N20568:15003
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.
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.
NOW let the reader observe the difference between the end of a martyr, and the end of a persecutor.
ABOUT this time Joan Seaman, mother to the aforesaid William Seaman, being of the age of sixty-six years, was persecuted by the said sir John Tyrrel also, because she would not go to mass and receive against her conscience: which good old woman being from her house, was glad some time to lie in bushes, groves, and fields, and sometimes in her neighbour's house when she could. And her husband being at home, about 80 years old, fell sick; and she hearing thereof, with speed returned home to her house again, not regarding her life, but considering her duty, and showed her diligence to her husband most faithfully, till God took him away by death. Then by God's providence she fell sick also, and died in her own house soon after. When one Mr. Symonds, the commissary, heard of it, he (dwelling in a town hard by, called Thornton) commanded that she should not have christian burial (as they termed it), and her friends were compelled to lay her in a pit under a mote's side. Her husband and she kept a good house, and had a good report amongst their neighbours, willing always to receive strangers, and to comfort the poor and sick, and lived together in the holy estate of matrimony very honestly above forty years; and departed this life willingly and joyfully, with a steadfast faith ⟨p. 516⟩and a good remembrance of God's promise in Jesus Christ.
ABOUT this time Joan Seaman, mother to the aforesaid William Seaman, being of the age of sixty-six years, was persecuted by the said sir John Tyrrel also, because she would not go to mass and receive against her conscience: which good old woman being from her house, was glad some time to lie in bushes, groves, and fields, and sometimes in her neighbour's house when she could. And her husband being at home, about 80 years old, fell sick; and she hearing thereof, with speed returned home to her house again, not regarding her life, but considering her duty, and shewed her diligence to her husband most faithfully, till God took him away by death. Then by God's providence she fell sick also, and died in her own house soon after. When one Mr. Symonds, the commissary, heard of it, he (dwelling in a town hard by, called Thornton) commanded that she should not have christian burial (as they termed it), and her friends were compelled to lay her in a pit under a mote's side. Her husband and she kept a good house, and had a good report amongst their neighbours, willing always to receive strangers, and to comfort the poor and sick, and lived together in the holy estate of matrimony very honestly above forty years; and departed this life willingly and joyfully, with a stedfast faith
A woman, called Mother Bennet, a widow, who lived in the town of Wetherset, near Mendlesham, was persecuted out of the town for not going to mass, but at last she returned home again secretly to her house, and there departed this life joyfully. But sir John Tyrrel, and Mr. Symonds, the commissary, would not let her be buried in the church-yard. So she was laid in a grave by the high-way side.
THIS good old woman met one of mother Seaman's neighbours, and asked how mother Seaman did; and the neighbour answered, that she did very well, God be thanked. O, said mother Bennet, mother Seaman hath stepped a great step before me; for she was never covetous, that I could perceive.
HER husband in his mirth would say unto her, O woman, if thou wert sparing, thou mightest have saved me an hundred marks more than thou hast. To which she would gently answer, O man, be content, and let us be thankful, for God hath given us enough, if we can see it. Alas, good husband, would she say, I tell you truth, I cannot firkin up my butter, and keep my cheese in the chamber, waiting for a great price, and let the poor want, and so displease God. But, husband, let us be rich in good works, and so shall we please the Lord, and have all good things given us, &c.
IN the month of May likewise, William Harris, Richard Day, and Christian George, suffered at Colchester, and there joyfully and fervently made their prayers to God.
AND being settled at the stake, and chained to the posts, with the fire flaming fiercely round about them, they, like constant christians, triumphantly praised God within the same, and offered up their bodies a lively sacrifice unto his holy Majesty, in whose habitation they have now their everlasting tabernacles: his name be therefore praised for evermore, Amen.
THE said Christian George's husband had another wife burnt before this Christian, whose name was Agnes George, who suffered as you have heard, at Stratford the Bow. And after the death of the said Christian, he married an honest godly woman again▪ and so they both (I mean the said Richard George and his last wife) in the end were taken also, and laid in prison, where they remained till the death of queen Mary, and at last were delivered by our most gracious sovereign lady queen Elizabeth.
