N20568:4642
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 name of God, Amen: We Stephen, by the permission of God, bishop of Winchester, lawfully and rightly proceeding with all goodly favour by authority and virtue of our office, against thee John Rogers, priest, otherwise called Matthew, before us personally here present, being accused and detected, and notoriously slandered of heresy, having ⟨p. 425⟩heard, seen, and understood, and with all diligent deliberation weighed, discussed, and considered the merits of the cause, all things being observed, sitting in our judgment seat, the name of Christ being first called upon, and having only God before our eyes, because by the acts enacted, propounded and exhibited in this matter, and by thy own confession judicially made before us, we do find that thou hast taught, holden and affirmed, and obstinately defended divers errors, heresies, and damnable opinions, contrary to the doctrine and determination of the holy church, as namely these; "That the catholic church of Rome is the church of Antichrist. Item, That in the sacrament of the altar there is not substantially or re•lly the natural body and blood of Christ." The which aforesaid heresies and damnable opinions, being contrary to the law of God, and determination of the universal and apostolical church, thou hast arrogantly, stubbornly, and wittingly maintained, held and affirmed, and also defended before us, as well in this judgment, as also otherwise, and with the like obstinacy, stubbornness, malice and blindness of heart, both wittingly and willingly hast affirmed, that thou wilt believe, maintain and hold, affirm and declare the same: We therefore, S.
IN the name of God, Amen: We Stephen, by the permission of God, bishop of Winchester, lawfully and rightly proceeding with all goodly favour by authority and virtue of our office, against thee John Rogers, priest, otherwise called Matthew, before us personally here present, being accused and detected, and notoriously slandered of heresy, having ⟨p. 425⟩heard, seen, and understood, and with all diligent deliberation weighed, discussed, and considered the merits of the cause, all things being observed, sitting in our judgment seat, the name of Christ being first called upon, and having only God before our eyes, because by the acts enacted, propounded and exhibited in this matter, and by thy own confession judicially made before us, we do find that thou hast taught, holden and affirmed, and obstinately defended divers errors, heresies, and damnable opinions, contrary to the doctrine and determination of the holy church, as namely these; "That the catholic church of Rome is the church of Antichrist. Item, That in the sacrament of the altar there is not substan•ially or re•lly the natural body and blood of Christ." The which aforesaid heresies and damnable opinions, being contrary to the law of God, and determination of the universal and apostolical church, thou hast arrogantly, stubbornly, and wittingly maintained, held and affirmed, and also defended before us, as well in this judgment, as also otherwise, and with the like obstinacy, stubbornness, malice and blindness of heart, both wittingly and willingly hast affirmed, that thou wilt believe, maintain and hold, affirm and declare the same: We therefore, S.
Winchester, bishop, ordinary, and diocesan aforesaid, by the consent and assent as well of our reverend brethren the lords bishops here present and assistant, as also by the counsel and judgment of divers worshipful lawyers and professors of divinity, with whom we have communicated in this behalf, do declare and pronounce thee the said John Rogers, otherwise called Matthew, through thy demerits, transgressions, obstinacies and wilfulness, (which through manifold ways thou hast incurred by thine own wicked and stubborn obstinacy) to have been and to be guilty of the detestable, horrible, and wicked offences of heretical pravity and execrable doctrine, and that thou hast before us sundry times spoken, maintained, and wittingly and stubbornly defended the said cursed and execrable doctrine in the sundry confessions, assertions, and recognitions here judicially before us oftentimes repeated, and yet still dost maintain, affirm and believe the same, and that thou ••st been, and art lawfully and ordinarily convicted in this behalf: We therefore, I say, albeit following the example of Christ, "which would not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should convert and live;" we have gone about oftentimes to correct thee, and by all lawful means that we could, and all wholesome admonitions that we did know, to reduce thee again unto the true faith and unity of the universal catholic church, notwithstanding have found thee obstinate and stiffnecked, willingly continuing in thy damnable opinions and heresies, refusing to return again unto the true faith and unity of the holy mother church; and as the child of wickedness and darkness, so to have hardened thy heart, that thou wilt not understand the voice of thy shepherd, which with a fatherly affection doth seek after thee, nor wilt be allured with his fatherly and godly admonitions:
Winchester, bishop, ordinary, and diocesan aforesaid, by the consent and assent as well of our reverend brethren the lords bishops here present and assistant, as also by the counsel and judgment of divers worshipful lawyers and professors of divinity, with whom we have communicated in this behalf, do declare and pronounce thee the said John Rogers, otherwise called Matthew, through thy demerits, transgressions, obstinacies and wilfulness, (which through manifold ways thou hast incurred by thine own wicked and stubborn obstinacy) to have been and to be guilty of the detestable, horrible, and wicked offences of heretical pravity and execrable doctrine, and that thou hast before us sundry times spoken, maintained, and wittingly and stubbornly defended the said cursed and excerable doctrine in the sundry confessions, asserions, and recognitions here judicially before us ofentimes repeated, and yet still dost maintain, affirm and believe the same, and that thou st been, and art lawfully and ordinarily convicted in this behalf: We therefore, I say, albeit following the example of Christ, "which would not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should convert and live;" we have gone about oftentimes to correct thee, and by all lawful means that we could, and all wholesome admonitions that we did know, to reduce thee again unto the true faith and unity of the universal catholic church, notwithstanding have found thee obstinate and stiffnecked, willingly continuing in thy damnable opinions and heresies, refusing to return again unto the true faith and unity of the holy mother church; and as the child of wickedness and darkness, so to have hardened thy heart, that thou wilt not understand the voice of thy shepherd, which with a fatherly affection doth seek after thee, nor wilt be allured with his fatherly and godly admonitions:
