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.

¶An other examination of Ri∣chard Crashfield.

* 1.1

THe daye following I was brought foorth. Then the Chauncellor sayd vnto me: Richard, how say you? Are you otherwise minded then you were yesterdaye? Hee re∣hearsing all the wordes that we hadde afore, sayde: are not

these your wordes? Whereto I aunswered, Yes.

Then sayd he: how say you, can you not finde in your hart, when you come to the Church, to kneele downe be∣fore the Roode, and make your prayer?

* 1.2I aunswered and sayd, No: rehearsing the commaun∣dement of God forbidding the same.

He sayd: haue you not read or heard, that God com∣maunded an Image to be made?

I answered, what Image?

He sayd, the brasen serpent.

I sayd, Yes, I haue heard it read, how that God dyd commaunde it to bee made, and lykewise to bee broken downe.

Then D. Brigges sayd: Wherfore did God command the Seraphins and Cherubins to be made?

I sayd, I could not tell: I would fayne learne.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: But how say you to this? can you finde in your hart to fall downe before the picture of Christ, which is the Roode?

I sayd, No, I feare the curse of God: for it is wrytten that God curseth the handes that make them, yea, and the handes that make the tooles wherewith they are carued.

Then D. Brigges raged, and sayd: List nowe what a peece of scripture he hath here gotten to serue hys purpose for he will not allow but where he listeth.* 1.3

Then sayd the Chauncellor: How say you to Confessi∣on to the priest? when were you confessed?

I sayd, I confesse my selfe dayly vnto the eternal God whom I most greuously offend.

Then the Chauncellor sayd: You do not then take con¦fession to the priest to be good?

I aunswered, No, but rather wicked.

Then the Chauncellor sayd, How say you by yonder geare,* 1.4 yonder singing, and yonder playing at y^e Organs? is it not good and godly?

I sayd, I could perceaue no godlines in it.

Then he sayde: why, is it not written in the Psalmes: that we should prayse God with hymmes and spirituall songes?

I sayd, Yes, spirituall songes must be had: but yonder is of the flesh: & of the spirite of error. For to you it is plea∣saunt and glorious, but to y^e Lord it is bitter and odious.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: why, is it not written: My house is an house of prayer?* 1.5

I sayd, Yes. It is written also: That you haue made my house of prayer a denne of theeues.

With that, the Chancellor looked, and sayd: Haue we?

I aunswered and sayde, Christ sayde so. Then was I commaunded to ward.

The thursday next following, was D. Brigges sent to me for to examine me of my fayth.* 1.6 And he sayd: Countrey∣man, my Lord Bishop (for loue he would haue you saued) hath sent me vnto you, because to morow is your day ap∣pointed: therfore my Lord hath thought it meete, that you should declare vnto me your fayth: For to morow my lord will not haue much adoe with you.

I aunswered & said: Hath my Lord sent you? It is not you to whom I am disposed to shew my minde.

Then he sayd to me: I pray you shew me your minde concerning the sacrament of the altar.

I aunswered: Are you ignoraunt what I haue sayd?

He said▪ No: for it was wel writtē. Except you beleue, sayth he, as the Church hath taught, you are damned both body and soule.

I answered and sayd: Iudge not, least yee bee iudged: condemne not, least ye be condemned.

And he sayd: Loe: we shall haue a traytour as well as an hereticke: for hee will disallowe the kinges iudgement.

I sayd, No: I do not disallow the kinges iudgement but yours I do disallowe. For I praye you tell me, howe came you by this iudgement?

He answered and sayd: By the Church: for the Church hath power to saue and condemne, for if you bee condem∣ned by the church, he ye sure, that you be damned both bo∣dy and soule.

* 1.7Then I aunswered: If you haue this power, I am sore deceiued. For I beleue that Christ shall be our Iudge. But now I perceiue you will do much for him, that you will not put him to the payne.

Then he sayd: stand nearer countryman: why stand ye so farre off?

I sayd, I am neare enough, and a little to neare.

Then he sayd: Did not Christ say: Is not my flesh meate and my bloud drinke in deede?

I sayd: To whome spake Christ those wordes?

He sayd: To his Disciples.

I (intending to rehearse the texte) sayde: whereat did Christes disciples murmure inwardly?

He sayd: No, they did not murmure, but they were the Infidels (saith he:) for the Disciples were satisfied w^t those wordes

I sayd: Did not Christ say thus, as hee taught at Ca∣pernaum? whereas his Disciples murmured, saying▪ This is an hard saying. Who can abide the hearyng of it? Iesus percei¦uing their thoughtes: sayd: Doth this offend you?

Then he raged and sayd: Oh, thou wrastest the text for thine owne purpose. For the disciples did neuer murmure but the vnbeleuers, as thou art.* 1.8

I sayd: Yes, but I perceiue you know not the text.

Then sayd he with much raging, I will laye my head thereon, it is not so.

Then sayd I: I haue done with you.

Then sayd he: What shall I tell my Lord of you?

If you haue nothing to tell him, youre errand shalbe the sooner done, sayd I. And so we departed.

