N20568:15010
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.
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 ⟨p. 516⟩and a good remembrance of God's promise in Jesus Christ.
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.
IN the month of June came out a proclamation from the king and queen, against wholesome and godly books, which under the false title of heresy and sedition were wrongfully condemned in the said proclamation, which here follows.
WHEREAS divers books, filled both with heresy, sedition, and treason, have of […], and be daily brought into this realm out of foreign countries and places beyond the seas, and […] also covertly printed within this realm, and […] abroad in sundry parts thereof, whereby not only God is dishonoured, but also an encouragement given to disobey lawful princes and governors• the king and queen's majesties, for redress hereof, do by this their present proclamation declare […] publish to all their loving subjects, that whosoever shall, after the proclaiming hereof, be found to have any of the said wicked and seditious boo•• ▪ or finding them, do not forthwith burn the same without showing or reading the same to any other shall in that case be reputed and taken for a rebel, and shall without delay be executed for that offence, according to the order of martial law.
WHEREAS divers books, filled both with heresy, sedition, and treason, have of 〈…〉, and be daily brought into this realm out of foreign countries and places beyond the seas, and 〈…〉 also covertly printed within this realm, and 〈…〉 abroad in sundry parts thereof, whereby not only God is dishonoured, but also an encouragement given to disobey lawful princes and governors• the king and queen's majesties, for redress hereof, do by this their present proclamation declare 〈…〉 publish to all their loving subjects, that whosoever shall, after the proclaiming hereof, be found to have any of the said wicked and seditious boo•• ▪ or finding them, do not forthwith burn the same without shewing or reading the same to any other shall in that case be reputed and taken for a rebel, and shall without delay be executed for that offence, according to the order of martial law.
Given at our manor of St. James's, June the sixth. JOHN CAWOOD, Printer.
SECRETLY in a back close in a field by Islington, were gathered together a company of innocent persons, to the number of forty men and ⟨p. 517⟩women. Who there sitting together at prayer, and virtuously occupied in the meditation of God's holy word, first cometh a certain man to them unknown, who looking over unto them, stayed and saluted them, saying, that they looked like men that meant no hurt. Then one of the said company asked the man, if he could tell whose close that was, and whether they might be so bold to sit there. Yea, said he, because ye seem to be such persons as intend no harm; and so departed. Within a quarter of an hour after, came the constable of Islington, named King, with six or seven more, one with a bow, another with a bill, and the rest with weapons. Six or seven of this company were left behind in a private place, to be ready in case they were wanted, while the constable, and one with him went before to view them; they both went amongst them, looking and viewing what they were doing, and what books they had: and so going a little forward, and returning back again, ordered them to deliver their books. They understanding that he was a constable, refused not so to do. Then came up the rest of their fellows, before-mentioned, who bade them stand and not depart. They answered again, they would be obedient and ready to go whithersoever they would have them, and they were first carried to a brew-house at a small distance, while some of the company went to the nearest justice; but he being not at home, they were carried before sir Roger Cholmley. In the mean time some of the women escaped away from them, some in the close where they sat, and others before they came to the brew-house. For so they were carried, ten with one man, eight with another, with some more, with others less, in such a manner as it was not hard for them to escape that would. In fine, they that were carried to sir Roger Cholmley, were twenty-seven, and sir Roger and the recorder taking their names in a bill, and calling them one by one, so many as answered to their names he sent to Newgate, which were twenty-two out of twenty-seven. They continued in prison seven weeks; and before they were examined, word was sent by Alexander, the keeper, that if they would hear a mass, they should all be delivered, but thirteen of them were burnt, seven in Smithfield, and six at Brentford;
two died in prison, and the other seven, with much trouble (through God's providence) escaped death. Their names were these: John Wills, Thomas Hinshaw, R. Bailey, woolpacket, Robert Wills, Hudleys, T. Coast, haberdasher, Roger Sandy.
two died in prison, and the other seven, with much trouble (through God's providence) escaped death. Their names were these: John Willes, Thomas Hinshaw, R. Bailey, woolpacket, Robert Willes, Hudleys, T. Coast, haberdasher, Roger Sandy.
