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 Examination of Laurence Saunders.

PRaysed be our gracious God who preserueth his from euill, and doth geue them grace to auoyd al such offēces as might hinder his honor, or hurt his Church. Amen.

Being conuented before the Queenes most honorable Councell,* 1.1 sundry bishops being present, the Lord Chaun∣cellor began to speake in such forme as foloweth.

I. Chan.

It is not vnknowne, that you haue bene Priso∣ner for such abhominable heresies & false doctrine as hath bene sowne by you: and now it is thought good that mercy be shewed to such as seeke for it. Wherfore if now you will shew your selfe conformable, & come home agayne, mercy is ready. We must say that we haue fallen in maner all: but now we bee risen agayne, and returned to the Catholicke Churche, you must rise with vs, and come home vnto it. Geue vs forthwith a direct aunswere.

Saun.

My Lord, and my Lordes all, my it please your ho∣nors to geue me leaue to aunswere with deliberation.

Chan.

Leaue of your painting and pride of speech. For such is the fashion of you all to please your selues in your glo∣rious wordes.* 1.2 Aunswere yea or nay.

Saund.

My Lord, it is no time for me now to paynt. And as for pride, there is no great cause why it should be in me. My learning I confesse to be but small: and as for riches or worldly wealth I haue none at all. Notwithstanding it standeth me in hand to aūswere to your demaund circum∣spectly, considering that one of these two extreme perilles are like to fall vpon me: the losing of a good conscience, or y^e losing of this my bodye and life. And I tell you trueth, I loue both life and liberty, if I coulde enioy them without the hurt of my conscience.

Chan.

Conscience? you haue none at all, but pride and ar∣rogancy, * 1.3 deuiding your selues by singularitye from the Church.

Saun.

The Lorde is the knower of all mens consciences. And where your Lordship layeth to my charge thys deui∣ding my selfe from the Church (as you do mean, & is now among you concluded vpon, as I do vnderstand) I do as∣sure you, that I lyue in the fayth wherein I haue bene brought vp sithens I was 14. yeare old: being taught that the power of the B. of Rome is but vsurped, w^t many o∣ther abuses springing thereof. Yea this I haue receiued e∣uen at your hands that are here present, as a thing agreed vpon by the Catholicke Church and publicke authority.

Chan.

Yea mary, but I pray you, haue you receiued by cō∣sent and authoritye all your heresies of the blessed Sacra∣ment of the aultar?

Saund.

My Lorde, it is lesse offence to cutte off an arme, hand, or ioynt of a man, then to cut of the head. For y^e man may liue though he do lacke an arme, hand or ioynt, and so he can not without his head. But you, all the whole sort of you, haue agreed to cut of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, whome now you will haue to be the head of your Church agayne.

Bish. of Lond.

And if it like your Lordship, I haue his hand agaynst the blessed sacrament. How say you to that?

Saunders.

What I haue written, that I haue written, and farther I will not accuse my selfe. Nothing haue you to burden me withall, for breaking of your lawes since they were in force.* 1.4

Chan.

Well, you be obstinate and refuse liberty.

Saund.

My Lord, I may not buy liberty at suche a pryce: but I beseech your honours to be meanes to the Queenes Maiesty for suche a pardon for vs, that wee may liue and keep our consciences vnclogged, and we shal liue as most obedient subiectes. Otherwise, I must say for my selfe, that by Gods grace I will abide the moste extremity that man may do against me, rather then to do against my consciēce.

Chan.

Ah Syrra, you will liue as you list. The Donati∣stes did desire to liue in singularity: but in deed they were not meete to liue on earth: no more be you, and that shall you vnderstand within these seuen dayes: and therefore a∣way with him.

Saund.

Welcome be it, whatsoeuer the will of God shalbe, either life or death. And I tell you truely, I haue learned to dye. But I exhort you to beware of shedding of innocēt bloud. Truly it will cry. The spirite of God rest vpon all your honors. Amen. This is the summe and forme of my first examination. Pray. &c.

This examination being ended the officers led him out of the place, & so stayed vntill the rest of his fellowes were likewise handled, that they might haue them altogether to prison. Laurence Saunders standing among the Officers seing there a great multitude of people, opened his mouth and spake freely, warning them wel of that,* 1.5 which by their falling from Christ to Antichrist they did deserue, & there∣fore exhorting them by repentaunce to rise agayne, and to embrace Christ with stronger fayth, to confesse him to the end, in the defiance of Antichrist, sinne, death & the deuill: so should they reteine the Lordes fauor and blessing.

The copyes of his other examinations and excommu∣nication came to the hands of such as do keepe them still in secret. But in them as he defended Christes cause stoutly:* 1.6 so warned he the Pharisaicall bishops and papists, of their hypocrisy and tyranny freely, and cleared himselfe of theyr vniust quarrellinges truly. After he was excommunicate and deliuered to the secular power, he was brought by the Shriffe of London,* 1.7 to the prison called the Counter in his owne parish in Breadstreet: whereat he reioyced greatly, both because he found there a felow prisoner, M. Cardma∣ker, with whom he had Christian and comfortable confe∣rence, and also because out of prison, as before out of a pul∣pit, he might preach to his parishners: as by his letter here after shall be declared.

THe fourth day of February,* 1.8 the Bishop of London did come to the prisō where he was, to disgrade him: which when he had done, Laurence Saunders sayd to hym: I thanke God I am none of your Church.

