A. D.

Exhorta

tions to

Mary. that delivered her to the temporal power, according to their custom, where she was by the gentlemen of the country exhorted yet to call 1558. for grace, and to leave her fond opinions: "and go home to thy husband," said they; "thou art an unlearned woman; thou art not able to answer to such high matters." "I am not," said she, “yet with death I am content to be a witness of Christ's death: and my pray you make no longer delay with me. My heart is fixed; I will never otherwise say, nor turn to their superstitious doings." Then the bishop said, the devil did lead her.

have her

recant.

Blasphemy of the bishop.

revealed

I

66

No, my lord," said she, "it is the Spirit of God which leadeth How God me, and which called me in my bed, and at midnight opened his his truth truth to me." Then was there a great shout and laughing among the priests and others.

unto her.

Judgment

given against this good

She

God for

ment

given.

During the time that this good poor woman was thus under these priests' hands, amongst many other baitings and sore conflicts which she sustained by them, here is moreover not to be forgotten, how that master Blackstone aforesaid, being the treasurer of the church, had a concubine, which sundry times resorted to him with other of his gossips; so that always when they came, this said good woman was called forth to his house, there to make his minion with the rest of the company some mirth, he examining her with such mocking and grinning, deriding the truth, that it would have vexed any christian heart to have seen it. Then when he had long used his foolishness in this sort, and had sported himself enough in deriding this christian martyr, in the end he sent her to prison again, and there kept her very miserably, saving that sometimes he would send for her, when his aforesaid guest came to him, to use with her his accustomed folly aforesaid. But in fine, these vile wretches (after many combats and scoffing persuasions), when they had played the part of the cat with the mouse, at length condemned her, and delivered her over to the secular power.

Then the indictment being given and read, which was, that she should go to the place whence she came, and from thence be led to the place of execution, then and there to be burned with flames till woman. she should be consumed; she lifted up her voice, and thanked God, saying, "I thank thee, my Lord my God; this day have I found thanketh that which I have long sought." But such outcries as there were her judg- again, and such mockings, were never seen upon a poor silly woman; all which she most patiently took. And yet this favour they pretended after her judgment, that her life should be spared, if she would turn and recant. Nay, that I will not," said she: "God forbid that I should lose the life eternal, for this carnal and short life. I will never turn from my heavenly Husband, to my earthly husband; from the fellowship of angels, to mortal children. And if my husband and children be faithful, then am I theirs. God is my Father, God is my Mother; God is my Sister, my Brother, my Kinsman ; God is my Friend most faithful.”

The woman

66

Then was she delivered to the sheriff, and innumerable people led to the beholding her, she was led by the officers to the place of execution, place of without the walls of Exeter, called Southernhay, where again these superstitious priests assaulted her; and she prayed them to have no more talk with her, but cried still, "God be merciful to me a sinner,

execu

tion.

A. D.

1558.

God be merciful to me a sinner!" And so, while they were tying Mary. her to the stake, thus still she cried, and would give no answer to them, but with much patience took her cruel death, and was with the flames and fire consumed. And so ended this mortal life, as constant a woman in the faith of Christ, as ever was upon the earth. She was as simple a woman to see to, as any man might behold; of a very little and short stature, somewhat thick, about fifty-four years of age. She had a cheerful countenance, so lively, as though she had been prepared for that day of her marriage to meet the Lamb; most patient of her words and answers; sober in apparel, meat and drink, and would never be idle; a great comfort to as many as would talk with her; good to the poor; and in her trouble, money, she said, she would take none; "for," she said, "I am going to a city, where money beareth no mastery; while I am here, God hath promised to feed me." Thus was her mortal life ended: for whose constancy God be everlastingly praised, Amen.

Touching the name of this woman (as I have now learned), she was the wife of one called Prest, dwelling in the diocese of Exeter, not far from Launceston.

The Persecution and Martyrdom of Richard Sharp, Thomas
Benion, and Thomas Hale,

THREE GODLY MEN BURNT AT BRISTOL, ABOUT THE LATTER
YEARS OF QUEEN MARY'S REIGN.

In writing of the blessed saints which suffered in the bloody days. of queen Mary, I had almost overpassed the names and story of three godly martyrs, which with their blood gave testimony likewise to the gospel of Christ, being condemned and burnt in the town of Bristol. The names of whom were these: Richard Sharp, Thomas Benion, and Thomas Hale.

Sharp

Dalby

lor of

tor.

