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.

Another examination of Spurdance, before the Bishop in his house.

THe B. sayd: sirrha, doest thou not beleue in the catho∣like fayth of holy Church?* 1.1

And I sayd: I beleue Christes catholike church.

Yea sayd he, in Christes church, of the which the Pope is the head? Doest thou not beleeue that the Pope is su∣preme hed of the catholike church?

And I sayd, no. I beleue not that he should bee aboue the Apostles, if hee take them to be his predecessors. For when there came a thought among y^e Apostles, who shuld be the greatest when their maister was gone, Christ aun∣swered them vnto their thoughtes:* 1.2 The Kinges of the earth beare domination aboue other, but ye shall not so doe, for hee that will be greatest among you, shall become seruaunte vnto you all. How is it then (sayde I) that hee will climbe so high aboue his fellowes? And also wee were sworne by my Maister King Henries tyme, that wee should to the vttermost of our power, neuer consent to hym again. And therefore as he hath nothyng to doe here in Englande, so neyther in his owne countrey more, then a Bishop hath in his Dioces.

Yea sayd the B. what of that? We were then in error & sinne, now we are in the right way agayne, and therefore thou must come home again with vs, and knowledge thy fault, and become a christian man, and be sworne vnto the Pope as our supreme head.* 1.3 Wilt thou be sworne vnto the Pope? How sayst thou?

Then I sayd, no I warrant you by the grace of God, not as long as I liue. For you cannot prooue by the scrip∣ture, that the Pope is head of the church, and may do ther∣in what him list.

No, sayde he? yes I trowe: For as the Belweather whiche weareth the Bell, is head of the flocke of sheepe,

euen so is the Pope the head of the Church of Christ.* 1.4 And as the Bees in the hiue haue a maister Bee when they are gone out, to bring them home againe to the hiue: euen so the Pope when we be gone astray and wandered from the fold, from the hiue, &c. then is ordeined our head by succes∣sion of Peter, to bring vs home againe to the true church: as thou now my good fellow hast wandred long out of the way like a scattered sheepe, &c. Heare therefore that Bel∣wether, the maister bell, &c. & come home with vs to thy mother the true church againe.

Unto whom I aunswered: My Lord, all this is but naturall reason, & no scripture: but since ye cannot prooue the Pope to be authorised by scripture, ye aunswer not me as I thought ye would.

Ha, sayd he, I see well ye be stout, and will not be an∣swered: therfore ye shall be compelled by law whether ye will or no.

* 1.5My Lord sayd I, so did your forefathers intreat Christ and his Apostles. They had a law, and by their lawe they put hym to death: and so likewyse, you haue a law which is tyrannie, & by that would ye inforce me to beleue as you doe. But the Lord I trust will assist me agaynst all your beggerly ceremonies, and make your foolishnesse knowen to all the world one day.

Then sayd he, when were ye at church & went in pro∣cession, and did the ceremonies of the church?

And I sayd, neuer since I was borne.

No sayd he? How old are you?

And I sayd, I thinke about xl.

Why said he, how did you vse your selfe at Church xx. yeres ago?

I sayd, as you do now.

And euen now, said he, you sayd you did not the Cere∣monies since you were borne.

No more I did sayd I, since I was borne a newe: as Christ sayd vnto Nicodemus, except ye be borne a newe, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heauen.

Then sayd a D. that sate by, he is a very Anabaptist: for that is their opinion playne.

No sir, you say falsely, sayd I, for I am no Anabap∣tist: for they denye Children to bee Baptised, and so doe not I.

Well sayd the B. why doest thou not go to the church, and do the ceremonies?

And I sayd: because they be contrary to Gods worde and lawes, as you your selfe haue taught: but nowe you say it is good agayne: and I thinke if there were a re∣turne to morrow, you would say that is false again which you hold now. Therfore I may well say there is no truth in you.

Then sayd the B. thou art a stubborne fellow, and an heretike, and a Traitor.

No sayde I, I am no Traitour, for I haue done I thinke, better seruice to the crowne imperiall of England, then you.

If you had done so good seruice (said he) you would be obedient to the lawes of the Realme.

So I am, sayd I. There is no man alyue (I thanke God) to accuse me iustly that euer I was disobedient to any ciuill lawes.* 1.6 But you must consider my Lord, that I haue a soule and a body, & my soule is none of y^e Queenes, but my body and my goods are the Queenes. And I must geue God my soule, and all that belongeth vnto it: that is, I must do the law and commandements of God, and whosoeuer commandeth lawes contrary to Gods laws, I may not do them for losing of my soule, but rather obey God then man.

And he sayd: why doest thou not these lawes thē? are they not agreeable to Gods law?

And I sayd, no, you cannot prooue them to bee Gods lawes.

Yes sayth he, that I can.

Then sayd I, if you can prooue me by the word of God that you should haue any grauen Images made to set in your churches for lay mens bookes, or to worship God by them, or that you should haue any Ceremonies in your church as you haue, prooue them by the word of God, and I will do them.

Then sayde hee, It is a good and decent order to fur∣nishe the Church:* 1.7 as when you shall goe to dinner, you haue a clothe vppon the table to furnish the Table before the meate shall come vppon it: so are these ceremonies a comely decent order to be in the Church among Christian people.

These sayd I are inuentions and imaginations out of your owne braine, without any worde of God to prooue them. For God sayth: looke what you thinke good in your owne eyes, if I commaund the contrary, it is abhomina∣ble in my sight. And these ceremonies are agaynst Gods lawes. For S. Paul sayth, they be weake and beggerly, & rebuketh the Galathians for doyng of them.

Well, sayd he: If you will not do them, seyng they bee the lawes of the realme, you are an heretike and disobedi∣ent: and therefore come home agayne and confesse your fault with vs, that you haue bene in errour, &c. Wyll you doe so?

And I sayd no, I haue bene in no error: for the spiri∣tuall lawes were neuer trulier set forth, then in my mai∣ster K, Edwards tyme, and I trust vnto God I shall ne∣uer forsake them whiles I lyue.

Then came a Gentleman to me and sayd: are ye wi∣ser then all men? and haue ye more knowledge then all men? will you cast away your soule willingly? my Lord and other men also, woulde fayne you woulde saue your selfe: therfore chuse some man where you will, eyther spi∣rituall or temporall, and take a day: my Lord wyll geue it you.

Then sayd I, if I saue my lyfe, I shall loose it, and if I loose my lyfe for Christes sake, I shall finde it in lyfe euer∣lasting. And if I take a day, whē the day commeth, I must say then, euen as I do now, except I will lye, and therfore that needeth not.

Well, then haue him away sayd the Bishop.

This aboue named Thomas Spurdance was one of Queene Maries seruauntes,* 1.8 and was taken by two of his fellowes, the sayd Queenes seruauntes named Iohn Haman, otherwise called Barker, and George Loos••n, both dwelling in Codman in the Countie of Suffolke, who caried hym to one maister Gosnall, dwellyng in the sayd Codnam, and by hym he was sent to Bury, where he remayned in prison, and afterward burned in the moneth of Nouember.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other exa∣amination of Thomas Spur∣dance before the Bishop.
• * 1.2

  Luke. 22.
• * 1.3

  The Popes Su∣premacye.
• * 1.4

  Anno 1557. October.
• * 1.5

  The Phariseys lawe.
• * 1.6

  Obedience to Princes, how farre.
• * 1.7

  Images.
• * 1.8

  Tho. Spur∣dance by whom he was appre∣hended.