a Sergeant at Armes. which thing so angred ye two brethren, Walter Clerke & Ioh. Clerk, that they complayned to ye counsaile, as aforesayd, wherupon a serieant at armes named Cartwright, was sent from the counsayle, who arested the sayd Thomas Rose, & brought him before the counsayle. Then his aduersaries being called, they layd to his charge, yt hee was priuy of the burning of the Rood of Douercourt, and vponupon this he was committed to the prison in the Bish. of Lincolns house in Holborne, Bishop Langly the kinges Confessor, and there remayned he in prison, frō Shroftide till tyll Mydsomer very sore stocked tyll after Easter.
The stocks were very hye, & great, so that day & night he did lye with his backe on the ground,The cruel handling of Thomas Rose by the Papistes. vponupon a litle straw with his heeles so hye, yt by meanes the bloud was fallen from his feete, his feet wer almost without sense for a long time, & he herewith waxed very sicke, in so much that hys keeper pittying his estate, and hearing him cry sometyme thorow the extremetie of payne, went to the bishop, & told him that he would not keep him to dye vnderunder his hand, & vponupon this he had some more ease & libertie. Now at thys time his mother was come frō Hadley to see him, but she might not be suffered to speake wt the saide Tho. Rose her son (such was their cruelty) but the B. flattered her, & gaue her a payre of pardon beades, & bade her go home & pray, for she might not see him, which thing pierced ye harts both of ye mother & sonne not a litle. At this time also certain mē of Hadley, very desirous to see him, trauayled to speake wt him, but might not be suffered, til at length they gaue the keeper 4. s. & yet then might not speake to him, or see hym otherwise then through a grate. And thus continued he til midsomer in prison there. Then was he remoued to Lambeth,Thomas Rose set at libertye by Doctour Cranmers meanes. in the first yeare of D. Cran. consecration, who vsed him much more courteously then euer the B. of Lincolne did, & at length worked his deliuerance, & set him at liberty: but yet so, that he was bounden not to come within xx. myles of Hadley. After this he came to London, and there preached the gospell halfe a yeare, till Hadley men hearing therof, labored to hauehave him to Hadley agayn, & in deed by meanes of sir Iohn Rainsford knight, obtained at ye Archbishops hād to hauehave him thither: howbeit, by meanes one was placed in ye cure at Hadley, he could not enioy his office again there, but went to Stratford three miles off, and ther cōtinued in preaching ye word 3. yeares til at lengthe the aduersaries procured an inhibition from the Bysh. of Norwiche, to put him to silence. But a great number trauayled to hauehave him continue in preaching, & subscribed a supplication to ye archb. with seuē score hands, who vnderunder their seales also testified of his honest demeanor, so that the aduersaries this way preuayling not, they indicted him at Bury in Suffolk, so that he was constrayned to flee to lō don, & to vse ye aid of the L. Audly, then Lord Chauncellor who remoued the matter from thē, & called it before hym & after certain examination of the matter, did set him free & did send him by a token to the Lord Crōwell then L. pryuie Seale, for a licence frō the king, to preach, which being obteyned by the L. Cromwell his meanes (who hereupon also had admitted the sayd Thomas Rose his chaplayne) forthwith he was sent into Lincolnshyre and to Yorke. In the meane time such complaynt was made to the Duke of Northfolke,Tho. Rose Chaplaine to the Lord Cromwell. for that he had preached against auricular cō fession, transubstantiation, & such other poyntes conteined in the 6. articles (whiche then to hauehave done, by lawe was death) that the Duke in his owne person not onelyonly sought him at Norwich, but also beset al the hauens for him, from Yarmouth to Londō, & being Lieuetenant, cōmaunded, yt who soeuer could take ye said T▪ Rose, should hang him on ye next tree. Howbeit the sayd Tho. Rose at hys commyng home, hauing warning hereof by certayne godly persons was conueyed away, & passed ouer to Flanders, and so to Germany vntounto Zuricke, where