N20568:4698
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.
I would counsel you, said the other, not to preach. If you can and will forbid me by lawful authority, then I must obey, said Saunders. Nay, said he, I will not forbid you, but I do give you counsel. And thus entered they both the city, and departed each from the other. Mr. Mordant, of an uncharitable mind, went to give warning to Bonner, bishop of London, that Saunders would preach in his cure the next day. Saunders resorted to his lodging, with a mind bent to do his duty. Where because he seemed to be somewhat troubled, one who was there about him, asked him how he did. In very deed, said he, I am in prison, till I be in prison; meaning, that his mind was unquiet until he had preached, and that he should have quietness of mind though he were put in prison.
THE next day, which was Sunda• in the afternoon, he made a sermon in his parish, treating on that place which St. Paul writeth […] Corinthians, "I have coupled you to one man, that ye should make yourselves a chaste virgin unto Christ. But I fear lest it come to pass, that as the serpent beguiled Eve, even so your wi•• should be corrupt from the singleness which ye had towards Christ." He recited the sum of that true christian doctrine, thro' which they were coupled to Christ, to receive of him free justification through faith in his blood. The papistical doctrine he compared to the serpent's deceiving: and lest they should be deceived by it, he made a comparison between the voice of God, and the voice of the popish serpent; descending to more particular declaration thereof, as it were to let them plainly see the difference that is between the order of the church service, set forth by king Edward in the English tongue, and comparing it with the popish service then used in the Latin tongue.
THE next day, which was Sunda• in the afternoon, he made a sermon in his parish, treating on that place which St. Paul writeth 〈…〉 Corinthians, "I have coupled you to one man, that ye should make yourselves a chaste virgin unto Christ. But I fear lest it come to pass, that as the serpent beguiled Eve, even so your wi•• should be corrupt from the singleness which ye had towards Christ." He recited the sum of that true christian doctrine, thro' which they were coupled to Christ, to receive of him free justification through faith in his blood. The papistical doctrine he compared to the serpent's deceiving: and lest they should be deceived by it, he made a comparison between the voice of God, and the voice of the popish serpent; descending to more particular declaration thereof, as it were to let them plainly see the difference that is between the order of the church service, set forth by king Edward in the English tongue, and comparing it with the popish service then used in the Latin tongue.
THE first he said was good, because it was according to the word of God, 1 Cor. xiv. and the order of the primitive church. The other, he said, was evil, and though in that evil, be intermingled some good Latin words, yet was it but as a little honey or […] mingled with a great deal of poison. This was the sum of his sermon.
THE first he said was good, because it was according to the word of God, 1 Cor. xiv. and the order of the primitive church. The other, he said, was evil, and though in that evil, be intermingled some good Latin words, yet was it but as a little honey or 〈…〉 mingled with a great deal of poison. This was the sum of his sermon.
IN the afternoon he was ready in his church to have given another exhortation to his people. But the bishop of London interrupted him by sending an officer for him. This officer charged him, upon p•in of disobedience and contumacy, forthwith to come to the bishop his master. Thus, as the apostles were brought out of the temple, where they ⟨p. 435⟩were teaching, unto the rulers of the priests, so was Laurence Saunders brought before the bishop of London, who had in his company the aforenamed sir John Mordant and some of his chaplains. This bishop laid no more to Laurence Saunders's charge, but treason for breaking the queen's proclamation, heresy and sedition for his sermon.
THE treason and sedition, his charity was content to let slip until another time. But an heretic he would now prove him, and all those, he said, who did teach and believe that the administration of the sacrame•• and all orders of the church are most pure, which do come most nigh to the order of the primitive church. For the church was then but in her infancy, and could not abide that perfection which was afterwards to be furnished with ceremonies. And for this cause Christ himself, and after him the apostles, did in many things bear with the rudeness of that church. To this Laurence Saunders answered with the authority of St. Augustine, "That ceremonies were even from the beginning invented and ordained for the rude infancy and weak infirmity of man, and therefore it was a token of the more perfection of the primitive church, that it had few ceremonies, and of the rudeness of the papistical church, because it had so many ceremonies, partly blasphemous, partly unsavoury and unprofitable.
