N20568:4707
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.
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.
AND thus much of Mr. Saunders's letter, so much as remaineth thereof: it is sufficient to understand, how good was his cause and state, being prisoner for Christ's cause. For the defence whereof, he wholly bestowed and so resigned himself, that he forbade his wife to sue for his delivery▪ and when others of his friends had by suit almost obtained it, he discouraged them, so that they did not follow their […], as by his letter following may appear.
AND thus much of Mr. Saunders's letter, so much as remaineth thereof: it is sufficient to understand, how good was his cause and state, being prisoner for Christ's cause. For the defence whereof, he wholly bestowed and so resigned himself, that he forbad his wife to sue for his delivery▪ and when others of his friends had by suit almost obtained it, he discouraged them, so that they did not follow their 〈…〉, as by his letter following may appear.
GRACE, mercy, and peace in Christ our Lord, entirely beloved wife, even as unto my […] soul and body, so do I daily in my hearty prayer with unto you; for I do daily, twice at least, in this sort remember you. And I do not doubt, dear wife, but that both I and you, as we are written in the book of life, so we shall together enjoy the same everlastingly, through the grace and mercy of God our d••r father, in his Son our Christ. And for this present life, let us wholly appoint ourselves to the will of our good God, to glorify him either by life or by death; and even that same merciful Lord make us worthy to honour him either way as pleaseth him. Amen. I am cheerful, I thank my God and my Christ, in whom and through whom I shall (I know) be able to fight a good fight, and finish a good course, and then receive the crown, which is laid up in store for me, and all the true soldiers of Christ. Wherefore, wife, let us, in the name of our God, fight lustily to overcome the flesh, the devil, and the world. What our harness and weapons •e in this kind of fight, look in the sixth chapter unto the Ephesians, and pray, pray, pray. I would that […] •ake no suit for me in any wise. Thank you know whom, for her most sweet and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my journey whither I am passing. God send us all good speed, and a joyful meeting. I have too few such friends to further me in that journey, which is indeed the greatest friendship. The blessing of God be with you all. Amen. A prisoner in the Lord. L. SAUNDERS.
GRACE, mercy, and peace in Christ our Lord, intirely beloved wife, even as unto my 〈…〉 soul and body, so do I daily in my hearty prayer with unto you; for I do daily, twice at least, in this sort remember you. And I do not doubt, dear wife, but that both I and you, as we are written in the book of life, so we shall together enjoy the same everlastingly, through the grace and mercy of God our d••r father, in his Son our Christ. And for this present life, let us wholly appoint ourselves to the will of our good God, to glorify him either by life or by death; and even that same merciful Lord make us worthy to honour him eith•r way as pleaseth him. Amen. I am chearful, I thank my God and my Christ, in whom and through whom I shall (I know) be able to fight a good fight, and finish a good course, and then receive the crown, which is laid up in store for me, and all the true soldiers of Christ. Wherefore, wife, let us, in the name of our God, fight lustily to overcome the flesh, the devil, and the world. What our harness and weapons e in this kind of fight, look in the sixth chapter unto the Ephesians, and pray, pray, pray. I would that ake no suit for me in any wise. Thank you know whom, for her most sweet and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my journey whither I am passing. God send us all good speed, and a joyful meeting. I have too few such friends to further me in that journey, which is indeed the greatest friendship. The blessing of God be with you all. Amen. A prisoner in the Lord. L. SAUNDERS.
THE constancy of this faithful servant of Christ, even unto the death, is sufficiently manifested and declared by his valiant contest with those two powerful enemies, Antichrist and Death: to neither of these did he give place, and in the end got the victory over them both. One of his conflicts was with Dr. Weston, in the Marshalsea, of which he thus writeth to one of his friends.
"DR. WESTON came to confer with Mr. Grimoad: what he hath concluded with him I know not: I wish it may be to God's glory. Amen. Mr. Weston of his gentleness visited me, and offered me friendship in his worldly wily sort, &c. I had not so much good manners as to take it at his ha•d: for I said, that I was well enough, and ready cheerfully to abide any extremity, to keep thereby a good conscience. You are asleep in sin, said he. I would awake, said I, and do not forget Vigilate et crate, i. e. "Watch and pray." What church was there thirty years past, said he? What church was there, said I, in Elijah's time? Joan of Kent, said he, was of your church. No, said I, we did condemn her as an heretic. Who was of your church said he, thirty years past? Such, said I, as the Romish Antichrist, and his rabble, have reputed and condemned as heretics. Wycliffe, said he, Thorp, Oldcastle, &c. Yes, said I, with many more. The bishop of Rome hath, said he, a long time played a part in your railing sermons▪ but now, be ye sure, he must play another manner of part. The more pity, said I, and yet some comfort it is to see how that the most learned, wisest, and holiest of you all▪ have heretofore had him to play ⟨p. 438⟩a part likewise in your sermons and writings, tho' now, to please the world, you do turn with the weather-cock. Did you ever, said he, hear me preach against the bishop of Rome? No, said I, for I never heard you preach. But I think you have been no wiser than others, &c. with more about the sacrament. Pray, pray. God […] your family, and bless it."
