Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 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.

*D. Taylour the fourth tyme with M. Bradford, and M. Saunders, brought before Winchester and other Byshops.

VPon which day & yeare aforesayd,* 1.1 D. Tailour and M. Bradford, and M. Saūders were agayne called to ap∣peare before the byshop of Winchester, the bishop of Nor∣wich, of London, of Salisbury, and of Duresme, and ther were charged agayne with heresy & schisme, and therfore a determinate answere was required: whether they woulde submit themselues to the Romayne byshop & abiure there errors or els they would according to theyr lawes proceed to theyr condemnation.

When D. Taylour and his felowes, M. Bradford and M. Saunders heard this, they answered stoutly and bold∣ly,* 1.2 that they would not depart frō the truth which they had preached in king Edwards dayes, neither would they sub¦mit themselues to the romish Antichrist but they thanked God for so great mercy, that he would cal them to be wor∣thy to suffer for his word and truth.

When the Bishops saw them so boldly, constanly, and vnmoueably fixed in the truth,* 1.3 they read y^e sentēce of death vpon them, which whē they had heard, they most ioyfully gaue God thankes, and stoutly sayde vnto the Byshops: We doubt not but God the righteous Iudge, will require

our bloud at your handes, and the proudest of you all shall repent this receiuing agayne of Antichrist, and your tiran∣ny that ye now shew agaynst the flocke of Christ.

So was Doctor Taylour nowe condemned, commit∣ted to the Clinke, & the keepers charged straitlye to keepe him:* 1.4 for ye haue nowe an other maner of charge (quoth the Lord Chauncellour) then ye had before: therefore looke ye take heed to it.

Whē the keeper brought him toward the prison, y^t peo∣ple flocked about to gase vpō him: vnto whō he sayd: God be praysed (good people) I am come away from thē vnde∣filed,* 1.5 & will confirme the truth with my bloud. So was he bestowed in the Clincke till it was toward night, and thē he was remoued to the Counter by the Poultry.

When D. Taylour had lyen in the sayd Counter in the poultry a seuennight or there aboutes prisoner, the fourth day of February, Anno 1555. Edmund Boner Byshop of London with others, came to the said Counter to disgrade him, bringing with them such ornaments, as do appertein to theyr massing Mūmery. Now being come, he called for the sayd D. Taylor to be brought vnto him (the bishop be∣ing then in the chamber,* 1.6 where the keeper of the Counter and his wife lay.) So D. Taylour was brought downe frō the chamber aboue that, to the sayd Boner. And att his comming, the Bishop sayd: Mayster Doctour, I woulde you would remember your selfe, and turn to your mother holy Church: so may you do wel enough, and I wil sue for your pardon. Wherunto M. Taylor aunswered: I would you and your felowes would turne to Christ. As for me I will not turne to Antichrist. Well (quoth the byshop) I am come to disgrade you: wherfore put on these vestures. No (quoth Doct. Taylour) I will not. Wilt thou not, said the Bishop? I shall make thee, ere I goe. Quoth Doct. Tay∣lor, you shal not by the grace of God. Thē he charged him vpon his obedience to do it: but he would not do it for him.

So he willed another to put them on his backe: & whē he was throughly furnished therwith, he set his handes by his side, walking vp and down, and sayd: how say you my Lord, am I not a goodly foole? how say you my maysters? If I were in cheape, should I not haue boyes enough to laugh at these apish toyes, & toying trumpery? So the by∣shop scraped his fingers thūbes, & the crowne of his head, and did the rest of such like deuilish obseruaunces.

At the last, when he should haue geuen D. Taylour a stroke on the brest with his Crosierstaffe, the Bishoppes Chapleine sayd: my Lord strike him not, for hee wyll sure strike agayne. Yea by S. Peter will I, quoth Doct. Tay∣lour. The cause is Christes: and I were no good Christian if I would not fight in my Maysters quarrell. So the by∣shop laid his curse vpon him, but stroke him not. Then D. Taylor sayd: though you do curse me, yet God doth blesse me.* 1.7 I haue the witnes of my conscience, that ye haue done me wrong and violence: And yet I pray God (if it be hys will) forgeue you. But from the tyranny of the Byshop of Rome, & his detestable enormities, good Lord deliuer vs. And in going vp to his chamber, he still sayd: God deliuer me from you, God deliuer me frō you. And when he came vp, he told Maister Bradford (for they both lay in one chā∣ber) that he had made the Byshop of London afearde: for (sayth he laughingly) his Chapleine gaue him counsel not to strike me with his Crosierstaffe, for that I would strike agayne: and by my troth (sayde he rubbing his handes) I made him beleue I would do so in deed.

