Here foloweth the particular examination of all these heere aboue named.
To these were diuers and sundry particular Articles, (besides the common and generall sort accustomably vsed in such cases) priuately obiected, euen such as they were then accused of either by their curate, or other their neigh∣bours. And because I thinke it somewhat superfluous to make any large recitall of all and euery part of their seue∣rall processe: I minde therefore briefly only to touch so ma∣ny of their articles as may be sufficient to induce the Chri∣stian Reader to iudge the sooner of the rest: being (I assure you) of no greater importance, then these that folow: Ex∣cept that sometime they were charged most slanderously with horrible and blasphemous lies, against the maiestie and truth of God, which as they vtterly denied, so doo I now for this present keepe secret in silence, as well for bre∣uities sake, as also somewhat to colour & hide the shame∣les practises of that lieng generation. But to our purpose.
THe chiefest obiection against Ioanne Baker, was, that she would not only her selfe not reuerence ye Crucifixe: but had also perswaded a frend of hers lieng at the point of death, not to put any trust or cōfidēce in the Crucifixe, but in God which is in heauen, who only worketh all the my∣racles that be done, and not the dead Images, that be but stockes and stones: and therefore she was sory, that euer she had gone so often on Pilgrimage to S. Sauiour and other Idols. Also, that she did hold opinion that the Pope had no power to geue pardons, & that Lady Yong (who was not long before that time burned, died a true martyr of God, and therefore she wished of God, that she her selfe might do no worse then the said Lady Yong had done.
VNto William Pottyer, besides diuers other false and slanderous articles (as that he should denie the bene∣fite and effect of Christes passion) it was also alleged that he should affirme, that there were sixe Gods. The first three was the holy Trinitie, the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost. The fourth was a priests concubine beeing kept in his chamber. The fift was the Deuill. And the sixt that thing that a man setteth his mind most vpon.
The first part of this Article he vtterly denied, confessing most firmely and truely the blessed Trinitie to be only one God in one vnitie of Deitie: as to the other three he answered, that a Priest delighting in his concubine, made her as his God Likewise a wic∣ked person persisting in his sinne without repentaunce, made the Deuill his God. And lastly he graunted, that hee once hea∣ring of certaine men, whiche by the singing and chattering of birdes, would seeke to knowe what things were to come, eyther to themselues or others, sayd that those men esteemed their birds as Gods: and otherwise he spake not.
AMongst the manifold and seuerall articles obiected a∣gainst Thomas Goodred, Thomas Walker, Thomas Forge, Alyce Forge his wife, Iohn Forge their sonne, Iohn Caluerton, Iohn Woodrofe, Richard Woolman, and Roger Hilliar (As that they should speake against Pil∣grimages, praieng vnto Saints, and such like, this prin∣cipally was propounded, that they all denied the carnall and corporall presence of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the altar: and further, had concealed, and consented vnto their teachers and instructers of that doc∣trine, and had not according vnto ye lawes of the Church, accused and presented them vnto the Bishop or Ordina∣ry. Also great and heinous displeasure was conceiued a∣gainst Richard Wolman, for that he tearmed the Church of Paules, a house of theeues: affirming that Priests, and other Ecclesiasticall persons there, were not liberall ge∣uers vnto the poore (as they ought) but rather takers a∣way from them, what they could get.
Likewise, as Thomas Austye, Ioanne Austye hys wife, Thomas Graunt, Iohn Garters, Christofer Ra∣uins, Dionise Rauins his sister, Thomas Uincent, Le∣wes Iohn, Ioan Iohn his wife, & Iohn Webbe, were of one felowship and profession of faith, with diuers of ye last before recited: so were they also almost all apprehended a∣bout one time, & chiefly burdened with one opinion of the Sacrament. Which declareth euidently, that notwithstan∣dyng the darke ignoraunce of those corrupted tymes, yet God did euer in mercy opē the eyes of some, to behold the manifest truth, euen in those thinges, wherof the Papistes make now greatest vaunt and bragge of longest continu∣aunce. Furthermore many of them were charged to haue spoken agaynst Pilgrimages: & to haue read and vse cer∣taine English bookes, repugnyng the fayth of the Romish Church: as the foure Euangelistes, Wickleffes Wicket, a booke of the x. commaundementes of almightie God, the Reuelation of S. Iohn, the Epistles of Paule & Iames, with other like, which those holy ones could neuer abide, & good cause why: for as darkenes could neuer agree with light, no more cā ignoraunce, the mainteiner of that king∣dome, with the true knowledge of Christ and his Gospel.
