Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 13 – Account 18
*A letter of B. Boner to Cardinall Poole.
MAy it please your good grace with my most humble obedience, reuerence and duetie,B. Boners letter to Cardinall Poole, concerning the 22. prisoners aforesayd. to vnderstand that going to London vponupon Thursday last, and thinking to be troubled with M. Germaynes matter onelyonly, and such other common matters as are accustomed, enough to wery a right strong body, I had the day following to comfort my stomacke withall letters from Colchester, that either that day, or the daye following I should hauehave sent thence 22. heretickes, indited before the Commissioners, & in dede so I had, & compelled to beare theyr charges as I did of the other, which both stoode me aboue 20. nobles a summe of money that I thought full euill bestowed. And these heretickes, notwithstanding they had honest Catholicke keepers to conduct and bring them vp to me, and in all the way frō Colchester to Stradford of the Bow, did goe quietly, and obediently yet comming to Stratford, they began to take hart of grace and to doe as pleased themselues, for there they beganne to hauehave theyr garde, which generally increased till they came to Algat… where they were lodged Friday night.
And albeit I tooke order that the sayde heretickes shoulde be with me very early on saterday mornyng, to the intent they mighte quietlye come and bee examined by me, yet it was
¶The Picture of xxij. godly and faythfull Christians, apprehended about Colchester, prisoned together in one band, and so with three leaders at the most, brought vp to London.
The maner how these 22. prisoners were brought vp from Colchester to London by 3. keepers.betweene x. and a xi. of the clocke before they would come, and no waye woulde they take, but through Cheapside, so that they were brought to my house with about a thousande Persons. Which thing I tooke very strange and spake to sir Iohn Gressam then being with me, to tell the Mayor and the Sheriffes that thys thing was not well suffered in the City. These naughty hereticks all the way they came through Cheapside both exhorted the people to their part, and had much comfort à promiscua plebe, and being entred into my house and talked withall, they shewed thē selues desperate and very obstinate, yet I vsed al the honest meanes I could both by my self and other to hauehave wonne them, causing diuers learned men to talke with them: and finding nothing in them but pride and wilfulnes, I thought to hauehave had them all hether to Fulham, and here to geue sentence agaynst them. Neuerthelesse perceiuing by my last doing that your grace was offended, I thought it my duetie before I any thing further proceded herein, to aduertise first your grace hereof, and knowe your good pleasure, whiche I beseeche your grace I may doe by thys trusty bearer. And thus most humblye I take my leaue of youre good grace, beseeching almighty God alwayes to preserue the same, At Fulllam, postridie Natiu .1556.
Your graces most bounden Bedesman and seruaunt, Edmond Boner.
By this letter of Bishop Boner to the Cardinall, is to be vnderstand, what good will was in this Bish. to hauehave the bloud of these men, and to hauehave past wt sentence of condemnation agaynst them, had not the Cardinal somwhat (as it seemed) hauehave stayed his feruent headines.B. Boners crueltye somewhat stayed by the Cardinall. Concerning the which Cardinal, although it cannot be denyed by his Actes and writings, but that he was a professed enemy, and no otherwise to be reputed but for a papist: yet agayne it is to be supposed, that he was none of the bloudy & cruell sort of papistes,Cardinall Poole a Papist, but no bloudy Papist. as may appeare not only by staying the rage of this Byshop: but also by his solicitous writing, and long letters written to Cranmer, also by ye complaintes of certayne papistes, accusing him to the Pope to bee a bearer with the heretickes, & by the popes letters sent to him vponupon the same, calling him vp to Rome, & setting Fryer Peto in his place, had not Q. Mary by special entreaty hauehave kept him out of the popes danger. All whiche letters I hauehave (if neede be) to shewe: besides also that it is thought of him that toward his latter end a little before his comming from Rome to England, he begā somwhat to sauour the doctrine of Luther, and was no lesse suspected at Rome:Card Poole halfe suspected for a Lutheran at Rome. Yea & furthermore did there at Rome conuert a certayne learned Spanyarde from papisme to Luthers side: notwithstanding the pompe and glory of the world afterward caryed him away to play the papist thus as he did. But of this Cardinall enough.
To returne now to this godly company agayne, first how they were brought vp in bandes to London, ye hauehave heard: Also how Boner was about to hauehave red the Sentence of death vponupon them, & how he was stayed by ye Cardinall ye vnderstand. As touching their confession, which they articled vp in writing, it were to tedious to recite the whole at length. Briefly touching the article of the Lords Supper (for the whiche they were chieflye troubled) thus they wrote, as here followeth.
The supper of the Lord.
WHeras Christ at his last supper, took bread, & whē he had geuē thanks he brake it & gaue it to hys disciples and sayd: take, eate, this is my body: Their opinion and iudgement of the Lords Supper. Christes language to speake in parables.& likewise tooke the cup and thanked. &c. We do vnderstand it to be a figuratiue speache, as the most maner of his language was in parrables & darke sentences, that they which are carnally minded, should see with their eyes, and not perceiue, and heare with their eares & not vnderstand, signifying this, that as he did breake the breade among them, being but one loafe, & they al were partakers thereof, so we through his body, in that it was broken, and offered vponupon ye crosse for vsus, are all partakers thereof, and his bloud clenseth vsus from our sinnes, & hath pacified Gods wrath towards vsus and made the attonement betwene God & vsus, if we walke henceforth in the light euen as he is the true light.
