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 sute of Filmers wife, to the Bishops which sate in commission, for her husband.

IN lyke maner, y^e wife of Filmer knowing her husbands trouble to be only procured of malice by Simons his old ennemie, made great sute and labour vnto the Byshops which were commissioners, desiring no more of them, but that it would please their goodnes to examine her husband before them,* 1.1 and to heare hym make his purgation. Thys was her only request to euery of the Byshops from day to day, wheresoeuer shee coulde finde them. In so muche that two of the Byshops (Ely and Harforde) were verye sorye (considering the importune and reasonable sute of the wo∣man) that it lay not in them to help her. Thus trauailing long vp and downe from one to an other, to haue her hus∣bande examined,* 1.2 it was her chaunce at the last to finde the Byshops all three together in the Byshoppe of Elye hys place, vnto whom she sayd: O good my Lordes for the loue of God, let now my poore husbande be brought foorth be∣fore you, while yee be heere all togethers. For truely my Lordes, there can nothing be iustly laide against hym, but that of malicious enuie and spite, Simons hath wroughte him this trouble. And you my Lorde of Salisburye, quoth the poore woman, can testifie (if it woulde please your lord∣ship to say the truth) what malice Simōs bare to my hus∣band when they were both before you at Salisburie (litle more then a yeare agoe) for the Uicar of Wyndsors matter. For as your Lordship knoweth, when my husbande had certified you of the Priests sermone, which you sayde was plaine heresie: then came Symons (after the Prieste hym∣selfe had confessed it) and would haue defended the priestes error before your Lordship, and haue had my husband pu∣nished. At what time it pleased your Lordship to cōmend and praise my husband for his honesty, and to rebuke Sy∣mons for maintaining the Priest in his error, & thereupon commanded the priest to rekant his heresy at his comming home to Windsore. This (my Lord) you knowe to be true. And now my Lords, quoth the woman, it is most certain, that for thys cause only did Symons euermore afterward threaten my husband to be euen with him. Therefore good my Lordes, call my husbande before you, and heare hym speake: and if ye finde any other matter againste hym then this that I haue tolde you, let me suffer death. Is thys so my Lord, quoth the B. of Ely and Harforde? and the other could not deny it. Then they spake Latine to the B. of Sa∣lisbury, and he to them, & so departed. For the matter was so wrought betweene Doctor London and Symons, that Filmer could neuer be suffred to come before the Commis∣sioners to be examined.* 1.3

Notes

• * 1.1

  Filmers wife la∣boureth for her husband.
• * 1.2

  The wordes of Filmers wyfe to the bishops.
• * 1.3

  Filmer could not come to hys aunswere.