N20568:14995
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
IN the mean time came the vicar of the town (who was one of the bishop's commissaries, a very wicked man), and inquired of Thomas Hudson's wife for her husband. Unto whom she answered, as not knowing where he was. Then the said Berry waxed angry, and threatened to burn her, because she would not tell where her husband was. After that when Hudson understood it, he grew every day more zealous than before, and continually read and sung psalms, the people openly resorting to him, to hear his exhortations and prayers.
AT last he walked abroad for certain days openly in the town, crying out continually against the mass and all their trumpery, and in the end coming home to his house, he sat him down, having his book by him, reading and singing psalms continually without ceasing, for three days and three nights together, to the great wonder of many.
THEN one John Crouch, his next neighbour, went to the constables, Robert Marsham and Robert Laws, in the night to certify them thereof: for Berry commanded openly to watch for him, and the constables understanding the same, went to catch him at break of day, the 22d of April, 1558.
THEN one John Crouch, his next neighbour, went to the constables, Robert Marsham and Robert Lawes, in the night to certify them thereof: for Berry commanded openly to watch for him, and the constables understanding the same, went to catch him at break of day, the 22d of April, 1558.
AND when Hudson saw them come in, he said, Now mine hour is come: welcome friends, welcome. You be they that shall lead me to life in Christ. I thank God for it, and the Lord enable me thereto for his mercy's sake. Then they took and led him to Berry, the commissary, who was vicar of the town, and the said Berry asked him, first, Where he kept his church for four years before? To which the said Hudson answered thus, Wheresoever he was, there was the church.
DOST thou not believe, said Berry, in the sacrament of the altar? What is it?
Hudson. It is worms meat: my belief is in Christ crucified.
Berry. Dost thou not believe the mass to put away sins?
Hudson. No, God forbid; it is a patched monster, and a disguised puppet, more tedious a piecing than ever was Solomon's temple.
Hudson. No, God forbid; it is a patched monster, and a disguised puppet, more tedious a pieceing than ever was Solomon's temple.
AT which words Berry stamped, fumed, and showed himself a mad-man, and said, Well, tho• villain, thou—I will write to the bishop, my good lord, and trust unto it, thou shalt be handled according to thy deserts. O sir, said Hudson, there is no Lord but God, though there be many lords and many gods. With that Berry thrust him back with his hand. And one Richard Cliffar, standing by, said, I pray you, sir, be good to the poor man. At which words Berry was more mad than before, and would have had Cliffar bound in a recognizance of forty pounds for his good behaviour both in word and deed; but his desire took no effect. Then he asked Hudson whether he would recant, or not: to which Hudson answered, The Lord forbid! I had rather die many deaths than do so.
AT which words Berry stamped, fumed, and shewed himself a mad-man, and said, Well, tho• villain, thou—I will write to the bishop, my good lord, and trust unto it, thou shalt be handled according to thy deserts. O sir, said Hudson, there is no Lord but God, though there be many lords and many gods. With that Berry thrust him back with his hand. And one Richard Cliffar, standing by, said, I pray you, sir, be good to the poor man. At which words Berry was more mad than before, and would have had Cliffar bound in a recognizance of forty pounds for his good behaviour both in word and deed; but his desire took no effect. Then he asked Hudson whether he would recant, or not: to which Hudson answered, The Lord forbid! I had rather die many deaths than do so.
THEN after long talk, the said Berry, seeing it to no purpose to persuade him, took his pen and ink▪ and wrote letters to the bishop thereof, and sent this Hudson to Norwich, bound like a thief, to him, which was eight miles from thence, who went thither singing with joy, as merry as ever he was in his life before. He was a month in prison, where he spent his time in reading and invocating the name of God.
