The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.

The most remarkable Passages that I find at their Tryals and Examinations, are briefly related as followeth.

Thomas Tomkins a Weaver, dwelling in Shoreditch, a man accounted by such as were acquainted with him Zealous and Godly,* 1.1 much given to Prayer; during the time of his Imprisonment, which was half a year, the Bishop Bonner beat him sorely about the Face, and pluckt him by the Beard (being long) and caused his Beard to be Shaved off; but though the rage of the Bishop was great, the con∣stancy and patience of the poor man was as great; for he was not mo∣ved at the Bishops cruelty; the Bishop seeing the course he had taken would no wayes prevail, he fell from Beating to Burning; for ha∣ving a great Candle burning in his Hall at Fulham, he took Tomkins by the Fingers ends holding his hand over the flame of the Candle, trying him whether he would Recant, but with patience he bore this cruelty also, until Doctor Harpsfield standing by, moved with pity, told Bonner he had tryed him enough, and then Bonner let his Fingers go.

The last time Thomas Tomkins appeared before Bonner, there were several other Bishops present, one of which earnestly exhorted him to leave off his Opinions; to whom he answered, I was Born and brought up in Ignorance until of late years, and now I know the Truth, I shall continue in the same until Death; which Bonner hearing, thought it time to pass Sentence upon him; and as he had be∣gun to burn his Hand, so sentenced his Body to be burnt, delivering him to the Sheriff of London, who carried him to Newgate, where he remained untill the 16th day of the Moneth called March, and then sealed his Faith in the Flames.

The 26th day of the aforesaid Moneth, followed the Martyr∣dom of another of these six persons, viz. VVilliam Hunter, a Zeal. ous Young man for Religion;* 1.2 who was about the Age of ninteen years when he suffered; he was born of godly Parents, by whom he was not only Instructed in godliness, but also confirmed by them until Death.

William Hunter, being an Apprentize in Coleman-Street in London, with one Thomas Taylor a Silk-weaver; the beginning of his trouble was, for refusing to hear Mass, and to receive their Eucharist, for which the Priest of the Parish threatned to have him before the Bishop; his Master fearing lest he should come to suffer, by reason of Williams not conforming, desired him to depart from him, where∣upon William went home to his Fathers, to Burntwood in Essex, where after he had remained a little time, happening to go into the Chap∣pel of Burntwood, and finding a Bible lying upon a Desk he read therein; while he was reading, one Atwell, a Sumner, coming in, reproved him, saying, Wherefore meddlest thou with the Bible? William answered, I read in it for my comfort; Atwell replyed, It was never a good World since the Bible came abroad in England; William answered, say not so, it liketh me well, and I pray God we may have the Bible amongst us continually.

Atwell,

I perceive you are one of them that mislikes the Queens Laws, and therefore you came from London; but you must turn another Leaf, or else you will Broyl for it, and in a fury went away, saying, he would fetch one that should talk with him, and went to an Ale-house hard by, and fetch out the Viccar of Soutweld, who coming into the Chap∣pel, and hearing William read, said, Sirrah who gave thee leave to read in the Bible? William answered, I read for my Comfort, and shall read while I Live; and told the Viccar, He ought rather to en∣courage, then discourage people in reading the Scriptures.

Viccar,

Doth This become thee to tell me what I have to do, thou Heretick?

William Hunter

said, I am no Heretick.

V••ccar,

What sayst thou to the blessed Sacrament of the Altar? be∣lievest thou in it? and that the bread and wine is transubstantiated in∣to the very Body and Blood of Christ?

William Hunter,

I learn no such thing in the Scriptures, as you speak of; you understand Christs Words much like the Carnal Cappern••tes, who thought that Christ would have given them his Flesh to feed upon, which opinion Christ corrected, when he said, The Words which I speak unto you are Spirit and Life.

Viccar,

I have found you out now; I see thou art an Heretick in∣deed, and that thou doest not believe in the Sacerament of the Altar.

