N20568:9747
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 mean time Dr. Ridley spake unto may lord Williams, and said, My lord, I must be a suitor unto your lordship in the behalf of divers poor men, and especially in the cause of my poor sister: I have made a supplication to the queen's majesty in their behalf. I beseech your lordship for Christ's sake, to be a mean to her grace for them. My brother here hath the supplication, and will resort to your lordship to certify you hereof. There is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience, (I praise God this only excepted. Whilst I was in the see of London▪ divers poor men took lease• of me, and agreed with me for the same. Now I hear say the bishop that now occupieth the same •o•m, will not allow my grants to them made, but contrary to all law and conscience, hath taken from them their livings, and will not suffer them to enjoy the same. I beseech you, my lord, be a means for them: you shall do a good deed, and God will reward you.
THEN they brought a lighted faggot, and laid it at Dr. Ridley's feet. Thereupon Mr. Latimer said, Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man, we shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out. When Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful loud voice, Into thy hands, O lord, I commend my spirit: Lord, receive my spirit; and after repeated this often, Lord, Lord, receive my spirit. Mr. Latimer cried as vehemently on the other side, O Father of heaven receive my soul: who received the flame as it were embracing of it. After he had stroked his face with his hands, and as it were bathed them a little in the fire, he soon died, (as it appeareth) with very little or no pain. And thus much concerning this old and faithful servant of God, bishop Latimer, whose laborious travels, fruitful life, and constant death, the whole realm hath cause to give thanks to Almighty God.
BUT Dr. Ridley, by the ill-making of the fire, the faggots being green, and built too high about the gorse, so that the fire being kept down by the green wood, burned fiercely beneath, which put him to such exquisite pain, that he desired them for God's sake to let the fire come unto him; which his brother-in-law heard, but not well understood, intending to rid him out of his pain, (for which cause he gave attendance) as one in such sorrow, not well advised what he did, heaped faggot upon him, so that he clean covered him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, so that it burned all his nether parts, before it touched the upper, and that made him leap up and down under the faggots, and often desire them to let the fire come to him, saying, I cannot burn. Which indeed plainly appeared: for after his legs were consumed by reason of his struggling through the pain, (whereof he had no release, but only the comfort he had from God) he showed that side towards us clean, shirt and all untouched with flame. Yet in all this torment he forgot not to call upon God still, having in his mouth, Lord have mercy upon me, intermingling his cry, Let the fire come unto me, I cannot burn. In which ⟨p. 908⟩pains he laboured till one of the standers by, with his bill, pulled off the faggots above, and where he saw the fire flame up, he wrested himself to that side. And when the fire touched the gunpowder, he was seen to stir no more, but burned on the other side, falling down at Mr. Latimer's feet: which some said, happened by reason that the chain loosed; other said, that he fell over the chain, by reason of […] of his body, and the weakness of the ne••ther limbs.
BUT Dr. Ridley, by the ill-making of the fire, the faggots being green, and built too high about the goss, so that the fire being kept down by the green wood, burned fiercely beneath, which put him to such exquisite pain, that he desired them for God's sake to let the fire come unto him; which his brother-in-law heard, but not well understood, intending to rid him out of his pain, (for which cause he gave attendance) as one in such sorrow, not well advised what he did, heaped faggot upon him, so that he clean covered him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, so that it burned all his nether parts, before it touched the upper, and that made him leap up and down under the faggots, and often desire them to let the fire come to him, saying, I cannot burn. Which indeed plainly appeared: for after his legs were consumed by reason of his struggling through the pain, (whereof he had no release, but only the comfort he had from God) he shewed that side towards us clean, shirt and all untouched with flame. Yet in all this torment he forgot not to call upon God still, having in his mouth, Lord have mercy upon me, intermingling his cry, Let the fire come unto me, I cannot burn. In which
SOME said that before he was like to fall from the stake, he desired them to hold him to it with their bills. However, surely it moved hundreds to t•ars, […] beholding the horrible sight. For I think there were none that had not clean banished all humanity and mercy which would not have lamented to behold the fury of the fire so to rage upon their bodies. Signs there were of sorrow on every side. Some took it grievously to see their deaths, whose lives they h•ld full dear. Some pitied their persons, that thought their souls had no need thereof. His brother moved many men, seeing his miserable case, seeing him (I say) compelled to such infelicity, that he thought then to do him best service when he hasten•• his end. Some cried out of the luck, to see his endeavour, who most dearly loved him, and sough• his release, turn to his greater vexation, and increase of pain. But whoso considered their preferments in time past, the places of honour that they sometimes occupied in this commonwealth, the favour they were in with their princes, and the opinion of learning they had, could not choose but […] with tears, to see so great dignity, honour, and estimation, so necessary members sometime accounted, so many godly virtues, the study of so many years, such excellent learning, to be put into the •ire, and consumed in one moment. Well, dead they are, and the reward of this world they have already. What reward remaineth for them in heaven▪ the day of God's glory, when he cometh with h•s ••ints, shall shortly declare.
