Thus ye have heard the letter delivered to Thomas Philip. Now Henry followeth the Testament of William Tracy. William Tracy, Esquire, of Gloucestershire. VIII. A.D. 1531 to See Appendix. A little before this time, this William Tracy, a worshipful esquire 1533. in Gloucestershire, and then dwelling at Toddington, made, in his will, that he would have no funeral pomp at his burying, neither passed he upon mass; and he further said, that he trusted in God only, and hoped by him to be saved, and not by any saint. This gentleman died, and his son, as executor, brought the will to the bishop of Canterbury to prove: which he showed to the convocation, and there most cruelly they judged that he should be taken out of the ground, and be burned as a heretic, A.D. 1582. This commission was sent william to Dr. Parker, chancellor of the diocese of Worcester, to execute Tracy their wicked sentence; who accomplished the same. The king, being hearing his subject to be taken out of the ground and burned, without burnt. his knowledge or order of his law, sent for the chancellor, and laid high offence to his charge; who excused himself by the archbishop of Canterbury who was lately dead; but in conclusion it cost him three hundred pounds to have his pardon. The will and testament of this gentleman, thus condemned by the clergy, was as hereunder followeth: The Testament of William Tracy.1 In the name of God, Amen. I William Tracy of Toddington in the county of Gloucester, esquire, make my testament and last will as hereafter followeth: First and before all other things, I commit myself to God and to his mercy, believing, without any doubt or mistrust, that by his grace, and the merits of Jesus Christ, and by the virtue of his passion and of his resurrection, I have and shall have remission of all my sins, and resurrection of body and soul, according as it is written, I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that in the last day I shall rise out of the earth, and in my flesh shall see my Saviour: this my hope is laid up in my bosom." And touching the wealth of my soul, the faith that I have taken and rehearsed is sufficient (as I suppose) without any other man's works or merits. My ground and belief is, that there is but one God and one mediator between God and man, which is Jesus Christ; so that I accept none in heaven or in earth to be mediator between me and God, but only Jesus Christ: all others to be but as petitioners in receiving of grace, but none able to give influence of grace: and therefore will I bestow no part of my goods for that intent that any man should say or do to help my soul; for therein I trust only to the promises of Christ: 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.'3 taken up, dead, and As touching the burying of my body, it availeth me not whatsoever be done Funeral thereto; for St. Augustine saith, 'De cura agenda pro mortuis,' that the funeral pomp pomps are rather the solace of them that live, than the wealth and comfort of them that are dead: and therefore I remit it only to the discretion of mine the living executors. serveth only for And touching the distribution of my temporal goods, my purpose is, by the grace of God, to bestow them to be accepted as the fruits of faith; so that I do not suppose that my merit shall be by the good bestowing of them, but my our merit is the faith of Jesus Christ only, by whom such works are good, according merits to the words of our Lord, I was hungry, and thou gavest me to eat,' &c. And our faith it followeth, 'That ye have done to the least of my brethren, ye have done it to in Christ. me,' &c. And ever we should consider that true saying, that a good work (1) See Hall's Chronicle, p. 796. Edit. 4to. 1809. There is a commentary both by Tyndale and Frith upon this will, vol. iif. pp. 4 and 246 of their Works. London, 1831.-ED. (3) Mark 16. (2) Job xix. be only Henry maketh not a good man, but a good man maketh a good work; for faith maketh a man both good and righteous: for a righteous man liveth by faith, and whatsoever springeth not of faith is sin, &c.' A. D. 1531 to 1533. See Appendis. And all my temporal goods that I have not given or delivered, or not given by writing of mine own hand, bearing the date of this present writing, I do leave and give to Margaret my wife, and Richard my son, whom I make mine executors. Witness hereof mine own hand the tenth of October, in the twentysecond year of the reign of king Henry the Eighth. This is the true copy of his will, for which (as you heard before), after he was almost two years dead, they took him up and burned him. THE TABLE CONTINUED.2 John Periman, Skinner, A.D 1531. His articles were much like unto the others before; adding, moreover, that all the preachers then at Paul's Cross preached nothing but lies and flatterings, and that there was never a true preacher but one; naming Edward Crome. Robert Goldstone, Glazier, A.D. 1531. His articles:-That men should pray to God only, and to no saints: that pilgrimage is not profitable: that men should give no worship to images. Item, for saying, that if he had as much power as any cardinal had, he would destroy all the images that were in all the churches in England. Lawrence Staple, Serving-man, A. D. 1531. His articles -For having the Testament in English, the five books of Moses, the Practice of Prelates, the Sum of Scripture, the A. B. C. Item, About the burning of Bainham, for saying, 'I would I were with Bainham, seeing that every man hath forsaken him, that I might drink with him, and he might pray for me.' Item, That he moved Henry Tomson to learn to read the New Testament, calling it The Blood of Christ. Item, In Lent past, when he had no fish, he did eat eggs, butter, and cheese. Also, about six weeks before Master Bilney was attached, the said Bilney delivered to him at Greenwich four New Testaments of Tyndale's translation, which he had in his sleeve, and a budget besides of books, which budget he, Eating of shortly after riding to Cambridge, delivered unto Bilney, &c. eggs, made heresy. Item, On Fridays he used to eat eggs, and thought that it was no great offence before God, &c. Henry Tomson, Tailor, A. D. 1531. His articles :-That which the priest lifteth over his head at the sacring time, is not the very body of Christ, nor is it God; but a thing that God hath ordained to be done. This poor Tomson, although at first he submitted himself to the bishop, yet they with sentence condemned him to perpetual prison. Jasper Wetzell, of Cologne, a. D. 1531. His articles :-That he cared not for going to the church to hear mass, for he could say mass as well as the priest: That he would not pray to our Lady, for she could do us no good. Item, Being asked if he would go hear mass, he said, he had as lieve go to the gallows, where the thieves were hanged. Item, Being at St. Margaret Patens, and there holding his arms across, he said unto the people, that he could make as good a knave as he is, for he is made but of wood, &c. (1) Rom. xiv. (2) Ex Regist. Lond. (3) See Vol. iv. Appendix, note on p. 611. Robert Man, Serving-man, A. D. 1531. His articles :-That there is no purgatory: That the pope hath no more power to grant pardon than another simple priest: That God gave no more authority to St. Peter than to another priest: That the pope was a knave, and his priests knaves all, for suffering his pardons to go abroad to deceive the people: That St. Thomas of Canterbury is no saint: That St. Peter was never pope of Rome. A.D. 1531 to 1533. store by a Item, He used commonly to ask of priests where he came, whether a man Priests were accursed, if he handled a chalice, or no? If the priest would say, Yea: set more then would he reply again thus: 'If a man have a sheep-skin on his hands,' pair of meaning a pair of gloves, he may handle it.' The priests saying, Yea. Well gloves, then,' quoth he, 'ye will make me believe, that God put more virtue in a sheepskin, than he did in a Christian man's hand, for whom he died. Henry Feldon, a. D. 1531. His trouble was for having these books in English: A proper Dialogue between a Gentleman and a Husbandman, The Sum of Scripture, The Prologue of Mark, a written book containing the Pater-noster, Ave-Maria, and the Creed, in English; The Ten Commandments, and The Sixteen Conditions of Charity. Robert Cooper, Priest, a. D. 1531. His article was only this:-For saying that the blessing with a shoe-sole, is as good as the bishop's blessing, &c. Thomas Roe, A. D. 1531. His articles were, for speaking against auricular confession and priest.y penance, and against the preaching of the doctors. William Wallam, A. D. 1531. His opinion: That the sacrament of the altar is not the body of Christ in flesh and blood; and that there is a God, but not that God in flesh and blood, in the form of bread. Grace Palmer, A. D. 1531. than by a layman's hand. Witness was brought against her by her neighbours, John Rouse, Agnes his Against wife, John Pole, of St. Ösithe's, for saying, Ye use to bear palms on Palm- bearing of Sunday it skilleth not whether you bear any or not, it is but a thing used, and need not.' Also, Ye use to go on pilgrimage to our Lady of Grace, of Walsingham, and other places: ye were better tarry at home, and give money to succour me and my children, and others of my poor neighbours, than to go thither; for there you shall find but a piece of timber painted: there is neither God nor our Lady. Item, For repenting that she did ever light candles before images. Item, That the sacrament of the altar is not the body of Christ; it is but bread, which the priest there showeth for a token or remembrance of Christ's body. Philip Brasier, of Boxted, A.D. 1531. His articles:-That the sacrament holden up between the priest's hands is not the body of Christ, but bread, and is done for a signification: That con fession to a priest needeth not: That images be but stocks and stones: That pilgrimage is vain: Also for saying, that when there is any miracle done, the priests do anoint the images, and make men believe that the images do sweat in labouring for them; and with the offerings the priests find their harlots. palms. Sec Appenar Henry A. D. 1531 to 1533. Three confessions. A well spring where Wickliff's bones were burned. Against John Fairestede, of Colchester, A. D. 1531. His articles: For words spoken against pilgrimage and images. Also for saying these words, That the day should come that men should say, Cursed be they that make these false gods,' (meaning images.) George Bull, of Much Hadham, Draper, A. D. 1531. His articles: That there be three confessions; one principal to God; another to his neighbour whom he had offended; and the third to a priest; and that without the two first confessions, to God and to his neighbour, a man could not be saved. The third confession to a priest, is necessary for counsel to such as be ignorant and unlearned, to learn how to make their confession with a contrite heart unto God, and how to hope for forgiveness; and also in what manner they should ask forgiveness of their neighbour whom they have offended, &c. Item, For saying that Luther was a good man. Item, That he reported, through the credence and report of Master Patmore, parson of Hadham, that where Wickliff's bones were burnt, sprang up a well or well-spring. John Haymond, Millwright, A. D. 1531. His articles: For speaking and holding against pilgrimage and images, and against prescribed fasting-days. That priests and religious men, notwithstanding their vows made, may lawfully forsake their vows and marry. Item, For having books of Luther and Tyndale. Robert Lambe, a Harper, A. D. 1531. His article:-For that he, standing accursed two years together, and not fearing the censures of the pope's church, went about with a song in commendation of Martin Luther. John Hewes, Draper, A.D. 1531. His articles, For speaking against purgatory, and Thomas Becket. Item, At the town of Farnham, he, seeing Edward Frensham kneeling in kneeling the street to a cross carried before a corse, asked, To whom he kneeled? He said, To his Maker. 'Thou art a fool,' said he, 'it is not thy Maker; it is but a piece of copper or wood,' &c. to the cross. Item, For these words, Masters! ye use to go on pilgrimage; it were better first that ye look upon your poor neighbours, who lack succour, &c. Also for saying, that he heard the vicar of Croydon thus preach openly, That there is much immorality kept up by going on pilgrimage to Wilsdon or Mouswell, &c. Thomas Patmore, Draper, A.D. 1531. This Patmore was brother to Master Patmore, parson of Hadham, who was imprisoned in the Lollards' Tower for marrying a priest, and in the same prison continued three years. This Patmore was accused by divers witnesses, upon these articles: That he had as lieve pray to yonder hunter (pointing to a man painted there in a stained cloth), for a piece of flesh, as to pray to stocks that stand in walls, (meaning images.) Item, That men should not pray to saints, but to God only: For why should we pray to saints?' said he, they are but blocks and stocks.' Item, That the truth of Scripture hath been kept from us a long time, and of Scrip- hath not appeared till now. ture a long time Item, Coming by a tree wherein stood an image, he took away the wax kept from which hanged there offered. us. Item, That he regarded not the place whether it was hallowed or no, where he should be buried after he was dead. marry. VIII. A.D. Also in talk with the curate of St. Peter's, he defended that priests might Henry This Patmore had long hold with the bishop of London. First, he would not swear, 'Infamia non præcedente.' Then he would appeal to the king, but all 1531 would not serve. He was so wrapt in the bishop's nets, that he could not get out: but at last he was forced to abjure, and was fined to the king a hundred pounds. to 1533. the pa Note in the communication between this Patmore and the priest A' false of St. Peter's, that whereas the priest objected against him (as is saying of in the register) that priests have lived unmarried and without wives, pists. these 1500 years in the church; he, and all other such priests therein say falsely, and deceive the people, as by story is proved in these volumes, that priests here in England had wives by law within these five hundred years and less. Simon Smith, Master of Arts, of Gonville-hall, Cambridge, and This Simon Smith, and Bennore his wife, were the parties whom Master Patmore, parson of Hadham, above mentioned, did marry, and was condemned for the same to perpetual prison. For this marriage, both the said Simon, and Bennore his wife, were called to examination before the bishop, and he caused to make the whole discourse of all his doings, how and where he married; then, after his marriage, how long he tarried; whether he went beyond sea; where he was, and with whom; after his return whither he resorted; how he lived; what mercery-ware he occupied; what fairs he frequented; where he left his wife; how he carried her over, and brought her home again, and how she was found, &c. All this they made him confess, and put it in their register. And though they could fasten no other crime of heresy upon him, but only his marriage, yet, calling both him and her (being great with child) to examination, they caused them both to abjure and suffer penance. Thomas Patmore, Parson of Hadham, A.D. 1530. This Thomas Patmore, being learned and godly, was preferred to the parsonage of Hadham, in Hertfordshire, by Richard Fitz-James, bishop of London, and there continued instructing and teaching his flock during the time of the said Fitz-James, and also of Tonstal his successor, by the space of sixteen years or more; behaving himself in life and conversation without any public blame or reproach, until John Stokesley was preferred unto the said bishopric, who, not very long after his installing, either for malice not greatly liking of the said Patmore, or else desirous to prefer some other unto the benefice (as it is supposed and alleged by his brethren in sundry supplications exhibited unto the king, as also unto queen Anne, then Marchioness of Pembroke), caused him to be attached and brought before him; and then, keeping him prisoner in his own palace a certain time, afterwards committed him to Lollards' tower, where he kept him most extremely above two years, without fire or candle, or any other relief, but such as his friends sent him; not suffering any of them, notwithstanding, to come unto him, no not in his sickness. Howbeit sundry times in the mean while he called him judicially, either before himself, or else his vicar-general Foxford, that great persecutor, charging him with these sundry articles, viz. first, whether he had been at Wittenberg; secondly, and had seen or talked with Luther; thirdly, or with any Englishman, abiding there; fourthly, who went with him or attended upon him thither; fifthly, also what books he bought there, either Latin or English; sixthly, and whether he had read or studied any works of Luther, colampadius, Pomerane, or Melancthon. riages. Besides these, he ministered also other articles unto him, touching the mar- Priests' riage of Master Simon Smith (before mentioned) with one Joan Bennore, charg- maring him that he both knew of, and also consented unto their marriage, the one |