Then on Friday I was brought forth to receiue iudge¦ment. Then the Chauncellor said vnto me:* 1.9 Are you a new man, or are you not?

I aunswered and sayd: I trust I am a new man born of God.

God geue grace you be so, sayd he. So he rehearsed all my examination, & sayd: How say you, are not these your wordes?

I sayd, Yes: I will not deny them.

Then he sayd to Doctour Pore, standing by: I praye you talke with him. Then he alledging to me many fayre flattering wordes, sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. How say you to this? Do you not beleue that it is Christes bodye? speake.

I sayd: Haue you not my minde? Why do you trouble me?

He sayd: What did Christ geue you? was it breade, or was it not?

I sayd: Christ tooke bread and gaue thanks, and gaue it, and they tooke bread, and did eate. And Saincte Paule maketh it more manifest, where he sayth: So oft as yee shall eate of this bread, and drinke of this cuppe, yee shall shew forth the Lordes death vntill hee come.* 1.10 Saincte Paule sayth not here, as you say: for he sayth: So ofte as you shall eate of thys bread. He doth not saye, body. So they intendinge that I should go no further in the text, sayd: Tush, you goe about the bush. Aunswere me to the first question. Let vs make an end of that.

What say you to the bread that Christe gaue? Let mee haue your mind in that.

I aunswered: I haue sayd my mind in it.

Then the Chancellor sayde: No, wee will haue youre mind in that.

I aunswered: I haue sayd my minde in it.

Then the Chancellor: No, we will haue your mynde more playnly: For wee intend not to haue many wordes with you.

I said: My faith is fully grounded and stablished, that Christ Iesus the Easter Lamb hath offered his blessed bo∣dy a sacrifice to God the father, the price of my redemptiō. For by that onely sacrifice are all faythfull sanctified, & he is our onely aduocate and mediatour, and hee hath made perfect our redemption. This hath hee done alone, wyth∣out any of your dayly oblations.

Then Doctour Brigges starte vp, and sayd: Truthe, your wordes are true in deede. You take well the litterall sense: but this you must vnderstand, that like as you sayd that Christ offered his body vpon the Crosse, whiche was a bloudy sacrifice, and a visible sacrifice: so likewise wee dayly offer the selfe same body that was offered vppon the crosse, but not bloudy and visible, but inuisible,* 1.11 vnto God the father.

Doe you offer Christes body, I sayd? Why then chry∣stes sacrifice was not perfect. But Christ is true, when all men shalbe lyers.

Then he sayd: Thou shalt not feare him that hath po∣wer to kill the body: but thou shall feare hym that hathe power to kill both body and soule.

I aunswered & sayd: It is not so But the text is thus: Thou shalt not feare them that haue power to kill the body, and then haue done what they can. But thou shalt feare him that hath power to kill both body and soule, and cast them both into hel fire, and not them.

He aunswered and sayd: Yes, for it is the Church.

I aunswered and sayd: Why, Christ sayth: I geue my lyfe for the redemption of the worlde. No manne taketh my lyfe from me (saythe hee) but I geue it of myne owne po∣wer, and so I haue power to take it agayne. Therefore Christ y^e sonne of god did offer his blessed body once for al.

And if you wil presume to offer his body dayly, then your power is aboue Christes power. With that he chafed, and sayd: What, shal wee haue doctrine? Ye are not hereto ap∣pointed.

Then the Chauncellor stoode vp, and sayde: will yee turne from this wicked error, and be an example of good∣nes, as you haue bene an example of euill (for by youre wicked reading you haue perswaded simple women to be in this error) and ye shall haue mercy.

And I said: it is of God that I do craue mercy, whom I haue offended, and not of you.

Then sayde the Chauncellor: When were you at youre parishe Churche? These two yeares and more you haue stand excommunicate. Wherfore you are condemned. And so I was condemned.

* 1.12Thus hast thou, gentle Reader, the examinations of this godly young man, set forth and written with hys own hand, who not long after his condēnation was by y^e Sheriffes and Officers there, brought to the stake, where with much pacience and constancie he entered his blessed Martirdome. At the burning of whiche Christian Martyr one Thomas Carman the same tyme was apprehended, by what occasion, it is not yet to vs fully certayne, whe∣ther it was for words, or for praying with him, or for pled¦ging him at his burning, concerning which Thom. Car∣man, his story hereafter followeth in his order and place, further to be seene.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other exa∣mination of Ri∣chard Crash∣field.
• * 1.2

  Worshiping of Images.
• * 1.3

  Confessiion to the Priest.
• * 1.4

  Playing on the Organes.
• * 1.5

  P••ay. 56. Luke. 19.
• * 1.6

  An other exa∣mination of Ri∣chard Crash∣field.
• * 1.7

  The Popes Church taketh Christes office out of his hand.
• * 1.8

  Note here the igno∣rance of these Ca∣tholicke men, in the Scriptures.
• * 1.9

  An other examinatiō of Richard Crashfield.
• * 1.10

  1. Cor. 10.
• * 1.11

  Vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse.
• * 1.12

  The Mar∣tyrdome of Richard Crashfield. Anno. 1557. August. 5.