Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Appendix · Letter 1 – Account 15
¶An Epistle of Bishop Hooper in Latine sent to the conuocation house touching matters of Religion.
*Episcopis, Decanis, Archidiaconis, & ceteris Cleri ordinibus in Synodo Londinensi congregatis: Gratiam & Pacem á Domino.
NOn vos latet (Viri doctissimi) in rebus arduis, ambiguis,Referre this to the pag. 1512. & causis difficili oribus, iudicium apud veteres (iuxta mandatum dei) delatum fuisse semper ad sacerdotes Leuitas, & ad praesidem, qui pro tempore, iudicis munere fungebatur: vt omnes hi causas & lites difficiliores explicarent, ex praescripto legis dei. Ita qualescun que controuersiae fuerunt: ex sententia sacerdotū- & praesidis, ad normam & praescriptum legis Dei lata, componebantur. Et ab eo quod iudices, partibus litigantibus statuissent: nullo modo erat declinandum. Quod si quis contumatius sacerdoti aut praesidi non paruisset, iuxta legem Dei sententiam pronuncianti: poenas contumaciae morte tuebat, quo populus hac vltione & contumaciae vindicta admonitus, metueret: & deinceps insolescere desisteret. Quam difficiles, imò quàm periculosae, inter nos & vos de re Eucharistica, lites agantur: vestrae conciones, scripta, & libelli testantur: nos veró qui meliorem, veriorem, & antiqui ssimam fidē sustinemus, confiscatione omnium bonorum nostrorum, dura & inhumana carceris seruitute sentimus. Quare mei ipsius nomine, ac omnium fratrum qui mecum eandem Catholicae ac sanctae religionis veritatem profitentur: vos omnes in Christo Iesu obtestor, vt causam hanc, vel aliquam quamcum que ob religionem ortam, inter nos & vos, deferre dignemini ad supremam, curiam parliamenti: vt ibi vtra que pars coram sacro & excelso senatu sese religiose, & animo submisso, iudicio, & autoritati verbi Dei subijciat. Et si vestram religionem quam sanctam, orthodoxam, ac Catholicam esse contē ditis, ex verbo dei asserere potestis, illam & nos libenter amplexabimur: Nostram quam modo pro sacrosancta defendimus, repudiantes. Gratias item Deo & vobis agentes quam maximas, ꝙ per vos ab erroribus liberati, ad veritatis cognitionem reuocem…r. Non solum aut hoc a vobis obtestamur, vt vos vestram que causam iudicio verbi dei coram summo parliamento deferatis: verum etiam vt nobis commodum detur tempus, quó veterum scripta & sacras literas euoluamꝰ, á sancto senatu impetrare dignemini. Et si ibi iustas ac legitimas rationes fidei nostrae, non reddiderimus: iudicio magistratus nos ipsos submittimus, vt debitam vltionem nostri sceleris & impietatis nobis infligat. Si haec facere non recusaueritis, religio quam castam, illibatam, & saluam, ac ab omnibus amplectandam esse contenditis: gloriosius de vestra fide & religione, ac de nobis ipsis (qui illam impiam esse & falsam contestamus) victoriam reportabit. Nam si vestra religio & cultus in causa Eucharistiae, fontem & originem ducunt ex verbo dei: procul dubio sanctam, & sempiternam esse oportet. Et scitis quod res sancta & vera quo magis examinatur, & per verbum Dei exploratur: eo fit illustrior & purior. Et quā to purior & illustrior fit: tanto magis ab omnibus desideratur, & obuijs vlnis excipitur. Quis enim non desidararet & amplecteretur religionem & cultum, á Deo mandatum, & ab illius verbo sancitum ac confirmatum? Quare si vestra religio & cultus dei res sit adeo vera, sancta, & á Deo mundo exhibita: non est quod ei metuatis. Nam quod varijs modis temptatur ac probatur, modó pium ac sanctum fuerit: iacturam ab hostibus nullam sentit, sed potius hostes conculcat ac interficit. Solis radij sterquiliniorum sordibus, non coinquinantur: verita… que diuini verbi, errorum tenebris & caligine, non offunditur. Nec est quod vobis ipsis metuatis: modó re ipsa id praestetis, quod vbi que iactatis. Nam quotquot vestras partes non sequūtur, aliquo grauissimo ignominiae genere, nimis superbé afficitis: nos omnes omnino indoctos esse praedicatis, aut plane dementatos affirmatis. Vobis autem plusquam diuinam vendicatis prudentiam: nobis veró plusquám beluinam stoliditatem tribuitis. Iam quám facilé erit doctis indoctos, hominibus sanae mentis