a tyme he remayned with M. Bullinger, & afterward went to Basill, & there hosted wt M. Grineus, till letters came that M. Doct. Barnes shuld be B. of Norwiche, & things shuld be reformed, & he restored. But whē he came ouer into Eng. againe it was nothing so, & therfore forthwith f…ed agayne beyond ye seas being so beset, as if the mighty prouidence of God had not sent him in readines to receaue him, ye self same man,The mighty prouidence of God in preseruing Tho. Rose from his enemyes. bote and boy, yt before caryed him ouer, it had not bene possible for him to hauehave escaped. But such was the goodnes of god towards him, that he safely was conueyed, & liued at Barow the space of 3. yeares, til at length purposing to come ouer into Englād, about busines that he had, he, his wife, & their chyld being but a yeare & three quarters old, vpō ye sea, the ship being in great danger, wherin they sayled (for the mast being hewn downe in that perill, they wer caried whither soeuer the waues tossed them) they with dyuers others made a full accompt of death. Howbeit, at lengthe they wer taken prisoners, & caryed into Deepe in France hauing al their stuffe takē frō them, & xl.li. in mony. There they remayned prisoners frō Michaelmas til Hallowtide in great heauines, not knowing what woulde become of thē, but depending onelyonly vponupon Gods prouidēce, it pleased God at the same time, that one M. Young of the towne of Rye (who had heard hym preach before) came thither for ye redeeming of certayne English men there takē prisoners. This M. Young moued to see them in this case, muche pitied them, & comforted them, and told them hee would pay their ransome, & so he did, had them away, & brought them to Rye, & from thence by stealth came they to London. At length the honourable Earle of Sussex hearing of the said Tho. Rose, sent for him, his wife, & his childe, & had them to his house at Attelborough, where they continued,Tho. Rose agayne deliuered. til at length it was blased abroade, that the Earle was a mainteiner of such a man to reade in his house, as had preached against the Catholicke fayth (as they terme it.) The Earle being at the parlament, & hearing thereof, wrote a letter to warne him to make shift for himselfe, & to auoyd. So that frō thence he passed to London, making strayt shiftes for a yeare there & somewhat more, til the death of king Henry. After the kinges death, he & others which in the kings general pardon were excepted (& therefore dead men, if they had bene taken whilest king Henry liued) by certaine of ye Coūsayle were let at liberty, & at length, after K. Edward was crowned, were licensed to preach againe by the king, who gaue vntounto ye said Tho. Rose, the benefice of Westham by London. But at the death of that vertuous and noble prince, he was depriued of al, & so should also hauehave bene of his life, had not God appointed him friends, who receiued him in London secretly, as their teacher in the congregation, amongest whom for the pore prisoners at their assē blies .x.li. a night oftentymes was gathered. And thus he continued amongest them, & with the Lady Uane almost a yeare, in the raigne of Q. Mary. But although he oftentymes escaped secretly whilst he read to ye godly in sundry places of London, yet at length through a Iudas that betrayed them, he with .xxxv. that were with him,Tho. Rose apprehended. were takē in Bowchurchyard at a Shiermans house on Newyeres day at night being Tuesday. The residue being cōmitted to prisons, the sayd Tho. Rose was had to the B. of Winchester Ste. Gardiner, but the Bishop would not speeke with him that night, but committed him to the Clinke tyl Tuesday after.
*The first examination of Thomas Rose before Winchester at saint Mary Oueryes.
ON Thursday being brought before the B. of Winchester at S. Mary Oueries, the said Tho. Rose spake as followeth.The 1. examination of Tho. Rose.
Rose.
It maketh me to maruayle (my Lord, quoth he) that I should be thus troubled for that which by the worde of God hath bene established, & by the lawes of this Realme allowed, & by your own writing so notably in your booke De vera obedientia, confirmed.
Bysh.
Ah sirha, hast thou gotten that?
Rose.
