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.

The life and storie of W. Hierome Vicare of Stepney and Martyr of Christ.

THe third companion which suffered wyth Barnes and Garret, was W. Hierome Uicare of Stepney. Thys Hierome being a diligent preacher of Gods worde,* 1.1 for the comfort and edification of the people, had preached diuers and sondry sermons, wherein to the entent to plante in the consciences of men, the sincere truth of christen religion, he laboured as much as time then serued, to extirpe & weede out the rootes of mens traditions, doctrines, dreames, and fantasies. In so doing it coulde not otherwise be, but hee must needes prouoke much hatred against hym amongest the aduersaries of Christes gospell.

It so happened, that the sayde Hierome preaching at Paules in the 4. Sonday of Lent last past, made there a sermon,* 1.2 wherin he recited and mētioned of Agar, and Sa∣ra, declaring what these ij. signified. In processe, wherof he shewed further, howe that Sara & her childe Isaac, and all they that were Isaacs, and borne of the free woman. Sa∣ra, were freely iustified: Contrary they that were borne of Agar the bondwoman, were boūd and vnder the law, and cannot be freely iustified. In these words, what was heere spoken, but that S. Paule himselfe vttereth and expoūdeth in his Epistle to the Galat. 4. Or what coulde heere be ga∣thered of any reasonable or indifferēt hearer,* 1.3 but cōsonant to sound doctrine, and veine of the Gospel? Now see what rancor and malice armed with crafty and subtile sophistry can do. This sermon finished, it was not long but he was charged and conuented before the kinge at Westminster, & there accused for erroneous doctrine.

Percase thou wilt muse (gentle reader) what errone∣ous doctrine here coulde be picked out. Note therefore for thy learning, & he that listeth to study how to play the Si∣cophant, let him here take exāple.* 1.4 The knot found in thys rush was this, for that he preached erroneously at Paules crosse, teaching the people, that all that were borne of Sa∣ra, were freely iustified, speaking there absolutely without any condition eyther of Baptisme or of penaunce &c. Who doubteth here but if s. Paule hymselfe had bene at Paules crosse, and had preached the same wordes to the Englishe men, which he wrote to the Gal. in this behalfe, Ipso facto he had bene apprehended for an hereticke for preachyng a∣gaynst the sacrament of Baptisme and repentaunce?

Furthermore it was obiected agaynst him, touchyng matter agaynst magistrates, and lawes by them made. Wherunto he answered agayn and affirmed (as he had be¦fore preached) that no Magistrate of himselfe coulde make any law or lawes, priuate or otherwise,* 1.5 to binde the inferi∣or people, vnles it were by the power, authority and com∣mandement of his or their Princes to him or them geuen, but onely the Prince. And moreouer, to confirme the same he added, saying: that if the Prince make lawes consenting to Gods lawes, we are boūd to obey them. And if he make lawes repugnant to the lawes of God, and be an euill and wicked prince: yet are we bound humbly to suffer him, and not violently to resist or grudge against him.

Also concerning his sermons, one Doct. Wilson entred into disputation wyth him,* 1.6 and defended that good works iustified before God, and were necessary and auaileable to saluation. To whome Hierome answered agayne, that all workes whatsoeuer they were, were nothing worthe, nor no part of saluation of themselues, but only referred to the mercy and loue of God,* 1.7 which mercy and loue of God di∣recteth the workers therof, & yet it is at his mercy & good∣nes to accept them. Which to be true doctor Wilson neither could, nor did denie.

And thus muche concerning the seuerall storyes of these iij. good mē. Now let vs see the order of their martyrdome, ioyning them al together: what was the cause of their con∣demnation, and what were their protestations and words at theyr suffering.

Ye heard before howe Barnes, Hierome, and Garret, were caused to preach at Easter at the spittie.* 1.8 The occasion whereof as I finde it reported by Steuen Gardiner wry∣ting againste George Ioye, I thoughte heere to discourse more at large.

