N20568:6424
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.
AFTER our most hearty commendations to your good lordship, these shall be to advertise you, that at our sessions of oyer and terminer held at Chelmsford, the ⟨p. 600⟩26th day of April last past, there came before us in open court, one Thomas Watts of Billerica within your diocese, by ordinary process, and then and there being examined why he refused to come to his parish church, and there to receive the sacrament of the altar, and hear divine service, according to the institution of the holy church, he openly there answered generally: That like as the service of the church set out in the days of the late king Edward VI. was said by us now to be abominable, heretical, schismatical, and naught; so he said, that all that is now used and done in the church, is abominable, heretical, schismatical, and wicked; with divers other erroneous and arrogant words: and therefore we have thought proper to send him to your lordship, to be further examined by you of his particular opinions, as to your pastoral office shall seem convenient, certifying you further, that in our opinion he is one of the most arrogant heretics, that hath been heard speak, or ever came before you, and not meet to be kept here in any jail, as well for fear of corrupting others, as for divers and sundry other special causes hereafter to be more declared. Thus leaving to molest your good lordship, we commit you to the Holy Ghost. Given at Chelmsford, April 27, 1555. Your good lordship's most assured, R. Rich Henry Tyrel Anthony Brown Edmund Tyrel Thomas Mildman. John Wiseman Roger Appleton Richard Weston.
AFTER our most hearty commendations to your good lordship, these shall be to advertise you, that at our sessions of oyer and terminer held at Chelmsford, the ⟨p. 600⟩26th day of April last past, there came before us in open court, one Thomas Wats of Billerica within your diocese, by ordinary process, and then and there being examined why he refused to come to his parish church, and there to receive the sacrament of the altar, and hear divine service, according to the institution of the holy church, he openly there answered generally: That like as the service of the church set out in the days of the late king Edward VI. was said by us now to be abominable, heretical, schismatical, and naught; so he said, that all that is now used and done in the church, is abominable, heretical, schismatical, and wicked; with divers other erroneous and arrogant words: and therefore we have thought proper to send him to your lordship, to be further examined by you of his particular opinions, as to your pastoral office shall seem convenient, certifying you further, that in our opinion he is one of the most arrogant heretics, that hath been heard speak, or ever came before you, and not meet to be kept here in any jail, as well for fear of corrupting others, as for divers and sundry other special causes hereafter to be more declared. Thus leaving to molest your good lordship, we commit you to the Holy Ghost. Given at Chelmsford, April 27, 1555. Your good lordship's most assured, R. Rich Henry Tyrel Anthony Brown Edmund Tyrel Thomas Mildman. John Wiseman Roger Appleton Richard Weston.
NOW when the bishop had received him, how he used him it is easy (by his common practice with others) to judge. What his private conferences were, I know not; but what was publicly done in the consistory at St Paul's, (the common stage for these tragedies) you shall here see.
FIRST upon Thursday, the 2d of May, Mr. Thomas Watts was brought before the bishop of London, and there being examined upon his words said before lord Rich, and others, as contained in their letter, he did earnestly affirm the same to be true. Whereupon the bishop objected, and examined him upon these articles following, to which he answered as hereafter will appear.
FIRST upon Thursday, the 2d of May, Mr. Thomas Wats was brought before the bishop of London, and there being examined upon his words said before lord Rich, and others, as contained in their letter, he did earnestly affirm the same to be true. Whereupon the bishop objected, and examined him upon these articles following, to which he answered as hereafter will appear.
1. THAT the said Thomas Watts is of Billerica, and so of the jurisdiction of the bishop of London.
1. THAT the said Thomas Wats is of Billerica, and so of the jurisdiction of the bishop of London.
2. ITEM, That he believeth not in the sacraments of the holy and catholic church, as the catholic church of Rome, and all other churches, members of the same, ever hitherto have believed, and is taught by all good and faithful people; nor hath allowed the sacraments, rites, usages, or ceremonies of the said church, but hath despised the same.
3. ITEM, That he believeth, and also hath taught others, that the substance of material bread and wine do remain in the sacrament of the altar after the consecration, and that the said material bread and wine are the signs and tokens of Christ's body hanged upon the cross, and of his blood there shed; and that in the said sacrament there is only a memory or remembrance of Christ's body and blood, and nothing else.
4. ITEM, That he believeth, and doth precisely affirm, that the very true presence of Christ's body and blood in substance, is not in the sacrament of the altar, but only in heaven, and no where else.
5. ITEM, That he believeth, affirmeth, and saith, the mass now used in the church of Rome, here in England, and other places, is full of idolatry, abomination, and wickedness, and that Christ did never institute it, nor ordain it, nor yet allow it as a good and laudable thing to be used in his church.
6. ITEM, That he believeth, and affirmeth, that auricular confession to be made unto the priest is not necessary, but superfluous: and that it is enough for a man to believe only, and to confess himself unto God, without any priest or minister at any time, though he may have the priest to confess him unto.
6. ITEM, That he believeth, and affirmeth, that auricular confession to be made unto the priest is not necessary, but superfiuous: and that it is enough for a man to believe only, and to confess himself unto God, without any priest or minister at any time, though he may have the priest to confess him unto.
7. ITEM, That he believeth that Luther, Wycliffe, Dr. Barnes, and all others that have held against the sacrament of the altar, and suffered death by fire or otherwise for the maintenance of the said opinion, were good men, and faithful servants and martyrs of Christ in so living and dying.
7. ITEM, That he b•lieveth that Luther, Wickliffe, Dr. Barnes, and all others that have held against the sacrament of the altar, and suffered death by fire or otherwise for the maintenance of the said opinion, were good men, and faithful servants and martyrs of Christ in so living and dying.
8. ITEM, That he hath and doth believe, that to fast, pray, or to do alms-deeds, is a thing utterly unprofitable; for if a man shall be saved, he shall be saved without doing of them; and if he shall be ⟨p. 601⟩damned, they shall not help him, or do him any good at all.
