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.

A Relation of the burning of Thomas Drowry, a Blind Boy, and Thomas Croker Bricklayer.

In Examination before Doctor Williams, Chancellor of the Consisto∣ry Court at Gloucester, amongst other Articles,* 1.1 he chiefly urged the Articles of Transubstantiation saying,

Chancellor,

Dost not thou believe, that after the Words of Consecrea∣tion spoken by the Priest, there remaineth the very real Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar?

To whom the Blind Boy answered, No, that I do not.

Chancellor,

Then thou art an Heretick, and shalt be burnt, but who hath taught thee this Heresie?

Boy,

You.

Chancellor,

Where I pray thee?

Boy,

Even in yonder place, pointing towards the Pulpit,(the Court being held near it.)

Chancellor,

When did I teach thee so?

Boy, When you Preached there upon the Sacrament, you said, the Sacrament was to be received Spiritually, by Faith, and not car∣nally, as the Papists have heretofore taught.

Chancellor,

Then do as I have done, and thou shalt live as I do, and escape burning.

Boy,

Though you can so easily dispence with your self, and Mock with God, the World and your Conscience, yet, I will not so do.

Chancellor,

Then God have Mercy upon thee, for I will read the Sen∣tance against thee.

Boy,

Gods will be fulfilled: And soon after he and Thomas Croker were both burnt in Gloucester.* 1.2

About the Moneth call May Thomas Spicer of Winston, John Duny and Edmund Poole, being brought to Examination before Duming

Chancellor of Norwich, who objected against them the common Ar∣ticles, and after they had answered, because they would not recant, he read the condemnation, and delivered them to the Secular power, and about the 21th of the aforesaid Moneth they were all burnt for their Testimony in one Fire in Beckless in the County of Suffolk.

In this Moneth William Slech Prisoner in the Kings-bench, for the Confession of the Truth there died.

On the sixth day of the Moneth called June there were four per∣sons burnt at Lewis,* 1.3 in Sussex, for the Profession of the Truth, viz. Thomas Harland of Woodmancet, Carpenter, John Oswald of the same, Husband-Man, Thomas Auington of Ardingly, Turner, and Thomas Read. These four, after a long Imprisonment in the Kings-Bench, Suffered at the aforesaid place; John Oswald denied to answer any thing until his Accusers were brought face to face before him, and said, Fire and Faggots could not make him afraid; but as many good men were gone before him, he was ready to Suffer, and follow after.

In the same Moneth, and in the same Town of Lewis were burnt Thomas Wood and Thomas Mills.

William Adheral, and John Clement, being Prisoners, died in the Kings-Bench about the 24th day of the same Moneth.

The 26th day of the same Moneth a Young man-servant to a Mar∣chant was burnt by the Papists at Liecester.

The 27th day of the same Moneth there suffered thirteen Persons at one Fire at Stratford near Bow by London, cleaven Men, and two Women; the cleaven Men were tyed to three Stakes, and the two Women were loose in the midst without any Stake. In the company of these thirteen were three more condemned to die, viz. Thomas Freeman, William Stamard, William Adany.

The Names of the thirteen that were burnt, were as followeth, Ralph Jackson, Henry Adlington, Lyon Cawch, Wil. Halnoell, George Sear∣les, John Ronth, John Darisall, Henry Wye, Edmund Hurst, Lawrence Parn∣ham, Thomas Bowyer, Ellis Pepper, Agnes George.

After they were condemned the Dean of Pauls declared in his Ser∣mon that they held as many Opinions as there were persons, where∣fore, they drew up a Declaration of their Faith, to which they all signed; some particulars of which were.

That the Sea of Rome was the Sea of Anti-christ, the Congrega∣tion of the Wicked, &c. Whereof the Pope is head, under the Devil.

Also, that the Mass was not only a prophanation of the Lords Supper, but a Blasphemous Idol:

That God was neither Spiritually nor Corporally in the Sacrament of the Altar, and there remaineth no Substance in the same, but on∣ly the substance of Bread and Water; for these Articles of our Be∣lief (said they) we being condemned to die, do willingly offer our corruptible Bodies to be dissolved in the Fire, all with one Voice as∣senting and consenting thereunto.

When they were fixamined before the Bloody Bishop, and said,

they would believe all he or they could prove by Scripture, he said, he would not stand to prove it with Hereticks; but said, they were the holy Church, and you ought (said he) to believe us, or else be cut off like withered Branches.

About this time Thomas Parres, Martin Hunt, and John Norrice di∣ed Prisoners in the Kings-Bench, who were all buried in the back-side of the Prison.

* 1.4 The 30th of the Moneth called June there were three persons burnt in one Fire at Edmundsbury in Suffolk, whose names were, Roger Bern∣ard, Adam Foster, and Robert Lawson.

When Roger Bernard came before Doctor Hopton, Bishop of Norwick upon Examination, the Bishop askt him, Whether he had been with the Priest at Easter to be shriven; and whether he had received the Sacrament of the Altar or no?

Bernard

said, No, I have not been to confess to the Priest, but I have confessed mysinsto Almighty God, and I trust he hath forgiven me; wherefore, I shall not need to go to the Priest, for such matters, who cannot help himself.

Bishop,

Surely Bernard, thou must needs go and confess thy self unto him.

Bernard,

That shall I not do, by the Grace of God, while I live.

Bishop,

What a stout Boyly Heretick is this? How malipertly he answer∣eth.

Bernard,

It doth not grieve me (I thank God) to be called Heretick at your hands, for so your Fore-fathers called the Prophets and Con∣fessors of Christ, long before this time.

After some other words past between them, the Bishop rose up sore displeased, and Commanded the Goaler to take him away, and lay Irons enough on him, for, said he, I will tame him ere he go from me.

The next day being brought before him again, Bishop asked him, if he remembred himself, since the day before.

Bernard

said, Yes, I remember my self very well, for I am the same man I was yesterday, and I hope shall be all the dayes of my life concerning the matter you talked with me of.

Then one of the Guard being by, undertook to Examine him, who had him to an Inn, where many Priests were assembled together, who first began to flatter Roger Bernard, and then seeing that would not do, they threatned him with Whipping, Stocking, Burning, and such like.

Bernard tenderly replying, said, Friends, I am no better then my Master Christ and the Prophets, which your Fore-fathers served af∣ter such sort, and I for his Names sake am content to suffer the like at your hands, if God shall so permit, trusting that he will strengthen me in the same according to his promise.

When they saw he would not relent, or yield, they said, behold, a right Schollar of John Fortune, whom they had then in Prison; so they carried him again to the Bishop, who immediately condemned

him as an Heretick, and delivered him to the secular power; he was a single man, a Labourer, dwelling in Fransden in Suffolk, and was first apprehended for refusing to go the Church (so called.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Thomas Drowry and Tho. Croker Martyrs.
• * 1.2

  Tho. Spicer, John Dun∣ny, and Ed∣mund Fools Martyrs.
• * 1.3

  Sufferers in Sussex.
• * 1.4

  Three burnt at Edmunds∣bury.