N20568:4740
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.
CHAN. Conscience? you have none at all, but pride and arrogancy, dividing yourselves by singularity from the church.
SAND. The Lord is the knower of all men's consciences. And where your lordship layeth to my charge this dividing myself from the church, (as you do mean, and is now among you concluded upon, and I do understand) I do assure you that I live in the faith wherein I have been brought up since I was fourteen years of age; being taught that the power of the bishop of Rome is but usurped, with many other abuses springing thereof. Yes, this I have received even at your hands that are here present, as a thing agreed upon by the catholic church and public authority.
SAUND. The Lord is the knower of all men's consciences. And where your lordship layeth to my charge this dividing myself from the church, (as you do mean, and is now among you concluded upon, and I do understand) I do assure you that I live in the faith wherein I have been brought up since I was fourteen years of age; being taught that the power of the bishop of Rome is but usurped, with many other abuses springing thereof. Yes, this I have received even at your hands that are here present, as a thing agreed upon by the catholic church and public authority.
CHAN. But have you received by consent and authority all your heresies of the blessed sacrament of the altar?
SAND. My lord, it is less offence to cut off an arm, hand, or joint of man, than to cut off the head. For the man may live though he doth lose an arm, hand, or joint; but he cannot without his head. Now you, all the whole sort of you, had agreed to cut off the supremacy of the bishop of Rome, whom now you will have to be the head of the church again.
SAUND. My lord, it is less offence to cut off an arm, hand, or joint of man, than to cut off the head. For the man may live though he doth lose an arm, hand, or joint; but he cannot without his head. Now you, all the whole sort of you, had agreed to cut off the supremacy of the bishop of Rome, whom now you will have to be the head of the church again.
BP. OF LONDON. And if it please your lordship, I have his hand against the blessed sacrament. How say you to that?
SAND. What I have written, that I have written, and farther I will not accuse myself. Nothing have you to burden me withal, for breaking of your laws since they were in force.
SAUND. What I have written, that I have written, and farther I will not accuse myself. Nothing have you to burden me withal, for breaking of your laws since they were in force.
CHAN. Well, you are obstinate, and refuse liberty.
SAND. My lord, I may not buy my liberty at such a price: but I beseech your honours to be means to the queen's majesty for such a pardon for us, that we may live and keep our consciences unclogged, and we shall live as most obedient subjects. Otherwise, I must say for myself, that by God's grace I will abide the utmost extremity that man may do against me, rather than act against my conscience.
SAUND. My lord, I may not buy my liberty at such a price: but I beseech your honours to be means to the queen's majesty for such a pardon for us, that we may live and keep our consciences unclogged, and we shall live as most obedient subjects. Otherwise, I must say for myself, that by God's grace I will abide the utmost extremity that man may do against me, rather than act against my conscience.
CHAN. Ah sirrah, you will live as you like. The Donatists did desire to live in singularity: but indeed they were not fit to live on earth: no more are you, and that you shall understand within these seven days; and therefore away with him.
SAND. Welcome be it, whatsoever the will of God shall be, either life or death. And I tell you truly, I have learned to die. But I exhort you to beware of shedding of innocent blood▪ Truly it will cry. The Spirit of God rest upon all your honours, Amen. This is the sum and form of my first examination. Pray, &c.
SAUND. Welcome be it, whatsoever the will of God shall be, either life or death. And I tell you truly, I have learned to die. But I exhort you to beware of shedding of innocent blood▪ Truly it will cry. The Spirit of God rest upon all your honours, Amen. This is the sum and form of my first examination. Pray, &c.
THIS examination being ended, the officers led him out of the place, and stayed until the rest of his fellow-prisoners were likewise examined, that they might have them altogether to prison. Laurence Saunders, standing among the officers, seeing there a great multitude of people, spoke freely, warning them all of that which by their falling from Christ to Antichrist they deserved; and therefore exhorting them by repentance to rise again, and to embrace ⟨p. 442⟩Christ with stronger faith, to confess him to the end, in the defiance of Antichrist, sin, death, and the devil: so should they retain the Lord's favour and blessing.
THE copies of his other examination and excommunication came to the hands of such as do keep them still in secret. But in them, as he defended Christ's cause stoutly, so warned he the pharisaical bishops and papists of their hypocrisy and tyranny, and cleared himself of their unjust accusations.
HAVING been excommunicated and delivered over to the secular power, he was brought by the sheriff of London to the Compter, a prison in his own parish of Bread-street, whereat he rejoiced greatly, both because he found there a fellow-prisoner, Mr. Cardmaker, with whom he had much christian and comfortable discourse; and because out of prison, as before out of a pulpit, he might have an opportunity of preaching to his parishioners.
ON the 4th day of February, Bonner, bishop of London, came to the prison to degrade him; which when he had done, Mr. Saunders said to him, "I thank God I am none of your church."
THE day following in the morning, the sheriff of London delivered him to certain of the queen's guard, which were appointed to carry him to the city of Coventry, there to be burned. The first night they came to St. Alban's, where Mr. Grimoald (a man who had more store of good gifts, than of great constancy) did speak with him.
AFTER Mr. Saunders had given him a lesson meet for his lightness, he took a cup in his hand, and asked him if he would pledge him of that cup, of which he would begin to him. Grimoald, showing by his shrugging and shrinking what he was, said, Of that cup which is in your hand I will pledge you: but of that other which you mean, I will not promise you. Well, said Mr. Saunders, my dear Lord Jesus Christ hath drunk to me of a more bitter cup than mine shall be, and shall I […] pledge my most sweet Saviour? Yes, I hope.
AFTER Mr. Saunders had given him a lesson meet for his lightness, he took a cup in his hand, and asked him if he would pledge him of that cup, of which he would begin to him. Grimoald, shewing by his shrugging and shrinking what he was, said, Of that cup which is in your hand I will pledge you: but of that other which you mean, I will not promise you. Well, said Mr. Saunders, my dear Lord Jesus Christ hath drunk to me of a more bitter cup than mine shall be, and shall I 〈…〉 pledge my most sweet Saviour? Yes, I hope.