THE treason and sedition, his charity was content to let slip until another time. But an heretic he would now prove him, and all those, he said, who did teach and believe that the administration of the sacrame•• and all orders of the church are most pure, which do come most nigh to the order of the primitive church. For the church was then but in her infancy, and could not abide that perfection which was afterwards to be furnished with ceremonies. And for this cause Christ himself, and after him the apostles, did in many things bear with the rudeness of that church. To this Laurence Saunders answered with the authority of St. Augustine, "That ceremonies were even from the beginning invented and ordained for the rude infancy and weak infirmity of man, and therefore it was a token of the more perfection of the primitive church, that it had few ceremonies, and of the rudeness of the papistical church, beca•se it had so many ceremonies, partly blasphemous, partly unsavoury and unprofitable.
AFTER much talk concerning this matter, the bishop desired him to write what he believed of transubstantiation. Laurence Saunders did so, saying. My lord, you do seek my blood, and you shall have it: I pray God that you may be so baptized in it, that you may thereafter loathe blood sucking, and become a better man. This writing the bishop kept for his purpose, even to cut the writer's throat, as shall appear hereafter. The bishop, when he had his will, sent Laurence Saunders to the lord chancellor, •s Annas sent Christ to […]: and like favour found Saunders as Christ his master did before him▪ But the chancellor being not at home, Saunders was constrained to tarry for him the space of four […] outer chamber, where he found a chaplain of the bishop's very merrily disposed, with certain gentlemen playing at tables, with divers others of the same family or house occupied there in the same exercise.
AFTER much talk concerning this matter, the bishop desired him to write what he believed of transubstantiation. Laurence Saunders did so, saying. My lord, you do seek my blood, and you shall have it: I pray God that you may be so baptized in it, that you may thereafter loathe blood sucking, and become a better man. This writing the bishop kept for his purpose, even to cut the writer's throat, as shall appear hereafter. The bishop, when he had his will, sent Laurence Saunders to the lord chancellor, •s Annas sent Christ to 〈…〉: and like favour found Saunders as Christ his master did before him▪ But the chancellor being not at home, Saunders was con•trained to tarry for him the space of four 〈…〉 outer chamber, where he found a chaplain of the bishop's very merrily disposed, with certain gentlemen playing at tables, with divers others of the same family or house occupied there in the same exercise.
ALL this time Saunders stood very modestly and soberly at the screen or cub-board bare-headed, sir John Mordant his guide or leader walking up and down by him: who (as I said before) was then one of the council. At last the bishop returned from the cou•• whom, as soon as he was entered, a great many suitors met and received; so that ••fore he could get out of one house into another, •alf an hour was passed. At last he came into the chamber where Saunders was, and went through into another chamber: where in the mean time, sir John Mordant gave him a writing, containing the cause, or rather the accusation of the said Saunders: which when he had perused, where is the man? said the bishop. Then Saunders, being brought forth to the place of examination, first most lowly and meekly kneeled down, and made courtesy before the table where the bishop sat; unto whom the bishop spoke on this wise:
ALL this time Saunders stood very modestly and soberly at the screen or cub-board bare-headed, sir John Mordant his guide or leader walking up and down by him: who (as I said before) was then one of the council. At last the bishop returned from the cou•• whom, as soon as he was entered, a great many suiters met and received; so that ••fore he could get out of one house into another, •alf an hour was passed. At last he came into the chamber where Saunders was, and went through into another chamber: where in the mean time, sir John Mordant gave him a writing, containing the cause, or rather the accusation of the said Saunders: which when he had perused, where is the man? said the bishop. Then Saunders, being brought forth to the place of examination, first most lowly and meekly kneeled down, and made courtesy before the table where the bishop sat; unto whom the bishop spoke on this wise:
HOW happeneth it, said he, that, notwithstanding the queen's proclamation to the contrary, you have attempted to preach?
SAUNDERS denied not that he did preach; saying, that forasmuch as he saw the perilous times now at hand, he did but (according as he was admonished, and warned by Ezekiel the prophet) exhort the flock and parishioners to persevere and stand steadfastly in the doctrine which they had learned; saying also, that he was moved thereunto by the place of the apostle, wherein he was commanded rather to obey God than man; and moreover, that nothing more moved him thereunto than his own conscience.
SAUNDERS denied not that he did preach; saying, that forasmuch as he saw the perilous times now at hand, he did but (according as he was admonished, and warned by Ezekiel the prophet) exhort the flock and parishioners to persevere and stand stedfastly in the doctrine which they had learned; saying also, that he was moved thereunto by the place of the apostle, wherein he was commanded rather to obey God than man; and moreover, that nothing more moved him thereunto than his own conscience.