Yea, my Lord, I thanke God, and do confesse my self much thereby confirmed. For as touching the doctrine of the supremacie agaynst the B. of Romes vsurped authoritie, no man hath sayde further. And as I remember you confesse in it, that when this truth was reuealed vntounto you you thought the scales to fall from your eyes.
Bishop.
Thou lyest like a varlet, there is no such thinge in my booke, but I shall handle thee and suche as thou art well enough. I hauehave lōg looked for thee, & at length hauehave caught thee. I will knowe who be thy maynteiners, or els I will make thee a foote longer.
Rose.
My Lord, you shall doe as much as pleaseth God, & no more, yet the lawe is in our hand: but I hauehave God for my maynteiner▪ & none other. At these wordes one of his seruāts stepped forth and said: my lord, I heard this man preach by Norwich in sir Iohn Robsters house, & in hys praier he desired God to turne Q. Maries hart, or elles to take her out of the world: and this was in K. Edw. time.
Rose.
My Lord, I made no such prayer, but next after the king I prayed for her after this sort, saying: Ye shall pray for my Lady Maries grace, that God wil vouchsafe to indue her with his spirite, that she graciously may perceiue ye misteries conteined within his holy lawes, and so render vntounto him her hart purified wt true fayth, & true & loyall obedience to her soueraigne lord and king, to the good ensample of the inferiour subiects. And this, my Lord, is already aunswered in mine own hand writing to ye counsel. Unto this he sayd little, but turning his face to certayne yt were by him: This is he (quoth the Bishop) that my Lord of Norwich told me had begotten his mayd with chylde.
Rose.
Tho. Rose … of Winchester,This is no heresie, my Lord, although it be a lye. In deed certayn wicked persons raysed this report of me, for ye hatred they bare to the doctrine whiche I preached: but for purgatiō of my self herein. I had no lesse then 6. of the counsails hands, yt there might be due & dilligent examination for this matter in the country by men of worship appointed for that purpose,Tho. Rose … Winchesters sclaunder. who can al testifie (I thank god) that I am most cleare frō such wickednes, & in deede they hauehave cleared me frō it, & therfore I doubt not but all good mē will espye ye mischieuous deuise of mine aduersaryes, whych (when other wayes fayled) by such sinister means went about to draw me into discredite & hatred: but God which is the helper of ye innocēt, & searcher of mens harts hath & doth defend me, & hath layd open thinges that wer hid, to their shame. One of ye chief reporters of this, that I should so abuse my self, was one M. Clarke seruaunt & in some estimation wt the old Lord Treasurer of England reputed & taken for a coniurer, who afterwards for his good demerites hanged himself in the Tower. Then the bishop commanded yt I shoulde be caryed to the tower,Tho Rose committed to the Tower. & be kept safely, where I did lye til it was the weeke before Whitsō tide. Before which time I was twise called, when as the bish. came to the tower about other prisoners. Notwythstanding the B. had no great talk with me, but spake frēdly. Howbeit, one sir Rich. Southwell knight still accused me for my prayer, & sayde, I did put a difference betwixte Lady Mary & Lady Elizabeth, for that I prayed in king Edwardes fayth, & prayed that he would confirme Lady Elizabeth in that which was well begō in her. Unto this the bish. sayde little: but in the weeke before Pentecost I was conueyed from the tower to Norwich, there to be examined by the bish. and his clergy, as concerning my faith the maner wherof here followeth.
¶The second examination of Tho. Rose before the bishop of Norwiche, Hopkins by name, in his owne Palace in the presence of sir William Woodhouse knight, M. Stewarde the Chauncellor, Doct. Barret, with diuers others, the Wednesday in Whitson weeke. an. Domini. 1553.
The 2. examination of Tho. Rose before the B. of Winchester.AFter I was presented by my keeper, the bishop immediately asked me what I was. I told him I had bene a Minister.
Bishop.
What is this to the purpose, were yee a Fryer or a Priest▪
Rose.
