A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M. ...

Gratwick.

Mr. Stephen Gratwick, * 1.1 seeing the Bishops that sate upon to laugh, said unto them, Why do ye laugh? Are ye confederate together for my blood, and therein triumph? You have more cause to look weightily upon the matter; for I stand here before you upon life and death. But you declare your selves what you are. You are lapped in Lambs apparel, but you are bent to have my blood.—

Seeing you will have my blood, * 1.2 let me say a little more for my self: On Sunday last you preach∣ed this Truth, If any man think himself Religious, and bridleth not his tongue, the same mans Religi∣on is vain: And yet in the mean time you seduced your tongue to slander us poor Prisoners there pre∣sent in Iron bands, burdening us with the names of Arrians, Herodians, Anabaptists, Sacramenta∣rians, Pelagians: And when we stood up to purge our selves thereof, you said, You would cut out our tongues, and cause us to be pulled out of the Church by violence. But there you gave your self a shrewd blow, &c.—

Being asked by the Bishop of Winchester if he would recant, he said, My faith is grounded more stedfastly than to change in a moment. It is no process of time can alter me, unless my faith were as the wayes of the Sea.

When he was condemned, he desired God wi•• a loud voice, That he would not lay his blood 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their charge if it were his good will.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fox Vol. 3. pag. 790.
• * 1.2

  Pa. 792.