First, Richard Sharp, weaver, of Bristol, was brought the 9th day Richard of March, anno 1556, before master Dalby, chancellor of the town martyr; or city of Bristol; and, after examination, concerning the sacrament master of the altar, was persuaded by the said Dalby and others to recant; chanceland the 29th of the same month was enjoined to make his recantation Bristol, before the parishioners in his parish church. Which when he had persecu done, he felt in his conscience such a tormenting hell, that he was not able quietly to work in his occupation, but decayed and changed both in colour and liking of his body; who shortly after, upon Sunday, came into his parish church, called Temple, and after high mass, came to the choir-door, and said with a loud voice, "Neighbours! bear me record that yonder idol," and pointed to the altar," is the greatest, and most abominable that ever was; and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God." Then the constables were commanded to apprehend him; but none stepped forth, but suffered him to go out of the church. After, by night, he was apprehended and carried to Newgate; and shortly after he was brought before the lord chancellor, denying the sacrament of the altar to be the body and blood of Christ; and said, it was an idol; and therefore was condemned to be Richard burnt, by the said Dalby. He was burnt the 7th of May, 1557; and condemdied godly, patiently, and constantly, confessing the articles of our faith. ned.

Sharp

Mary.

Thomas Hale martyr.

The Thursday in the night before Easter, anno 1557, came one A. D. master David Herris, alderman, and John Stone, to the house of one 1558. Thomas Hale, a shoemaker of Bristol, and caused him to rise out of his bed, and brought him forth of his door. To whom the said Thomas Hale said, "You have sought my blood these two years, and now much good do you with it :" who, being committed to the watchmen, was carried to Newgate the 24th of April, the year aforesaid, was brought before master Dalby the chancellor, committed by him to prison, and after by him condemned to be burnt, for saying the sacrament of the altar to be an idol. He was burned the 7th of May with the foresaid Richard Sharp, and godly, patiently, and constantly, embraced the fire with his arms.

Thomas
Benion

Richard Sharp and Thomas Hale were burnt both together in one fire, and bound back to back.

Thomas Benion a weaver, at the commandment of the commismartyr. sioners, was brought by a constable, the 13th day of August, anno 1557, before master Dalby, chancellor of Bristol, who committed him to prison for saying there was nothing but bread in the sacrament, as they used it. Wherefore, the 20th day of the said August, he was condemned to be burnt by the said Dalby, for denying five of their sacraments, and affirming two, that is, the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and the sacrament of baptism. He was burnt the 27th of the said month and year, and died godly, constantly, and patiently, with confessing the articles of our christian faith.

Nov. 10.

The Martyrdom of Five constant Christians,

WHICH SUFFERED THE LAST OF ALL OTHERS IN THE TIME OF
QUEEN MARY.

The last that suffered in queen Mary's time, were five at Canterbury, burnt about six days before the death of queen Mary, whose Martyrs. names follow hereunder written: John Corneford, of Wrotham; Christopher Brown, of Maidstone; John Herst, of Ashford; Alice Snoth; and Katherine Knight, otherwise called Katherine Tynley, an aged woman.

Their

These five (to close up the final rage of queen Mary's persecution). for the testimony of that word, for which so many had died before, gave up their lives meekly and patiently, suffering the violent malice of the papists; which papists, although they then might have either well spared them, or else deferred their death, knowing of the sickness of queen Mary; yet such was the implacable despite of that generation, that some there be that say, the archdeacon of Canterbury the same time being at London, and understanding the danger of the queen, incontinently made all post-haste home to despatch these, whom, before then, he had in his cruel custody.

The matter why they were judged to the fire, was this:

For believing the body not to be in the sacrament of the altar, unless it be articles, received; saying moreover, that we receive another thing also besides Christ's why they body, which we see, and is a temporal thing, according to St. Paul, “The demned. things that be seen, be temporal," etc.

were con

Item, For confessing that an evil man doth not receive Christ's body, "Be- Mary. cause no man hath the Son, except it be given him of the Father."

Item, That it is idolatry to creep to the cross; and St. John forbidding it, saith, "Beware of images."

A. D. 1558.

Item, For confessing that we should not pray to our Lady, and other saints, because they be not omnipotent.

God's

works to

be noted.