Fryer was I neuer, but a Prieste hauehave I bene, and beneficed by the kinges Maiesty.
Byshop.
Where were ye made Priest?
Rose.
In Exceter, in the county where I was borne. Thē the bishop required of me my letters of orders. I told hym I knew not where they were become, for they wer things of me not greatly regarded.
Byshop.
Well, you are sent to me to be examined: what say you, will you submit your selfe to the order of the Churche of England?
Rose.
My Lord, I trust I am not out of the order of chrystes Church in England, neither do I knowe my selfe an offender there agaynst.
Bysh.
What, ye…, ye hauehave here preached moste damnable & deuilish doctrine.
Rose.
Not so, my lord. The doctrine by me here preached, was both true, sincere, & holy. But in deede the doctrine yt is now set forth, is most wicked and damnable, yea & that both agaynst Gods lawes & mans. But as for the doctrin by me preached, it is grounded vponupon the word of God, set out also by the authoritie of two most mighty kings, with the consent of all the Nobilitie and clergy of the same, so yt I preached nothing but their lawfull proceedinges, hauing their lawfull authoritie vnderunder their broad Seales for confirmation of ye same, for which my doyng ye cannot iustly charge me. For why, sithens the lawe ceased, I hauehave kept silence, so that the Counsaile which sent me vntounto you hauehave not charged me therwith. Wherefore ye doe me open wrong to burden me with that wherein I am free.
Chanc.
What sir? ye are very captious, answerest thou my Lord after such a sort?
Rose.
Syr (sayd I) I aunswere for my selfe, and accordyng to the truth, wherwith ye ought not to be offended, if ye be of God.
Chaunc.
Thou art an euill man. Wast thou not abiured before now?
Rose.
No, ye vntruely report me, and are in no wise able to proue that whiche ye hauehave spoken: so that your wordes appeare to proceede altogether of malice, whiche I hauehave not deserued at your handes. But in this I well perceiue ye are made an instrument to vtter other mennes malice conceiued of olde.
Chaunc.
What sayest thou to the reall presence in the sacrament?
Rose.
I wist right well yee were made an instrument to seeke innocent bloud: well ye may hauehave it, if God permitte it is present and at hande, for I am not come hither to lye, but to dye (if God see it good) in defence of that whiche I hauehave sayd. Wherefore ye may begin when ye shall thinke good, for I hauehave sayd nothing but the trueth, and y• which in those dayes was of al men allowed for truth, & agaynst the which ye at that time durst not once whisper, although ye now brag neuer so much.
Bish.
Wel father Rose, sayd he, what soeuer hath ben done in times past, shal not now be called in question, so that ye now submit your self. For not only you, but all the whole realm hath bene out of ye right way, both high & low, spiritual & tēporal but al notwtstāding hauehave submited thēselues & acknowledged their faith. Wherfore if ye wil be accoūted for an Englishman, ye must likewyse submit your selfe.
Rose.
My L. I am an Englishman borne, & do most humbly require of ye christian congregation of England,How Thomas Rose submitteth himselfe. to bee counted as a perticular member of the same, & with al due reuerence submit my self as in forme & maner followyng: That whatsoeuer law or laws shal be set forth in the same for the establishment of Christs true religion, & that according to ye faith & doctrine of ye holy patriarchs & prophets, Iesus Christ, & his holy apostles, wt the faithful fathers of Christs primatiue church: I do not only hold it & beleeue it, but also most reuerently obey it. At which my assertion, the B. seemed to be greatly reioiced, & said: well, then we shall soone be at a point. But said he, you shal take this for no day of examination, but rather of communication, so that ye shall now depart & pawse your selfe, vntill we call for you againe, and so ended our first meetyng.
¶The third examination of Thomas Rose.The 3. examination of Thomas Rose.
