¶Persecution in Suffolke.
Three burnt at Beckles. May. 21.
AFter the death of these aboue rehersed, were three men burnt at Beckles in Suffolke, in one fire, about the 21. day of May, anno. 1556. Whose names are here vnder specified.
- Thomas Spicer of Winston, Labourer.
- Iohn Deny and Edmund Poole.
This Thomas Spicer was a single man of the age of 19. yeres, and by vocation a Labourer, dwellyng in Win∣ston in the County of Suffolke, & there taken in his mai∣sters house in Sommer, about or anone after the rising of the Sunne (beyng in his bed) by Iames Ling and Iohn Keretch of the same towne, and Wil. Dauies of Debnam in the sayd Countie.
The occasion of his taking was, for that he would not go to their popish church to heare Masse, and receiue their Idole at the commandement of sir Iohn Tirrell knight, of Gippyng hall in Suffolke, and certaine other Iustices there, who sent both hym and them to Eay dungeon in Suffolke, till at length they were all three together broght before Dunnyng then Chauncellor of Norwich, and M. Myngs the Register, sittyng at the Towne of Beckles to be examined.
And there the sayd Chancellour perswading what he could to turne them from the truth, could by no meanes preuaile of his purpose. Whereby mynding in the ende to geue sentence on them, he burst out in teares, intreatyng them to remember themselues, and to turne agayne to the holy mother church, for that they were deceiued and out of the truth, and that they should not wilfully cast away thē∣selues, with such like wordes.
Now, as he was thus labouryng them and semed ve∣ry loth to read the sentence (for they were the first that he condemned in that dioces) the Register there sittyng by, beyng weary, belike, of tarying, or els perceiuyng the con∣stant Martyrs to be at a point, called vpon the Chauncel∣lour in hast to ridde them out of the way, and to make an ende. At which wordes the Chauncellour read the con∣demnation ouer them with teares, and deliuered them to the secular power.
¶Their Articles.
THe Articles obiected to these and commonly to all o∣ther condemned in that Diocesse by Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwich, and by Dunnyng his Chauncellor, were these.
1. First, was articulate agaynst them, that they belee∣ued not the Pope of Rome to bee supreme head immedi∣ately vnder Christ in earth of the vniuersall Catholike Church.
2. Item, that they beleeued not holy bread and holy wa∣ter, ashes, palmes, and all other lyke ceremonies vsed in the Churche, to be good and laudable for stirring vp the people to deuotion.
3. Item, that they beleeued not after the wordes of con∣secration spoken by the Priest, the very naturall body of Christ, and no other substance of bread and wine, to be in the sacrament of the Altar.
4. Item that they beleeued it to be Idolatry to worship Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar.
5. Item, that they tooke bread and wine in remem∣brance of Christes Passion.
6. Item, that they would not follow the Crosse in pro∣cession nor be confessed to a Priest.
7. Item, that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in himselfe free will to do good or euill.
For this doctrine and articles aboue prefixed, these three (as is aforesayd) were condemned by Doctor Dun∣ning, & committed to the secular power, Syr Iohn Syl∣liard being the same tyme hyghe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke.
And the next day following vpon the same, they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles. Where∣upon it is to be thought, yt the writte De comburendo, was not yet come downe, nor could not be, the Lord Chaun∣lour Bish. Heath, being the same time at London. Which if it be true then it is playne, that both they went beyond their Commission, that were the executioners, & also the Clergy which were the instigatours thereof, cannot make good that they now pretend: saying, that they did nothing but by a lawe. But this let the Lord finde out, when he seeth his tyme.
In the meane tyme, while these good men were at the stake, & had prayed, they sayd there beliefe: and when they came to the reciting of the Catholicke Church, Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them. That is well sayd Syrs, quoth he. I am glad to heare you say, you do beleeue the Catholicke Church. That is the best word I heard of you yet.
To which his sayinges, Edmund Pole aunswered, that though they beleeue the Catholicke Churche, yet doe they not beleeue in their Popish Church, which is no part of Christes Catholicke Churche, and therefore no part of their beliefe.
When they rose from prayer, they all went ioyfully to the stake, and being bounde thereto, and the fire burning about them, they praysed God in such an audible voyce, that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them.
Then one Robert Bacon, dwelling in the sayd Beck∣les a very enemye to Gods truth, and a persecutour of his people, being there present within hearing thereof, willed the tormentours to throw on fagots to stoppe the knaues breathes, as he termed them: so hotte was his burning charitye. But these good men not regarding there malice, confessed the truth, and yelded their liues to the death for the testimony of the same, very gloriously & ioyfully. The which their constancye in the lyke cause, the Lord graunt we may imitate and follow vnto the ende. Whether it be death or lyfe to glorifye the name of Christ, Amen.
And forasmuch as we haue here entred into the perse∣cution of Northfolke and Suffolke, it commeth therefore to minde by occasion hereof, brieflye to touche by the way, some part (for the whole matter cannot bee so exprest as it was done (touching the troubles of the towns of Win∣son and Mendlesam in Suffolke, raysed and stirred by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell & other Iustices there) of the lyke affinitye. The summe and effecte of which briefly is thus signifyed to me by writing.
*The persecution in the Townes of Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke.
BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight and other of his Colleagues, there were persecuted out of the Towne of Winson in Suffolke these persons hereaf∣ter following. Anno. 1556.
- Maistresse Alice Twaites Gentlewo∣man, of the age of three score yeres and more, and two of her seruaunts.
- ...Humfrey Smith and his wyfe.
- ...William Katchpoole and his wyfe.
- ...Iohn Maulyng and his wyfe.
- ...Nicholas Burlingham and his wyfe.
- ...And one Rought and his wyfe.
Such as were persecuted and driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam, in the Countie of Suffolke.
- Symon Harlstone, and Katherine his wife, with his fiue children. William Whitting, and Katherin his wife. Thomas Dobson and his wife. Thomas Hub∣bard and his wife. Iohn Doncon and his wife & his maide. William Doncon. Thomas Woodward the elder. One Konnoldes wife. A poore widow. One mother Semons maide.