And in that he sayd further, do this in the remembrance of me, it is a memoriall and token of the suffering & death of Iesu Christ: and he commaunded it for this cause,The cause why the bread and cup wa… geuen in the Supper. that ye congregatiō of Christ should come together to shew his death, and to thanke and laud him for all his benefites, & magnifye his holy name, & so to breake the bread & drinke the wine, in remembrance that Christ had geuen his body and shed his bloud for vsus.
Thus you may well perceiue, though Christe called ye bread his body, & the wine his bloud, yet it followeth not, that the substaunce of his body shoulde be in the bread and wine: as diuers places in Scripture are spoken by Christ and the Apostles in lyke phrase of speach, as in Iohn. 15. I am the true vine, also in Iohn the .10. I am the doore, and as it is written in the 9. to the Hebrues,Anno 1556. Aprill. and in Exodus 24. how Moyses tooke the bloud of the Calues and sprinckled both the booke and all the people, saying: This is the bloud of the couenant or Testament. And also in the 5. chapter of Ezechiell, how the Lord said vntounto him concerning ye third parte of his heare, saying: This is Hierusalem. &c.
Thus we see the Scriptures how they are spoken in figures,How the Scriptures ought to be examined. and ought to be spiritually examined, and not as they would hauehave vsus to say, that the bodily presēce of christ is in the bread, which is a blasphemous vnderstanding of the godly word, and is contrary to all holy scriptures. Also we do see that great Idolatry is sprong out of ye carnall vnderstanding of the word of Christ:Idolatry in worshipping the Sacramentall bread and wyne. This is my body, & yet dayly springeth, to the great dishonour of God, so that men worship a peece of bread for God, yea and hold that to be their maker.
After this confession of their fayth and doctrine, being written and exhibited, they also deuised a letter withall, in maner of a short supplication, or rather an admonition to the Iudges and Commissioners, requiring that Iustice and Iudgement, after the rule of Gods worde might be ministred vntounto them. The copye of whiche theyr letter I thought here also to shew vntounto the reader in forme as followeth.
*A letter or supplication of the prisoners to the Iudges.
TO the right honourable audience before whome these oure simple writinges and the confession of our fayth shall come to be read or seene, we poore prisoners being fast in bandes vponupon the tryall of our faythe,A letter or … of the prisoners to the Iudges. whiche wee offer to bee tryed by the scriptures, pray most hartily, that for asmuch as God hath geuen you power, and strength ouer vsus, as concerning our bodyes, vnderunder whom we submit our selues as obedient subiects in al things due, ye being officers and rulers of the people, may execute true iudgement, keepe the lawes of righteousnesse, gouerne the people according to right, and to heare the poore and helplesse in truth, and to defend their cause.
God for his sonne Iesus Christes sake, geue you the wisedom and vnderstanding of Salomon, Dauid, Ezechias, Moyses, wyth diuers others most vertuous rulers, by whose wisedome & most godly vnderstanding, the people were iustly ruled, and gouerned in the feare of God, all wickednesse was by them ouerthrowne and beaten downe, and all godlinesse and vertue did florish and spring. O God whiche art the most hyghest, the creator & maker of all thinges, and of all men both great and small, and carest for all alike, which doest try all mens workes and imaginations, before whose iudgement seate shal come both high and low, rich and poore, we most humbly beseeche thee to put into our rulers heartes the pure louelove and feare of thy name, that euen as they thē selues would be iudged, and as they shall make aunswere before thee, so to heare our causes, to iudge with mercy, and to read ouer these our requestes and confessions of our fayth, with deliberation, and a godly iudgement.
And if any thing here seemeth to your honourable audience to be erroneous or disagreeing to the scripture, if it shall please your Lordship to heare vsus patiently, whiche doe offer our selues to the scriptures, thereby to make aunswere, and to be tryed, in so doyng wee poore subiectes being in much captiuitie & bondage are most bound to pray for your noble estate and long preseruation.
The request of these men being so iust, and theyr doctrine so sound, yet all this could not preuayle with the Bishop and other Iudges, but that Sentence shoulde hauehave proceeded agaynst them incontinent, had not the goodnes of the Lord better prouided for his seruauntes, then the Bishoppe had intended. For as they were now vnderunder the edge of the axe, ready to be condemned by sentence it was thought otherwise by the Cardinall, and some other wiser heades, fearing belike, least by the death of so many together, some disturbance might rise. peraduēture among the people, and so was decreed among themselues, that rather they shuld make some submission or confessiō, such as they would themselues, …nd so to be sent home agayne, as they were in deed: howbeit diuers of them afterward, wer apprehended and put to deathe. But in the meane space as touching their submission which they made, this it was, as in forme here followeth.
¶The submission or confession of these aforesayd prisoners.
