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.

Several Sentences taken out of a Letter of Richard Woodman's, to one Roberts of Hawkhurst.

Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father, and from his Son our only Saviour Jesus Christ, by the operation and Working of the

holy Ghost, be multiplied plentifully upon you, dear Sister, that you may the more joyfully bear the Cross of Christ that you are under, to the end, to your only Comfort, and Consolation, and to all our Brethren and Sisters in those parts that love our Lord unfainedly, certifying you, that I and all my Brethren with me are joyful, praised be God, looking daily to be dissolved from these our mortal Bodies, according to the good pleasure of our heavenly Father, praising God also for your constancy, and kindness shewed unto Gods People in this troublesome time of Persecution; Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy: The Fruits alwayes declare what the Tree is, for a good Man or Woman out of the good Treasure of their hearts bringeth forth good Fruits.

Wherefore, dear Sister, let our Faith be made manifest to the World by our deeds, and in the midst of a crooked and perverse Na∣tion, as St. Paul saith, Let your Light shine as in a dark place.

O dear hearts, now is the Gospel of God overwhelmed with ma∣ny black and troublesome Clouds of Persecution, for the which cause very few go about to have their Eyes made clear by the true light of the Gospel, for fear of loosing their Treasures of this World, which are but vain, and shall Perish.

Let us not therefore, be like unto them which light their Candle, and put it under a Bushel, but let us set our Candle upon a Candle∣stick, that it may give light unto all them that are in the House; that is to say, let all the People of the Houshold of God see our good works, in suffering all things patiently that shall be laid upon us for the Gospel sake, if it be Death it self; for Christ died for us, lea∣ving us an Example, that we should follow his steps; and as he hath given his Life for us, so ought we to give our Lives for the De∣fence of the Gospel to the comfort of our Brethren.

How is it then that some will say, that their Faith is good, and yet they do all the deeds of Anti-christ the Devil; St. Paul saith, To be∣lieve with the heart justifieth, and to confess with the Mouth maketh a man safe: Here may all see, that no man or woman can have a true Faith unless they have deeds also, and he that doubteth, is like the Waves of the Sea, Tossed about of the Wind, and can look for no good thing at the Lords hands: Now is the acceptable time that Christ spoke of, yea, even now is the Ax put to the Root of the Tree, that so every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, must be hewn down and cast into the Fire.

Now is the Lord come with his Fan in his hand to try the Wheat from the Chaff, the Wheat he will gather into his Barn, and the Chaff he will burn: Now is the time come that we must go meet the Bridegroom with Oyle in our Lamps; we are also bidden to the Feast, let us make no excuses, our Master hath delivered Talents un∣to us: Now is the Lord come to see if there be any Fruit upon his Trees, if he find none, he will serve us as he did the wild Fig-Tree, that is, Never Fruit shall grow on him more: If we go to meet the Bridegroom without Oyle in our Lamps, and should go to buy, the doubt is, we should be served as the Foolish Virgins were, to whom

God said, Depart I know you not: If we use not our Talents well, they shall be taken from us, and given to others, and all such un∣profitable Servants shall be cast into Hell, where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of teeth.

May not all People now perceive that this is the time that our Ma∣ster Christ speaketh of, that the Father should be against the Son, and the Son against the Father, and one Brother against an other, that the Brother shall deliver the Brother to death; yea, and that the Wicked shall say all manner of Wicked sayings against us for his Name sake, the which I have found by experience, I praise God that gave me strength to bear it.