Steuen Gardiner hearing that the sayd Barnes, Hie∣rome & Garret should preach the Lent folowing, an. 1541. at Paules crosse, to stoppe the course of theyr doctrine, sent his chaplaine to the B. of London, the Saterday before the first Sonday in Lent, to haue a place for hym to preache at Paules. Which to him was graunted, and time appointed that he should preach the sonday following, whych should be on the morrowe: which Sonday was appoynted before for Barnes to occupie that roome. Gardiner therefore de∣termining to declare the gospell of that sonday, containing the deuils 3. temptations, began amongst other things to note the abuse of scripture amongst some, as the deuil abu∣sed it to Christ, and so alluding to the temptation of the de∣uil, wherin he alledged the scripture against Christe, to cast himselfe downeward, and that he shoulde take no hurt, he inferred thereupon, saying:

Now a dayes (quoth he) the deuil tempteth the world, and biddeth them to cast themselues backwarde.* 1.9 There is no forward in the new teaching, but all backwarde. Now the Deuill teacheth, come backe from fastinge, come backe from praying, come backe from confession, come back from weeping for thy sinnes, and all is backewarde: In so much that men must now learne to saye their Pater noster backe∣warde. For where we sayde, forgeue vs our debtes, as we for∣geue our debters; now it is, as thou forgeuest our debts, so I wil forgeue my debters, and so God must forgeue first, and all I say, is turned backward. &c.

And amongst other things, moreouer he noted the de∣uils crafte and shifte in deceiuing man: who enuying hys felicitie, and therfore coueting to haue man idle, and voide of good workes, and to be led in that idlenesse, wyth a wan hope to liue merely at hys pleasure heere, and yet to haue heauen at the last,* 1.10 hath for that purpose procured out par∣dons from Rome, wherin heauen was sold for a litle mo∣ney, and for to retaile that marchaundise, the deuill vsed Friers for his ministers. Now they be gone withall theyr trumperie, but the deuill is not yet gone. &c. And now that

the Deuill perceiueth that it can no longer be borne, to buy and sell heauen by the Friers, he hath excogitate to offerre heauen without workes for it,* 1.11 so freely, that men shall not neede for heauen to worke at all, what so euer oportunitie they haue to work: mary if they wil haue any higher place in heauen, God wil leaue no worke vnrewarded, but as to be in heauen, needes no works at all, but onely belief, one∣ly, onely, and nothing els. &c.

This sermone of Steuen Winchester finished, Doctor Barnes who was put of from that sonday,* 1.12 had his day a∣poynted, which was the thirde Sonday next ensuinge, to make his sermon: who taking the same text of the Gospell which Gardiner had done before, was on the cōtrary side no lesse vehement in setting forwarde the true doctrine of Christian religion, thē Winchester had done before in pluc∣king men backwarde from truth to lies, from sinceritie to hypocrisie, from religion to superstition from Christ to an∣tichrist. In the processe of which sermon he proceeding, and calling out Steuen Gardiner by name to answer him, al∣luded in a pleasaunt allegorye, to a Cockfight, terming the sayd Gardiner to be a fighting Cocke, and hymselfe to an other, but the Garden Cock (he sayd) lacked good spurres, obiecting moreouer to the said Gardiner, & opposing hym in his Grammer rules, thus saying: that if he had answe∣red hym in the Schooles, so as he had there preached at the crosse, he would haue geuen him 6. stripes: declaring fur∣thermore what euill herbes this Gardiner had sette in the Garden of Gods scripture. &c.

Finally, with this sermon Gardiner was so tickled in the splene,* 1.13 that he immediately went to y^e king to cōplain, shewing how he being a bishop and a prelate of the realm, was handled and reuiled at Paules crosse.

Wherupon the king geuing to much eare to Gardiners griefe, was earnestly incensed against Barnes, and w^t ma∣ny high words rebuked his doings in his priuy closet, ha∣uing with him the Erle of Southhampton which was the Lorde Wrisley,* 1.14 and the master of the horse which was An∣thony Browne, D. Cockes, and D. Robinson. Unto whō when Barnes had submitted himselfe: Nay said the king, yeld thee not to me, I am a mortall man, and therewith ri∣sing vp, and turning to the Sacrament, and putting of his bonet, sayd: yonder is the maister of vs al, author of truth, yeld in truth to him, and that truth will I defend, & other∣wise yelde thee not vnto me. Much ado there was, & great matter layd against Barnes. In cōclusion this order was taken,* 1.15 that Barnes should goe apart with Winchester, to conferre & common together of their doctrine, certain wit∣nesses being therunto appoynted, to be as indifferent hea∣rers, of whom the one was D. Cockes, the other was D. Robinson, with 2. other also to them assigned, which shuld be reporters to the king of the disputation. At the first en∣try of which talke, Gardiner forgeuing him (as he saith) al that was past, offred him the choice, whether he wold an∣swer, or oppose, which was the Friday after that Barnes had preached.