…BEcause our sauiour Christ at his last supper took bread and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and gaue it vntounto his Disciples and sayde: Take, eate, this is my bodye whiche is geuen for you, this doe in the remembraunce of me: Therefore according to the wordes of our sauioure Iesus Christ, we do beleue in the sacrament to be Christes body. And likewise he tooke the cup, gaue thankes, and gaue it to his Disciples and sayd: This is my bloud of the newe Testament which is shed for many.
Therefore likewise we do beleue that it is the bloud of Christ, according as Christes Churche dothe minister the same. Unto the whiche Catholicke Church of Christe, we do in this, like as in all other matters submit oure selues promising therein to liue as it becommeth good chrystian men, and here in this realme to vse our selues, as it becommeth faythfull subiectes vntounto our most gracious king and Queene, and to all other superiours bothe spirituall and temporall, according to our bounden dueties.
The names of them which subscribed to this submission were these, Iohn Atkine, Alyn Symson, Richard George. Thomas Firefanne, William Munt, Richard Ioly Richard Gratwicke, Thomas Winsley, Richard Rothe, Richard Clerke, Stephen Glouer, Robert Colman, T. Merse, William Bongeor, Robert Bercocke, Margaret Hide, Elyn Euryng, Christian Pepper, Margaret feld, Alyce Munt, Ioane Winesley, Cysly Warren, Rose Alyn Anne Whitelocke, George Barker, Iohn Saxebye, Thomas Locker, Alyce Locker.
¶A story of fiue other godly Martyrs burned at one fire in Smithfield, the 12. daye of Aprill.
TO proceede further in this story of persecuted martyrs next in order followe fiue other burned at London in Smithfield in the foresayd yeare of the Lord. 1557. April 12. whose names were these.Aprill. 12.
Thomas Loseby.
Henry Ramsey.
Thomas Thyrtell.
Margaret Hyde, and
Agnes Stanley.5. Martyrs.
Who being, some, by the Lord Riche, some by other Iustices of peace, and Constables (their own neighbours) at the first accused, and apprehended for not comming to their parish Churches, were in the end sent vntounto Boner Bish. of London,Touching these articles read before pag. 1672. and by hys commaundement the 27. day of Ianuary, were examined before Doctour Darbyshyre, then Chauncellour to the sayd Bishop, vppon the former generall Articles mentioned, pag. 1672.
Aunsweres to the Articles.
WHose aunsweres thereunto were, that as they confessed there was one true & Catholick church wherof they steadfastly beleeued,Their answeres to the articles. and thought the Churche of Rome to be no part or member: so in the same Churche they beleued there were but two sacraments,Two Sacramēts onelyonly. that is to say Baptisme, and the supper of the Lorde. Howbeit some of them attributed the title and honour of a sacrament, to the holy estate of Matrimony, which vndoubtedly was done rather of simple ignoraunce then of anye wilfull opinion, and are thereof to be adiudged as before is admonished.
Moreouer, they acknowledged themselues to be Baptised into the fayth of that true Church, as in the thyrd article is specified. And here in reading, as wel of these Articles, as also of the rest, marke I beseech you, the crafty subteltie of these Catholicke Champions, who intermitting certayne poyntes of faith, and of the true Church, with the Idolatrous and superstitious mametry of theyr romyshe Sinagogue, cause the poore and simple people, for lacke of knowledge, oftentimes to fall into their crafty nettes.
For after they hauehave made them graunt a true Churche with the Sacraments of the same, though not in such nū ber as they would hauehave them, and also that they were christened into the fayth thereof, that is,Crafty dealing of the Papistes. Simple ignoraunce deceiued. in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, they craftily now in the other their obiections, descending as it were from the fayth of the Trinitie, vntounto theyr Idolatrous Masse & other superstitious ceremonyes, would make them grant that now in denying thereof, they hauehave seuered thēselues from the fayth of the true Churche, whereunto they were Baptised, whiche is most false. For though the true lyght of Gods Gospel & holy word, was marueilously darkned and in a maner vtterly extinguished: yet the true fayth of the Trinitie, by the mercifull prouidence of God, was still preserued, and into the fayth therof were we baptised, and not into the beliefe and profession of their horrible Idolatry and vayne ceremonies.
These things not throughly wayed by these poore, yet faythfull, and true members of Christ, caused some of them ignorauntly to graunt, that when they came to the yeares of discretion,Anno 1557. Aprill. and vnderstood the light of the Gospell, they did seperate themselues from the fayth of the Church, meaning none other but only to separate themselues from the admitting or allowing of such their popishe and erroneous trash as they now had defiled ye church of christ wtall & not from their fayth receiued in baptisme,They which separate themselues from certayne trashe …rought into the Church, do not seperate themselues frō the Church. which in expres words in their aunsweres to ye other articles they constātly affirmed, declaring the Masse and sacrament of the aultar, to be most wicked blasphemy agaynst Christ Iesus, & contrary to the truth of his Gospell, and therfore vtterly they refused to assent and to be reconciled againe therunto.
These aunsweres in effect, of them thus taken by the sayd Chauncellour, they were for that time dismissed: but the Bishop taking the matter into his owne handes, the vi. day of Marche, propounded vntounto them certayne other new articles, the copy wherof followeth.