I have no mistrust but that the World shall see and know my Blood shall not be dear in my own sight, whensoever it please God to give my Adversaries leave to shed it; I do earnestly believe, that God which hath begun this good work in me, will perform it to the end; for when I have been in Prison, sometimes wearing Blots and Shackles, lying on the bear ground, and sometimes sitting in the Stocks, and bound with Cords, that my Body was swelled, and I like to be over∣come with pain, sometimes lying in the Woods and Fields, wan∣dring to and fro, brought before Justices, Sheriffs, Lords, Doctors, and Bishops; called Dog, Devil, Heretick, Whoremonger, Traytor, Thief, Deceiver, and such like: Yea, even they that did eat of my Bread, that should have been most my Friends by Nature have betrayed me; yet for all this I praise God, that hath seperated me from my Mothers Womb, all this that hath happened unto me hath been easie, for I praise God, they are not able to prove one tittle of their sayings to be true, but that way which they call Heresie I serve my Lord God; and at all times, before whomsoever I have been brought, God hath given me Mouth and Wisdom, against which my Adversaries have not been able to resist; wherefore, dear Sister, be of good comfort, with all your Brethren and Sisters, and take no thought what you shall say, for it shall be given you the same hour according to the promises, as I have alwayes found, and as you and all others of Gods Elect shall well find, when the time is full come; and whereas I and many o∣thers have hoped that this Persecution would have been at an end ere this time; now I perceive God will have a further Tryal, to Root out all Dissemblers, that no man should rejoyce in himself, but he that rejoyceth should rejoyce in God; wherefore if Prophecy should fail, and Tongues should cease, yet Love must indure, for fear hath painfulness, but a perfect Love casteth out all fear, which Love I have no mistrust, but God hath poured it upon you so abundantly, that no∣thing in the World shall be able to seperate you from God, neither High nor Low, Rich nor Poor, Life nor Death, shall be able to put you from Christ, but by him I trust you shall enter into New Jerusa∣lem there to live forever.

After his Examination, Sentence was past upon him, and upon the 22th day of the Moneth called June, he and nine more were burnt at Lewis, as mention is made before.

The next Moneth following Simon Miller, and Elizabeth Cooper were

burnt at Norwich:* 1.1 This Simon Miller dwelt in Lyn, he was a zea∣lous man for the Lord and his Truth in those dayes, detesting and ab∣horing the forced. Religion of the Papists, going from Lyn to Nor∣wich, and standing in the press of People, as they were coming from their Popish service, he spake some words to them, at which some marvelled to hear and see his boldness, but shortly after he was brought before Dunning Chancellor of Norwich, when he was before him, having his Confession of his Faith written, and put in his Shoe, part of which appearing was taken out, which the Chancellor per∣using, askt him, If he would stand to that Faith, to which he said he should; whereupon, he was committed to Ward, and shortly after was by the Bishop of Norwich and his Chancellor condemned, and burnt with the ••••••esaid Elizabeth Cooper: When Elizabeth first felt the Fire, the shrunk, and cryed out; Simon Miller put his hand be∣hind him toward her, and wisht her to be strong, so they both end∣ed their lives joyfully.

About this time several persons Persecuted in Colchester suffered in Essex, being Prosecuted by one Thomas Tye Priest, who wrote a Letter to Bonner against them to this effect.

They assemble, said he, together upon the Sabbath day, during the time of Divine Service, sometimes in one House, and sometimes in another, and there keep their private Conventicles, this Letter of the Priests caused a Storm to arise against such as profess the Truth in Es∣sex, and the House of William Mant was beset by one Terril, and the Officers with him,* 1.2 who told William Munt and his Wife, they must go with them to Colchester Castle: The woman being sick in Bed, desired her Daughter might first fetch her some Drink, for she was ill at ease, Terrill giving her Daughter leave, as she was coming back with the Drink, and a Candle in her hand, He wisht her, to give her Fa∣ther and Mother good counsel; the Maid replyed, they have a better Instructer then me, for I hope the holy Ghost doth teach them, which will not suffer them to err; then said Terril, Art thou in that mind, thou naughty Houswiff, marry, it is time to look upon such Hereticks indeed; the Maid replyed, with that you call Heresie, do I worship my Lord God: Terril said, Then I perceive Gossip, you will burn with the rest for Company sake; no, said she, not for Company sake, but for Christ's sake; if I am compelled; and I hope, if he call me to it, he will en∣able me to bear it: Then the said Terril took the Candle out of her hand, and held her wrest and the burning Candle under her hand, say∣ing, Thou young Whore, wilt thou not cry? She replyed, she had no cause to cry, but rather to rejoyce, and quietly suffered his rage for the time; at the last she said, have you done what you will do? he said, Yea and if thou think it not well, then mend it: Mend it said she nay, the Lord mend you, and give you repentance; and now, if you think it good, begin at the Feet, and burnt the Head also; for he that set you on work, shall pay you your wages, so the said Terril searched the

