Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Letter 3
A Letter wrytten by Rafe Allerton vntounto Richard Roth, his fellowe Martyr.
THe Angell of God pitch his tent about vsus, and defend vsus in all our waies. Amen. Amen.A letter of Rafe Allerton.
O deare brother, I pray for you, for I heare say that you hauehave ben diuers times before my Lorde in examination. Wherefore take heede for Gods sake what the wise man teacheth you, and shrinke not away when you are entised to confesse an vntruthe, for hope of life, but be ready alwaies to geue an answere of the hope that is in you. For whosoeuer confesseth Christe before men, him will Christ also confesse before his father. But hee that is ashamed to confesse him before men, shall hauehave his rewarde with them that doe deny him. And therefore deare brother goe forward: ye hauehave a ready way, so fair as euer had any of the Prophets or Apostles, or the rest of our brethren, the holy Martyrs of God. Therefore couet to go hence with the multitude while the way is full. Also deare brother vnderstande that I hauehave seene your letter, and although I cannot read it perfectly, yet I partly perceiue your meaning therein, and very gladly I woulde copie it out, with certaine comfortable additions therunto annexed. The which as yet will not be brought to passe for lacke of paper, vntil my Lord be gone from hence, and then your request shalbe accomplished, God willing without delay. Thus fare ye well in God. Our deare brother and fellowe in tribulation, Robert Allen saluteth you, and the fellowship of the holye ghost be wyth you, Amen.
Rafe Allerton.
Doe ye suppose that our brethren and sisterne are not yet dispatched out of this world?Post scriptum. I thinke that eyther they are dead, or shalbe within these two daies.
And for the other Obiection yet remaining, and not specified, if it were not more somewhat to shewe the follie of those bloudy tyrants (which of so small trifles take occasions to quarel with the Sainctes of God) then for any weighty thing therein contained: I woulde neither trouble you with ye reading therof, nor yet my selfe with wryting. But that yee may iudge of them as their doings doe geue occasion, I will now proceede in the matter.
Anno 1557. ….Item thou Rafe Allerton canst not deny, but confessest, that the wryting of letters in a little peece of paper on both sides of it, with this sentence on the one side following (looke at the foote of the stockes for a knife) and wyth this sentence following vpō the otherside (looke betwene the poste an… the wall for two bookes and two Epistles, leaue them here when ye goe) remaining now in the Reg…ie and Acts of this courte is voluntarily wrytten by the… Rafe Allerton with thine owne hand.
Item, thou Rafe Allerton canst not denie, but that thou arte priuie to a certaine wryting, remaining nowe in the Registrie & acts of this Court, the beginning wherof is with these woordes (I would hauehave men wise. &c.) and ending thus (from house to house.)
Item, thou Rafe Allerton, canste not denie, but that thou art priuie and of consent and maintenaunce of a certaine great Woodknife, a long cord, a hooke, a stone, and of a trencher wrytten vponupon with chalk, hauing this sentence (All is gon and lost, because of your follie:) of two bordes wrytten vppon with chalke, the one hauing this sentence (…nder the stone looke) and the other hauing thys sentēce, (whereas you …id mee take heede, I thanke you, I trust in God that I shall be at peace with him shortly) remaining now registred in the actes of this Court.
For answer vntounto al these articles, he graunted that the first …x. were true,… as the Register recordeth. Howbeit, I finde noted in the backeside of the information, specified in the 2. article (although crossed out againe) that he denied such things as were there in the same informed against him. Wherefore it is not likely that hee did simply graunt vntounto the contents of the 2. article, but rather that he onelyonly affirmed that such an information was geuē against him, and not that the same was true.
