N20568:5251
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.
THUS passing away Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, on Monday at night it happened, that William ⟨p. 502⟩had a dream, which was this: That he was at the place where the stake was pitched, where he should be burned, which (as he thought in his dream) was at the town's end where the butts stood, which was so indeed; and also he dreamed, that he met with his father as he went to the stake, and also that there was a priest at the stake, who went about to have him recant. To whom he said, (as he thought in his dream) Away false prophet; that he exhorted the people to beware of him, and such as he was: which things came to pass. It happened that William made a noise to himself in his dream, which caused Mr. Higbed and the others to awake him out of his sleep, to know what he wanted. When he awaked, he told them his dream in order as is said.
NEXT morning the sheriff Mr. Brocket called to set forward to the burning of William Hunter; and the sheriff's son came to him, and embraced him in his right arm, saying, William, be not afraid of these men which are here with bows, bills, and weapons, ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shall be burned. To whom he replied, I thank God I am not afraid; for I have reckoned what it will cost me already.
THEN the sheriff's son could speak no more to him for weeping.
HUNTER then plucked up his gown, and went forward cheerfully, the sheriff's servant taking him by one arm, and his brother by another; and going along he met with his father according to his dream, and he said to his son weeping, God be with thee, son William. And William said, God be with you, good father, and be of good comfort; for I hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry. He said, I hope so, William; and so departed. He then went to the place where the stake stood, even according to his dream, where all things were not ready; and taking a wet broom faggot, he kneeled down thereon, and read the 51st Psalm, till he came to these words, "The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit, a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
HUNTER then plucked up his gown, and went forward chearfully, the sheriff's servant taking him by one arm, and his brother by another; and going along he met with his father according to his dream, and he said to his son weeping, God be with thee, son William. And William said, God be with you, good father, and be of good comfort; for I hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry. He said, I hope so, William; and so departed. He then went to the place where the stake stood, even according to his dream, where all things were not ready; and taking a wet broom faggot, he kneeled down thereon, and read the 51st Psalm, till he came to these words, "The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit, a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
THEN said Mr. Tyrill of the Braches, called William Tyrill, Thou liest, heretic, thou readest false; for the words are an humble spirit. But William said, The translation saith a contrite heart. Yes, quoth Mr. Tyrill, the translation is false, you translate books as you please yourselves▪ like heretics. Well, said William, there is no great difference in those words. Then said the sheriff, Here is a letter from the queen: if thou wilt recant, thou shalt live; if not, thou shalt be burned. No, said William, I will not recant, God willing. He then rose up and went to stake, and stood upright to it. And one Richard Pond, a bailiff, came and made the chain fast about him.
THEN said Mr. Tyrill of the Braches, called William Tyrill, Thou liest, heretic, thou readest false; for the words are an humble spirit. But William said, The translation saith a contrite heart. Yes, quoth Mr. Tyrill, the translation is false, you translate books as you please yourselves▪ like heretics. Well, said William, there is no great difference in those words. Then said the sheriff, Here is a letter from the queen: if thou wilt recant, thou shalt live; if not, thou shalt be burned. No, said William, I will not recant, God willing. He then rose up and went to stake, and stood upright to it. And one Richard Ponde, a bailiff, came and made the chain fast about him.
THEN said Mr. Brown, Here is not wood enough to burn a leg of him: said William, Good people, pray for me; and make speed and dispatch me quickly: and pray for me while you see me live, good people, and I will pray for you likewise.
NO, said Mr. Brown, pray for thee! I will pray no more for thee, than I will pray for a dog. To whom William answered, Mr. Brown, now you have that which you sought for, and I pray God it be not laid to your charge in the last day; howbeit I forgive you. Then Mr. Brown said, I ask no forgiveness of thee. Well, said William, if God forgive you, I shall not require my blood at your hands.
THEN said William, Son of God shine upon me; and immediately the sun in the element shone out of a dark cloud so full in his face, that he was constrained to look another way; whereat the people mused, because it was so dark a little time before. Then William took up a faggot of broom, and embraced it in his arms.
THEN the priest, which William dreamed of, came to his brother Robert with a popish book to carry to William that he might recant, which book his brother would not meddle with.
WILLIAM seeing the priest, and perceiving how he would have showed him the book, said, Away thou false prophet: beware of them, good people, and come away from their abominations, lest you be partakers of their plagues Then the priest said, Look how thou burnest here, so shalt thou burn in hell. William answered, Thou liest thou false prophet; away thou false prophet, away.
WILLIAM seeing the priest, and perceiving how he would have shewed him the book, said, Away thou false prophet: beware of them, good people, and come away from their abominations, lest you be partakers of their plagues Then the priest said, Look how thou burnest here, so shalt thou burn in hell. William answered, Thou liest thou false prophet; away thou false prophet, away.
THERE was a gentleman present who said, I pray God have mercy upon his soul. The people said, Amen, Amen. Immediately the fire was made.
THEN William cast his psalter into his brother's hand, who said, William, think on the holy passion of Christ, and be not afraid of death.
AND William answered, I am not afraid. Then lift he up his hands to heaven, and said, Lord, Lord, Lord, receive my spirit; and casting down his head again into the smothering smoke, he yielded up his life for the truth, sealing it with his blood to the praise of God.
THESE two pious layman, and one protestant divine, having been pointed out by the emissaries of Bonner and Gardiner, information was given to those savage prelates, that they maintained religious opinions contrary to the doctrine and practice of the holy mother church. In consequence of this they were all three summoned to appear before bishop Bonner, at his consistory court, at London, where they were severally questioned concerning their faith of the corporal presence in the sacrament.
HAVING respectively answered and subscribed that they were not substantially, but figuratively, the body and blood of Christ in that holy ordinance, they were severely reprimanded by the court, admonished to recant their heretical opinions, and for that time dismissed.