ON the Friday following, I was called agayne into Christes church within their Ladies chapell (as they termed it) where was gathered a great part of the whole citie of Norwich, & after I was by my keper presented, ye B. began with a great protestation, & after many wordes demanded of me whether according to my former promise I would submit my selfe or no? I answered as before I had done, yt according to my former protestation, I would most gladly obey. Then said the Chauncellor, to vtter hys gentlenes, I thinke ye do but fayne.
Rose.
The fault then (said I) shal be in your selfe, and not in me. For if ye burthen me with nothing but scriptures, & the fathers of Christes primatiue church, then, as I sayde before, so I say agayne, I shall most gladly obey.
Chanc.
Well then, seeyng you chalenge to be a member of the church of England, your mother here for triall of obedience, prouoketh you, as mothers are woont, to allure you to receiue this little gift at her hand.
Rose.
Forsooth sayd I, if she offer it me, as receyued of God my father, I shal gladly receiue it, as from the hand of my very true and ghostly mother.
Chanc.
What say you to care confession?Auricular confession. is it not a law ecclesiasticall, and necessary for the church of England?
Rose.
Some wayes it might be permitted, & some wayes not, & that because it had not his originall of God & hys blessed word: and yet I deny not, but yt a man beyng trobled in his conscience, and resorting to a discreete, sober & christian learned man, for the quieting of hys mind, might well be permitted: but to binde a man vnderunder payne of dā nation, once eueryevery yeare to number his sinnes into ye eare of a filthy lecherous priest, is not of God, neither cā be approued by his word.
Bish.
Ah sirrha, yee will admitte nothing but scripture, I see well.
Rose.
No truely, my Lord, I admit nothing but scripture for the regiment of the soule:Nothing but scripture to be admitted for the regiment of the soule. for why, faythe commeth by hearing, & hearing by the word of god, and where ye word of God is not, there ought no beliefe to bee geuen. For what soeuer is not of fayth, is sinne, and here they leaue of speaking any more of that matter.
But then M. Chancelor began to whet his teeth at me saying: Yea, but you hauehave here preached that the reall, naturall, and substantiall presence of Christ is not in the Sacrament of the altar: what say ye to that?
Rose.
Uerily I say, that you are a bloudy man, & seeke to quench your thirst wt the bloud of an innocent, & therefore to satisfie you in that behalfe, I say verily vntounto you, that euen so I hauehave here preached, and althoughe contrary to law, you charge me with ye same, yet will I in no wise deny it, though iustly I might do it, but stand thereunto, euē to seale it with my bloud, desiring all that be here present, to testifie the same, and beleue it as the onelyonly truth.
Bish.
I charge you all beleue it not.
Rose.
Yea, But my Lord, sayde I, if ye will needes hauehave credence geuen you, you must bring Gods word to maintayne your sayinges.
Bish.
Why, doth not Christ say: This is my body? and can there be any playner wordes spoken?
Rose.
It is true, my Lord, ye words be as playne as can be and euē so be these, where as it is said, I am a dore, a vine and Christ called a stone, a Lyon, and yet is hee naturally none of these. For they be all figuratiue speaches, as both the scriptures and fathers do sufficiently proue.
At which my saying, the Bishop woulde hauehave had me stay, saying, I should hauehave an other day, wherin I might take better aduisement.
Rose.