SOME said that before he was like to fall from the stake, he desired them to hold him to it with their bills. However, surely it moved hundreds to t•ars, beholding the horrible sight. For I think there were none that had not clean banished all humanity and mercy which would not have lamented to behold the fury of the fire so to rage upon their bodies. Signs there were of sorrow on every side. Some took it grievously to see their deaths, whose lives they hld full dear. Some pitied their persons, that thought their souls had no need thereof. His brother moved many men, seeing his miserable case, seeing him (I say) compelled to such infelicity, that he thought then to do him best service when he hasten his end. Some cried out of the luck, to see his endeavour, who most dearly loved him, and sough his release, turn to his greater vexation, and increase of pain. But whoso considered their preferments in time past, the places of honour that they sometimes occupied in this commonwealth, the favour they were in with their princes, and the opinion of learning they had, could not chuse but with tears, to see so great dignity, honour, and estimation, so necessary members sometime accounted, so many godly virtues, the study of so many years, such excellent learning, to be put into the ire, and consumed in one moment. Well, dead they are, and the reward of this world they have already. What reward remaineth for them in heaven the day of God's glory, when he cometh with hs ints, shall shortly declare.
AT the name of Jesus let every knee bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the lord, unto the glory of God the Father. Amen.
AS a man intending to take a far journey, and to depart from his familiar friends, commonly and naturally hath a desire to bid his friends farewell before his departure; so likewise now I, looking daily when I should be called to depart hence from you, (O all you my dearly beloved brethren and sisters in our Saviour Christ that dwell here in this world) having a like mind towards you all, to bid you all, my dear brethren and sisters (I say in Christ) that dwell upon the earth, after such manner as I can, Farewell.
AS a man intending to take a far journey, and to depart from his familiar friends, commonly and naturally hath a desire to bid his friends farewel before his departure; so likewise now I, looking daily when I should be called to depart hence from you, (O all you my dearly beloved brethren and sisters in our Saviour Christ that dwell here in this world) having a like mind towards you all, to bid you all, my dear brethren and sisters (I say in Christ) that dwell upon the earth, after such manner as I can, Farewel.
FAREWELL, my dear brother George Shipside, whom I have ever found faithful, trusty, and loving in all states and conditions, and now in the time of my cross over all others to me most friendly and steadfast, and that which pleased me best over all other things, in God's cause ever hearty.
FAREWEL, my dear brother George Shipside, whom I have ever found faithful, trusty, and loving in all states and conditions, and now in the time of my cross over all others to me most friendly and stedfast, and that which pleased me best over all other things, in God's cause ever hearty.
FAREWELL, my dear sister Alice his wife, I am glad to hear of thee, that thou dost take Christ's cross, which is laid now (blessed be God) both on thy back and mine, in good part. Thank thou God that hath given thee a godly and loving husband: see thou honour him and obey him, according to God's law. Honour thy mother in law, his mother, and love all those that pertain unto him, being ready to do them good a• it shall lie in thy power. As for thy children, I doubt not of thy husband, but that he who hath given him an heart to love and fear God, and in God them that pertain unto him, shall also make him friendly and beneficial unto thy children, even as if they had been begotten of his own body▪
FAREWEL, my dear sister Alice his wife, I am glad to hear of thee, that thou dost take Christ's cross, which is laid now (blessed be God) both on thy back and mine, in good part. Thank thou God that hath given thee a godly and loving husband: see thou honour him and obey him, according to God's law. Honour thy mother in law, his mother, and love all those that pertain unto him, being ready to do them good a• it shall lie in thy power. As for thy children, I doubt not of thy husband, but that he who hath given him an heart to love and fear God, and in God them that pertain unto him, shall also make him friendly and beneficial unto thy children, even as if they had been begotten of his own body▪
FAREWELL▪ my dearly beloved brother, John Ridley, of the Walt•u• ▪ and you my gentl• and loving sister Elizabeth: who be•••es the natural […] of amity, your tender love, which you were said •ver to bear towards me above the rest of your brethren, doth bind me to love. My mind wa• to […] acknowledged this your loving affection, and to have acquitted with deeds, and not with words alone. Your daughter Elizabeth I bid […], whom I love for the meek and gentle […] that God […] ⟨p. 909⟩given her, which is a precious thing in the sight of God.