A goodly conscience, surely, said the bishop. This your conscience could make our queen a bastard, or misbegotten; would it not, I pray you.
WE, said Saunders, do not declare, or say that the queen is base, or misbegotten, neither go about any such matter. But for that, let them care whose writings are yet in the hands of men, witnessing the same, not without the great reproach and shame of the author: privily taunting the bishop himself, who had before (to get the favour of Henry VIII.) written and set forth in print a book of true obedience, wherein he had openly declared queen Mary to be a bastard: now Mr. Saunders going forward ⟨p. 436⟩in his purpose, said, We do only profess and teach the sincerity and purity of the word; which, though it be now forbidden us to preach with our mouths, yet notwithstanding, I do not doubt, but that our blood hereafter shall manifest the same. The bishop being touched, said, Carry away this […] fool to prison. Unto whom Mr. Saunders answered, that he did give God thanks, which ••d given him at the last a place of rest and quietness, where he might pray for the bishop's conversion.
WE, said Saunders, do not declare, or say that the queen is base, or misbegotten, neither go about any such matter. But for that, let them care whose writings are yet in the hands of men, witnessing the same, not without the great reproach and shame of the author: privily taunting the bishop himself, who had before (to get the favour of Henry VIII.) written and set forth in print a book of true obedience, wherein he had openly declared queen Mary to be a bastard: now Mr. Saunders going forward ⟨p. 436⟩in his purpose, said, We do only profess and teach the sincerity and purity of the word; which, though it be now forbidden us to preach with our mouths, yet notwithstanding, I do not doubt, but that our blood hereafter shall manifest the same. The bishop being touched, said, Carry away this 〈…〉 fool to prison. Unto whom Mr. Saunders answered, that he did give God thanks, which ••d given him at the last a place of rest and quietness, where he might pray for the bishop's conversion.
FURTHERMORE, he that did lie with him afterwards in prison, in the same bed, reported, that he heard him say, that even in the time of his examination he was wonderfully comforted, insomuch as not only in spirit, but also in body, he received a certain taste of that holy communion of saints, whilst a most pleasant refreshing did issue from every part and member of the body unto the seat and place of the heart, and from thence did ebb and flow to and fro unto all the parts again.
MR. SAUNDERS continued in prison one year and three months. In all which space he sent several letters to divers men; as one to Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer; another to his wife, and also to others, certifying them both of the public calamity of the time, and also of his private afflictions, and of his sundry conflicts with his adversaries: and in writing to his friend, he speaketh of Dr. Weston's conferring with him in prison. In the mean time, Gardiner, the chancellor, sent him to the prison of the Marshalsea, where he was kept prisoner one year and a quarter. During which time he sent a letter, part of which is as follows, to Gardiner, bishop of Winchester.
TOUCHING the cause of my imprisonment, I doubt whether I have broken […] proclamation. In my doctrine I did not, forasmuch as at that […] was permitted by the proclamation to use, according to our co•••iences, such service as was then established. My doctrine was then agreeable unto my conscience and the •ame […] then used. The act which I did […] of God's word in his own parish, called Allhallows in Bread-street, in the city of London) was such as being indifferently weighed, sounded to no breaking of the proclamation, or at least no wilful breaking of it, forasmuch as I caused no bell to be •ung, neither occupied I any place in the pulpit, after the order of sermons or lectures. But be it that I did break the proclamation, this long time of continuance in prison may be thought to be more than a sufficient punishment for such a fault. TOUCHING the charging of me with my religion, I say with St. Paul; this I confess, "That after the way which ••ey call heresy, so worship I the God of my forefathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets, and have hope towards God," &c. […]. And herein study I to have always a clear conscience toward God and towards men, so that God I call to witness, I have a conscience. And this my conscience is not grounded upon vain fantasy, but upon the infallible verity of God's word, with the witnessing of his chosen church agreeable unto the same. IT is an easy thing for them which take Christ for their true pastor, and be the very sheep of his pasture, to discern the voice of their true shepherd, from the voice of wolves, hirelings, and strangers: forasmuch as Christ saith, "My sheep hear my voice," John x. yea, and thereby they shall have the gift to know the right voice of the true shepherd, and so to follow him, and to avoid the contrary, as he also saith, "The sheep follow the shepherd, for they know his voice: a stranger they will not follow, but will fly from him, for they know not the voice of a stranger." Such inward inspiration doth the Holy Ghost put into the children of God, being indeed taught of God, but otherwise unable to understand the true way of their salvation. And altho' the wolf (as Christ saith) cometh in sheep clothing, yet by their fruits ye shall know them. That the Romish religion is ravening and wolfish, is apparent in three principal points.