William Hunter,

whereas you doubt my belief, I would it were tryed, whether you or I would stand fastest in our Faith.

Viccar,

Thou Heretick, wouldst thou have it so tryed?

William Hunter,

In that way which you call Heresie, do I serve the Lord my God; I would you and I were even now tyed fast to a Stake, to prove which of us would stand firmest in our Faith.

Viccar,

It shall not be so tryed.

No, quoth William, I think so, for if it might, I know who would soonest Recant; I durst set my Foot against yours, even to the death.

That we shall see, quoth the Viccar, and so departed, threatning William to complain of him; Shortly after, according to his words, he instigated one Justice Brown against William, who shortly after sent for a Constable, and for William's Father to come before him; Wil∣liam being gone from home, the Justice threatned his Father, He would make him tell where he was, or else he would send him to Pri∣son; the Old man said, Would you have me seek my Son to be burn∣ed? If thou bring him to me, saith the Justice, I will deal well enough for that matter, and with flatterings and threatnings perswaded him to seek his Son out.

When the old man had found his Son he told him what the Justice said; William told his Father, I will go home with you, and save you harmless, what ever comes on it; as soon as he came home, he was apprehended by the Constable, and put in the Stocks, and the next day was had before the Justice.

Justice Brown,

Ah Sirrah, are you come; I hear say you are a Scripture-man?

What say you to these words, where Christ saith the Bread is his Body?

William Hunter,

the Scripture saith, that Christ took Bread; but not that he changed it into another Substance, but gave that which he took, and brake that which he gave, which was Bread, as is evident by the Text, else he should have had two Bodeis.

At which the Justice began to be angry, and called him Naughty Boy, saying, Doth not Christ call the Bread his Body plainly, and thou wilt not believe that the Bread is his Body after Consecration, thou goest about to make Christ a Lyar.

William Hunter,

We ought earnestly to search what the mind of Christ is in that holy Institution, wherein he commendeth unto us the remembrance of his Death, Passion, Resurrection and coming again, saying, This do in remembrance of me; And though Christ calls the Bread his Body, so he did also say, that he is a Vine, a Door, &c. Yet is not his Body turned into Bread, no more then he is turned into a Door or Vine; wherefore Christ called the Bread his Body by a figure.

* 1.3 At these words, the Justice was enraged, calling him Villain, and the next day sent him and a Letter by an Officer to Bonner, Bishop of London; When he came before the Bishop, at first the Bishop began to flatter him, telling him, he should have no harm for any thing he had done or said, if he would be ruled by him; saying further, It may be thou mayest be ashamed to bear a Fagot, a Recant openly of what thou hast said; but if thou wilt Recant thy sayings, I pro∣mise thee, what thou speakst between me and thee shall go no fur∣ther, and thou shall go home again without any hurt, so that thou wilt go to Church and continue a good Catholick.

W. Hunter,

I will not do so for all the World.

Then said the Bishop, If you will not do so, I will make you sure enough, I warrant you.

William,

You can do no more then God will permit you.

Bishop,

Wilt thou not Recant indeed, by no means?

William,

No, never while I live.

Then the Bishop commanded his Men to put him in the Stocks, in his Gate-house, where he sate two dayes and two nights, only with a Crust of brown Bread, and a Cup of Water; at the two dayes end, the Bishop came to him, and finding the Cup of Water, and crust of Bread still by him upon the Stocks, he said to his men, take him out of the Stocks, and let him Breakfast with you; whereupon they took him forth of the Stocks, but would not suffer him to eat with them, but called him Heretick.

He told them, He was as unwilling to be in their company as they were to be in his.

After Breakfast, the Bishop sent for him, and askt, whether he would Recant?

He answered, No, he would never Recant that which he had confest before men, concerning his Faith in Christ.

Then the Bishop sent him to Prison, and commanded the Keeper

to lay Irons upon him, as many as he could bear, and askt William how old he was?

He told him, he was nineteen years Old.

Well, said the Bishop, you will be burnt ere you are twenty year old, if you do not Recant.