"DR. WESTON came to confer with Mr. Grimoad: what he hath concluded with him I know not: I wish it may be to God's glory. Amen. Mr. Weston of his gentleness visited me, and offered me friendship in his worldly wily sort, &c. I had not so much good manners as to take it at his ha•d: for I said, that I was well enough, and ready chearfully to abide any extremity, to keep thereby a good conscience. You are asleep in sin, said he. I would awake, said I, and do not forget Vigilate et crate, i. e. "Watch and pray." What church was there thirty years past, said he? What church was there, said I, in Elias's time? Joan of Kent, said he, was of your church. No, said I, we did condemn her as an heretic. Who was of your church said he, thirty years past? Such, said I, as the Romish Antichrist, and his rabble, have reputed and condemned as heretics. Wickliff, said he, Thorp, Oldcastle, &c. Yes, said I, with many more. The bishop of Rome hath, said he, a long time played a part in your railing sermons but now, be ye sure, he must play another manner of part. The more pity, said I, and yet some comfort it is to see how that the most learned, wisest, and holiest of you all have heretofore had him to play
IN order more fully to show what blessed taste this good man and heroic martyr had of God's holy Spirit, we shall here insert two more of his letters, which he wrote in the Marshalsea, the first of which is addressed to Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, prisoners for the like cause of Christ in Oxford.
IN order more fully to shew what blessed taste this good man and heroic martyr had of God's holy Spirit, we shall here insert two more of his letters, which he wrote in the Marshalsea, the first of which is addressed to Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, prisoners for the like cause of Christ in Oxford.
IN my most humble wise I salute you, most reverend fathers in Christ Jesus our Lord. Immortal thanks and everlasting praises be given unto our Father of mercies, "which hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the saints in light, which hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, by whom we have redemption through his blood," &c. Coloss. i. & iii. O most happy estate, that in an unspeakable wise our life is hid with Christ in God: but whensoever Christ which is our life shall show himself, then shall we also appear with him in glory. Coloss. iii.4. In the mean season, as our sight is but in a glass, even in a dark speaking, so we walk in faith, not after outward appearance: which faith although for want of outward appearance, reason reputeth but as vain, yet the chosen of God do know the effect thereof, to bring a more substantial state and lively fruition of very felicity and perfect blessedness, then reason can reach, or senses receive. By this faith we have in our possession all good things, yea even those "which the eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, neither can enter into the heart of man," &c. 1 Cor. ii.9. Then if hereby we do enjoy all good things, it followeth, that we must needs possess, have, and enjoy you, most reverend fathers, who are no small part of our joy and good things given us of God.
IN my most humble wise I salute you, most reverend fathers in Christ Jesus our Lord. Immortal thanks and everlasting praises be given unto our Father of mercies, "which hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the saints in light, which hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, by whom we have redemption through his blood," &c. Coloss. i. & iii. O most happy estate, that in an unspeakable wise our life is hid with Christ in God: but whensoever Christ which is our life shall shew himself, then shall we also appear with him in glory. Coloss. iii.4. In the mean season, as our sight is but in a glass, even in a dark speaking, so we walk in faith, not after outward appearance: which faith although for want of outward appearance, reason reputeth but as vain, yet the chosen of God do know the effect thereof, to bring a more substantial state and lively fruition of very felicity and perfect blessedness, then reason can reach, or senses receive. By this faith we have in our possession all good things, yea even those "which the eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, neither can enter into the heart of man," &c.
WE heretofore have had the fruition of you by bodily presence to our inexplicable benefit, praised be that our most gracious God therefore. And now in spirit we have the experience of unspeakable comfort by your reverend fatherhoods, for that in this so glorious sort ye are become a town set upon a hill, a candle upon a candlestick, a spectacle unto the world, both to the angels and unto men. Matt. v. So that as we to our great comfort do feel, you also may assuredly, with St. Paul, 2 Cor. iv. say, that the things which happen unto us, do tend to the furtherance of the gospel; so that our bonds in Christ are manifest, not only throughout all the judgment-hall, but in all Europe; insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord, being encouraged thro' our bonds, dare more boldly speak the word without fear, Phil. i. And herein as you have with St. Paul greatly to rejoice, so we rejoice with you, and we do indeed with you give thanks for this worthy excellent favour of our God towards you, that Christ is thus magnified in you, yea, and hereafter shall be magnified in your bodies, whether it be through life or death. Of which thing truly we are assured in our prayers for you, and ministering of the Spirit, Phil. ii. And although for your own parts, Christ is unto you in life and death advantage, and that your desire is (as indeed it were better for you) to be loosed, and to be with Christ, yet for the church of Christ were it much more necessary, that ye should abide in the flesh. Yea, that merciful God, even for Christ's sake, grant that you may abide and continue for the furtherance of the church, and increas• of faith, that the rejoicing thereof may be the more abundant through Christ by your restoring. Amen, Amen.
WE heretofore have had the fruition of you by bodily presence to our inexplicable benefit, praised be that our most gracious God therefore. And now in spirit we have the experience of unspeakable comfort by your reverend fatherhoods, for that in this so glorious sort ye are become a town set upon a hill, a candle upon a candlestick, a spectacle unto the world, both to the angels and unto men.
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.