Not so, my Lord, sayde I, for I am at a full point wt my selfe in that matter,Transubstantiation and Reall presence agaynst the Scriptures & the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church. and am right well able to proue both your transubstantiation, with the reall presence, to be agaynst the scriptures & the ancient fathers of the primatiue churche. For Iustinus which is one of the ancientest writers that euer wrote vponupon the sacramentes, wryteth in his 2. Apologie, that the bread, water, and wine in the sacrament, are not to be taken as other meates & drinkes, but bee meates purposely ordayned to geue thankes vntounto God, and therfore be called Eucharistia, and also hauehave the names of the body and bloud of Christe, and that it is not lawfull for anye man to eate and drinke of them, but suche as professed the religion of Christ, and liue also accordyng to theyr profession: and yet sayth he, the same bread & drink is chaunged into our flesh and bloud, and nourisheth our bodyes. By which saying it is euident, that Iustine ment that the bread and wine remayne still, or els they coulde not hauehave bene turned into our fleshe and bloud, and nourish our bodyes. At which my saying they were not a litle troubled, but enforced themselues to hauehave denyed the Doctor, and would suffer me to speake no more, but strait way was I caryed away vntounto my lodging: and so ended the second day of mine appearaunce, whiche was the Friday in Whitson weeke, and then was I appoynted to appeare agayne on the monday following. Howbeit, vppon what occasiō, I know not, it was deferred vntounto the Wednesday, which was Corpus Christi Euen.
His talke with the Earle of Sussex, sir William Woodhouse, and the Bishops chaplaines.
IN the meane time the Byshop sent two of his chaplens to me, with whome I had communication about the reall presence: and after long reasoning to & fro, concerning this poynt, at length I droue them to this issue, whether they did confesse that Christ in the selfe same bodye whiche was conceiued of the virgin Mary, and wherein he suffered and rose agayne, do in the selfe same body naturally, substancially, and really sit at the right hande of God the father, without returne from thence vntill the daye of the generall iudgement or not? Whereunto they aunswered, Yes truely, sayd they, we confesse it, hold it, and beleeue it. Then I agayne demaunded of them, whether they did affirme, after the wordes pronounced by the minister ther to remayne flesh, bloud, bones, heare, nayles, as is wonte most grossely to bee preached, or not? And they with great deliberation aunswered, that they did not onelyonly abhorre ye teaching of such grosse doctrine,The Papistes affirme the reall body of Christ to be in the Sacrament but they know not how. but also would detest thē selues, if they should so thinke.
At which two principall poyntes, wherein they fully confirmed my doctrine which I euer taught, I was not a little comforted and reioyced, but marueilously encouraged. Wherupon I demaunded againe of them, what maner of body they then affirmed to be in the Sacrament? Forsooth, sayd they, not a visible, palpable, or circumscriptible bodye, for that is alwaies at the fathers right hande, but in the sacrament it is inuisible, and can neither be felt, seene, nor occupy any place, but is there by the omnipotē cie of Gods woorde they knowe not howe.
And for this they brought in S. Augustine, although of them not truly vnderstanded, yet would they admit none other sense then their owne, but would take vppon them to confirme it with Martine Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer, and Caluine, so that I perceiuing their obstinacie in that behalfe, gaue them ouer for that time, & afterwardes talked with Doctour Barret, whome I also found of the same iudgement in that behalfe. For (sayd he) if ye shoulde dissent from the Fathers of the Primatiue churche in thys behalfe, of which S. Augustine is one, ye shall be counted to die out of the fauour of God. Well, all this their obstinacie and blasphemous errours imprinted and deepely weighed in my minde, I gaue them al ouer, and the more quietly to bring them to confesse that openly, whiche they vntounto me had graunted priuately, I graunted them, according to the scriptures, and my former protestation, a presence, although not as they supposed.
After all this, came there vntounto me the honorable Earle of Sussex, and that gentle knight sir William Woodhouse, wyth great perswasions: vntounto whome I sayd, after long talke, that I woulde doe all that I might, sauing my conscience, whiche I woulde in no wise pollute, and no more I hauehave, as knoweth God, by whome all menne must be iudged.
*His last appearance before the Bishop.
