Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 44
*The apprehension and death of Maistres Ioyce Lewes, the wife to Thomas Lewes, of Manceter, most constantly suffering for Gods word at Lichfield.
The story of Mistres Io…ce …ewes, Martyr.MAistresse Ioyce Lewes, a gentlewoman borne, was delicately brought vp in the pleasures of ye world hauing delight in gay apparell & such like foolishnes, with ye which follyes, the most part of the Gentlefolkes of England were then and are yet infected, who was maried first to one called Appelby, afterwarde to Thomas Lewes of Manceter. In the beginninge of Queene Maryes tyme she went to the Church and heard masse as others did, but when she heard of the burning of that moste godly & learned M. Laurence Saunders, who suffered in Couentry, she began to take more heede to the matter, and enquired earnestly of such as she knew feared God, ye cause of hys death: and when she perceaued it was because hee refused to receaue the Masse, she began to be troubled in consciēce & waxed very vnquiet, & because her house was euen hard by M. Iohn. Glouers house, of whome mention was made before. pag. 1614. and 1620. a man of blessed memory and of a singular example of his vnfayned godlines and manifold troubles whiche he suffered for the Gospell) shee did oftentimes resort to him, and desired him to tel her the faultes that were in the Masse, and other thinges that at that time were vrged as necessary to saluation.
Now he perceiuing both her vnquiet minde, & also the desire she had to know the truth, dyd most dilligently instruct her in ye wayes of the Lord, approuing vntounto her out of Gods holy word, that the Masse, with all other papisticall inuentions, was odious in Gods sight: and besides this, reproued her, for that she delighted in the vanities of this world so much. By the which godly counsell geuē by him, it happened that she began to waxe weery of ye world throughly sorrowfull for her sinnes, being inflamed with the louelove of God, desirous to serue him accordyng to hys word, purposing also to flee from those thinges the whiche did displease the Lord her God. And because she had learned ye masse to be euil & abhominable, she began to hate it. And when at a time she was compelled by the furiousnes of her husband to come to the Churche, at the same tyme when the holy water was cast, shee turned her backe towardes it, and shewed her selfe to be displeased with their blasphemous holy water, iniurious to the bloud of christ: Whereupon she was accused before the Bishop, for the despising of theyr sacramentals.
Immediately a Citation was sent for her to her husbandes house, to appeare before the bishop incontinently. The Summer yt brought the Citation deliuered it to her husband, who looking vpō it, & perceauing what it was, was moued wt anger, willing the sumner to take the Citation wt him agayne (or els he woulde make him to eate it. The Sumner refused to take it agayne, for he thought no man durst hauehave bene so bold to trouble him. But in ye ende Lewes compelled the sayd sumner to eate the Citation indeed, by setting a daggar to his hart: & when hee had eaten it, he caused him to drinke to it, & so sent him away. But immediately after, the sayd Lewes with his wife were commaunded to appeare before the B. where the sayd Lewes by & by submitted himself, & desired the Bish. to be good to him, excusing himselfe after ye best fashion he could. Wherupon the B. was content to receiue his submission, wt condition that his wife shoulde submit her selfe also. But shee stoutly told the byshop, that by refusing of the holy water she had neither offended God nor any part of hys lawes. At the which words the bish. being greeuously offended, & because she was a Gentlewomā, he would not take her at ye worst (as he sayd) he gaue her one monthes respite binding her husband in an hundred pound to bring her again vntounto him at ye monthes end, and so they were both let go.
When they came to their owne house, the sayde Maystresse Ioyce Lewes gaue her selfe to most dilligent praier and inuocating of the name of God,Mistres Lewes instructed by M. Iohn Glouer. resorting continually to the aboue named man of God, Maister Iohn Glouer who did most dilligently instruct her with Gods worde, willing her in any wise not to meddle with that matter in respect of vayne glory, or to get her selfe a name, shewyng her the great daungers shee was like to cast her selfe in, if shee shoulde meddle in Gods matters otherwyse then Christ doth teach.
