And at another time. Fox makes him say, "the answer which I made before, and then did make again, was sufficient for a beginner, and as one which did not profess a perfect knowledge in that matter, until such time as I had learned further." The modern editors have given a long story about this martyr, who was evidently a man of unsettled mind, now doubting, now believing, but never fixed in his doctrines. He was executed on the 4th of April, 1555, at a small village called SpittleBoughton, near Chester. Fox does not give the sentence of death at large, so that we cannot learn the precise opinions for which he suffered. He admits, however, that the bishop, in reading the sentence of condemnation, stopped twice to exhort him to conform and save his life; and the modern editors state, that “ as soon as he arrived at the place of execution, the chamberlain of that city (Chester) shewed him a box, containing the queen's pardon, on condition that he would recant;" both which facts clearly shew, that it was not the life of the sufferer that was sought in the example made of him. The modern editors say he was chained to the stake, having a number of fagots under him, and a cask full of pitch and tar hanging over his head. Yet they further say, he suffered, after the fire was kindled, for a considerable time, the most exquisite torture, his flesh being so broiled, and puffed up, that those who stood before him could not see the chain with which he was fastened up. Whoever makes use of his senses will perceive that this is too marvellous a tale to be credited. It was usual at these executions to place gunpowder under the arms of the culprit, and among the fagots, in order to ease the pains of the sufferer as much as possible. We have some letters inserted in the account of this man's death, said to have been written by him to several people; but whoever reflects on the origin of the man, and the state of literary education among the peasantry at that day, will conclude with us, that the letters in question were written for him, he, in all probability, not being able to write himself. 9. William Flower, Minister, Martyr. This martyr of Fox's creation was born at Snow-hill, în Cambridgeshire, and was a professed monk and priest in the county of Ely. Ŏur modern martyrologist says "he was educated in the Roman Catholic superstition," but, in process of time, on a serious review of the sacred scriptures," he began to doubt of the authenticity of the doctrines and practices of the Romish church," and at length earnestly embraced the doctrines of the reformation. All restraint being thus removed, in despite of the solemn vows he had made to God to lead a chaste and celibate life, he took unto himself a wife, and became first a serving man, next a teacher of grammar, then a surgeon and physician, and various other occupations. After wandering up and down many of the different counties in England, he came and settled at Lambeth, about the beginning of queen Mary's reign. Here he conceived such fervour of spirit in his new doctrine, that upon Christmas-day, 1555, he went to St. Paul's church with intention to use violence upon some Catholic priest whom he should find administering the blessed sacrament. But being forbid by God at that time (as he afterwards wrote), he postponed his resolution until Easter-day following. At which time, passing over the Thames to Westminster, and finding a priest (named sir John Cheltam) administering the sacrament, this sweet disciple of the reformed faith, being offended to see all the people upon their knees, and stirred up by God's spirit (as he blasphemously says), pulled out his wood-knife that he carried by his side, and grievously wounded the said priest in divers places, both on his head, arm, and hand, in which he held the chalice full of consecrated hosts besprinkled with his blood; and in all likelihood would have killed him, if the people had not seized and apprehended the villain. Fox sets down a conference said to have been held between Flower and another brother gospeller, called Robert Smith, concerning the outrage committed on the priest. In this conference Flower is made to boast of an inspiration from God to commit the deed, and compares himself to Moses, Aaron, Phinees, Josue, &c. and such like holy men in Jewish history. To shew the desperate presumption of these new evangelists, we will here give an example of the feeling which animated this Protestant martyr, on the testimony of John Fox himself. Smith having asked Flower, whether he (Smith) or any other might make the like murderous attempt, Flower answered, No; except they had the like special vocation. "I cannot learn you (he said) to do the like, because I do not know what is in you. Yet nevertheless if God make you worthy, who hath made me zealous, you shall not be letted, judged, or condemned. For he doth in his people unspeakable works in all ages, which no man can comprehend. I humbly beseech you to judge the best of the spirit, and condemn not God's doings. For