NOw to come to my last appearaunce,The last appearaunce of Thomas Rose before the Bishop. after I was before the Bishop presented, he forthwith demaunded of me, whether I were resolued, as hee had hearde say. To whom I aunsweared, that euen as alwayes I had sayde before, yt euen so I was now. Unto whom by low bowing my knee. I gaue my due reuerence, and the rather for that ye honorable Earle of Sussex was there. Wherewith some which would be counted great Gospellers, were, contrary to all Christianitye, sore offended. Then I sayde, that what soeuer lawes were set forth for ye establishment of Christes true religion, & that according to the doctrine of Christes holy Apostles, & the faithful fathers of ye primitiue church, I did not only obey them, but most earnestly imbrace and beleue them. Yea, and yet to the further blynding of theyr eyes, I sayd, yt yf any thing could iustly be proued by gods holy worde, by me heretofore preached or taught vntruly, either for lacke of learning, slide of tongue, or of ignorāce, yet by better knowledge whē it shall iustly be tryed & examined by the same: I shall not refuse (the thing perfectly approued) to reuoke ye same. Prouided alwayes, the word of God herein to be iudge.
Al this spake I (as God knoweth) to keepe them from suspecting that which I went about, and that they should hauehave none occasion to iudge me of obstinacy. Then sayd I moreouer. Al you must of force confesse, that ye doctrine by me heretofore preached, had besides the authority of Gods eternall veritye, the authority of two most noble & mighty princes, with the aduice and counsel of al the Nobility and Clergy of the same, and that with great deliberation from time to time, with open disputations in both ye Uniuersities: enacted also by parlament with the consent of the whole body and Commons of the same, and that without any resistance or gainsaying established, as a religion most pure & perfect, most earnestly and sincerely preached by ye principall Bishops and Doctors, and yt before the kinges maiesties person, & I as one being called to that office, did the like, with all the rest, and in the zeale of God, & wyth a pure conscience did set forth the same as the onelyonly & absolute truth of God, and the iust and most true procedings of my soueraigne Lord and king, and I had then my head at that present euen where it now standeth, betwixt myne eares, altogether applying the same, to apprehende wyth all dilligence, that which then was established and taught as the onelyonly and absolute truth, and a thing vntounto me most desirous and well liking, without my desire to heare the contrary, till now through this my captiuitie I am compelled to heare the contrary part speak, who are euen here present, and which my Lord sent vntounto me.
Of whom after long disputations priuately to and fro before this time had betwixt vsus, at length I hauehave heard by them a cōtrary doctrine, which I neuer before had heard, and therefore must confesse myne owne ignoraunce in the same. For (quoth I) after I had inforced these men here present (meaning the Bishops two Chapleynes) to confesse Iesus Christes naturall body with his full complete members in the due order and proportiō of a perfect mans body to be present at the right hand of God the father, and that wtout returne from thence vntill the last iudgement, and also that after the woordes pronounced by the Priest, there remaineth no suche grosse presence of flesh, bloude, bones, heare, and nailes, as was wont to be preached, but that after I had demaunded of them what maner of body they affirmed to be present, they saide: A body inuisible by the omnipotencie of Gods word, which neither can be felt nor seene, nor that hathe anye distinction of members, but such a body as occupieth no place, but is there, they know not how, necessity compelled me to confesse mine ignorāce in that behalfe: although in very deede they perceiued not my meaning therein, neither was it in my thoughte they should so doe. For by this their confession, and my silence, afterward I perceiued their horrible blasphemies.
And me thought, in this I had well discharged at that time my conscience, in causing them in open audience to confesse the same, and so I graunted a presence, but not as they supposed.
For onelyonly I sayd, that Christ after the worde pronounced, is present in the lawfull vse and right distribution of his holye Supper, which thing I neuer denied, nor anye godly man that euer I heard of. For (sayde I) Eusebius Emissenus, a man of singulare fame and learning, aboute 300. yeares after Christes Ascension, saieth: That the conuersion of the visible creatures of bread and wine into the body and bloude of Christ, is like vntounto our conuersion in Baptisme, where nothing is outwardly chaunged, but al the chaunge is inwardly by the mightye woorking of the holy Ghoste,Actes. 2. which fashioneth and frameth Christe in the heart and mind of man, as by the example of Peter preaching to the people. Actes 2. By which he so p…erced theyr consciences, that they openly with most earnest repentāce confessed their sinnes, saying: Men & brethren, what shall we doe? Repent, and be baptized eueryevery of you (said Peter) in the name of Iesus Christ: so that at this Sermon there were which turned vntounto Christ, three thousand persones, in whome Christ was so fashioned and framed, as that he did dwell in eueryevery one of them, and they in him: and after the like maner (sayd I) is Christ present in the lawfull vse and right distribution of his holy Supper, and not otherwise. For although I sayd, according to the truth, ye Christ dwelt in eueryevery one of these persones rehearsed, yet meant I nothing lesse, then that he in them should hauehave a grosse, carnall, or fleshly dwelling.
How Christ is present in the Sacrament.And no more meant I (as knoweth God) hym carnally or naturally to be in the Sacrament, but according to the Scriptures, and my former protestation, that is, to the spirituall nourishment of all such as woorthelye come vntounto that holy Supper, receiuing it according to his holy Institution.
And thus I ended, whych the Papistes moste maliciously and sclaunderously named a recantation, whyche I neuer meant nor thought (as God knoweth).
Now after I had thus concluded my speache, the Bishop taking me by the hand, sayd: Father Rose, you may be a woorthy instrument in Gods church, and we will see to you at our comming home (for hee was aboute to take hys iourney in visitation of his Diocesse) and they feared much at this very time, least Queene Marie should hauehave miscaried in childe trauaile, which was looked for, beynge then accounted very greate with childe, so that they were not so fierce as they had bene, and doubted very muche of some sturre, if I shoulde hauehave suffered, and therefore were glad to be rid of me, so that by any colourable meanes for theyr owne discharge it might be: so that the night folowing I was onelyonly committed to mine olde lodging.
On the morowe when the Bishop was ready to ride forth in visitation, he called me before him, and perceiuing that sir William Woodhouse did beare me great fauoure, sayde, he was sorie for me and my expenses, and therefore wished that I were somewhere, where I might spend no more money, till his retourne. Why my Lord (quoth Syr William Woodhouse) he shall hauehave meate and drinke, and lodging with me, til your returne againe, seeing you now breake vp house, and hereuppon I went home wyth Syr William that good Knight,P…pist… …r…estes … to … abroad lyes. who most gently entertained me, and I had great libertie. Uppon thys the Papisticall priestes of the Colledge of Christes Church in Norwich, for that they sawe me at libertye in Sir Williams absence (who also was then from home a fortnighte) blased it abroade, that sir William was bounden for me in body … lands. At his comming home therfore I asked sir William if he were so bounden for me: and he denied it. Then sayd I: syr, but for the reuerence I beare to you, I might hauehave ben an hundred miles from you ere this. But I trust now sir, seeing you be not bounden for me, I may go visite my frends. Go where you wil, said sir William, for (quoth he) I tolde the bishop I would not be his gailer, but promised onelyonly meate, drinke, and lodging for you. Shortly after, vppon the deuise of some friendes, I was closely conueyed to a friendes house, where almost a monethmonth I was secretly kept, til rumours were ouer. For at the Bishops returne, searching was for mee, in so muche as all houses where it was knowen I had bene acquainted, were searched, and the shippes at Yarmouth.
At the length the Bishop sent to a Coniurer, to know of him which way I was gone, and he answeared, that I was gone ouer a water, and in the keeping of a woman. And in very deede I was passed ouer a small water, and was hid by a blessed woman and godly widowe (whiche liued in a poore cottage) the space of iij. weekes, till all the great heate was ouer.
Then was I conueyed to London, and from thence passed ouer the seas, where I liued till the death of Quene Marie, and that it pleased GOD for the comforte of his Churche, and restoring of all poore exiles and prisonners for his names sake, to blesse thys Realme, wyth the gouernement of our noble Queene, whome God to the glory of his owne name, and the defence of his Churche, according to his good will and pleasure long preserue and continue ouer vsus. Amen.