N20568:4747
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.
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.
WHEN they were arrived at Coventry, a poor shoemaker, who used to serve him with shoes, came to him, and said, O my good master, God strengthen and comfort you. Good shoemaker, (Mr. Saunders replied) and I desire thee to pray for me, for I am the most unfit man for this high office, that ever was appointed to it but my gracious God and dear Father is able to make me strong enough. The same night he was put into the common jail among other prisoners, where he slept little, but spent the night in prayer, and instructing of others.
THE next day, being the 8th of February, he was led to the place of execution in the park, without the city, going in an old gown and a shirt, bare-footed, and often times fell f••t on the ground, and prayed. When he was come nigh to the place, the officer appointed to see the execution done, said to Mr. Saunders, that he was one of them that marred the queen's realm with false doctrine and heresy, wherefore thou hast deserved death; but yet if thou wilt revoke thine heresies, the queen hath pardoned thee; if not, yonder fire is prepared for thee. To whom Mr. Saunders answered, It is not I, nor my fellow-preachers of God's truth that have hurt the queen's realm, but it is yourself, and such as you are, which have always resisted God's holy word; it is you who have and do mar the queen's realm. I do hold no heresies, but the doctrine of God, the blessed doctrine of Christ; that hold I, that believe I, that have I taught, and that will I never revoke. With that, this tormentor cried, Away with him. And away from him went Mr. Saunders, with a cheerful courage, towards the fire. He fell on the ground, and prayed: he rose up again and took the stake to which he should be chained, in his arms, and kissed it, saying, Welcome the cross of Christ, welcome everlasting li•e: and being fastened to the stake, and fire put to him, full sweetly he slept in the Lord.
THE next day, being the 8th of February, he was led to the place of execution in the park, without the city, going in an old gown and a shirt, bare-footed, and often times fell f••t on the ground, and prayed. When he was come nigh to the place, the officer appointed to see the execution done, said to Mr. Saunders, that he was one of them that marred the queen's realm with false doctrine and heresy, wherefore thou hast deserved death; but yet if thou wilt revoke thine heresies, the queen hath pardoned thee; if not, yonder fire is prepared for thee. To whom Mr. Saunders answered, It is not I, nor my fellow-preachers of God's truth that have hurt the queen's realm, but it is yourself, and such as you are, which have always resisted God's holy word; it is you who have and do marr the queen's realm. I do hold no heresies, but the doctrine of God, the blessed doctrine of Christ; that hold I, that believe I, that have I taught, and that will I never revoke. With that, this tormenter cried, Away with him. And away from him went Mr. Saunders, with a chearful courage, towards the fire. He fell on the ground, and prayed: he rose up again and took the stake to which he should be chained, in his arms, and kissed it, saying, Welcome the cross of Christ, welcome everlasting lie: and being fastened to the stake, and fire put to him, full sweetly he slept in the Lord.
WELL might the apostle say, that if we only in th•s life have h•pe, we are of all men the most miserable. And what will the reader think, when he is told that this martyr was of a timid disposition? And yet here we see with what constancy he died. This is a strong proof that there must be •n almighty ⟨p. 448⟩power, working through faith in the hearts of those who are punished for the truth.
MR. SAUNDERS often told his friends, that many would suffer, if ever Mary ascended the throne. He knew the temper of that princess, and probably it was that which made him expect sufferings. It is for the benefit of succeeding ages, that God gives strength to the heart of man to suffer. It is to promote many valuable purposes, by teaching us to set a proper value on the many national blessings we enjoy in the present age; and there is no way of making a better use of them, than to live in the practice of every virtuous and religious duty; to bless the Almighty for having delivered us from a worse than Egyptian darkness; for certainly popery, both in its spirit and tendency, can be called by no other name. We live in an age when, perhaps, our own wickedness has so much displeased God, that he has suffered the enemy to sow tares among us.
TO what other cause can we ascribe the increase of popery, which has not been confined to the capital, but has even extended to the remotest parts of the kingdom? In Scotland, where, about thirty years ago, there were not, perhaps, two hundred papists, there are now as many thousands.
WE must impute much of this to our own remissness in our duty. The popish priests use all the means they can think of to seduce our people, and they even have recourse to bribes. They get money from their gentry, part of which they give away to the poor; and those who are, in a manner, unprincipled in religion, will soon turn to any thing.
ANOTHER method used by them is, to spread amongst the poor small treatises on religious subjects; and these are generally filled with such bewildering notions, that the vulgar are easily caught in the s•are. Why should we not be as exact in preserving our people from these wolves in sheep's clothing? Let us take an example from this pious martyr, whose life was a comment on his doctrine, and who lived as he preached. This will do more towards suppressing popery and deism, than the best discourses that can be formed.
ANOTHER method used by them is, to spread amongst the poor small treatises on religious subjects; and these are generally filled with such bewildering notions, that the vulgar are easily caught in the s•are. Why should we not be as exact in preserving our people from these wolves in sheep's cloathing? Let us take an example from this pious martyr, whose life was a comment on his doctrine, and who lived as he preached. This will do more towards suppressing popery and deism, than the best discourses that can be formed.