When the monethmonth was nowe almost expired, and the time at hand that shee shoulde be brought before the Bishop, her husband being aduertised by the sayde Mayster Iohn Glouer and others, not to carry her to the Byshop, but to seeke some wayes to saue her, or if the worst should come, to be content to forfeit so much money, rather then to cast his own wife into ye fire: He answered, hee woulde not loose or forfeit anye thinge for her sake: and so lyke a murtherer of his owne wife, caryed her to the bloudye B. where she was examined, and found more stout then shee was before death was threatned. And to begin withal,Mistres Lewes imp…isoned. she was sent to such a stincking prison, that a certayn mayde which was appoynted to keep her companye, did sownd in the same prison.
Being thus kept in prison, and oftentimes examined and euer founde stoute, at the length shee was brought in iudgement, & pronounced an hereticke, worthy to be burned. When the Bishop reasoned with her, why she would not come to the masse, and receiue the sacramentes and sacramentals of holy Church, she answered: Because I find not these thinges in Gods worde, which you so vrge and magnifie, as thinges moste needefull for mens saluation. If these thinges were in the same word of God commended: I would with all my hart receiue, esteeme, and beleue them. The Bishoppe aunswered: if thou wilt beleeue no more then is in the scripture, concerning matters of religion: thou art in a damnable case. At the whiche wordes she was wonderfully amased, and being moued by ye spirite of God, tolde the Bishop, that hys wordes were vngodly and wicked.
After her condemnation, she cōtinued a whole twelue monethmonth in prison, because she was committed to the Sheriffe that was of late chosen, who coulde not be compelled to put her to death in his tyme, as he affirmed: for y• which thing after her death, he was sore troubled and in daunger of his life. All that time shee was in prison,Mistres Lewes a yeare in prison after her condē nation. her behauiour was such both in wordes and deedes, that al they that had any sparke of godlines or ciuile honesty, did greatly lamēt her case, that she should be put to death.
Now when the tyme did drawe neare the which God had appoynted for her deliueraunce, the writte De comburendo, (as they terme it) beyng brought down from London, she desired certaine of her frends to come to her, with whom when they came, shee consulted how shee might be hauehave her self, that her death might be more glorious to the name of God, cōfortable to his people, and also most discomfortable vntounto the enemies of God. As for death, sayd shee, I do not greatly passe: when I behold the amyable countenance of Christ my deare Sauiour, ye vglesome face of death doth not greatly trouble me. In ye which time also shee reasoned most comfortably out of Gods worde, of Gods election and reprobation.
In the euenyng, before ye daye of her suffering, two of the priests of the close of Lichfield, came to the vnderunder Sheriffes house where shee laye, and sent worde to her by the Sheriffe,Anno 1557. September. that they were come to heare her confession: for they would be sory shee shoulde dye without it. She sente them word agayne, shee had made her confession to Christ her sauiour, at whose hands she was sure to hauehave forgeuenes of her sinnes:Mistres Lewes. refuseth to be confessed of the Priestes. As concerning the cause for the whiche she should dye, she had no cause to confesse that, but rather geue vntounto God most humble prayse that he did make her worthy to suffer deathe for his worde: And as concerning that absolution that they were able to geue vntounto her, being authorised by ye pope, she did defie the same, euen from the bottome of her hart. The which thing when the priests heard, they said to the Sheriffe: Well, to morow her stoutnes will be proued and tryed. For although perhaps shee hath now some friendes that whisper her in her eares, to morow will we see who dare be so hardy as to come neare her: and so they went theyr wayes with anger, that theyr confession and absolution was nought set by.
All that night she was wonderfully chearefull & mery with a certaine grauitie, in so much that the maiestie of the spirit of God did manifestly appeare in her, who did expel the feare of deathe out of her heart, spending the tyme in prayer, reading, & talking with them that were purposely come vntounto her for to comfort her with the word of God.
About three of the clocke in the morning, Satan (who neuer sleepeth especially when death is at hand) began to stirre himselfe busily,Temptations of Mistres Lewes before her death and Martyrdome. shooting at her that fierye darte the whiche he is wont to doe agaynst all that are at defiaunce with him, questioning with her, how shee coulde tell that she was chosen to eternal life, and that Christ dyed for her. I graunt that he dyed, but that he dyed for thee howe canst thou tell? with this suggestion when shee was troubled, they that were about her, did councell her to follow the example of Paule, Galathians, 2. where he sayth: Which hath loued me, and geuen hymselfe for me. Also, that her vocation and calling to the knowledge of Gods word, was a manifest token of Gods louelove towards her, especially that same holy spirite of God working in her hart that louelove and desire towardes God to please him, and to bee iustified by him through Christ &c. By these and like perswasions & especially by the comfortable promises of Christ,Ioyce Lewes comforted in he temptations. brought out of the scripture, Satan was put to flight, and she conforted in Christ.