William

answered, God strengthen me in his Truth, and so he parted from the Bishop. He continued in Prison three quarters of a year, in which time, he had been before the Bishop five times, besides the time when he and five more were Condemned in the Consistory in Pau••s, which was on the ninth day of the Month, called February, be∣fore the Se••••ence was past; the Bishop askt him, if he would Recant; but finding ••un to stand firm in his Faith, said, I have alwayes found thee at this Point; I see no hope of reclaiming thee to the Catholick Faith, but thou wilt continue a corrupt Member: And then pro∣nounced Sentence upon him, how that he should go from that place to Newgate, for a time, and from thence to Burntwood, Where, said he, Thou shalt be Burnt.

After he had Condemned the rest, he called for William again, and would have perswaded him to Recant; saying, if thou wilt Recant, I will make thee a Free-man of the City; and I will give thee forty Pounds to set up thy Trade with, or I will make thee Steward of my House.

William

Replyed, I thank you for your great Offers, if you can∣not perfwade my Conscience with Scriptures, I cannot find in my Heart to turn from God for the love of the World; for I count all things worldly but loss and Dung in respect of the Love of Christ.

Then said the Bishop, If thou diest in this mind, thou art damn∣ed forever.

William

answered. God Judgeth righteously, and justifieth them whom man condemneth unjustly.

Then the Bishop departed, and William and the rest were sent to Newgate, where they remained about a Month, and then William was carried down to Burntwood, where his Father and Mother com∣ing to him, hartily desired of the Lord, that he might continue to the end in that good way in which he had begun, counting them∣selves happy, that they had a Child that could lose his Life for Christ's sake.

Many people resorted to the Inn to see him, whom he exhort∣ed to leave the Abomination of Popisn Superstition and Idolatry. At his Execution he desired the people to pray for him.

Justice Brown,

that first apprehended him, standing by, said I will pray no more for thee, then I would for a Dog.

William

answered, Now you have what you sought for, I pray God it be not laid to your charge at the last day, I forgive you.

Brown

said, I ask no forgiveness of thee.

William,

If God forgive you not, I shall require my Blood at your Hands.

The Fire being kindled, William said, I am not afraid; and lifting

up his Hands, said, Lord receive my Spirit, and so sealed his Testimony with his Blood to the praise of God.

Justice Brown,

commanded an Officer to take Robert Hunter, William's Brother, and put him in the Stocks, until he came back from the burning of Higbed, at Hornden on the Hill; on the same day, after he was taken out of the Stocks, and brought before the Justice, he askt him, If he would do as his Brother had done? Robert Hunter, answered, If I do as my Brother hath done, I shall have as he hath had; Thou mayest be sure of that, said the Justice. But after some further Examination, he bid him go home.

* 1.4 The next that suffured, were Higbed and Canston, both of Essex, two men so fervent for Religion, that in these blind and Idolatries times, could not lie long hid in obscurity, but were constrained to bear their Testimony, though it were by Death.

Bonnet perceiving these men were men of repute in their Country and such as were called Gentlemen, was so much the more concerned to bring them off their Profession, that he went down to Colchester him∣self, to seek to reclaim them; sometimes using fair Promises and flattering Enticements; other times threatning them, with high words to terrifie them; in fine, seeing them both constant and un∣moveable in their Zeal for their Religion, he caused them, and some others at the same time and for the same cause apprehended in that Country, to be brought up to London Prisoners, where they were committed close Prisoners, where they were first privately examined, and urged by all means to forsake their Opinions by the Bishop and his Chaplain: But when the Bishop saw that way would work no alteration, he caused them to be brought to open Examination at the Consistory at Pauls, the seventeenth day of the Mouth called February, 1555. where being further pressed to Recant of the Errors they said they held, and to return to the unity of the Church, which they still refused; whereupon, a great List of Articles were delivered them, and their Answers thereunto the next day required of them.