I cannot express with my mouth the great mercies that God hath shewed on me in this thing, which I repent not." Here we have a specimen of the blaspher mous spirit which worked on these pretenders to new light, to offer outrage and even bloodshed against the constituted authorities, who were, by these seditious and turbulent proceedings of the fanatics of that day, induced to follow up severe measures with a view of suppressing the tumultuous spirit that raged amongst them. Well might father Parsons exclaim, in his Examination of these saints, "Behold here the spirit of these men, and of John Fox that approveth it! Is not this the very same evangelical new spirit of fury, that moved Christopher Goodman, William Thomas, and others in their zeal to attempt the murdering of queen Mary, in the first year of her reign! William Thomas protesting at his death, that he died for his country! And was not his spirit approved by Geneva, as Dr. Bancroft, in his book of Dangerous Positions, (lib. iv, c. 14. and see Hist. to Lestei. ep. Koss. hoc anno.) doth confess? And is not this also the very same, whereby Norman Lesley, James Melvin, and other Calvinists in Scotland, murdered the cardinal of St. Andrew's in his own house and chamber, upon the year of Christ 1546. And this by the approbation of John Knox, and others of the Genevian consistory, as the same doctor proveth at large? Is it not the same spirit, that moved afterwards Peter Bourchett, of the Middle Temple, to attempt the killing of sir John Hawkins in the open street in London, in the 15th year of her late majesty's reign? which spirit also moved him afterwards to kill his keeper in the prison. And is not this the same spirit, that of later years incited Coppinger, Arthington and Hacket to design the murder of divers lords of the privy council in the star chamber? And perhaps of her majesty also, in the highest fervour of his zeal, as the said Dr. Bancroft doth not evil infer? All these people (I say) had one and the self-same spirit, and were principal gospellers of the purest sort, and so they professed themselves. And from these kind of spirits princes may consider, how they can defend themselves, when they enter into zeal, and that they find inward vocations to outward assaults, as Coppinger testified of himself. And the like spirit (no doubt) is not unfrequent amongst the hottest sort of Puritans, who are the most dangerous sects to any quiet state, common-wealth, or prince, that hitherto have risen: except Anabaptists, or Circumcilians, with whom in this point they do symbolise." 10. Robert Drakes, Minister; 11. Thomas Tymes; 12. Richard Spurge; 18. Thomas Spurge; 14. John Cavil and George Ambrose, Martyrs. Although these sufferers have each a day allotted for them in Fox's calendar, yet they were all executed on the same day in Smithfield, and were all Essex men. The leaders of them were of course Drakes, who was a minister, and Tymes, a curate. Richard Spurge was a sheerman, Thomas Spurge and George Ambrose were fullers, and John Cavil was a weaver. Of Drakes Fox tells us he "was first made a deacon by Dr. Taylor of Hadleigh, (of whom we have spoken in our list for February) and after, by Dr. Cranmer and Dr. Ridley, was admitted minister of God's word and sacraments, in the third year of the reign of king Edward the 6th, not after the order then in force, but after such order as was after established," &c. On which statement father Parsons says, "Mark the ordering of this disorderly minister; he was first made deacon by Dr. Taylor, that was but an ordinary minister bimself, and no bishop; and then he was admitted minister by Cranmer and Ridley, that were bishops, but not by order of the English church, then in force in the third year of king Edward's reign, but by an order after to be established. So as this disordered minister was first ordered, before the order itself was made or in force, whereby he was ordered." Tymes was a curate or deacon, whose behaviour shewed the presumption which generally inflated the disciples of novelty and error. Fox relates many answers given by these infatuated men on their trial which would not have been suffered in the courts of law at this day,, and he admits that bishop Bonner used all the means in his power to reclaim and bring these unhappy and misguided people to a right understanding before he pronounced sentence upon them, 15. John Harpoole; 16. Joan Beach, 17. John Hullier, Minister, Martyrs. Of these three martyrs Fox makes but slight mention.-Harpoole was a tailor by trade, and Joan was a spinster.-These two were burned together; Hullier was executed at Cambridge. 18. Christopher Lister, Minister; 19. John Mace; 20. John Spence and Simon Joyne; 21. Richard Nicholls; 22. John Hammond, Martyrs. These six were burned at Colchester on the same day, though they have each a separate day in Fox's calendar. Lister was a husbandman, but converted into a minister by the martyrologist. Mace was an apo thecary; Spencer and Nicholls were weavers; Joyne a sawyer; and Hammond a tanner.