About eight of the clocke, maister Sheriffe came to her into her chamber, saying these wordes: Maistres Lewes, I am come to bring you tidings of the Queenes pleasure the whiche is, that you shall liue no longer but one houre in this world: therefore prepare your selfe therunto: … stā deth you in hand. At which wordes being so grosely vttered and so sodaynly by such an officer as he was, she was somewhat abashed. Wherefore one of her friendes and acquayntaunce standing by, sayde these words: Maistresse Lewes, you hauehave great cause to prayse GOD, who wyll vouchsafe so speedily to take you out of this worlde, and make you worthy to be a witnesse to his truth, & to beare record vntounto Christ that he is the onelyonly sauiour.
After the which words spoken thus, she sayde: maister Sheriffe, your message is welcome to me, and I thanke my God that he will make me worthye to aduenture my life in his quarrell. And thus maister Sheriffe departed: and within the space of one houre, he came agayn, cum gladiis & fustibus: and when he came vp into the chamber, one of her friendes desired him to geue him leaue to goe with her to the stake, & to comfort her, the whiche the Sheriffe graunted at that time, but afterwardes he was sore troubled for the same when she was dead.
Nowe when shee was brought throughe the towne with a number of bill menne,Ioyce Lewes brought to the place of Martyrdome. a great multitude of people being present, she being led by two of her frends (whiche were M. Michaell Reniger and M. Augustine Bernher) she was brought to the place of execution: and because the place was farre off, and the throng of the people great, and she not acquaynted with the fresh ayre (being so long in prison) one of her frendes sent a messenger to the Sheriffes house for some drinke: and after she had prayed three seuerall times, in the whiche prayer she desired God most instantly to abolish the idolatrous Masse, and to delyuer this realme from Papistry (at the end of the whiche prayers the most parte of the people cryed Amen, yea, euen the Sheriffe that stoode harde by her,Her prayers. readye to cast her in the fire for not allowing the Masse, at this her prayers sayde with the rest of the people, Amen) when she had thus prayed, she tooke the cup into her handes saying: I drynke to all them that vnfaynedly louelove the Gospell of Iesus Christ and wish for the abolishment of Papistry. When she had dronken,Women put to pennaunce, for pledging Ioyce …ewes. they that were her frends dranke also. After that a great number, specially the women of the towne dyd drynke wyth her: which afterward were put to open penaunce in the Churche by the cruel Papistes, for drinking with her.
When she was tyed to the stake with the chayne, shee shewed such a cheerefulnes, that it passed mans reason, beyng so well coloured in her face, and being so patient, that the most part of them that had honest hartes did lament, and euen with teares bewayle the tyranny of ye Papistes.The Martyrdome of Mistres Ioyce Lewes. When the fire was sette vppon her, she neither struggled nor sturred, but onelyonly lifted vp her handes towardes heauen, being dead very speedely: for the vnderunder Sheriffes at the request of her friendes had prouided such stuffe, by the whiche shee was sodenly dispatched out of this miserable worlde.
This amongest other thinges may not bee forgotten, that the Papistes had appoynted some to rayle vppon her openly, and to reuile her, both as shee went to the place of Execution, and also when she came at the stake. Amongest others there was an olde Prieste, whiche hadde a payre of writing tables to note bothe the names of the women that dranke of her cuppe (as before you heard) and also described her friendes by their apparell: for presentlye hee could not learne their names, and afterwardes enquyred for their names, and so immediately after processe was sente out for them, bothe to Couentrye and other places: but God, whose prouidence sleepeth not, did defende them from the handes of these cruell tyrauntes. Unto ye whiche God, with the sonne▪ and the holy Ghost bee honour and glory for euer, Amen.