The day folowing in the morning,* 1.9 the Shriffe of Lon∣don deliuered him to certayn of the Queenes Gard, which were appoynted to cary him to the City of Couētry, there to be burned. The fyrst night they came to S. Albōs, wher M. Grimoald (a man who had more store of good giftes, then of great constancy) did speake with him.

After M. Saunders had geuen him a lesson meete for his lightnes, he tooke a cup into his hand, and asked him if he would pledge him of that cup, of which he would begin to him. Grimoald by his shrugging and shrinking shew∣ing what he was, sayd: of that cup which is in your hand, I will pledge you: but of that other which you meane, I will not promise you. Well sayde Mayster Saunders, my deare Lord Iesus Christ hath begon to me of a more bit∣ter cup then mine shall be, and shall I not pledge my most sweet Sauior? yes I hope.

After they were come to Couentry,* 1.10 the same nyght a poore Shoomaker, which was wont to serue him of shoes, came to him after his maner & sayd: Oh my good Mayster God strengthen and comfort you. Gramercies good Shoo¦maker, quoth M. Saunders, and I pray thee to pray for me: for I am the vnmeetest man for this high office, that e∣uer was appoynted to it: but my gracious God and deare father is able to make me strōg enough. That same night he was put into the common Gayle among other priso∣ners, where he slept litle, but spent the night in prayer,* 1.11 and instructing of others.

The next day, which was the viij. of Februarye hee was lead to the place of execution in the Parcke without the City, going in an old gowne, and a shyerte, barefooted, and afttimes fell flat on the ground and prayed. When he was come nigh to the place, the Officer appoynted to see y^e execution done, sayd to M. Saunders, that he was one of them which marred the Queenes Realme with ••alse doc∣trine and heresy: wherfore thou hast deserued death (quoth he) but yet if thou wilt reuoke thy heresies, y^e Queene hath pardoned thee: if not, yonder fire is prepared for thee. To whom M. Saunders aunswered: it is not I, nor my fel∣low Preachers of Gods truth, that haue hurt the queenes Realme, but it is your selfe, & such as you are,* 1.12 which haue alwayes resisted Gods holy word: it is you which haue & do marre the Queenes Realme. I do hold no heresies, but the doctrine of God, the blessed Gospel of Christ: that hold I, that beleue I, that haue I taught, and that will I neuer reuoke. With that this Tormentor cryed, away with him and away from him went M. Saunders with a mery cou∣rage towardes the fire. He fell to the ground, and prayed: he rose vppe agayn, & tooke the stake to which he shuld be chayned, in his armes and kissed it saying: Welcome the Crosse of Christ, welcome euerlasting life: and being faste∣ned to the stake, and fire put to him, full sweetely he slepte in the Lord.

And thus haue ye the full history of Laurēce Saūders whom I may well compare to S. Laurence, or any other of the old Martyrs of Christes church: both for the feruent zeale of the truth and Gospell of Christ, & the most cōstant pacience in his suffering: as also for the cruell tormēts that

[illustration]

❧The burning of Mayster Laurence Saunders at Couentry.

* 1.13 * 1.14 he in his paciēt body did susteine in the flame of fire. For so his cruell enemies hādled him, that they burned him with greene woode, & other smothering rather then burning fe∣well, which put him to much more payne, but that y^e grace & most plentifull consolation of Christ, which neuer forsa∣keth his seruauntes, & gaue strength to S. Laurence gaue also pacience to this Laurence, aboue all that his tormēts could worke agaynst: which well appered by his quiet stā∣ding, and sweet sleeping in the fire, as is aboue declared.

And to the intent to geue to the Reader to vnderstand the better, what the grace of Christ worketh in his seruāts, and agayne,* 1.15 how feeble & weake man is of himselfe with∣out this grace geuen from aboue, though he seeme other∣wise neuer so stout in himselfe: here therfore haue we ad∣ded to the foresayd story of Laurence Saunders, the com∣munication which in the beginning of his trouble, was be¦twene him and Doct. Pendleton,* 1.16 by the example whereof, such as stand, may learne to vnderstād and take heed with due feare, & not to bragge: to leane to the grace of the Lord, and not to presume in themselues.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.2

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.3

  Of this 〈…〉〈…〉 S. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 2. Cor. 6. & Ier••m. ••0. Come out and diuide your selues from them. &c. Argument. Conscience 〈…〉〈…〉 vpon things vncertaine. 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.4

  A lawfull 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.5

  M. Saunders freely preacheth Christ.
• * 1.6

  The 2. examina∣tion here lac∣keth.
• * 1.7

  M. Saunders deliuered to the secular power.
• * 1.8

  M. Saunders de∣graded by B. Boner.
• * 1.9

  M. Saunders ca∣ryed to Couen∣trye.
• * 1.10

  A good Shoo∣maker of Co∣uentrye.
• * 1.11

  M. Saunders put in the com∣mon gayle in Couentrye. February. 8. M. Saunders brought to the place of executi∣on.
• * 1.12

  Achab accuseth Elias for trou∣bling Israell.
• * 1.13

  The Mar∣tyrdome of M. Laurēce Saunders at Couentry.
• * 1.14

  Anno 1555. Februa∣ry. 8.
• * 1.15

  A Comparison betweene Lau∣rence Saunders and S. Laurence.
• * 1.16

  Strength to stād in Christ, com∣meth not of our selues, but it is the gift of God.