It was further particularly obiected agaynst Ioanne Iohn, the wife of Lewes Iohn, that (besides the premis∣ses) she learned and mainteined, that God commaunded no holy dayes to bee kept, but onely the Sabboth day, and therefore she would keepe none but it, nor no fastyng dayes affirmyng, that to fast from sinne was the true fast. Moreouer, that she had despised the Pope, his Pardons, and Pilgrimages: In somuch that when any poore body asked his almes of her in the worship of the Lady of Wal∣singham, she would straight aunswere in contempt of the Pilgrimage: the Lady of Walsingham helpe thee. And if she gaue any thyng vnto him, she would then say: Take this in the worshyp of our Lady in heauen, and let the o∣ther goe. Which declareth that for lacke of better instructiō and knowledge, she yet ignorauntly attributed too much honour to the true Saintes of God departed: though o∣therwise she did abhorre the idolatrous worshippyng of the dead Images. By which example, as also by many o∣thers (for shortnesse sake, at this present omitted) I haue iust occasion to cōdemne the wilfull subtiltie of those, that in this bright shinyng light of Gods truth, would yet vn∣der colour of godly remembraunce, still mainteyne the ha∣uyng of Images in the Church, craftely excusing their i∣dolatrous kneelyng and praying vnto them, by affirming that they neuer worshypped the dead Images, but the thynges that the Images did represent. But if that were their onely doctrine and cause of hauyng of them, why thē would their predecessours so cruelly compell these poore simple people thus openly in their recantations to abiure and renoke their speakyng agaynst the grosse adoration of the outward Images onely, and not against the thing re∣presented? which many of them, (as appeareth partly by this exāple) in their ignoraunt implicitie, confessed might be worshipped. Howbeit, God be thanked (who euer in his mercy continue it) their coulourable and hypocriticall excuses can not now take such place in the hartes of the e∣lect of God, as they haue done heretofore, especially seyng the word of God doth so manifestly forbid as wel the wor∣shyppyng of them, as also the makyng or hauing of them, for order of Religion.
IT was alledged against Williā Couper and Alice Cou∣per his wife, that they had spoken against Pilgrimages, & worshyppyng of Images: but chiefly the woman, who hauyng her childe on a tyme hurt by fallyng into a pyt or ditche, and earnestly perswaded by some of her ignoraunt neighbours, to go on Pilgrimage to S. Laurēce for helpe for her child, sayd that neither S. Laurence, nor any other S. could helpe her child, & therfore none ought to goe on Pilgrimage to any Image made with mās hād, but one∣to vnto almightie God: for Pilgrimages were nothyng worth, sauing to make the Priestes rich. Vid. plura inferius.
VNto Iohn Houshold, Robert Rascall, and Elizabeth Stamford, as well the Article against the Sacrament of the altar was obiected, as also that they had spoken a∣gaynst praying to Saintes, & had despised the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome, and others of his Clergy. But es∣pecially Iohn Houshold was charged to haue called thē Antichristes and whooremongers, and the Pope him selfe a strong strumpet, and a common bande vnto the world, who with his Pardōs had drowned in blindnes all Chri∣stian Realmes, and that for money.
ALso among diuers other ordinary Articles propoun∣ded agaynst George Browne, these were coūted very heynous & hereticall: First, that he had sayd, that he knew no cause why the Crosse should be worshipped, seyng that the same was an hurt & payne vnto our Sauiour Christ in the tyme of his Passion, and not any ease or pleasure, al∣ledging for example, that if he had had a frend hanged or drowned, he would euer after haue loued that gallowes, or water, (by the which his frend dyed) rather worse for that, thē better. An other obiection was, that he had erro∣neously,