Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 20 – Account 21
¶Their aunsweres to the Articles before obiected.
THeir aunsweres to these obiections were,Their aunsweres to the articles before obiected. that as touching the first, second, thyrd, fourth, fift, ninth, tenthe, & twelfth, they generally graunted vntounto, sauing that they denyed the soules of the departed to sleepe til ye day of iudgement, as is mentioned in the ix. article.
And as concerning the sixt obiection, they thought thē selues bound to beleue the true Catholicke Church, so far foorth as the same doth instructe them according to Gods holy word, but not to follow the determinations of the erroneous and Babilonicall Church of Rome.
As for the seuenth, eight, and thirtenth, they vtterly denyed, that euer they were of any such absurde opinions as are contayned therein, but they graunted that man of him selfe without the helpe and assistance of Gods spirite, hath no power to do any good thing acceptable in Gods sight.
To the eleuenth they sayd,True fasting that true fasting and prayer vsed according to Gods word, are allowable and auaylable in his sight, and that by the same word eueryevery faythfull man may eate all meates at all times, with thankesgeuing to God for the same.
After this ye first day of Aprill, were they agayne conuented before the Bishop in his palace at London, where little appeareth to be done, excepte it were to know whether they would stand to their aunsweres, & whether they would recant or no. But when they refused to recant and deny the receiued and infallible truthe, the Byshop caused them to be brought into the open Consistory, the third day of the same monethmonth of Aprill in the forenone, where firste vnderstanding by them their immutable constauncye and stedfastnes, he demaunded particularly of eueryevery one what they had to say, why he should not pronounce ye Sentence of condemnation.
To whom Tho. Loseby firste aunswered: God geue me grace and strength to stand agaynst you,Thomas Losebyes wordes to the Bishop. & your Sentence, & also agaynst your law, which is a deuouring law, for it deuoureth the flocke of Christe. And I perceiue there is no way with me but death, except I would consent to your deuouring law, and beleeue in that Idoll the Masse.
Next vntounto him answered Thomas Thirtell, saying: my Lorde, I say thus, if you make me an hereticke, then you make Christ and all the 12. Apostles heretickes,Thomas Thyrtells wordes to Boner. for I am in the true fayth and right beliefe, & I will stand in it, for I know full well I shall hauehave eternall lyfe therefore.
The Byshoppe then asked the lyke question of Henry Ramsey. Who sayd agayne: my Lord, will you hauehave me to go from the truth that I am in?Henry Ramseys wordes to Boner I say vntounto you that my opinions be the very truth, which I will stand vntounto, and not go from them: & I say vntounto you farther, that there are two Churches vponupon the earth, and we (meaning himselfe & other true Martyrs and professours of Christ) be of the true Church, and ye be not.Margaret Hydes wordes to Boner.
Unto this question next aunswered Margaret Hide, saying: my Lord, you hauehave no cause to giuegive Sentence agaynst me, for I am in the true fayth and opinion, & will neuer forsake it: & I do wishe that I were more stronger in it then I am.Agnes Stanleys wordes to Boner.
Last of all aunswered Agnes Stanley, & sayd: I had rather eueryevery heare of my head were burned, if it were neuer so much worth, then that I will forsake my fayth and opinion which is the true fayth.
The tyme being now spent, they were commaunded to appeare agayne at afternoone in the same place, which commaundement being obeyed, ye Bishop firste called for Loseby,Losebyes wordes to the Byshop. Sentence geuen agaynst Loseby. & after his accustomed maner willed his Articles & answeres to be read: in reading thereof, when mention was made of the Sacrament of the Aultar, the Bishoppe with his Colleagues put of their cappes. Whereat Loseby sayd: my Lord, seing you put of your cappe, I will put on my cappe, & there withall did put on his cappe. And after, the Bishop continuing in his accustomable perswasions,Anno 1557. Maye. Loseby agayn sayd vntounto him: my Lorde, I trust I hauehave ye spirite of truth, which you detest and abhorre, for the wisdome of God is foolishnes vntounto you. Wherupon the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation agaynst him. And deliuering him vntounto the Sheriffe, called for Margaret Hide, wt whō he vsed ye like order of exhortatōs
The wordes of Margaret Hyde to the …hop. Sentence … aga…nst Margaret H…de. The wordes Agnes … to … Bishop.To whom notwithstanding she sayd: I will not depart from my sayinges till I bee burned: and my Lorde (quoth she) I would see you instruct me with some parte of Gods word, & not to geue me instructiōs of holybread and holy water, for it is no part of the scripture. But he being neither himselfe, nor any of his, able rightly to accomplish her request, to make short worke, vsed his final reason of conuincement, which was of the sentence of condē nation. And therfore leauing her off, called for an other, videl. Agnes Stanley, who vponupon the Bishoppes like perswasions made this aunswere.