Thus much I thought to warne the reader of, lest that in mistaking his answers, it might seeme, that he graunted himselfe to be a sedicious and a rebellious persone: of which facte he was most cleare & innocent. And being farther demanded vponupon the contentes of the 8. article, where he had the bloud he wrote that letter withall: he sayd that Richard Roth, sometime his prison fellow, did make his nose blede, and thereby he got the bloud wherwith he did then wryte. The bish. again asked him, to whom he wold hauehave sent the same. He answered, vntounto one Agnes Smith alias Siluerside of Colchester. Why (quoth the bish.) Agnes Smith was an Hereticke, and is burned for Heresie. Nay, said Allerton, shee is in better case, then either I my selfe, or any of vsus all. Then being againe demanded (vponupon the 9. obiection) to whom he would hauehave sent the letter mentioned in the same: he answered, that he ment to hauehave sent it vntounto Richard Roth, at that present separated from him. Wherupon the bish. farther enquired, what he ment by these wordes (brethren and sistern) specified in the sayd letter? he answered that he ment therby, such as wer lately condemned at Colchester, and were like (at ye wryting therof) shortly to be burned. Now, as for the contents of the 10. and 11. articles he vtterlye denied them. But to ye 12. he confessed, that he wryt vponupon the said trencher and other bordes, the woordes mentioned in the sayd Article, & that he did leaue the same in the prison house, to the entent that Richard Rothe shoulde read them. Boner also bringing out the woodden sword, mencioned in the saide article, asked him who made it, and for what purpose. Whereunto he answered, that he was the maker thereof, howebeit for no euil purpose. But being idle in the prison, and finding there an old board, he thought ye time better spent in making thereof, then to sit still and do nothing at all.
The forenoone being now spent, the rest of this tragedie was deferred vntil the afternoone. Wherin was ministred vntounto him yet certaine other obiections, the tenoure whereof was.
…FIrst, that hee hadde misliked the Masse, callyng vppon Saincts, and caryinge the crosse in procession, wyth other theyr ceremonies, calling them Idolatrie, & also had disswaded them there from.
1. Item, that he was muche desirous to hauehave the people beleeue as he did, and therefore being in prisone with hys fellowes, did sing Psalmes and other songes againste the Sacrament of the Aultare, and other ordinaunces of the church, so loud, that the people abroade might heare them and delight in them.
2. Item, that he had diuers times conspired against hys keeper, and hadde prouided thinges to kill him, and so to breake the prison and escape awaye.
Item, that he had raised against the B. being his ordinarie, calling him a bloudy butcher, tyrant and rauening wolfe, and also against his officers, especially Clunie hys sumner, calling him butchers cur, with other such names.
4. Item, that he had murmured, grudged, disdained, and misliked that the bishop had proceeded against certaine of his Diocesse, and had condemned them as Heretickes: or that he should proceede nowe against him and others yet remaining in errours, notwithstanding that hee and hys chaplaines had charitably admonished and exhorted them from the same.
5. Item, that he ought faithfully to beleeue, that there is one catholicke churche, without the which there is no saluation: of the which church Iesus Christ is the very priest & sacrifice, whose body and bloud is really and truly contained in the sacrament of the altare vnderunder the formes of breade and wine: the breade and wine being by the diuine power transubstanciated into his body and bloude.
6. Item, that he had kept himself, and also distributed to others certaine hereticall and corrupt bookes, condemned and reprooued by the lawes of this realme.
7. Item, that he had contrary to the orders and statutes of this realme, kept company with that seditious heretike and traitor, George Eagles, commonly called Tru…gedner, and had heard him read in woodes and other places, yet not accusing, but allowing and praising him.
8. Unto which articles, because they were for the moste part, so foolish and full of lies, he would in a maner make no answer, sauing he graunted that he did misselike theyr masse and other ceremonies, because they were wicked & naught. And moreouer he told the bishop, that he and his complices, did nothing but seeke how to kill innocents.
The bishop then asked him, whether he would beleue in all poyntes touching the Sacrament of the altar, as is contained in the generall councell holden and kept vnderunder Innocentius 3. and therwithall he did read the decree of the sayd Counsel touching the Sacrament.
Wherunto Allerton againe made answer and sayd: I beleeue nothing contained in the same Councell, neyther hauehave I any thing to doe therewith: and it were also very necessary that no man els should hauehave to do therewith.
Then (quoth Boner) thou arte of the opinion that the heretikes lately burned at Colchester were of.
Yea (said he) I am of their opinion, and I beleeue that they be Saincts in heauen.
This done, the Bish. perceiuing that he would not recant, demaunded what he had to say, whye he shoulde not pronounce the sentence of condemnation against him. To whom he answered: yee ought not to condemne me as an heretike, for I am a good christian. But now go to, doe as you hauehave already determined: For I see right well, that right and truth be suppressed, and cannot appeare vppon the earth.
These woordes ended, the bish. pronounced the Sentence of condemnation, & so deliuered hym vntounto the temporall officers: Who reserued him in their custodye vntill the 17. day of September, at which time, bothe he and the other 3. before mencioned were all burned, as ye hauehave already heard. Of which other 3. because as yet litle is sayd, I wil therfore now procede to declare suche cause of theyr cruel deathes, as in the Registrie is recorded.