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.

¶Thomas Bryce.

IF our story should proceede so wide and so large, as dyd the exceeding mercy of Gods prouidence in helpyng hys seruauntes out of wretchednes and thraldome of those bloudy dayes, our treatise, I thinke,* 1.1 would extende to an endlesse processe.

For what good man or woman was there almost in all this tyme of Queene Mary, who eyther in carying a good conscience out of the land, or tarying within y^e realm could well escape the Papistes handes, but by some nota∣ble

experience of the Lordes mightye power and helpyng hand working for him? What shoulde I here speake of the myraculous deliueraunce of Thomas Bryce, who beyng in the house of Iohn Seale,* 1.2 in the parish of Horting, and the Bayliffe with other neighbours comming in, sent by Sir Iohn Baker to search and apprehend hym, & know∣ing perfectly both hys stature and colour of his garments yet had no power to see or know him standing before their faces. So mightely the Lorde did blinde their eyes, that they asking for him, and looking vpon him, yet notwith∣standing he quietly tooke vpp his bagge of books, and so departed out of the house, wythout anye hand layd vpon him.

Also an other time, about the 2. yeare of Queene Ma∣ry,* 1.3 the sayde Thomas Bryce, with Iohn Bryce his elder brother, comming then from Wesell, meeting together at their fathers house, as they iornyed towardes London to geue warning there to one Springfield, whiche els was like to bee taken vnawares by his enemies wayting for him vpon Gaddes hill, fell in company with a promoter, which dogged them and followed them again to Graues∣••ad, into the towne, and layed the house for them where they were, and all the waies as they should go to the wa∣ter side: so that it had not bene possible for them to haue a∣uoyded the present daunger of those persecutors, had not the Lordes prouident care otherwise disposed for hys ser∣uauntes through the Hostler of the Inne,* 1.4 couertly to con∣uey them by a secret passage: whereby they tooke Barge a mile out of the towne, and so in the ende both the liues of them, and also of Springfield was preserued, through the Lordes gracious protection.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Thomas Bryce pre∣serued.
• * 1.2

  God blyn∣ded the eyes of them which ••••ught for Thomas Bryce, that they could not see him.
• * 1.3

  An other 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Thomas 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and his brother.
• * 1.4

  Thomas & Iohn Bryce 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by Gods good 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉.