was thirteen years of age, but all other infants that were born in his house, among whom we reckon Isaac.1 Mary. A. D. 1555. christian Even so faithful people which were converted from heathen idolatry by the preaching of the gospel, and confessing the faith, were baptized: when they understood their children to be counted among the people of God, and that bap- why chiltism was the token of the people of God, they procured also their children to be dren of baptized. Therefore, as it is written, "Abraham circumcised all the male children parents of his house." Semblably we read in the acts and writings of the apostles, that be receivafter the master of the house was turned to the faith, all the whole house was ed to baptized. And as concerning those which of old time were compelled to confess their faith before they received baptism, which were called 'catechumeni," they were such as with our forefathers came from the Gentiles into the church, whom being yet rude of faith they did instruct in the principles of their belief, and afterward they did baptize them but the same ancient fathers, notwithstanding, did baptize the children of faithful men, as I have already partly declared. And because you do require a hasty answer of your letter of one that is but a dull writer, I am here enforced to cease particularly to go through your letter in answering thereto, knowing that I have fully answered every part thereof, in that I have already written, although not in such order as it had been meet, and as I purposed. But forasmuch as I understand that you will be no contentious man, neither in this matter, neither in any other, contrary to the judgment of Christ's true primitive church, which is the body and fulness of Christ, I desire you in the entire love of him, or rather Christ desireth you by me (that your joy may be perfect, whereto you are now called), to submit your judgment to that church, and to be at peace and unity in the same; that the coat of Christ, which ought to be without seam, but now, alas! most miserably is torn in pieces by many dangerous sects and damnable opinions, may appear by you in no part to have been rent, neither that any giddy head in these dog-days, might take an ensample by you to dissent from Christ's true church. Í beseech thee, dear brother in the gospel, follow the steps of the faith of the glorious martyrs in the primitive church, and of such as at this day follow the same decline from them neither to the right hand nor to the left. Then shall death, be it never so bitter, be more sweet than this life; then shall Christ with all the heavenly Jerusalem triumphantly embrace your spirit with unspeakable gladness and exaltation, who in this earth was content to join your spirit with their spirits, according as it is commanded by the word, that the spirit of the prophets should be subject to the prophets. One thing ask with David ere you depart, and require the same, that you may dwell with a full accord in his house, for there is glory and worship: and so, with Simeon in the temple embracing Christ, depart in peace. To the which peace Christ bring both you and me, and all our loving brethren that love God in the unity of faith, by such ways as shall please him, to his glory! Let the bitter passion of Christ, which he suffered for your sake, and the horrible torments which the godly martyrs of Christ have endured before us, and also the inestimable reward of your life to come, which is hidden yet a little while from you with Christ, strengthen, comfort, and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in. Amen.1 Your yoke-fellow in captivity for the verity of Christ's gospel, to live and Divers other letters were written by master Philpot to divers, but these as most principal I have excerpted and inserted: amongst which I thought here, not much impertinent to the place, to adjoin another certain letter of a godly and zealous gospeller (whose name in her writing doth not appear), who, in defending and commending the quarrel of this master John Philpot, Christ's most famous and (1) In the first converting of infidels, believing ought to go before baptizing: but where faith is received, God's grace and sacraments go not by age, but as well be children of the faithful received, as the fathers. (2) "Catechumeni," is as much to say, as young novices and beginners in Christ's faith. (3) 1 Cor. xiv. (4) Concerning the party to whom this letter was written, note that he was converted, and after ward died in the same faith as this letter did persuade him. baptism. A. D. Mary worthy martyr, was therefore troubled and brought before bishop Bonner; and therefore being appointed by the said bishop to appear 1556. upon a certain day to answer for herself, indeed kept not her day with the bishop, but instead of her appearance sent him this letter here following. A godly Letter addressed to Bishop Bonner, reproving his cruelty. Woe be unto the idolatrous shepherds" of England, “that feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flock? But ye have eaten the fat, ye have clothed you with the wool. The best fed have ye slain, but the flock have ye not nourished; the weak have ye not holden up, the sick have you not healed, the broken have you not bound together, the out-casts have ye not brought again, the lost have ye not sought, but churlishly and cruelly have ye ruled them." Ezek. xxxiv. Forasmuch, my lord, as my business is such that I cannot come to your lordship, according to my promise, I have been so bold to write these few words unto you, partly to excuse mine absence, and partly to answer your lordship's demands at my last most happy departure from you. As touching the breach of my promise with you, in not coming again at the hour appointed, your lordship shall understand that I take the counsel of the angel, which warned the wise men not to come again to Herod, according to their promise, but to turn home again another way. Now, my lord, I perceiving your lordship to be a more cruel tyrant than ever was Herod, and more desirous to destroy Christ in his poor members than ever he was, who, to destroy Christ, killed his own son, I thought good to take the angel's counsel, and to come no more at you: for I see that you are set all in a rage, like a ravening wolf against the poor lambs of Christ, appointed to the slaughter for the testimony of the truth. Indeed you are called the common cut-throat and general slaughter-slave to all the bishops of England; and therefore it is wisdom for me and all other simple sheep of the Lord, to keep us out of your butcher's stall as long as we can; especially seeing that you have such store already, that you are not able to drink all their blood, lest you should break your belly and therefore let them lie still, and die for hunger. Therefore, my lord, I thought it good to tarry a time until your lordship's stomach were come to you a little better; for I do perceive by your great fat cheeks, that you lack no lamb's flesh yet, and belike you are almost glutted with supping so much blood, and therefore you will let some of the leanest die in prison, which will then be meat good enough for your barking beagles, Harpsfield and his fellows. But yet, my lord, it were a great deal more for your lordship's honour, if your chaplains might have the meat roasted in Smithfield at the fire of the stake, yea, and when it is something fat and fairliking; for now they have nothing but skin and bones, and if the dogs come hastily to it, they may chance shortly to be choaked; and then your hunting will be hindered greatly, if it be not altogether marred. I hear say, my lord, that some of the butcherly curs came of late to my house to seek their prey, and that they go round about the city (as David saith) grinning, and grudging that they have not meat enough: therefore belike they have killed my poor brethren and sisters that have lain so long upon the butcherly stall, and eaten them up: for I hear say their friends could not be suffered to see them these three days and more. Therefore I perceive now, that if I had come again according to my promise, your lordship, like a ravening wolf, or else some of your hellhounds, would quickly have worried me: but I see well my appointed time is not yet come, therefore I will yet live and thank Him for my deliverance, with continual songs of laud and praise. Thus have I been bold to trouble your lordship with telling you the truth, and the very cause that I came not to you again according to my unpurposed promise. I trust your lordship will take this in good part, and accept it as a lawful excuse; and not doubting but your lordship would have done the like, if you had been in my case. Now as concerning the second part that caused me to write unto your lordship, which is to answer unto your subtle, or rather cruel, demand of my judgment of the death of that blessed martyr of Christ Jesus, good master John Philpot, I will answer your lordship simply and plainly, what peril soever shall A.D. See come thereof. Truly, my lord, I do not only think, but I am also most certain Mary. and sure, that he, as a very man of God, died a true martyr and constant confessor of his dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom he did most faithfully commit his sweet soul, who will surely keep the same with him in joy for 1556. evermore. Also, my lord, I do verily believe and know that your lordship hath committed a horrible and most cruel murder in the unjust condemning and killing of him; and that you shall make as heavy an account for his blood, which shortly shall be required at your hand, as ever your great grandfather cruel Cain did or shall do for his innocent brother Abel. Moreover, because I am credibly informed that your lordship doth believe,' and have in secret said, that there is no hell, I certify you, that your lordship did never any thing in all your life that so much did redound to your lordship's dishonour and perpetual shame and infamy, as your killing the body of this blessed prophet doth; especially seeing that he was none of your diocese, nor had offended any of your lordship's devilish and cruel laws. Verily I hear almost every body say in all places where I come, that your lordship is made the common slaughterslave to all your fellow bite-sheeps (bishops, I would say); yea, the very papists Appendix. themselves begin now to abhor your bloodthirstiness, and speak shame of your tyranny. Like tyranny, believe me my lord, every child that can any whit speak, can call you by your name and say, "Bloody Bonner is bishop of London ;" and every man hath it as perfectly upon his fingers' ends, as his Paternoster, how many you, for your part, have burned with fire, and famished in prison: they say, the whole sum surmounteth to a forty persons within this three quarters of this year. Therefore, my lord, though your lordship believeth that there is neither heaven nor hell, nor God nor devil, yet if your lordship love your own honesty, which was lost long agone, you were best to surcease from this cruel burning of true christian men, and also from murdering of some in prison; for that indeed offendeth men's minds most; yea, even your old friends, the rankest papists that be. For, say they, Felix the heathen ruler did not forbid Paul's friends to visit him in prison, and to bring him necessary relief; and therefore it is a very great shame and sin, to see a bishop that beareth the name of a Christian, to be more cruel upon his poor brethren, than a heathen, Turk, or infidel. This is men's sayings in every place, not only of this realm, but also of the most part of the world, and the common talk they have of your lordship; therefore I thought to be bold so with your lordship, as to tell you of it, though perchance you will give me but small thanks for my labour. Well, as for that, I put it to your lordship's choice, for I have as much already as I look for. Finally, my lord, I will give you to understand, that the death of this constant martyr and valiant soldier of Jesus Christ hath given a greater shake towards the overthrowing of your papistical kingdom, than you shall ever be able to recover again these seven years, do the best you can, and set as many crafty daubers to patch it up with untempered clay as you will; yea, though prating Pendleton, that wicked apostate, apply all his wily wits to help them. Verily, my lord, by all men's reports, his blessed life could never have done the like sorrow to Satan's synagogue, whereof some say your lordship is a mighty member, as his happy death hath done. You have broken a pot indeed, but the precious nard contained therein is so notably therewithal shed abroad, that the sweet savour thereof hath wonderfully well refreshed all the true household or congregation of Christ, that they cannot abide any more the stinking savour of your filthy ware that came from the dunghill of Rome, though your lordship's Judases do set them to sale every where to fill your bags. I put your lordship out of doubt, that if you do break any more such pots, you will mar your own market altogether: for I promise you, most men begin to mislike your devilish doings, and wonderfully to loathe your popish pedlary wares. Thus have I (according to your lordship's commandments) showed you simply what I think of that good man's death, whose blood crieth for vengeance against your lordship's butcherly bloody proceedings in the ears of the Lord of hosts, who will shortly avenge the same upon your pilled pate, and upon the rest of all your poll-shorn brethren, the very marked cattle of the great antichrist of Rome. The measure of your iniquity is filled up to the brim, therefor will God shortly pour in double unto your deserved destruction. And then I, (1) Your deeds declare and bear witness to the same. Mary. when your new-made proselytes will be glad to cover their crowns with cowdung (saving your lordship's reverence, I should have said first)-Well, I rather desire their conversion than confusion; the Lord send the one of them shortly, as may be most to his glory. Amen. A. D. 1556. I signify also unto your lordship, that the railing words which your lying preacher showed forth of his filthy fountain upon Sunday against the dear servant of God, good master Philpot, do greatly redound to your lordship's dishonesty, and much deface your spiritual honour. Verily I see that the great wrath of God hath so blinded your eyes, that you see not what is with you, nor what is against you, but still you vomit out your own shame, and make all the world wonder upon you. Was it not enough for you to condemn him most unjustly, yea contrary to your own laws, and to kill his innocent body most tyrannously, but you must also set a lying limb of the devil to blaspheme, slander, and belie him now he is dead? Oviperous generation, seed of the serpent, and right children of the devil! Full well do you counterfeit your father's steps, whom Christ calleth a murderer, and a liar from the beginning; which two things be the only weapons of your war, wherewith you maintain all your mischief, that is to say, lying and murder. For those whom ye cannot overcome with your lying persuasions, them you kill most cruelly, and then blaspheme and belie them with railing sentences when they are dead. But all this will not blind the people of God, nor yet make them any whit the less believe the truth, nor abate their love from the true preachers thereof; yea, it is a true sign and a token that they are the very disciples of Christ, for he hath said, "Blessed are ye when men revile you, and say all manner of evil sayings against you for my name's sake: rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven." And doubtless great is that good man's reward in heaven by this time, as your lordship's damnation shall be great in hell, except you repent and surcease from shedding innocent blood. But it is to be feared your heart is hardened as Pharaoh's was, seeing that with Judas ye have sold and betrayed your Master. Take heed, my lord, lest you come to the same end, or a worse than he did; for verily I cannot perceive how should you escape it long. Therefore say not but a woman gave you warning, if you list to take it. And as for the obtaining of your popish purpose in suppressing the truth, I put you out of doubt, you shall not obtain it so long as you go this way to work as ye do: for verily I believe that you have lost the hearts of twenty thousand that were rank papists within this twelve months. It is found very true that one holy doctor saith, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the gospel; when one is put to death, a thousand do rise for him." And that this is true, you may well perceive by the hearty love that the people showed unto good master Philpot at his going to his death. They went not about to make an idol of him, as your adder's brood would bear men in hand: but they worshipped God, which gave such strength to his dear child, to die so constantly for the testimony of his truth, unto the utter destruction of that detestable idolatry which your lordship doth most devilishly maintain with the force of fire, faggots, and sword: yea, and rather than fail, to famish men in prison again, as ye have done already. It is reported of your own tormentors, that the six prisoners that you have in your prison, be put in six several places all the day, and every night brought together, and set in the stocks. Forsooth, my lord, this doth get you a foul name all abroad the country, and yet all will not help your lordship's pestilent purpose, but every way hinder the same; for Zerubbabel will be found no liar, which said, "The truth shall have victory." You do but strive against the stream, and kick against the prick. The Lord doth laugh your doings to scorn, and will bring all your counsels and devices to nought (as knoweth the Lord God), who of nis great mercy shortly convert your lordship, or utterly confound you, and get his name a glory over you. Amen! Your lordship's orator, who prayeth daily to God that he may reward you according to your deeds. Anno 1556. Mary. The Story of Seven Martyrs suffering together at London, for the The catholic prelates of the pope's band, being as yet not satisfied with this their one year's bloody murdering of the reverend, learned, and principal members of Christ's church (whereof there were now very few which either were not consumed by most cruel fire, or else, for the avoiding of their popish rage, compelled to fly their natural country), continued still this next year also, which was anno 1556, in no less cruelty towards the poor, simple, and inferior sort of people (I mean in degree, though God be praised, not in steadfastness), having yet sometimes amongst them such as were both learned and of good estimation, as in continuance of this story shall appear. Wherefore, as the first fruits thereof, to begin this year withal, about the 27th day of January were burned in Smithfield at London these seven persons hereafter following, to wit: Thomas Whittle, priest; Bartlet Green, gentleman; John Tudson, artificer; John Went, artificer; Thomas Browne; Isabel Foster, wife; Joan Warne, alias Lashford, maid. All which seven, as they were burned together in one fire, so were they likewise all upon one sort and form of articles condemned in one day. Howbeit, forasmuch as the gifts of God in them were diverse (some more abounding in knowledge than others), their dealings withal were also diverse, as shall be more plainly perceived in the discoursing of their several processes hereafter following. And therefore, for the better understanding hereof, I will first (by the leave of the Lord), passing over their private articles and examinations had at sundry times in the bishop's house, set forth their general examinations in the public consistory, upon the bishop's articles there ministered unto them; with their answers also unto the same, according as they all agreed after one manner and sort together, as here by the words both of the articles, and their answers underwritten, may appear. THE FORM AND WORDS OF BONNER'S ARTICLES MINISTERED And first, to behold the manner of speech in these bishops, sitting in their majesty to terrify the ears of the simple withal, let us hear the pontifical phrase of this bishop, beginning in this sort: * The within written articles, all and everich of them, and every part and parce of them, we Edmund, by the permission of God Bishop of London, do object and minister to thee Thomas Whittle, etc. of our mere office, for thy soul's health, and for the reformation of thine offences and misdemeanours, monishing thee in the virtue of obedience, and under the pains of both censures of the church, and also of other pains of the law, to answer fully, plainly, and truly to all the same. 1. First, that thou, N., hast firmly, steadfastly, and constantly believed in times past, and so dost now believe at this present, that there is here in earth a catholic church; in the which catholic church the faith and religion of Christ is truly professed, allowed, received, kept, and retained, of all faithful and true christian people. A. D. 1556. See Appendix. |