The night after that he was disgraded, his wyfe and his sonne Thomas resorted to him,* 1.8 and were by the gētle∣nes of the keepers permitted to suppe with hym. For this difference was euer found betweene the keepers of the by∣shops prisons, and the keepers of the kinges prisons: that the Bishops keepers were euer cruell, blasphemous, and tyrannous, like theyr Maysters: but the Keepers of the kinges prisons shewed for the most part, as much fauor, as they possible might.

So came Doctor Taylours wife, his sonne, and Iohn Hull his seruaunt, to sup with him: and at their comming in afore supper, they kneeled downe and praied, saying the Letany.

* 1.9After supper walking vp and downe, he gaue GOD thanks for his grace, that had so called him and geuen him strength to abide by his holy worde: and turning to hys sonne Thomas: My deare sonne (sayd he) almighty God blesse thee, & geue thee his holy spirit, to be a true seruaunt of Christ, to learn his word, and constantly to stand by his trueth all thy long life. And my sonne, see that thou feare God alwaies. Flee from all sinne & wicked liuing: be ver∣tuous, serue God with dayly prayer, and apply thy booke. In any wise see thou be obedient to thy Mother, loue her, and serue her: be ruled by her now in thy youth, and folow her good counsell in all thinges. Beware of lewd company of young men that feare not God, but folowe theyr lewde lustes and vayne appitites. Flye from Whooredome, and hate all filthy liuing, remembring that I thy father do dye in the defence of holy mariage. And another day whē god shall blesse thee, loue & cherish the poore people, & coūt that thy chiefe riches is to be rich in almes: and when thy mo∣ther is waxed old, forsake her not, but prouide for her to thy power, and see that she lacke nothing: For so will GOD blesse thee, and geue the long life vpon earth and prosperi∣ty: which I pray God to graunt thee.

Then turning to his wife:* 1.10 My deare wife (quoth he) continue stedfast in the feare and loue of God, keepe your selfe vndefiled from theyr Popysh Idolatryes, and super∣stitions. I haue bene vnto you a faythfull yokefelow, and so haue you bene vnto me, for the which I pray GOD to reward you, and doubt you not deare wife, but God wyll reward it.

Now the time is come that I shall be taken from you, & you discharged of the wedlocke bond towards me: ther∣fore I will geue you my counsell what I thinke most ex∣pedient for you. You are yet a childbearing woman, and therfore it will be most conuenient for you to marry. For doubtlesse you shall neuer be at a conuenient stay for your selfe and our poore children, nor out of trouble, tyll you be maryed. Therfore as soone as God will prouide it, marry with some honest faythfull man that feareth God. Doubt you not, God will prouide an honest husband for you, & he wil be a mercifull father to you▪ and to my children: whom I pray you, bring vp in the feare of God, & in learning, to the vttermost of your power, and keep them from this ro∣mish Idolatry. When he had thus said, they with weping teares prayed together, and kissed one the other:* 1.11 & he gaue to his wife a booke of the Church seruice, set out by Kyng Edward, which in the time of his imprisonment he daylye vsed. And vnto his sonne Thomas he gaue a Latin booke, cōteining the notable sayings of the old martyrs, gathered out of Ecclesiastica historia: & in the end of that book he wrote his Testament and last Vale, as hereafter foloweth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gardine•• Hopton. Boner. Capon. Tonstall.
• * 1.2

  The con••••cye of th•• men.
• * 1.3

  Sentence death 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.5

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.6

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.7

  D. Taylour 〈…〉〈…〉 the ••ope and 〈…〉〈…〉 of D. ••aylour.
• * 1.8

  ••eepers of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.9

  D Taylour ••lessed his 〈◊〉〈◊〉. D. Taylours 〈…〉〈…〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sonne, ••••rthy of al 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.10

  D. Taylour councelleth hi•• wyfe.
• * 1.11

  His last token to his wyfe and his sonne.