-If we could credit Fox, these men, whose situations in life bespeak them illiterate and ignorant, were the most skilled in scriptural lore and a match for the gravest divines. The answers imputed to them by Fox sufficiently shews that they were as perverse as they were arrogant and conceited.-Fox records, that in their answers to the sixth article, on which they were questioned, "they utterly refused all of them to acknowledge the authority of the see of Rome, but did utterly abhor the same, for putting down the book of God, the bible, and setting up the Babylonical mass," &c. On which father Parsons justly remarks, "Thus said they in their fury, but how' the bible of God was or is put down by the Catholic church, I would ask by what means these Protestant artificers could prove it? But so they were taught to speak by deceitful slanderous teachers. And being once put out of their five wits by these heretical suggestions, they cared not for what they said, nor for what they did."-It may here be worthy of remark, that the same charges of putting down the scripture are as lavishly made against the Catholic church by the biblicals of the present days, as they were in the turbulent and not less fanatical times of Mary. The bawlers at Bible and Missionary meetings are for ever and for aye ringing the changes on the supposed dislike of the Catholic clergy to their flocks reading the scriptures, but it would be a difficult thing. for these advocates for private opinion to prove their accusations. The Catholics are better versed in the sense and true meaning of scripture than those who boast so much of their knowledge, and it would be much better for them if they were to search more seriously for truth in the sacred text, than employing themselves in propagating the most shameful lies and misrepresentations of their neighbours' civil and religious principles. 24. Thomas Losby; 26. Henry Ramsey; 27. Thomas Thirtle; 28. Margaret Hide; 29, Agnes Stanley, Martyrs, These individuals suffered on one day, though each have distinct days in the calendar of Fox. It must here be noted that the martyrologist has appropriated two days in this month to two Catholic saints and real martyrs, St. George, the patron of our country, and St. Mark the evangelist. Of these Protestant saints, the first, Losby, was an artificer who held Calvinistical opinions. Ramsey was an artificer, and so very ignorant, that the only answer that could be got from him, when questioned by bishop Bonner, was, "I say unto you, my lord, that my opinions are the very truth, and I will die for them." Thirtle was also an artificer, who told the bishop, "If you make me a heretic, then was Christ and his apostles heretics." Margaret Hide and Agnes Stanley were poor ignorant spinsters, infected with the new gospel light, and deeming themselves more wise than all the fathers of the church, but could not agree together in opinion, as Fox is obliged to admit, for he writes thus:"As they all confessed there was one true Catholic church, so held they also that the church of Rome was no part or member thereof; and that there were but two sacraments of the Lord. Howbeit some of them attributed the title and honour of a sacrament to the holy state of matrimony. Which undoubtedly was done rather of simple ignorance than of any wilful opinion," &c. Thus it appears that these ignorant creatures could not be martyrs for the true faith, since truth is one and unalterable, whereas they were discordant in their notions. us. 30. William Nicholls, Martyr. Of this man Fox says but little, and therefore little need be said by The martyrologist states" that he was an honest simple good pure man, and so simple a good soul that many esteemed him half foolish." What opinions he held, or why he was burned Fox does not inform us. He suffered at Haverford-west in Wales. Year. Day. THE CATHOLIC CALENDAR FOR APRIL. 1132 I St. Hugh, Bishop and Confessor. 376 10 St. Bademus, Abbot, Martyr. 68 15 SS. Basilissa and Anastasia, MM. 460 16 St. Turibius, Bishop and Conf. 163 17 St. Anicetus, Pope and Martyr. 186 18 St. Appolonius, the Apologist, Martyr. 1054 19 St. Leo IX. Pope and Confessor. 1317 20 St. Agnes, Virgin and Abbess. 1109 21 St. Anselm, Archbishop and Con. 180 22 SS. Soter and Cauis, Popes and Martyrs. 286 23 St. George, Patron of England, Martyr. 1622 22 St. Fidelis, Martyr. 63 25 St. Mark, Evangelist. 84 26 SS. Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes and Martyrs 303 27 St. Anthimus and Comp. Mart. 62 28 St. Vitalis, Martyr. 1252 29 St. Peter, Martyr. 1380 30 St. Catharine of Sienna, Virgin. Having given the character of Fox's pretended saints and martyrs for the month of April, among whom we find the most illiterate and and meanest of mankind, besides an avowed bloodshedder, we now come to describe some of the real saints and martyrs of the Catholic church, who have been made to give way in the Protestant calendar of Fox for his hypocrites and fanatics. On the 1st of the month we have St. |