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.

Tyndals supplications to the King, Nobles, and subiects of England.

I Beseech the Kings most noble grace, well to consider all the wayes,* 1.1 by the whiche the Cardinall, and oure holy Byshops haue led hym since he was first King, and to see whereunto all the pride, pompe, and vaine boast of y^e Car∣dinall is come, and how God hath resisted hym and oure Prelates in all their wiles. We hauing nothing to do at all, haue medled yet with all matters, and haue spente for our Prelates causes, more then all Christendome, euen vnto the vtter beggering of our selues, and haue gotten nothing but rebuke and hate amōg all nations, & a mocke and a scorne of them, whom we haue most holpen. For the Frenchmen (as the saieng is) of late dayes made a play, or a disguising at Paris, in whiche the Emperour daunsed with the Pope, and the French King, and weeryed them: the King of England sitting on a hye bench, and lookyng on.* 1.2 And when it was asked why he daunced not, it was aunswered, that he sat there, but to pay the minstrels their wages. As who shoulde say, we payd for all mens daun∣cing. We monied the Emperour openly, and gaue y^e french King double and treble secretly: and to the Pope also. Yea and though Ferdinandus had money sent openly to blind the world withall, yet the saieng is through all Dutchland that we sent money to the King of Pole, &c.

Furthermore,* 1.3 I beseech his grace also to haue mercy of his owne soule, and not to suffer Christ and his holy Te∣stament to be persecuted vnder his name any longer: that the sword of the wrath of God may be put vp agayne, which for that cause, no doubt, is most chiefly drawne.

Thirdly, my petition is to his grace,* 1.4 to haue compassion on his poore subiectes, that the Realme vtterly perish not with the wicked counsayle of our pestilente Prelates. For if his grace, which is but a man, should die, the Lords and commons not knowing who hath most right to enioy the crowne, the realme could not but stand in great daunger.

My fourth sute and exhortation is to all the Lords tem∣porall of the realme,* 1.5 that they come and fall before y^e kings grace, and humbly desire his Maiestie, to suffer it to be tri∣ed, who of right ought to succeede: And if he or shee fayle, who next, and who third. And let it be proclaimed openly: and let all the Lords temporall be sworne therto, and all y^e knightes and squiers and gentlmen, and the commons a∣boue xviij. yeares old, that there be no strife for the succes∣sion. If they trie it by the sword, I promise them, I see no other likelyhode but it will cost the realme of England, &c.

Further, of all the subiects of England this I craue: that they repent. For the cause of euill rulers is the sinne of the subiects as testifieth the Scripture. And the cause of false Preachers is, that the people haue no loue vnto the truth, sayth Paule in the 2. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Thessalonians. We be all sinners an hundred times grea∣ter then all that we suffer. Let vs therefore eche forgiue o∣ther, remembring the greater sinners, the more welcome if we repent according to the similitude of the riotous son, Luk. xv. For Christ died for sinners and is their Sauiour, and his bloud their treasure to pay for their sinnes. He is that fatted calfe which is slaine to make them good cheare withall, if they wil repent and come to their father againe: and his merites is the goodly rayment to couer the naked deformities of their sinnes.

Finally, if the persecution of the Kings grace and of o∣ther temporall persons conspiring with the spiritualtie, be of ignoraunce, I doubt not but that their eyes shal be ope∣ned shortly, and they shal see & repent, and God shal shew them mercy. But if it be of a set malice against the truth, and of a grounded hate against the law of God, by the rea∣son of a full cōsent they haue to sinne and to walke in their old wayes of ignoraunce, whereunto beeing now past all repentance, they haue vtterly yeelded themselues, to fol∣lowe with full lust without bridle or snaffle, which is the sinne against the holy Ghost: then ye shall see euen shortly, that God shall turne the poynt of the sword wherewith they now shed Christes bloud, homewarde to shed theyr owne againe, after all the examples of the Bible.

These thinges thus discoursed pertayning to the story and doings of Tindall, finally it remayneth to inferre cer∣tayne of his priuate letters and epistles, whereof among diuers other which haue not come to our hands, two spe∣ciall he wrote to Iohn Frith, one properly vnder his own name, another vnder the name of Iacob, but in very deede was written and deliuered to Iohn Frith, being prisoner then in the Tower, as ye shall further vnderstand by the sequeale heereafter. The copie and tenour of the Epistles heere followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tindals suppli∣catiō to the king and states of England.
• * 1.2

  The king of England payes for all.
• * 1.3

  The secō•• petition of Tindall.
• * 1.4

  The third petition of Tindall.
• * 1.5

  Th•• 4. p••••••∣tion of Tin∣dall.

  Limitation of succession to the Crowne. I pray God this be not a prophesie agaynst England. The 5. peti∣tion of M. Tindall.