Iulins Palmer.
AS all Gods woorkes are wonderous, in calling of all sorts of men to confirme hys truth, and to beare wit∣nesse vnto his assured and infallible woord, which the ad∣uersaries haue depraued, and corrupted with theyr false gloses, to establish the fleshly kingdome of Antichrist, and to purchase securitie in the world, which they seke to kepe in theyr possession by all meanes possible, rather curssing wyth the thunderbolte of excommunication, burnynge, hanging, drowning, racking, scourging, and persecuting by secrete practise, and open violence, the simple sheepe of our Sauiour Christ: then that their false forged packing, shuld be detected, theyr estimation appaired, theyr kitchin cooled, theyr rents, reuenues, goodes, landes and possessi∣ons abated:* 1.1 I say as Gods woorks be woonderful, which chuseth some of all sortes to confesse his Gospell: so there is no one example, in the whole godly felowship of mar∣tyrs, more to be marked, yea, more to be wōdered at, then thys: that one, which in all King Edwardes dayes, was a Papist within the Uniuersitie of Oxforde, and so obsti∣nate, as that he did vtterly abhorre all godly Prayer, and syncere Preaching, and almost of all them, with whom he liued, was therefore likewise abhorred, & (as I may say) poynted at with the finger, did yet after in Queene Ma∣ries time suffer most cruell deathe, at the Papists handes, at Newberie in Barkeshire, for the most ready, and zea∣lous profession of the blessed truthe.
* 1.2Hys name was Iulins Palmer, borne in Couentry, where also his parents dwelt. His father had some tyme bene Maior of that Citie, and occupied Marchandise, all be it he was an Upholster by hys misterie. How he was brought vppe in hys yonge and tender yeares, from hys first entring, we knowe not, but as we haue learned, hee was sometime scholer to master Harley, which taught the free schoole of Magdalene Colledge in Oxforde,* 1.3 by whose diligence, and the goodnesse of hys owne capacitie, he be∣came a towarde yong scholler in prose and verse. For hee had a very prompt and ready memorie, a witte sharp and pregnant. Hee spake Latine with greate facilitye of vtte∣rance, and wanted not competent knowledge in ye Greke tong: in so much that diuers times he supplied the roume of the Greke reader in his house. He was a subtill dispu∣ter, both in the publique schooles, and also at home. He v∣sed to say, yt he was neuer so pleasantly occupied, as when he came to the harde debating, of profounde questions in Philosophie?* 1.4 so that he hath oftentimes watched and spēt the whole nighte in the discussing, and searching oute the truth of deepe and diffuse questions, as De principijs, de in∣finito, de vacuo, te tempore, de casu, & fortuna. &c. And thys vsed he to do sondry times, with diuers of his equals.
In familiar talke he greatly delited, for the exercise of his learning, to defend ye contrary to that, which was af∣firmed, yet with modestye, and wtout all ostentation. For he greatly abhorred al ouerthwart cauilling, al friuolous talke, and vnsauery brabbling. He was not captious, but would reason so soberly, & with such probability, that euē his aduersaries would no lesse maruel at the dexteritie of hys inuention: then at hys comely and decent behauiour in prosecuting the same.
And although he applied Diuinitie very lately, it ap∣peareth, yt he recompēsed the smal time of his study,* 1.5 wt the greatnes of his diligence bestowed in the same, & his late comming to the truthe, with his earnest & zealous proce∣ding therein. For by the secrete inspiration of Gods holy spirit, inwardly working in his hart, he gaue an apparāt signification in his yōg yeres, yt if God had spared his life to age, he would haue grown to such maturitie & ripenes of iudgement, as wherby he should haue ben an ornamēt to Christes Church, and an honour to his countrey.
And somewhat to speake of his ciuil behauior,* 1.6 he was of maners courteous without curiosity, of countenaunce chearefull, without high lookes, of speach pleasant, wyth∣out affectation, he was affable and lowlye as any childe, and yet quicke spirited, and vehement in reasoning. Hee practised no deceit towarde any man, for he was of suche simplicitye, that hee was apter to be deceiued, then to de∣ceiue,* 1.7 and he was so great a cōtemner of al reproches and iniuries, that he would say: none were to be counted va∣liant, but such as could despise iniurie.
In priuate studie he was so infatigable, that hee arose ordinarily euery morning at 4. of the clock, and went not lightly to bed, before 10. at night.* 1.8 In so much yt as he grew in yeres & vnderstanding: so he came to be a Bacheler of Art, & at length for the hope appering in him, to ye prefer∣ment of a felowship in Mag. colledge, where also he was admitted to ye office of a reader in logique. An. 1550.* 1.9 Now if he had at the first, fauored syncere religiō, so much as he folowed his booke, then had we had the les matter to note in him. But in deede he was so much (as is aforesaid) ad∣dicted to the Romish faith, yt his company & conuersation in ye same house, was altogether with such,* 1.10 as were vtter enemies to the gospel of Christ. If he came to cōmon prai∣er at any time, it was vy violence, & compulsiō, for other∣wise he came not. Sermons wold he heare none himself, nor yet suffer hys scholers to resort vnto them, by his good will, for he was full perswaded, that they might be better occupied at home. The Preachers themselues,* 1.11 he did both disdaine and despise, and all suche as were setters foorth of sounde doctrine beside. For the which contumacie, & stub∣bornnesse, hee was so ofte called before the Officers of the Colledge, and punished sometime by the pursse, sometime by the lacke of hys commons, and otherwhile by certaine taskes, and exercises of learning, enioyned vnto hym: that diuers supposed hym to haue endeuoured of set purpose, continually to seeke occasion, whereby he might be coun∣ted a sufferer for that fantasied religion of the Romyshe Churche.
In the ende, not longe before the deathe of King Ed∣warde that godly Prince, certaine sclaunderous libelles,* 1.12 and railing Uerses, were priuely fixed to the walles and doores in sondry places of the Colledge against the Presi∣dent, which was then Doctor Haddon, whereby was mi∣nistred further matter of trouble to Palmer. For where∣as it was well knowen that he, and some of his compani∣ons, had very little before, spoken contumelious woordes against the President: it coulde not be nowe auoyded, but that thereby arose a vehement surmise and suspition, that he conspiring wyth others, had contriued, made, and scat∣tered abroade the sayde slaunderous wrytings. Great in∣quisition was made in the Colledge, to search out the au∣thor of so malitious and despitefull a deede, but nothynge coulde be found and prooued against Palmer, or any of his companions. Nowe Palmer being hereuppon examined by the Officers, did not onely with stoute courage denye the facte to haue bene hys:* 1.13 but also spake further manye reprochefull woordes touching the sayd Officers, and sent the same to them in wryting, wherby he was by them ad∣iudged to be an vnwoorthy member of that societie. And