Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Appendix · Account 19 – Account 21
¶A note concerning the trouble of Iulius Palmer, lately come to my handes.
To his assured friend and brother in Chryst Mayster Perry preacher at Beuerstone geue these.
Referre and conferre this with the pag. 1…37.MAyster Perry after my harty commendations in the Lord Iesus Christ vntounto you and your wife &c. wheras you hauehave written vntounto me for my help in stoppyng the malicious and enuious mouth of Thomas Thackam, I would be as glad as any man to testifie the truth, both for that I know of the shameles malice of the sayd party, agaynst the members of Christ, as also the godly and vertuous behauiour of Palmer both before he was in prison, and after in prison, with the credite of that good and godly worke of that history: but surely many thinges are out of my hed, which I cannot as yet remember. And for these things I know, I wryte vntounto you. And first as touching the frendship shewed vntounto the Lady Uane, and hys zeale therein vttered, trueth it is that hee receaued her into hys house for mony for a small space, in the whiche time they two did not well agree, for that she coulde not suffer hys wickednes of wordes and gestures vnreproued, but that his wife many times being of more honesty made ye matter well agayne, but to be short, suche was his frendshyp in the ende towardes that good Lady, being out of hys house, that she feared no man more for her lyfe, then him. And I being her man she gaue me great charge alwayes to beware of him. As touching his frendship towardes Iohn Bolton in prison, I am sure he neuer found any, as they that vsed to visite him, can somewhat say: Except you accompt this friendship, that he beyng bereft of hys senses, Thac. wrought him to yeld vntounto the papistes, and as a right member of them became his suretie to be obedient vntounto them. And hee beyng burdened in conscience therewith, fled away vntounto Geneua, for the which flieng Thac. had nothing sayd vntounto hym, which sheweth that he was their instrument. And this friendship to Iohn Bolton, for Downer I hauehave heard no euill of him: for Gateley and Radley now Uicar of S. Laurence, and Bowyer a Tanner, they three left no meanes vnpractised to catche and persecute the members of Christ as I my selfe can well prooue. As touching Palmer, for that I many tymes frequented his company in his lodging, he woulde vtter sometymes vntounto me the griefe of his mynd. Among other things once he told me, that for that he heard he was somwhat suspected with the womā of the house, he was much grieued withall, the which he vttred with many teares. I then counsailing him to depart thence to auoyd the occasion of offence, he sayd no, but the Lord should try him or it were long: for sayd he, Thac. hath let me his schole, and now would hauehave it againe, and because I will not let him hauehave it, this he hath brought vppon me, but God forgeue him. Afterward beyng in prison, I talking with hym at the grate, he shewed me his iudgement of the scriptures, and deliuered it vntounto me, what became of it I knowe not now. He praysed God highly for his estate, and then hee sayd he trusted it would appeare whether Thac. had sayd of him well or not. And further he sayd, that now Thack. hath his will to hauehave his schoole agayne: for if I woulde hauehave yelded vp the schoole, he would hauehave sent me away, I neuer trusted him so well sayd he, to communicate my mynd vntounto hym before witnesse, but sometyme alone, and therfore he hath deuised a letter in my name, and brought it to light to cause me to bee examined of my conscience. This is as much as I can say at this tyme. Thus fare you well in the Lord, Amen. From Corsly this 18. of May.
Yours to commaund in Christ, Iohn Moyer Minister.
HaueHave me commended I pray you to all my friends at Readyng.
A note of Iulius Palmer.
ALso being at Magdalene colledge about a monethmonth before he was burned, and reasoning against …ne Barwike Maister of Arte sometyme his familiar friende and olde acquaintance in the sayd Colledge, after much talke▪ Barwike said vntounto him, Well Palmer, Now thou talkest boldly and stoutly at thy pleasure, if thou were brought to a stake, thou wouldst tell me another tale. Take heed, it is an hard matter to burne. Hereunto Palmer answered. In deed it is an hard matter for him to burne yt hath his soule linked to his body as a thiefes foote is tied in a paire of fetters. But if a man be once able through Gods helpe to seperate and deuide the soule from the body▪ for him it is no harder a thing to burne, thē for me to eat this crumme of bread.
¶A true Copy of the Confession of Patricke Patingham sent out of Newgate to certayn of his frends.
I Patricke Patingham, being condemned for the veritie of Gods trueth that is to say in confessing of one God,Referre this to the page. 1686. which was the creatour of all things visible and inuisible and also that he made those by his sonne, whome he hath made heyre of all thinges. And also I confesse, that he is the onelyonly begotten sonne of God, in whome we hauehave redemption, euen the forgeuenes of sinnes. And also in confessing Gods most holy Church, being builded vponupon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophetes Iesus Christ being the head corner stone. In whome sayth S. Paule eueryevery building coupled together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord, in whome I beleeue I am builded together as a member and made an habitation for God in the spirite. And also I confesse that Christ is the head of the holy Church, as S. Paule sayth, and that God is Christs head.
And also I had x. articles that is to say agaynst theyr wicked traditions and commaundementes whiche they vse, whiche are agaynst the commaundementes of God, whereof they did condemne me not suffering me to speake in the consistory house, but condemning me not my cause heard. But yet I did protest vntounto them, that their Church or synagogue is of Sathan, that is to say, Sathan beyng the head thereof. Furthermore, my friend or friendes vnknown, I hauehave receiued your letter and red it ouer, wherin you say that I am in a blasphemous errour. In deede frends I confesse, that it is an error. If you will make my beliefe, that is to say, that Christ is the sonne of the liuyng God, to be an errour, and to beleeue that there is one god as S. Paule saith, and one mediatour betwixt God and man, euen the man Christ Iesus. And although there bee that are called Gods, whether in heauen or in earth, as there be Gods many and Lordes many, yet vntounto vsus is there but one God which is the father, of whome are all things, and we in hym, and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whom are all thyngs, and we by him. I beleeue that there is but one Lord, one fayth, one Baptisme, and one God in all, and aboue all, and thorough all, which onelyonly God as S. Paule sayeth, worketh in all creatures that beleeue in him, and speaketh in them as S. Paule sayeth: God in tymes past diuersly and many wayes spake vntounto the fathers by prophets, but in these last daies he spake vntounto vsus by his sonne whom he hath made heire of all thyngs. My friend or friends, be it known vntounto you, that this is no errour as ye suppose, but it is the truth of Gods will, that we should beleeue as S. Iohn sayth: That Christ Iesus is the sonne of the liuing God, and in so beleeuyng wee should hauehave euerlasting lyfe. Thus with louelove I write vntounto you, praying God night and day to deliuer you frō euill which is in you, and to keepe you from it. Wherefore my friend or friendes, you are not crucified with Christ, you are not dead with him as concerning sinne, you are not graffed with him in Baptisme, nor you know not god nor his sonne whome he hath sent, nor his commaundements which he hath commaunded, and yet will ye teach other, with most hearty prayer praying to God for you continually.
Patrike Patingham.