THESE three christian and constant martyrs, William Seaman, Thomas Carman, and Thomas Hudson, after they were, (as you have heard) condemned the 19th day of May, 1558, were carried out of prison to the place where they should suffer, which was without Bishopsgate, at Norwich, called Lollard's Pit. And being all there, they made their humble petitions to the Lord. That being done, they arose and went to the stake, and standing all there with their chains about them, immediately Thomas Hudson came forth from them under the ⟨p. 515⟩chain, to the great surprise of all the spectators; many doubted his constancy, fearing he should recant; others thought he wanted a reprieve for further conference; and some imagined he came forth to ask his parents blessing. In the midst of this confusion his two companions at the stake did all they could to comfort and encourage him, exhorting him in the bowels of Christ to be of good cheer, &c. But alas! he felt more in his conscience than they could conceive, for he was encompassed with intolerable grief of mind, not for fear of death, but for lack of an inward sensible feeling of the love of his Saviour: and therefore, being very careful, he humbly fell upon his knees, and vehemently prayed to God, who at last (according to his old mercies) sent him comfort; and then he arose in ecstasy of joy, as a new man changed even from death to life, and said, Now I thank God I am strong, and care not what man can do unto me. So going again to his companions at the stake, they all suffered death most joyfully, constantly, and manfully together, to the terror of the wicked, the comfort of good people, and the glory of God, whose name be praised for ever. Amen.
THESE three christian and constant martyrs, William Seaman, Thomas Carman, and Thomas Hudson, after they were, (as you have heard) condemned the 19th day of May, 1558, were carried out of prison to the place where they should suffer, which was without Bishopsgate, at Norwich, called Lollard's Pit. And being all there, they made their humble petitions to the Lord. That being done, they arose and went to the stake, and standing all there with their chains about them, immediately Thomas Hudson came forth from them under the ⟨p. 515⟩chain, to the great surprize of all the spectators; many doubted his constancy, fearing he should recant; others thought he wanted a reprieve for further conference; and some imagined he came forth to ask his parents blessing. In the midst of this confusion his two companions at the stake did all they could to comfort and encourage him, exhorting him in the bowels of Christ to be of good cheer, &c. But alas! he felt more in his conscience than they could conceive, for he was encompassed with intolerable grief of mind, not for fear of death, but for lack of an inward sensible feeling of the love of his Saviour: and therefore, being very careful, he humbly fell upon his knees, and vehemently prayed to God, who at last (according to his old mercies) sent him comfort; and then he arose in ecstasy of joy, as a new man changed even from death to life, and said, Now I thank God I am strong, and care not what man can do unto me. So going again to his companions at the stake, they all suffered death most joyfully, constantly, and manfully together, to the terror of the wicked, the comfort of good people, and the glory of God, whose name be praised for ever. Amen.
AFTER this, the aforesaid commissary Berry made a great stir about others who were suspected in the town of Ailesham, and caused two hundred to creep through the cross at Pentecost, besides other punishments which they suffered.
ON a time this Berry gave a poor man of his parish of Marsham a blow with a flail, for a word's speaking, that presently thereon he died; and it is reported that the said Berry held up his hand at the bar for the same.
AT another time one Alice Oxes, of the same parish came to his house, and going into the hall he met her, and, being in an ill humour, he struck her with his fist, whereupon she was fain to be carried home, and the next day was found dead in her chamber.
THE number of whores and concubines he had is incredible to all, but to those that lived near him. He was rich, and of great authority, and as great a reprobate, persecuting the gospel, and compelling men to idolatry; he burnt all the good books he could lay hands on, and divorced many men and women for religion.
WHEN he heard that queen Mary was dead, and the glory of her triumph quelled, the Sunday after (being the 19th of November, 1558) he made a great feast, and had one of his concubines there, with whom he was in his chamber after dinner until even-song. Then went to church, where he had ministered baptism; and in his return from even-song, between the church-yard and his house, being but a little space (about the breadth of the church-yard) he fell down suddenly to the ground with a groan, and never stirred after, neither showed any one token of repentance. And those that had his great riches since his death have so consumed them, that they be poorer now than they were before they had them.
WHEN he heard that queen Mary was dead, and the glory of her triumph quelled, the Sunday after (being the 19th of November, 1558) he made a great feast, and had one of his concubines there, with whom he was in his chamber after dinner until even-song. Then went to church, where he had ministered baptism; and in his return from even-song, between the church-yard and his house, being but a little space (about the breadth of the church-yard) he fell down suddenly to the ground with a groan, and never stirred after, neither shewed any one token of repentance. And those that had his great riches since his death have so consumed them, that they be poorer now than they were before they had them.