For these and other such articles of christian doctrine, were these An exfive committed to the fire. Against whom when the sentence should ample of be read, and they excommunicate, after the manner of the papists, one of them, John Corneford by name, stirred with a vehement spirit of the zeal of God, proceeding in a more true excommunication against the papists, in the name of them all, pronounced sentence against them, in these words as follow:

demna

by Corne

"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the most mighty God, Sentence and by the power of his Holy Spirit, and the authority of his holy catholic and of conapostolic church, we do here give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed, the tion probodies of all those blasphemers and heretics, that do maintain any error against nounced his most holy word, or do condemn his most holy truth for heresy, to the main- ford tenance of any false church or feigned religion; so that by this thy just judg- against be the ment, O most mighty God, against thy adversaries, thy true religion may paknown to thy great glory and our comfort, and to the edifying of all our nation. Good Lord, so be it. Amen."

pists.

dealing of

Harps

This sentence of excommunication, being the same time openly pronounced and registered, proceeding so, as it seemeth, from an inward faith and hearty zeal to God's truth and religion, took such The cruel effect against the enemy, that, within six days after, queen Mary died, archdeaand the tyranny of all English papists with her. Albeit, notwith-con standing the sickness and death of that queen, whereof they were not field. ignorant; yet the archdeacon, with others of Canterbury, thought to despatch the martyrdom of these men before. In the which fact, the tyranny of this archdeacon seemeth to exceed the cruelty of Bonner; who, notwithstanding he had certain the same time under his custody, yet he was not so importune in haling them to the fire, as appeareth by father Living and his wife, and divers others, who, being the same time under the custody and danger of Bonner, were delivered by the death of queen Mary, and remain yet some of them alive.

These godly martyrs, in their prayers which they made before their martyrdom, desired God that their blood might be the last that should be shed, and so it was.

This Katherine Tynley was the mother of one Robert Tynley, now dwelling in Maidstone, which Robert was in trouble all queen Mary's time; to whom his mother, coming to visit him, asked him how he took this place of Scripture which she had seen, not by reading of the Scripture (for she had yet in manner no taste of religion), but had found it by chance in a book of prayers, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants, and upon the maids, in those days, will I pour my Spirit," etc.; which place after that he had expounded to her, she began to take hold on the gospel, growing more and more in zeal and love thereof; and so continued unto her martyrdom.

Among such young women as were burnt at Canterbury, it is

A. D.

Mary. recorded of a certain maid, and supposed to be this Alice Snoth here in this story mentioned, or else to be Agnes Snoth above storied 1558. (for they were both burnt), that when she was brought to be exeA note of cuted, she being at the stake, called for her godfather and godmothers. The justice, hearing her, sent for them, but they durst not Notwithstanding the justices willed the messenger to go again, and to show them that they should incur no danger thereof.

Alice

Snoth.

come.

66

me."

Then they, hearing that, came to know the matter of their sending for. When the maid saw them, she asked them what they had promised for her; and so she immediately rehearsed her faith, and the commandments of God; and required of them, if there were any more that they had promised in her behalf, and they said, No. Then," said she, "I die a christian woman, bear witness of And so cruelly in fire was she consumed, and gave joyfully her life up for the testimony of Christ's gospel, to the terror of the wicked, and comfort of the godly; and also to the stopping of the slanderous mouths of such as falsely do quarrel against the faithful martyrs, for going from that religion wherein by their godfathers and godmothers they were first baptized.

THE STORY AND CONDEMNATION OF JOHN HUNT AND RICHARD
WHITE, READY TO BE BURNT, BUT WHO, BY THE DEATH

OF QUEEN MARY, ESCAPED THE FIRE.

Besides these martyrs above named, divers there were in divers other places of the realm imprisoned, whereof some were but newly taken and not yet examined; some begun to be examined, but were not yet condemned; certain were both examined and condemned, but for lack of the writ escaped.

Others there were also, both condemned, and the writ also was brought down for their burning, and yet by the death of the chancellor, the bishop, and of queen Mary happening together about one time, they most happily and marvellously were preserved, and lived many years after; in the number of whom was one John Hunt and Richard White, imprisoned at Salisbury: touching which history something here is to be showed.

First, these two good men and faithful servants of the Lord above named, to wit, John Hunt and Richard White, had remained long time in prison at Salisbury, and other places thereabout, the space of two years and more. During which time, ofttimes they were called to examination, and manifold ways were impugned by the bishops and the priests. All whose examinations, as I thought not much needful here to prosecute or to search out, for the length of the volume; so neither again did I think it good to leave no memory at all of the same, but some part to express, namely of the examination of Richard White before the bishop of Salisbury, the bishop of Gloucester, with the chancellor and other priests, not unworthy, perchance, to be rehearsed.

(1) Hereby bishop Bonner may see, that the martyrs died in the same faith, wherein they were baptized by their godfathers and godmothers.