* 1.16The question betwene them propoūded, by Gardiners narration was this: Whether a man coulde doe anye thynge good or acceptable, before the grace of iustificatiō or not? Which question rose vpon a certaine contētion which had beene betwene them before. For Barnes had affirmed, that albeit God requireth of vs to forgeue our neighbour,* 1.17 to obtaine forgeuenesse of hym: yet he sayd that God must forgeue vs first, before we forgeue our neighboure: For els to forgeue our neyghbour were sinne by the text that sayeth: All that is not of faith, is sinne, &c. Thus the matter being propoun∣ded, Gardiner to proue the contrary, came foorth wyth hys arguments two or three, to the which argumentes (sayeth Gardiner) Barnes coulde not aunswere, but desired to be spared that nyght,* 1.18 and the next morning he would answer his arguments. In the morning Gardiner wyth the hea∣rers being againe assembled, D. Barnes, according to the appoyntment, was present, who then went about to assoil his arguments. To his solutions Gardiner againe repli∣ed. And thus continued they in thys altercation by y^e space of two houres.* 1.19 In the ende of thys Cockfight Winchester thus cōcludeth thys glorious tale, and croweth vp the tri∣umph, declaring howe Barnes besought him to haue pitie of hym, to forgeue hym, and to take hym to be hys scholer, whome then the sayd Winchester (as he confesseth himself) receiuing, not as his scholer, but as hys companion, offred, to hym a portion oute of his liuing, to the summe of xl.li. a yere.* 1.20 Which if it be true, as Steuen Gardiner himselfe re∣porteth, why then doth this glorious Cackatrice crowe so much against Barnes afterward, and cast him in the teeth bearing all the world in hand, that Barnes was his schol∣ler, whereas he himselfe heere refuseth Barnes to be hys scholer, but receiueth hym as hys companion fellowlyke? But to the storie.

This done, the king being aduertised of the conclusion of this matter betweene Barnes and Winchester, was cō∣tent that Barnes shoulde repaire to the Bishoppes house at London, the mōday folowing. Which he did, with a cer∣taine other cōpanion ioyned vnto him. Who he was, Win∣chester there doth not expresse, only he saith, y^t it was ney∣ther Hierome nor Garret. In this next meeting betweene Barnes and the bishop vpon the foresaid monday the said bishop studying to instruct Barnes, vttered to him certain articles or conclusions, to the number of x. the effect wher∣of here followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The story of William Hierome.
• * 1.2

  The sermon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 W. Hie∣rome prea∣••••ed at 〈…〉〈…〉 the 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  Gal. 4.
• * 1.4

  Quarrel picked agaynst Hie∣romes Sermons.
• * 1.5

  W. Hierome ac∣cused for prea∣ching agaynst Magistrates.
• * 1.6

  Workes no part of our saluation••
• * 1.7

  Good workes auayle not but onely by impu∣tation.
• * 1.8

  Out of the pre∣face of Steuen Gardiner against George Ioye.
• * 1.9

  The effecte of Steph. Gar••y∣ners Sermon at Paules crosse the first sonday in Lent. An, 15••1.
• * 1.10

  Pardon•• procu∣red by the deuil, quod Steuen Gardiner.
• * 1.11

  Gardiner a∣gainst Fryers & pardons.

  Steuen Gardi∣ner cannot abide onely, onely.
• * 1.12

  The sermon of D. Barnes reply¦ing to Winche∣ster.
• * 1.13

  Steph. Gardiner complayneth to the king of D. Barnes.
• * 1.14

  The king dis∣pleased agaynst Barnes.
• * 1.15

  D. Cockes and D. Robinson Arbyters be∣tweene D. Barnes and Steph Gardiner.
• * 1.16

  The question betweene D. Barnes and Steph. Gardiner.
• * 1.17

  God forgeueth vs first, before we forgeue our neighbour. Rom. 15.
• * 1.18

  Gardiners re∣port.

  Disputation be∣tweene Barnes & Gardiner.
• * 1.19

  Steuen Gardi∣ner in his pre∣face to George Ioye.
• * 1.20

  Steuen Gardi∣ner offereth to Doct. Barnes 40. pounde a yeare.