FAREWEL▪ my dearly beloved brother, John Ridley, of the Walt•u• ▪ and you my gentl• and loving sister Elizabeth: who be•••es the natural 〈…〉 of amity, your tender love, which you were said •ver to bear towards me above the rest of your brethren, doth bind me to love. My mind wa• to 〈…〉 acknowledged this your loving affection, and to have acquitted with deeds, and not with words alone. Your daughter Elizabeth I bid 〈…〉, whom I love for the meek and gentle 〈…〉 that God 〈…〉 ⟨p. 909⟩given her, which is a precious thing in the sight of God.
FAREWELL, my beloved sister dwelling at Unthank, with all your children, nephews and nieces, since the departure of my brother Hugh, my mind was to have been unto them instead of their father, but the Lord God must and will be their father if they would love and fear him, and live according to his law.
FAREWEL, my beloved sister dwelling at Unthank, with all your children, nephews and nieces, since the departure of my brother Hugh, my mind was to have been unto them instead of their father, but the Lord God must and will be their father if they would love and fear him, and live according to his law.
FAREWELL, my well beloved and worshipful cousins, Mr. Nicholas Ridley, of Willimountswike, and your wife, and I thank you for all your kindness both showed unto me, and also to all your own kinsfolk and mine. Good cousin, as God hath set you in our stock and kindred (not for any respect of your person, but of his abundant grace and goodness) to be as it were the bell-weather to order and conduct the rest, and hath also endued you with his manifold gifts of grace both heavenly and worldly above others; so I pray you, good cousin, (as my trust and hope is in you) continue and increase in the maintenance of the truth, honesty, righteousness, and all true godliness, and to the uttermost of your power to withstand falsehood, untruth, unrighteousness, and all ungodliness which is forbidden and condemned by the word and laws of God.
FAREWEL, my well beloved and worshipful cousins, Mr. Nicholas Ridley, of Willimountswike, and your wife, and I thank you for all your kindness both shewed unto me, and also to all your own kinsfolk and mine. Good cousin, as God hath set you in our stock and kindred (not for any respect of your person, but of his abundant grace and goodness) to be as it were the bell-weather to order and conduct the rest, and hath also endued you with his manifold gifts of grace both heavenly and worldly above others; so I pray you, good cousin, (as my trust and hope is in you) continue and increase in the maintenance of the truth, honesty, righteousness, and all true godliness, and to the uttermost of your power to withstand falshood, untruth, unrighteousness, and all ungodliness which is forbidden and condemned by the word and laws of God.
FAREWELL▪ my young cousin, Ralph Whitfield. Oh! your time was very short with me. My mind was to have done you good, and yet you caught in that little time a loss, but I trust it shall be recompensed as it shall please Almighty God.
FAREWEL▪ my young cousin, Ralph Whitfield. Oh! your time was very short with me. My mind was to have done you good, and yet you caught in that little time a loss, but I trust it shall be recompensed as it shall please Almighty God.
FAREWELL, all my whole kindred and countrymen, farewell in Christ altogether. The Lord, who is the searcher of secrets, knoweth that according to my heart's desire, my hope was of late that I should have come among you, and to have brought with me abundance of Christ's blessed gospel, according to the duty of that office and ministry, whereunto among you I was chosen, named and appointed by the mouth of that late peerless prince, king Edward, and so denounced openly in his court, by his p••vy council.
FAREWEL, all my whole kindred and countrymen, farewel in Christ altogether. The Lord, who is the searcher of secrets, knoweth that according to my heart's desire, my hope was of late that I should have come among you, and to have brought with me abundance of Christ's blessed gospel, according to the duty of that office and ministry, whereunto among you I was chosen, named and appointed by the mouth of that late peerless prince, king Edward, and so denounced openly in his court, by his p••vy council.
I warn you all, my beloved kinsfolk and countrymen, that you be not amazed or astonished at the kind of my departure or dissolution; for I assure you I think it the greatest honour that ever I was called to in all my life: and therefore I heartily thank my Lord God for it, that it hath pleased him to call me of his great mercy unto this high honour, to suffer death willingly for his cause and for his sake; unto which honour he hath called the holy prophets, and dearly beloved apostles, and his blessed chosen martyrs. For know you that I doubt no more, that the causes for which I am put to death are God's causes, and the causes of the truth, than I doubt that the gospel which John wrote is the gospel of Christ, or that Paul's epistles are the very word of God. And to have a heart willing to abide, and stand in God's cause, and in Christ's quarrel even unto death, I assure thee, (O man) it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God, given only to the true elect, and dearly beloved children of God and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. For the holy apostle, and also martyr in Christ's cause, St. Peter, saith, If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ, that is, in Christ's cause, and for his truth's sake, then are ye happy and blessed, for the glory of the Spirit of God resteth upon you. If for rebuke's sake suffered in Christ's name, a man is pronounced, by the mouth of that apostle, blessed and happy, how much more happy and blessed is he that hath the grace to suffer death also! Wherefore all you that be my true lovers and friends, rejoice, and rejoice with me again, and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father, that for his Son's sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ, he hath vouchsafed to call me, being else without his gracious goodness, in myself but a sinful and vile wretch, to call me, I say, unto this high dignity of his true prophets, of his faithful apostles, and of his holy elect and chosen martyrs, that is, to die, and not to spend this temporal li•e in the defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting truth.
