Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The cruell handling of Thomas Chase of Amersham, wickedly strangled and martyred in the bishops prison at Wooburne, vnder W. Smith Bishop of Lincolne.

AMong these aforesayd,* 1.1 which were so cruelly persecu∣ted for the Gospell and worde of Christe, one Thomas Chase of Amersham, was one of them that was thus cru∣elly handled, which Thomas Chase by the report of suche as did knowe him, was a man of a godly, sober and honest behauior (whose vertuous doings doe yet remaine in me∣morie) and could not abide Idolatrie and superstition, but many times woulde speake against it: Wherefore the vn∣godly and wicked did the more hate & despise him,* 1.2 and toke hym, and brought him before the blinde Byshop, beyng at that time at Wooburne, in the Countie of Buckingham, and as it is wrytten. Act. 12. that wicked Herode dyd vexe certaine of the congregation, and killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword, and because he saw that it pleased y^e Iewes. &c. he proceded farther, and had thys same Tho∣mas Chase before him, asking him many questions tou∣ching the Romish religion, to many tauntes, checkes, and rebukes, but what answere this godly man Thom. Chase made them, it is vnknowen. Howbeit it is to be supposed, that hys aunswere was most zealous and godly in profes∣sing Christes true religion and Gospel,* 1.3 and to the extirpa∣tion of idolatry and superstition and hypocrisie, for that the sayde Thomas Chase was commaunded to be put in the bishops prison called litleease, in the bishops house at woo burne, which prison had not bene ministred vnto him, had not his answeres bene sound and vpright. There Thomas Chase lay bound most painfully with chaines, gyues, ma∣nicles and yrons oft times fore pined with hunger, where the Bishopes almes was daily brought vnto hym by hys chapleines:* 1.4 Whych almes was nothing els put checkes, tauntes, rebukes and threatninges, floutinges, and moc∣kings. Al which cruelty the godly Martyr tooke most qui∣etly & paciently,* 1.5 remembering and hauing respect to Chri∣stes promises. Math. 5. Blessed are they which suffer perse∣cution for righteousnesse sake: for theirs is the kingdome of heauen, and as foloweth: Blessed are yee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 re∣uile you and persecure you, &c. when the Bishop wyth his bonde of shauelings, perceiued that by their daily practises of crueltie they coulde not preuaile against him, but rather y^t he was the more feruent & earnest in professing Christes true Religion: and that he did tolerate and beare most pa∣ciētly at their wickednes and truelty ministred vnto hym:

they imagined how and which way they might put hym to death, least there should be a tumulte or an vprose amōg the people. And as Richard Hun shortly after was han∣ged or strangled in Lolardes tower, about the yeare of our Lord 1514. euen so these bloudsuppers most cruelly strang∣led and prest to death this said Thomas Chase in prison,* 1.6 which most hartely called vpon God to receiue his spirit: as witnesseth a certaine woman, that kept him in prison.

After that these stinging vipers being of the wicked broode of Antichrist, had thus most cruelly and impiouslye murthered this faithfull Christian, they were at their wits ende, and could not tell what shift to make, to cloke theyr shamefull murther withall, at last to blinde the ignoraunt sely people, these bloudy butchers most slaunderously cau∣sed by their ministers to be bruted abroade, that the fore∣said Thomas Chase had hanged himselfe in prison:* 1.7 which was a most shamefull and abhominable lit, for the prison was such, that a man coulde not stand vpright, nor lye at ease but stooping, as they do report that did knowe it. And besides that, this man had so many manacles & yrons vp∣on him, that he could not wel moue neither hand nor foote, as the women did declare that sawe him dead, in so much that they cōfessed that his bloudbolke was broken by rea∣son they had so vily beaten him and brused him: And yet these holy catholikes had not made an end of their wicked acte in this both killing and slandering of this godly mar∣tyr, but to put out the remembrance of him, they caused him to be buried in the wood called Norlandwood, in the hie way betwixt Wooburne and little Marlow, to the en∣tent he should not be takē vp againe to be seene: And thus commonly are innocent men layd vp by these clerkly cler∣gye men.* 1.8 But he that is effectually true of himselfe, hath promised at one time or at another, to cleare his true ser∣uauntes, not with lyes and fables, but by his owne true word. No secret faith he, is so close, but once shall be ope∣ned, neither is any thing so hid, that shall not at the last be knowne clearely. Such a sweete Lord is God alwaies to those that are his true seruants. Blessed be his holy name therefore, for euer and euer, Amen.

Thomas Harding being one of this company, thus molested and troubled as is aforesaide, in the towne of A∣mersham, for the truth of the Gospell, after hys abiuration and penaunce done, was againe sought for, and brought to the fire, in the dayes of King Henry viu. and vnder D. Langlond then Bishop of Lincolne, succeeding after Car∣dinall wolfey. Of whose death and martirdome, we shall likewise record (Christ willing and graunting) in order when we shall come to the time and yeare of this suffering.

* 1.9After the martirdome of these two, I read also of one Thomas Norice, who likewise for the same cause, that is, for the profession of Christes Gospell, was condemned by the Bishop and burnt at Norwich, the last day of March, an. 1507.

* 1.10In the next yeare folowing, which was an. 1508. In the consistory of London, was connected Elizabeth Samp∣son, of the parish of Aldermanberic vpon certain Articles, and specially for speaking against pilgrimage & adoration of Images, as y^t Image of our Lady at Wisdome, at Sta∣nings, at Crome, at Walsingham, and the Image of saint Sauiour, of Barmondsey, and against the Sacrament of the aultar, and for that she had spoken these or like words: that our Lady of wisdon was but a burnt arse esie, and a burnt arse stocke, and if she might haue holpen men & wo∣men which go to her on pilgrimage, she woulde not haue suffred her taile to haue bene burnt: and what should folke worship our Lady of wisdome, or our Lady of Crome, for the one is but a burnt arse stocke, and the other is but a puppit: and better it were for the people to geue theyr almes at home to poore people, then to go on pilgrimage. Also that she called the Image of Saint Sauiour, Sun Sauiour with kit lips, and that she said she could make as good bread as that which the priest occupied, and that it was not the body of Christ, but bread, for that Christ could not be both in heauen and earth at one time. For these and certaine other articles, she was compelled to abiure, be∣fore Maister William Horsey, Chancellour the day and yeare aboue written. Ex Regist. Lond.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anno. 1506. Tho. Chase Martir.
• * 1.2

  Tho. Chase brought be∣fore the B.
• * 1.3

  Tho. Chase condēned to the Bishops prison at Wooburne called little ease.
• * 1.4

  A worthy almes of a Bishop.
• * 1.5

  The perfect patience & constancy of Tho. Chase.
• * 1.6

  Tho. Chase cruelly mur¦thered in the Bishops prison.
• * 1.7

  Tho. Chase falsely slaū∣dered to hang him∣selfe.
• * 1.8

  God bring∣eth to light the secret murthers of the papistes. Math. 10. Luke. 12.
• * 1.9

  Tho. Norice Martir. Anno. 1507.
• * 1.10

  Elizabeth Sampson. Anno. 1508