insania percitos, ingenio & prudentia, flagrantibus stolidos & ignaros vincere: sacer parliamenti conuentus, nullo negocio intelliget. Ideo si omnino ob Christū & illius causae gloriam quam nos defendimus, aut ob salutem nostram, vt vestra prudentia nos stultitiae arguamur, vestra que doctrina & eruditione nos ignorantiae accusemur, hoc facere non vultis: tamen vt publicé impietatis conuincamur, coram summo senatu, hoc praestate. Et si istis rationibus nihil moueamini: tamen vestra ipsorum causa certé postulat, vt palam eae lites inter nos componantur, id que coram competenti iudice: né apud omnes pios malé audiat: & fortassis hac suspitione laboret, quasi lucem & publicum examen fugiat, né impietatis, & idololatriae per verbum Dei depraehendatur. Et vos qui malam causam, imó pessimam, ferro & igne defenditis, non tam docti nec pij, vt omnino videri & haberi vultis, inueniamini: sed potius ignorantiae & stultitiae, quas nobis impingitis, redarguamini. Non vos fugit quomodo publicé, palam, & in facie ac in praesentia omnium statuum huius regni, in summa curia parliamenti, veritas verbi Dei per fidos, doctos, & pios ministros, de vestra impia missa, gloriosé victoriam reportauit: quamuis per trecentos annos non solum locum & templum Dei occupauerit, verum etiam corda hominum (tan quám Deus) inhabitauerit. Sed quocun que titulo, nomine, honore, reuerentia, sanctitate, tempore, patronis, vniuersalitate splenduit, vbi per sanctiss. Regé Edouardū sextū sanctiss. memoriae, ad viuum lapidē lydeum verbi Dei examinari per proceres, heroes, ac doctos huius regni erat mandatum: statim euanuit, & nihil aliud apparuit, quám spurcissimum & immundissimum idolū sub pallio, & nomine Dei impie contectum: Aequa & iusta petimus, vt palam & publicé: lites inter nos componantur. Si igitur vestrae causae & vobis ipsis non diffidatis, vná nobiscum apud sanctum senatum agere dignemini: vt coramillo, autoritate verbi dei, quis nostram veriorem partem defenderit, dignoscatur. Nullis enim legibus sanctis & iustis vnquám fuit permissum, vt vna pars litigans, de altera parte iudex constitueretur. Nam in omnibus controuersijs & causis deficilioribus (maxime in religione) medius aliquis, & neutra litigantium pars, in iudicem eligenda est. Nec Christus ipse (quamuis ipsa veritas) aeterni patris filius, hanc potestatem & imperium iudicandi sibi vindecauit: quandocun que lites de eius doctrina inter illum & phariseos, vel quoscun que alios contigerunt. Sed semper ad legem appellauit, aduersarios que suos vt legis praescripto & sententia starent, rogauit: scrutamini (inquiens) scripturas. Nos etiam a vobis nihil aliud in nomine domini nostri Iesu Christi, supplices petimus & rogamus, nisi vt causa de qua inter nos litigatur, sententia & autoritate verbi dei decidatur ac finiatur. Et si per verbum dei fidem nostram parum candidam & …iam, ostendere valeti…: porregemus vobis herbam, dabim us que dextras. Nec in impios Arrianos pij & sancti, patres, hanc iudicandi potestatē sibi assumpserunt: sed adfuit disputationi pius princeps Constantinus imperator, qui rationes partium litigantium, diligenter perpendit: & sententiam at que iudicium causae, soli autoritati verbi dei detulit. Quid hoc est igitur? quo iure contenditis? vultis & nostri & causae nostrae, testes, accusatores, & iudices esse? nos tantum legem & euangelium Dei in causa religionis, iudicē competentem agnoscimus: illius iudicio stet vel cadat nostra causa. Tantum (iterumat que iterum) petimus, vt coram competē ti iudice detur nobis qui vincula & carceres sustinemus, amicū Christianum que auditorium: vim haud dubitamus, quin nostras rationes, & argumenta autoritate verbi diuini sumꝰ stabilituri, ac vestra plané subuerturi. Hactenus praeiudicio iniusté grauamur: nec mirum, cum vna pars litigantium iudex alterius partis constituatur. Quapropter ad verbum dei, tanquam vnicum & solum competentem in causa religionis, iudicem appellamus. Si praeter & contra hanc legem dei, falsa & impia (vt coepistis) vi & dolo promouere non desistetis, sed fratres vestros truculenter persequendo pergetis: nos in tantis periculis