N20568:7909
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.
IN the midst of this tempestuous rage of malignant adversaries, persecuting and destroying the poor flock of Christ, many there were, which tho' they were not spiritual men, yet thought to help forward for their parts, and as one would say, to heap up more coals to this furious flame of persecution, whether of a blind zeal, or a parasitical flattery, I know not. Amongst which was one Edmund Tyrel, Esq. and at that time a justice of the peace within the county of Essex, an assistant to the cruel murderers of God's saints: who as he came from the burning of some pious martyrs, met with John Denley, gentleman, and John Newman, (both of Maidstone in Kent) travelling upon the way, and going to visit some of their friends in the said county of Essex. And upon the sight of them, as he bragged, apprehended them upon suspicion, and searched them; and finding the confessions of their faith about them in writing, sent them up unto the queen's commissioners, directing also unto one of the same commissioners these his favourable letters in their behalf: the copy whereof here followeth.
IN the midst of this tempestuous rage of malignant adversaries, persecuting and destroying the poor flock of Christ, many there were, which tho' they were not spiritual men, yet thought to help forward for their parts, and as one would say, to heap up more coals to this furious flame of persecution, whether of a blind zeal, or a parasitical flattery, I know not. Amongst which was one Edmund Tyrel, Esq. and at that time a justice of the peace within the county of Essex, an assistant to the cruel murderers of God's saints: who as he came from the burning of som• pious martyrs, met with John Denley, gentleman, and John Newman, (both of Maidstone in Kent) travelling upon the way, and going to visit some of their friends in the said county of Essex. And upon the sight of them, as he bragged, apprehended them upon suspicion, and searched them; and finding the confessions of their faith about them in writing, sent them up unto the queen's commissioners, directing also unto one of the same commissioners these his favourable letters in their behalf: the copy whereof here followeth.
SIR, with the most hearty commendation• unto you, these shall be to advertise you, that I have received a letter from Sir Nicholas Hare and you, and others of their majesties Commissioners, by a servant of the king and queen's, named John Fails, for certain business about S. Osythes, which I could not immediately go about, for that I had received a letter from the council, to assist the sheriff for the execution of the heretics, the one at Raleigh, ⟨p. 730⟩and the other at Rochford, which was done on Tuesday last. AND as I came homeward, I met with two men: even as I saw them, I suspected them, and then I did examine and search them, and found about them certain letters which I have sent you, and also a certain writing in paper, what their faith was. And they confessed to me, that they had forsaken and fled out of their country for religion's sake; and since they have been in many countries, by their own confession, which I have sent you: for which I thought it good, (as they came from London, and that there may be more found of them than at present I can inform you) to send them to you, whereby you and others of the king and queen's commissioners there might try them so that their lewdness might thoroughly be known; for I think these have caused many to trouble their consciences. So this hath been some hinderance to me, wherefore I could not go about those matters expressed in your letters: but to-morrow at noon I intend by God's grace to accomplish your letters, with as much diligence as I can. May the Holy Trinity ever have you in his keeping. I beseech you (master) to be so good as to discharge these poor men that bring these prisoners up, as soon as may be. And thus most heartily farewell. From Raimesdon-park the 12th day of June, 1555. By your assured to command, EDMUND TYREL.
SIR, with the most hearty commendation• unto you, these shall be to advertise you, that I have received a letter from Sir Nicholas Hare and you, and others of their majesties Commissioners, by a servant of the king and queen's, named John Failes, for certain business about S. Osythes, which I could not immediately go about, for that I had received a letter from the council, to assist the sheriff for the execution of the heretics, the one at Raleigh, ⟨p. 730⟩and the other at Rochford, which was done on Tuesday last. AND as I came homeward, I met with two men: even as I saw them, I suspected them, and then I did examine and search them, and found about them certain letters which I have sent you, and also a certain writing in paper, what their faith was. And they confessed to me, that they had forsaken and fled out of their country for religion's sake; and since they have been in many countries, by their own confession, which I have sent you: for which I thought it good, (as they came from London, and that there may be more found of them than at present I can inform you) to send them to you, whereby you and others of the king and queen's commissioners there might try them so that their lewdness might thoroughly be known; for I think these have caused many to trouble their consciences. So this hath been some hinderance to me, wherefore I could not go about those matters expressed in your letters: but to-morrow at noon I intend by God's grace to accomplish your letters, with as much diligence as I can. May the Holy Trinity ever have you in his keeping. I beseech you (master) to be so good as to discharge these poor men that bring these prisoners up, as soon as may be. And thus most heartily farewel. From Raimesdon-park the 12th day of June, 1555. By your assured to command, EDMUND TYREL.
