N20568:5788
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.
WILLIAM FLOWER, otherwise named Branch, was born at Snow-hill, in the county of Cambridge, where he went to school some years, and then came to the abbey of Ely; where, after he had remained a while, he was a professed monk, using and bearing the habit of a monk, and observing the rules and orders of the same house, until he came to twenty-one years of age, or thereabouts; and before he came to that age, being a professed monk, he was made a priest also in the same house, and there did celebrate and sing mass. After that, by reason of a visitation, and certain injunctions by the authority of Henry the eighth, he forsook the same house, and casting from him the monk's habit and religion, took upon him and used the habit of a secular priest, and returned to Snow-hill, where he was born; and there he did celebrate and sing mass, and taught children about half a year.
HE then went to Ludgate, in Suffolk, and there served as a secular priest about a quarter of a year; ⟨p. 557⟩from thence to Stoniland, where he tarried, and served as a secular priest also, until the coming out of the six articles: and then he departed from thence, and went into Gloucestershire, where after he had made his abode in that country a while, at length in Tewksbury, according to God's holy ordinance, he married a wife, with whom he ever after faithfully and honestly continued: and after his marriage, he tarried in Tewksbury about two years together, and from thence he went to Brosley, where he tarried three quarters of a year, and practised physic and chirurgery. From thence he removed into Northamptonshire, where under a gentleman he taught children to write and read. But departing from those parts he came to London, and there remained for a certain space. After that, being desirous to see his country, he returned to Snow-hill, where he was born; from thence to Brankstrey in Essex, then to Coxall, where he taught children, and coming to Lambeth near London, he hired a house, where he and his wife did dwell together: however for the most part he was always abroad, except once or twice in a month, to visit and see his wife; where he being at home upon Easter-Sunday, about ten or eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the same day, came over the water from Lambeth into St. Margaret's church at Westminster; when seeing a priest, named John Cheltam, administering and giving the sacrament of the altar to the people, and therewith being greatly offended in his conscience with the priest for the same, did strike and wound him upon the head, and also upon the arm and hand with his wood knife, the priest having the same time in his hand a chalice, with certain consecrated hosts therein, which were sprinkled with the blood of the said priest.
IN which action as indeed he did not well or evangelically, so afterwards, being examined before bishop Bonner, did he no less confess his not well doing in the same, submitting therefore himself willingly to punishment, when it should come. Howbeit touching his belief in the sacrament, and the popish ministration, he neither would nor did submit himself.
WHEREUPON Mr. William Flower, being first apprehended and laid in the Gatehouse at Westminster (where he had given two groats the same day a little before to the prisoners, saying, he would shortly after come to them) with as many irons as he could bear; afterwards was summoned before bishop Bonner his ordinary, April 19, 1555, where the bishop, after he had sworn him upon a book, (according to his ordinary manner) ministered articles and interrogatories to him. But before we speak of these, we will here relate a conversation that passed between Mr. Flower and Mr. Robert Smith, a fellow-prisoner, the substance of which is as follows.
W••REUPON Mr. William Flower, being first apprehended and laid in the Gatehouse at Westminster (where he had given two groats the same day a little before to the prisoners, saying, he would shortly after come to them) with as many irons as he could bear; afterwards was summoned before bishop Bonner his ordinary, April 19, 1555, where the bishop, after he had sworn him upon a book, (according to his ordinary manner) ministered articles and interrogatories to him. But before we speak of these, we will here relate a conversation that passed between Mr. Flower and Mr. Robert Smith, a fellow-prisoner, the substance of which is as follows.
SMITH. FRIEND, forasmuch as I understand that you do profess the gospel, and also have done so a long season, I am bold to come unto you, and in the way of communication to demand and learn a truth at your own mouth, of certain things by you committed, to the astonishment not only of me, but of divers others that also profess the truth.
FLOWER. I praise God for his great goodness in showing me the light of his holy word: and I give you my hearty thanks for your visitation, intending by God's grace to declare all the truth that you shall demand lawfully of me, in all things.
FLOWER. I praise God for his great goodness in shewing me the light of his holy word: and I give you my hearty thanks for your visitation, intending by God's grace to declare all the truth that you shall demand lawfully of me, in all things.
SMITH. Then I desire you to show me the truth of your deed, committed on John Cheltam, priest, in the church, as near as you can, that I may hear from your own mouth how it was.
SMITH. Then I desire you to shew me the truth of your deed, committed on John Cheltam, priest, in the church, as near as you can, that I may hear from your own mouth how it was.
FLOWER. I came from my house at Lambeth over the water, and entering into St. Margaret's church, and there seeing the people falling down before a most detestable idol, being moved with extreme zeal for my God, whom I saw before my face dishonoured, I drew forth my hanger, and struck the priest which ministered the same unto them; whereupon I was immediately apprehended; and this is most true, as the act is manifest.
SMITH. Did you not know the person that you struck, or was you not zealous upon him for any evil will or hatred between you at any time?
FLOWER. No, verily, I never to my knowledge saw the person before that time, neither had evil will or malice; for if he had not had it, another should, if I had at any time came where the like occasion had been ministered, if God had permitted me to do it.
SMITH. Do you think that thing to be well done, and after the rule of the gospel?