My Lord, wher you say I am an heretick, I am none: neither yet will I beleue you, nor any man yt is wyse will beleue as you do. And as for these that ye say bee burnt for heresie, I beleue are true martyrs before God: therefore I will not go from my opinion and fayth,The wordes … Thomas Th…rtell to the Bishop Th…mas Th…rtell …demned. T…e aun…were and … Hē … Ramsey. as long as I liue.
Her talk thus ended, she receaued the like reward that the other had. And the bishop then turning his tale & maner of inticement vntounto Thomas Thyrtel, receiued of him likewise this finall aunswere: My Lord, I will not holde with youre Idolatrous wayes, as you do: for I saye the Masse is Idolatry, and will sticke to my fayth and beliefe so long as the breath is in my body. Upon which wordes he was also condemned as an hereticke.
Last of all, was Henry Rāsey demanded if he would (as the rest) stand vntounto his aunsweres, or els recanting ye same, come home agayn, and be a member of their church. Whereunto he aunswered: I will not go from my religiō and belief as long as I liue: and my Lord (quoth he) your doctrine is naught, for it is not agreable to Gods worde.
After these wordes, the Bishop (to conclude) pronoū cing the sentence of condemnation agaynst him and ye rest: (as ye hauehave heard) charged ye Sheriffes of London wt thē: who being therunto commaunded, the xii. day of the same
*The cruell burning of 5. Martyrs in Smithfield.
… Agnes Stanley, in Smithfield. Anno. 1557▪ Ap…ill. 12.month of Aprill, brought them into Smithfield, where altogether in one fire, most ioyfully & constantly they ended their temporall liues, reciuing therefore the life eternal.
Three burned in Sainct Georges field in Southwarke.Maye. W. Morant, Stephen Gratwicke, One King, Martyrs.
AFter these, moreouer in the month of May followed 3. other that suffered in S. Georges field in Southwark William Morant, Stephen Gratwicke, with one king.
Among other histories after the persecuted and condemned saintes of God, I find the condemnation of none more straunge nor vnlawfull, thē of this Stephen Gratwicke. Who first was condemned by the byshopp of Wynchester and the byshop of Rochester, which where not hys Ordinaryes.The straunge dealing of the Byshops with Stephen Gratwicke, Martyr.
Secondly when he did appeale from those imcompetēt Iudges to hys right Ordinary, his appeale coulde not be admitted.
Thirdly, when they had no other shifte to colour theyr inordinate proceedings with all, they suborned one of the priestes to come in for a counterfayt and a false Ordinary and sit vponupon him.
Fourthly being openly conuinced and ouerturned in his own argumentes, yet the sayd Byshop of Winchester D. White, neyther would yeald to the force of trueth, nor suffer any of the audience assistant, once to say, God strengthen him.
Fiftly, as they brought in a false Ordinarye to sit vponupon him: so they pretended false articles agaynst him, whiche were no part of his examinations, but of their deuising, to hauehave his bloud.
Sixtly and lastly, hauing no other groūd nor iust matters agaynst him, but onelyonly for saying these wordes: that which I sayd, I hauehave sayde, they red the sentence of death vponupon him.
And this was the dealing of these men, whiche needes will be reputed for Catholicke fathers of ye spirituality succeders of the Apostles, disciples of Christ, pillers of the holy Churche, and leaders of the people. Of whose doynges and proceedinges, howe agreable they are to the example of Christ and his Apostles, I leaue to discusse, referryng ye iudgement hereof to them, which know the institution of Christes religion and doctrine.
Now least peraduēture the disordered misrule of these Christmas Lordes, will not be credited vppon the simple narration of the story, yee shall heare the whole discourse of this processe registred by the hand of the Martyr hymselfe, who as he could tell best what was done:The vnordinate handling of Stephen Gratwicke written and testified by his owne recorde. so I am sure would not testifie otherwise, then trueth was, according as you shall heare by his owne declaration here following.