FIRST, It robbeth God of his due and only honour. SECONDLY, It taketh away the true comfort of conscience, in obscuring, or rather bu••ing of Christ and his office of salvation. THIRDLY, It spoileth God of his true worship and service […] spirit and truth, appointed in his commandments, ••d d••eth men unt• that inconvenience, against which Christ with the prophet Isaiah doth speak sharply: "This p••ple honoureth me with their lips, but their […] me. They worship me in •ain, teaching […] and precepts of men." And in another place, "Ye ••st […] the commandments of God, to maintain your own traditions." WHEREFORE I […] conscience weighing the Romish religion, ⟨p. 437⟩and by indifferent discussing thereof finding the foundation unsteadfast, and the building thereupon but vain: and on the other side, having my conscience framed after a right and uncorrupt religion, ratified and fully established by the word of God, and the consent of his true church, I neither may, nor do intend, by God's gracious assistance, to be pulled one jot from the same; no, though an angel out of heaven should preach another gospel than that which I have received of the Lord. AND although that for lack either of such deep knowledge and profound judgment, or of readily uttering what I do know and judge, as required in an excellent clerk, I shall not be able sufficiently to answer, for the convinci•• of the gainsayer: yet nevertheless this my protestation shall be of me premised, that for the respect of the grounds and causes before considered, albeit I cannot conceive all that is to be conceived, neither can discuss all that is to be discussed, nor can effectually express all that can be expressed in the discourse of the doctrine of this most true religion, whereunto I am professed: yet I do bind myself, as by my humble simplicity, by faith in generality, to wrap my belief in the credit of the same, that no authority of that Romish religion repugnant thereunto, shall by any means remove me from the same, though it may be that our adversaries will labour to beguile us with enticing words, and seek to spoil us through philosophy and deceitful vanity, after the traditions of men, and after the ordinances of the world, and not after Christ, &c.
FIRST, It robbeth God of his due and only honour. SECONDLY, It taketh away the true comfort of conscience, in obscuring, or rather bu••ing of Christ and his office of salvation. THIRDLY, It spoileth God of his true worship and service 〈…〉 spirit and truth, appointed in his commandments, ••d d••eth men unt• that inconvenience, against which Christ with the prophet Isaiah doth speak sha•ply: "This p••ple honoureth me with their lips, but their 〈…〉 me. They worship me in •ain, teaching 〈…〉 and precepts of men." And in another plac•, "Ye ••st 〈…〉 the commandments of God, to maintain your own traditions." WHEREFOR• I 〈…〉 conscience weighing the Romish religion, ⟨p. 437⟩and by indifferent discussing thereof finding the foundation unstedfast, and the building thereupon but vain: and on the other side, having my conscience framed after a right and uncorrupt religion, ratified and fully established by the word of God, and the consent of his true church, I neither may, nor do intend, by God's gracious assistance, to be pulled one jot from the same; no, though an angel out of heaven should preach another gospel than that which I have received of the Lord. AND although that for lack either of such d•ep knowledge and profound judgment, or of readily uttering what I do know and judge, as required in an excellent clerk, I shall not be able sufficiently to answer, for the convinci•• of the gainsayer: yet nevertheless this my protestation shall be of me premised, that for the respect of the grounds and causes before considered, albeit I cannot conceive all that is to be conceived, neither can discuss all that is to be discussed, nor can effectually express all that can be expressed in the discourse of the doctrine of this most true religion, whereunto I am professed: yet I do bind myself, as by my humble simplicity, by faith in generality, to wrap my belief in the credit of the same, that no authority of that Romish religion repugnant thereunto, shall by any means remove me from the same, though it may be that our adversaries will labour to beguile us with inticing words, and seek to spoil us through philosophy and deceitful vanity, after the traditions of men, and after the ordinances of the world, and not after Christ, &c.
