Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] 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.

¶Adam Foster.

ADam Foster of the age of 26. yeares, husbandman, be∣yng maried,* 1.1 dwellyng in Mendlesam in the Countie of Suffolke, was taken at home in his house a little before the sunne goyng downe by the Constables of y^e said town, George Reuet & Tho. Mouse, at the commaundement of sir Ioh. Tyrrell of Gipping hall in Suffolke, knight, be∣cause he would not go to church and heare Masse, and re∣ceiue at Easter, except he might haue it after Christes ho∣ly ordinance. When they came for hym, they told hym hee must go with them vnto the Iustice. Unto whome Adam Foster sayd, for Christes cause, & to saue hys conscience, he was well contented, & so they led him to sir Iohn Tyrrell and he sent him to Aye dungeon in Suffolk, from whence at length he was sent to Norwich, and there condemned by B. Hopton.

Now after this taking, the said Tho. Mouse & George Reuet were striken with a great feare and sicknes,* 1.2 wher∣by Mouse pined and consumed away euen vnto death, al∣though he was a man of a yong & lusty age. But George Reuet who was the said Mouses fellow, and a great rea∣der of the Scripture, or (as a man may terme it) a talka∣tiue gospeller, would not be premonished by the works of God, but set his sonne to helpe the priest say Masse, and to be clarke of the same towne of Mendleshā for lukers sake: yet was there a faire warnyng geuen hym of GOD, al∣thogh he had not y^e grace so to consider it, the which thing was this.

A yong man of the same parish newly maried, called Robert Edgore, beyng of a ripe wit and sound, was clark in the sayd Church before the sayd Reuet set hys sonne in that rowme, and executed the office a little, yea,* 1.3 alas too long against his owne conscience: whereby at length the Lord so tooke away his wits, that many yeares after, hys

poore and wofull wife,* 1.4 good woman, was cōpelled to keep him cheyned & bound continually, lest he should vnwares do himselfe or some other, some mischiefe, as many tymes (the more piety) he was ready enough to do.

This (as I sayd) woulde not admonishe Reuet, but needs he must persist in his wicked purpose. Notwithstā∣ding at the length, as many men were offended with hym in the Parish, so honest women especially (being mightely greued at his vngodly doings) came to him & said: neigh∣bour Reuet, are ye not afrayde to let your sonne helpe the naughty Priest to say Masse, and to serue that abhomina∣ble Idoll? and he sayd no.

Then said they, we feare not to go to church and heare Masse, seing you being a man, that so much professe Chri∣stianity, will let your sonne helpe the Priest say Masse. &c.

At which wordes Reuet waxed angry, and in his rage immediatly made his praier vnto god after this maner or with such like wordes,* 1.5 saying: O Lord, if it be not thy will that my sonne should so doe, then I beseech thee send some straūge token to let me vnderstand what thy good pleasure is therein. &c. So according to his petition, within shorte space after, his neighbors Bull came into his pasture, and there he hauing a very proper gelding which was his feli∣city aboue any thing he had, the Bull running vpon him, did so wound & gore him, that immediately therof his gel∣ding dyed, and he therby nothing amended. For although he knew and confessed,* 1.6 that it was the Lordes hand vpon him for the sufferance of his sonne in that wicked vocatiō: yet would he not take him frō it, but permitted him still to vse and frequent the same agaynst his owne conscience.

At the last the Lord iustly sent vpon him a great swel∣ling in his legges, which did so grieuously vexe and trou∣ble him by reason it swelled vpward, y^t at length hauyng therby brought vpon him a very straūge sickenes,* 1.7 he died most miserably, in so impatient maner, that it terrifyed all good hartes to heare therof. The Lord graunt for Christes sake, that we may obserue his iudgementes better, to hys glory and our comfort. Amen. Ex testimonio quorundam Suf∣folcensium.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iune. 30. Adam Fo∣ster Martyr. George Reuet, Thomas Mouse, Syr Iohn Tyrrell, persecutors.
• * 1.2

  Gods stroke vpon wilful persecutors.
• * 1.3

  A young•• man 〈…〉〈…〉 Clarke a∣gaynst his conscience.
• * 1.4

  Anno 1556. Iuly.
• * 1.5

  〈…〉〈…〉 straunge to∣ken.
• * 1.6

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 dyed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 strange 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The Lordes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉.