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.

¶The sixt examination before the sayd Chauncellor.

WHo sayd vnto her: Woman, the last tyme that thou wast before me,* 1.1 our talke was concernyng the Sa∣crament.

Eliz.

Sir, true it is, and I trust that I sayd nothyng that ye can deny by the scriptures.

Chanc.

Yes thou wilt not beleeue that Christes fleshe is flesh in thy flesh.* 1.2

Eliz.

No sir, God hath geuen me no such beliefe, for it can not be found by the scriptures.

Chanc.

Wilt thou beleue nothing but what is in the scrip∣ture? Why, how many Sacraments doest thou find in the Scripture?

Eliz.

The church of Christ doth set forth twaine.

Chanc.

I will as well finde seuen by the scripture, as thou shalt finde twaine.

Eliz.

Sir, I talke not to you thereof, but I saye that the church of Christ setteth out twaine,* 1.3 & I haue bene taught no more.

Chanc.

What are those twaine?

Eliz.

The Sacrament of Christes body and bloud, and the sacrament of Baptise.

Chauncellour.

What sayest thou by the Sacramente of Wedlocke?* 1.4

Eliz.

I haue not heard it called a Sacrament, but the holy estate of matrimony, which ought to be kept of all mē that take it vpon them.

Chanc.

How sayest thou by Priestes?* 1.5 Is it good that they should marrie? is it to be kept of them?

Eliz.

I come not hither to reason any such matters, for I am no Diuine, and also it is no part of my faith.

Chanc.

Can ye not tell? ye shall tell or euer you go.

Eliz.

Sir, then must ye keepe me a good while, for I haue not studied the scriptures for it.

Chaunc.

No? why, ye will not be ashamed to flee vnto the highest mysterie, euen to the Sacrament at the first dashe, and ye are not afrayd to argue with the best doctour in the lande.

Eliz.

Gods mysteries I will not meddle w^t, but all things that are written, are written for our edification.* 1.6

Chanc.

What say ye by prayer for the dead? is it not meete that if a mans friend be dead, his friend cōmend his soule vnto God?

Eliz.

There is no Christian man that will commend hys friend nor his foe, vnto the Deuill. And whether it be good for him, when he is dead or no, sure I am, that it is good when he is alyue.

Chaunc.

Then thou allowest not prayer to bee good for thē when they be dead, & lying in Purgatory.* 1.7 Is it not meete that prayer be made vnto God for them?

Eliz.

Sir, I neuer heard in the Scriptures of Purgatory, but in the scripture I haue heard of heauen and hell.

Chaunc.

Why,* 1.8 ye haue nothyng but the skimmyng of the Scriptures, Our auncient fathers could finde out in the

bottome of the scriptures that there is a Purgatory. Yea, they could finde it in the new testament, that a Priest shall take the Sacrament and go to the aultar and make an ob∣lation and offer it vp euery day.

Eliz

Sir, that could neuer be found in the Bible nor Te∣stament, as farre as euer I could heare.

Chanc.

Whome doest thou heare read either the Bible or Testament, but a sorte of chismatikes, bawdie Byshops, and hedge Priests (which haue brought into the Churche a stinkyng Communion,* 1.9 which was neuer heard of in a∣ny place in the world, but here in England) whiche haue deceyued the king and all the Nobilitie, and all the whole Realme.

Eliz.

Sir, it is a vile name that ye geue them all.

Chanc.

Where are all the hedge knaues become now, that they come not to their answer?

Eliz.

* 1.10Aunswer Sir? why, they haue aunswered both with the Scriptures and also with their bloud, and then where were you that ye came not forth to answer in their times? I neuer knew none of you that were troubled, but twain and that was not for Gods worde, it was for their disobe∣dience?

Chaunc.

No I pray you? did ye not knowe that we were killed, hanged, burned, and headed.

Eliz.

Sir, I neuer knew that any of you euer was eyther hanged, killed, burned or headed.

Chanc.

* 1.11No? did ye neuer heare that the Byshop of Roche∣ster lost hys head for the supremacie of the Bishoppes of Rome.

Eliz

Then he died not for Gods word.

Chaunc.

* 1.12Well, thou wilt beleeue nothyng but that which is written in Gods worde. Where canst thou finde the Saboth written in the Scripture, by the name of the Sa∣both? For the right Saboth day I will prooue to be Sa∣terday. Or where canst thou finde the Articles of y^e Creede in the Scripture by the name of the Articles? Or where canst thou find in the Scripture that Christ went downe into hell.

Eliz.

What place or part in the scripture can ye finde for to disprooue any of these things?

Chaunc.

What priest hast thou lyen withall, that thou hast so much Scripture? Thou art some Priestes woman, I thinke, for thou wilt take vppon thee to reason and teach, the best Doctor in all the land, thou.

Eliz.

I was neuer yet Prieests wyfe, nor yet Priests wo∣man.

Chanc.

Haue I touched your conscience?

Eliz.

No Sir, ye haue not touched my conscience, but be∣ware ye hurt not your owne.

Chanc.

Thou hast red a little in the Bible or Testament, & thou thinkest that thou art able to reason with a Doctor that hath gone to schoole thirtie yeares:* 1.13 and before God, I thinke if I had talked thus much with a Iewe, as I haue done with thee, he would haue turned ere this time. But I may say by you as Christ sayd by Ierusalem, say∣ing: O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, how ofte would I haue gathered thee together: euen as a henne gathereth her chickens, but thou wouldst not. And so would we gather you together in one fayth, but ye will not: and therfore your owne bloude bee vpon your own heds, for I can do no more but teach you. Thou art one of the rankest heretikes that euer I heard, for thou beleeuest nothyng but what is in the Scripture, and therfore thou art damned.

Eliz.

I do beleeue all thinges written in the scripture, and all things agreeable with the scripture, geuen by the holy Ghost into the church of Christ, set forth and taught by the church of Christ,* 1.14 and shall I be damned because I beleue the truth, and will not beleeue an vntruth?

Then the Chancellor called the keper, saying: Clunie take her away, thou knowest what thou hast to doe with her. And so she departed and was brought agayne to the stockhouse, and there she lay certaine dayes and both her hands ma••acled in one iron: and afterward was remoo∣ued into the Lollards Tower, and there she remained w^t both her feete in the stockes and irons till the next tyme of examination.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The 6 examina∣tion of Eliza∣beth Young.
• * 1.2

  The fleshly rea∣son of the Pa∣pistes.
• * 1.3

  Name of Sacra∣mentes geuen by the Church.
• * 1.4

  Two Sacra∣mentes. Wedlocke.
• * 1.5

  Priestes mari∣age.
• * 1.6

  Praying for the dead.
• * 1.7

  Purgatory.
• * 1.8

  Oblation for the dead.
• * 1.9

  The holy Com∣munion blas∣phemed.
• * 1.10

  So many Mar∣tyrs haue beene sl••y••e, and yet the Papistes bragge, as though none will come forth to aunswere them.
• * 1.11

  Fysher B. of Rochester.
• * 1.12

  Nothing to be receaued to sal∣ua••ion but onely that which is found or foun∣ded in Scripture.
• * 1.13

  But we read not that Christ did draw them into pri••ons and con∣demned them to be burnt that would not c••me.

  Eliz••beth Yoūg deemed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 here∣tick because shee beleeueth all thinges written and agreeable to the Scripture & nothing els.
• * 1.14

  Elizabeth Young had to the Stockhouse, and then to the Lollardes Tower.