We therefore, Stephen, the bishop aforesaid, not willing that thou which art wicked shouldst now become more wicked, and infect the Lord's flock with thine heresy, (which we are greatly afraid of) with sorrow of mind, and bitterness of heart, do judge thee, and definitively condemn thee the said John Rogers, otherwise called Matthew, thy demerits and faults being aggravated through thy damnable obstinacy, as guilty of most detestable heresies, and as an obstinate impenitent sinner, refusing penitently to return to the lap and unity of the holy mother church, and that thou hast been and art by law excommunicated, and do pronounce and declare thee to be an excommunicate person. Also we pronounce and declare thee, being a heretic, to be cast out from the church, and left unto the judgment of the secular power, and now presently so do leave thee as an obstinate heretic, and a person wrapped in the sentence of the great curse, to be degraded worthily for thy demerits (requiring them notwithstanding, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, that this execution and punishment worthily to be done upon thee, may so be moderated, that the rigour thereof be not too extreme, nor yet the gentleness too much mitigated, but that it may be to the salvation of thy soul, to the extirpation, terror, and conversion of the heretics to the unity of the catholic faith) by this our sentence definitive which we here lay upon and against thee, and do with sorrow of heart promulgate in this form aforesaid.
AFTER this sentence was read, bishop Gardiner sent Mr. Hooper and me to the Clink, there to remain till night; and when it was dark, they carried us▪ Mr. Hooper going before with one sheriff, and ⟨p. 426⟩I coming after with the other, with bills and weapons enough, out of the Clink, and led us through the bishop's house, and St. Mary Every's churchyard, and so into Southwark, and over the bridge in procession to Newgate, through the city. But I must observe, that when the bishop had read the condemnation, he declared that I was in the great curse, and what a dangerous matter it was to eat and drink with us that were accursed, or to give us any thing; for all that did so, should be partakers of the same great curse.
AFTER this sentence was read, bishop Gardiner sent Mr. Hooper and me to the Clink, there to remain till night; and when it was dark, they carried us▪ Mr. Hooper going before with one sheriff, and ⟨p. 426⟩I coming after with the other, with bills and weapons enough, out of the Clink, and led us through the bishop's house, and St. Mary Overy's churchyard, and so into Southwark, and over the bridge in procession to Newgate, through the city. But I must observe, that when the bishop had read the condemnation, he declared that I was in the great curse, and what a dangerous matter it was to eat and drink with us that were accursed, or to give us any thing; for all that did so, should be partakers of the same great curse.
WELL, my lord, said I, here I stand before God and you, and all this honourable audience, and take him to witness, that I never knowingly, or willingly taught any false doctrine; and therefore have I a good conscience before God and all good men: I am sure that you and I shall come before a judge that is righteous, before whom I shall be as good a man as you; and I nothing doubt but I shall be found there a true member of the true catholic church of Christ, and everlastingly saved. And as for your false church, you need not to excommunicate me from it, I have not been found in it th•se twenty years, the Lord be thanked; but now you have done what you can, my lord, I pray you yet grant the one thing.
WHAT is that? said he.
THAT my poor wife, being a stranger, may come and speak with me so long as I live; for she hath ten children, and somewhat I would counsel her, what were the best for her to do.
NO, said he, she is not thy wife.
YES, my lord, and hath been these eighteen years.
SHOULD I grant her to be thy wife? said he.
CHOOSE you, whether you will or not; she shall be so nevertheless.
CHUSE you, whether you will or not; she shall be so nevertheless.
SHE shall not come at thee.
THEN I have tried out all your charity, said I. You make yourself highly displeased with the matrimony of priests, but you maintain open whoredom: as in Wales, where every priest hath his whore openly dwelling with, and lying by him; even as your holy father suffereth all the priests in Dutchland, and in France, to do the like. Thereto he answered not, but looked as it were asquint at it; and thus I departed and saw him no more.
DEARLY beloved, ye have heard what was said: now hear what I purposed the night before to have said, if I could have been permitted. Two things I purposed to have touched upon. The one, how it was lawful for a private man to reason and write against a wicked act of parliament, or ungodly council, which the lord chancellor the day before denied me; the other was to prove, that prosperity was not always a token of God's love.
AND this I purposed to speak of, because the lord chancellor boasted of himself, that he was delivered forth of prison, as it were by miracle, and preserved of God to restore true religion, and to punish me and such others, whom he termed heretics. Concerning these two points, in this manner I purposed to have proceeded. It is not unknown to you, that king Henry VIII. in his time made his daughter, the queen that now is, a bastard: he abolished the authority of the bishop of Rome: he pulled down abbeys: and all this he did by the consent of parliament.