House, and took one John Thurston, and Margeret his Wife, and wil∣liam Munt and his Wife, and Rose his Daughter, whose hand he had burnt, and carried them to Colchester Castle immediately; there was in all ten persons Prisoners in Colchester for not conforming, and for de∣nying the real presence in the Sacrament, who were all severally Sent∣enced to be burnt. When Rose Alen, whose hand was burnt by Terril, Examined concerning her belief, concerning Auricular Confession, and the Mass, &c. She said, they stunk in the Face of God; and be∣ing asked, What she said concerning the Sea of Rome, and whether she would obey the Bishop of Romes Authority; she answered boldl•••• she was none of his, and as for his Sea, it is for such Ravens and Crowes as you be, to swim in, for I shall not swim in that Sea while I live, neither will I have any thing to do therewith; whereupon she was condemned as the rest were. After these poor Lambs were con∣demned, they were delivered into the hands of the Secular Power, and were by them committed every one unto the Prison from whence they came, where they remained with much joy and great comfort, in continual reading and calling upon God, ever looking for,* 1.3 and ex∣pecting the day of their dissolution, which was upon the second day of the Moneth called August following; and because some were in the Castle Prison, and some in the Town Prison, called the Mote-hall, therefore it was agreed by the Officers, that they in the Mote-hall, viz. William Bongeer, William Purcas, Thomas Benold, Agnes Silverside, ali∣as Smith, Ellen Ewring, and Elizabeth Fowlks should be burnt in the forenoon, and William Munt, and his Wife and Daughter, and John Johnson, Prisoners in the Castle, should be burnt in the afternoon, who when they were tyed to the Stakes, they called upon God, and earnestly exhorted the People to flee from Idolatry, and so ended their Testimonies joyfully, and as for John Thurston, before mentioned, he died in Prison.

The next that suffered, was George Eagles, a man of a good Utter∣ance,* 1.4 and Eloquent in speech, though but a Taylor by Trade, in this time of great Persecution, he left his Trade, and travelled about from place to place to comfort and strengthen such as had received the Truth in any measure, sometimes Lodging in the Fields and Woods, and because he travelled much abroad, he was called Trudgever; in his Diet he was sparing, and for his Drink it was mostly Water for three years, to which necessities of denying himself he was drove to; through the ••ear of this time of Persecution, for he was fain to keep pretty much in Woods and Holes, for the Queen had put out a Procla∣mation in four Counties for apprehending of him, and twenty pounds was to be given to the party that took him, and shortly after he was taken in a Corn-Field in Essex, and being apprehended, was had Prisoner to Colchester, and from thence within four dayes was had to Chilmsford, where he abode one night, and did neither sleep nor eat nor drink, and the next day he was carried to London, and there Examined by the Bishop or Councel, and from thence sent back to Chilmsford again, and at the Sessions there, he was indicted for Trea∣son, for having Meetings contrary to the Law, and for praying that

God would turn Queen Maryes heart, or else take her away; the which words, that God would take her away, he denyed that he spake, nevertheless, he was condemned, and executed for the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Miller Elizabeth Cooper Mar∣tyrs.
• * 1.2

  The Priests Letter to stir up Persecu∣tion.
• * 1.3

  Nine Mar∣tyr burntin Essex, and one died in Pison.
• * 1.4

  G. Eagles Maryr.