At the second time of their publick appearance and tryal their Answers were read, and Canston being first called, was exhorted a∣gain to be conformable to the unity of the Church, into which (they said) they were ready to receive him; He replyed, you lay Snares and Gins to catch us, but mark, what measure you meet shall be mea∣sured to you again.

Then Higbed was called, to whom the like perswasions were used; but to as little purpose as the other; for he told them, he had been sixteen years in that mind he was then in, and should not alter now.

At their last appearance before them, the Prisoners declared (cal∣ling God to record) that their persisting in that stedfastness, was not in wilfulness, as some might judge, but for Conscience sake; for, said they, we sought the Lord, that we might do nothing contrary to his bles∣sed

Word, and in that he hath shewed his Power in our weakness, we cannot but praise him, unto whom we give thanks through Christ Jesus our Lord.

When they had thus spoken, the Bishop began to pronounce the Sentence against Canston; to whom Canston said, it was a rash Judg∣ment without Love and Mercy; Then was sentence also pronounced against Higbed, and both delivered to the Sheriffs, who sent them to Newgate, where they remained fourteen dayes contiunally praising God, not so much concerned at their Afflictions as rejoyced in their Consolations, praying, and earnestly desiring they might per∣severe to the end, to the praise of the Eternal God, and Comfort of the Brethren.

The fourteen dayes being expired, they were by four a Clock in the Morning led from Newgate to Algate, and there delivered to the Sheriff of Essex, who conveyed them to the places where they were Executed, viz. Higbed to Hornden on the hill, and Thomas Canston to Rayly, where they both with great constancy finished their Testimonies in the Fire, greatly rejoycing and giving the glory to God.

The next that suffered were William Pyget, Stephen Knight and John Lawrence,* 1.5 at their Examinations it was demanded of them, to declare their Opinion concerning the Sacrament of the Altar; to which they answered, to this effect; That in the Sacrament of the Altar, under the forms of Bread and Wine, there is not the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ: This Answer being given, the Bishop caused Articles to be read against them, to which they answer∣ed. The second time they were brought before him; he prest them to recant, which they refusing, saying, They should stick to their Faith. Wherefore, the third time being brought before him, he past Sentence upon them, and committed them to the Custody of the Sheriffs of London, who sent them to Newgate; where they re∣mained in much Joy and comfort, and at last were had down to Essex, and there burnt. When Stephen Knight came to the Stake, which was at Maulden, he kneeled down and prayed; some Sentances of which Prayer are as followeth.

O Lord Jesus Christ, for whose Love I leave willingly this Life, and desire rather the bitter Death of the Cross, with the loss of all Earthly things, then to abide the Blasphemy of thy most holy Name, or to obey men in breaking thy holy Commandment; Thou seest, O Lord, that where I might live in Wordly Wealth, to Worship a false God, and honour thine Enemy, I choose rather the Torment of the Body, and the loss of this Life, and have count∣ed all things but Vile, Dust and Dung that I might Win thee; which Death is Dearer unto me then thousand of Gold and Silver; such Love, O Lord, hast thou laid up in my Breast, that I Hun∣ger for thee, as the Deer that is Wounded desireth the Soil; send thy holy Comforter, O Lord, to Aid, Comfort, and Strengthen this Weak piece of Earth, which is empty of all strength of it self;

Thou rememberst, O Lord, that I am ••ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉, therefore as thou of thy Love hast bidden me to this Banquet, and accounted me worthy to drink of thine own Cup amongst thine Elect, even so give me strength, O Lord, that so through me strength of thy holy Spirit, I may pass through the rage of this fire, into thy Bossom, according to thy Promise, and for this Mortal receive an Immor∣tall, and for this Corruptible put on Incorruption; accept this burnt Sacrifice and Offering, O Lord, not for the Sacrifice, but for thy Sons sake, for whose Testimony I offer this Free-will-Offering with my Soul; into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my Spirit, Amen.

The next day John Lawrence was brought to Colchester, and being not able to go, his Legs being so worn in Prison with heavy Irons, and his Body weak, he was carried in a Chair to the Fire and burnt sitting.