constituti, ad misericordiam dei confugiemus, qui solus & possit & velit nos á vestris erroribus, incolumes & saluos conseruare. Praeterea, vt olim aliqui ex nobis, pro salute & incolumitate aliquot vestrum, apud magistratum ciuilem intercessimus: sic & nunc pro omnium vestrum salute in Christo Iesu, apud patrem coelestem intercedere non desistemus, vt tandem ad meliorem & sinceriorem mentem reuersi, vnicum Christum Iesum quem praecinuerunt prophetae, praedicauerunt Apostoli, quem que omnes pij agnoscūt (iam quo ad humanitatem, sedentem ad dextram patris in coelis amp…ectamini, & exosculemini: repudiato conficto, & ementito illo Christo ex pane confecto: quem nō solum iuuenes, virgines, & se…es, verum etiam oues & boues, pecora que campi, volucres coeli & pisces maris panem agnoscunt ac sentiunt, & non deum. Desistite rogamus igitur enixé vlterius oculos piorum perstringere. Verus enim Christus quatenus homo, iam amplius sursum ac deorsum per manus sacerdotū, agitari & immolari nō potest. In…ernum vicit, peccata vestra in cruce perlitauit, mortem destruxit, & iam astra te…e…: quem olim videbitis venientem in nubibus coeli cum potestate magna & gloria, sempiternis que poenis vos plangetis, nisi hic poenitētiam falsae & impiae vestrae doctrinae egeritis. Si deus autem pro sua inexhausta bonitate & clemētia, per verbum suum lites istas inter nos componi dignetur: non dubito quin oculos vestros ita sit aperturus, vt quám horribiliter, & impié dei ac hominum testimonio & scriptis abuti videatis. Sed si furioso, & ex candescenti spiritu, vestras partes citra autoritatem verbi dei, defēdere velitis: actum est omnino de vestra aeterna salute: ꝙ dominus propter filiū suum vnicū auertat. Cogitate etiā apud vos ipsos an hoc sit piorū ministrorū ecclesiae officiū, vi, metu, & pauore corda hominū in vestras partes cōpellere? Profectô Christꝰ nō ignē, non gladiū, nō carceres, nō vincula, nō violentiā, nō confiscationē bonorū, nō regineae maiestatis terrorē, media organa constituit, quibus veritas sui verbi mundo promulgaretur: sed miti ac diligenti praedicatione euā gelij sui, mundū ab errore & idololatria conuerti praecepit. Vos nō Christi sed Antichristi armis vtimini, quibus populū inuitum ad vestra sacra cōpellitis: & non vol…tē, & instructū verbo dei trahitis. Sed quám malus custos … sit timor, non ignoratis. Certé qui timet nisi dei spiritu …per reuocetur, odit. Tra dite igitur saluberrima praecepta legis & euangelij populo dei vt pro Christi ministris per verbum Christi, ab omnibus agnoscamini. Ideó enim ministri ecclesiae Christi estis constituti, vt tantum Christi doctrinam populum dei doceretis▪ & non vt nouā, & á Christo alienam obtruderetis. Quae iam vos in ecclesia agitis, si coram aequoiudice, amicam ac Christianam disputationē, non recusaueritis: ex verbo dei ostendemus, vel á lege Mosaica mutuata: vel per Antichristum, & pseudoministros in ecclesiā fuisse introducta vt hoc breui tractatu exelsae parliamenti curiae facilé constabit. Scio inter vos esse tam turgido, & iniquo spiritu praeditos, qui putant nos tantū inanis gloriae, superbiae, arrogantiae, & famae nostrae fumo duci, & ideo velle potius semper malé currere: qúam admoniti de errore bené recurrere. Sed hoc Deus nouit, quod tantum illius gloriam, nostram que salutem in Christo quaerimꝰ dicant aduersarij quid velint. Meminerint autē nostri aduersarij & cogitēt: quāqúam apud illos nec pro doctis, nec pijs hominibꝰ habeamur (& haud dubié nos ipsos omnis impietatis & peccati apud deum quotidié accusamꝰ) tamē homines sumus ratione prediti. Et quis (nisi insanus) iactura & amissione omniū bonorū suorum, vxoris, liberorum, libertatis & vitae: redimeret, famae aut inanis gloriae titulum? Profecto tanti poenitere (vt dicitur) non emerimus. Igitur illius verbi veritatem nostris bonis omnibus ac vitae ipsi praeterimus: Et si centies (Deo nos adiuuante) moriendum nobis fuerit: ad idololatriam & impium cultū Dei, quae Dei misericordia hactenus reliquimus, non reuertemur. Domini sumus siué viuimus siue morimur: eius igitur voluntas in vobis & in nobis, cum misericordia fiat, Amen.