FORASMUCH as in this letter mention is made of a certain writing found about them, containing an account of their faith, the contents thereof here ensueth.
"Christ is in the sacrament, as he is where two or three are gathered together in his name." THE difference of the doctrine between the faithful and the papists concerning the sacrament is, that the papists say, that Christ is corporally under, or in the forms of bread and wine; but the faithful say, that Christ is not there, neither corporally nor spiritually; but in them that worthily eat and drink the bread and wine, he is spiritually, but not corporally. FOR figuratively he is in the bread and wine, and spiritually he is in them that worthily eat and drink the bread and wine; but really, carnally, and corporally he is only in heaven, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. "My belief in the sacrament of the blessed body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ." AS concerning the sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, my belief is this, that the bread and wine is appointed unto a sacrament; and that after thanks be give• to God the Father, then it doth represent unto […] the very body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ; not that the bread is the body, or the wi•• the blood, but that I in faith do see that blessed body of our Saviour broken on the cross, and his precious blood plenteously shed for the redemption of my sins. Also in faith I hear him call us unto him, saying, "Come unto me all ye that lab••• and are laden, and I will refresh you," Isa. lv. […] Matth. xi. &c. In faith I come unto him, and I am refreshed, so that I believe that all that do come to the table of the Lord in this faith, fear and love, being sorry for their offences, intending earnestly […] lead a godly conversation in this vale of misery, do receive the fruit of the death of Christ, which fruit is our salvation. I do understand (spiritually) that as the outward man doth eat the material bread which comforteth the body, so doth the inward man (through faith) eat the body of Christ, believing that as the bread is broken, so was Christ's body broken on the cross for our sins: which comforteth our souls unto life everlasting; and signifying thereby, that even a• that bread was divided among them, so should his body and fruit of his passion be distributed unto as many as believed in his words.
But the bread broken and eaten in the supper admonisheth, and putteth us in remembrance of his death, and so exciteth ⟨p. 731⟩us to thanksgiving, to laud and praise God for the benefits of our redemption. AND thus we there have Christ present, in the inward eye and sight of our faith we eat hi• body and drink his blood; that is, we believe surely that his body was crucified for our sins, and his blood shed for our salvation. CHRIST'S body and blood are not contained in the sacramental bread and wine, as the papists have said, and as some yet do say, as ye read in these scriptures following: namely in Matth. ix.xxiv. and xxvi. Luke v.xxiii. and xxiv. Mark xvi. John xiii.xiv.xv.xvi. and xvii. Acts i.iii.vii. and ix. Rom. viii. Psal. viii. 1 Cor. x. and xi. Exod. xii. Coloss. i. Ephes. i. and iv. Phil. i. and ii. 1 Thess. i. and ix. Heb. i.v.viii.ix x. and xii. 1 Pet. iii. Psal. vi.xlvii.ciii. and x. "Christ's material body is not in all places, as these scriptures do testify hereafter." FIRST read St. Matthew the last, Luke the last,
NOW to return to the commissioners again: they receiving these prisoners before-mentioned, after they saw they could little prevail with their own persuasions, sent them to bishop Bonner, to be handled after his fatherly and charitable discretion. Which how discreet and favourable i• was, the history of others, as well as the sequel of this doth manifestly declare. For the 28th of June then next following, he caused the said Denley and Newman, with one Patrick Packingham, to be brought into his chamber within his house or palace, there examining them upon their confessions (which Tyrel had found about them), objecting also unto them certain other articles of his own. To which they all answered in effect one thing, although Denley answered more largely than the others, and therefore I thought his answers sufficient to lay down, as containing the substance of all the rest, except that Packingham had one article of no great force objected to him, which the others had not.
THIS done, the bishop began with his accustomed persuasions; to whom Mr. D••ley replied, God save me from your counsel, and keep me in the mind I am now in, for what you count heresy I take to be the truth: and thereupon they were commanded to appear in the bishop's consistory the fifth day of July then next coming, in the afternoon, where these articles were objected against them.
FIRST, That the said Denley now is of the diocese of London, and the jurisdiction of the bishop of London.
Secondly, That the said Denley hath not believed, nor doth believe, that there is any catholic church of Christ here in earth.
Thirdly, That the said Denley hath not believed, nor doth believe, that this church of England is any part or member of the said catholic church.