After these, suffered two persons in Wales, viz. Robert Farrar, in Carmarthen,* 1.6 who was a Bishop of a place called St. Davids, and one Rawlins white, a Fisher-man, burnt at Cardiff: This Rawlins, for the love that was in him to the Truth, and delight he took in hearing the Scriptures read, trained up his Son at School on purpose to read to him, because he could not read himself; and by often hearing the Scriptures read, having a good Memory, he so retained them, that he at last became an Instructor and Teacher to People, and travelled from place to place, with his little Boy with him, visiting such where he saw any hopes of receiving the Truth; ha∣ving thus continued for five years, in Edward the sixths time he be∣came a noted Preacher, until by the Bishop of Landaff he was com∣mitted Prisoner to Chepstow, and from thence was removed to Cardiff Castle, where he continued a Prisoner a whole year, which tended to the ruin of his poor Wife and Children in this World; yet he, as a man unconcerned at the loss of the World, continued exhor∣ting and speaking to such as came to visit him, declaring the Way of Salvation to them, according to the best of his understanding, ad∣monishing them to beware of false Prophets, that come to them in Sheeps Cloathing. At his Examination, the Bishop speak to him to this effect, that they had taken pains to reduce him from his O∣pinions, but seeing he continued still obstinate and willful, he must condemn him as an Heretick; but, said the Bishop to the People, before we proceed any further, let us pray that God may turn his heart; after Prayer, the Bishop askt him, how it was with him? and whether he would recant? He answered, Rawlins you left me, and Ralwins you shall find me: Thereupon he was carried again to Cardiff, and ordered to be put in the Town Prison, a very dark loathsom bad Prison, where he continued about three week, before he suffered, in which time the Enmity of his Persecutors was such, that they would have burnt him before the Writ de hareticis Comburendis came from London, had not the Recorder of the Town stopt them, tel∣ing them if they should so do they were liable to be called in question; when the Writ came, as they had him to Execution, his Wife and

Children met him by the way,* 1.7 with great Weeping and Lamen¦tation, at the Suddain sight whereof, his heart was so pierced, that the tears trickled down his Face; yet on he went cheerfully to the Stake, and being fastned thereto with a Chain, and the Fire kin∣dled, he give up his life, crying, O Lord, receive my Soul; O Lord, receive my Spirit.

About this time the Pope knowing how things stood in England in reference to Religion, and how the Power of the Sword was turned against such as had been the chief Instruments in reforming Religion, he thought it was now a good time to stir, to redeem and cause to be restored to the Church such Rites as not long before had been taken from her; for Queen Mary signifying to the Council, that in her Conscience she was not satisfied until she had restored Abbey Lands to the former Proprietors: The Council objected against it upon this account, for that it brought in such an incom to the Crown, without which possessions, they said, it could not well be furni∣shed, nor maintained; she answered, the Salvation of her Soul was more to her then ten Kingdoms (a zealous Expression, and could not have been discommended, had it been spoken in a good cause) The Pope hearing this, sends over a Bull, with all speed, with full Authority to Command the Restitution of Abbey Lands, thun∣dring out Excommunication against all such as should detain them; but many of the chief, both of the Clergy, and others being against the alteration of those Laws that had given them to the Crown, considering the profit they brought in, over-ballanced that good will and affection they had to observe the Popes Directions and Command, which no doubt they were ready enough to incline to, had it not been in a matter wherein the Revenues of the Crown would have been so lessned, if the Bull had been prosecured; and therefore it was let fall without taking so much notice of it as to see it performed: but to return to shew the next that suffered.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Ex∣amination of Thomas Tomkins.
• * 1.2

  William Hunter Martys
• * 1.3

  William Hunter ••ent up to Bonner.
• * 1.4

  Higbed and Canston Martyr.
• * 1.5

  Pyget, Knight, Lawren•• Martyr.
• * 1.6

  Robert Farrar and Raw∣lins White Maryrs in Wales.
• * 1.7

  Q. Mary. An. 1555.