Vestrae salutis in Christo studiosisimus. Ioh. Hoperus.
A note of Bish. Farrer.
DOctour Leison, doctor of lawe, a Ciuilian, a Iustice of peace, the same who is mentioned,Referre this to the page 1555. pag. 1555. woulde not suffer bishop Farrer (when he was at the stake to bee burnt) to speake his mynd, and about halfe a yeare after, the said Doc. Leison died, and when he would hauehave spoke himselfe, he could not.
The trouble and examination of Thomas Hitton Martyr, with his examinations, answers, condemnation and Martyrdome, An. Dom. 1529. the 20. of February.
THomas Hitton of Martham in the Diocesse of Norwich, an honest poore man and religious,Reade before page. 997. col. 2. The story and Martyrdome of Thomas Hitton. euer fearyng God from his youth and louyng his worde. When persecution for the same word in the dayes of king Henry the 8. grew to bee somewhat hote, tooke his iourney toward Rochester in Kent, intendyng to hauehave gone to Douer, & so to hauehave crossed the seas into Fraunce and other countries▪ for a tyme, where reposing himself a while, he might be free from the heat of persecution.William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury. As he was goyng on his intēded iourny, one Thomas Swainesland, Baily to William Warrham Archbish. of Canterbury, meting him by the way, and suspecting him to be (as they called them) an heretike, caused him to be staied, and brought before the said William Archb. of Cant. his maister, who demanded of him from whence he came, and whether he intended to hauehave gone, if he had not bene intercepted. The sayd Tho. answered that he came out of the Dioces of Norwich,The examination of Thomas Hitton before the Archbishop. and purposed to hauehave gone beyond the seas, if God had so permitted. Then the Bishop asked him if he had euer bene beyond the seas before, and what bookes he had brought ouer. He answered that he had bene once beyond the seas before, and had brought certaine bookes with hym from thence, namely, two new Testaments, and one Primer in English. The Bishop asked him to whome hee gaue the sayde bookes. He aunswered, he would not declare. For (saieth he) such is your bloudy crueltie, that you woulde neuer sleepe quietly, till you had sucked their bloude as you meane to do myne. The Bishop seyng he could extort no more out of him, and perceiuyng his constant spirite and feruent zeale to the truth, commanded hym to prison till further oportunitie might serue for the shedding of his bloud.
The second appearance of Thomas Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant.
WIthin a while after, the bishop commanded the sayd Thomas to be brought before him agayne, who demanded of him how he iudged and beleued of the religion then in force, and of the authoritie of the bishop of Rome. The said Thomas answered, that the religion then vsed, was most abhominable idolatry, and contrary to the holy word of God. And as for the Pope (quoth he) he is Antichrist, the first borne of Sathan, and hath no more power or authoritie, then any other bishop hath in his owne diocesse, nor so much neither. The Bishop hearing this, was in such a peltyng chafe, that at that tyme he would talk no more with hym, but returned hym from whence he came, namelye, to Bocardo, with commaundement to appere before him agayne, vponupon the 13. day of the same month folowyng, at his Manor of Knoll, to aunswer to such Articles and Interrogatories as should be obiected ex officio, against hym.
The third appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant.
THe sayd Thomas Hitton at the day prefixed, made his personall appearance before the bishop at the place appointed, to whom the Bishop ministred certaine articles and interrogatories for him to aunswer vntounto, commaundyng him to sweare to answer truly and vnfainedly vntounto them, and eueryevery part of them. The sayd Tho. Hitton refused to sweare, saying: It is against Gods lawes and good conscience for any man to sweare to shed hys owne bloud,Tho. Hitton refuseth to sweare agaynst himselfe. for so he should be a murtherer of hymselfe, and become guiltie of his owne death. But yet notwithstādyng that he refused to sweare to aunswer, yet he answered truly and directly to eueryevery perticular Article and Interrogatorie propounded vntounto hym, but so as was finally to their contentation, yet no doubt to the great glory of God, and comfort of the godly. This done, the Bishop brake of hys session for that tyme, and commaunded him to prison agayne, and to appeare before hym in the place aforesayde, vponupon the Friday next followyng, to aunswer further as should be demaunded of hym, granting him liberty withall, to adde too, or subtract from his former aunswers, eyther els vtterly to deny and reuoke the same.
The fourth appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant.
THe day and tyme approching, the sayd Thom. Hitton appeared agayne accordingly, and hauing heard hys former aunswers and confessions distinctly by the Notarie red vntounto hym, hee reformed them in certaine pointes, to some he added, from other some he subtracted, but none he denied. Then the Bishop perceiuyng his vnmoueable constancie in the truth, setting learnyng and reason apart, beyng not able to conuince him by arguments and truth, nor yet to improoue the spirite which spake in hym, fell to exhortyng of him to hauehave respect to his soules health, and not so wilfully (as he termed it) to cast away himselfe for euer, but to repent, and to abiure his errors, and in so doyng, he would be good vntounto him, he sayd. When the bishop with all his perswasions could doe no good with hym to withdraw him from the truth of gods word, then the doctors and other the assistants attempted the lyke, all which notwithstanding,The constā cye of Tho. Hitton in his confession. the said Thomas Hitton would not desist nor shrinke one iote from the truth, but both affirmed and confirmed his former articles and confessions to the ende. Inferring withall, that they sinned against the holy Ghost, in as much as they knew that Gods worde was the truth, and that the Masse and all popish religion, is nothing els but Idolatry, lies, and open blasphemy against the maiestie of God and his word, and contrary to Gods word in eueryevery respect, and yet they would allowe and maintaine the same, contrary to their owne consciences, whereat all the Bench was greatly offended, & commaunded him to prison agayne, assignyng him a day to come before them agayne.
The fift appearance of Tho. Hitton before the said Archb. of Cant.
AT the day appointed, the said Tho. Hitton appeared, to whom the bishop sayd, Thomas,An other appearance of Thomas Hitton before the Archbishop. doest thou beleeue that any man either spirituall or temporall, is of sufficient authoritie to set forth any lawe or sanction of himselfe, the breach whereof is Mortall or Ueniall sinne. To whome Tho. Hitton answered: that no man either spirituall or temporall might make any lawe or sanction, the breache whereof, is mortall or veniall sinne, except the same lawe or sanction bee drawen out of the worde of God, or els grounded vppon the same with a good conscience. And therfore, neither the church cannot set forth any lawe, the breach whereof is Mortall or Ueniall sinne, vnlesse it bee grounded vponupon the word of God also. But if any man, or the church of God it selfe, do set forth any lawe grounded vponupon the word of God & good conscience, the breach thereof to the violater, is mortal and deadly sinne. After all maner of wayes and meanes attempted to drawe this poore man from Christ and his truth, the bishop seeyng that hee could not preuayle, determined to send hym to the bishop of Rochester, and so did, who assayed by all meanes possible to remooue him from his former professed truth. But seyng all his endeuors frustrate, and that he profited nothyng, he signified the same to the Archbishop, and withal both went himselfe vntounto hym, and caried the poore prisoner with him thether also.
In the afternoone of the same day, the said Archbish. of Cant. the bish. of Rochester, and diuers others assistantes called the sayd poore man before them agayne, and caused all the former Articles, Interrogatories and demaundes, to be red vntounto hym in English, to the end he should either hauehave reuoked the same, or els recanted them altogether, vsing both threates and faire promises to the performaunce thereof, but all in vayne: for his fayth was built vponupon the rocke Christ Iesus, and therefore vnable to be remooued with any stormes of persecution, whatsoeuer.
In fine, the Archbishop (with mature iudgement you must beleeue) consulting with the B. of Rochester and other, proceeded to his condemnation,The sentence of condemnation against Thomas Hitton. reading the bloudy sentence of death agaynst him, and so was he beyng condemned, deliuered to the secular power, who caried hym to the prison, and soone after hee was burned for the testimonie of Iesus Christ, as you may see more at large, pag. 997.998. for whose constancie in the truth, the euerlasting God be praysed. Amen.