N20568:5950
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.
3. ITEM, That thou hast not believed, nor dost believe, that that faith and religion, which both the church of Rome, Italy, Spain, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and all other churches in Europe, being the members and parts of the said catholic and universal church, do believe and teach, is both agreeing with the said catholic and universal church, and the faith and religion of Christ, and also is the very true faith and religion which all christian people ought to believe, observe, follow, and keep: but to the contrary, thou hast believed, and dost believe, that that faith and religion, which the said church of Rome, and all the other churches aforesaid have heretofore believed, and do now believe, is false, erroneous, and naught, and in no wise ought to be believed, observed, kept, and followed by any christian man.
3. ITEM, That thou hast not believed, nor dost believe, that that faith and religion, which both the church of Rome, Italy, Spain, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and all other churches in Europe, being the members and parts of the said catholic and universal church, do believe and teach, is both agreeing with the said catholic and universal church, and the faith and religion of Christ, and also is the very true faith and religion which all christian people ought to believe, observe, follow, and keep: but to the contrary, thou hast believed, and dost believe, that that fatih and religion, which the said church of Rome, and all the other churches aforesaid have heretofore believed, and do now believe, is false, erroneous, and naught, and in no wise ought to be believed, observed, kept, and followed by any christian man.
4. ITEM, That albeit it be true, that in the sacrament of the altar there is in substance the very body and blood of Christ under the forms of bread and wine, and albeit that it be so believed, taught, and preached undoubtedly in the said church, of Rome, and all other the churches aforesaid, yet thou hast not so believed, nor dost so believe; but contrariwise, thou hast and dost believe firmly and steadfastly, that there is not in the said sacrament of the altar, under the said forms of bread and wine• the very substance of Christ's body and blood, but that there is only the substance of material and common bread and wine, with the forms thereof; and that the said material and common bread and wine, are only the signs and tokens of Christ's body and blood, and by faith to be received, only for a remembrance of Christ's passion and death, without any such substance of Christ's body and blood at all.
4. ITEM, That albeit it be true, that in the sacrament of the altar there is in substance the very body and blood of Christ under the forms of bread and wine, and albeit that it be so believed, taught, and preached undoubtedly in the said church, of Rome, and all other the churches aforesaid, yet thou hast not so believed, nor dost so believe; but contrariwise, thou hast and dost believe firmly and stedfastly, that there is not in the said sacrament of the altar, under the said forms of bread and wine• the very substance of Christ's body and blood, but that there is only the substance of material and common bread and wine, with the forms thereof; and that the said material and common bread and wine, are only the signs and tokens of Christ's body and blood, and by faith to be received, only for a remembrance of Christ's passion and death, without any such substance of Christ's body and blood at all.
5. ITEM, That thou hast believed and taught, and thou hast openly spoken, and to thy power maintained and defend••, and so dost believe, think, maintain, and defend, that the very true receiving and eating of Christ's body and blood, is only to take material and common bread, and to break it, and to distribute it amongst the people, remembering thereby the passion and death of Christ only.
6. ITEM, That thou hast likewise believed, taught, and spoken, that the mass now used in this realm of England, and other the churches aforesaid, is abominable and naught, and full of idolatry, and is of the ordinance of the pope, and not of the institution of Christ, and hath no goodness in it, saving the glory in the highest, and the epistle and the gospel; and that therefore thou hast not, and wilt not come ⟨p. 573⟩to be present at the mass, nor receive the sacrament of the altar, or any other sacrament of the church, as they are now used in this realm of England, and other the churches aforesaid.
7. ITEM, That thou hast in times past believed precisely, and obstinately affirmed and said, and so dost now believe and think, that auricular confession is not needful to be made unto the priest, but it is a thing superfluous and vain, and ought only to be made to God, and to none other person: and likewise thou hast condemned as superfluous, vain, and unprofitable, all the ceremonies of the church and the service of the same, and hast said, that no service in the church ought to be said but in the English tongue, and if it be otherwise said, it is unlawful and naught.