I warn you all, my beloved kinsfolk and countrymen, that you be not amazed or astonished at the kind of my departure or dissolution; for I assure you I think it the greatest honour that ever I was called to in all my life: and therefore I heartily thank my Lord God for it, that it hath pleased him to call me of his great mercy unto this high honour, to suffer death willingly for his cause and for his sake; unto which honour he hath called the holy prophets, and dearly beloved apostles, and his blessed chosen martyrs. For know you that I doubt no more, that the causes for which I am put to death are God's causes, and the causes of the truth, than I doubt that the gospel which John wrote is the gospel of Christ, or that Paul's epistles are the very word of God. And to have a heart willing to abide, and stand in God's cause, and in Christ's quarrel even unto death, I assure thee, (O man) it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God, given only to the true elect, and dearly beloved children of God and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. For the holy apostle, and also martyr in Christ's cause, St. Peter, saith, If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ, that is, in Christ's cause, and for his truth's sake, then are ye happy and blessed, for the glory of the Spirit of God resteth upon you. If for rebuke's sake suffered in Christ's name, a man is pronounced, by the mouth of that apostle, blessed and happy, how much more happy and blessed is he that hath the grace to suffer death also! Wherefore all you that be my true lovers and friends, rejoice, and rejoice with me again, and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father, that for his Son's sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ, he hath vouchsafed to call me, being else without his gracious goodness, in myself but a sinful and vile wretch, to call me, I say, unto this high dignity of his true prophes, of his faithful apostles, and of his holy elect and chosen martyrs, that is, to die, and not to spend this temporal lie in the defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting truth.
YOU know that be my countrymen dwelling upon the borders, where (alas) the true man suffereth oftentimes much wrong at the thief's hand, if it chance a man to be slain by a thief (as it often doth ⟨p. 910⟩there) which went out with his neighbour to help him to recover his goods again, that the more cruelly he be slain, and the more steadfastly he stuck by his neighbour in the fight against the faith of the thief, the more favour and friendship shall all his posterity have for the slain man's sake, of all them that be true, as long as the memory of this fact, and his posterity doth endure: even so you that be my kinsfolk and countrymen, know ye (howsoever the blind, ignorant, wicked world hereafter shall rail upon my death, which thing they cannot do worse than their fathers did, of the death of Christ our Saviour, of his holy prophets, apostles, and martyrs:) know ye, I say, that both before God, and all them that be godly, and that truly know and follow the laws of God, ye have, and shall have by God's grace, ever cause to rejoice, and to thank God highly, and to think good of it, and in God rejoice with me your flesh and blood, whom God of his goodness hath vouchsafed to associate unto the blessed company of his holy martyrs in heaven: and I doubt not in the infinite goodness of my Lord God, nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect and chosen people, but at both their hand in my cause, ye shall rather find the more •avour and grace: for the Lord saith, that he will be both to them and their's that love him, the more loving again in a thousand generations: the Lord is so full of mercy to them, I say, and their's who do love him indeed. And Christ saith again, that no man can show more love than to give his life for his friend.
YOU know that be my countrymen dwelling upon the borders, where (alas) the true man suffereth oftentimes much wrong at the thief's hand, if it chance a man to be slain by a thief (as it often doth ⟨p. 910⟩there) which went out with his neighbour to help him to recover his goods again, that the more cruelly he be slain, and the more stedfastly he stuck by his neighbour in the fight against the faith of the thief, the more favour and friendship shall all his posterity have for the slain man's sake, of all them that be true, as long as the memory of this fact, and his posterity doth endure: even so you that be my kinsfolk and countrymen, know ye (howsoever the blind, ignorant, wicked world hereafter shall rail upon my death, which thing they cannot do worse than their fathers did, of the death of Christ our Saviour, of his holy prophets, apostles, and martyrs:) know ye, I say, that both before God, and all them that be godly, and that truly know and follow the laws of God, ye have, and shall have by God's grace, ever cause to rejoice, and to thank God highly, and to think good of it, and in God rejoice with me your flesh and blood, whom God of his goodness hath vouchsafed to associate unto the blessed company of his holy martyrs in heaven: and I doubt not in the infinite goodness of my Lord God, nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect and chosen people, but at both their hand in my cause, ye shall rather find the more avour and grace: for the Lord saith, that he will be both to them and their's that love him, the more loving again in a thousand generations: the Lord is so full of mercy to them, I say, and their's who do love him indeed. And Christ saith again, that no man can shew more love than to give his life for his friend.