TO the first, they believe, that here on earth there is one catholic and universal holy church, which doth hold and believe as is contained in the first article, and that this church is dispersed and scattered abroad throughout the whole world. TO the second, they believe, that they be bound to give faith and credence unto it, as is contained in the second article. TO the third, as concerning the faith and religion of the church of Rome, of Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Scotland, and other churches in Europe, they say, they have nothing to do with that faith and religion: but as concerning the faith and religion of England, that if the said church of England be ruled and governed by the word of life, then the church of England hath the faith and religion of the catholic church, and not otherwise; and do say also, that if the church of England were ruled by the word of life, it would not go about to condemn them and others of this heresy. TO the fourth they answer, that in the sacrament, commonly called the sacrament of the altar, there is very bread and very wine, not altered nor changed in substance in any wise, and that he that receiveth the said bread and wine, doth spiritually and by faith only receive the body and blood of Christ, but not the very natural body and blood of Christ in substance under the forms of bread and wine. TO the fifth they say, they have answered, in answering to the said fourth article, and yet nevertheless they say, that they have believed, and do believe, that in the sacrament of the altar there is not the very substance of Christ's body and blood, but only the substance of the natural bread and wine. TO the sixth they say, that they believe, that the mass is of the pope, and not of Christ; and therefore it is not good, nor having in it any goodness, saving the Glory in the highest, the epistle and gospel, the creed, and the Lord's-prayer; and for this cause they say they have not, nor will they come and hear mass. TO the seventh John Ardeley answereth and saith, That he believeth the contents of the same to be true; but John Simson doth answer, that he is not as yet fully resolved with himself, what answer to make thereunto; and further, that as touching the common and daily service said and used in the church, he saith, that he never said that service in the church ought to be said but in the English tongue;
TO the first, they believe, that here on earth there is one catholic and universal holy church, which doth hold and believe as is contained in the first article, and that this church is dispersed and scattered abroad throughout the whole world. TO the second, they believe, that they be bound to give faith and credence unto it, as is contained in the second article. TO the third, as concerning the faith and religion of the church of Rome, of Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Scotland, and other churches in Europe, they say, they have nothing to do with that faith and religion: but as concerning the faith and religion of England, that if the said church of England be ruled and governed by the word of life, then the church of England hath the faith and religion of the catholic church, and not otherwise; and do say also, that if the church of England were ruled by the word of life, it would not go about to condemn them and others of this heresy. TO the fourth they answer, that in the sacrament, commonly called the sacrament of the altar, there is very bread and very wine, not altered nor changed in substance in any wise, and that he that receiveth the said bread and wine, doth spiritually and by faith only receive the body and blood of Christ, but not the very natural body and blood of Christ in substance under the forms of bread and wine. TO the fifth they say, they have answered, in answering to the said fourth article, and yet nevertheless they say, that they have believed, and do believe, that in the sacrament of the altar there is not the very substance of Christ's body and blood, but only the substance of the natural bread and wine. TO the sixth they say, that they believe, that the mass is of the pope, and not of Christ; and therefore it is not good, nor having in it any goodness, saving the Glory in the highest, the epistle and gospel, the creed, and the Lord's-prayer; and for this cause they say they have not, nor will they come and hear mass. TO the seventh John Ardeley answereth and saith, That he believeth the contents of the same to be true; but John Simson doth answer, that he is not as yet fully resolved with himself, what answer to make thereunto; and further, that as touchin the common and daily service said and used in the church, he saith, that he never said that service in the church ought to be said but in the English tongue;
neither did he ever say, that if it be otherwise said and used than in English, it is unlawful and naught. JOHN ARDELEY and JOHN SIMSON.
THESE articles being thus objected to them, and their answers made unto the same, as before, […] bishop, according to his usual manner, •espi••d them to the afternoon, between the hours of two and three. At which time the bishop repeating again the said articles unto them, and beginning with John Ardeley, did urge and solicit him to recant.
THESE articles being thus objected to them, and their answers made unto the same, as before, 〈…〉 bishop, according to his usual manner, •espi••d them to the afternoon, between the hours of two and three. At which time the bishop repeating again the said articles unto them, and beginning with John Ardeley, did urge and solicit him to recant.
TO whom John Ardeley answered in the following words: My lord, said he, neither you, nor any other of your religion, i• of the catholic church; for you be of a false faith: and I doubt not but you shall be deceived at length, bear as good a face as you can. You will shed the innocent blood, and you have killed many, and yet go about to kill more, &c.
HE added further, saying, If every hair of my head were a man, I would suffer death in the opinion and faith I now profess. These with many other words he spake. Then the bishop yet demanded if he would relinquish his erroneous opinions (as he called them) and be reduced again to the unity of the church. He answered, No, God forbid that I should so do, for then I should lose my soul.
AFTER this the said bishop read the sentence of condemnation against him, as he also did against John Simson, standing likewise in the same cause and constancy with John Ardeley, after asking them in his formal manner, if they knew any cause why sentence should not be pronounced against them: which was done the 25th of May, and so were both committed to the secular power, that is, to the hands of the sheriffs, to be conveyed to the place where they should be executed. But before I come to their execution, I must not omit what happened in the closing up the examination of these good men, which is this.
AT the time of the examination of John Simson and John Ardeley aforesaid, there were assembled such a great multitude of people, that because the consistory was not able to hold them, they were fain to stand in the church, near about the said consistory, waiting to see the prisoner• when they should depart. It happened in the mean time, that the bishop being set in a heat with the stout and bold answers of the said two prisoners, especially of John Simson, burst out in his loud and angry voice, and said, Have him away, have him away.
THE people in the church hearing these words, and thinking (because the day was far spent) that the prisoners had their judgment, they being desirous to see the prisoners had to Newgate, severed themselves, some running one way, others another way, which caused such a noise in the church, that they in the consistory were all amazed, and marvelled what it should mean: wherefore the bishop also being somewhat afraid of this sudden stir, asked what there was to do. The standers-by answering, said, That there was like to be some insurrection or tumult, for they were all together by the ears.
WHEN the bishop heard this, by and by his heart was in his heels, and leaving his seat, he with the rest of the court betook them to their legs, hastening with all speed possible to recover the door that went into the bishop's house: but the rest being somewhat lighter of foot than my lord, did sooner recover the door, and thronging hastily to get in, kept the bishop still out, and cried, Save my lord, save my lord; but meaning yet first to save themselves if any danger should come, whereby they gave the standers-by good matter to laugh at. But of this enough is said.
NOW John Simson and John Ardeley being delivered (as is aforesaid) to the sheriffs, were shortly after sent down from London to Essex, where they were both put to death in one day, but not in the same place, for John Simson suffered at Rochford, and John Ardeley at Railey.
